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If you sell, well, anything today — having a well-built #onlinestore is like the cheat code to getting in front of more shoppers and making more sales. But instead of an indecipherable sequence of buttons like ????????????????, this cheat code is activated by following our 10 basic tips to getting a robust #ecommerce #website off the ground. Ready, player one? Let’s press start ?? 1: Draft a Business Plan: Define what you’re selling, who it’s for, and your business goals to keep yourself on track. 2: Choose Website Builder, Host, and Domain: To get your site online, you must select a #hosting provider, domain name, and website builder (we recommend #WordPress with WooCommerce). 3: Set Up Your Website and Add Ons: Follow the instructional wizards on WordPress, #WooCommerce, or whatever you choose to set up a basic online store. 4: Identify Your Value Proposition: To guide the brand messaging you’re about to craft, define how your products solve customer problems and why you’re unique. 5: Create Product Pages: Time to add high-quality photos and captivating content to showcase your products! 6: Configure Tax Settings: Most #ecommerce platforms (like WooCommerce) make it easy to set up taxation — but you should still consult a tax professional for accurate configuration. 7: Specify Shipping Methods: Figure out how you’re going to ship to all potential customers. Again, a good ecommerce platform should make this reasonably easy to set up. 8: Decide on Payment Gateways: Choose payment options (e.g., Stripe, Square, etc.) based on customer preference, ease of use, fees, and security. 9: Optimize for SEO: Use #SEO best practices like keyword research, internal linking, and creating quality content to help potential customers find your store in search results. 10: Promote Your Site: Develop a social media and #emailmarketing strategy to get the news out about your brand and boost traffic. In addition to all these steps, there are also some critical (but common!) mistakes to avoid when building an ecommerce website. Wanna dive deep into it all? Visit the link to our full guide linked in the comments below. And let us know — what step of building your #ecommercewebsite are you on? ????

#Website performance not hitting key benchmarks? #Branding and design no longer match your current look or feel? #Webexperience not #mobile friendly or responsive? Been over 5 years since your last website redesign? All of these are signs that it’s time for a revamp. ?????? If we’re talking about your #smallbusiness website right now, check out our guide to creating a modern website that performs. ????

Having a #contentstrategy is about working smarter, not harder. In 2025, add in a dash of emerging trends and you’ve got #contentmarketing success. How can you use #AI, video, & zero-click #content to get more eyes on your #smallbusiness? Your guide ??

If resources like time and money are precious to your #smallbusiness, it’s time to realize #contentmarketing isn’t just about creating content — it's about creating content that works. ?? So, what works? These are some of the hottest emerging trends and tech to make your #content perform in 2025: ?? Start using #AI to enhance your work, not replace it ?? Take advantage of the power of video content ?? Stay ahead of Google's evolving #SEO game ?? Serve up the interactive content your audience craves ?? Embrace zero-click content and keep your audience more engaged If you see some new concepts here (what the heck is zero-click content?!) then be sure to check out our guide for a full walkthrough on implementing all of the above tips. ??

As the saying goes, timing is everything. That’s never more true than it is in the case of posting to #socialmedia as a #smallbusiness. ?? With increasing channels, growing competition, changing trends, and ever-updating #algorithms — knowing when is the right time to post on social today is critical. So, let’s cut right to the chase and break down the top days and times to share your #content to social. ?? ?? Best Times to Post on Social Media, by Platform ?? All Best days to post: Tuesday through Thursday, 9 to 4 Avoid: Sunday #LinkedIn Best days to post: Tuesday through Thursday, 10 to noon Avoid: Weekends #Facebook Best days to post: Monday through Thursday, 9 to 5 Avoid: Sunday X (AKA #Twitter) Best days to post: Tuesday through Thursday, 9 to 3 Avoid: Sunday #Instagram Best days to post: Tuesday through Thursday, 9 to 4 Avoid: Sunday #YouTube Best days to post: Wednesday through Friday, 2 to 11 Avoid: Sunday #TikTok Best days to post: Wednesday and Thursday, 9 to 6 Avoid: Sunday ?? Why Does the Timing Matter? ?? Algorithms Reward Recency: Social media platforms prioritize fresh content. Posting new content right when your audience is most active is a double whammy for increasing its visibility. Engagement Begets Engagement: The more interactions your post gets initially — thanks to good timing — the higher the chances that algorithms will push it to a broader audience. The snowball effect in action! ?? Other Factors to Consider with Social Timing ?? Audience: Audience age, location, job, and habits play a big role in determining the optimal time to post. Time Zones: Consider time zone differences, especially if your audience is global. Industry: Timing might differ based on the industry. For example, professionals may engage earlier while those in hospitality later in the day. Competitor Activity: Observe when your competitors post, and decide if you should overlap or choose a different time — to stand out. Announcements, Trends, and News: Important events, trends, and product releases should influence when you post. ??? How to Make and Stick to a Good Posting Plan ??? Strategize: The basics of a #socialmediastrategy include understanding your audience and competition, choosing your metrics and goals, creating a calendar and content, and finally posting and tracking results! Tool Up: Tools like SocialPilot, #Buffer, and Agorapulse can help you schedule, manage, and analyze your social media posts effectively. Iterate: Regularly review #socialperformance, and adjust timing and content strategies to optimize results. Spray and pray isn’t gonna cut it anymore. In the comments below, find the full guide to nailing social media timing and tell us — who’s your favorite brand to follow?

When would you repurpose your existing #content? Leverage #socialmedia trends? Conduct interviews and collaborate with experts? All of these are tricks of the trade that help #contentcreators come up with fresh, quality ideas and content to power their blogs, social media platforms, #emailmarkting campaigns and more. ?? Want to learn more about how the successful ones do it? Check out our guide to 24 fail-proof ways to come up with new content ideas. ??

For #smallbusiness owners, getting noticed on a crowded platform can be challenging. #Instagram has close to 1.5 billion users. We’d call that crowded! Is there anything you can possibly do to get more ?? on your content? Actually, yes! We’ll teach you… ?? How to outsmart Instagram's #algorithm for better visibility ?? Best practices for using Reels, Stories, and hashtags ?? Why #content quality and timing make all the difference ?? How to leverage collaborations and user-generated content for organic growth ?? Expert tips on optimizing your profile and engaging with your audience ?? What not to do, like buying likes or overloading on hashtags Come on, let’s turn your Instagram presence into a powerful marketing tool for your business. ??

Say hello to Claude! ?? Who the heck is Claude? ?? A modern #AI tool that’s ready to help #smallbusinesses handle everything from your toughest to your most mundane tasks — streamlining your business operations and unlocking your full potential. In fact, you can use it to… ?? Quickly write professional email drafts and social media posts ?? Automate deep data analysis and market research ?? Generate conversion-boosting product descriptions and job listings #ClaudeAI is like having a personal assistant that never clocks out. Come along and allow us to show you how AI can revolutionize your workflow. ????

Hear ye! Hear ye! We're excited to announce our new #partnership with Ecwid by Lightspeed! Now integrated into our #WordPress Install Assistant tool, Ecwid by Lightspeed makes it easy for you to launch, manage, and grow your #ecommerce store. ?? And it's fast, too — with Ecwid, you can quickly set up your online store and showcase your brand to the world! Once your #onlineshop is live, get started selling products or services through multiple channels! Ecwid is an easy, efficient, and budget-friendly e-commerce platform with a transparent cost structure that helps scale your business more easily, allowing you to upgrade to premium features as your business grows. It's got… ?? Seamless WordPress integration ?? Multi-channel selling ?? Centralized inventory and simplified order management ?? Powerful built-in marketing tools ?? And, zero transaction fees Set up your WordPress site with DreamHost today and install Ecwid by Lightspeed for an incredible online selling experience!

If you’ve ever felt like your #businesswebsite is hidden away from the world, you’re not alone. ?? In fact, over 96% of websites never receive a single click from Google! Enter #GoogleSearchConsole, a free tool that puts your website in front of #Google and gives you the power to understand, track, and optimize your site’s #performance on #Googlesearch. In our latest guide, we cover: ?? How to introduce your site to Google using #GSC, and get it indexed ?? Tracking and improving your site's performance in real-time with GSC ?? Using more advanced features, like Core Web Vitals and page experience scores ?? Fixing errors that might be holding your site back Take the guesswork out of #SEO and start making data-driven decisions to increase your website visibility. ????