Online shopping was once a convenience and luxury, but it has now easily become a necessity. Think about how many times you shopped online last year… a few times, right?

We have seen a significant increase in sales for e-commerce businesses, with remarkable digital growth over the past year. Starting an e-commerce business can be easy, but the roadmap to success remains unclear for most people. This is why our team is here to guide you through the entire process of establishing your own e-commerce business.

Step 1: Market Research

Market research is the first step in starting an e-commerce business or any business in this field. You wouldn’t want to enter a sector that doesn’t perform well in the long run. You also want to ensure that you choose the right location and target the right group of individuals.

You should also learn what’s trending. Discover the demographics of online shoppers. Who shops online the most? Which age groups are they? Are they mostly male or female? Which industries perform best?

Step 2: Choose a Niche

After gathering all the relevant information, learning what’s trending, and understanding which industries will succeed based on demographic data, your next step is to choose your niche.

It’s important for your chosen niche to be successful, but it should also be something you are passionate about and can commit to. When you are passionate about something, it’s easier to convey its value to others because you know exactly what you love about it and what might deter others from it.

For example, if you choose to enter the health sector and see yourself as a very health-conscious person, you’ll always be checking out new health trends and staying consistent in your practices. This niche will suit you well because you can talk extensively about it. People love transparency, and when you are passionate about something, it is very clear to them. Your audience can see that online.

Step 3: Branding

Branding is the process of researching, developing, and implementing original elements for your company so that consumers can begin to associate your brand with your products or services. Branding gives your company its own identity. It makes your brand memorable and encourages consumers to purchase from you. As consumers, we all know that our peers tend to buy from brands they recognize or love, and branding can be a decisive factor for many when it comes to making purchasing decisions.

Creating a strong brand in today’s competitive environment involves much more than just putting together a group of shapes and colors. There are many factors associated with creating a strong brand, including brand positioning, a style guide for your color palette and typography, your logo design, packaging design, brand narrative development, and much more, all of which can be learned through reading a brand guide.

When choosing your brand name, you want to ensure it’s memorable for others, represents your industry well, and is optimized for SEO. And, of course, you want to be sure it’s a name you love.

Your brand needs to be memorable and stand out from your competitors while evoking trust and emotions. You want your target audience to truly enjoy the experience your brand offers from start to finish.

Step 4: Create an Online Presence

In today’s world, the two biggest ways to create an online presence are by using your website and social media.

When building your online presence, you want to ensure you secure your brand name on social media. If you see your brand name idea available across the board online, it’s likely best to find a different brand that stands out. The best way to do your research is to search for your desired brand name across social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and more.

Creating a website is also a critical factor for any online business. It’s essential for SEO, enhances your online credibility, and helps you make a good impression on your consumers. Just as a clean bathroom reflects the cleanliness level of a restaurant, a website reflects the quality standard of a brand, whether in services or products.

Once you’ve secured your brand name on social media and your website, the next step is to create content to promote your business’s launch. Choose a date for your official launch and use social media and your website to create anticipation among your consumers. This way, when you do launch, you already have people interested in your products or services.

Step 5: Choose an E-Commerce Platform

This often goes hand in hand with your website development process. There are many different e-commerce platforms, and some may meet your needs better than others. However, we want to highlight Shopify, which took the lead in 2021 and is likely to see increasing popularity in 2022.

Shopify has one of the most visually appealing and clean user interface models. It’s quick and easy to set up and use, mobile-ready (which is extremely important since approximately 73% of all e-commerce transactions since 2021 are conducted via mobile).

Since mobile devices have become a universal tool, it offers 24/7 customer support, is highly customizable, has built-in SEO and marketing tools, and possesses its own payment gateway, using mobile devices for online shopping only offers a ton of benefits. Do you really need more convincing?

Depending on your needs, there are also many other options like WordPress, Wix, Magento, Squarespace, and more that may fit your requirements.

Step 6: Decide if You Need a Dropshipping Solution

If your product is too large to ship on your own consistently or your sales volume is so high that managing it on your own is difficult, your best option might be to invest in a dropshipping solution.

This means you have a contract with a supplier who fulfills the orders, allowing them to manage the fulfillment process. This is a highly effective business method that also reduces your stress since you won’t need to manage inventory or shipping. There are many platforms, like Oberlo, Spocket, Printful, and more, that make access easy. It’s best to do your own research about the prices and services they offer to find the one that works best for you.

Step 7: Follow Up

After launching your e-commerce business, it’s important to continue taking steps to ensure your business keeps growing. Some of these key components include:

Customer Service: Good customer service is the bread and butter of any brand's repeat business and referrals. Many consumers will abandon their online transactions if their questions or concerns aren’t addressed promptly. Directing consumers to a detailed FAQ page, promoting product reviews, and having a chatbot designed to engage with consumers frequently can create a strong image of your brand and encourage customers to return. Customer service is everything.

Conversion Optimization: On average, about 69% of consumers will leave your webpage without making a purchase. Imagine if even a percentage of these people actually shopped. Strive to make the purchasing process as smooth as possible. Improve the speed of your website. Try to incentivize consumers as much as possible by creating campaigns, whether it’s limited-time offers, retargeting campaigns, etc.

New Product Ideas: Regularly update your products. No consumer loves a static store. Trends are constantly in play, and you must always keep up with them. Schedule regular market research periods and stay current. Continuously brainstorm and apply new concepts to your products.

Conclusion

There you have it! You now have a complete guide on how to start your e-commerce business. We hope it helps you take the first steps on your journey to success! The team at Ajans365 has experience assisting many stores in establishing their own e-commerce businesses.