How to start your own e-commerce business

In this article, I will guide you through the basics how to start creating your own e-commerce website and online business.

E-commerce is a virtual land that opens up countless favorable business opportunities. Nowadays, anyone can start an e-commerce business as long as they have a computer (or mobile device), the spirit to learn and hard work.

Find Product

Choosing products to sell is the first step to starting a business.

There are many options for you, from simple things like handmade items, or things of great value like furniture… etc; or an industry that you have been interested in for a long time and want to start a business related to that industry.

It is important that you have a genuine passion for the industry you intend to be in, as this makes your work more motivating.

Then you need to answer the questions:

– What market do you want to serve and how does your product benefit that market?

– Who are your competitors?

– Do you have any special advantages over your competitors?

Whatever product or market you choose, market research is essential to determine if it’s a space you can do well and compete in.

Product Sourcing

Product sourcing will greatly determine the products you will sell on your website. The best method for good sourcing depends on the conditions and needs of your business.

Based on product quantity and quality requirements, you can make your own products; get them from wholesale suppliers; buy directly from the manufacturer; or even have products manufactured to your specifications.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping is a product sourcing model in which you do not keep any inventory in stock. Instead, you list the products for sale, and the order is then fulfilled directly by the distributor.

Opting for dropshipping is the easiest way to start selling online because you don’t need to spend money upfront on inventory or pay for storage space and packaging materials. It is extremely cost effective. You simply select products from a dropshipping supplier, add them to your store with markup and keep the difference between your markup and the supplier’s price.

Build a Website

Once you’ve outlined the plans for your business and you’re ready to get started, it’s time to build your website!

You can start your business on the e-commerce site at any time during this process, as long as it will be ready to launch on time according to the schedule you have set. However, the best time to start is when your business is growing far enough that you have a solid idea of your brand. This will make it easier for you to choose templates and other design decisions.

An eCommerce website is extremely complex.

It’s only fair to picture it as a machine filled with moving parts that all have to be perfectly synchronized. It is very difficult to make all these elements work together unless you have the right tools.

Therefore, the best way to build an eCommerce website is through companies that specialize in providing this service. Professionals with extensive experience and specialized knowledge will greatly assist in website design and development. This investment is worthy and will be more effective than learning from scratch yourself.

Market Your Website

Marketing is an essential part of the eCommerce process because it’s how you raise brand awareness and drive customers to your store.

You should have an ecommerce marketing plan in place before launching your website, as some aspects (like SEO) need to be worked on right away.

Either way, marketing is a constant endeavor, but automated eCommerce tools make it much easier.

Check out this Best Online Marketing Strategies article to learn more.

Payment Gateway

One of the highlights of E-Commerce is the speed and convenience that customers get when buying something. Part of that process is the ability to import customer payment information into your website.

Today, the process has become even faster with the advent of one-click payments thanks to online payment gateway technology.

The payment gateway allows for a near-instant credit card, e-wallet (or other) transaction. Customers can then store their data for later use.

In addition, to compete with each other, credit cards or e-wallets also offer many attractive preferential policies for users.

Always choose your payment gateway based on the needs, security and peace of mind of your customers and your business.

Shipping

Shipping is the lifeblood of eCommerce.

If you’re a small business operating in the local area, you can deliver directly to customers. If not, choose a few of the best shipping providers so your customers can shop easily.

Most importantly, you should pull shipping charges directly onto your website so customers can see their shipping costs change in real time as they update their orders. This will prevents nasty surprises at checkout when the customer doesn’t know about the shipping fee until it shows up in the order total. This unexpected increase in order prices is the leading reason for cart abandonment.

Shipping status notifications are also highly appreciated by customers, especially the “Shipping” and “Delivered” messages. “Sent” notifications also help protect you in disputes to the customer when the buyer claims that he or she has never received the package.

Credit cards and other payment providers will often deny a chargeback claim if the business can prove delivery.

Sales Tax Collection

You’ll need to pay all of your sales tax annually, so charge your customers the right amount of sales tax on each purchase. Some eCommerce platforms have an automatic tax feature that allows you to set applicable rates based on the customer’s location.

Taxes also need to be displayed in the cart to help prevent another unexpected price spike at checkout, similar to shipping charges.

Security

Security is essential for websites, whether or not they collect any user information.

Even the most basic website needs to be protected from attacks and malware infections, but in eCommerce you need to take it a step further.

Whenever credit card numbers, customer addresses or other personal data are transferred over the internet, it is the responsibility of the website owner to ensure that all of this data will remain safe.

Don’t worry, because Magetop can help you keep your site secure with Security Improvements Service.

I hope this article will make it easier for you to start an e-commerce business.