How to Start an E-Store

Member

By nightshift
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating: (19 Ratings)

There are many ways to start and online business. An E-Store is a great way to start your own business for a low investment.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Step 1

Decide what kind of product you want to sell. You should pick a product that is not only marketable but should be something you are interested in since you will be spending a lot of time learning about and dealing with it. Make sure that the product range is not too broad either.
Step 2

There are lots of different products available but your e-store can easily become cluttered and confusing if you add to many different types of products. A store that sells baby clothes and hunting gear won't make very much sense to customers. But a site that specializes in a niche product like home beer brewing will have the ability to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Step 3

After deciding what you want to sell you will need to locate a supplier. There are many ways to do this. You can use a drop shipper like Doba or Shopster, these site will ship directly to your customers. You can also use more traditional wholesalers. If you use a traditional wholesaler you will need to carry the inventory yourself so make sure you have room for it.
Step 4

Buy a web domain. There are multiple ways to do this sites like GoDaddy.com or yahoo small business have web domains for as little as $9.99 a month. You can also try Jump Launch. They all offer site design assistance. I have listed links to these in the reference system.
Step 5

Make sure that you design a site that is easy for the customer to navigate and looks professional. You can use a consultant or design it on your own using tools provided by your domain provider.
The next step is an article in itself, marketing. I would recommend going to the library and check out several books on the topic, and researching the internet for tips on marketing your e-store.