Create online store

Further advantages for your online marketing

Ecommerce website

• How long does it take to build an eCommerce website?

  If you want to open an eCommerce store the Online Store solutions from 1&1 can help you to minimize the amount of time it takes. The package includes everything you need to create a professional eCommerce website – no HTML or CSS knowledge necessary. However, there is a CSS editor for professional users. All that is left for you to do is choose the right design for your shop, made easy with a large number of design templates for various business sectors.
  
  All details are easily changed and adjusted to fit your specific requirements: navigation structure, buttons,graphics, texts, pictures, banners, logos and YouTube videos. We don't just want to make building your eCommerce website easy, but also fun. If you need help, you can simply turn to our design assistant which will lead you step by step through the set-up process. With our new and improved solutions you can set up and start selling within a few hours.

• What do I have to consider when choosing the URL of my eCommerce website?

  Your personal eCommerce store needs an internet address that is unique and memorable. (Domains are not free anymore) Perhaps you already have an idea of what you would like the name of your company or shop to be – reserve the corresponding domain now. You may purchase the domain before or after you purchase your preferred online store package. 1&1 provides new top-level domain extensions. and aids in checking the availability of a suitable URL. Enter your desired web address into the search bar to see whether a suitable URL with your shop name is available.
  
  The domain name (e.g. 'my-first-onlineshop') along with the top level domain (e.g. '.com') forms the internet address i.e. 'my-first-onlineshop.com'. You can also use new top level domains like .shop, .sale, .discount, .toys or .fashion to further tailor your address to your industry.
  
  If you are building your own eCommerce website, you need to choose a distinctive shop or company name for your domain, but if you cannot find a matching domain name that is free you can also use well-known product names, important product categories or service names for your domain. To make sure your unique domain name is exclusive to you, reserve all the major domain extensions like .com and .net. This way you can protect your brand from the start. If you are building an international online shop, country specific domain extensions make sense – for example .co.uk (United Kingdom) or .fr (France). After you have setup your online store do not forget to connect your domain. You can easily do that in 1&1 control panel.

• Which eCommerce website package is right for my online shop?

  It completely depends on the nature of your business and specific business needs. The amount of products that could be sold is 200,000 in any of the 1&1 eCommerce package. 1&1 provides additional support for sales of more than 200,000 or unlimited products. If you intend to sell a variety of products and want to build a large client base it is worth building an eCommerce package that includes add-on features to begin with – for example, those that allow you to individually customize the product presentation and payment procedure, and that also allow for the creation of information pages and for the administration of customer data. You can integrate your online store with various price comparison portals Business package onwards. The eCommerce packages Premium and Unlimited provide integration with Amazon and eBay along with POS system for better sales potential and manageability. The Premium and Unlimited packages also feature Billbee ERP to cater to your business resource planning needs along with connection to DaWanda. Business package onwards 1&1 provides CleverReach® Newsletter tool which helps you to stay in touch with your most valuable customers and keep them updated regarding the offerings of your online store by publishing a responsive designed newsletter. So that the newsletter viewed by your customers looks appealing on any device. You can also make use of PayPal Express Checkout so that your customers can process payments with ease without disclosing any sensitive information explicitly. PayPal Express Checkout feature is available in all the eCommerce packages.
  
  All shop packages allow you to use more than one picture per product and offer a large selection of design templates. They also include all the basic features you need to get your eCommerce site off the ground. Aside from the installation of the shop system and design, you also need web space, meaning an online storage space where your online shop is accessible at all times. This so-called web hosting is included in the 1&1 eCommerce website packages. It is also possible to switch to a larger package at any time without having to set up your shop from scratch. For additional details, it is recommended that you compare the feature list of all the packages to identify an appropriate fit for your business needs.

• What technical knowledge do I need prior to setting up my online shop?

  You don't need any special knowledge to build your eCommerce store. Our 1&1 Online Store packages are complete software solutions for the set-up, maintenance, administration and marketing of your eCommerce website, all of which is possible using your browser. No further software is required. All necessary components for creating your online shop are included – from designing the platform, the product, and your order administration, to managing payments and deliveries. Several functions can be managed using your internet browser without having to be installed first. All you have to do is choose the design template and adjust all further details to your personal preferences. To complete your eCommerce website just enter the product details and add appealing pictures. The integrated test system allows you to view your eCommerce website before making it public online. If you offer many different products you can import the product data using a CSV file.
  
  The ease of use combined with a variety of functions is one of the advantages over free online shop platforms available online. Setting up an eCommerce store for free may seem like an alluring option at first, but it is often at the expense of available features. Many important options, like a variety of payment and delivery options, a personalized domain, or marketing features are usually not included. To add these requires not only an additional fee, but also technical know-how. 1&1 eShops have plenty of integrations to choose from, you can choose most preferred payment provider, carrier, marketplaces, price comparison portals, etc. Additionally, 1&1 offers you technical support and customer service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you find yourself stuck while building your eCommerce store we are happy to help.

• How do I optimize my online shop for smartphones and tablets?

  All packages include responsive web design. This technology ensures that your eCommerce store is optimally displayed on every smartphone and tablet, including any changes you might make over time. These changes are usually made using the internet browser of your computer – thanks to responsive web design they are immediately adopted and optimized for every smartphone.
  
  By the way, good performance of a web shop on mobile devices is a ranking factor for search engines like Google, making mobile optimization a real opportunity to stand out from the competition. This is especially pertinent if the competition fails to optimize the presentation of their online shop for mobile devices. Optimizing how your eCommerce website is displayed also gives you access to an entirely new group of customers – those that like to shop on the go.

• How safe is the shop in regards to payment transactions, data protection and crashing?

  If you are building an eCommerce store that is hosted by one of our data centers, then the exchange of data is automatically secured via an SSL certificate. The certificate guarantees the safe exchange of information and data when an order is placed on your eCommerce website. Unauthorized access is prevented by encrypting the data transfer, allowing your customers to enter their information into a contact form during the order process without any risk. The entire checkout process is SSL-secured, from the order basket to finalizing the order. With 1&1 you can easily build an eCommerce website that is safe for your customers to use. The Trusted-Shops logo, which is attached to all of our shops, lets your customers know that they can trust your shop. eCommerce stores that carry the Trusted-Shops certificate guarantee safe payment transactions with an SSL encryption.
  
  Additionally 1&1 eCommerce web hosting protects your shop from crashing by employing a number of server locations. More than 6.000 specialists personally ensure that the software in our data centers run smoothly and reliably at all times. When you build an eCommerce site with 1&1 you make use of geographically redundant data centers. The use of server-cluster-systems – two geographically separate servers – ensures that you have round the clock access to your eCommerce store. Should one server fail the other takes over all functions with no disruption in the system. The two servers mirror the data and synchronize them permanently. Should a webserver of your eCommerce website be offline, to undergo maintenance for example, the other server takes over. This means your shop is always accessible – for you and your customers. Regular back-ups further prevent any data loss.

• Opening an online shop is subject to certain legal regulations. What do I need to know?

  The laws surrounding eCommerce stores change constantly. To make sure you do everything right and remain within the legal framework when you are building your eCommerce website, 1&1 has entered into cooperation with Trusted Shops, the quality seal for online shops. All online shops that carry this seal are obliged to fulfill the highest standards of data and delivery security. For customers, the familiar Trusted-Shops seal with the blue "e" guarantees that your online shop is trustworthy. The SSL-encryption of the payment process is part of these regulations.
  
  With our Online Store solutions you can create an online shop that fulfills the requirements of the Trusted-Shops seal. Trusted Shops certifies shops in accordance with the current legal framework and the most important customer-centric values. Along with the Trusted Shops certificate you will also receive a template of all relevant legal documents plus the terms and conditions. These templates are regularly updated to comply with the current legal status so you are always up to date.

• How can I increase the visibility of my new online shop?

  We don't just help you to build your eCommerce store, we also lend a hand in marketing it. The key word is online marketing. As one of the world's largest internet providers we know how to win customers over the internet. We are happy to share this knowledge with you by giving you online marketing tools. These have been developed to be easy to use by advertisers. The tools are created as a modular system and tailored to your specific needs. The SEO optimized layouts, help you with search engine optimization to improve your chances of being found by new customers. Most shop packages include a newsletter tool, so you can stay in contact with your customers.
  
  Social Media like and share buttons can be installed with every eCommerce website package from 1&1. Other important online sales venues can also be added if you set up an online shop with us. Amazon, eBay, Google Shopping along with price search engines and product portals are included in most of our eCommerce packages.

• What do I need to keep in mind when building my eCommerce website?

  The creation of an online shop is child's play with 1&1. After logging into the user interface of your online store for the first time, the 1&1 set-up guide will start automatically and will help you to set up the basic configuration of your eCommerce store – like choosing your industry or the desired layout and design. The settings can be changed any time after the initial set up. On the homepage of your user interface you can also find the "first steps guide", which will clearly display the necessary steps required so your eCommerce website is ready to launch legally and functionally. Completed steps are marked with a green check

• Can I connect my 1&1 Online Store with eBay, Amazon and other platforms?

  The 1&1 Online Store packages give you the option of offering your products on eBay, Amazon, Google Shopping and product portals like Shopping,com. You may have to check the packages individually for the portal connectivity feature because every package offers different set of connectivity to the portals. Then you may select a package according to your business needs.
  
  Product data can be automatically added from your eCommerce store so you don't have to enter the information twice. To connect your online shop with eBay you need an eBay account. If you don't have one, you can set up an account on the eBay website that corresponds with your country of residence for free. You can simultaneously set up a PayPal account and connect it with your eBay account. eBay uses Paypal to complete the payment process.
  
  Once you have set up your eBay account you can connect it with your eCommerce store and authenticate yourself as the owner of the shop. Now you can adjust your settings to suit your preferences. A detailed description of how to connect your eCommerce website with eBay can be found here. The eCommerce packages Premium and Unlimited include Billbee ERP which allows connection to DaWanda, an eCommerce portal, which increases your sales potential by showcasing your product on the portal. DaWanda serves as an additional sales channel for you.
  
  To connect your eCommerce store with online marketplaces like Amazon or with product portals, activate the desired portal in the administrative area and choose your settings. Then choose the products and export them into the portal.

• Can I create my 1&1 online shop in combination with WordPress?

  Currently, the integration of a 1&1 eCommerce solution with a website that was created through WordPress is possible in the Unlimited package.