Launching an online store is a big step for a small business. It might be overwhelming at first but the right plan and convenient tools will help you figure it out faster than you think.
Where to Start
If you don’t have a business yet and are only thinking about opening an online store — here’s a checklist to organize your thoughts.
1. Make a hypothesis
You probably already have a potential product in mind. Now you’d want to specify the details. Try asking yourself these questions:
- Who is my target audience?
- What problem does my product solve?
Narrow down your audience as much as possible. Even if you’re planning to sell something that everyone uses on a daily basis, it will be much easier for you to target a small and very particular group of people. They will be the ones most likely to buy your product.
2. Do the research
Test your hypothesis. You need to know if there is an actual need for your product on the market. By doing research beforehand you’ll make sure that your money won’t go to waste.
It is important to ask your clients about their past experiences, what products they used before. Talking about the past gives more accurate information than asking your client directly if they find your product useful now. It makes your questions less obvious and your client’s answers more sincere.
2.1. Test your product
You want to know from your customers if your product is any good in the end. It doesn’t need to be 100% finished at this stage.
3. Create a business plan
Your product has its demand, now it’s time to set up your goals. Think about potential shipping, define how you imagine a successful launch.
- How many more people will you need to hire if any?
- How many items do you expect to sell per set amount of time?
- What is going to be your marketing strategy?
Write everything down and proceed further.
4. Think about your branding
If you had ideas in mind in the hypothesis stage, it would be easier. Think carefully about your naming, logo and overall feel. These are seemingly little things that will build your business’ online presence and make it recognizable
5. Choose a platform for your store
It might be the most straightforward part of launching a business but nevertheless a tricky one.
Why Your Business Needs a Website
A lot of businesses operate on social media like Instagram or platforms like Etsy. So you might ask: do I really need my own website?
The answer is, as it often is, — it depends. Let’s compare what options you have for launching an online store.
Social media
Instagram or Facebook accounts may be a good start for a small business. You can communicate with your customers via direct messages or email, which establishes personal connection between the customers and the brand. It is easy to set up and advertise, you only need to show your actual product. Some social media even have shopping platforms built into them.
An obvious downside is that the bigger your business, the harder it will be to manage all the incoming tickets. Not to mention that you have zero control over the platform. Your account might get accidentally suspended, hacked or banned with little means to recover it.
Pros
- Easy to start a business
- Direct connection with your customers
- A lot of opportunities for advertising
Cons
- Security vulnerability
- Doesn’t work well in long term for growing businesses
- No customization
- You’ll have to think about payment methods yourself
E-commerce Platforms
It is surely a more advanced way to run a store. Launching a business on an e-commerce platform is fairly simple and most features are established by the platform. Usually these platforms already have some credibility from the customers, so people are going to be more willing to buy from you than from an unknown site they’ve never heard of.
All the benefits of e-commerce platforms come with a certain price. Fees can be quite high, and they add to the point it’s no longer profitable. Customer support can also be hit or miss — there are many cases when platforms didn’t take accountability for bugs and errors in their systems.
Pros
- Easy to set up
- Easy to get your first customers
- You use the branding of a bigger platform to advertise your business
Cons
- Substantial fees
- Little room for customization
- Little opportunity to build your own brand’s image
- Platforms can change their terms of service at any moment and make you lose profit
CMS and Building a Website From Scratch
Building a website for your business from scratch might be one of the best options, but also one of the hardest to pull off. You’ll have full creative control over the visuals and the content of your website, freedom to choose payment methods and gateways, added plugins, etc.
Content Management Systems alike to WordPress can provide you basic functions and tools, but past that — you’re on your own. If you’re good at coding or have a small team of programmers, it is a way for you. If not — might be better to settle for something less complex.
Pros
- Full freedom of customization
- You’re not bound to changing shipping and terms of service policies of another platform
- You build your own brand
Cons
- Hard to execute
- You’ll have to do the whole maintenance yourself
Website Builders
With website builders you also get a fully-fledged website, but much quicker. They provide their users with a whole package of available features, templates, plugins, payment gateways, import and export data functions. There are a lot of website builders with different prices and features, which can be both an upside and a downside. You’ll have to research them to choose the best one for your business.
Pros
- Very customizable
- Take care of security aspects for you
- Provide a lot of features
Cons
- Prices differ
- Functionality differs
Before settling for a website builder check out what e-commerce features it provides and much it will cost you.
It’s good to look for:
- 1-Click purchasing features
- Cheap domain name
- Range of payment options
- Stock management
- Stable performance
- Customisable tax system
Site.pro is a website builder that provides all of that and more with its plans starting at $1,3 a year, well below the market.
How to Build an E-commerce Website with Site.pro
With Site.pro you will launch your online store with no difficulties in a matter of minutes.
Steps to follow:
- Register on Site.pro
- Select your chosen plan. Make sure that a plan includes e-commerce features. E-commerce features are included in the Standard plan and above.
- You will be automatically taken to ‘My Websites’ page. Click on the ‘Edit Website’ button.
- Choose a template. You can choose from a wide variety of templates or even create your own design.
- Customize it, fill it with products, content and the contact information. Site.pro has a lot of useful features that will ensure your online store the best performance. They can be taken directly from the main toolbar.
- Click on the ‘Publish’ button.
If you struggle with choosing a template, ask the AI to do it for you. Site.pro has recently added the AI website builder function. You just need to write a prompt in the typing field, and in seconds the AI will build you a website. After that you’re to make adjustments.
And in case you already have a website, you can import it to Site.pro for free and enjoy all the benefits it provides while keeping your existing domain.
Optimize Your Website
Remember — the fewer clicks are needed to buy your product — the better. The design of your website should be smooth and intuitive to navigate. Check that every page works as intended and no errors occur when trying to make a purchase. Run tests before launching your store.
For better search engine optimization make titles, keywords and descriptions more SEO friendly. The AI website builder from Site.pro can generate them for you, or you can do it manually.
Attract Your Customers
Even though you have a website for your business, it’s always a good idea to also run social media accounts for additional promotion. Buying ads, collaborating with other brands and making content is a viable marketing strategy to attract new customers on your account and consequently on your website too.
Talk about your business and your journey online, make it personal and compelling, build trust and personal relations with your clients.
Keep in Touch with Your Customers
Maybe your launch has proven to be successful, but it’s just a starting point. Analyze the data constantly, make a client base and never stop thinking about how to optimize your business strategy.
Closing thoughts
Opening an e-commerce store is quite a hassle, there are always a million things to keep in mind. It’s especially hard for businesses run by small teams. However, reliable tools can make this process much more convenient, and building a website is one of the important stepping stones in your business journey.
