5 Things You Need To Set Up An Online Store

Have you ever wanted to run your own online shop? Well, it’s easier than you think. We know plenty of bedroom entrepreneurs who have set up a shop online. Now, they’re raking in thousands every month. Some have even turned their small venture into a multi-million dollar business. Starting a shop is an amazing way to take your first steps into entrepreneurship. It could be your chance to escape the 9-5 boredom, and be your own boss. Of course, you’ll need a little technical knowledge, and plenty of ambition. That’s where we come in. We’ve pulled together a quick list of everything you need to get started.

1. Products!

Your shop can’t exist without products, it’s as simple as that! If you’re considering setting up an online shop, we can assume you already have a product in mind. Perhaps it’s your own creation. If you’re a crafty person, you may have knitted or created products of your own. If that’s the case, you control the stock and creation of everything. The other option is hunting down wholesale products and selling them on. You’ll have to make deals with production companies, and buy their stock to sell yourself.

5 Things You Need To Set Up An Online Store Run your business from anywhere! (source)

2. A website

Next you’ll need a central hub to sell your wares! Lucky for you, it’s easier than ever to create a website yourself. You don’t need a flashy, expensive web designer. All you need is an eye for good design, and a pinch of technical knowledge. We still think WordPress is the best platform for building a website. It’s simple, straightforward, and super-easy to get started. You simply choose a template (design) you like and drag and drop your content where you want it. Other platforms include Wix, Drupal, and Tumblr.

3. A store-front

Now that you’ve got a website set up, you need to insert the most important part of all; the shopfront. If you’re using WordPress to host your website, we suggest using the WooCommerce plugin. This has all the technical wizardry you need to set up the shop, manage your stock, and track deliveries. Another solution is the immensely popular platform, ‘Shopify’. Using that platform, you’ll build a website and shop-front together as one.

4. Payment system

All that’s left to do is make sure you’ve got a reliable payment system! Most shops use PayPal, but some customers still aren’t comfortable using the service to make transactions. To strengthen your site, you’ll also need a credit card solution. We suggest using a POS processing solution. That stands for ‘point of sale’ processing, and it’s an integrated software that will manage your payments.

5. Social media and digital marketing

If you’ve come this far, then congratulations! You’ve got a reliable store set up online. Now comes the tricky part, getting customers to visit your website. The best way for a new seller to attract customers is through social media and digital marketing. Showcase your products through Instagram and Pinterest. Start doing guest blogs on relevant websites. Interact with people on Facebook and Twitter. Reach out to your target audience and connect with them.

That’s all there is to it, folks! Good luck with your new venture, and let us know how you get on.

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