Today, launching an eCommerce business has become very easy. All that it requires is the development of an eCommerce website using platforms like WordPress, OpenCart, etc., buying a domain name & web hosting, and getting started with the business.
However, to run a profitable eCommerce business, it really takes a lot. If you’ve been running an eCommerce business, you probably know what I am trying to say.
While eCommerce web development has become much easier, the competition has grown manifold too. In order to sustain & grow in this stiff competition, you really need to apply a few effective yet doable strategies.
In this blog post, I will share 5 simple yet effective steps to build an eCommerce business from scratch.
#1 Write Down Your Goal
The first and foremost step in building a successful eCommerce business is to determine short-term and long-term goals. What actually you want to achieve?
- Do you want to sell products only?
- Do you intend to sell services only?
- Do you plan to sell both products and services?
There are several other questions that you must know before you get started with your eCommerce business. Some of these questions include how much you want to invest in your business, how much revenue you expect, how many resources will you need, and so on.
#2 Settle on the Best eCommerce Platform
There are several options available today to build an online store cost-effectively. Have you yet decided upon the best eCommerce platform for your business? Maybe you can hire an eCommerce web designer who can assist you in choosing the best platform for you.
For small businesses, open source CMS like WordPress, OpenCart, etc. are considered the best option for developing an eCommerce website. Most of these platforms will provide the basics that you need to start an online selling business. This includes customizable website templates, an integrated shopping cart, inventory management, search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing, and web analytics.
Before choosing the best eCommerce platform for your business, make sure to compare between the different options available.
WordPress for a low-cost eCommerce website
Yes, WordPress is one of the most popular & reliable CMS to create a website. Whether it’s a simple blog, business website, or eCommerce website, WordPress can do it all for you.
Below are some of the reasons for choosing WordPress for your eCommerce website development:
- Free to use: WordPress is a free CMS software which means you or your website developer can use it without paying any one-time charge or any recurring charges.
- Easy to use: WordPress is perhaps the easy-to-use CMS software that’s available on the market today.
- SEO-friendly: The architecture of WordPress CMS is loved by search engines. This makes it easier for you to rank your eCommerce website on search engines and get potential buyers to your website.
- Scalable: WordPress CMS is scalable. You can scale up your WordPress eCommerce website according to the changing needs of your business.
- Availability of developers: There is no scarcity of WordPress developers. You can easily find and hire a WordPress developer to design, develop, or redesign your WordPress eCommerce website.
- Plenty of plugins: There are lots of free & paid plugins to use for your eCommerce website to add new features to it.
- Availability of themes: Many themes can be used with a WordPress eCommerce website to change its design.
#3 Plan for Advertising
Once your eCommerce web development is completed, start focusing on marketing & advertising your website to get more traffic and sales.
Think about the best ways in which you can advertise your store. You may consider investing in Facebook Advertising, Google Ads, Instagram, Pinterest, or other forms of online & offline advertisements.
Choosing the best advertising medium also depends on your annual budget. E.g. if you are looking for an affordable advertising plan, you can go for Facebook however if you have enough budget for advertising, you can also choose Google Adwords.
#4 Include SEO in Your Marketing Plan
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is one of the best & affordable online marketing sources to attract traffic to your website. SEO is consistently a major driver of growth and customer acquisition for eCommerce stores.
One of the several surveys found that SEO has accounted for approximately 30% of eCommerce site traffic. Irrespective of your company size, you definitely need SEO to maximize your e-commerce website’s profitability.
If you think you don’t have enough time and resources to optimize your website for search engines, you must hire search engine optimization consultants for their SEO services.
#5 Content Marketing
Although content marketing is an integral part of every SEO campaign, you must focus on an exclusive content marketing strategy for your online business. That’s because creating valuable content on your website and blogs creates trust, builds your brand, gives you something to share on social media, and helps you rank in search engines.
More importantly, content marketing helps you entice & convert prospects into customers, and customers into repeat buyers.