An online store increases your market reach and sales. Moreover, you reach potential customers who adore convenience. Upfront cost of starting new business is saved because you will need an e-commerce store.
Website builders allow to create an ecommerce store at much low price than you would spend in renting a physical store and hiring staff. Selling products or services online is very easy and affordable, especially for small business startups.
Reasons to sell products online
Selling locally means you are limited to customers and you miss the huge market that is easily accessible, today.
- Ecommerce website cost is less than storefront
- People are ready to spend money online
- Online shopping is convenient
- Online presence is necessary
- Escalation in use of Smartphone means people even buy on the go
These reasons are sufficient enough to convince you that selling products online is great. To sell on ecommerce store you will need to design a website as well as choose a website host and domain name. Make sure to register your personal domain name to have control.
E-commerce website design features
Website need to look professional, navigational, functional and give visitors great buying experience. A designer can be hired but it can be costly with limited startup budget. Use website builder because you can customize pre-designed themes already optimized for mobile and searches. You will not need coding or programming knowledge.
The must essential features will be customer login, search bar and shopping cart. Other aspects to consider will be logo, important links & icons, contact information, CTA, and more.
Get SSL certificate
Every customer looks at the tiny lock icon shown on https in the browser. It reveals a secure website, so without concern visitors can give their sensitive details. Even search engines are biased about websites with SSL certificates.
Set merchant account
As you will be selling things online, there will be a need of merchant or business account from where you accept payment. You will need to pay charges against processing fees, which must be considered in your budget. Research different payment options and then choose accordingly.
Pricing
Setting product price is a tricky part. If overcharged then consumers move to competitors. If undercharged then you will not make sufficient to stay afloat. So, research on what others charge on same products.
Even look how shipping charge get handled. Tally buying cost, processing fees, website maintenance, and shipping charges. If you are hiring help then this is another expense factor. Do a pricing test overtime, so as to identify if initial price needs alteration or not.
High quality photographs
Today for majority of people, visual play a huge role in decision making. So, either hire a professional photographer or invest in right tools. Great photos can make a huge difference!
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