5 minutes to learn
How to start an online shop in South Africa
Introduction
Starting an online shop in South Africa is easier than you might think if you plan ahead and use the right tools. Unlike a physical shop, your customers can’t see or touch your products, so your website needs to provide enough information to build trust and confidence.
This guide outlines the steps and preparation needed to launch a successful online shop in South Africa and abroad. By the end, you’ll know exactly what information to prepare before approaching a website designer.
Domain and Hosting
To start with, you will need a domain name and hosting for your online store. Reliable, fast hosting is essential 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-friendly 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
What will your online shop sell?
- Before launching your online shop, make sure you have products or services ready to sell, or that you can obtain them quickly once an order is placed.
- You are able to take orders for products that will only be made to order, such as custom designed goods. Examples include business cards, cup cakes, branded corporate gifts, etc.
- You can sell memberships and subscriptions to give users access to exclusive content on your website.
- You can sell digital products, like ebooks, that customers can pay for and download immediately.
- You can also sell online courses by investing in an online course platform.
Compile a comprehensive price list
- A comprehensive price list helps your website designer accurately quote for your online shop and ensures that every product is added during development.
- Create a spreadsheet with the following columns: SKU (Product Code), Category, Full product name, selling price with or without VAT.
- Decide whether your prices include VAT and note this on the spreadsheet.
- Which currency should your prices be displayed in?
- Will you sell to other countries or just South Africa?
- Assign a unique SKU (product code) to every product. This makes it easier to identify products with similar names and simplifies stock management later.
- Descriptive product names help visitors to find the product in your eshop and it also boosts your SEO.
- Think of this spreadsheet as the foundation of your online shop. Every product, price and category on your website will come from this information.
Download a free Excel price list template to get you going.
Images of your products and branding
- High quality images are crucial. Images literally make or break 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, include photos of your products from multiple angles.
- If you are a reseller, your suppliers should have product images that they are normally happy to provide.
- Name each image using its product SKU code and organise the files into folders before sending them to your website designer.
Product or service information
- Your product information sells the product just as much as the product itself.
- Customers rely on product information because they cannot pick up or inspect an item before buying.
- Detailed product descriptions build trust, improve your SEO and increase your chances of making a sale.
- If you sell clothing, include details such as available sizes, colours, fabric type, quality and fit (regular, slim, loose or oversized).
- Include any relevant specifications or technical information that will help customers make an informed buying decision, such as whether a watch is waterproof or not, care instructions, warnings, compatibility, etc.
- 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.
THE BORING BUT IMPORTANT PAGES
Legalities
Terms and Conditions
- If you choose to make use of an online payment portal, such as Payfast, your website will require a Terms and Conditions page in order to qualify for an account.
- In general, it is sound advice for any business that provides a service or product, to have a Terms and Conditions page in place and accessible to online shoppers.
Shipping / Courier Policy
- A shipping / courier policy is an essential part of any online store because it sets clear expectations before a customer makes a purchase.
- A shipping / courier policy informs customers how long delivery will take, what costs they can expect, which areas you deliver to and how orders are processed.
- It also tells customers what happens if a package is delayed, lost, or damaged.
- This information creates trust with online shoppers and cuts down on delivery enquiries.
Warranties / Refunds
- Shoppers need to know what your business offers in terms of product or service warranties, if applicable. Even if you do not offer a warranty, it is good to mention this upfront.
- Your website needs to inform online shoppers whether you offer a refund and what conditions should be met in order to qualify for a refund.
BENEFITS OF PREPARING
Why should I do all this preparation?
- Saves time: The chances of building of an online shop yourself is slim, therefore preparing all this information upfront saves hours of back-and-forth meetings with your website designer.
- Providing your website designer with a complete package will significantly reduce the cost of developing your online shop.
- You will have a clear and comprehensive understanding of the content that is needed for your website.
- Your website designer will have the full picture of your vision and requirements from the onset. This eliminates misunderstandings.
- Avoid additional costs by briefing your web designer properly. Web designers quote on the brief they receive. Additions will be charged for.
Ready to start your online shop?
Complete the form below to start the process. We will contact you to obtain the required information for the purpose of generating a quotation. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have.