100k Dollar Homepage

Posts Tagged ‘Business online’

Many people who want to start an online store, whether clothes shops, gift basket or a toy on the Web. By taking the example of a clothing store, here are some basic steps to create your online shop window:

1. Define your business
The earliest step is to always know what you want to do. Including knowing what type of business clothes and your intended market (children, babies, women or men). Consider that there are niche markets, some examples of online clothing stores also provide women with large size clothing, or uniforms or work clothes for pregnant women. Look at your competitors (and there are many more) and think:
What makes consumers choose your store comparison clothing retailers such as Gap.com or big stores like Amazon.com?

2. Conducting market research
Understanding your target customer and know your competitors – who they are, what they do and how they display the store, how they are marketed, whether the target market you are buying online and from where. Subscribe to publications like Internet Retailer to help you learn the best way to sell online and what is done on large businesses.

3. Envision your website
Specify the desired features on your website. The beauty of the Web will be easier for you to research the competition. Visit the site your main competitors, including large business sites. Why do you think they can run a website? What features they have that you think you also need to be owned? Think like a potential customer and see where the features that makes your shopping experience pleasant? Remember, even the smallest details can make a difference in terms of price and sales – for instance, starting from the color, Add to Cart button to the promotion and elements on the homepage. Of course, big business such as Amazon.com have significant pockets are deeper than you have, but consider the level of personalization and customization that made this site.

Divide the list of features that really you must have (eg Photos, copies, etc.) until a good feature-to-have-but-not-there-is-money-for the moment. When you determine which features must-have, start shopping for e-commerce provider that offers most, if not, what you need.

4. Write a business plan
Business plan is essential to help you think about your business – who your target market, what do you want to accomplish with your site, how do you market your product, what technology you need to achieve your goals, where you’ll find the source of your products or how you will making the item, and how much resources you need to have. You do not have to write a thesis or a formal business plan – unless you are looking for financial loans or investors.

5. Managing your initial capital
If you think your idea can be done, then this is the time to begin. If you need a loan, prepare the business plan. If you have savings or borrow a relative or friend, this business plan is optional but can help you review the business.

6. Determine what e-commerce platform that will be used in online sales
You have several options to build online stores. You can build your own system, select and add your own element. Or you could also buy a package solution where the provider has chosen the elements you need. Be sure to weigh the pros and cons, including scalability and room for growth:
* Creating your e-commerce website.
* Sell the online marketplace like eBay or Etsy and create a shop window of this market.
* Using e-commerce providers such as Yahoo Stores.

With your e-commerce website and using e-commerce functions independently developed, you get the features you really need. Plus, you have to control how often and when you need to upgrade your system. The downside is, is expensive, especially Juka you continue to perform the addition.

7. Begin the process of legal and regulatory requirements. Register your business and name used (doing business as), obtained permission to sell from your area, collect for tax reporting schedules, determine the legal structure of your business (eg a single agent, LLC, S Corp, C Corp, etc.)

Note that some trade show will give you permission if you can prove that you are part of the industry – which means you have a business license indicated on them.

8. Manage supplier – where you’ll get the goods. Maybe you can not make an account at this stage without the permission of the seller, but at least know who they are. Attending fashion show so you can meet producers and other industry players personally. Use a B2B marketplace like Alibaba.com if you are considering seeking international manufacturers or suppliers.

9. Start working on the website. Get all the elements you need to run your online store based on the platform before you decide to use it to your e-commerce. The most basic, you should be able to show your products / services (catalog), take orders (shopping cart), and payment systems.

10. Determine how to receive payment. Sign up merchant accounts or to determine the payment option or combination of payment being offered to your customer. Here are some options to help you in receiving your e-commerce payments:

* The processor of credit card (American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, etc.) like Cardservice International or Express or Worldpay Account Merchants in Europe.
* Paypal.
* Google Checkout.

11. Designing your website. Collect web site. Decide look and what you want, as well as aesthetic considerations:

* Using the web services designer / programmer to create your site, if necessary
* Using a photographer to take pictures of your product, if needed
* Hire a copywriter to write the sales copy and website including a description of your item, if needed.

12. Determining the mechanism of delivery and fulfillment. When you sell products online, delivery and fulfillments are the key elements that should you have planned from the beginning. A few considerations you should think about is:

* Did you fill it from a place or use a third party?
* What is your target fulfillment and shipping costs per order?
* Are you going to use software that integrates ordering and fulfillment?
* Do you need a warehouse?
* Strategy for shipping do you use? For example, including postage to the amount of certain reservations, free of charge delivery of goods unless the goods with high prices, but with postage charged a lower price, shipping costs are flat like overstock.
* Do you allow drop shipping arrangement with a manufacturer?
* Shipping company do you use?

13. Learn the laws and regulations related to e-commerce. There are some important rules you need to know and follow, such as:

* Standard data security such as the PCI Compliance Guide http://www.pcicomplianceguide.org/pcifaqs.php
* Guidelines FTC approval and testimonials in advertising http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm

14. Plan your marketing strategy

* Make sure you analyze your web site, set goals and a clear matrix to better understand your ROI.
* How to market through search engines and whether you need someone to optimize your website and do pay per click advertising
* Determine whether you should hire PR to help you increase your publicity.
* Consider whether you will use the coupons to attract customers first and so they come back again?
* Think about how you can use email to promote your store and attract customers to come back to shop to your store.
* Determine how you can use video on your site, whether to educate the customer about your product or shows how to use your product.
* Studying media and social marketing and how to use Twitter, Facebook, etc., that can help your business.

15. Protect your business
Taking the necessary steps to protect your online store, especially of:

* Hackers can break into your online store security systems and reducing the trust of your customers.
* Watchful with fraudulent orders and make sure you use a preventative such as CVV verification, address, and even block orders from certain countries.