Creating an online store - where to start?

Creating an online store is a great challenge. The sheer volume of responsibilities associated with it scares and at the same time makes you lose your bearings: where should you really start, what is the most important and where should you start the implementation of the plan, which is your own online store? Therefore, there is a need to create a list of important and more important things that cannot be omitted when creating an online store. So what is important when we plan to launch an e-store that, apart from functionality, also meets all the requirements, even in terms of applicable law?

Competition analysis as an introduction to creating an online store

The internet is full of online stores. There is probably no industry in which sales via the Internet would not occur. When choosing the assortment of your own online store, it is worth checking at the beginning who we will have to compete with for customers and what the situation looks like with potential competitors. It is a great art to stand out from the crowd, but not impossible.

The graphic design of the store or the attractiveness of the offered assortment are just a few of the areas where it is worth fighting with. Competition analysis as one of the first stages of creating an online store is as important as developing the entire business model defining, among others, the target group of the offer, precise definition of the purpose or elements distinguishing our online store from others already present on the market.

Creating an online store and its name

Choosing a name for the store is very important, so the decision made at the beginning of the process of creating an online store must be carefully thought out and analyzed. It should be remembered that its later change will not necessarily be a simple and trouble-free operation. The approach to this topic is very individual, for some it is important that the name of the online store is identical with the name of the company, for some owners it is important, in turn, whether it will refer to the nature of the offer. One thing is certain - it should be easy to remember and not too complicated, so that even its pronunciation would not cause problems.

Software for creating an online store

To set up an online store, you don't have to be tempted to create your own software. Although such a solution is ideally suited to the expectations set for it, it is a time-consuming and expensive solution. There are many e-commerce platforms on the market that offer a very wide range of solutions. Undoubtedly, you can choose the one best suited to the needs of the online store you are creating.

The software available on the market may be available in exchange for a subscription fee enabling its use or a purchased license. You can also find free solutions on the market (eg Pasejo.pl) that allow you to create a fully functional online store. Before making the final decision about choosing the software, it is worth carefully defining your expectations and checking several competing offers of online shopping platforms.

Set up a free online store without any obligations!

Statistics and creating an online store

It would seem that starting an online store is too early to think about any analyzes. Nothing could be more wrong. From the very beginning, it is worth providing your store with an appropriate system to monitor the most important information about traffic on the store's websites. Such data and their systematic analysis are a valuable source of information, helpful in making key decisions for the functioning of an online store. For this purpose, you can use both free solutions (such as Google Analytics), and for more demanding and having funds - the paid ones. Knowing where customers come from, what products are the most popular, are only a few of them, but still very useful for effective sales management of your store.

Creating an online store and regulations

It is obvious that creating an online store is not only about adding products and developing a graphic design. It is also necessary to ensure all formalities, such as reporting the store base to GIODO or contracts with payment system suppliers and cooperating courier companies. Of course, the requirement is also to provide the online store with relevant documents, such as:

• online store regulations;
• privacy policy;
• information about cookies.

Adding products - the next step in creating an online store

The store's task is to sell products, and how can it be done better than by presenting them properly on the website? Their precise descriptions, photos or video presentations, as well as the inclusion of this unique information appealing to the customer familiarizing himself with the offer, are one of the most important elements that must not be forgotten when creating an online store. Copying what is found in others will not distinguish our store from many others on the market, so our individual and unique approach to presenting the store's offer can become decisive for success in e-commerce.

Information on the website of the online store

Placing pages with information about the payment methods available in the store, delivery costs, complaint conditions or even general information about the store or company is an equally important stage when creating an online store. These websites are a valuable source of information for customers and, to a large extent, they can also influence their decisions when shopping. Because who decides to buy in a place where absolutely nothing can find out about the company itself, terms of order fulfillment or possible complaints?

Of course, the very process of creating an online store is a demanding and time-consuming task. However, before the START button is finally pressed, it is worth supervising everything carefully and checking if there are any unexpected problems. It is very important to test its performance and look at it from the point of view of a potential customer. Of course, when planning to create an online store, you should take into account that just launching it is not enough. With so much competition on the online sales market, you should remember about all marketing activities at the beginning. Therefore, it is worth considering the use of software that meets the expectations of the search engine and thus facilitates the recognition of the store in its results from the very beginning. The search engine itself is only half the battle, because there are other activities that must not be neglected. An example of this are comparison websites or auction websites, as well as social media and content marketing, which, when put together, give a lot of opportunity.

Creating an online store means taking care of many, even the smallest elements, which, like puzzles, form one, matched whole. It is each such element that influences whether or not one coherent image will be created. It is the same with the online store. The lack of even one of the key elements can completely disrupt the effect. Therefore, every effort should be made to ensure that each of the above areas is taken care of and meticulously developed, and this is a chance for real success.