How to start an online shop in South Africa
Introduction
To start an online shop in South Africa is fairly simple if you plan ahead and use the right tools. Online shopping feels different from walking into a physical store. Your online shop has to compensate for this.
Your customer has to feel that buying from you is safe and secure, no matter what you sell.
Domain and Hosting
To kick off with, you will need a domain name and hosting for your online store. Reliable and fast hosting is imperative for an online store. Customers should be able to load pages and products quickly.
If you have an existing domain and hosting package, please check that it is WordPress hosting. If you are unsure, you may ask us for assistance.
BEFORE YOU CONTACT A WEBSITE DESIGNER FOR A QUOTE
Information you need to prepare
Stock on hand – what are you selling?
- You will need products/services to sell, or should at least be able to get it without delay, once a customer orders it.
- You are able to take orders for products that will only be manufactured once ordered, such as custom designed goods.
- You can sell a product or service. You are also able to sell virtual products, like ebooks, that customers can pay for and download.
- You can also sell online courses if you choose to invest in a Learning Management System.
Compile a comprehensive price list
- Your website designer requires a comprehensive price list to firstly quote for the work and secondly, ensure that all products are loaded on your eshop.
- Create a spreadsheet with the following columns: SKU (Product Code), full product name, selling price without VAT.
- The SKU (product code) is helpful and important when you have similar products or a large volume of products. Product codes should be unique to each product.
- Descriptive product names help visitors to find the product in your eshop and it also boosts your SEO.
- A comprehensive price list is handy to give you an overall view of all the products/services you offer.
Download a free Excel price list template to get you going.
Images of your products and branding
- High quality images are crucial. It literally makes or breaks a website and brand.
- Product images should be on a flat white background.
- Consistent image sizes create a more professional shopping experience and improve the overall appearance of your online store.
- If possible, it would be an added bonus to have images of the products from various angles.
- If you are a reseller, your suppliers should have product images that they are normally happy to share.
- Use your product SKU code to name image files and save them in folders and sub-folders, to provide to your web designer.
Product or service information
- Customers need information about a product or service. This is especially important with online shopping since the customer cannot pick up the item and inspect it.
- Comprehensive product or service descriptions help your SEO too.
- The better your product information is, the more you increase your chances of a sale.
- Good product descriptions create trust with online shoppers.
- Create a text document for each product and save it using the product SKU code as a filename. This information should be provided to your website designer.
THINGS TO CONSIDER AND DECIDE ON
Payment and Shipping
Payment Options
- Your online shop has a variety of payment options available. You can include options such as cash on delivery (COD) and electronic fund transfers (EFT).
- To start an online shop in South Africa, we highly recommend making use of Payfast. They facilitate online payments on your website and offer a variety of payment options to customers.
- For international payments we recommend using Stripe.
- You also have the option to have customers send you a Request For Quote (RFQ) instead of payment.
Shipping Options
- Delivering orders to customers in a fast and efficient manner will contribute to your customer experience.
- We highly recommend The Courier Guy to handle all your shipping. They offer reasonable rates, are super fast and deliver to most places in South Africa.
- You can offer free shipping if a customer order exceeds a certain amount. This is very attractive to shoppers. Shoppers will often add an extra item to their order to qualify for free shipping.
Register a Domain and Host with us
Secure your domain name and get hosting for your website and email accounts.
Complete the form below to get the process started.
Complete the form below to get the process started.
How to obtain your own domain and hosting
If you would prefer to register your domain and obtain hosting, we highly recommend the following hosting providers.
Simply click on the banner of your choice and sign up!
