How to Open an Online Store

Working at home has become popular with stay-at-home moms and others who wish to break the bonds of the cubicle. Creating an online store gives you a chance to sell your wares without the expenses, such as rent, of a brick-and-mortar store.

Instructions

1. Decide what type of online store you want to start. Choose your own products, sell what you make or have a store selling personalized products through a source, such as Cafe Press or eBay.

2. Choose a name for your business, and register it. Learn the laws of starting an online business. See if there are any local, county or state laws requiring permits.

3. Open a PayPal account to collect payments from credit and debit cards or directly from a customer's account. PayPal also offers shopping carts and credit cart logos for your use.

4. Create a website, or have a professional design it, that is easy for the customers to navigate. Go Emerchants offers items to help your customers negotiate your web store.

5. Establish store policies on returns. Try to anticipate what types of problems may arise and create policies to address them.

6. Find businesses that will drop-ship your merchandise so you don't have to keep an inventory. If you open an eBay or Cafe Press type store, the shipping calculation tool will be built in for you.

7. Register your site with as many search engines as you can to help draw traffic to your site. Most search engines, such as Google and Yahoo! let you register free.

Tips & Warnings

• Arrange to swap advertising with other websites for some free advertising.

Resources

• Go E Merchant offers many ecommerce items for your web store.
• PayPal
• Google
• Yahoo!
• Cafe Press lets you design T-shirts, mouse pads and other gifts to sell.
• eBay