How To Start An Ecommerce Business

In the digital age, setting up an ecommerce business can be a rewarding venture. Not only does it provide the convenience of operating from anywhere, but it also opens you up to a global customer base. 

Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or an established 'brick-and-mortar' business looking to go online, this guide will assist you in setting up your ecommerce business efficiently. So, keep reading as we explore how to start an ecommerce business. 

Understand the ecommerce landscape

Before you dive headfirst into your exciting business venture, it's crucial to understand the landscape. 

You see, there are a range of business models that an ecommerce business could adopt. Dropshipping. White labelling. Private labelling. Wholesale. Each of these models comes with its own set of advantages and challenges. For instance, dropshipping allows you to start selling without maintaining an inventory, but it can limit your control over product quality. On the other hand, private labelling offers greater control and higher profit margins, but it requires a substantial upfront investment. 

Understanding these models will empower you to choose the one that best aligns with your resources and strategic objectives.

Choose your niche

Identifying a profitable and suitable niche is a critical step when it comes to starting an ecommerce business. 

Your niche should be something you're passionate about, but it should also have a substantial market presence. 

While passion fuels your drive, market presence ensures there's a demand for your product or service. Ideally, your niche should be a convergence of your interests and market trends. Investigate potential competition and understand customer needs within this niche. The goal is to find a unique angle or gap in the market that your ecommerce business can fill, providing a product or service that stands out from the rest. By doing this, you pave the way for a sustainable, successful ecommerce venture.

If you’re stuck for ideas or don’t really have any transferable interests of your own, here are some niche ideas to get you started:

• Eco-Friendly Products: With growing environmental awareness, eco-friendly or 'green' products are in high demand.
• Health and Wellness: This niche includes fitness equipment, organic foods, or wellness products.
• Educational Toys and Games: With home-schooling on the rise, educational toys and games are a promising niche.
• Home Office Equipment: Given the rise of remote work, products for home offices are increasingly popular.
• Specialty Teas: With the trend towards health and wellness, specialty teas can be a lucrative niche.
• Sustainable Fashion: Ethical and sustainable clothing is gaining attention in the fashion industry.
• DIY Home Improvement Tools: As more people take on home improvement projects, this niche is growing.
• Personal Care Products: This includes items like natural skincare products, hair care, and other self-care items.

Develop a business plan

As the saying goes, failing to prepare means preparing to fail. 

A solid business plan will serve as your roadmap. It should outline your business model, marketing strategy, revenue projection and operational structure. 

Will you employ a team to help you build your business? Or will you go it alone as a solo entrepreneur? If you’re going to employ a team, make sure to get their thoughts too, and share your business plan with them. 

The planning stage is also a good time to start thinking about how you’ll set up your website. Most people these days opt for a dedicated ecommerce platform like Shopify or ShopWired. These platforms give you all the tools you need to build and market your dream online store to start making sales. 

Set Up Your Online Store

Selecting an ecommerce platform is a crucial decision as it forms the backbone of your online store. Platforms like ShopWired provide everything you need to get started.

With a range of customisable themes, you can control the look and feel of your online store to reflect your brand's unique identity and aesthetics. Each theme is meticulously designed to be both visually appealing and conversion-optimised, with clear call-to-action buttons, intuitive navigation and responsive design for mobile users.

Additionally, ShopWired's platform is packed with powerful marketing tools to help drive traffic and boost sales. From SEO optimisation options to integrated social media sharing and email marketing capabilities, these features enable you to reach a wider audience and engage effectively with your customers.

Furthermore, ShopWired supports a host of payment and shipping options, ensuring a seamless and secure checkout process for your customers. In essence, ShopWired not only helps you set up your online store but also equips you with the necessary tools to enhance your brand presence and accelerate your ecommerce success.

Optimise your site for SEO

Optimising your site for SEO involves a strategy that goes beyond just incorporating relevant keywords. While keyword research and implementation remain crucial, it's important to understand that search engines favour websites that provide value to their users.

High-quality content is one such value addition. Regularly updating your site with informative and engaging content, such as blog posts, product guides or how-to videos can boost your search engine rankings.

User experience is another significant aspect. This includes ensuring your site loads quickly, is easy to navigate and is mobile-friendly, as these factors can contribute to lower bounce rates and higher time spent on your site - all of which are favourable from an SEO perspective.

Another key component of SEO is building high-quality backlinks. Having other reputable websites link to your online store increases your site's authority, which can positively impact your search engine rankings.

Lastly, don't forget about the technical aspects of SEO, like using schema markup and meta tags, optimising your site's URL structure and creating an XML sitemap. These elements help search engines understand your site's content better, enhancing your visibility in search engine results. ShopWired makes it easy to perform technical SEO and you can find a range of options in your ShopWired account. 

Implement a marketing strategy

An effective marketing strategy is key to driving traffic to your ecommerce store and converting visitors into customers. Here are some ways to broaden your marketing approach:

Social media marketing

Utilise platforms like Instagram and Facebook to reach and engage with your target audience. These platforms allow you to showcase your products, share customer testimonials and even host live events. Gain a decent following on social media and you stand a good chance of converting many of them into paying customers. 

Email marketing

Email marketing offers a great way to build relationships with your customers. Regular newsletters with updates, exclusive offers and personalised product recommendations can foster customer loyalty and encourage repeat purchases. Tools like automated welcome emails or cart abandonment reminders can also be highly effective.

Content marketing

Create valuable content that resonates with your audience. This could be blog posts about how to use your products, educational articles related to your niche, or even customer stories. Good content not only helps with SEO but also builds your brand's authority and credibility.

PPC advertising

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, such as Google Ads, can give your online store immediate exposure. By bidding on keywords relevant to your products, your ads can appear at the top of search engine results, driving targeted traffic to your store. Remember though, PPC isn’t free, so you’ll need to consider how much budget you can put towards running ads each month. 

Influencer marketing

Collaborating with influencers in your niche can expose your brand to a wider audience. Their endorsement can build trust and drive their followers to your store.

SEO

While SEO is a long-term strategy, it's an essential part of your marketing mix. Ensuring your store is easily discoverable by search engines can lead to significant organic traffic.

Remember, not all strategies may be effective for your brand. Test different approaches, measure their effectiveness, and adapt your strategy based on what works best for your ecommerce business.

Provide Excellent Customer Service

Exceptional customer service can set your ecommerce store apart from the competition. Be responsive to customer inquiries, handle complaints professionally and ensure a smooth purchasing process. Put yourself in the shoes of a customer and think ‘If I needed to get in touch with this store to ask a question or solve a problem, would I be satisfied?’ Get it right and you'll show that you're a business that cares about providing support to its customers. 

Remember, as your website gains traction, it’s likely that you’ll start to receive reviews online, which is why it’s imperative that your customer support options are useful. Nothing can be more damaging than customers leaving negative reviews about a lack of support. 

The ShopWired advantage

For those in the UK, ShopWired offers an excellent ecommerce platform packed with a whole suite of user-friendly features. 

ShopWired simplifies the process of setting up your online store, offering customisable templates, integrated payment systems and comprehensive marketing and SEO tools. Plus, their exceptional customer support ensures you're never alone in your ecommerce journey. 

Don’t believe us? Give ShopWired a try for free. 

Final Thought

Starting an ecommerce business can be a challenging yet rewarding endeavour. But with careful planning, a clear understanding of the market and the right ecommerce platform, you can set your business up for success. And there's no better platform than ShopWired for realiising your dreams. 

Remember, the ecommerce landscape is continuously evolving, so keep learning, adapting and innovating. Best of luck with your ecommerce journey!