Your website’s designed, you have all of your products created, and you’re ready to launch your eCommerce site. But with how much work goes into launching a new online store, it can be easy to miss something. Who knows, you may even be missing something you didn’t know you were supposed to do!
You are launching a store, after all, so you want to make sure that it’s functioning properly and that it will help you convert site visitors. Here are some important considerations:
Are taxes set up correctly?
Taxes are an important element of your business and you want to make sure they’re set up correctly. You can find your tax settings by going to Online Store> Settings > Tax. You’ll find several options there to fit your situation but we do recommend consulting with an accountant or tax professional to ensure you’re taking the right steps.
Does your checkout process work?
If there’s a credit card error, does the correct message appear? Go through your checkout process in its entirety, from adding a product to your cart, choosing a shipping location, and making a payment. Check each of your payment methods if you have more than one.
Is your inventory set up?
Go through each of your products and make sure that the inventory levels are up-to-date and correct. You can edit your inventory settings by going to Online Store > Settings > Products > Inventory and update numbers on each individual product page.
Are emails sent and received?
After customers make a purchase, what happens? Do you get a notification that an order was placed? Does the customer get an order confirmation? Make sure all of these processes are in place. Email settings can be set at Online Store > Settings > Emails.
Have you read your product descriptions?
Make sure each product description is compelling, contains important information like size charts, and is free from grammar and spelling errors.
Do you have strong terms and conditions?
Terms and conditions lay out the rules of conduct between you and your website visitors that must be followed if they want to purchase your products. To add this to your checkout page, navigate to Appearance > Customize > Online Store and select a Terms and Conditions page.
Do you have a privacy policy?
A good privacy policy explains exactly how you’ll handle customer information and data on your website. It establishes credibility and is an important layer of protection for your business. You can add this to your Checkout page by going to Appearance > Customize > Online Store and selecting a Privacy Policy page.
Do you have a return policy?
It’s important for your customers to know whether or not you accept returns and what the terms are. Outline how long customers have to make a return, the required condition of the product, how refunds will be received, and who will pay for shipping.
Have you considered GDPR?
DPR is a relatively new law concerning data handling for European residents. This applies to you if you sell to anyone in the EU, even if you’re not located there. Spend some time familiarizing yourself with it and adjust policies if needed.