Online stores are famous for obvious reasons. The consumers don’t have to step out of their homes, they don’t have to wait in a crowded line, also they can shop 24*7.
Likewise, e-commerce store is also a great option for the entrepreneurs. If you want to open your first online shop in 2021, you can enjoy benefits like:
- Small start-up costs
- Easy set-up solutions
- instant access to a global market
- Start selling straight away
If you already have a physical shop and you want to expand your business online, an e-commerce store is the right option. On other hand, if you never had a business before and you are about to take your first step, you are in the right place. Are you ready to dig deeper? Let’s get rolling!
Figure Out What You Want to Sell
Picking your niche is an absolute must-do. For that, decide- a) What do you want to sell? b) Who are you going to sell it to? c) Why would they buy it?
No matter how obvious these three questions sound, deciding on them is the hardest part of the job. Focusing on a single niche is better than going all over the place. Start with an area that you are passionate about. It won’t be easy to work in a field you hardly know about.
Choose Your Service Or Products Wisely
Once you have found a niche, you have to streamline your services and products too. Are the products shippable in locations where your target audience lives? Plus, the lower the shipping cost, the better for your revenues. Also, try to keep a 50/50 ratio between your margins and the actual price of the products.
Choose A Business Name That Is Easy To Relate And Remember
Also, the name should be easy to pronounce. Imagine you are talking over phone and taking your store’s name. Would you be spelling it out for the other person to understand? If you do, decide on a simpler one! Pick a name that is unique, brandable, short and most importantly, available as a domain.
Select The Right Ecommerce Platform
If you want to run your online shop as early as possible, choose the right e-commerce platform first. Here comes the best part, you can do it on your own without taking professional help. Go for a WooCommerce website which is free and easy-to-use. You can configure it on your own and your store will be as functional as a professional one. Yet, there are alternative ways like Etsy and Shopify and other e-commerce platforms. If you need a professional help, there are lots of professional website designers.
Set-Up Your Payment Gateway
Being an online shop owner, you need to have more than one payment gateways available for your buyers. Include options like debit card, credit card, net banking, online wallets, cash on delivery, and so on.
Secure Your Site With An SSL Certificate
This is a must-have step to protect your connections by a security layer. SSL keeps your website and all your visitors’ data safe and helps to build trust among your customers.
Conclusion
Building an e-commerce shop from scratch might seem to be an overwhelming process. If you are not techy, the millions of ‘how-to’ tutorials might confuse you. Keep your goal in mind, and take time to research well before deciding.
