The internet has had quite an impact on our lives in the past two decades. For instance, it has revolutionised the way that we communicate with each other, whether it is by email, web cam or social networking. It has also changed the face of entertainment, with albums and films readily available to download or stream straight to your desktop. Last but by no means least the internet is dramatically changing the way we shop.
In the UK online shopping made up 15% of retail sales in 2007, a jump from a 2% share in 2002. The share of retail sales is expected to reach a remarkable 40% by 2020. It is little wonder then that site owners are keen to jump on the bandwagon and set up shop online for themselves.
If you are keen to get in to online retail, the first step is to decide what you are going to sell, and whether there’s a market for it. It’s often advisable to focus on a niche area, such as wooden chess sets, or eco-cleaning products, or and not to diversify. It’s better to sell one thing well rather than many things badly.
Next, you will need a merchant account, in order to take debit and credit card payments in the UK. Getting one of these accounts requires going through quite a few hoops, so allow plenty of time and be patient.
The next step is to adapt your website so that it can handle online transactions. For this you will need shopping cart software, including the ability to authenticate and process customer payments.
Should you choose web hosting by EUKHost you will find that shopping cart software comes as standard with our hosting packages. Website hosting by EUKHost also comes with brilliant, dedicated technical support, which can assist you as set up shop.
Affordable website hosting from EUKHost will help you turn your online store in to a reality.