E-Commerce business moves to the electronic space, many questions arise: where to start trading online? How much will it cost me? Can you do everything yourself? Although the answers are plentiful on the Internet, many want to find them in one place and as concise and straightforward as possible. This post will share things about creating an e-shop and where to start.
5 steps to open an online store: E-Commerce
1. The idea of an online shop : E-Commerce
If you plan to set up an e-shop, you probably already have an idea of what you would like to sell. But are you hesitant about it? Or maybe you don’t have an idea yet, but want to start an online business and are just looking for the right niche for you? This step is crucial for starting your business and will affect all the remaining steps.
One way to develop a unique business idea is to remember yourself when you were angry or dissatisfied and consider what could help you resolve that situation.
On the other hand, you can look at the E-Commerce businesses that already exist around you and think about how you can do what they do, just better. Maybe you have a favorite online clothing store, but they don’t show how clothes look on real people, or maybe you like to buy food online, but this service is only available in big cities?
2. Name and logo: E-Commerce
The name of your e-shop should not only represent your company and distinguish it from others but also help your customers find you, reflecting your E-Commerce business.
Good examples could be Shopify, and so on. The roots of these names clearly define their sector of activity. This is especially useful for start-ups, small E-Commerce businesses that aren’t going to spend a lot of money to make their name known, at least initially.
However, the name may not mean anything or directly reflect your online store’s niche. Names like Zara, H&M, Apple, and Uber are short words that do not directly describe the sold products or services. However, these are well-known names, and they are short, easy to remember, and easy to write, no matter the customer’s language.
Finally, note whether such a name exists or its domain is free.
At the same time, think about your e-shop logo. Look out for good examples and big companies. Consider wanting the logo to be stylized for your name, and maybe it will be an icon?
Depending on your budget, you can develop your initial ideas and outsource the implementation to freelance designers or agencies. If you can’t afford the logo, you can also take advantage of free logos that create a simple logo for you.
At the same time, think about your e-shop logo. Look out for good examples and big companies. Consider wanting the logo to be stylized for your name, and maybe it will be an icon?
Depending on your budget, you can develop your initial ideas and outsource the implementation to freelance designers or agencies. If you can’t afford the logo, you can also take advantage of DesignEvo, one of the handiest logo makers, creating a simple logo for you.
3. Select the platform or content management system: E-Commerce
Decide where to create your e-shop. Of course, it is possible to create an entire page from scratch, but this would require a great deal of time and IT resources. So you will most likely choose one of the existing platforms or content management systems.
It’s worth noting that you’ll soon be able to take advantage of pre-built templates and start trading online right away while choosing CMS will take longer. Still, you’ll have full access to your solution code, making additional changes and enhancements not offered on many platforms.
Also, pay attention to rates, ease of integration, and similar metrics. There are also platforms where integration can be free at first.
4. Domain registration
Ideally, your domain will be the name of your store. Please don’t delay and register it as soon as you decide on a name. After all, you wouldn’t want to create a logo, website design, and promotional material and then find out that your store name is already in use.
- Validation of the e-shop
Remember that you will need to validate your online sales revenue. Think about the extent to whi ch you are trading. Will you need to start your own E-Commerce business, and perhaps an individual certificate or business license will suffice?
Also, if your online store collects user data such as e-mail, telephone number, name, surname, you will need to register with the list of data controllers at the State Data Inspectorate.
5. Advertising and customer acquisition
Lastly, let your existing or potential customers know that your services or goods are now available right from home. Share links to your online store on social media, ask your friends and acquaintances to visit and rate your page.
Remember to optimize your page for SEO – use keywords that describe your services, especially in titles and headlines, see what your competitors are using, and try to provide more detailed, high-quality, and compelling content.
Register with the free Google Analytics system to see statistics for your store.
Think about where your target audience is visiting and choose your advertising channels and tone of communication accordingly.
Conclusion
Starting an e-commerce business is easier than it may seem. Countless people have been in your place until recently – the beginning of online shopping. If you want to start your business, just try it follow this guideline.