Selling online isn't as simple as listing products and adding a checkout button. The difference between an e-commerce site that makes money and one that doesn't usually comes down to design decisions: how products are displayed, how easy it is to find what you want, and how frictionless the buying process is.

Choosing the Right Platform

WooCommerce is the most popular option for small to medium stores. It's flexible and cost-effective, but relies on plugins that need managing. Shopify is simpler to manage but charges transaction fees and limits customisation. Magento handles large catalogues with complex pricing rules but has a steeper learning curve and higher development costs. Bespoke is for when none of the above can do what you need — total control, but higher upfront investment. The right choice depends on your product range, budget, and how much you need to integrate with existing systems.

Product Page Best Practices

Multiple high-quality images from different angles with zoom functionality. Clear pricing with any variants (size, colour) easy to select. Detailed descriptions that answer the questions customers actually have — dimensions, materials, care instructions, compatibility. Customer reviews visible on the page. Clear stock availability. Related products and "frequently bought together" suggestions. Every element reduces uncertainty and increases the likelihood of purchase.

Checkout Optimisation

The average cart abandonment rate is 70%. Most of that is caused by the checkout process. Keep it short — ideally one page. Offer guest checkout (forcing account creation kills conversions). Show all costs upfront including shipping (surprise costs at checkout are the number one reason for abandonment). Offer multiple payment methods including Apple Pay and Google Pay. Show security badges. And make the "Complete Order" button impossible to miss.

Mobile Commerce Is Not Optional

Over 60% of e-commerce traffic is on mobile. If your store isn't designed for phones first, you're losing the majority of your potential customers. Mobile e-commerce design means thumb-friendly navigation, swipeable product galleries, easy-to-tap size and colour selectors, a sticky add-to-cart button, and a checkout that works with autofill and mobile payment methods.

Sage 50 and Business System Integration

If you're using Sage 50 for your accounts, your e-commerce site should sync with it automatically. Orders should create sales invoices in Sage. Stock levels should update in real time across your website and any other sales channels. Customer records should sync so you're not maintaining data in two places. This isn't optional for any serious e-commerce business — it's the difference between scaling and drowning in admin.

Getting Started

Start with your product catalogue and your existing systems. The platform, design, and features should all be driven by what you're selling, who you're selling to, and how your business currently operates. Don't start with the technology — start with the business requirements.

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