Family businesses, micro businesses, buy-local businesses are often on a small budget and seeking an inexpensive way to sell products online. To implement an eCommerce solution, I recommend that a business have a reasonable budget for technical web development assistance. The focus of this post is selling from your own website, not from Facebook or online portals such as Etsy, Shopify, or Amazon.
Establishing your payment processing account will go quicker and smoother with the assistance of a developer that knows the ins and outs. Your choice of payment processing company will be influenced by your various selling methods—online, retail, farmers’ markets—and the broader processing methods that may be needed.
Most of the examples highlighted here are websites created with WordPress, and some use simple solutions with PayPal buttons.
The two main approaches are:
- utilize PayPal’s button creation and cart options, or
- install an eCommerce solution (plugin) into your website.
Store examples:
- Vermont Raptor Academy, a traditionally coded website, processes orders and class registrations independently of store purchase and class payment and utilizes a text field that feeds additional information to PayPal.
- Green Mountain Water Skiers accepts membership payments with predefined PayPal button options.
- Mad River Web utilizes a short form that passes information through a PayPal button.
- Fayston Forager has a WooCommerce store.
- Heidi’s Treasures (website retired) utilized the WooCommerce online store plugin for product display even though they didn’t wish to do online sales.
- Clearwater Sports has a robust WooCommerce store and accepts payments through multiple processing methods.
- Mad River Botanicals has a WooCommerce store with subscriptions.
The last plug I will make is that WordPress is open source, meaning any local, small business can provide help as needed to establish your store. Web development companies can help you on other platforms such as Squarespace, Wix, or Weebly, but those platforms are owned by big business.
Give a call if you’d like to discuss further.
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