THE ULTIMATE 400+ CHECK POINTS FOR EVERY ONLINE STORE
Copyright 2017 by Arsha Jones of BrandBuildLaunch.com. All Rights Reserved. You are welcome to print a copy of this document for your personal use. Other than that, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the author. Requests to the author and publisher for permission should be addressed to the following email: arsha@brandbuildlaunch.com. Limitation of liability/disclaimer of warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this guide and workbook, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this document and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives, promoters, or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. Due to the dynamic nature of the Internet, certain links and website information contained in this publication may have changed. The author and publisher make no representations to the current accuracy of the web information shared. 2
READY TO MAKE THIS BREAD? Well, Hello! I m glad you re here and excited to share this ecommerce checklist with you. Whether you ve just launched your online store or an ecommerce expert, making sure you have all your pre-launch to do s completed can be an overwhelming task. Over the past few years I ve built some amazing and highly profitable brands. I ve been asked the same question over and over again, How do I get started with launching an online store? So I created this checklist in order to make sure you d have everything in place before your huge launch. This task list was custom created by me and highlights every step I take before launching a new brand. Review this list a few times. It contains more than 400+ items to review and I don t want you to miss anything. Once you re done, be sure to follow me online on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. Let s get this money! Arsha Jones ecommerce and Marketing Strategist for Entrepreneurs and Creative Hustlers 3
GETTING STARTED Get mentally ready to launch a new store by clearing your schedule and preparing your mind for the work and learning required to be successful. Determine your revenue expectations. Create timeline for store launch. Identify key target market. Research keyword data and trends. Research and identify online competitors. Purchase domain name (Go Daddy or NameCheap). Choose an ecommerce platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, WordPress, SquareSpace). Setup hosting, if needed for self hosted ecommerce platforms (i.e. WordPress). Setup business email account. Do not use a @gmail. com account. Establish marketing plan and pre-launch advertising efforts. Create ideal customer avatar. PRE-LAUNCH ADVERTISING Launch a landing page to collect emails during the planning period. Create samples and mocks of products that can be posted on social media platforms. Engage with potential customers online. Follow people and pages of interest. Setup newsletter sign up form (Mailchimp, Active Campaign, etc.). Run Facebook ads to a landing page featuring one product. LOOK & FEEL Simple, yet effective logo. (Find logo templates at Creative Market). Select a mobile responsive website theme (Themeforest). Test website theme on all browsers and mobile devices. Ensure any pop-ups are visible and easy to close on mobile. Ensure that you can easily customize and make changes without the need of a designer. Create a mood and color scheme good for your brand. STORE ORGANIZATION Popular product categories and collections should be featured on the homepage. Search should be clear and visible at the top of the site. Specials, promotions or free shipping options should be in the header or main banner area. Link to popular products and what s new. A store finder is necessary if purchases can be made offline. Top navigation is reserved for high level product categories. 4
Social proof logos with features from other media outlets. Latest blog posts should be highlighted. SITE CONTENT Set your default language. Make sure all categories or collections have products. Filtering options are needed for easy searching. Design 1-3 homepage banners. Write a glowing About Us page. A link to your Contact Page at the top and bottom of each page. A link to the FAQ page. Link to your social profiles. All social profiles should open in a new tab. Link to return and exchange policies. Link to shipping questions and estimates. Include social sharing buttons. A login link for users who create accounts. A link to the shopping cart at the top. Make your ecommerce responsive and test it on all devices and browsers. Show the checkout button clearly on each page. Apply breadcrumbs on each page to help people find the products or pages they need. CUSTOMER SERVICE & CONTACT INFO Social media pages Listed emails and contact forms Listed phone numbers A Live Chat area Forums FAQs Shipping details Sharing buttons Offer 24/7 customer support. Provide an extensive return period. Add Google Maps API on contact page. BLOGGING Setup an ecommerce blog. Use built-in blog or install blogging software. Establish a blogging strategy. Create an editorial schedule for new posts. Learn effective copywriting. Create your store s content style and tone. Write effective blog titles. Create posts at least 400-500 words long. 5
Create curated collection blog posts. Create list based blog posts. Write industry based blog posts. Create production inspiration galleries. Add call-to-actions with relevant products in blog posts. Create infographics to help promote and sell products. Ensure you are following copyright compliance rules. Locate free and cheap images to use for blog posts with commercial licensing. Crop and edit images to fit within blog posts. Include social sharing options for your blog posts. Test that commenting works. Incorporate Tumblr for reposting to improve reach. Case studies and interviews with people who have used your products. PAYMENTS & TRANSACTIONS Verify the correct currency is selected. Add Paypal. Add Amazon Payments. Add Stripe Payments (Shopify payments if using Shopify). Show what payment systems you use and any security measures you take. Walk through payment process. Verify new order email notifications are setup. Activate and customize gift certificate. BLOG CONTENT CREATION FUNCTIONALITY & OPTIMIZATION Insider company information to connect with your customers. Lists that relate to your products. An external resources page. Articles about the state of your industry. Areas for people to submit their own content for competitions and drawings. Include security certificates and reminders that the transactions are safe throughout the website. Test the speed of your site so pages load quickly (Pingdom is a nice tool for this). Remove broken links and fill in empty product pages. Check for implementation bugs. Use longer cookie expiration times for check out. 6 A radio, webcast or podcast page. A page with video testimonials.
STORE PLUGINS / APPS Add functionality to track orders. Install Google Merchant plugin. Pop-up to gather email addresses. Upsell app. Affiliate options. Fraud Filters. Package Tracking. Quickbooks or other accounting software. ANALYTICS & STATISTICS Facebook Conversion Pixel Google Analytics Pinterest Conversion Pixel Setup Google Webmaster Tools. Setup Bing Webmaster Tools. Setup XML sitemap. EMAIL MARKETING Setup and configure your email marketing platform (Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, etc.). Create an email strategy with monthly goals. Determine a consistent email newsletter campaign schedule. Create email newsletter templates that are mobile responsive. Have the email pop up signup form show up on every page. Insert newsletter widget within website theme. Create marketing schedule for holiday promotions. Setup your store so that new customers automatically opt-in to your list. Create free opt-in for new subscribers and first-time purchasers. Create auto-responder and welcome emails. Split test email sign up form to find the best text and image combination. Add email newsletter automation sequence based on customer behavior. Create an after purchase survey that can be emailed. Setup abandoned cart email notifications. Solicit customer feedback via email. Ask customer for reviews or to post and tag their ADVERTISING Establish monthly marketing budget. Add products to Google Merchant feed. Learn about Facebook advertising and remarketing. Launch native Facebook and Instagram ads. Launch a Google Adwords Campaign. 7
Use Google Analytics and Facebook Data to determine effectiveness. Reach out to niche bloggers and online personalities for partnerships. Send introduction emails and free product to news and magazine editors. Cross publish blog articles on traffic driving sites like Reddit and Tumblr. Check monthly sales data to see which products would be good if used for promos. Setup Google Alerts to monitor popular products. PRODUCT & PRODUCT PAGES (THINGS TO DO OR INCLUDE) Research manufacturers and distributors. Sell handmade products. Add products to your store. Create attractive product thumbnail images. Highlight customer reviews and ratings for each ecommerce product. Add related product links to upsell. Selling points, like free shipping or a clock with a discount if they buy now. Provide product images with zoom-in functionality. Setup multiple product images and angles (360 degree views). Item information and specs. A field to change purchase quantities. A creative description that relates to the product uses. Include an optimized product title. Verify product titles are spelled correctly. Write and spell-check product descriptions. Take clear and high quality photos. Take photos from multiple angles. Watermark photos, if necessary. An add-to-cart button on each product page. Pricing information with potential sales or discounts. The availability of each product to show scarcity and push people to buy. Shipping and tax calculations on the product pages. Materials used, dimensions, colors, weight, washing instructions. Available sizes and a sizing guide if needed. A comments section so people can discuss the ecommerce product. A sorting and filter option for customer reviews. An Add to Wish List button on each product page. Videos to display how the product works. A currency converter if needed. A live chat option that shows the support team what the customer is looking at. The product codes for people who might use this for reference later. Stats on each product such as shares, views, sales and people who placed it on their Wish List. 8
Social share buttons for each ecommerce product. Deals for people who purchase multiple related items together. Use professional-grade pictures and videos. A banner that states if a product is sold out. An area to sign up for notifications when a product becomes available. Make sure the product pages load up just as fast as your homepage. Explain unique features and what makes your product stand out from competitors. Include keywords on each ecommerce product page to improve search engine rankings. Minimize clutter so the purchase process doesn t look intimidating. Related product listing on product pages. SEO & OPTIMIZATION Use search-engine friendly keywords in product titles. Rename photos using product keywords. Create meta data (keywords) for product and content pages. Monitor page speed load. A/B split test homepage. Use A/B split testing on top content pages. Use A/B split testing on top product pages. Keep your page titles under 70 characters so they aren t truncated in results. Write good page titles that are eye-catching. Keep your meta description under 150 characters. Create a link building strategy. View your competitors backlinks and SEO. Write unique product descriptions. Don t delete pages or products without creating redirects. CUSTOMER CHECKOUT Don t make the person create an account until after placing order. Accept all payment methods. Offer low shipping costs. Make the checkout visual with fun images. Add checkout buttons on the top and bottom of your pages. Make sure the security and payment seals are most prominent during checkout. Ask people to continue shopping after making a purchase. Allow people to save their cart to a Wish List for later. Suggest Wish List items to upsell during checkout. Refrain from asking for a survey response after checkout (Save this for email). Offer free shipping when they spend a certain amount. Offer multiple shipping methods. 9
10 Include an area to punch in promo codes. Show people how much they saved during checkout. Show the approximate shipping date and time. If selling digital downloads, explain how they receive the product. Be open about what you use their personal information for. Offer a sample if they are hesitant about buying. If you sell high priced items, offer financing options like payment installments. Test the checkout process to see if it works. CUSTOMER FOLLOW-UP A receipt with the price. A picture of the item. Include links to the product, site, support and related product suggestions. Send a one to two week follow up email to see how the product is. Ask for a review. Offer a discount code if they haven t ordered again after a few months. Ask them to join a loyalty program. Ask for reviews in exchange for specials and discounts. Ask if they want future notification alerts for specials and products. Sell gift cards in your emails. Send a promotion for abandoned carts. Thank them for their purchase. Show where the product was sent to. Have an option to cancel the order. Include links to share on social media. A link to track shipping. Show the order number and a link to return instructions. Include a survey link. SHIPPING Verify correct shipping for domestic and international. Remove purchasing access to specific countries, if necessary. List clearly any shipping deadlines, especially for holidays. TAXES & ACCOUNTING Apply for EIN. Get resale certificate. Setup state sales tax account (check your state). Taxes should be applied to any order being placed in your home state where you have a significant presence (sales tax nexus). Drop shipping requires additional taxes be paid for the state in which products are shipped from (ask dropshipper for details). All products in online store should be taxable.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE Do not require customer to create an account before making a purchase. Custom Packaging Order inserts and thank you cards. Add small freebies to all orders. Add the option for customer reviews. Create Thank You For Your Order email template. Include customer testimonials. LEGAL A link to Legal information. Write a clear Privacy Policy. Create Terms & Conditions. Make sure Refund policy is clear and easy to locate. SECURITY & PROTECTION Verify passwords are strong. Install SSL certificate, if needed. Add security seal graphic through website. SHOP MANAGEMENT & AUTOMATION Add additional users and verify level of access. Sign up for Buffer to manage and schedule posts for Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+. Sign up for OnlyPult to schedule automatic posts on Instagram. FACEBOOK FOR Setup a Facebook fan page. Convert it to a Business Manager Account. Add additional admin user to manage page Add a profile photo. Upload a cover photo. Create a customized URL. Add 3-5 varying content posts. Add link to store. Add customer service contact email address. Create milestones for the launch, anniversaries and any other notable occurrences. Add your city or street address. Add company information. Create a Facebook strategy and posting schedule. Add widget to your online shop. Create a Facebook Group for your brand. Interact and respond to fans. Run giveaways. Like OTHER Pages from your fan page. 11
INSTAGRAM FOR TWITTER FOR Setup Instagram account. Convert to business account. Add profile photo. Add URL, bio and email address to contact info. Add 5-10 content photos. Create Instagram strategy and posting schedule. Add widget to your online shop. Add hashtags relevant to your brand or niche. PINTEREST FOR Setup Pinterest account. Convert to business account. Add profile photos. Add URL for shop and bio content. Create 5-7 boards using products from your shop. Learn how to push Pinterest followers onto email lists. Make sure every photo is described in detail with keywords. Setup Twitter account. Convert Twitter for Business account. Add profile photo. Upload header image. Add simple bio and URL. Add 3-5 tweets. Create follower lists. Follow people and brands similar to your online shop. Create Twitter cards for products. Add widget to your online shop. Start engaging with friends and fans on Twitter. Tweet daily. GOOGLE+ FOR Create and configure a Google+ Channel for your brand. Add profile photo. Add header image. Include Google+ into weekly marketing efforts. Add Google Author blocks for blog posts. 12
YOUTUBE FOR POLYVORE FOR Create and configure your video channel. Add bio and link to online shop. Add profile photo. Upload channel header image. Create About info for video channel. Create simple product demonstrations and how to s. Add video content to blog posts and social media platforms. Add backlinks to drive traffic back to your website on even video description. WANELO FOR Create and configure a Wanelo account. Customize your Wanelo profile. Connect with other Wanelo profiles. Create a systemized app. Add products to your profile. Establish a Wanelo strategy for growth and reach. Setup a Polyvore account. Add online shop URL. Install the Clip to Polyvore browser plugin. Clip products directly from your shop into Polypore. Create collection and sets of outfit inspiration. Repost sets created onto other social media networks. Follow other users, like products and join groups. Establish a Polyvore strategy for growth. CROSS SELL ON MARKETPLACES Setup Amazon Seller account. Apply to sell on Walmart Marketplace. Launch an Etsy shop. Create an ebay seller account. MONTHLY MAINTENANCE Setup monthly tracking goals for Google Analytics. Remove broken or dead links via Google Webmaster Tools. Measure and optimize page speed load. Test opt-in forms and sales funnels. 13