In the last ten years, customers have well and truly embraced the concept of shopping online.
From a time when people weren’t sure how it would work without trying things on or how consumers would respond to a completely different shopping experience, the results are in – and they are staggering!
Millions of consumers shop online weekly, some even daily, and now that most of the teething problems of online retail are fixed, there is no reason not to open an online shop. If this is something you are considering, but you need a bit of guidance – you have come to the perfect place!
Below are five essential tips that you need to know before opening an online shop:
1. Pick A Viable Niche
There are millions of online shops out there, so what makes yours different?
Don’t fade into oblivion by making a shop that looks like every other online shop in your industry. The attention and focus of customers are hot commodities and ones that you need to work hard to get – or at least, work smart to get.
You must pick a viable niche and find innovative ways to strengthen your brand within that industry or consumer community.
2. Develop A Plan
Online shops are not as similar to brick-and-mortar stores as you may think, which means that they require a different thought process and business methods. Once you have decided on what you want to sell, you need to clearly define a plan for your online shop.
That includes detailing how you plan on raising capital, where you will hold your stock, and how you intend to digitally market your new online shop to drum up business.
3. Create A Brand
It isn’t enough to simply have an online shop.
You must conceptualize and craft an online brand – that is where the power of marketing lies. Your goal should be to create a brand worth buying from and (critically important) worth sharing with friends and family.
That doesn’t just mean word of mouth; it means something far more valuable – engagement ratings. The more consumers and followers positively engage with your brand, the more credible your brand seems.
Choose Metacake to help you focus on creating the perfect brand identity and find a Shopify Plus Partner.
4. Build The Perfect Website
Once you’ve completed the first three steps, the next essential step is building the perfect website.
Your online shop should offer a seamless user experience that attracts new customers and keeps your existing customers coming back.
It is worth paying a professional to design the perfect website for you because that is the first impression new customers will get of your business and it is critical that they are impressed.
5. Be Compliant
eCommerce store owners are bound by general trademark and copyright laws, like every other business. Research taxes, payment security, IP laws, shipping limits, and privacy restrictions before opening your shop to the public.
You need to understand every aspect of your new business and be compliant from the start.
There are strict government data privacy and collection requirements, so check those out first.
To End
Opening an online store should be a piece of cake, but there are some areas of the online industry world that you may need guidance with. Never be afraid to consult a professional until you are comfortable going at it alone.