Anyone can set up an ecommerce business with a bit of knowledge, skill, and hard work. In this post, I will discuss some of the basics that you will need to start your ecommerce business.
1 – Product or service
If you don’t have a product or service you’re interested in selling, you can sell other people’s products. You can do this through affiliate programs or dropshippers or network marketing. Once you’ve identified a high-quality product or service you want to sell, you’re ready to go!
2 – Shopping Cart software
If you want to sell your products online, you’ll need some sort of shopping cart software to manage online orders and order processing. My favorite shopping cart software is Oscommerce. It’s free, highly customizable, and full of features.
3 – Online Payment
You’ll need an online payment method to sell online. The simplest payment method is Paypal. But Paypal isn’t the most convenient method for your customers. It’s better for your customers if you have a merchant account that accepts credit cards.
4 – Communications
Even in the world of ecommerce, you need to be able to communicate with your customers. At the very least, you’ll want to have an e-mail address and a physical address where your customers can get in touch with you. You’ll also want to have a toll free number.
5 – Webhosting
Of course, you’ll need a server to host your website and software. There are plenty of reliable hosts that provide everything you need for under $10. Find a good web host rating website.
6 – Marketing
Many small business owners fall short on one of the most critical aspects of running a successful business: marketing. If your website isn’t properly marketed, you won’t make any sales and your business will suffer. The trick is to use marketing strategies that are profitable and effective for your business. You’ll have to experiment and see what works for you, but here are some tried and true marketing strategies to get you started: PPC marketing SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Article marketing Shopping comparison websites Email marketing Joint ventures