Ecommerce businesses are booming. In the past two years, ecommerce businesses have witnessed a sudden surge in their revenue, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to recent studies, the global ecommerce revenue went up by <\/span>$244.2 billion in 2021<\/span><\/a> – a 43% annual growth when compared to the previous year\u2019s revenue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Today, customers no longer prefer walking into a physical store for shopping. Instead, they choose to go online, search for the desired item, and place an order within a few clicks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s the reason why it has become more crucial for merchants to set up their ecommerce store. It\u2019ll not only increase their sales, but also help them establish a strong brand presence in this digital world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But, setting up an ecommerce shop – the one that drives sales – is not an easy task. Since there are millions of online stores already ruling the market, new ecommerce ventures are required to build unique platforms that could engage the shoppers easily.<\/span><\/p>\n Of course, the best way to achieve this goal is to hire a dedicated <\/span>ecommerce development company<\/span><\/a> as they have expert developers who specialize in building online shops.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, you can also use one of the ready-to-launch ecommerce platforms to start your online shop. Today, we have compiled a step-by-step guide to set up a new ecommerce store from scratch and make it engaging for your target shoppers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So, if you\u2019ve been planning to start an online shop, continue reading. This guide will help you evaluate unexpected pitfalls and plan for the journey ahead.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Unfortunately, not every ecommerce idea can lead to a sustainable business. Even if your startup idea sounds too good in your mind, it would be crucial to validate its long-term sustainability by conducting market research. <\/span>Why? <\/span><\/i>Because no one wants to start an online business that\u2019s eventually going to fail. And, you might be surprised to know that nearly 80% of all ecommerce startups fail.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So, how can you conduct a market research to validate your idea? Well, it\u2019s pretty simple! With two easy steps, you\u2019ll be able to determine the longevity of your ecommerce startup idea.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n While you\u2019re validating your idea, you must also identify your business model. Ideally, ecommerce startups fall under one of the four different categories.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Before you move towards the development process, make sure to identify which of these categories your brand will likely fall under. This will help you evaluate your potential customers and their shopping preferences more effectively.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you are serious about starting an online business, you are most likely to have a brand name in mind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So, go to one of the online domain registration platforms like GoDaddy or NameCheap and check if the domain name is available or not. Most of the time, you\u2019ll have to try different domain names to find the one that suits your style and is available at the same time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s also worth pointing out that you can get domain names directly from your ecommerce platform (we\u2019ll come to it shortly). Ecommerce platforms like Shopify and Magento allow users to purchase the domain name so that they don\u2019t have to go through much hassle while building their online store.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After you\u2019ve successfully secured a domain name, the next step would be to get a hosting plan to host your website on a dedicated server.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Again, there are different ways to select a hosting plan. But, the majority of ecommerce entrepreneurs – who don\u2019t have extensive development experience – prefer getting their website hosted on the ecommerce platform\u2019s server they\u2019re using to build the website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In any case, choose a hosting plan that suits your website requirements and also fits your budget.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While you\u2019re setting up your online presence, you should also create your social media handles as social media is the most effective marketing tool to build a strong brand presence. Make sure to use the same brand logo and description across all these platforms as it\u2019ll help you establish a strong brand identity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n An ecommerce platform is an online tool that helps merchants set up and manage their online stores. As of today, there are dozens of available ecommerce platforms that you can use to build an ecommerce shop. Unfortunately, not all of them will suit your website requirements.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For instance, <\/span>Shopify<\/span><\/a> is a beginner-friendly ecommerce platform, but its customization options are a bit limited. On the other hand, Magento is an open-source ecommerce platform where developers have full liberty over the customization.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But, Magento has a steeper learning curve, which means a regular merchant might not be able to use Magento for ecommerce development.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So, pen down your website requirements and choose an ecommerce platform accordingly. You can also hire an outside consultant to make the right decision as these individuals have the required technical expertise to analyze a brand\u2019s objectives and help merchants choose the most suitable ecommerce platform.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ideally, here are a few features you must look for while choosing an ecommerce platform for your brand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After you\u2019ve registered the domain name and picked an ecommerce platform, the next step would be to choose and customize the right theme for your online store. The majority of ecommerce platforms offer pre-designed theme templates that merchants can use to construct their online shops.<\/span><\/p>\n Usually, these templates are completely customizable, allowing merchants to tweak different on-page elements to make the website more engaging. So, choose one of these templates and customize it to match your digital identity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There are a few golden rules you must remember while choosing a theme for your online shop:<\/span><\/p>\n At this stage your ecommerce website is ready to sell. So, go ahead and start listing all the products along with fully-optimized product descriptions and pictures. Having worked on multiple ecommerce websites, we can definitely say that creating product pages is the most crucial step of ecommerce website development.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But still, many merchants don\u2019t pay too much attention while designing these product pages. When you\u2019re listing the products, make sure to add relevant descriptions so that it becomes easier for shoppers to understand their key features. You should also upload multiple product images as it\u2019ll make the product pages visually appealing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, before publishing these pictures, make sure to compress their size so that they don\u2019t put unnecessary load on your website\u2019s loading speed. Furthermore, to make your product pages more interactive, you can also publish dedicated product explainer videos to showcase different features of an item more effectively.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The marketing approach you follow will decide the future of your ecommerce startup. Poor marketing will restrict you from gaining the desired online exposure and put a permanent barrier on your sales. It\u2019s worth pointing out that you should prepare both pre and post-deployment marketing strategies to reach your target customers at the right time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Both these marketing plans should be devised to reach customers at different stages of the sales funnel. For instance, if you only use marketing to reach a top-of-the-funnel audience, you won\u2019t be able to drive more conversions. Similarly, if you only target the bottom-of-the-funnel customers, it\u2019ll become challenging to spread the desired brand awareness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nStart By Validating Your Idea<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Secure a Domain and Set Up Your Social Media Presence<\/b><\/h2>\n
Choose an Ecommerce Platform<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Pick a Theme for Your Online Store<\/b><\/h2>\n
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List Your Products and Optimize the Product Pages<\/b><\/h2>\n
Develop a Marketing Strategy<\/b><\/h2>\n