If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and have decided to put you money in an internet business, then using a Shopify development company in India to build your online store is a perfect decision.
However, bear in mind that starting an ecommerce business is not easy and demands hard work and the knack to take the right decisions at the right time. By following some simple guidelines mentioned below you can avoid pitfalls when researching, launching, and growing a profitable ecommerce business.
1. Choose a product
a) What to sell?
Ideally, you should be done with your product research several months in advance. If you are not there yet, no worries, you can still get product ideas and information on trending products and opportunities online. Oberlo is a good site but there are others too.
b) Sourcing your product
If you are not a manufacturer, then you need to plan and organize from where will you source your products and importantly from one manufacturer, or various. Consistent supply of high quality products is a must-have to ensure success.
c) Pricing
Do research to check out the industry trends and what the competition is charging. Is there any differentiation, or are the products standardized?
2. Do your homework
a) What is the competition?
Check on the number of players in the market. How big are they? And where are they located? Are they traders or manufacturers and what are their strengths and weaknesses?
b) Prepare a business plan
Prepare a roadmap of your business by bringing your ideas and thoughts together. It will help you prioritize tasks and effectively reach new customers.
3. Establish your business
a) Name and logo
Choose an appropriate name and logo for your business. Avoid names that already exist, or which sound similar. A best practice is to choose a name that gels well with your target market. For a logo choose a trendy design that appeals and to which your customers can connect.
b) Create a buzz on social media
Build your accounts on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and create a buzz on social media about the launch of your business so that your audience can start talking about it and share the news with each other
c) Start using SEO
Begin with baby steps and understand SEO nuances so that you can properly structure your site and pages for Google and other search engines. This is the preparatory stage prior to building the online store.
d) Create your online store
Choose a well reputed Shopify development company in India to build your online store. Check out their service offerings and prices and negotiate a deal that will ensure that your store is up and running by a definite date.
Work with their designers and developers and discuss all crucial elements with them. Your online store must have high-converting product pages, captivating product descriptions, beautiful product photography, customer references and feedback and much more.
4. Prepare to launch your online store
Do an end-to-end review to ensure that nothing is left out. Double check your online store features, ensure that your product are available and check that shipping is working.
5. Post launch
a) Focus on digital marketing & SEO
Usually a Shopify development company in India also offers digital marketing & SEO services. In this way you do not have to work with different providers. The same provider can build your digital marketing & SEO strategy and help you get targeted traffic to your website.
b) Launch campaigns
Run focused email campaigns and social media campaigns, especially in the initial weeks and months.
c) Optimize your site
Optimize your website and make it omni-channel and to enhance user experience.
d) Perform analytics
Deploy the right tools to get insights on your website traffic and website performance.
Conclusion
Building an online store is a challenging activity but hopefully the above guidelines will serve as a blue-print to enable you build your roadmap and avoid mistakes.
