The number of online buyers has risen dramatically in the last year.
There are 2.14 billion people globally who want to buy products online. Global eCommerce sales can reach up to $4.891 trillion. If the online statistics are not enough to impress you; the projections reveal that eCommerce sales globally can grow to $6.4 trillion by 2024.?
The number of online stores created on a variety of platforms is also growing at a similar rate. Competition in virtually all market segments is immense.
Customers looking for a product, as a rule, visit a dozen resources before making a purchase decision. All other things being equal (products, prices, site age, SEO promotion, advertising), some sites receive significantly more orders than others. What’s the secret?
It is the right plan to create a profitable ecommerce store. And that’s exactly what this article has prepared for you. We will give you an exact blueprint for building your first eCommerce store with easy steps.
Table of Contents
How to create the right online store
Utilize the best CMS or platform to build online store
Determine Your Type Of Ecommerce Business
Take care of the structure of the product catalog
Estimated Cost to Build an eCommerce site
High-quality images and meaningful descriptions
Promote your eCommerce website
Ready to start an online business?
How to create the right online store
Build the right plan
Creating a proper foundation will help you optimize your website right from the start. It will also make your job easier in the future when you have to make important decisions. Firstly, you will have to build a business plan.
However, don?t get worried about how to build a business layout. Whether you are experienced or not, you can simply create the plan by getting answers to the below questions:
- The purpose of starting a company?
- Do you have a marketing plan?
- How can your business help in resolving client issues?
- What are you going to sell?
- Who is your target market?
- What is your unique argument (for example, why should customers prefer your brand over a competitor?)
- How much can you afford to install and run this eCommerce website?
- How will you advertise your business goods?
Utilize the best CMS or platform to build an online store
In fact, there are tons of tools out there to create an online store. Both self-made solutions and open-source platforms can be utilized. However, the only difference between these two is you should possess technical skills for an open-source platform.
But at the same time, you get limitless possibilities for website personalization. The second option is more popular among non-programmers. Such online store builders have basic functions so that the site starts to bring in income from the first day of creation. These include the user’s cart, payment methods, product catalog, etc.
If you are concerned about where to start your retail business website, we can give you a recommendation right now. Magento is an extensively used open-source eCommerce? framework for developing eCommerce stores. This Content Management System accounts for approximately 12% of online stores.
Determine Your Type Of Ecommerce Business
Now that you have made your decision about which product to sell, you should define the types of e-commerce businesses. Let’s take a look at the basic e-commerce business classifications.
Business to Customer (B2C)
B2C is the most popular retail model in which a business sells directly to individual users. This model offers significant savings.
Business to Business (B2B)
The B2B model deals with the provision of goods or services from one business to another. The B2B model usually requires a lot of start-up costs.
Consumer to Consumer (C2C)
C2C is a model in which consumers sell goods and services among themselves. Customers can sell, buy, and exchange things on these e-commerce sites in return for the paid membership fee.
Consumer to Business (C2B)
C2B is a model in which a consumer sells goods or services to businesses. This model is commonly used when customers provide services to an organization.
Take care of the structure of the product catalog
Think carefully about the structure of the product catalog, breakdown into sections, and subsections. Add breadcrumbs for easier navigation between levels. Remember, the more products there are in the online store, the more difficult it is for visitors to find a specific position.
Additionally, add a filter (by size, weight) and/or sorting (by price, name). A great way to draw attention to specific products are special tags “product of the day”, “new”, “promotion” and the crossed-out old price – everyone loves discounts.
The main thing is the convenience of the visitors because if they cannot find the information needed, they will simply move to the competitors’ website.
Estimated Cost to Build an eCommerce site
When you decide to start an online retail business, you need to think carefully about all aspects. The formation of the retail value of the site is a very important issue that should be carefully investigated. The cost of creating an eCommerce website is determined by the platform on which it is built.
If you are considering building a website then, its cost varies depending on the features and modules it will be using.
- The price estimation of the store in another country with potential customers is $ 6,000 to $ 10,000;
- For the same websites, however, operating in different countries of various languages and at varied price ranges, the price varies from $ 11,000 to $ 20,000.
- An eBay-style e-commerce site will be the most time-consuming to develop, starting at $ 20,000.
Payment Methods
The payment methods you offer to the customers should be convenient. Be sure to include all of the popular online checkout options so your customers don’t end up abandoning their shopping cart.
You must offer the convenience of online payments to customers from different areas while delivering services globally, not just for individuals restricted to one geographical location.
International transfers can cause a lot of inconveniences. Waiting in banks, not knowing when your transfer will come and how much money you will actually receive can discourage any business from working abroad.
Elegant design
While integrating templates to your online store, ensure picking a straightforward and operational design. Also, make sure you do not overload the storefront with excessive content, CTAs, or visuals.
Think that your business eCommerce commerce is a communication channel. When potential audiences visit the page, they expect instant responses to their queries or reactions. If you help them navigate quickly to the questions they are interested in, the client will be happy and will come back again.
When choosing a design, make sure it is mobile-friendly. Also, don’t make it too complex. Let your customers immediately understand what your store is. Confusing visuals will lead consumers to think about why they should prefer engaging with and purchasing from your brand and not the competitors. Hence, resulting in a loss of conversions and sales.
High-quality images and meaningful descriptions
The inclusion of images is a must. However, make sure that the pictures are high quality and make customers want to buy the product. As a rule, it is better to show the product in action than a passive image in a case.
Create relevant product descriptions. For instance, the specifications for electronic gadgets and clothing will differ. Also, keep the text style unique and enticing so interested buyers directly make the purchase. Add product comparisons to help customers make their choices.
Promote your eCommerce website
Once you’ve checked all the website’s features and even the checkout process, it’s time to tell the world about it. Some of the most popular eCommerce marketing channels include:
- Content marketing
- Email marketing
- PPC
You need to try all the channels to see which one works perfectly for your niche. It is critical to leverage numerous channels to establish an effective marketing tactic.
Ready to start an online business?
Starting an eCommerce business from scratch is as fun as it is difficult. After all, you have to search about product sourcing, selecting a brand, searching business plans and models, having the essential permits, building an online store, and selecting the marketing methods if you desire to make your business thrive.
Beginning your own eCommerce venture offers plentiful benefits. The first investment is less, the online store can function 24X7, and have global availability.? For expert assistance, you can employ a Magento eCommerce development company that is well-versed and can build an appealing eCommerce store for your business.
What are you waiting for? Anyone can start an online business, so follow the steps outlined in this blog post to launch a profitable eCommerce site.
As the editor of the blog, She curate insightful content that sparks curiosity and fosters learning. With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, she strive to bring diverse perspectives and engaging narratives to readers, ensuring every piece informs, inspires, and enriches.
