Unlock Your Business’s Full Potential with E-commerce

At Qwixby, we’re passionate about empowering businesses to thrive in the digital age. Our expertise lies in creating high-performing e-commerce websites that drive sales and customer satisfaction.

E-commerce offers a world of opportunities to expand your reach, increase sales, and enhance customer experience. By transforming your products or services into an online store, you can tap into a global market and enjoy the convenience of 24/7 sales.

This section focuses specifically on our e-commerce shop application services. However, Qwixby also specializes in crafting comprehensive website solutions tailored to your unique business needs. To explore our website development services, please click here.

1. Partner with Qwixby for E-commerce Success

We handle the technical complexities of your online store, allowing you to focus on what you do best – running your business. Our services include:

• Secure and Reliable Hosting: Your online store will be hosted on the robust Google Cloud platform.
• User-Friendly Product Management: Easily add, edit, and manage your product listings.
• Optimized for Search: We’ll optimize your products for search engines to increase visibility and drive traffic.
• Ongoing Support and Maintenance: Enjoy peace of mind with our comprehensive maintenance services.
• Optional Order Fulfillment: Outsource order fulfilment to focus on your core business.

2. Building Your Secure and Scalable E-Commerce Platform

Leave the technical complexities to us. Focus on what you do best – running your business.

This section outlines the steps involved in setting up your online store and the associated costs.

2.1 Your Secure and Findable Home: Google Cloud Hosting and Domain

Imagine your online store as a thriving brick-and-mortar shop. Just like a physical store needs a secure location, your online store requires a robust and reliable foundation. That’s where Google Cloud Hosting comes in. It’s a trusted platform that acts as the backbone of your online store, ensuring optimal performance, security, and scalability.

Your Unique Online Address: Similar to how your physical shop needs a sign with your business name, your online store requires a unique address. This is where your domain name comes in. e.g., www.yourstorename.com. It’s the web address that customers will type in to find your store online.

We’ve Got You Covered: Qwixby will set up and manage your Google Cloud Hosting and assist you in choosing and registering your perfect domain name.

Domain and Email Considerations:

Your domain name is directly linked to your email address. We offer two options:

• Register a new domain name: We’ll help you register a new domain name that reflects your brand and is easy for customers to remember.
• Transfer your existing domain name: If you already have a domain name associated with your business email, we can help you transfer it to a suitable host that will manage your email server and annual domain name renewals.

2.2 Building Your Dream Store: Development Fee

Launching your online store necessitates creating the website itself. This includes customizing the design to match your brand identity, setting up essential functionalities like product listings and shopping carts, and ensuring a smooth user experience for your customers.

We’ll work closely with you to understand your brand identity and design preferences. This ensures your online store reflects your unique style and resonates with your target audience. We’ll then use this information to create a customized design that is both visually appealing and user-friendly.

This one-time development fee covers the initial setup, configuration, and customization of your online store.

Why Google Cloud Hosting?

As discussed, shared hosting is not recommended due to limitations in server performance and security. Here’s why Google Cloud Hosting is the better choice:

• Scalability: Google’s cloud infrastructure is highly scalable, meaning your store can grow seamlessly as your business expands.
• Simplified Billing: You’ll have one convenient monthly payment to Qwixby, and we’ll handle all the server-related costs.

Building on a Secure Foundation: WordPress and WooCommerce

Once the server is set up, we’ll use a combination of WordPress and WooCommerce as the foundation for your store. Both are free and open-source platforms known for their ease of use and security. However, to fulfil your specific needs, we’ll add several custom functionalities:

• Custom Design and Functionality: We’ll integrate your logos and other graphical assets to create a cohesive brand experience. Additionally, we’ll set up a user-friendly shopping cart, and a secure checkout process, and integrate a reputable payment gateway to enable seamless customer transactions.
• Preferred Payment Gateway: We primarily work with PayFast, a popular South African payment gateway. However, we’ll discuss your preferred options and the setup process in detail later in this proposal.

2.3 Monthly Maintenance: Keeping Your Store Running Smoothly

Just like a physical store needs regular upkeep, your online store requires ongoing maintenance to ensure it’s secure, up-to-date, and functioning optimally. Our monthly maintenance fee covers:

• Security Updates: We’ll constantly apply security patches to safeguard your store and customer information.
• Software Updates: We’ll keep your website software current to ensure smooth operation and compatibility with new technologies.
• Performance Monitoring: We’ll monitor your website’s performance and make adjustments to keep it running fast and efficiently.
• Technical Support: We’ll be readily available to answer any questions or address any technical issues that may arise.

This monthly maintenance fee ensures your online store remains a reliable and secure platform for your business growth.

3. Effortless Product Management: Your Products, Our Expertise

Adding your products to your online store should be a seamless process. We’ve designed our platform to be user-friendly, allowing you to manage your product listings with ease.

3.1 Product Information: The Building Blocks of Your Store

To create compelling product listings, we’ll need some essential information:

• Product Identification: Provide a unique SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) for each product.
• Product Details: Share the product title, a captivating description, and relevant keywords.
• Product Imagery: High-quality images are crucial. We can handle product photography as part of our monthly service if needed.
• Pricing and Shipping: Specify the product price, shipping weight, and dimensions.

We’ll provide a comprehensive guide to ensure you have all the necessary information. You can choose to manage product listings yourself or let Qwixby handle the entire process.

3.2 Product Optimization and Publication: Making Your Products Shine

Whether you manage your product listings or let us handle them, we’ll optimize each product to maximize its visibility and appeal:

• Visually Appealing Listings: We’ll format your product listings with clear and concise information alongside high-quality images.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): We’ll optimize product titles, descriptions, and images with relevant keywords to improve search rankings.
• Mobile Optimization: Ensure your product pages are displayed perfectly on all devices.
• Compliance: We’ll adhere to e-commerce best practices and legal requirements.

By combining your product information with our optimization expertise, we’ll create product listings that not only look great but also drive sales.

4. Expanding Your Reach: Increased Visibility and Sales

At Qwixby, we understand that simply having an online store isn’t enough. To truly succeed, you need to reach potential customers and generate excitement about your products. This section outlines two key strategies to expand your reach:

4.1 Google Merchant Center: Showcase Your Products to Millions

Imagine your products featured prominently on Google Search and Shopping results. With Google Merchant Center, this becomes a reality. By listing your products directly on these platforms, you gain unprecedented visibility and reach millions of potential customers actively searching for what you offer.

Benefits of Google Merchant Center:

• Increased Visibility: Boost your online presence and attract more potential customers.
• Enhanced Product Information: Showcase your products with high-quality images, detailed descriptions, and competitive pricing.
• Improved Click-Through Rates: Entice more users to visit your online store with eye-catching product listings.
• Laying the Groundwork for Future Growth: Integrate your store with Google Merchant Center to seamlessly create targeted ad campaigns and expand your marketing reach.

How Qwixby Makes it Easy:

We’ll create and manage the necessary product feeds to seamlessly integrate your store with Google Merchant Center, ensuring your products are accurately and consistently displayed across Google platforms.

4.2 Content Marketing: Building Brand Awareness and Trust

A well-crafted website goes beyond product listings. Engaging content is essential for building brand awareness and driving traffic to your store. That’s why we offer:

• Essential Website Pages: We’ll create essential pages like About Us, Contact Us, Shipping & Returns, and Privacy Policy to establish trust and professionalism.
• Optional Blog Posts: To further enhance your online presence, we offer blog posts as an optional service. These informative articles will be published at a rate we agree upon during our meeting, covering topics relevant to your products or industry.

Benefits of Blog Posts:

• Improved Search Engine Ranking (SEO): Boost your website’s visibility and attract organic traffic.
• Establish Expertise: Showcase your knowledge and passion for your products, building trust with customers.
• Drive Customer Engagement: Keep visitors engaged and encourage them to explore your product offerings.

By combining Google Merchant Center integration with our content marketing strategy, we’ll help you reach a wider audience, build brand awareness, and ultimately drive more sales for your online store.

5. Streamlining Your Sales Process: A Smooth Journey from Click to Delivery

A seamless shopping experience is crucial for converting website visitors into customers. We focus on optimizing your sales process to ensure customer satisfaction and repeat business.

5.1 Simplified Shipping Setup: Delivering Value to Your Customers

We understand that shipping costs and options significantly impact purchasing decisions. That’s why we offer flexible shipping setup options:

• Existing Shipping Strategy: If you already have a shipping strategy in place, we’ll seamlessly integrate it into your online store.
• Customized Shipping Zones: We can create shipping zones based on regions within South Africa, allowing you to offer different rates based on location.
• Weight-Based Shipping: Determine shipping costs based on product weight within specified weight ranges.

Our goal is to provide you with a shipping setup that aligns with your business needs and offers competitive rates to your customers.

5.2 Order Fulfillment: Focus on Your Core Business

To free up your time and resources, we offer an optional order fulfilment service. We’ll handle the entire order processing and shipping process, allowing you to focus on growing your business.

Our order fulfilment service includes:

• Efficient Order Processing: We’ll manage incoming orders and ensure timely processing.
• Reliable Shipping: We’ll partner with reputable courier services like The Courier Guy to deliver your products on time.
• Waybill Creation: We’ll handle the creation of waybills for each order, saving you time and effort.

By outsourcing order fulfilment, you can streamline your operations and improve customer satisfaction.

6. Secure Payment Processing: Accepting Payments with Ease

A secure and efficient checkout process is crucial for converting website visitors into paying customers. We recommend using PayFast, a leading South African payment gateway, to ensure a seamless and secure payment experience for your customers.

Why PayFast?

• PayFast offers robust security features to protect your customers’ financial information.
• Accept a variety of payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards, and Instant EFT.
• The platform is user-friendly for customers, leading to a smoother checkout process.
• Transactions are processed quickly and efficiently.
• PayFast offers dedicated customer support based in South Africa.

Our Role:

While we can seamlessly integrate PayFast or other payment gateways into your online store, obtaining a merchant account is a separate process that requires your involvement. We can assist you with the application process by providing guidance and support.

Getting Started:

Once you have obtained your merchant number and secret keys from your chosen payment gateway (PayFast or another option), simply provide them to us. We’ll seamlessly integrate the payment gateway into your online store, allowing you to accept secure payments from your customers.

By offering a secure and convenient checkout experience, you’ll build trust with your customers and encourage repeat business.

7. Your Investment in Success: Transparent Pricing

Transparency is key. That’s why we’ve outlined a clear pricing structure for your e-commerce solutions. You can view the detailed pricing on our pricing page.

Development Fee:
Covers initial setup, configuration, and customization of your online store.

Monthly Maintenance Fee:
This flexible fee covers essential upkeep, security updates, performance monitoring, and technical support. The exact amount will be determined based on your specific needs and discussed during our initial consultation.

Google Cloud Hosting Costs:
The cost varies based on your store’s size, traffic, and storage requirements. We’ll provide a detailed estimate during our consultation.

Minimum Contract Term:
To ensure continuity and stability for your online store, we require a minimum 12-month contract for monthly maintenance services.

Partnering for Your E-commerce Success

At Qwixby, we’re passionate about helping businesses like yours thrive in the dynamic world of online sales. Our comprehensive e-commerce solutions, coupled with our commitment to exceptional service, are designed to empower you to reach new heights.

By choosing Qwixby, you’re investing in a partnership that will transform your business. We’ll handle the technical complexities while you focus on what you do best – running your business.

Ready to embark on your e-commerce journey? Schedule a free consultation with us to discuss your specific needs and explore how Qwixby can help you achieve your goals.