What to consider to start an online store?
Internet is actually an open opportunity for the users. Some people do not really realize how much opportunity internet is offered. Many people earn money through the internet, such as online marketing, publisher, and online store. The last thing mentioned (online store) is an opportunity that might be best for you who are prefer on selling or transaction business. You can run the business from wherever you are as long as you have internet connection, a tempting scope of business, right?
Well, how is it to start an online store? What do you need to consider when you are to start an online store? In this article, we would like to summarize some things need to be consider when starting an online store. We will discuss one by one what are to be considered when starting an online store.
Things to Consider to Start Online Store
1. Uniqueness
The first thing to consider when starting an online store is uniqueness. Similar with starting a website, you need to thing about the niche or topic. In this case, since you are to start an online store, you need to think about what you are going to sell.
Better seek for something unique. Why? As you may know, when you are selling something unique, you will be having the better opportunity of gaining more loyal customer as those coming to your online store are those unique or special segment of customers.
2. Pay attention to competition
After finding unique topic or niche or commodity, you have to check the competition in the market. It is a waste of time to develop an online store when you are not considering the competition.
You have to be realistic that you are a new comer in the scope of business. It is better not to compete with the giants as it will be difficult for your online store to get more attention from the customers when there have been giant trusted online store selling the same commodity like yours does.
3. Choosing platform system
There are several platforms you can choose to start your online store. For instance: shopify, opencart and wordpress. Each has its own strength. What is to consider in choosing website platform when you are starting an online store? You need to consider whether the platform has interesting look, good support and good community lays beyond it.
Well, in this case we come up with those three suggested platform. First, wordpress. WordPress offers you wit full control of your online store website. If you are choosing wordpress to start your online store, you will need to install certain plugins to optimize your online store website. Jigoshop is one of them. Shopify, using this platform, you can display up to 100 products for $30 per month. Whereas opencart, is a well dedicated open source platform.
4. Optimize
What is meant with optimizing in here when you are starting your online store? We mean that you will essentially need to choose the best theme for your online store website. Why? It is because slow loaded website theme will effect to visitors comfortability.
When visitors (prospective customers) do not feel comfortable in visiting the website, this may cause the lost of customers. In this case, you don’t need to worry much about this optimizing step provided that you use hosted platform like opencart and shopify.
There are some other things to be considered when you are to start an online store, they are:
5. Don’t just sell
6. Don’t forget about SEO
7. Make use of customers’ feedback/input
8. Use social media
9. Spread newsletter
We will further discuse those five points in the next post. Will update very soon.