Now, you have finally decided to take your business further by building an online store. That’s a very wise choice.
Don’t be surprised that you will be faced with challenges of how do you even start, what are the tools you need to get started, who are your target audience, how do you improve your online store, or even making it visible.
Of course, there are one thousand and one questions going through your mind at the same time. You might even be scared if it’s going to turn out fine.
The truth is, many businesses that are making headways with their online store at first had this series of doubts too. And that is the reason why this article is especially for you.
We are going to assume that you know nothing about an online store in order to start from scratch and then build it all the way up.
So what is an online store, it is simply a website for a business that serves the purpose of buying and selling. It can also be called an e-commerce store through which customers can place an order and a purchase is made over the internet.
An amazing stats by the United Nations Trade and Development reports that e-commerce is worth more than $22 trillion.
This stat proves that you can never be wrong by deciding to join the bandwagon and showcasing your business to the world.
So if you are wondering where you should begin and how to get the ball rolling, let’s dive right into it.
The platform of your choice
With the availability of different e-commerce platforms out there, picking the right one for your business can be difficult most times.
Before picking a platform, you must consider its functions and services, prices, and terms of services. Pick the best platform to suit your needs, I suggest you get your own platform.
When you are done with that, you must consider the future aspect of your business. Can the platform allow room for growth and expansion? All these you must carefully note out before picking any platform for your business.
Choosing your payment gateway
The payment gateway is going to allow you to process transactions from credit cards and allow you to access your money.
You must make choices available for your customers to make.
Making a list of many options for your customers as a means of payment is a very smart decision. While it brings convenience for your customer, it brings flexibility to your website.
A customer that knows that your payment gateway accepts different kinds of cards won’t hesitate to do business on your website.
Customers should be able to make options for payment such as
- Cash on delivery
- QR Code
- Credit or Debit card
- Short-term credit option.
And many more.
Efficient delivery process
Many online store platforms offer ways to deliver virtual or downloadable products or services. But if you are doing physical products, you will need to come with another solution.
It is important to get a reliable delivery and shipping partner. Try to do market research and find yourself the best shipping platform for your business.
No customers want to hear that their product is being delayed due to your company’s inadequacy to follow up on your shipping partner.
Your shipping partner must live up to your customer’s expectations or it can affect your company’s reputation.
Crafting your sales funnel
The idea of a sales funnel is to guide your leads through your website, so they become paying customers.
This is a very important aspect of your online store because if your customers are not making buying decisions on your online store, then you are not doing business.
You must give out clear and easy instructions as to how customers can make a purchase on your online store, and make sure you include images of your product with well-detailed information about the product as well.
Encourage online reviews
Reviews are very important when it comes to online shopping and in fact, many customers report that reading reviews are an important part of their decision process when choosing what to purchase.
Aside from helping customers in decision making, reviews can also help earn customer’s trust.
There are many other critical things to consider when building an online store, but of course, this article can’t contain them all.
Setting up an online store that is cost-effective and functional will not only help your business visibility but also increase your sales.
Do you wish to set up an online store for your business to boost your sales? Then click here to schedule a free consultation with our business and website strategy team to get started.