There are lots of things that you need to consider before deciding to create an online shop. Starting from looking for methods to create an online shop. Identifying the ins and outs of creating an online store, to justifying online business growth. There are 2 choices, namely go big or go home. The online business that you start can succeed according to expectations – or vice versa – it doesn’t go easy. For that, since the planning session, all the concepts for creating an online store must have been mature. Then, how do you start an online business? Follow it completely.
1. Determine What to Sell
The first way to start an online business is to determine what to sell before starting to enter the online shop world. Find products that have the potential to bring in potential profits. That is, there needs to be an in-depth study. If you need to ask the people closest to you how interesting the product or service you want to sell is. Before really focusing on one product, there’s nothing wrong with trying various businesses and practicing selling through social media or marketplaces to attract the market.
In general, this early step is considered difficult because you have to develop a business concept, seek inspiration, find suppliers, and even learn business science. so it is recommended that this early session not be too complicated. In this early session, you are also advised to invest time, energy, and possibly money, so you can learn the right online business.
2. Create a Website
The next way to start an online business is to create an attractive website to make your online shop known and have a certain identity. So, try to create a web. Some of the important things that must be considered for a website are domains and hosting. Domain is the name for the web address. On the other hand, hosting is a place to store domain names. Hosting is like a place for you to build a website for an online store.
Include an online form that customers can fill out with short personal and contact details to build a bond and allow them to make their repeat purchase. After the website for your online business has been created. Fill the website with a variety of content such as product descriptions, product images, testimonials, and various content that supports online business. Make sure the product images are attractive and the information about what you are selling is really clear.
3. Target Market Analysis
Once you’ve identified a potential target market, put out all the strategies to capture their interest. Therefore, the next way to start an online business is to do a target market analysis. Of course, initial introductions can be made through online media, such as online web shops, Instagram or Twitter accounts, and other social media.
Not only through social media, you can also start promoting it via search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing with the SEO method. Continue to be specifically your target market, you will continue to be planned as well as what you need to do to make you interested. Age, gender, income, until their profession will have a big influence on this.
4. Selling on E-commerce
It’s useless if you have created a cheap online shop web, but don’t put products on an e-commerce website. In order to attract potential buyers, the next way to start an online business is to install products in the right e-commerce. Don’t forget to provide the best service to customers.
5. Build a Reputation
Prospective buyers will generally seek data from the internet, including finding an online shop that they will choose for transactions. So, it is no less important for you to build a reputation early on when doing business online. Fill your website with informative and interesting posts, complete with links to buy the products you sell.
On all of your brand’s social media, also create interesting content in the form of images, videos, infographics, and more. Don’t lose inspiration to create interesting content. Not only creating content, but also building engagement through opinions, giveaways. Or use the interaction feature on the social media. If the content already exists, you can start promoting it via search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing with the SEO method. Or use social media like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest for promotions.
6. Create Email Marketing
The next way to start an online business is to create a special email marketing for your business. This is because when the reputation of your online shop continues to become known, it is time to build bridges to be closer to loyal buyers or potential buyers. Share the option to subscribe to newsletters or email marketing on the web with attractive offers such as discounts on your next purchase.
Email marketing is also considered to be much cheaper and more effective than having to place advertisements in print, television or radio media because the target is clear. Those who receive email marketing have been segmented because the recipients have decided to subscribe voluntarily. It may be that they don’t buy your product right away, but when they get the necessary data, then their confidence will grow so that maybe they buy products at your online store will continue to grow.
7. Start Promoting
After you open an online store, now you can start selling immediately. But to get more customers, you need to advertise. Because your business is run online, the promotion strategy you are trying to do should also be via the internet. There are many types of advertisements that you can try to promote your online business.
One of them, pay per click advertising that works using search engines, such as Google. With pay per click advertising, it will be easier for your online store website to get traffic than relying on visitors organically. Through PPC advertising, your online shop website will appear on search pages so that audiences who use the internet will find it easier to find your selling products.
Apart from that, PPC advertising also allows you to test different keywords, and titles, prices, and selling approaches. So, not only do you get big traffic, but you can also find the keywords with the highest and best conversions. By using the right keywords in your online store, your business website will also get a better score and ranking on search engines.
8. Competitor Analysis
Selling online is as difficult as doing business offline. In any industry, you want to find competitors. Therefore it is important for you to do a competitor analysis as a way to start an online business. By doing a competitor analysis, it will be easier for you to come up with a marketing strategy and stay in the industry.
You may gain new knowledge, strategies and trends from competitor analysis. When applying it to your own business, this can be effective for increasing business income. So, looking for various data about competitors is not always bad. You may be able to get various valuable lessons to improve your business in the uniform sector.
9. Maintain Customer Loyalty
When your online shop already has a reputation, the challenges don’t end there. According to the study, 36% people who had purchased from your online store would buy again if you followed up. Therefore, you need to maintain customer loyalty so that you continue to make repeated transactions in the future.
In this case, the way to start an online business that you need to apply is to maintain communication and follow up with customers. There are many methods you can go through, such as offering a product that satisfies the initial purchase. Another option is that you can send discount coupons or vouchers for the umpteenth year of buyers. Moreover, the “Thank You Page” after the buyer has completed the transaction can make their shopping experience memorable.