The must-knows if you want to create a multi-vendor website
E-commerce marketers who dedicate boundless effort to their businesses aren’t new to being told that “technology” is the best way to make their business work. And as with all good harvests, the yield from the newest of technologies depends on how well you pair them up with your business.
Things are not much different for multi-vendor e-commerce websites. In the recent past, these websites have captured both the stage and the spotlight. With the passage of time, and with technology spilling over into every available space on the web, multi-vendor e-commerce websites have become the norm and the way forward.
Given the intrinsically global nature of the trending e-commerce initiatives, it is vital to plant your business into a stable marketing matrix. Treat this article more like a preach piece on how to create a Multi-vendor e-commerce website from scratch.
Follow the tips catalogued in the upcoming sections and see your business boom in no time.
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Carry out an exhaustive market research
The very first step to getting started with your own multi-vendor marketplace is to understand your target audience and their buying patterns. Come up with products that resonate with a sizeable portion of your audience.
Let’s take the example of the multi-vendor giant Amazon. A vast majority of its buyers belong to the age bracket of 18-44. Therefore, if you are aiming to set up your own multi-vendor marketplace online, your primary target should be the aforementioned age group. That’s exactly how you generate abundant sales right from the beginning.
Select an appropriate domain name
Your domain name should be an outcome of aggressive brainstorming and should strike a chord with your potential buyers. Always remember that your audience will have no preconceived idea about your brand name when they hear it for the first time. It’s you who should build it over time.
So, stick to a few ground rules while naming your brand-
- Keep it short, simple, and easy to remember
- Check for the availability of the selected name so as to avoid trademark issues
- Use a .com extension since that is universally recognized
You may check for available domain names with web hosting companies like GoDaddy, DYN etc. GoDaddy, typically, is the most recommended option. A top Domain Registrar Company, it manages an estimated 59 million domain names and is the first step to keep your multi-vendor e-commerce website viable.
Deploy only a robust server to host your site
Choosing the right server to host your site is a critical determinant of the success of your online multi-vendor business. With visitors from all geographical locations pouring in, the traffic to your website is going to be too difficult to handle, yet, your server should be robust enough to do just that.
In such cases where the traffic surge is really high, you may consider Cloud Hosting options and enjoy the following privileges-
- Cheaper- No installation charge is required.
- Easy installation- Cloud server installation is very hassle-free.
- No downtime issues- A cloud server is adaptive enough to handle even higher traffic volumes, and so, you face minimal downtime issues.
- Accessibility: Cloud servers enable you to access data anytime, anywhere.
Be selective about your website plugin
If yours is a WordPress-based multi-vendor website, there are three available plugins you may select from-
WooCommerce
One of the top-rated WordPress plugins, WooCommerce comes with the following features:
- Advanced e-commerce facilities
- Dashboard widget to check business progress online
- Customization options
- A range of Add-ons and themes
- All payment options (PayPal, Cheque, Cash on Delivery)
Dokan
It is a commonly used WordPress plugin that aptly leverages the power of WooCommerce. It is the ideal plugin to end up with a great multi-vendor marketplace like Amazon or eBay. Till date, Dokan has created more than 2000 online marketplaces globe-wide and has downloaded more than 13,000 times.
With Dokan, a unique URL will be available to every seller of your site so that they can easily manage products and orders from the frontend of your site.
As a site owner, you will receive a commission from each sale. The best thing about Dokan is that it supports PayPal, PayPal Adaptive, Stripe, Bank Cheque and Cash on Delivery.
WP Ecommerce
This is yet another WordPress plugin with more than 50,000 downloads. The following features make this plugin extremely useful for multi-vendor e-commerce sites-
- Compatible with all WordPress themes
- Easy to install
- Highly customizable
- Provides multiple payment options (PayPal, cheques)
Choose a suitable theme
A visually attractive, professional and user-facing theme is critical to the success of your multi-vendor e-commerce platform. Irrespective of the theme you choose, your website needs to be responsive.
Boost the security of your site
Your WordPress site will never be completely immune to threats. Yet you can enhance the security of your e-commerce site through the following plugins-
- Wordfence Security
- iThemes Security
- All In One WP Security and Firewall
Leverage the power of online marketing
In this digital age, it is simply not enough to have a website. Once your multi-vendor website is up and running, you need to harness the power of online marketing to stay afloat in the digital space.
Below is a quick rundown of the digital marketing options to keep your business viable:
Search Engine Optimization: Your website content should be optimized with appropriate keywords in order to be found by your prospects.
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Social Media Marketing: Social Media aces at making every possible thing “viral” and your business can be no exception. Set up a business page on every social media platform and post religiously every single day. Additionally, organic and paid campaigns can further your business outreach overnight.
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Email Marketing: As opposed to the common belief that e-mails are outdated channels, 70% of the online customers check their e-mails regularly. So why not make e-mail marketing work for you? Weekly newsletters, drip campaigns, and remarketing campaigns can be the best means to educate your customers about your product.
Take care of your website speed
Frequenters of multi-vendor e-commerce websites have bare minimum time to expand on one site or product. So, if your website sags in terms of speed, be prepared to lose a good number of potential customers.
According to recent Kissmetrics report, 57% of the visitors leave your webpage if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Even worse, 47% of the users expect your webpage to load within 2 seconds. So, when a first-time visitor lands on your webpage, you have less than 3 seconds to create an impression that stays.
The following plugins help speed up your WordPress website-
- WP Super Cache
- Optimus- WordPress Image Optimizer
- Optimize database
- WP Super Minify
Website backup
We shall now talk about one deadly situation your business should never face. Let us suppose, at the moment, you have the following-
- A mid-sized website with a good volume of content
- Regular visitors and frequent engagement
Well and good! Yet, within some wee seconds, everything is lost, possibly because your web host accidentally deleted your website. What next?
As per old wisdom- “Prevention is better than cure”! WordPress itself has some robust backup plugins that will backup all your website contents. Find the list below-
- BackupBuddy
- BackUpWordPress
- UpdraftPlus Backup and Restoration
And of course, as a practice, backup your site contents every day.
Mode of payment
More payment options you offer, more customers you draw. So, allow your customers to pay through PayPal, Direct Transfer, Cheque Payment and even Cash on Delivery.
The following plugins can help you set up the maximum number of payment options-
- Woocommerce Payment Gateway by Novalnet
- Stripe free Payment Gateway for WooCommerce
- SimplePay WooCommerce Payment Gateway
Closing thoughts
Whatever be your approach, catering to the tastes of the customers should be your ultimate business pursuit. Because eventually, that will set the stage for your business’ success.
Hope this article equipped you enough!