Development Planning
eCommerce success depends on planning
A common mistake in many website development projects is the failure to plan. Whether upgrading to a new platform like nopCommerce, migrating from one eCommerce platform to another, or doing a fresh build — lack of planning on the front end could impact the short and long-term success of your site.
At noptim, we understand the excitement surrounding the creation of a new eCommerce website. Expectations of revenue growth and new customer acquisition are always at the forefront of any business decision. The thrill of getting a site launched quickly often leads to a lack of planning by many businesses and creates long term SEO and digital strategy issues that may not be easily rectified.
Every segment of a new project should be planned thoroughly, from URL selection to launch. Comprehensively taking into account budgets and long-term company goals. Though many of the issues discussed below may be addressed during the consultation stage — noptim offers a level of eCommerce planning that will position your new site to continue to progress after launch.
Every eCommerce project needs a plan
Whether you’re building a house or a website — jumping into either without a strategy that includes timelines and achievable goals could be costly. Let’s take a look at some of the issues important to eCommerce site planning.
Long Term Goals
Understanding the needs and long-term goals of the business is and important step in the planning process. Our goal at noptim is ultimately to take your business from A to Z — we need to know what Z is in order to make sure your website is aligned with your primary goal.
Finding out what Z is in the middle of a development project could cost thousands of dollars in redevelopment to get the site back on track.
Understanding the Business
Every business has an identity — or plans to develop one with their eCommerce website. Understanding your mission, brand, how you wish to be perceived, what you’re selling, who your audience is, who your competitors are, your likes and dislikes with other eCommerce websites, to name a few — are all important to take into account when planning a new site. Often, we find our clients don’t have defined answers when beginning the planning stage. As we fish them out — the site begins to take on its own personality that helps later in the wireframe and design process.
Color in Design
Colors are very important to eCommerce success. The colors you choose for your site could increase your brand identity by as much as 80%. Developing a design that takes into account brand and graphic standards as well as what you’re selling and who you’re selling to — can make huge impacts in trust, site interaction, and conversions. For instance, orange is generally understood as an “impulse” color, whereas dark blue is a “trust” color. Combining both in an aesthetically pleasing manner could give shoppers a sense of confidence to click the buy button.
Using a tool like a Color Wheel Calculator is always helpful when developing an ecommerce site color scheme.
Your domain name is important
Your domain name should reinforce your brand and is important to long term brand identity. If you have been in business for some time, you likely already have an established domain name. If not, or if your current domain does not have any traction, choosing a short, easy to remember name is always best because changing a domain after launch is costly and requires a lot of extra work that should be avoided.
Early stage planning is important to help flush out exactly who, what, where, and when your site will be launched. Our primary goal at noptim is to make sure you see a return on your investment as quickly as possible. You should expect an eCommerce needs assessment — if done properly — could save thousands of dollars in development over the long haul and ensure your site is positioned to succeed.
