Planning to start an online store?
That’s a smart choice, especially in this modern age. Most people do their shopping online nowadays, after all. The ongoing pandemic made that even more apparent.
But where do you start? How do you even launch an online shop?
We’ve got your back. Read on below to learn how to start an online store today:
Find a Niche
To start an online store, you first need to know who you’re selling to and what to market.
Will you sell baby clothes to young moms or video games for working young adults? Do you want to sell car parts for automotive businesses or directly to car enthusiasts? It’s best to use a few analytics tools to identify the products the locals need or want.
You’ll also want to figure out whether you’ll store the products at home or if you’ll focus on dropshipping. This completely alters how you’ll manage inventory.
Register Your Business
Found your niche? That’s great but starting a business online also needs proper registrations and permits. This changes from place to place to take your time to learn how it works in your area.
At the end of the day, you’ll need an operating permit, business ownership, and the proper documents for taxes. Your tax liability will change depending on the structure your business takes (LLC, sole proprietorship, etc.), but it shouldn’t be difficult to handle regardless as long as you have a tax calculator or a good bookkeeper You might need to undergo sanitation inspections, depending on what you sell.
Build Your Site
The most important step when starting an online store is to build your site. This is your front-end so you’ll need to make it beautiful, functional, and SEO-ready.
Don’t panic if you can’t build a site from scratch. You can use CMS platforms like Joomla, Wix, and WordPress. WordPress powers almost half of the websites in the world, making it the most popular option.
Hosting Services
A good site won’t do much without proper hosting. Hosting is what makes your site accessible to the online world.
The best online store utilizes hosting that rarely sees downtime. This guarantees your shop remains accessible 24/7. You’ll want hosting built for heavy traffic too, such as WooCommerce hosting. If you also want to check more website hosting options then check these alternative options for best-hosting providers.
Plugins and Tools
Don’t forget to install a few plugins and tools.
Your eCommerce site should have an SEO tool, social media widgets, fillable forms, and a plugin to monitor and secure transactions. Tools like Shopify can simplify the backend of managing your inventory and orders. These tools make your site easier to manage and can improve the user experience (UX) too. Shopify is also a great platform when it comes to website optimization for better growth and results. Shopify also offers great apps that will help optimizing your store and getting more traffic/customers to you. There are apps like Tada which is the best spin the wheel app, which helps you increasing your subscribers by 500% and sales by 135% instantly.
Market Your eCommerce Store
The final step in starting an online store is to market it! Take your time to launch a blog, upload marketing videos, and build a social media presence.
Start an Online Store Now
No one said it’s easy to start an online store. It takes time and effort but these eCommerce tips should help you get on the right track. Remember to identify your niche, register, build your site with the right tools and plugins, and market it to gain an audience.
Of course, starting a shop is different from operating it and keeping it alive.
To learn all the marketing tips and tricks you need, we suggest reading our other in-depth guides today. Discover how you can take advantage of social media, SEO techniques, and more methods to grow your online business!
