Here’s How to Start an Online Store in Five Steps

With more than two billion people now buying products online, it’s no surprise that you’re interested in starting an e-commerce store. It’s one of the quickest ways to get a product to market and into customers’ hands.

Of course, being successful in e-commerce is easier said than done.

If you want to start an online business the right way, there are some critical steps you need to take. Keep reading to learn how to start an online store.

1. Sell the Right Product

Product market fit is one of the most critical things to get right when you start selling online. Even if you have a great product, you won’t create a successful business if nobody wants to buy what you offer.

Before starting your store, reach out to your target customer to see their thoughts. They’ll tell you if you have a great product and can offer recommendations that help you improve your offering.

2. Pick an E-Commerce Platform

Once you have a better idea of your product’s chance of success, you’re ready to start building your online store. Of course, you shouldn’t do this yourself. There are many e-commerce solutions available that will make things easier.

Whether you want to start a Shopify store or use WooCommerce, learn all your online store options and weigh the pros and cons. Hosted platforms like Shopify are great if you don’t want to manage servers, and WordPress works well if you want more control over your store software.

3. Set Up Fulfillment

The next step in setting up a new online store is figuring out how to ship to your customers. Sure, you can handle this yourself. But you’re going to waste a lot of your day tracking inventory, packing products, and driving to the post office.

Most people would rather use an ecommerce fulfillment service to handle their needs. Simply send your products to your fulfillment service, and it will make sure your products arrive on time.

4. Design Your Website

Your website design plays a critical role in the legitimacy of your store. Consumers have many options to buy online. Why would they buy from you if your store doesn’t convey trust?

If you don’t have a large budget, you can get started with a premium theme for your e-commerce platform. You can hire a designer if you have a larger budget and want a unique website design.

5. Start Marketing

You’re ready to start getting customers once your website design is complete. You can do this in a few ways.

SEO and social media are the most common way for new e-commerce stores. By building a presence on Google and social media, you get a free source of website traffic without paying.

You can also invest in paid ads if you have a marketing budget. Yes, you’ll lose money initially. But you’ll eventually turn a profit once you optimize your winning marketing messages.

Now You Know How to Start an Online Store

You have a lot of competition when you open an online business, so you can’t afford to not do things right. Unless you have a plan that generates interest in your products and gets the attention of consumers, you won’t be able to drive traffic to your store. Now that you know how to start an online store, you’re better positioned to do things right and make your first e-commerce sale.

Head back to the blog to learn more tips that will help you learn how to sell online.