Creating a shopping cart website is no longer an option. ?It?s required if you want to succeed long term.
Consumers are changing their buying behavior. ?Many search online, read reviews online and shop online.
Why create a Shopping Website ?
Not only are consumer buying habits changing, but so is their overall buying process. ?Nowadays, before buying something, we do our research online. ?We start reading reviews of the products we intend to purchase. ?We look for online stores that sell what we want and we compare features, pricing and much more. ?Competition is no longer on the same street, city, or country. ?Your competition may be located across the world from you, yet affecting ?your sales on a daily basis.
In order for you to succeed offline, your business plan must include an online strategy. ?It?s no longer an option but a requirement to have a website. ?Consumers expect you to have an online presence because it is now a standard. ?Businesses that do not pay attention to this matter may be perceived as untrustworthy. ? Having a website is just like having a business card. ?It?s simply another way to communicate with clients and offer them new ways to interact with your business and purchase your products.
Business owners tend to put aside launching their online store due to the fact that they feel it?s costly. ?In addition, some still have this idea that you need to be a programmer in order to create a website. ?The Internet has evolved but so did Shopping Carts. ?Many solutions out there exist which enable users to launch an online store within hours if not minutes. ?Many offer turnkey or low cost easy to setup solutions only a click away.
Don?t get too excited though.??Just like any other business, you need to plan things & put the right amount of effort in order to succeed on the Internet.
Here?s a list of easy Tips to follow before launching your online shopping website:
Tip #1:?Choose the Right Product to Sell
Opening your online store is only one of the steps but knowing what to sell is truly one of the biggest challenges. ?One thing for sure, never underestimate the power of the Internet. ?Throughout the years, many have asked me this question: ?Is this really going to sell online?? ?My answer to this is ?Hey?.you never know! ?There has to be someone out there in the world looking for that product. ?Just list it!?
You need to do a lot of research to know exactly what is it that you want to sell. ?Stay on the lookout for hot products, limited quantity or exclusive items not found in stores or simply clearance items. ?Follow current trends. ?You can also offer services such as cleaning or refrigerator repairs. ?You can sell just about anything online (legal!) ?as long as you have the right strategy. ?Make sure to look for the right suppliers that have adequate amount of inventory and the lowest product costs possible. ?Price and promotion are the most important aspects of any product/service offering online.
Tip #2:?Research Your Market & Target Client
You gotta make sure there?s market for your product. ?Who are you going to sell it to? What type of client are you looking for? ?What needs does your product satisfy? ?Those are some of the questions you need to ask youself. ?They should guide you in knowing exactly your target market. ?When you know who?s your client, you will be able to analyze the current market conditions. ?Are there currently any other products similar to mine that target the same client? ?What type of sales can I expect? ?Are people looking for such products?
You need to know as much as possible about your target client (gender, age, marital status, kids or not, education, location, interests etc etc) .
Use Google Insight or Google Trends to see what are people searching online these days. ?You can also search on Amazon.com Bestsellers or eBay?Pulse.
Tip #3:?Know Your Competition Inside Out
I love how the Internet has made it so easy to know who?s going to be your competition. ?Let?s say you want to sell ?Can Openers?. ?Search that product on Google or Bing and you will be able to see everyone competing for those keywords via ads or search results. ?You can also search Can Openers on Google Shopping to find more sellers or search on eBay and Amazon. ?Sellers now sell on many marketplaces and you need to make sure you search your product on those sites. ?Think global since certain marketplaces are exclusive to certain countries (ex: Amazon.co.uk). ?Visit online groups or forums related to your product and ask a question: ??Where can I get a good deal on can openers?? ?You can then know where users have bought can openers from and that can help tremendously.
Book mark all competitor websites and visit them every morning to see what?s new! Signup to their newsletter, Facebook page, Twitter account! ?WATCH THEM from every angle!!!
Tip #4:?Position Your Product Offering
What?s so unique about your product? Why should I buy it from you and not your competition? ?Are you the cheapest? Is yours better quality? ?Does it have features others don?t? Do you offer a warranty? Do you have free return shipping policy? Do you charge for shipping? What are people saying about their experience doing business with you? ?Are you selling something that no one else is selling? Can I trust you? Why Should I?
Get it? Answer those questions and you will be able to see exactly how you should position yourself and your product. ?Read this book by Seth Godin: Purple Cow. ?It will help you create something remarkable.
Tip #5:?Choose a Shopping Cart that meets your needs
Please remember this: ?There?s no cart out there that will answer ALL your needs from the start. ?Ecommerce sites continuously evolve. ?The most important aspect in choosing the right shopping cart is the company behind the cart. The company that programmed it must continuously innovate, stay on top of the latest trends and change in Ecommerce. ?You need a cart that will allow to grow and not limit you because they are not able to offer the latest features that clients expect you to have on your site.
For this first article around the topic of ecommerce shopping carts I suggest you launch your own ecommerce store with BigCommerce.
All-in-one, easy to use, SEO, marketing tools and more. Try it free!
I will add maybe another tip?.let?s call it Tip #5.5
Set your deadline for launch?.and respect it! ?You will never have a perfect site from the start.
(Don?t forget to comment below if you have any questions)
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