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Running a successful online store requires more than just an attractive website design. It takes a combination of speed, search engine optimization (SEO), excellent user experience (UX), and conversion rate optimization (CRO).
In this blog, you’ll find a comprehensive checklist to help you create or improve your online store.
✅ 1. Choosing the Right E-Commerce Platform
The first step is choosing the right e-commerce platform that fits your needs and budget.
| Platform | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Easy to use, built-in hosting, speed, security | Monthly costs, limited customization without coding |
| WooCommerce | SEO-friendly, no monthly costs (except hosting), flexible | Requires more technical knowledge, slower for larger stores |
| Shopware | Good UX, suitable for larger stores, advanced features | Less flexible than WooCommerce, development needed |
| Custom (Laravel, Next.js, Vue.js) | Best speed, flexibility, excellent UX | More expensive and longer development time |
💡 Tip:
- For beginners: Shopify is the best choice due to its ease of use.
- For SEO and blog content: WooCommerce offers more flexibility.
- For larger stores: Shopware or a custom solution provide scalability.
✅ 2. Optimization of online store speed
Page loading speed is crucial for conversions and SEO. Slow pages drive visitors away, which means lost sales.
🔹 How to improve speed?
✅ Use a fast hosting provider (Cloudways, SiteGround, Kinsta)
✅ Compress images (Use WebP and TinyPNG)
✅ Include a CDN (Content Delivery Network) (Cloudflare, BunnyCDN)
✅ Enable caching
✅ Reduce unnecessary scripts and plugins
✅ Use lazy loading for images and videos
An example of good practice:
🛍️ Amazon has found that every extra second of downloading reduces sales by 7%!
✅ 3. SEO optimisation for more organic traffic
SEO is crucial if you want free traffic from Google search.
🔹 On-site SEO (on the page)
✅ Page title optimization (meta title & description)
✅ Use of keywords in URLs (example.com/tekaski-cevlji)
✅ H1, H2, H3 headings with keywords
✅ Unique and SEO-optimised product descriptions
✅ Internal linking (product → related product → category)
🔹 Technical SEO
✅ SSL certificate (HTTPS) for security
✅ XML sitemap and robots.txt for better indexing
✅ Use structured data (Schema Markup) to display prices and ratings on Google
✅ 301 redirects for removed or modified URLs
💡 Tip: Use tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs and Screaming Frog to analyse errors and opportunities for improvement.
✅ 4. Optimising product pages for more conversions
Product pages are the most critical part of an e-commerce website – where the visitor makes the purchase decision.
🔹 Key elements of a complete product page
✅ Catchy product title (“Nike Air Max Trainers – 2024 model”)
✅ A description that highlights the benefits, not just the features
✅ High-quality images and videos (360-degree view)
✅ Visible user reviews and opinions
✅ Make the “Add to basket” and “Buy now” buttons visible
✅ Indicate stock and delivery time (“In stock – delivery in 24h”)
✅ Show related products for cross-sell and upsell
💡 Example of good practice:
🛍️ Zalando uses facial recognition to suggest the right size of clothes, which reduces returns.
✅ 5. Basket and checkout optimisation
The biggest problem with e-commerce? Cart abandonment!
More than 70% of users abandon their basket without making a purchase.
🔹 How to reduce cart abandonment?
✅ Enable guest purchases (without registration)
✅ Minimise checkout steps (maximum 2-3 steps)
✅ Enable different payment methods (Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay)
✅ Add order summary with price and delivery
✅ Use security badges (SSL, secure payment, money back guarantee)
💡 Example of good practice:
🛍️ Shopify stores have a one-page checkout that improves conversions.
✅ 6. Marketing and increasing sales
Having a shop is not enough – you need a strategy to attract customers.
✅ Email marketing (Mailchimp, Klaviyo) – Sending abandoned baskets
✅ Retargeting ads (Facebook, Google Ads, TikTok Ads)
✅ Influencer marketing (Instagram, YouTube)
✅ Push notifications for special campaigns
✅ Live chat & chatbot for instant customer assistance
✅ 7. Safety and regulatory compliance
✅ SSL certificate (HTTPS)
✅ Good refund and privacy policy (GDPR, CCPA)
✅ Two-factor authentication (2FA) for login
🚀 Conclusion: how to improve your e-commerce?
1️⃣ Check this checklist to see what you’re missing.
2️⃣ First, implement quick wins (speed, UX, mobile optimisation).
3️⃣ Use analytics (Google Analytics, Hotjar) to test improvements.
4️⃣ Continuously optimize and improve your store!
Do you have questions or need help optimising your e-commerce? Contact me and I’ll be happy to help!