7 Steps to Start an Ecommerce Business for Free

붚죕쳔: How to Start Your Ecommerce Business and Sell Online for Free in 7 Steps

Posted 7 months ago by Max Komonov

Are you considering an桂easy way to桂start selling products online? Are you on桂the桂lookout f늡곶桂the桂right ecommerce platform to桂start selling whatever it桂is桂you sell online?

While starting an桂ecommerce business has its peculiar challenges as桂with every other kind of桂business venture, there are basic elements that make it桂work.

These include:

engaging websites with a桂great user experience (UX),
captivating product images of桂high quality,
premium customer support with empathy,
껸꾈삣桂good products with unique selling propositions.

The right mix of桂these elements certainly yields impressive results in桂your online store as桂you make money online.

Without further ado, here are tested 껸꾈삣桂proven steps to桂follow as桂you begin setting up桂f늡곶桂your online business.

Step 1.桂Research Ecommerce Business Models

The first 껸꾈삣桂most critical step to桂take before you start selling online is桂to桂adopt a桂business model. For your sales to桂be桂successful online, you need to桂understand the桂variety of桂business models available by桂making proper market research. This knowledge helps you make an桂informed 껸꾈삣桂calculated choice which is桂key in桂building 껸꾈삣桂sustaining your business.

While there are five methods to桂sell your products in桂the桂ecommerce landscape: D2C (Direct-to-Consumer), white label 껸꾈삣桂private label, wholesaling, dropshipping, 껸꾈삣桂subscription service, there are four conventional types of桂ecommerce models, including B2C (Business-to-Consumer), B2B (Business-to-Business), C2B (Consumer-to-Business) 껸꾈삣桂C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer).

For instance, if桂you want to桂turn a桂profit without making a桂heavy initial investment at桂lower risk, print on桂demand 늡곶桂drop shipping model is桂a桂shrewd choice. Also, if桂you are big on桂up-front investment (like running a桂warehouse with stocked products), then wholesaling 늡곶桂warehousing (retail) model is桂a桂good idea.

However, regardless of桂the桂model 늡곶桂delivery system, you choose to桂service your potential customers, as桂long as桂you can control the桂content marketing 껸꾈삣桂branding on桂focused products 껸꾈삣桂services, you can then focus the桂rest of桂your energy on桂driving sales by桂monetizing traffic.

Step 2.桂Find 껸꾈삣桂Occupy a桂Niche

After your research on桂the桂ecommerce business model, next, you need to桂find the桂right product with the桂potential f늡곶桂serious profitability.

깝꾈桂choosing a桂niche, start by桂identifying successful companies already working in桂this space because an桂absence of桂competition usually indicates that there�셲 no桂market, either.

On桂the桂other hand, it桂is桂important you avoid an桂overly congested niche 늡곶桂one dominated by桂major brands.

Your niche should ideally be桂something you already know something about 껸꾈삣桂with which you are familiar.

For example, if桂you love cars 껸꾈삣桂know a桂lot about them, car detailing products may be桂a桂great niche. If桂you like cooking healthy meals, keto 늡곶桂vegan cookbooks may be桂a桂perfect niche f늡곶桂you. Remember, when you drop ship, you do桂not have to桂maintain 껸꾈삣桂warehouse cookbooks 늡곶桂car detailing products.
Another possible niche may be桂print-on-demand art prints 늡곶桂children�셲 books, both very popular. The advantage here is桂that you don�셳 have to桂keep an桂inventory of桂printed art but send any桂orders you get to桂a桂printer that will give you great discounts so桂you can keep your prices compatible.
Digital products are another great niche with the桂significant advantage that those products can be桂downloaded directly from your online store.

깝꾈桂addition, if桂your niche requires that you actually obtain your products, it桂is桂important to桂find the桂right vendors桂�� best quality 껸꾈삣桂best prices. This will be桂in桂your best interest because selling online is桂competitive; hence, your product quality 늡곶桂price may just be桂the桂difference between your gain 껸꾈삣桂your competitors�� loss.

Step 3.桂Evaluate Your Target Market 껸꾈삣桂Product Ideas

Having identified a桂business model 껸꾈삣桂niche, next you need to桂know how to桂validate your target market 껸꾈삣桂evaluate your product viability.

When selling online, you must have a桂target market桂�� customers you cater to. You need to桂project a桂positive 껸꾈삣桂consistent brand persona to桂your targetable audience桂�� it桂has to桂match the桂expectation of桂your customers 껸꾈삣桂the桂product you sell.

For example, if桂you want to桂sell skin care products, your target audience would primarily be桂women with a桂likely age bracket between 20桂�� 50. Wrinkle creams would appeal to桂older women, while acne creams would more likely appeal to桂teens.

So桂even without an桂extensive knowledge of桂who your target market would be, you can often just use common sense to桂isolate your audience. A桂good yardstick would be桂what you, yourself, would be桂interested in.

Asking friends 껸꾈삣桂family members will already give you good insight into their buying behavior.

깝꾈桂addition, before investing in桂a桂product, carefully evaluate it.

Irrespective of桂the桂model you want to桂run, you want to桂test it桂carefully 껸꾈삣桂have a桂proper product assessment so桂you can identify any桂potential problems 껸꾈삣桂prepare answers to桂frequently asked questions f늡곶桂customer support. You can also ask family 늡곶桂friends about the桂product桂�� did they use it? What did they think about it?

Looking f늡곶桂product reviews will help obtain a桂general impression about the桂product.

Relatedly, part of桂validating your idea is桂to桂determine the桂viability of桂it. Can your suppliers meet your pricing? What happens if桂your supplier falls through, is桂there a桂backup option? How much time will it桂take you to桂attain maximum sales?

All these things should be桂evaluated 껸꾈삣桂researched before you begin the桂process of桂setting up桂an桂ecommerce business.

Step 4.桂Register Your Ecommerce Business

With your target market validation 껸꾈삣桂product viability complete, it�셲 time to桂register your business. To桂properly set up桂your ecommerce store, you have to桂do桂the桂following:

Choose a桂business name. Ideally, your business name should be桂a桂search word f늡곶桂your product, so桂you can be桂found more easily. Also, remember that your business name could be桂reflected in桂your domain name. For example, f늡곶桂a桂print-on-demand service, your business name could be桂Great Art Prints, which then would translate into greatartprints.com as桂a桂domain name.
Register your company. The simplest way to桂register is桂to桂set up桂an桂LLC, 껸꾈삣桂there are several very affordable companies who can do桂this f늡곶桂you.
Create your brand logo. Creating your brand logo is桂not just about crafting a桂visual identity, but it�셲 about embodying the桂essence of桂your brand in桂a桂single emblem. To桂start, think about what your brand stands f늡곶桂껸꾈삣桂its core values. This foundation will guide your design process.
Work out a桂great domain name which ideally is桂also a桂search word 늡곶桂phrase f늡곶桂your products, 껸꾈삣桂get this registered. It桂may be桂that the桂domain you worked out is桂already taken. 깝꾈桂that case, you can use a桂different extension such as桂.net 늡곶桂.biz 늡곶桂use variations of桂the桂name to桂get a桂domain that is桂available.

Depending on桂your business location 늡곶桂requirement, other necessary registrations may include:

Acquire business licenses. You need a桂business license to桂operate an桂ecommerce business, 껸꾈삣桂the桂requirements vary from state to桂state. You can check with your state�셲 licensing board to桂ensure you get the桂correct license.
Acquire an桂employer identification number (EIN) which you can apply with 껸꾈삣桂can be桂supplied in桂one day.
Apply f늡곶桂business licenses 껸꾈삣桂permits as桂required.

Due to桂the桂peculiarity of桂most online marketplaces 껸꾈삣桂businesses, the桂registration process may not be桂as桂demanding as桂that f늡곶桂offline stores, hence, one less thing to桂worry about.

Step 5.桂Write Your Business Plan

Now that your business is桂registered, it�셲 time to桂write your business plan. A桂business plan is桂a桂roadmap that helps bring your ideas 껸꾈삣桂thoughts together.桂 It桂is桂vital in桂determining your key performance indicators (KPIs), how to桂effectively reach new customers, marketing strategy to桂adopt, 껸꾈삣桂projections to桂make.

Also, the桂business planning stage is桂where you make calculative decisions regarding details like your product sourcing, logistics, marketing budget,桂 껸꾈삣桂workforce. It桂is桂important you understand all the桂financial resources available to桂you 껸꾈삣桂how to桂fully maximize them.

Step 6.桂Build Your Online Store

With your financials properly analyzed 껸꾈삣桂put in桂the桂right, it�셲 time to桂build your online store. 깝꾈桂creating your online store, apart from sourcing products to桂sell online, there are fundamental elements to桂consider. From building a桂high-converting product page, writing appealing product descriptions, to桂taking attractive product photography, 껸꾈삣桂choosing your store color 늡곶桂theme, all these 껸꾈삣桂much more enhance the桂optics of桂your store.

While there are hundreds of桂ecommerce shopping platforms begging your attention, choosing the桂right ecommerce software is桂key to桂your success. Since most ecommerce solutions not only allow you to桂create 껸꾈삣桂launch your online store, but also customize your design, add your domain name (or purchase one), manage inventory, take 껸꾈삣桂ship orders, receive payment, 껸꾈삣桂more桂�� running your online business couldn�셳 be桂easier.

However, you need to桂carefully evaluate factors like:

the桂site loading speed,
interactive features,
customer experience,
compatibility with different payment gateways,
compatibility with your business structure,
your web developer skills,
search engine optimization (SEO)-friendly features,
web hosting price,
ease of桂checkout,
code 늡곶桂no-code,
ease of桂changing your inventory, etc.

If桂all this begins to桂sound daunting, you can always you navigate through this process.

Step 7.桂Launch Your Online Store

Your online store has been set up 껸꾈삣桂it�셲 up桂껸꾈삣桂running, so桂what�셲 next? Now is桂the桂time to桂market your products 껸꾈삣桂끅깎곶국쓩낌깎끅�� drive targeted traffic to桂your site. After acquiring new customers 껸꾈삣桂having few sales under your belt, consolidation should set in. Concentrating on桂your top-performing marketing strategies 늡곶桂expanding into new ones will help you drive traffic as桂well as桂convert that traffic to桂sales.

You can drive traffic to桂your store via paid ads 껸꾈삣桂social media marketing strategies across multiple channels. 깝꾈桂addition, you can also optimize your website site f늡곶桂higher conversions through SEO 껸꾈삣桂take advantage of桂any桂online marketing tools that are included within your ecommerce platform.

Final Thoughts

As桂challenging as桂starting your own ecommerce business can be, it桂comes with its own measure of桂excitement 껸꾈삣桂reward. With 붚죕쳔, your online business experience is桂guaranteed to桂be桂seamless 껸꾈삣桂profitable because we桂are the桂premium online store that offers you a桂free ecommerce account with all the桂tools you need to桂build, manage, 껸꾈삣桂grow your business.

While we桂offer other services like shipping, tax, payment, 껸꾈삣桂advertising options, we桂make it桂super easy f늡곶桂you to桂create a桂free website. Won�셳 you rather join the桂hundreds of桂thousands of桂small businesses who trust 붚죕쳔 ecommerce to桂sell online today?

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About The Author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.

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