There are many steps involved in starting an online store to sell online, such as getting the right domain name, and selecting your shipping carrier, which might seem overwhelming as you're starting out but don't worry, our team has deconstructed the process of selling online into a few clear steps for you to follow.
This first step is crucial. It always helps to sell products online that you are knowledgeable and passionate about; perhaps even a product your create yourself. Give yourself the mindset that no one will sell those items better than you.
Another good strategy is to identify niche markets where you can be the expert which has the best offerings for that specific consumer group. Need help deciding what to sell online? Learn how to start an online store dropshipping products
Although. in theory, you can do business with any domain name, you want to pick one that includes the keywords of the products you sell online for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes. For example, a domain name like www.bakersmart.com if you happen to sell baking supplies online. Stay away from non-descriptive domain names which would also be hard to remember. Learn more about choosing the right domain name for selling online.
Creating your online store's website is critical to your success. For this, you have to choose an e-commerce solution that allows you to either build an entire website to sell online or to add a shopping cart to your an existing website if you already have one.
There are different e-commerce solutions available in the market, with prices that range from free to thousands of dollars; so it's important to think ahead in terms of your business goals and how will this platform allow you to expand your website as your sales grow.
Look for a reputable and reliable company, preferably that offers built-in features instead of requiring third-party apps to meet our requirements, and most important, that providers a mobile-friendly and search engine optimized website out-of-the-box.
There are many payment options available for retailers new to selling online, these will give you access to credit card processing for your online store without many of the traditional requirements from larger merchant accounts. PayPal, Square, and Stripe are great options as they are easy to setup and already built-in to your e-commerce platform.
If you have an established brick-and-mortar store, your current POS processor should be able to offer you an extension of their service to accept credit cards on your website. Contact them and find out if they offer a payment gateway already compatible with your store, for a full list of supported providers visit
In addition to credit card processing, you want to consider digital wallets to appeal to a larger audience of consumers that prefer to use these over entering their credit card number. You can consider Paypal Express, , Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa Checkout, MasterPass among others.
Yet another thing to consider is how you will deliver your products to your customers and how to charge them the appropriate rate for shipping. And while most online businesses offer Free Shipping, it's recommended as you start out to use real-time rates calculated directly from your preferred shipping carrier. In this way, you can avoid any risk associated with losing money on orders by no charging the correct shipping rates to your customers.
From USPS, UPS, and FedEx; to Canada Post, Royal Mail or AU Post if depending on your country. Choose an e-commerce solution that can get accurate rates from the carrier while still giving you control over the methods offered and the specific settings used by the shipping carrier. You can get started with shipping by downloading the Beginner's Guide to E-commerce Shipping.
What good is having an online store if no one goes to it? From large to small online businesses, the key to getting your name "out there" is marketing. Fortunately, 3dcart excels at this with built-in SEO tools, Facebook Shop, Email Marketing, and built-in blogging as well as a plethora of marketing tools like the promotion manager or the daily deals to keep traffic coming to your online store. Learn more about how to market your online store by checking the full list of e-commerce marketing features.
After your business takes off and start selling online at an increased rate, you will have to process those orders and fulfill them as quickly as possible. This might not leave you enough time to provide your customers with excellent customer service. Lucky for you, 3dcart business tools will help you grow your online business while streamlining your processes. View store trends to help you plan your inventory, connect to popular accounting programs like QuickBooks and synchronize your business, send automated responses to your customers when they complete a purchase, automatically print labels and so much more! Plus, our tech support team is available to help you 24/7 if you encounter an issue. Learn more about how to grow your business by checking the How to Sell Online in 3 Steps - The Ultimate Guide
