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Announcing our latest integration with PayPal 🎉

We’ve teamed up with PayPal to bring you their latest integration, packed full of business-boosting features. And, like us, it’s now completely mobile!  

What’s so good about the latest version? 

  • We’ve already said it – it’s mobile! Get started from any device with a streamlined set-up flow.
  • More checkout options. Take payment from a wider range of credit cards and payment services. 
  • Faster set-up. Set up your PayPal business account within minutes, from any device.
  • Additional security. Complying with the latest EU regulations with PayPal’s security update.

I haven’t used PayPal before…

No problem! PayPal is one of the most popular payment gateways in the world, allowing anyone to send or receive money with just an email address. Setting up an account is easy; you can do this when creating your online store with Go Sitebuilder or head over to the PayPal website to sign up for your PayPal business account.

PayPal Commerce Platform

The PayPal Commerce Platform for business is PayPal’s most comprehensive e-commerce offering to date, enabled on your Go Sitebuilder online store. You can now automatically give your shoppers the flexibility to pay the way they want!

Selecting from the traditional PayPal button, a range of Alternative Payment Methods, Credit and Debit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, American Express – All safeguarded by PayPal’s best-in-class machine learning fraud capabilities.

The new PayPal Commerce Platform also includes customisable credit and debit card fields in order to offer a seamless checkout experience for your customers paying by card.

… what are the benefits?

  • Sell more. PayPal Checkout provides a seamless checkout experience that makes it easy for your customers to purchase and helps you increase sales. Shoppers are 54% more willing to buy when a business accepts PayPal, especially in unfamiliar situations.​
  • Reach more customers. 93% of merchants who offer PayPal Checkout say they have reached a wider customer base.​
  • Proven Protection. PayPal’s fraud prevention tools are continuously adapting and give merchants total transparency and control.

Start selling

If you’re looking to open an online store, you’re in luck. A Go Sitebuilder subscription includes an online store (with unlimited product listings!) and much, much more. Sign up for a free trial and start selling online today!

More about PayPal…

Check out our dedicated PayPal page to learn even more about this latest update:

Learn More
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How to start a small independent online store

Online store owner writing an address on a package

The number of small independent stores creating an online presence is ever increasing. With a wide range of potential customers to reach and easy cost-effective ways to reach them, there has never been a better time to start an online store.

Although the thought of starting an online store may be daunting for some, the benefits for your business are worth the time. Whether you are selling arts and crafts or high-end trainers, an online store can help you promote your products, increase brand awareness and establish a loyal customer base. Online stores can also help in building customer profiles and creating a rapport, through emails and offers tailored to them. If you want to build a successful online store then read on!

Choose your Product or Speciality

You may already have an idea of the type of product you want to sell, or maybe you know exactly what your company specialises in. Either way, deciding on your product or speciality is a vital step in creating your online store. When deciding on your product is it important to think through the following points:

Supply chain – will this product be something you make yourself (and if so where will the materials come from?) Or are you selling something on from somewhere else? 

Price – the price of your products is central to how successful your product may be. The best way to scope out price is to take part in some market research, look up similar products and their prices. Alternatively ask people who you feel may use your product how much they would be prepared to spend.

Know your audience – it is key to know your target market. Does your product appeal to teenagers or avid sports fans? It is important to know who you need to market your product at so as to achieve the most sales. 

Gaps in the Market – with such high numbers of online stores selling an incredible range of products, how will you make your product stand out? Additionally, even if you can make your product stand out, is there a demand for it? There is little point investing time, energy and money into something which has no potential to develop a strong customer base.

Creating a Platform to Sell your Product

Once you have decided on what you are selling, it is now time to think about how you will sell it. The best way to do this is to create a website where customers can browse the range of products. It is also crucial for your website to have ecommerce features such as a shopping cart, pages for customers to view products and a method of securing payments. Many website builders will provide this if coding is not your speciality! 

When creating your website it is also important to think about how your website portrays your brand image and the products you are selling. Aspects such as photographs, colours, fonts, layout and logo can all have an impact on whether customers return to your website or continue browsing once they find the site. 

Think about how your Products are Displayed

In order to get the most out of your website, it is important to market your products correctly. Key aspects to consider are: 

Photographs – these should be clear, high-resolution pictures that clearly display your product from multiple angles. They should be bright images that are well composed in order to attract customers’ attention.

Product Description – having an accurate product description will help you promote your product and avoid any customer confusion. Consider including key specifications such as size and material of the product.

Policies – what is your returns policy? Ensure that you are clear with each product what the returns policy is and state the policy with every item.

Creating an Effective Marketing Strategy

Marketing can help improve how many visitors see your website and therefore how many products you sell. There are a few methods which your business can use to increase brand awareness and product sales. 

The first is utilising social media. By creating pages on sites such as Facebook and Instagram, you increase the range of people you can reach and communicate with. There are also features on these sites which allows you to link products to photos, creating an easy way for customers to find your products. 

Another way to increase brand awareness is to use Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) tools, which boost your product up the ranks in Google search results. Many website builders have this feature as part of their package to help you boost sales easily. 

These steps can help you build a successful online store with a wide customer base and high visitor numbers. 

If you are looking to build a website for your company, then look no further than Go Sitebuilder! Our simple design means you can have a professional-looking website up and running in minutes, and eCommerce features are included as standard. Try our 14-day free trial today.

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Six reasons to have your own website

Why you need a website

Setting up a website is one of the best things you can do for your business. It can grow it from an exciting idea into much more, so that all your hard work pays off. One of the great things about having a website is that it’s largely up to you what you want from it; you can choose to have as much or as little content and functionality as your business needs. However, when you’ve already got several things to think about, there is such a thing as too much choice! To make your life a little easier as you embark on the adventure of growing your business, we’ve narrowed down the six main things you can be sure to get from a website:

1. Legitimacy

A website is vital for your business’s professional image. While social media is an important tool, today’s customers expect a stronger web presence than this alone. In this data, only 16.8% of online shopping traffic came from social media – less than direct navigation, search or email. A professional online presence is often key to a business’s success. This online presence doesn’t just include a good website, but also features such as domain names, email addresses and more.

2. Simplicity

There are many different ways to create a website, from paying a web designer to using a free online platform. However, a lack of direct input or technical experience can mean that the result isn’t quite what you envisaged. Not only this, it can still leave you short on money, time or both. Whatever route you go down, it’s important to have a website you can easily manage and maintain. Small businesses are constantly growing and changing, so being able to update your website – without the technical experience of a web designer or developer – can (and should!) be an important part of your business strategy.

3. Discoverability (SEO)

Most of us know the importance of getting a website ranked in search results, but many people are reluctant to pay the (often hefty) charges for search advertising. A simple, mobile-friendly sitebuilder can play a huge part in SEO success by allowing you to add content regularly. This is often one of the key factors in driving up a website’s search ranking, so the right people will find you.

4. E-Commerce

A good online store will boost sales and contribute to the smooth running of a business. The time constraints of running a small business mean that an all-in-one platform can really make a difference. Having something that will process payments and orders without constant management leaves you free to work on other areas of the business.

5. Mobility

We know that many business owners are single-handedly balancing a business with other personal or professional commitments. In 2017, 76% of businesses were entirely run by the owner(s). One of the perks of running your own business is that you don’t have to be tied to a desk. This means it makes sense to have a website that you can manage on the go, at any time.

6. Social media cross-functionality

As mentioned above, social media is very important for businesses, so a connection between your social media and your website is key. Displaying social media posts on your website (and vice versa) means your website will reflect the time you spend updating social media, and ensures that nobody will miss your news and updates.

Your website can be instrumental in turning prospective customers into actual customers, and keeping them engaged over time. We’ve designed Go Sitebuilder with this in mind, so that you have everything you need to grow your business, wherever you are. To try it for free today, download the Go Sitebuilder app on Google Play or the App Store, or access it through your browser here. Happy sitebuilding!