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Are you planning to launch an online store? Your timing couldn’t be better.
The ongoing pandemic has caused online shopping to soar, with most people staying home.
But that doesn’t take away the challenges involved in launching an online store, especially if you don’t have any ecommerce experience.
Where do I begin? What can I sell? Where do I source your products from? How do I create an online store? Wait, I’ll need a web host, too?
So many questions!
Don’t worry, though—I have you covered.
In this article, I’ll give you a comprehensive step-by-step guide to help you launch your first online store, making sure you avoid making common and not-so-common mistakes and get your site up and running ASAP.
Are you ready? Let’s begin!
Your 2-Minute Cheat Sheet
Want to skip the details and get a quick cheat sheet? Here you go.
You have to decide what you want to sell and how you’re going to get the products. And while you’re at it, you must also consider the product’s prices, your target audience, and whether or not there is an audience for your product.
After all, why would you want to sell a product nobody wants to buy?
You can choose a product that metaphorically “scratches your own itch.” Or you can also consider buying a product that already exists, improving it, and then doing a better job of marketing it. This is sometimes known as drop-shipping.
I would personally recommend the second option for first-time entrepreneurs as it considerably lowers the risk out of selling.
If you agree, head over to Alibaba.com to find suppliers for your chosen product. While Alibaba is one of the more popular marketplaces, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t frauds on the platform.
To make sure you deal with genuine suppliers only, look for the Gold Supplier icon. This indicates that a particular supplier has signed up for a paid membership. Therefore, it’s unlikely for any fraud to have the Gold Supplier icon on their profile.
If you decide to go forward with the supplier, make sure you order sample products to determine the quality you should expect. Don’t forget to discuss payment terms and other details so that you and the supplier are on the same page.
With the products in place, you’ll have to figure out a good name for your brand and check whether a domain name is available. While this sounds incredibly fun, it can quickly turn annoying.
Keep patient, though.
Consider your domain name as a long-term investment, and try to come up with the best you can.
Next up, you have to set up your online store platform. Consider selling your products on either Shopify or Amazon—both are equally good.
Finally, work on optimizing your site by including targeted keywords in your product descriptions. This is an excellent way to drive more organic traffic to your website rather than partaking in more cumbersome marketing strategies.
If I’m honest, though, you’ll still need to look for other ways to promote your shop, such as on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
