After having created a few online stores for our clients, we have seen that there is a series of details that are repeated in all these works and we have decided to make a small vademecum of how to set up an online store.
If you are an entrepreneur and you are clear that the future is in the new technologies, you may have come to the conclusion that an online store is the best possible window to sell your product and that millions of eyes around the world can see what you have what to offer But if you want to start, you must make a list of duties and see where you have controlled and what problems you have to decide. You will need a solution for each of the following needs; What is clear is that you will have to do it before or after if you want to open your online store.
But let’s go in parts, so that the first advice you should take into account is that everything must be done step by step and ensuring very well what should be the digital foundations of your future business. For it:
1- Decide what you are going to sell and get organized
Investigate the Internet in search of similar businesses. It is not about copying, but about learning what strengths and weaknesses your competition has and, more importantly, what sets you apart from them.
It is fundamental to structure the set of your items for sale. So that users do not get lost, you will have to make a main menu that includes the main product groups. This menu is recommendable that does not contain more than 7 elements. This will not be too complicated for the user. The fewer elements and options, the better. From each of them, you can pick up sub-menus that group new divisions of the product. It is not advisable to do further subdivisions after these.
A tip: The most advisable thing is that you take blank papers and in each one put a category of your products. If you have a comic shop, write is a sheet, for example, MANGA. Fill as many sheets as necessary to be able to group all the product of your future online store. Try to collect them by groups of similar items. These would be the main menu, each sheet would be the submenu. This system works, we assure you.
2- Design a good strategy and create your brand
Set yourself realistic goals in the medium and long term (one year), start developing your personal brand which includes a good design, a name, a logo … an image that is the one that serves to recognize your product and that is durable in time
3- Social Networks and Blog
Fundamental for the promotion of any business and more if it is on the Internet. Have a Facebook page, a Twitter profile, and promote blog entries with both your products and relevant information of the sector in which your business model is inserted. The image of all these profiles must be the same that accompanies the web of your brand.
4- Marketing Strategy
Do you already have the store? Now you want to sell, right? Well, just as it would happen to you if you open a store in the middle of a forest, the same thing will happen to you with your online store: No one will pass in front of your shop window. You need visibility And that is achieved through advertising and work.
There are different ways to advertise:
SEM, paying Google to appear in the sponsored search results.
SEO, where you appear on Google because of the importance of your page. Free of charge, but with a lot of effort and time.
More channels: with brochures, advertisements, social networks, blog, etc …
In short, you’ll have to get people to see your store. Keep in mind that the conversion ratio of sale in a shopping cart is around 2%, so you’ll have to take many people to your store to sell a few items.
5- Positioning
Do not forget that your business is on the Internet and that, therefore, you must optimize your keywords and your links to try to be at the top of the search either in generic search engines or in those specialized in the product that offers
6- Take care of your client
As in a traditional business, the client must be the center of our efforts. In the case of an online store, establish secure payment systems (paypal, for example) and hire a good transport service for your products or services. These are the important details that make the difference. Enable a complaints and suggestions mailbox to collect opinions and know what works well and what you should improve.
7- Take care of your product
Pamper the image of what you are going to sell, offer quality images and from different angles so that potential buyers have access to all the visual and technical information of your products. Do not forget that it is better to have few products and quality than many and poorly managed.
8- Contact experts
It is clear that, unless your knowledge is very advanced, the work that comes before you is huge for what you should trust and practice alliances with experts to help you optimize the aspects over which you have no control or knowledge. Trust them
9- Keep your business in order
Renew stocks, inform if the products are finished, keep your page up to date and do not forget to incorporate new utilities and applications to make the user’s experience more and more pleasant.
10- Innovate and be creative
One of the keys in any business is to offer something different from the rest. Do not be afraid to innovate or bet on new paths; It is not about trying to prove, but trying to show all your creativity and put it at the service of your business.
First of all, and as you have seen, setting up an online store requires an exercise in patience and dedication that you must undertake on a daily basis. Check our services page and stay tuned for the next calls in this blog and on our website.
