How to start an online shop in 2020
Whether or not you have a physical shop as well, this year marks a turning point in terms of online buying and selling. As social distancing continues around the world, consumers are more ready than ever to do a large portion of their shopping online. In fact, from 2007 to 2019, online sales increased nearly 15% worldwide, and with coronavirus quarantines having taken a large part of 2020, that number will only continue to grow, likely at exponential rates. From groceries to services to luxury goods, it’s easy to see that ecommerce is the future of post-coronavirus business success.
It may seem late in the year to start planning your 2020 online marketing strategies, but believe it or not, there is still plenty of time to get an online shop up and running in time to take advantage of this ‘new normal’ economy. And although it may feel like it sometimes, having a successful online store isn’t a matter of striking it lucky, either. With some careful planning from yourself and the experts you entrust your business to, your online store can help drive your business into 2021 and beyond.
How to start an online shop in 2020:
Choosing a Location
Like a physical store, you have a few options when deciding where your online shop will reside. You can choose to host an ecommerce site on your own website or sell from a pre-built one like Amazon, Etsy, or eBay. Both offer their own distinct advantages and disadvantages, features, and strategies in terms of building a solid ecommerce platform and implementing the marketing you need to drive sales and increase your brand’s awareness, so it is usually a good idea to discuss your goals, options, and ideas with a digital marketing specialist like Peppermint to help choose the best option for you and your business before embarking on a new ecommerce business.
Choosing a Plan
After you have chosen a location for your online shop, you will also need to choose your plan to go along with it. Different sites offer various levels of paid and unpaid levels, depending on your business now as well as your expected and desired future growth. For ecommerce you will need to invest in a paid plan, but those can be quite inexpensive and offer a great return on investment.
Choosing a Name
Your shop probably has a name, but does it match your domain? Having a good domain name is an important step in launching a successful ecommerce business. Make sure it’s simple, memorable, and unique. And remember that you can and should discuss your domain name with your website creator before purchasing it –they can offer incredible insight that will make running your shop even smoother. Don’t forget that you will need to purchase your domain annually, so don’t forget to renew well in advance of the expiry date so you don’t lose it (and all the hard work you put into marketing it!).
Choosing a Design
When we think of an online shop, the design is usually what we think of first. This is what your customers will see when they visit your store so it’s imperative that it’s mobile friendly, visually appealing, easy to navigate, safe, and user-friendly. Colours, shapes, styles, photos, and more will enhance and solidify your brand image in a matter of seconds, so it’s critical to get it right so you can attract and retain the right customers. Not sure what you’re looking for or how to accomplish it? Let our team of ecommerce design experts help you navigate this complex step to build your brand from the ground up or enhance the one you have already worked so hard to achieve. Going online doesn’t mean starting over!
Adding Products
Once you have a design in place, you’re ready to add products to your shop! Different platforms offer different options here, so make sure your needs match up! Remember to include a quality photo, product name, weight, options, and thorough yet simple description. You’ll also want to plan your product descriptions with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. Our team of SEO experts can help you with this critical aspect of building your online shop, too, to help get your business higher Google rankings and organic customer traffic to your shop. Don’t forget to add easy, safe, and secure payment options so that visitors to your shop turn into buyers!
Shipping Products
Like everything else in your online shop, shipping options are often dictated by the platform you have chosen, another reason why it is so important to work with a professional web designer from the beginning to work through your needs and your options before starting to build your online store. Our ecommerce teams can help you plan and set up everything you need, including shipping, to help your site run smoothly and successfully.
Extras
Like any store, an online shop is more than just selling a great product. Don’t forget to pay attention to your local and international languages you want to use, currencies (and currency converters, if needed), time zones, store information such as business hours, safety measures in place, local and/or international taxes to be charged, inventory set up and maintenance, credit card fees, shipping costs, and sales and promotions you want to run.
Setting up and running an online shop is not for the faint of heart. Set up can easily become confusing and complicated, while maintenance is an on-going task that requires significant time and dedication. Nevertheless, it is absolutely critical in today’s market that if you want to sell products, they also need to be online. That’s why many companies, small and large alike, are turning to the help of professional digital marketing agencies, like Peppermint, to help. With full service website, including ecommerce, design, digital marketing strategies, graphic design, branding, social media, and SEO expert teams dedicated to their craft and to driving your success, it is an investment that many welcome. Call us today to find out how our teams can help boost your online business success!