“A good e-commerce business is a cross-section of two disciplines,” said Mike Nunez, founder of Tilde Enterprises. “You are passionate about it and are really good at it.”
You are passionate about your small boutique, but how can you expand this brick-and-mortar shop beyond your local clientele? What are the steps to take while starting your e-commerce business?
Find a suitable domain
The names of the website and domain of your website are equally important as the product you sell. You want to make sure that your website is easily found by the customers, you don't want them to mess up the spelling. Now when you take your brick-and-mortar store online it is important to use the same domain name to keep the brand image the same.
SEO is really important to increase the traffic to your website, using the product you sell in the domain name increases your chances of traffic to your website.
Choose your venue
Selling online is easier when you use an e-commerce platform like The StorePecker or an online marketplace such as Meesho or Amazon Marketplace. An e-commerce platform is ideal for businesses looking to get online quickly.
Decide on a payment gateway
Accepting payment through your website can be easy or complicated based on the platform you’re choosing to make your payment gateway. Now when you are setting up a payment gateway in your online store, you can choose the best payment processors to handle payments. A processor is a third party who manages the payment transaction when a customer makes an online purchase. In seconds, the payment processor talks with your store and the customer's bank to confirm there are sufficient money to execute the transaction. It also takes security measures to prevent the use of fraudulent payment methods.
Payments are typically integrated into e-commerce platforms like The StorePecker. Some platforms allow you to use a third-party payment processor, although they may charge an additional cost.
Figure out shipping
Before you advertise your shipping rates, you should consider delivery expenses and their impact on your earnings. It's a balancing act: you don't want to lose a sale because shipping is too expensive, but you also don't want to lose money by giving everyone free delivery.
Get the word out about your online store.
It is pointless to build a website if no one is aware of it. Marketing is an essential element in the development of your online store. Social networking is the most effective technique to promote your products and website. When you spend a lot of time on building of your website, your attention is diverted from what actually generates revenue. Using a platform like The StorePecker or Shopify can help to alleviate these issues while also saving energy and time that can be used for marketing.
Starting a website for your store doesn't require much work, and once you get beyond the learning curve, you'll probably find e-commerce to be very helpful. You can work from home and interact with anyone, anywhere, at any time. For many customers, online shopping is quickly taking the place of traditional brick-and-mortar stores due to its ease. Selling online helps you to reach clients where they are and has the potential to grow your business. Start your E-Commerce journey here.
