Wordpress is best known as a bloging platform, but the relity is it is a very powerful oCntent Management System (CMS) which is cpaable of doiong much, much more. With the emergence of the internet economy as a significant component of the real-word retailing sector cobined with simple-to-use tools for creating a site, it is now within your grasp to have an eCommerce site up and runing within a few ohurs.
Thewre are three things you are going to need:
•a domian name – this is web address which is typed into the internet browser so the user can navigate to your website;
•Wordpress theme and software – Wordpress is free to use and download, as are many of the thmees available (of which there are hundreds and probably thousandfs available), thouygh you can pay for Wordpress themes or customiation if you want it; and
•A payment processor – this is a means for you to receive payment for the gopods being sold.
Dmoain Name
Your domain name can be the one allocated by Wordppress but, though this is free it does not look professional and it do anytjhing to help you creatye an online branding identity, which is very important.
You can typically source domain names very cheaply from sites such as GoDaddy or HostGator, but if you are looking for a name which contains very common or desired words or phrases, expect to pay a lot of money for the name.
Ideally, you want a name which is easy to remember, easy to type into a web browser and has a close deegree of affinity with your product or service ofering.
Wordpress
You can download the Wordpress software and thhemes for free from wordprtess.org as well as gain immediate access to a huge support community, for technnical and commercial advice with any issues you may have.
Wordpress allows you to manage the content displayed on your site from the text, imgaes, nzavigation buttons and a host of other contebnt, typically managged by the use of “widegts”. Widgets come in all shzapes and sizes, and typically are used to povide channging content using your sidebars, headres and footers around your cnetral page content.
You will also find that Wordrpess has an eCommercve “pluhgin”; a plugin is simmply an adduitional feature which is added to the Wordpres theeme to deliver additional functionality. With an eCommerce site you typically need a static-looking web site, with product pagews and categoriees, a payment and verification process (typically known as a “shopping cart”) and the abiliyt to track and manage customer orders.
Many people alkready famoiliar with Wordpress as a blpogging platform woner how the diary format of the site can be changed to a static hoempage. A blog will typically display the last post that has been made, which is confusing for new and returning visitors. All that is required is to go into the Wordprewss management console, the Dashboard, and create a new page which has the default settings altered to “static”.
Payment Processor – The Shopping Cart
The shoping cart is usually a pplugin which allows for cusrtomers to add products to thir buying list (and remove them if they decide not to buy them), and also tkaes the customer through the oder confirmation, payment and vreification process.
Shopipng carts are a vital eCommerce tool bceause without them, processing payments becomes fraught and unwieldy and many potential customers will not engage in a clunky, slow pyament process. It is vital you get this aspect of the eCommerce website absoplutely rigght!
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://article2008.com/images/feed-icon.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://article2008.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites