If you’re looking for WooCommerce website developers to partner with on an e-commerce project, there are essential considerations above and beyond creating an aesthetically pleasing website.
Crafting a successful online store involves strategic planning and thorough attention to detail in the initial stages to build long-term success. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the key factors to ensure a seamless and effective website.
Planning and mapping
First and foremost, planning and mapping a WooCommerce website around search engine optimisation (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) is paramount.
An experienced WooCommerce developer should possess a solid grasp of SEO best practices and PPC strategies to drive traffic and, more importantly, sales and conversions.
If you already have an online store and are planning a replacement, an audit of the current website should be performed, as well as new research and analysis. A thorough understanding of both will ensure the new site retains the current website’s positive aspects whilst building on that foundation with the new research and planning.
Google Core Web Vitals
There are thousands of free or low-cost WooCommerce design themes available. However, at POP, we design and develop bespoke WooCommerce design themes. This is pivotal to creating a unique and impactful online storefront and gives us the control to optimise the theme and eliminate the bloat or security issues that come with generic themes.
Optimising your WooCommerce store to meet Google Core Web Vitals has become critical to SEO and, more broadly, user experience (UX). The tests score a site in terms of load speed, visual stability, structure, and accessibility.
All of these factors have the power to profoundly affect conversion rate optimisation (CRO), so it is imperative to collaborate with WooCommerce website developers adept at optimising websites to meet Google’s Core Web Vitals standards.
During the development phase, you should also be supported, where possible, in populating the site with products. This daunting task can often be made massively less time-consuming and tedious by bulk uploading via a CSV file.
Another aspect to consider is third-party integrations. There are obvious platforms, such as Google Analytics (GA4) and Search Console, but what about customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms, accounts systems and platforms such as Mailchimp for marketing automation. Also, content delivery networks (CDNs) like Cloudflare should be considered.
Launch and beyond 🚀
Launching a new e-commerce website should be handled very carefully. Clear messaging must be implemented if customers create new accounts to avoid frustration.
On the technical side, any changed URLs need to be redirected to their new equivalents to prevent 404s. Payment gateways and integrations need testing, and platforms such as HotJar can be implemented to monitor and refine the user interface (UI) and UX.
Post-launch support is another crucial consideration when hiring WooCommerce website developers, and commonly, when the relationship between the developer and the client is really made or broken.
Beyond the website’s launch, ongoing effective SEO and PPC support is essential to building your customer base and sales. A competent developer will offer continued assistance in optimising the website for search engines and managing pay-per-click campaigns, ensuring sustained visibility and profitability.
Furthermore, WooCommerce and WordPress maintenance is vital for efficiency and security. Regular updates, security audits, and performance optimisations are critical aspects of website maintenance. This should be done in a routine, planned way, and all updates and changes should be done in a staging environment and thoroughly tested before being pushed to the live website.
Green hosting
Lastly, an ethical and sustainable approach to hosting should not be overlooked. Zero-carbon hosting options are gaining traction as businesses increasingly prioritise environmental responsibility. Choosing a developer who offers zero-carbon or renewables-powered hosting helps contribute to a greener digital footprint.
In conclusion, when shortlisting WooCommerce website developers, it is imperative to consider many factors beyond just creating a visually pleasing website. These considerations are pivotal in crafting a successful and enduring e-commerce business, from SEO and PPC integration to bespoke theme design, Google Core Web Vitals optimisation, post-launch support, and sustainable hosting.
By carefully evaluating the essential aspects above, businesses can ensure their e-commerce platform thrives in the increasingly competitive digital landscape.
