Creating An Online Store In 2020
Owning an online store is on many people’s minds when it comes to starting a new business in 2020. Or anytime in the near future, for that matter.
The eCommerce sales are skyrocketing year after year, and this is a natural trend as everything goes digital and online. So, it’s easy to see why having an online store is an idea which keeps on growing.
And the process of creating an online store is an easy one. There are many ways to create and design your eCommerce site, and then begin to cash in.
Here are the most common steps to follow if you want to create an online store as soon as possible:
Decide What You Want to Sell
The first step is to pick the right products you want to sell. Before starting to sell products through Amazon or other platforms, you will have to decide what kind of products you will sell, and what niche will cover the new online store.
This way, you will identify not just the specific industry (or industries) you are focusing on, but also the answers and solutions you want to provide to people this way.
If you are not 100% sure of what you will sell, a thorough research will help. You can use keyword research to find niche markets, and also find who is the competition and what are they putting upfront. You will have to avoid picking a “too unique” category of products, as they are less likely to have a big sell.
Choosing A Name
When we say “name”, we are not referring just to the name of the store, but also the domain name and the website name.
First, the name of the online store must match the needs of the consumers and must identify later as a brand. It has to be easy to spell and have a maximum of three words. One word would be ideal, but we know that tons of ideas are already on the market. The name should later find itself in the website’s name.
Also, use a proper domain name. If you can’t choose .com four your site, use .co.uk, or anything very well known.
Choose the Right Website Builder
After choosing names, you will have to effectively build the website. For this, you must choose the right website builder. There are some very popular enterprise eCommerce platforms, like Shift4Shop, Shopify, Wix, Volusion, Weebly, Squarespace, or BigCommerce.
You just have to make a good research and know which one will fit best your needs. Also, you have to know if you want to build a large online store, or a small one. This helps you choose right, because we can’t stress enough how important it is to choose the best website builder for an online store. The pricing also differs significantly depending on your business’ needs.
Source Your Stock
What does that mean? Well, after you put in place all the above details, and you know what kind of products you will sell online, you will have to actually own those products to resell them.
The first option is to purchase the products from a supplier and then resell them. You will have the control over the supply chain, and the quality of the product. The disadvantage is that you may end up with unsold products. Then, you have to deal also with the extra costs of storing and shipping the products.
The second option is dropshipping. That is increasingly popular among the eCommerce entrepreneurs. You don’t have to either ship or store the products, as you will buy the products and also choose a supplier who will deliver the product straight to the customer. Still, when building the website, you will have to be careful that you will have the option of dropshipping.
