In this session, your eCom store becomes live on your custom domain. Also, a final test transaction ensures your eCom store is ready. Finally, required tracking tools are setup the help you manage your eCom store as time passes.

Set up your domain 

A domain name is a custom web address and your unique identity on the internet. eCom stores with a custom domain have their website indexed faster by search engines.

Prerequisites 

• Have obtained your custom web address. This was covered in Session 1.

Setting up your domain

1. Login to your eCom Back Office and click Settings.
2. Click Domain in the column titled Website settings.
3. Click Add domain.
4. Enter your domain including the sub domain. For example, www.yourdomain.
5. Select the top level domain that matches your domain. For example, .com.
6. Click Save. Note the value on this screen, for example: 123456.shoplightspeed.com or 123456.webshopapp.com.
7. Login to your domain provider and create a CNAME record pointing to your eCom store.
   • Use the name of the CNAME is the subdomain, like www.
   • Use the value you noted in a previous step as the target.
   • The TTL (Time to live) can be set as the default value.

For more information on setting up your domain, click here.

Create a final test transaction

Now that your eCom store is live, make sure your checkout is working a final time.

1. Access your eCom store from the Home screen in your eCom Back Office, click View Store.
2. Find a product as if you were a customer and add it to your cart, open your cart and click Checkout.
3. Proceed through checkout and test to make sure each stage is correct.
4. Read Testing your checkout to learn how.

Verify ownership of your domain in Google Search Console

Verify your ownership of your domain in the Google Search Console. In the future, the Google Search Console will allow you to check the indexing status and optimize the visibility of your eCom store.

Prerequisites 

• Your eCom store's domain must be live.
• Have a Google account. Learn how to create one here.

Verifying ownership in Google Search Console

1. Login to the Google Search console, here.
2. Add your URL and verify your ownership using the HTML tag method. Copy the tag and paste it in your eCom Back office under Settings > Web Extras > Google Search Console > Meta tags.

For more information about configuring Google Search Console, click here.

Connect Google Analytics

Begin tracking the traffic on your website. Google Analytics has many tools to help you build a successful website.

Prerequisites 

• Your eCom store's domain must be live.
• Have a Google account. Learn how to create one here.

Connecting Google Analytics

1. To learn how to connect Google Analytics, click here.

Submit sitemap to Google

Get a boost in your Search Engine ranking as early as possible by submitting your sitemaps to Google.

Prerequisites 

• Your eCom store's domain must be live.
• Have a Google account. Learn how to create one here.
• Google Search Console must already be configured.

Submitting a sitemap

1. Click here to link directly to the Google Search Console's Sitemaps tool.
2. Click Search property in the sidebar and select your eCom store.
3. Copy your domain and add /sitemap.xml at the end. For example: www.yourshop.com/sitemap.xml.
4. Paste your sitemap path under Add a new sitemap.
5. Click Submit.

For more information about updating Google Search, click here.

Looking forward

Now that your new eCom store is live, it's time to market it.

1. Announce the new shop on social media
2. Send out newsletters to existing customers
3. Promote your online shop in your retail location
4. Have a launch sale, discount specific product(s), or shipping

After the initial launch

1. Build an email list, offer a discount coupon for newsletter signups
2. Start Blogging, and write interesting articles to increase search engine ranking
3. Experiment with AdWords and create an advertising campaign
4. Advertise on Facebook
5. Set up Google Shopping
6. Here are more great ideas

Keep an eye on your analytics to learn about your traffic sources, flow, content, and conversion. You should read this Beginner’s Guide to Google Analytics. This will help you focus and decide on where to allocate advertising resources.