Is the perfect business location out of your league?
A 1,900 square foot location in a popular shopping area can run $3,600 or more per month. Commercial rent is just the start of your fees. You also have business licenses, payroll, and store upgrades to consider.
The costs pile up, but you can still pursue your business dreams at a fraction of the price.
Follow these tips to launch an eCommerce business of your own!
Build a High-Quality eCommerce Website
Unlike brick and mortar businesses, you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars per month on a small eCommerce site. In fact, you can build a quality website for as little as $1,000 or less.
Content management systems (CMS) have come a long way. Now, you don’t even need web development experience to build a website. However, you do need a professional website to be taken seriously.
If you want to develop your own site, start with a CMS solution like WordPress. There’s an online cloud-based version and an open-source version. Both platforms let you build an automated eCommerce site from scratch, complete with shopping cart plugins, payment methods, and inventory updates.
WordPress is an excellent tool for learning web design. You can also hire a web developer or firm to design your website from scratch.
Find a Web Host for Your eCommerce Business
If you use a website builder, web storage is included. Storage is commonly known as web hosting. If you develop your site on an open-source platform, you’ll need to find a reliable web host.
New eCommerce websites need at least 2GB of space to work properly. You need enough space to handle traffic surges, multiple visitors, and large inventories. 2GB is more than enough storage for most online shops.
If you sell under 500 products, you could buy less space. However, 2GB reduces downtime, slow load times, and other web performance issues.
Understand Your Audience
As you can see, starting an eCommerce business is a creative process, not just a logistical process. After you’ve tested and launched your website, you need to promote it to your target audience.
So, how do you identify your target audience?
Market research will reveal the following information:
- Age range
- Shared values
- Favorite social media sites
- Preferred brands (and competitors)
- Shared challenges
- Annual income range
- Geographical areas
- Decision-making data
- Job roles
Use a combination of methods to gain insights, like surveys, focus groups, website analytics, and social listening.
Convert your data into an ideal customer profile, complete with a name, age, and occupation. Explain various problems and why your brand is the solution. Next, use this data to create targeted marketing campaigns that actually speak to customers’ lives.
Data analysis is critical for scaling. Grow your eCommerce business even more with AI advancements, personalized engagement, and voice search marketing.
Smash Your eCommerce Sales Goals
Starting a business is your dream. Start off strong with a great website. Find a reliable web host, and get to know your customers better.
Don’t forget to keep up with the latest eCommerce tips. Follow the blog for more insights.
