5 Steps to Help You Build an ECommerce Store

The Guide to Starting an Online Business

Either COVID-19 has pushed you to move from a brick-and-mortar store to an online one, or you have decided to go for it. Starting an eCommerce business can be rewarding.

Between 2017 and late 2019, 28.1 million Canadians purchased online. This is a large number of people who visit websites and then open their wallets to buy what they like.

There’s more to it than just buying a domain and loading your website with products and services. There are technical aspects and content to be aware of.

Hire a professional or DIY with a web designer? Do you focus solely on SEO, or should you also consider paid advertising?

As a small-business owner, I have helped many clients to create online businesses that are successful. To make it easier and less stressful, I have created this 5-step guide for starting an online company.

1. Decide what you want to market.

This might not be difficult if you already have a store. If you are just starting your eCommerce business and focusing on products only, you will need to consider what you offer and where it will be purchased.

When deciding what product to sell, the first thing to do is ensure that it’s relevant for today’s consumers. COVID-19 has helped consumers become more aware of their spending habits. You must ensure that there is at least one consumer who is willing and able to pay for the product you want to sell.

Next, decide how you will sell your products. These are just a few options:

B2C (Business-to-consumer): This business model is the most popular, and it can be used in many ways. You sell directly to the end-user, but there might be a third party (think Amazon).
Direct-to-consumer: The company handles everything, from design and manufacturing to sales promotion and sales. Dollar Shave Club is an example of a D2C company that started small but proliferated using this model.
Subscribe to our newsletter: Books, clothing, and organic produce. I could go on. Nearly all industries have harnessed the power and efficiency of subscription services to provide cost savings to customers on an ongoing basis.
Dropshipping: Instead of having to stock a warehouse full, dropshipping allows you to purchase the product from a third party, who then ships it directly to your customer.

2) Purchase a domain name.

This part is more accessible if you already have a business. If you don’t have a lot of money, however, you won’t be able to get a simple dot com domain name. You don’t want domain names that are more than five words in length or challenging to spell for your customers.

If you live in Canada, your company name should be used with a dot.com- or a dot.ca. While there are many other Top Level Domains (TDLs) that you can consider, such as.co.uk and.org, it is essential to have revered.com as your primary domain.

3. Create an eCommerce store

There are many things you should consider when starting an eCommerce business.

Your shopping cart software. You can build shopping carts with a variety of coding languages, including ASP, PHP, and JavaScript. You can have them installed on your WordPress website, such as WooCommerce, or provided by Shopify. It is not easy to choose the best shopping cart software. There are many pros and cons to each option. The choice will often depend on your requirements, your budget, and your desired functionality.
Visuals (copy and pictures). The way your store appears to shoppers can have a significant impact on their trust in making a purchase. If you don’t correctly describe your products and use professional-looking photographs, it can also make or break a sale.
You are installing a Secured Security Layer Certificate (SSL). This certificate protects your website and is essential in today’s online shopping environment. If your SSL is installed, Google will favor your site in search results.
The shipping model. You need to determine how physical products will reach the buyer if you sell them. Do you send items directly to customers? Are you sending items directly to customers? Do you offer international shipping? Will you prefer shipping to be calculated automatically at checkout, or will it be a flat rate?
Your payment gateway. Accept credit cards only, debit cards, and PayPal? Are you going to use a hosted payment gateway that redirects people from your site to pay and then takes them back to yours, like Ripping Vintage Packs’? Is an integrated payment gateway more to your liking?
It is worth hiring a professional web development company. It will save you time searching for SSL Certificates or setting up shopping cart software.

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READ 3 eCommerce Challenges and Solutions for Tough Times

You might find it difficult to call these “tough times,” but you may have restructured your marketing strategy well and aren’t being negatively affected by the COVID-19 crises.

This pandemic is undisputed. People are more likely to use the internet to work, socialize and entertain themselves online.

This is why I am sharing three eCommerce problems and solutions that will help you grow and maintain your business during this time of crisis.

Learn more at our website.

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4) Focus on SEO

SEO is the most effective online marketing strategy. Many small business owners ignore this fact and build websites without considering how search engines will view their content.

SEO is the art of identifying keywords your target audience uses to find what they are looking for.

SEO strategies should be primarily focused on on-page tactics like meta tags and keyword-rich content.

5) Create value-added content

Customers don’t want just to see pages upon pages of products or a short description of services. Your customers want you to be a trustworthy expert that can offer them everything they need, from helpful tips to reassurance about their credit card information being safe.

Content marketing is a continuous process. You must regularly post articles, blogs, and videos that are relevant to your audience in order to please search engines and your target audience.

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You will need to continue testing and improving your business model after building an eCommerce store. To understand your customers’ behavior, you will need to dig into your data.

Do they spend time reading carefully crafted content?
Is there an issue with the shopping cart that causes people to abandon it before they are done buying?
What percentage of your website do visitors convert into customers?
There are many more things to consider when starting a web-based company than I can cover here. As you move forward, you will need a marketing plan. This strategy can be used to promote your business on social media and to create paid ads to drive traffic. This guide will help you to start an eCommerce business.