Create a website to sell products fast: 7 simple steps (2025 guide)

Step 1: Zero in on target audience and research competition

A successful online store is built for the customer, not the seller.

Selling online isn’t just about tossing products on a site. So once you’ve locked in your product, you need to answer a couple critical questions before you get into website production:

“Who am I selling to and what’s the best way to reach them?”

It’s easy to assume that "everyone" is your customer, but in reality, a narrow, well-defined audience will lead to more sales.

Without that clarity, a website can feel aimless—like a store with no clear signage, making it hard for your potential customers to know if it’s for them.

Alex had the same dilemma.

Before getting his ecommerce site up and running, he had to get clear on who he was selling to.

Instead of guessing, he did research on competitors and customer behavior:

In addition to customer and competitor research, which for Alex meant analyzing top-performing ecommerce websites in the leather goods niche, keyword research is a must too.

For keywords, many SEO tools will do the trick, since Alex is a beginner, he went with the very straightforward Google Keyword Planner to find out what terms people were using (e.g., "best minimalist wallet", "engraved leather wallet gift").

The audience for his handcrafted leather wallets turned out to be professional men and the best route for sales was through his own website for full brand control.

💡 Key takeaway: Your target audience determines everything—from website design to product pages, pricing and marketing strategies.

Step 2: Pick a custom domain and web hosting service

A website to sell products needs two foundational elements before it can go live:

1️⃣ A custom domain name — This is your website’s unique address, ours is Slickplan.com, for example.

2️⃣ A web hosting service — This is where all your website’s files, images and data live, like an internet landlord.

Both are technically simple tasks but coming up with a catchy name…well that can take some time.

Consider airbnb.com. If their domain was airbedandbreakfast.com, they’d have a much tougher time gaining traction because that’s a bear to type out.

Sidenote, Airbnb owns that domain too and it takes you to their sitemap.

Alex immediately realized that choosing the right domain and web hosting service would impact everything from branding to site speed and search engine rankings.

What makes a strong custom domain name?

• Short and brandable — AlexLeatherCo.com is better than HandmadeLeatherWalletsByAlex.com
• Easy to spell and remember — Avoid hyphens, numbers or slang
• Ends in .com if possible — It’s the most recognized and trusted extension
• Relevant to your niche — Includes a product keyword (e.g., AlexLeatherGoods.com)
• Future-proof — Avoid overly specific names (e.g., AlexLeatherWallets.com), in case you expand to belts or bags later

Next, it was time to pick a hosting service, here’s what you’ll want to look for:

✔ Fast loading speeds to improve search engine ranking and keep visitors from bouncing.
✔ Reliable uptime so customers could always access the site.
✔ Security features like an SSL certificate for safe transactions.

Sites like GoDaddy and Wix, for example, let you buy and host your domain in the same place.

Shopify is a clear go-to for many building ecommerce stores due to its speed, security, customer service and laser focus on ecommerce.

💡 Big stat: A study found that 40 percent of shoppers will abandon a website that takes more than three seconds to load.

Step 3: Choose the right website builder & ecommerce platform

Once Alex secured his domain name and set up web hosting, the next challenge was finding the best way to actually build the website.

• A website builder is a tool that creates, customizes and manages an online store without coding.
• An ecommerce platform provides the back-end functionality to sell products, process payments and track inventory (things you very much don’t want to be doing manually for each purchase).

Fortunately, most modern ecommerce platforms include a website builder, some offering more customization and control than others. Choosing the wrong platform could lead to technical headaches, slow load times or limited customization options. So Alex needed to make the right decision upfront.

Our guy Alex opted for Shopify for its built-in payment gateway, customizable ecommerce website templates and beginner-friendly tools.

If Shopify isn’t for you, check out our detailed breakdown of Wix vs WordPress.

💡 SlickTips: Optimize navigation by planning your website structure with Slickplan’s Sitemap Builder. If you want total control of the site, use a WordPress site with WooCommerce and hosting by SiteGround or Bluehost for optimized performance.

Step 4: Design the website for conversions

You have .05 seconds to make a first impression. That’s 50 milliseconds.

Make no mistake, a poorly designed site kills sales faster than a slow checkout line.

Now that Alex had chosen Shopify as his ecommerce platform, it was time to design the website—not just to look good, but to efficiently turn visitors into paying customers.

A cheap-looking site that’s difficult to navigate, and not optimized for mobile, doesn’t just sink your credibility, it’ll tank your sales too.

To make sure he was getting this crucial step right, Alex opted for a high-converting ecommerce website template. All the big platforms — Shopify, WooCommerce and Wix — offer pre-designed templates that can be customized.

What to look for in an ecommerce template:

Mobile-friendly design — 68% of online shopping orders are from mobile
☐ Fast loading speed — A slow site = lost sales
☐ Clear navigation — No clutter, easy-to-find product categories
☐ Trust-building elements — Reviews, security badges and payment icons
☐ Minimalist & clean — No distractions
☐ Product-focused — Features products prominently, front and center
☐ Optimized for checkout — A frictionless path from browsing to buying

Homepage layout

Nailing the homepage was critical because that’s the page that’s likely to be where so many folks land.

Here are the critical pieces to consider:

• Header — Logo and menu that prominently features the cart
• Hero section — A full-width, quality image with text that tells a visitor exactly what to expect
• Clear CTAs — "Shop Now", "Explore Wallets", "Discover the Perfect Wallet", etc.
• Featured products — Best-sellers displayed right below the hero section
• Testimonials and user-generated content — These send massive trust signals to a new visitor "Handcrafted with Full-Grain Leather — 100% Satisfaction Guarantee"
• Footer — Contact info, return policy and accepted payment options

💡 SlickTip: Avoid clutter! Too many elements, font styles and even colors can overwhelm visitors and kill conversions.

Step 5: Add products, quality photos and SEO-friendly product descriptions

Alex’s first product listing was basic:

"Leather Wallet — $60" alongside a poorly framed photo from his cellphone.

Honestly, not a great look.

A poor image, no product details and nearly no keywords that would help his wallets show up in search.

To attract, entice and convert visitors into buyers, product pages need to be optimized. The bare minimum includes:

• Clear, compelling product descriptions that encouraged customers to buy
• SEO-friendly content that helps products rank on search engines like Google
• High-quality images that showcase your gear in the best possible way and from multiple angles

Example of a strong product listing

Taking his competitor research and audience analysis into account, here’s what he cooked up.

Product title: Minimalist Leather Wallet — RFID Blocking & Personalized

Product images:
📸 Close-up of premium leather texture
📸 Slim profile in hand for size reference
📸 Wallet inside a suit pocket (lifestyle image)

Product description optimized for SEO and conversions:

Why it’s better

You can intuitively feel that the second version was stronger, let’s quickly dig into why though so you can repeat it:

• Compelling, details product descriptions — Used keyword research to include terms like "handmade leather wallet for professionals"
• Bullet points — For quick scanning and highlighting aspects like durability, RFID protection and personalization options
• SEO optimization — Included relevant keywords to help search engines find the product
• High-quality product images — High-end photos giving close-ups of the craftsmanship with a lifestyle photo that speaks to the target audience

💡 SlickTip: Use a product page template to ensure you don’t miss a key element.

Checklist for a strong product listing

As you’re building these critical pages, use this checklist to make sure your product pages are firing on all cylinders.

☐ Product title — Clear, concise and keyword-rich
☐ Product images — High-resolution, multiple angles, zoomable
☐ Product description — Compelling, benefit-driven copy optimized for SEO
☐ Pricing and availability — Clearly stated with stock levels (i.e., "Only 3 left in stock!").
☐ Trust signals — Customer reviews, secure checkout badges, return policies
☐ Call to Action — CTAs like "Add to Cart" or "Buy Now" buttons are placed prominently

💡 Key takeaway: Well-written, SEO-optimized product descriptions increase website traffic and sell products more effectively.

Step 6: Set up secure payment options

A smooth, quick checkout process helps you avoid cart abandonment.

No one wants to be within seconds of a sale only to have a clunky process cause someone to bounce without buying.

In fact, Shopify found that "a long and complicated checkout process is the reason behind 18% of shopping cart abandonment".

Choosing the right payment methods

Nowadays, shoppers expect multiple ways to pay and limiting those options can hurt sales.

To keep checkout simple and flexible, Alex kept the options broad, letting customers pay however they please.

• Credit & Debit Cards — Visa, MasterCard, American Express, etc.
• PayPal and Venmo — A trusted option for online shoppers
• Apple Pay and Google Pay — Easy checkout on mobile devices
• Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) — Klarna, Affirm and Afterpay for financing and splitting payments into more manageable chunks

These options ensured that every type of customer had a frictionless checkout experience.

Ensuring security

This goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyhow: your site and particularly payments, need to be secure.

Since Alex used Shopify Payments, transactions were handled securely without extra setup.

If he had used WooCommerce, he would have needed Stripe or PayPal Payments Pro for secure credit card processing.

To protect customer data, these are a must:

• PCI DSS compliance, or Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, is required for processing payments safely.
• SSL encryption, or Secure Sockets Layer. This is where the "S" comes from in "HTTPS".

Alongside trust signals like solid design and testimonials which reassured shoppers and reduced checkout abandonment.

💡 SlickTips: Don’t force account creation, make guest checkout an option and create an abandoned cart email sequence to try and get people to complete their purchase.

Step 7: Plan shipping and fulfillment

You’re making sales! Now what?

Alex had to decide how to ship products without delays or incurring high costs that would eat away at his margins. The joys of life as a small business owner, right?

Shipping is another area where a bad experience can turn a potential repeat buyer into a one-and-done that leaves a negative review (even if they like the product!).

The 3 pricing models are: flat-rate, free and charging based on location and package weight.

The most reliable shipping services are the old standbys:

• USPS
• UPS
• FedEx
• DHL

If you’re just starting and have a smaller order volume, self-fulfillment, where you manually package and print shipping labels, is an option.

Website builders like Shopify, which are built for ecom, allow you to set up your fulfillment and shipping right on the platform. Another reason Alex went with them.

💡 SlickTip: Offer free shipping for orders over a certain amount to increase online store conversions.

Growing your online store

With his website fully built and ready to take orders, Alex had successfully created a professional ecommerce site.

But launching a website is only the first step.

To turn it into a profitable business, he needed to focus on getting visitors, building customer trust and scaling operations. So do you.

Getting visitors with SEO and marketing

A well-designed website means nothing without traffic.

Alex knew he needed a steady flow of visitors to make sales, so he focused on search engine optimization (SEO), paid advertising and social media marketing to bring in potential customers.

As part of his SEO strategy, he optimized his website content, including product pages and descriptions with relevant keywords, making it easier for shoppers to find his wallets through Google and product review websites that recommend top-quality leather goods.

In addition to organic search, he also ran paid ads on Google and Facebook, targeting people who had already shown interest in leather goods.

To capture long-term buyers and nurture existing customers, Alex started building an email list.

He added a sign-up offer on his homepage, giving new customers a 10% discount in exchange for their email. This way, even if someone didn’t buy immediately, he could send follow-up promotions to bring them back to the store.

💡 SlickTip: Encourage customer feedback and online reviews, featuring the praise on your site and on social media platforms to build trust.

Scaling and automating your online business for growth

As your sales start to grow, managing inventory and shipping manually becomes overwhelming.

There’s only so much you can do by hand before you need third-party fulfillment service and inventory management.

Alex used Shopify from the get-go which allowed him to focus on marketing while orders were automatically packed and shipped. He also automated email marketing, setting up abandoned cart reminders and post-purchase follow-ups to encourage more sales.

With a steady customer base, he decided to expand his product line.

Instead of just selling wallets, he introduced matching leather belts and cardholders, increasing his average order value and giving customers more reasons to return.

Monitoring and improving the site

Once the store was live, Alex needed to track performance and make improvements to keep sales growing. He used tools like Google Search Console, Semrush and Google Analytics to monitor site traffic, checkout drop-offs and analyze customer behavior to see what was working—and what wasn’t.

Customer feedback also helped refine the store and keep the site fresh.

If shoppers had recurring questions about products or shipping, Alex updated product pages to make details clearer.

To increase conversions, he ran A/B tests on key pages, experimenting with headlines, images, and calls to action. Over time, small tweaks led to better engagement and more sales.
A successful website isn’t static.

By tracking data, listening to customers and making gradual improvements to both the website’s performance and your products, you keep your store running smoothly and optimized for growth.

Ready to sell products online? Your online store is a few steps away

Creating a website to sell products isn’t as overwhelming as it seems. Just like Alex, you don’t need to be a tech expert—you just need the right steps, tools, and mindset to turn your idea into a fully functional, profitable online store.

Whether it’s being able to expand the reach of your physical store, a side hustle or your main gig, setting up an online shop is easy these days.

You just need an idea and willingness to take action.

If you’re ready to sell online, follow these steps and start today!

Frequently asked questions