How to Create an Online Store in 6 Easy Steps
Are you thinking about launching your own online store? For many aspiring web entrepreneurs, knowing where to start can be a huge challenge, especially if they don’t have experience.
But, starting an e-commerce store is easier than ever. If you want to get your store up and running, simply follow these six steps to start selling.
1. Purchase a domain name
Before you do anything else, you need a domain name to sell online. Your web address will be one of the first things your customers see, so it needs to relate to your business.
You can buy a domain name using an online platform like GoDaddy. To get the best results, make sure the name you choose is short and easy to spell. And, if possible, try to make it catchy and in-line with your company purpose and values.
2. Choose an e-commerce platform
The next step is to choose a platform to launch your e-commerce store. Shopify is one of the best known and easiest to use, but there are others available.
The great thing about the latest e-commerce platforms is that most require very little or no coding knowledge. Additionally, many have very low monthly fees, and some are free!
3. Know your target market
Once your store is up and running, you need to determine your target market. It’s important to do this before customizing and branding or starting any marketing campaigns.
Before anything, you need to know who you’re selling to. If you’re not 100% sure who this is, try looking at similar brands to see who their main customer base is.
Once you know your target customer, you can start to figure out how to appeal to them based on their interests. Make sure you pay attention to what they like so you can adjust your strategy.
4. Have a unique selling proposition
A unique selling proposition, or USP, is essential to any business. For online stores, it could be the difference between success and failure due to the extremely high levels of competition.
Make sure you know how your brand will be different from your competitors. This could be a different product or service, or it could be a unique type of service, delivery, or branding.
Knowing your company’s USP can help you stand out from the competition and improve on what’s already out there. So, make sure you do this before launching your store.
5. Promote your store
Next, you need to get the word out! Customers won’t visit your store unless they know it exists, so you need to make sure it’s visible by advertising on multiple platforms.
If you’re already running your business offline, you can inform your existing customers of your new store in your newsletter or by adding it to your flyers or business cards. If you need new business cards to do this, you can create some for free using an online tool like BusinessCards.
Social media can be another fantastic way to get the message out there. It’s a cost-effective method that can reach a massive number of people quickly.
If it’s in your budget, using paid ads can speed up the growth of your online store enormously. Otherwise, you can use high-quality content to build up your organic reach over time.
6. Optimize your online store
The final step in the process is to optimize your store and make it more searchable. Using keywords, for example, can improve your search engine visibility and drive web traffic.
After adding keywords to your homepage and product descriptions, you can also start a blog. By using a couple of relevant keywords in every blog and posting regularly, you can build up a steady flow of traffic to your store over time.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aubrey James is a writer, educator, and marketer. She has worked in the E-commerce field for years with prior experience working in marketing. When she’s not working she’s planning her next trip or pursuing fine arts projects.