One of the most common e-commerce Web Design hold ups is simply that business owners and managers don't know where to start. E-commerce programming can be so overwhelming that even the most simple questions cause scare. Los Angeles Ecommerce Solutions provider ATAK Interactive, a long time recommended e-commerce web design and online marketing firm, says questions such as, "how do we get product images" and "how do I find a trustworthy e-commerce design firm" are just the start of important questions one must ask. The ATAK Interactive e-commerce web design and programming team offers some insight below to help a business owner move forward with e-commerce for their web site.
So how does one know if the company he or she hires is the right e-commerce web design firm?

"Many companies claim to be experts and e-commerce programming, especially e-commerce firms in Los Angeles. First, one should check out the e-commerce portfolio…where one can most likely tell if the firm is noteworthy or just a child in a basement who is just starting out," says David Ephraim, ATAK Interactive senior e-commerce consultant. "Be sure that the developers have experience in web site development and especially e-commerce web design and e-commerce custom programming. There is a huge difference between standard web sites and custom e-commerce web design." Ephraim also stresses the importance to check to see the company has a location and is accessible. "E-commerce programming can get tricky and if you want to sit down with them (in person or via phone) and show ideas then its best you know that you have that available," says Ephraim. One should also check how long the e-commerce solutions firm has been in business and remember that all questions are good questions. The more informed one is, the better the development cycle will be.
Next: How do I prepare for ecommerce?

Populating content into your online store can be the most tedious task one can ask for, but it has to be done. There are a few ways to get inventory into your e-commerce web design. Option one is to open an excel sheet and create a database of products with fields such as product name, price, sku, color, description, and more. This sheet allows your website design company to write an import so all your products automatically populate on the web site. Image names must be attached to the products in the excel sheet, and images collected in a separate folder. "To associate the images to products one must create an images column and input the image file name" says Ephraim. "Your other option is to one by one add products via your e-commerce administration tool. All ecommerce systems had a back end administration to allow one to add, edit, and remove products at will."

David stresses the importance of good image quality. "Product images are a main key to success when involved in e-commerce web design. In our culture we often say that pictures are worth a thousand words and this could not be more true in e-commerce development. Customers want to know exactly what the product looks like, with all important angles, before they make a purchase. Analytics and monitoring shows us that customers need to see every little detail from buttons to material texture to make a final purchase." Often, the original manufacturer will have great photos but this is not always the case. One can also take pictures him or herself and can hire a professional. If you do take your own photos be sure they come out really nice. Photos, details, and price all sell the customer on your product.

Here are a couple final things to think about:

1. Your homepage = your storefront. Shoppers need to be TOLD and SOLD on what looks good so make it look good and make customers confident with phone numbers and security logos.
2. Your online store = your floor layout. A site without a good navigation is like a store with no particular sections and just a unorganized mess of stuff.
3. Info on your web site = your sales staff. Save call-ins and annoying customer service calls via pages that answer questions, allow users to contact with order questions, and offer all policies and agreements.