Whether you have just set up an online shop or are moving with the times and deciding to start selling through online platforms, there will always be the issues of finding the right way to host a website, something which can be quite daunting.
There are a couple of options here; you can pay a web design company to build and host the website for you, or if you are the more adventurous type and like to dive into the deep end (personally I am), then you can buy your own website and host it yourself – and for a lot less money too.
The first step you will have to take when starting up a site is buying your own domain name. There are many options for you to choose from here. You have the ability to curate your own name, bearing in mind however that something like joebloggs.com will have already been bought by someone else or will be on sale for a very high price. Try to make it short but don’t make it to generic as you will have to pay a high price for this.
The next step is hosting. There are many places where you can host your own site but it can become tricky to host in one place if you bought your domain from another place, due to file and registration transfers. A good solution to this issueis to use a service that will provide you with everything at once. 1 and 1 provide a great service and have a wide variety of individual offers for website hosting, so you are bound to find a service that will match your needs.
The problem with running your own website is that it can be difficult to get your head around the coding and editing of the different pages. If you are inexperienced in HTML and the other various server and scripting languages that are involved in running such sites it may seem very daunting to attempt to make any changes to the website itself.
Luckily there are some great platforms already out there specially designed for ecommerce sites.WooCommerce – which is a WordPress plugin, allows you to gain huge control over what your site contains and is great for drop ship sites, with a special system that automatically forwards orders directly to the distributor without any input from the user.
Open Cart is another great option for the less experienced. This is a standalone platform but also has a very good interface and allows for inexperienced coders to have a go at getting to grips with programming their sites without accidentally breaking anything.
Both platforms have great online communities and forums, so if you are ever struggling with anything, then there will always be someone out there online who will have an answer for you, no matter how experienced you are.
With all these steps taken, you should be ready to start selling your products in quick succession, whether your drop-shipping or distributing, there will be a way to host your own site that will suite you.
