|
Image by Mediamodifier from Pixabay
|
Shopping online has become popular worldwide over the
prevailing pandemic period and is expected to increase even after the pandemic
is over. It follows that many e-commerce websites have been set up to
capitalize on this growing trend. As a result, the growth of e-commerce
business has outstripped that of the traditional 'brick and mortar' businesses
many times over. In fact, many of these traditional businesses, even the more
established ones, have to take their businesses online in order to survive.
However, many smaller ones face stiff competition from e-commerce businesses
and those that were unsustainable had unfortunately closed down.
The success of e-commerce businesses has been so
impactful that many individuals have started selling online using social media
platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram or Tik Tok. But the more
enterprising ones are looking to dive into e-commerce in a bigger way instead
of just using the social media platform. But first, to start an e-commerce
business, it's necessary to build an e-commerce website for a start.
Fortunately, there is a structured process in building an
e-commerce website. Though a website developer is normally engaged in such a
task, having some relevant knowledge could also help you in building a website
for your online business. Here are eight easy steps to build an e-commerce
website from scratch.
1. Decide on the product niche for your store
When you search the Internet, you will come across many
e-commerce websites selling a variety of products. However, there are also many
similar websites focusing on selling a specific line of products or services
such as apparel, pet accessories, fashion wears, shoes or travel packages.
Besides, there are some other e-commerce websites that sell many different
products such as smartphones, cameras, home appliances, household items, sports
and health items, lamps, laptops, books, and so forth. The latter is something
similar to a hypermarket where you can find almost any stuff - you name it,
they have it.
For a start, it's significant to decide on the niche or
type of services you wish to sell or provide on your website. In your decision,
you need to find out the local demand for certain products relating to the
niche or certain high-demand services you are interested in. Be mindful that
buyers would normally prefer to buy products or obtain services from a local
vendor whether online or offline. The local vendor would usually provide easy
payment methods, faster deliveries, and faster replacements in case of the
wrong or defective items.
2. Decide on your business model
As a prospective e-commerce business entrepreneur, you
should first decide on your business model that best suits your need and
budget. You can either sell your products solely on your online store, or you
can sell your products on marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, etc. If you
decide on the latter, there is no need for you to build your own website. All
you need to do is to sign-up for an account and list your products at its
marketplace and start selling. You can also choose to sell your products on
both the platforms in parallel.
3. Decide on a domain name for your business
If you have decided your business model to be an
e-commerce online store as well as having chosen the niche and the range of
products to sell or the type of services you wish to provide, you need to buy a
domain name from any web hosting company such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, Hostgator,
etc. Make sure that the domain's hyperlink is "https" which ensures
data security over the network. It's preferable to choose a domain name that is
closely related to the product niche or services you've chosen. For instance,
if you choose to sell only pet accessories, get a domain like
'petaccessories.com' or 'petaccessories.net' depending on which is available.
The domain name is also considered as your business name and should be easy to
remember by your target audience. A domain provides a brand to your business
and makes it easy for your audience to associate it with each other. The
hosting of the domain is easily done with the help of the web hosting company's
support team.
Check out an e-commerce
website that is built using Shopify e-commerce platform at
https://avanti-e.store.
Article Source:
https://EzineArticles.com/expert/ChiKoong_Chong/1348083