“I don't remember the last time I set foot in an actual store. I purchase everything online, schedule my shipping and go and pick it up – it's fantastic.”Andrea Klauber, a Senior Product Manager at YP, deftly sums up everyone’s recent shopping experience – a habit we’re unlikely to change when the pandemic subsides.Once you’ve made the decision to set up or amp up the online component of your business, the to-do list can be a bit overwhelming. Front-end needs, back-office capabilities, customer management, catalogue management, built-in marketing, email integration, security, encryptions – the action items are almost endless.“When you purchase an e-commerce product with YP, you have a kickoff call with one of our experts who will help build your ecommerce site and tell you everything you need to do,” Andrea says.

1. Make a list of essentials

Start off by figuring out what exactly you’re selling, of course. “You first need to determine what products you want on your site, write the descriptions and set the pricing,” Andrea says. This will determine the look and function of your site, its navigation and what you want the customer to see and do.

2. Establish order processing

“Next you’re going to need to decide which company you want to use to accept payments. YP is integrated with all the major payment processing and POS players. If you prefer not to integrate with one of our options, we also have the choice of using PayPal. After choosing your method of payment, the next up will be choosing your shipping provider,” she says.“YP is integrated with all the major Canadian players including Canada Post. This integration streamlines the experience for both the seller and the buyer, whereby once you enter the dimensions of your product, a shipping estimate is automatically calculated based on where the product is going.”

3. Align with consumer trends

Andrea feels that offering integrated payments is a must-do. “I also think offering multiple ways of shipping is another absolute must. Many people want to avoid paying for shipping and want to have multiple options,” she says. Another option they offer is the ability to schedule curbside pickup. “You need to consider free returns as well.”

4. Set a budget and timeline

Your plan will include the cost of the platform, design and development costs, maintenance costs, hosting costs and the like. But if this kind of thing makes your head swim, it’s best to just leave it all with the pros. “At YP, our product is less expensive than our competitors,” Andrea says. “We are far more affordable than setting up your site elsewhere. And we don’t charge transaction fees which can add up quickly!”

5. Don’t go it alone

Building an online store is a big job, but it doesn’t need to be overwhelming. DIY platforms and solutions can be daunting, time-consuming and leave you with more questions than answers. If you’re keen to get up and running with e-commerce, choose a turnkey solution with end-to-end support.Contact a Yellow Pages expert today to learn more about complete e-commerce solutions. Our Media Account Consultants are ready to take your call at 1-877-553-6883.