How to Start an E-commerce Business

E-commerce Business refers to business done online. While there are notable differences in starting an e-commerce business compared to physical building busines there are similarities. As we’ll discuss below, many of the planning steps you’ll need to take will follow the same process than any other business. However, once it’s time to actually start your operation, you’ll see how different starting an ecommerce business can be.

E-commerce gives you the chance to reach out to a national or even a global audience in a way that was once practically impossible for any company other than enterprises with huge financial and marketing resources.

There are many ways to sell products and services online, ranging from online auction sites like eBay to major e-commerce stores like Amazon, and others use online directories like Craigslist for publishing private listings. Another popular way to sell things online is through Shopify, in which case the owner of the product outsources their entire marketing and selling efforts to someone else.

Let’s check how you can dive into this world.

Create A Business Plan

It is just similar as if you are planning for a physical shop business. You have to plan everything: What is your product and services, your financial and marketing plan as well.

Once everything is set. You can move on to check the options of how to have your shop online.

Building Your Store

Now that you have developed your brand identity and decided how you’re going to acquire your products, the next step in the pipeline is to set up your online store.

Domain name

The domain name should include your brand name. It’ll be the address for your website that customers will type or click on to enter the site.

Apart from a domain name, you’ll have to choose a domain suffix. The majority of companies have the.comdomain suffix, which is a safe bet.

Other options are.coor.net. Avoid suffixes such as the.org that is generally used by nonprofits and similar such organizations.

eCommerce Platform

Many new business owners struggle with the decision to choose a platform to build their eCommerce store. With so many options available, the task can seem challenging and overwhelming.

• What features do I need?
  What platform is the most cost-effective?
  Which platform is the easiest to use?

The best platform for your business is the one that fits your budget and needs. Before making a pick, carefully consider things like features, speed, cost, compatibility with different payment gateways, and more.

If you’re not a tech-savvy person, you’ll want to choose a platform that’s easy to use and doesn’t require any coding from your end.

Launching Your Store

So, you’ve chosen an excellent platform for your online store. You added all of your products with complementing eye-catching visuals. With everything being set up, it’s time to launch.

How to constantly optimize and upgrade your business

Connect your site to Google Analytics

Connect your site with Google Analytics. The platform is a great tool that can tell you who’s visiting your store, how much time they spend on the site, and which product pages are getting the most visits.

You can then use this information to come to valuable and on-point decisions.

Submit your website to Google Search Console

How do online business owners know that their site is performing well? They use Google Search Console.

The Console is another amazing tool that lets you see which keywords are driving traffic to your site, how often your site is shown in search results, how many people are clicking on the site, etc.

Get an SSL Certificate for the website

Customers love doing business with a company that’s safe and secure.

But how do you let visitors know that their private information will be safe and secure from outside threats?

You get an SSL certificate.

When you get an SSL certificate, your site’s URL will go from “http” to “https.” The “s” stands for secure encryption.

Once you purchase your SSL license, people will know that your website is reliably protected.

Start blogging

In today’s day and age, one of the most effective ways to drive traffic to your site is through content.

Building Awareness

Now that your store is up and running, it’s the right moment to start thinking about how you’ll generate sales.

The top-performing marketing tactics that are highly effective for driving traffic and converting that traffic to sales are:

• Social media marketing
• Email marketing
• Paid ads

In Thundermedia Marketing, we have a group of experts who can help you starting into E-commerce. Contact us. Also, you can click here if you would like to have a free marketing evaluation for your business.