Thinking about starting an online store? In this article, we’ll cover how to set one up and answer some common questions.
Many people ask me how to start an online store to work from home. It’s a great way to run your own business and work online.
So, what exactly is an online store or ecommerce business? It’s simply a place where you sell products or services online, like when you buy something on the internet. You don’t need to be a big company or have lots of money to succeed. Yes, even you can create an online store with no prior experience.
According to OptinMonster, 4 trillion people are expected to shop online in 2020, and by 2023, 91% of the US will be shopping online too. This shows how huge the online store market is becoming!
Running an online store can offer many benefits:
– Flexible work hours
– Being your own boss
– Unlimited income potential
If you already have a physical store, adding an online store can significantly grow your business. Whether you’re starting from scratch or expanding your existing business, this article will be helpful.
### Types of Online Stores and What to Sell
There are many types of online stores, and this trend will keep growing. It’s not just big stores like Amazon; smaller online shops are also thriving. The hardest part might be deciding what to sell. Options include:
– Clothing
– Subscription boxes
– Jewelry
– Pet items
– Beauty products
– Household goods
– And much more
### Sourcing Your Products
You can source products in various ways: wholesale, handmade items, or products from manufacturers. Using a wholesaler or manufacturer allows you to produce more items than making them yourself. You can use sourcing websites like Alibaba or hire a dropshipper, who will handle inventory and shipping for you.
### Potential Earnings
There is no limit to how much money an online store can make. It depends on your marketing, the products you sell, and other factors.
### Managing Shipping
You can either package and ship items yourself or hire a shipping service. If you use dropshipping, the supplier handles shipping for you.
### Payment Methods
You can receive payments through various methods like PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay.
### Driving Traffic to Your Store
To get visitors to your online store, you can:
– Share on social media
– Create paid ads
– Build an email list
– Optimize for Google search
– Start a blog
### Steps to Start an Online Store
1. Decide what to sell.
2. Source your products.
3. Choose an ecommerce platform like BigCommerce.
4. Drive traffic to your store.
5. Repeat.
### BigCommerce vs Shopify
If you’re choosing between BigCommerce and Shopify, here are some key differences:
– BigCommerce can save you $6,000 to $20,000 per year in app subscription costs.
– BigCommerce doesn’t charge extra transaction fees if you use a different payment gateway, unlike Shopify.
– BigCommerce offers customizable URLs for better SEO.
– Both platforms have responsive designs, but BigCommerce includes Akamai Image Manager for optimized images.
### BigCommerce Review
BigCommerce is a great platform to start your online store. It offers:
– 24/7 support
– Multi-channel selling
– Easy-to-use design templates
– Mobile-responsive templates
– Multiple payment options
– Built-in conversion features like one-page checkout
– Over 70 discount and coupon options
– Syncing with your physical store
BigCommerce plans start at $29.95 per month, and they currently offer 3 months free to get you started. They also provide many resources to help you launch your business.
Thinking about creating an online store? What other questions do you have?