6 Steps to Start a Successful Online Store
Creating an online store is easier and simpler than it seems, you can sell your product by educating people to buy, without wasting time explaining over and over again. You can even automate all the marketing so you just dedicate yourself to maintaining it and packing the orders! So I want to tell you in this post what you can do to start developing it.
What is an online shop?
As a customer, an online store is a web page or application through which you can view products, buy them, and track the delivery of your product. As easy as that.
As an entrepreneur, an online store will allow you to automate the employee, customer service, and payments in the purchase of a product. You will only have to enter the data of each of the products you have for sale, the payment methods and the emails that will arrive, and the pages that will be displayed when placing an order. After this, your online store will work automatically.
Although there are many free Internet platforms. You can access the Google search engine and there you will get prefabricated online store platforms, e-commerce platforms, or sell from a marketing network.
In short, any platform to create your online store is so easy to use that you can sell from your computer or phone. You do not require a physical store, which generates rental costs and other expenses. You just have to use your time to serve your customers online.
Creating an online store, even if it is incredible, can be very cheap or free.
Advantages and disadvantages of creating an online store
The advantages you have are:
- Reduce costs: Rent, employees, payments, reduce customer service time (questions about products, etc.)
- An omnipresent store: You can access it from anywhere in the world, now it only depends on you being able to send it there.
- 100% control of the customer experience: The customer will see only what you want him to see, always, so you can optimize that experience.
- There are many inexpensive options to create your online store quickly and easily
There are some major disadvantages:
- Ignorance and mistrust of online stores, especially scams
- You have to invest in good photographs of your products, although you can achieve spectacular photographs with little money
- Invest time in creating the online store: Create descriptions of products, sizes, sizes, colors, etc.
- Invest time in bringing audiences to your online store, since they do not arrive alone as if you were in a shopping center
However, the images you offer must be with good content about the specifications of the product, listen well to no exaggerations about the product! It should be as clear and simple as it is but real.
For no reason, expose your products with qualities superior to what they have, remember that you are selling virtually and most people are tired of misleading offers on the internet.
How to create an online store?
To start this, you have to already have in mind the products you want to sell:
Regardless of whether they are your own or you resell, you must already have developed the image of your brand, all your physical products, professional photos of all your products, characteristics of each one, and the logistics of your shipments, to be able to enter all the information to the online store.
And now, let’s start with the steps to make your online store.
#1. Create an online store
To start, my best recommendation is to use a platform that allows you to immediately create your online store, and the best platform is Shopify.
Of course, there are more options, such as developing the website yourself in a domain with, for example, WordPress and a virtual store template, but more advanced knowledge and much more time are required.
With Shopify, all you need to do is create a profile, name your online store, and start uploading all your product information. You can start selling as soon as possible!
Be careful, there are also spaces that you could consider, such as Amazon, Facebook Store, and Mercado Libre. In these platforms, you can generate an online store within these platforms, although sometimes it is a bit difficult to enter. The advantage is that by having the support of these marketplaces, it may be that you generate greater confidence in your client versus that your online store still does not have opinions or clients.
#2.Description of your products
Your products are the star here which is why you need to make them look their best, so take professional photos of them. If budget is a problem, you can always watch YouTube videos to take great product photos without spending a lot, with just your cell phone.
As for the names of the products, you have to take into account the keywords for your product, to be able to position yourself in the Google search. Use words that clearly describe your product. Of course, you can name it, but then specify what it is.
In the product description, please describe the product perfectly. Measurements, use, materials, colors, and finishes. The more specific the description, the more trustworthy you will build and the fewer returns you will get. Do not lie!
#3. Generate traffic to your virtual store
Many think that creating an electronic store is the most difficult. I create my store and that’s it! I will sell millions. But there is nothing more false than that.
When you rent a place in a shopping center, the advantage is that a lot of people pass outside your store, and since people are going to buy, spend time, or make a specific purchase or payment, it means that there are more possibilities that they are interested in your shop and enter.
When you have an online store, it is as if you had that store on a street where no one passes, but everyone can pass very easily if they know where it is and the best thing is that they do not have to go physically, but only with a click will be immediately there. So what you have to do is let your next customers know where you are and “teleport” there.
For this, social networks are our commercial center. From there we can attract people who walk around to our store. The best social networks to do this are Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest, but of course, it is not just publishing and that’s it.
It is very important that you generate a content strategy for each one and not only publish photos of your products. Don’t try to always be on all social media either! I recommend that you read this article about which is the best social network for your business, according to your client.
Hire a digital marketer! This is vital to generate the strategy for social networks that I mentioned before and remember to measure your work according to your sales. It is not fast, but in 6 months you should have a very good idea of whether or not the specialist’s strategy works.
#4. Get local clients to start
When you start your online store, you don’t have any “social proof.” That is, no customer who bought from you, no opinion, and no recommendation. This is a big problem, as we all need someone else to validate us.
To get opinions easier, instead of sitting around waiting for someone to buy from you, I recommend you advertise your product on Facebook Marketplace and/or make some sales with your friends, acquaintances, or in your area. After making the sales and giving them excellent service, ask them to help you with recommendations on Facebook or write reviews on your online store, so you can start building a good reputation.
#5.Bet on advertising
With the help of the above marketer, you can talk about accelerating your reach on social media through advertising.
Of course, you can do it yourself and it is not THAT difficult, but if you have the possibility, it is always good to have professional help. If not, do not stress, learn from your mistakes when creating an ad and the great advantage is that by investing little at the beginning, you can have great results and learn very quickly. Don’t be afraid to be wrong! This will make you learn faster.
Try advertising on the social networks that work the most for you and also try Google Adwords, it is always a good option since those who search, already have a purchase intention.
#6. Manage and monitor your online store
Now that everything is up and running, it is important that you analyze the traffic your store attracts and where it comes from. To do this, you must register in Google Analytics. There you can move it a bit and you can easily see the demographics, which channel or social network they come from, and which product they are looking for the most.
Customer service is vital to retain your customers, I recommend that you have their data and from time to time send promotions to their emails and also give them information that helps them regarding their purchase.
Always looking to improve and be aware of the orders you receive and pack them as well as possible.
Recommendations for the success of your online store
- Parcel: Accurately calculates the time and method of delivery of the product. Define which areas, regions, and countries your delivery covers and at what time it arrives. Look for options at the best price and remember to include “free shipping”.
- Include a sales cart in your online store: Its purpose is for the customer to write down the product, observe the price and allow them to make returns.
- Payment method: Give your customers payment method options that inspire trust and data privacy. PayPal and MercadoPago are good options, as well as deposits in Oxxo or bank transfers.
- Regulate the legal situation of your store as soon as possible
- Improve the customer experience with the packaging of your product, in TikTok, you can find excellent ideas at low cost that your customers will love! Which will cause them to make unboxing videos on their social networks.
