If you’re thinking about starting an eCommerce store then it is an exciting prospect. An eCommerce store is a good idea because eCommerce businesses are booming.
More than ever people are shopping online because of the ease and convenience it offers. So, getting into the eCommerce business now is a great idea.
However, if you are a newbie you may not be sure exactly where to start and how to create a successful eCommerce website. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to ensure that you increase the chances that you will succeed. Here is a guide to starting your first eCommerce store.
Your Name Is Important
One of the most important steps you can take is to choose the right name for your business. Remember your name is what people will associate with your brand. Make sure you choose a name that you can live with.
Make sure that you choose a name that makes it obvious about the kind of services or products you provide. However, you do want to ensure that your customers can recognize the type of service you offer.
Don’t choose a name that is so narrow it does not allow you to branch out into other areas of your industry, if you choose to do so in the future. This is why you must seriously consider what you will name your company.
Use an eCommerce Platform
After officially buying a domain you can choose a platform such as Shopify or Woocommerce to set up your website. If you are a newbie without a lot of resources then one of these platforms is usually right for you.
Set up on these platforms is usually very easy; it doesn’t require a lot of technical skills. However, if you don’t feel comfortable with the whole thing you can always hire someone to assist you. There are people who will set up your eCommerce website at a cost.
One of the things you should consider is getting IT support for your business. Being able to get prompt IT support when something goes wrong on your website is critical.
Get Registered
Another things you need to do when you start a business is to get it registered. Registering your business will ensure that you do not get into trouble with the law.
Making your business a legal entity also prevents you from being vulnerable to lawsuits that can cripple your finances. It will also make it easier when it comes time for you to do your taxes.
There are many formats in which you can register your business, if you’re not sure which one to use you should contact a lawyer and ask them to assist you.
Select the Theme for Your Store
One of the most important things you need to do for your website is to choose a theme. You want to make sure that you choose a theme that is consistent with the brand identity you want to establish.
You can also use this time to select the brand colors that you want to be associated with your brand. You also want to select the brand fonts that will be used on your website. At this time it is a great idea to create a logo as well.
Your logo will form a substantial part of your online marketing strategy. Create a logo that you can use not just on your website but on social media platforms as well.
Navigation and Contact
Make sure that the theme you choose makes it easy for a user to navigate through your website. When users cannot navigate effectively they will become frustrated and leave your website.
Ensure that you have the items on your website categorized and that it is obvious to your users how they can get the products they want.
It is also good to make your contact information as obvious as possible. This way when users are browsing your website and they have questions about a product they can easily contact you.
Having good contact information is also good for making your business look more trustworthy which can help increase sales.
Go Live
Once you’ve completed all the necessary steps the next thing you need to do is to go live with your website. Going live with your website should be a big event.
You can even put a grand opening for it on social media platforms if you want to. Make sure that you advertise your business so that you can get customers to take a look at your products right away.
Making sure you launch your store well is just as important as getting it ready for that launch. Make sure that you do marketing ahead of going live with your website so that you get the best results.
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