How to create an online store: a checklist for beginners

Given the situation in the world, creating an online store is becoming an increasingly important issue. Many retailers have been left without offline sales channels, and going online is a matter of survival for them.

More than 1300 different online stores are currently operating on the Good op cloud platform. In this article, we have created a small checklist of steps to build a successful business.

1. Choosing a niche

First of all, you need to decide what you will sell. Think about what you're good at, because it's much easier to tell customers about things you're an expert in. If you don't have any business ideas yet, keep track of market trends using Google Trends and analytical resources such as Trend watching, Trend hunter, and Spring wise.

2. Competitor analysis

If there are no competitors in a niche, then there is no money in it. To evaluate the promotional offers and assortment of potential competitors, check out their online stores and social networks. Use Serpstat, SimilarWeb, and Spywords to find out more about the number of visitors to their websites, profiles, key queries, and contextual advertising budgets.

3. Creating a business plan

You need to write down your plans on paper. Even if you don't plan to attract investors and partners, you will need a clear plan to understand the overall picture and prospects. The business plan should describe the niche and market situation, describe the workflow, list the responsibilities of subordinates, name sales channels, talk about the sales strategy, forecasts, and planned expenses.

A business plan will help you set achievable goals, allocate start-up capital, and think through potential challenges and understand how to deal with them.

4. Creating an online store

You need to decide how you plan to create an online store: order a website from scratch, use one of the open-source CMSs, or use a cloud-based solution. All methods have their pros and cons.

Website from scratch

Such an online store is more expensive and takes longer to create, because several specialists work on it for several months. You will need to be deeply involved in the processes: approve the technical specifications and monitor its implementation. The advantage is that you will be able to realize all your wishes.

Website based on open source CMS

Such online stores are faster and cheaper to create than websites from scratch, but they require an experienced specialist who will search for and install the necessary modules, as well as check them for compatibility. In addition, you need a specialist who will maintain the site in the future.

Website on a cloud platform

Such solutions are ideal for people who do not understand the code and do not want to spend time on finalizing an online store. With the help of a cloud-based solution, a website can be launched in a week. In addition, the developer takes care of the ongoing support of the online store for a fee.

5. Search for suppliers

To find suppliers, you can use a Google search, use one of the specialized catalogs, spy on competitors' suppliers, visit a manufacturer's exhibition, etc.

Select a few dozen suitable ones, write to them and clarify whether they provide official product documents, what is the minimum batch of goods, what are the delivery terms, whether they have photos and descriptions of the goods. These are fundamentally important points that should be discussed at the initial stage of cooperation.

6. Development of business processes

As early as the business plan stage, you need to determine how many people will work in the online store, what functions they will perform, who will monitor the assortment, how orders will be accepted, packaged, delivered, etc. Once the online store is created and the goods are found, you just need to closely monitor all the processes and optimize them if necessary.

Make sure that your online store has an integration with the accounting system that allows you to automate work processes and reduce the number of errors.

7. Promotion of goods

Without promotion, your online store will remain a beautiful catalog with products that no one knows about. You need to decide which sales channels you will use:

• google tools such as contextual advertising and Google Shopping;
• targeted advertising and remarketing on social media;
• SEO;
• email marketing;
• marketplaces;
• price aggregators.

Keep track of advertising performance to understand which channels are effective and need to be invested in more actively, and which ones should be disabled.

An example of contextual advertising and Google Shopping

Email marketing application

Conclusions

Today's realities require a quick start, so pay attention to cloud platforms that allow you to launch in a week. However, it is equally important to choose a niche wisely, analyze competitors, create a business plan, find suppliers, and work out business processes. If you do everything right, you will have a successful business in a short time. Good luck!

The material was provided by Torgsoft partner, Goodop.