How to create an online store? Learn 9 key aspects!
“How do I set up an online store?” is a question that many people ask themselves – especially at the beginning of the year, when you usually make major decisions in your life and often change the course of events. One of the most common decisions at this stage is to leave your current full-time job and start your own business. Very often the choice falls on the e-commerce market and creating your own online store.
If the decision has already been made then it remains to grasp all the issues related to your own business. Basically, the launch of an online store we could boil down to the choice of software and graphics and the introduction of products. The scope of activities is largely dependent on the medium on which you want to base your operations. Nowadays on the market you can find a lot of ready-made solutions that allow you to quickly and efficiently create an online store. However, is this the optimal solution? It is certainly not bad at the very beginning of the business, but it is worth taking into account that ready-made solutions contain a great many limitations that can hinder the development of sales or increase in conversions.
About this, however, in a later section. For this moment, we will focus on getting to know the path you need to follow to give yourself a chance to succeed in the e-commerce sector.
First of all – a factual analysis of the market
If you don’t do a proper study of the market, don’t know the competitive advantages and opportunities to sell your product then it will be hard to beat the competition. For this purpose, it is best to opt for an audit of the industry in which you want to start operations. It will allow you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors and, most importantly, define the actions they are taking. The analysis should focus on factors such as product prices, store design, product pages, delivery time and cost, types of promotions, newsletter sign-up opportunities or ways to connect customers with the brand.
Store promotion strategy
If we already know how our competitors are doing their business then there is nothing to prevent us from creating a better sales strategy for our store. Well-posed questions such as:
- What makes my product different?
- What problem does it solve?
- Who do I want to reach with my product?
- Am I able to reduce the costs associated with it?
It is also prudent to audit competing online stores and the industry as a whole.
Store name and domain choice
This is a very important stage of creating an online store. A unique name and a good domain name will give you an advantage over your competitors at the initial stage. Remember to consult with an SEO specialist about the choice of domain. This is because the name is one of the ranking factors.
Choosing software and graphic layout
The question, “How to create an online store?” can refer to both strictly branding and image issues, as well as logistics and transportation aspects. It also refers to technical issues related to the store engine itself.
Here there are several options. You can choose to build the store according to your ideas, which will be designed by a graphic designer and then coded by a programmer. This solution will probably be the most expensive, but at the same time it will be the closest to meeting your expectations. At the same time, this model leaves the greatest room for implementation of later revisions. Why? Because all elements have editing capabilities and are not restricted.
Another option is to use the SaaS model, in which you pay an annual or monthly subscription for the use of the store’s software. This is a convenient solution to get started. However, it has one major drawback – many of the elements are uneditable. Examples of such platforms are Shoplo and Shopify.
The last option is to use the purchase of a license or implement a store running on an open source model. This is a sensible solution, because it includes many editing options, while having a very solid foundation inside the system. Examples of solutions in the open source model are WooCommerce and PrestaShop.
Taking care of the legal aspects
Creating an online store requires that we also take care of the legal aspects. One of the basic actions we should take, which very many online store owners forget to do, is to report the store’s base to GIODO. In addition, you will need to take care of RODO clauses and cookies, and sign appropriate agreements with the warehouses and courier companies with which you will cooperate in terms of logistics.
Online store analytics
You won’t be able to develop your online store if you don’t take care of access to information. The more data you have on how your users behave in your online store, the easier it will be to optimize your store and increase conversions. The most important information is where your customers are coming from, or which ad is most profitable. We wrote more about raising conversions here.
Prepare clear information for customers
It is very important – if you want to remain a transparent cooperation partner – to take care of your customers’ access to information. This includes, first and foremost, information about your company, the type and cost of delivery, available payment methods and return and advertising policies, as well as the rights that customers who buy online have. This is very important, because the lack of this information can effectively prevent sales in an online store. At the same time – it is worth remembering that if you have, for example, expensive shipping or long delivery times then customers may also be uninterested in buying for these reasons.
Placement of products in the store
The presentation of products in the store has a considerable impact on the level of sales. What should you keep in mind? Above all, descriptions should be unique, and interesting and catchy. It is worthwhile for them to include photos and videos, which will positively affect the user’s experience of interacting with them. Properly prepared product descriptions have another important advantage – they have a positive effect on search engine positioning, as long as they are well optimized and contain the right length.
Marketing activities – the key to success!
This is the element that is the icing on the cake and complements all the previous elements. Without well-thought-out marketing activities, it is extremely difficult to launch, let alone increase sales in an online store. There are really many forms of online marketing available – SEO, Facebook campaigns, content marketing, video marketing, influencer marketing, buzz marketing… the question arises – what to choose to be satisfied? First of all, you should start with an audit and create a promotional strategy, and then optimize it on an ongoing basis.
How to create an online store? Look for inspiration!
If you have an interesting product, or have access to one, and want to set up an online store then it would be wise if you first look for inspiration, among already existing online stores. You’ll find interesting solutions, you’ll get a sneak peek at the graphics, you’ll get inspired to create content – these aspects will make it much easier for you to create your own unique online store.
