Although many eCommerce solutions are automated, there are many things you need to set up before you can start to sell. Products and images are important, but the back-office functions ensure that you’re paid correctly and customers get what they paid for. Pay close attention to what you need to complete before going live. These are manual entries that need to be addressed and could prevent customers from effectively using your website.

Payment Options

Make sure that your payment option are correct. Some solutions may have defaults for cash-on-delivery, checks and money orders. You need to make sure that all available methods you support are set up and ready to accept payment. In some cases, this means moving from a testing “sandbox” environment to a live connection. If you’re using APIs such as those offered by PayPal and others, this information has to be accurate.

Shipping Methods

If you’re using services such as USPS or UPS, your account information is needed in order for the online store to charge exact prices for shipments. However, you can simply charge a flat rate to your customers and forego setting up such delivery accounts. Shipping methods may be very important for your target consumer, and you need a clear representation of what companies you use.

Customer Accounts

Many eCommerce solutions have a default setting of sending someone’s password through email. As this can be considered a security breach, you need to make sure that all personal information is kept hidden. Customers need to feel safe and protected when shopping online, and using an SSL certificate can help add a level of security for that information.

Policies

In a rush to get your site up and running, it’s easy to forget hammering out the store’s policies. Shipping, returns, use agreements and more are important aspects of the business to cover. In fact, many consumers will not shop at your online store if this information is not available. Due to the number of scams that present themselves online, shoppers are wary of sites that don’t have clarity of such practices.

If you’re not 100 percent sure on how to set everything up, it may be in your best interest to hire a professional or benefit from a training session. Take the time to inspect the settings of your ecommerce shopping cart. Before you start promoting the site, go through the entire process of buying one of your own items. It could show you what is missing and how customers will experience the online store.