3 Things You Need to Start an e-Commerce Business
Deciding to take a risk and start a business is an incredibly exciting and challenging experience. There are many things you need to consider, and you must be prepared for every eventuality. While starting a business can be a high-risk project, there are certain routes you can take to minimize the overhead costs and make it less of a financial gamble. Starting an e-Commerce business is a good example of a more financially safe option for those interested in testing their entrepreneurial skills, and the overhead costs for this kind of business are usually a lot lower than opening an office or a leasing a retail unit.
If this sounds appealing to you and your business idea suits and online-based operation, here are three things you will need to have for success.
1. e-Commerce Website
The main thing you will need, of course, is a professional website with e-commerce functions to sell your products/services. You can choose to pay a website designer to create a bespoke site for you, which may require ecommerce software development. This might be worth doing if you have specific requirements. However, if you want to stick to a smaller budget you should use website building sites like Wix or GoDaddy. They offer a range of templates to choose from and have SEO and other digital marketing tools you can use on your site’s dashboard, where you can also track visits to your website, etc. They’re perfect for independent start-ups who need a professional website on a reasonable budget.
2. Marketing
Every business needs good marketing that converts website visits into sales. This isn’t as easy as it sounds, which is why looking at getting some expert help could be worth the cost. Marketing methods by Web Presence are good examples of how a professional digital marketing agency can help you convert clicks into sales. You should also make the most of social media marketing, pay-per-click adverts, and email campaigns to promote your new products to subscribers. Just make sure the content you’re sharing via these channels is relevant and engaging, and make sure you’re not ‘spamming’ people by sharing this content with them too often. Aim to post on your social media platforms 1-3 times a day, but no more than that.
3. Money
While e-commerce businesses do have lower overheads compared to other operations, you will still need to finance your company somehow. You will need to pay for web-hosting, any marketing, and promotional materials, post and packaging, etc. You might have some savings you have decided to use for your start-up costs, but if not consider getting a small business loan from a bank or start-up loan scheme to help you make your e-commerce business a reality. You will need to provide a detailed business plan for your loan application, find out how to create a professional plan here.
Many other things go into a successful e-commerce business, but make sure you’ve thought about the points above carefully before you get started to achieve your goals.
