Launched: Ecommerce Added to Existing Site!

October 2, 2020

Following up on our recent promotion to add ecommerce to existing WordPress websites, we’ve launched our first completed addition to long time client venushairandbody.ca!

Check out the video for the full commentary or continue reading below!

This was the right sort of addition for the right reasons – a business that is not traditionally known for selling retail products (at least retail products are far behind in-person hair services, and certainly not a top of mind offering when one considers a salon), but products are indeed available AND they are always of higher quality than traditional big box retail options. The bottom line is there is no reason any business with products can’t strive to make those more readily available, especially with the popularity increase in overall global online shopping (that means everyone is getting comfortable with it!).

Here are the main features of this site upgrade:

• The site features over 100 products with photos. To get the client started, we assisted in quickly adding all product details and photos by uploading an excel document. Images and details came from the product supplier websites, so there was no hardcore content creation. The client only had to fill in price and quantities later (it was complete within a couple days of editing between seeing their own clients).
• The payment solution used is “Square”, and since the brick and mortar shop did not have a PO system, Venus Hair and Body took advantage of Square’s PO system AND retail hardware, included hand barcode scanner, which assists in adding SKU information to product information as well, which also populates the website. The PO system “in the cloud” keeps stock levels available in store and on the website, solving online/offline stock issues! You could say both the shop and website got a retail upgrade!
• Honestly, a lot of functions in Square make updating products EASIER than directly on the website. So much so they were able to add new products themselves, sometimes for complex situations that involve options like multiple sizes for an item.
• Products on the website are divided between browsing all products or products by category.
• A link to the full catalogue of items plus individual categories is accessible from the navigation menu
• Of course, there is a standard “cart” customers can add their selections to, with a total kept in the header of the site at all times so they are aware of what the quantity and price total of what they’ve selected
• So far Venus has opted to go with in-store pickup vs offering shipping, which injects a lot of work with packaging and shipping calculations. If you can go with in-person pickup, that is the way to go! Shipping product is the biggest ongoing job of ecommerce.

Featuring ecommerce on a website opens so many more marketing opportunities. It’s great to promote your website on social media, but posting a retail sale gives customers that “what’s in it for me” reason to follow a link to your website. So many times businesses come to us with the idea “I just want something to market”, and dropping the odd product on your Facebook page can be a nice change from brainstorming a new social media post!

Of you would like to add ecommerce to YOUR WordPress website, please let us know! 

 

About Scott Kasprick

Scott Kasprick is a graphic designer in Brandon, Manitoba and owns and operates Reaxion Graphics while helping his wife raise three lively daughters!