With the power of the internet, anyone can start a business. Starting a successful one can be challenging, though. There are many ways to sell, but an e-commerce store is a great selling platform.
The following will focus on everything you need to start your own e-commerce store.
Here is the checklist:
- Business model
- Know your competition
- Understand your demographic
- Know your brand
- Have your URL ready
Once you know the above, you need to know the elements of a great e-commerce store. Your website should have:
- A great homepage
- An ‘About Us’ page
- A ‘Contact Us’ page
- A product page
- A blog
- Checkout
What to Plan Beforehand For Your E Commerce Web Store
Success is found in planning. Before you start looking into setting up your online e commerce store, consider the following:
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe”
– Abraham Lincoln
Your Business Model
Your business model is key to your success. How do you intend to make or source your products? What are your values? What is your identity?
Know who you are so that everything about your website reflects your brand.
Your Competition
Knowing your competition is smart. Knowing how they have succeeded and even how others have failed before you is smart. This information can help you learn from the best and learn from their mistakes. It can also help you by giving you clues on how you can make your business unique.
Your Demographic
Knowing your demographic is essential. Some things that you will want to know about them include:
- Where they live
- What their values are
- What they need
- What jargon they use
- Their family dynamics
- What they would use your product for
- What platforms they use
You can uncover this information using market research. Either read reports for your industry or conduct your own market research. Knowing this information will make marketing easier. It will also make creating a website that appeals to them a cinch.
Do note that your demographic will change. Use analytics on your website and with social media to keep up to date with your demographic’s information.
Your Brand and URL Name
In a perfect world, your URL will be your brand name. If that is taken, what else can you use? Choose something that is:
- Simple but relevant
- Easy to remember
- Easy to spell
Never have numbers or hyphens in your URL, this will make it harder to find. Also think of your brand as a whole. Are you eco-friendly? If so, include the words ‘Green’ or ‘Organic.’
The Building Blocks of a Good E-Commerce Store
Once you know that information, it is time to start working on your e-commerce store design. You can work on this with a Shopify developer so that your design ideas and reality can come together.
“A successful website does three things:
It attracts the right kinds of visitors.
Guides them to the main services or product you offer.
Collect Contact details for future ongoing relation.”
―Mohamed Saad
A Great Home Page
Your site needs a great home page. This page should be appealing to the eye, have a call to action, and encourage your users to continue. A poor homepage means your bounce rate will increase, and all your marketing efforts will be a waste.
An About Page
About pages are great for businesses as it gives you a chance to tell your story. Let your customers know who you are, what your values are, and why you are the best person for the job.
A Contact Page
Offer multiple methods to contact you, from an email to a phone number. There are many ‘Contact Us’ examples out there.
Login and User Features
You want an ongoing relationship with your users, which is why having a login and user features is essential. You want your customers to access things like their previous orders, see custom suggestions, and even create wishlists.
Your Store
Your store itself should be incredibly easy to use and sort through. If it is easy and fast to find that perfect product, your customer is more likely to buy it right away. This will reduce cart abandonment.
A Blog
A blog is an excellent way to bring in customers, boost your search engine ranking, and offer greater value. From news, to guides, to even suggestions on how to use your product – these are great ideas for content that make your brand invaluable.
Great Visuals
Great visuals tell more than a thousand words, so invest in them. This means hiring professionals to create great product and editorial photos. It means creating promotional videos to engage your customers. It can also make your products look better.
Great visuals sell and can be used on all platforms for marketing purposes.
How to Start Your Own E-Commerce Online Store
1. Choose an E-Commerce Platform
Shopify or BigCommerce are two of the biggest players in the market. They are incredibly customizable.
2. Pick an E-Commerce Theme
Both platforms offer themes to make setting up your store easy.
3. Have Professionals Set it Up for You
The best Shopify developers can help customize your theme and set it up. By doing so, it will help your e-commerce store work seamlessly.
4. Start Uploading Products and Metadata
This will make it easier to sort through your products. Great metadata is also good for SEO. Never forget to optimize all content on your website.
5. Link it to Social Media
Upload your products onto Facebook Business Page and then link to products on your Instagram business account. Use social media as a means to plug your products and brand.
Hiring a Shopify website developer to customize and implement your design ideas is the perfect solution. You want your site to work well and look great. Shopify website developers can handle all the back-end customization that you are not familiar with.
While starting your own e-commerce store is no easy business, this checklist can help. Always turn to professionals if you need advice.
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Furthermore, we also have other terrific blog articles such as Stockists on Shopify: The Easy Way To Set Up A Beautiful Page and 6 Ways To Boost Your Shopify Store. how to use social media, how to personalize your Shopify store— We are Blackbelt Commerce, a TOP Shopify & BigCommerce developer.
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