Website Must Haves

[Shell]

Hi,
I have been physically selling on Etsy for over a year now as a sole trader and finally decided to open up my own website on a Shopify acc.
However, the last time I ran a web store was at least 10-15y ago when policies etc were a little more lax.

I was wondering if anyone can let me know what exactly I need to have on my website to ensure I’m covered. I’m seeing a few contradicting areas of advice - one claiming you MUST have 3 ways of contact - email/address and phone number

however many ST businesses I’m seeing only show email.

can anyone advise if I need to have all 3, because I’m a sole trader, I would love to keep home address and mobile numbers (however pondering an extra mobile for business) from this if I can legally.

thanks

 

[Markss]

This is interesting I am just working on a shopify website too. But looking at other websites I agree I do not see a contact number on most. Will be interesting to see if an expert replies. I am still not sure if soletrader or limited company is best. Have you found it easier? I have another job and don’t want to go in to higher earnings bracket.

 

[Shell]

I have a PT night job since having a baby. I started this company last year to give me a little sanity and also to work in an area I love which I never did before.

I am currently Sole Trader and so far, it’s been fine for my circumstances as while I’m doing well, I’m not too bothered about the tax side of things. I’m not rolling in the dough (yet) but if/when things grow, it maybe an option I’ll consider.

i knew having a small business would be tricky but all the legal areas to cover can be a little overwhelming. I’m considering selling outwith UK and that had been an utter mind melt trying to find the relevant information

 

[Markss]

I have a PT night job since having a baby. I started this company last year to give me a little sanity and also to work in an area I love which I never did before.

I am currently Sole Trader and so far, it’s been fine for my circumstances as while I’m doing well, I’m not too bothered about the tax side of things. I’m not rolling in the dough (yet) but if/when things grow, it maybe an option I’ll consider.

i knew having a small business would be tricky but all the legal areas to cover can be a little overwhelming. I’m considering selling outwith UK and that had been an utter mind melt trying to find the relevant information

Yes me too I’m fed up working for others so when I launch my gift store I’m not expecting lots of orders but it must be great working for oneself. What business you got? Did you get a accountant

 

[Shell]

I run a greeting card and stationery business with my own designs.
Been selling OK through Etsy but a lot of sales came through FB and Instagram and also selling designs through Thortful and a few other card businesses.

I’m looking to go wholesale but recently been accepted to Creoate Wholesale and awaiting my store to open but need to look into international selling because of this to increase my sales - I’m missing a massive market only selling in UK so I need to push myself to expand.

At the moment, no. Thankfully I am able to do my tax returns easily as most of my expenses are in and out - but Quickbooks have been amazing to make it simpler to complete

 

[Markss]

Thank you that’s really helpful to know. Because of taxes I’m starting off in uk to get a feel for the business side and I have 3 good suppliers with uk manufacturing so it falls in with my ethics. When you take off in wholesale let me know so I can see if we can support each other’s businesses. I may be able to get some templates to help you. I’m hoping to download them for the legal bits. I’m not going to register for vat until I reach the £85k mark. My supplier said that’s how they started out before limited.

 

[Markss]

Hi Shell. I found another website to sell products on called EYBYGUM. I have 3 items on there which I added over weekend. It’s free and their payment is stripe which is a good rate. Is ETSY? Good? Makes me rethink do I need a website snd just do what you are doing.

 

[Deniel0]

People who use these website builders aren't very good at SEO. It doesn't matter if there is a plugin or something else that says it improves your site. It's not enough. When it comes to SEO, a lot of people forget about things like img alts.

Another problem is that the code is getting too big, which is bad. In the end, you could have very big code that a real programmer could cut down. Software doesn't account for all of the things you want to do. Because this could slow down load times, we're back to SEO.

 

[SethMorris]

When you are a site owner, I suggest using these SEO tools:

1. Google Keyword Planner
2. Google My Business
3. Google Search Console
4. Google Analytics
5. Google Tag Manager
6. Google Ads
7. Google Trends

They are helping me rank better in SERPs.

thanks! very useful for me

 

[SethMorris]

A software development company should have a good track record of client satisfaction and a proven track record. The firm should be able to deliver high-quality software while delivering exceptional customer service. A reputable software development company should have a long history of working with clients and is Microsoft gold-certified. They should be able to provide the highest quality of work and ensure your project meets the strictest quality standards. Besides custom software development, they can also help you with product development, UX/UI design, software architecture, and QA processes.

thanks!

 

[Rodney]

And if you're UK based, you need a cookie and privacy policy with your address on. A PO Box is fine but you'll miss out on things like Google My Business.

 

[Rodney]

cool theame

A theme that balances great design with a fast and responsive interface, one which is SEO friendly