Starting an ecommerce store sounds fantastic and entrepreneurial. It is, but there are a few things involved before you get there. Maybe you're thinking about it because you already have a product you want to start selling. Maybe you just want to start for yourself and are only now thinking about what product you want to sell in the first place. That doesn't matter to us. We are happy to show you what you need to start an online store. Follow the steps below and in no time you will be the owner of a new ecommerce store!
Make sure you have a product that is in demand
Starting an ecommerce store hinges on the marketability of a product. So make sure you offer a product for which there is sufficient demand. It may be that you already have a product that you sell physically and thus you already know whether there is demand for this product. Another scenario may be that you already have a product in mind, but still know little about the market around it. In that case, and the case where you still have no idea at all what you want to sell, it is wise to do market research.
Market research is a very important step when you want to start an ecommerce store. A good market research is done using 4 parts.
- You do industry research to understand the number of companies in your industry, success stories and flopped stories. You also do this to discover what the trends and expectations are for your industry. Eventually you will know if this industry is interesting enough to start an ecommerce store.
- Then map your competition, so you can be distinctive and convince potential customers to choose you instead of the competitor.
- Next, you will look at potential customers by doing a customer survey. This allows you to identify characteristics of your target audience, and then respond to them.
- Finally, it is wise to do an environmental analysis. In this analysis you look at the opportunities and threats within different developments, such as technology, politics and laws and regulations.
A name for the ecommerce store you want to start
It is important to find a good name for your ecommerce store. This name certainly does not have to be perfect, but at least it should not evoke wrong associations. Also, it is not useful to choose a name that already exists. You could be accused of plagiarism and there is a chance that the appropriate domain name is already taken. If you already have a name in mind, you would do well to check whether it is registered at the Chamber of Commerce (KVK) and whether the domain name you have in mind is still available. If the name you came up with is not yet registered with the Chamber of Commerce and the domain name you want is still available, chances are good that this is a good name for your business and you can move on to the next step.
When you have done this, it is time to let the Chamber of Commerce know that you are starting an ecommerce store. You do this by registering in the Chamber of Commerce trade register.
Start a webshop: make it yourself or have it made?
Of course, starting an ecommerce store cannot be done without creating (or having created) the ecommerce store itself. After you have taken care of everything else, it's time to create your webshop. With some understanding of website development, you can try to do this yourself. Here we even have some tips for you. If you do not have enough time or understanding, you can also let a web agency design your ecommerce store. Of course we are happy to help you with this!
In addition to (having) your ecommerce store design created, there are a number of other issues that come into play. How will you make sure that customers find your ecommerce store? How will you ensure that the payment methods are linked and work on your ecommerce store? And have you already thought about where you will have the hosting of your ecommerce store done, so that your webshop stays safe and online? These are some difficult and technical questions that we are also happy to help you with.
Delivery of your product
Selling products in your ecommerce store does not stop at payment. The product sold still has to be delivered to the customer. Think about this well in advance. Which parties would you like to work with? Or would you rather use dropshipping (if this is relevant for the products you offer on your ecommerce store, of course)? Whatever choice(s) you make, make sure you keep your customers happy.
Start a webshop = apply for a trustmark
Finally, it is also wise to apply for ecommerce store seals of approval. This is because these labels are an important indication for potential customers to determine whether your ecommerce store looks reliable or not. If it does not look reliable, potential customers for your ecommerce store will also remain potential and not proceed to purchase. And we don't have to tell you that this is a scenario you'd rather avoid.
In this blog, we tell you a bit more about what makes an ecommerce store trustworthy.
Advice
This is in a nutshell what you need when you want to start an ecommerce store. If you're still struggling, could use the expertise of a web agency or want to have an ecommerce store design? Please feel free to contact us, we are happy to help you!
