Let’s face it: starting an online store in 2023 is hard! There are so many options and moving parts that it can be overwhelming.
To help you make sense of the process, I’ve distilled the steps into a simple framework. Here’s how to start your online store in 7 easy steps:
How to Start an Online Store
- Choose a Niche
- Find a Product to Sell
- Identify Your Target Audience
- Choose a Website Builder
- Choose the Name of Your Online Store
- Find a Host
- Sign Up for an Email Marketing Service Provider (ESP)
Choose a Niche
The first step to starting an online store is choosing a niche.
It would help if you chose a niche you’re passionate about because this will help you stay motivated and committed.
Ideally, you’ll find something that you feel passionate about while also feeling like there’s enough money in it for you to make an actual living—that way, selling things online won’t feel like a hobby but rather the start of your new career!
Be sure not to pick too narrow of a niche; otherwise, there won’t be enough customers for your business.
For example: if all you had were t-shirts with pictures of dogs on them and nothing else (and even if there were plenty of people who wanted dog t-shirts), then it would be hard for anyone outside of this niche group (or maybe even within) to find what they’re looking for when they go onto Google or Amazon.
And since nobody buys anything unless they know exactly what it is beforehand! So make sure not only do people want what’s being sold but also how many options/variations exist within each category/subcategory so that every customer has options while still seeing themselves represented somewhere in what shops offer up front.”
Find a Product to Sell
Now that you’ve decided to start an online store, it’s time to pick a product. Many people run into problems because they don’t know how to find a winning product.For you, we’re about to reveal our secret sauce! You need something that fulfils the following criteria:
- You’re passionate about it (this makes it easier)
- There are enough people in your community who want this product (this increases demand)
Your product is unique or different from what’s already on the market (this will prevent other stores from copying you) - Your price point isn’t too high or too low compared with other similar products available in your niche (you want customers to feel like they’re getting a bargain when they buy from you instead of another seller)
Identify Your Target Audience
Now that you know what kind of store you want to open, it’s time to figure out who will buy your products. To do this, research the market and identify potential customers. Ask yourself:
- Who is my target audience?
- What do they want?
- How do they like to buy things?
- What are their interests and hobbies?
You’ll need to find out how they think and feel about the items in your store. The more information you gather, the better equipped you’ll be when creating content for them (and making sales).
Choose a Website Builder
You can’t have an online store without a website to sell your products.
While you could create the site using HTML and CSS, this is not recommended for beginners.
Instead, choose an online builder like Shopify or WordPress that makes it easy for you to build a beautiful website with no coding experience.
One of the most important things when choosing your builder is how easy it will be for you to use.
If you are new to building websites, then look for one that has step by step guides and tutorials available so that you can learn as you go along (don’t worry—we’ll cover this in more detail later).
It’s also essential that the platform allows customers to browse through your products, so they don’t get confused about what they’re purchasing or where exactly those products are located on the page!
Look into whether there are any limitations on what kind of eCommerce solutions these platforms offer (for example, shipping options). You may want certain features but if they aren’t available within these specific tools, then consider moving on to another option!
Choose the Name of Your Online Store
The name you choose for your store is essential, as it will be the first thing customers think of when they remember the brand. You want to select a name that is easy to remember, spell and pronounce.
The best way to ensure your customers can find your business online is by choosing a name that is easy to type.
When choosing a name, make sure it has no negative connotations associated with it and avoid using personal pronouns such as “me,” “my”, or “I.”
Find a Hosting Provider
Hosting providers are companies that provide space on the internet to store your website.
A domain name registrar is different from a hosting provider because it doesn’t store websites themselves; they register domains and point them to where they’re hosted.
Domain name registrars have nothing to do with hosting, but they can be an essential part of your business plan when it comes time to pick a website address and buy web hosting services from different providers.
The best thing about finding yourself in need of a new host? There are many free options out there for you! Hosting isn’t as expensive as some may think—but whether you can afford it will depend on how big your website will be and what kind of traffic it’s expected to receive monthly.
Sign up for an email Marketing Service Provider (ESP)
An email marketing service provider (ESP) is a service that allows you to send emails to your customers and subscribers.
Many ESPs are free for small businesses, so they’re a great way to build up your list of contacts who want to hear from you.
Once you have a few hundred people on your list, it will be much easier for them to buy from you again in the future.
Build Your Site (Getting Technical)
Web Hosting: This service serves as a base for your website, housing its files and databases.
If you’re operating an e-commerce store, you must choose a web hosting plan to handle the high traffic volume.
You should also consider the server’s location since this will affect your site’s loading speeds (for more information on this topic, check out our blog post).
Domain Names: A domain name is essential to any online presence because it helps people find your website.
Many domains are available when starting from scratch, but some may already be taken by other companies or individuals who registered them earlier than you did! Find out how to register one here.
Website Builder & Theme Selection: Now that you have everything set up for hosting and domain names, it’s time to build your website! There are many options available here depending on what type of site builder works best for creating something simple like an informational blog post versus something more complicated like an e-commerce store or portfolio page design project with many pages (for more info about choosing between these two options see below).
Some people prefer using WordPress, while others like using Wix or Squarespace, which offer different features such as drag & drop editing tools.
There isn’t one correct answer here because each person has preferences when working within budget constraints.
You should test out different platforms until finding one that feels right before investing too much money into building content or making purchases through third-party vendors like Shopify, which requires more fees beyond buying domain names themselves.”
Set Up Your Email Autoresponder Sequences
Email autoresponder sequences are used to send out pre-determined email messages.
They’re essential because they help you maintain contact with your customers and generate more sales by offering discounts, free shipping promotions, or new product announcements.
You can also use them to educate potential customers about an upcoming sale or event.
To set up an email autoresponder sequence:
- Click on “Email Sequences” under the Automation tab in your Shopify admin panel;
- Click “New Sequence”; then select the type of sequence you want (e.g., welcome series).
Create Social Media Platforms and Email List Options for Your Site
Set Up Your Payment Processing Options
The most important steps are choosing a niche and product and then following the rest.
The last word
When you’re ready to start your online store, here’s what you need to do:
- Choose a niche
- Find a product to sell
- Identify your target audience
- Choose a website builder
- Choose the name of your online store
- Find a hosting provider
- Sign up for an email marketing service provider (ESP)
- Build your site (getting technical)
- Set up your email autoresponder sequences and social media platforms for your site, as well as payment processing options
Don’t forget that there are plenty of resources if you get stuck during any step of this process!
You can always contact us with any questions or concerns at [email address] or by calling 000-000-000 during business hours—we’re here to help!