Five Steps to Creating an Online Store

Five Steps to Creating an Online Store

As any online shopper can attest, ecommerce is a rapidly growing facet in the retail industry. Consumers have become accustomed to being able to buy products without leaving the house. So if you?re thinking of creating an online store, you?re in for a world of possibilities and success.
Below are five steps to help you build your store on the web. Step 1 ? Find Your Target Audience?

To develop a relevant product, it?s important to narrow your target audience. Do this by analyzing who will be interested in your product, and research that group?s needs. If you tailor to a relatively small niche - as opposed to a large group of diverse interests - your audience will be a group with shared interests that will likely become loyal to your company.

Step 2 - Brand Yourself?

Your brand embodies everything about your company, from your mission, to customer service, to visual elements. Your logo is the visual face of your company, so it?s important to design one that reflects your entire brand?s character. Make sure to be consistent in everything you put out, like promotional material and social media pages so that your brand has a recognizable visual identity and values. Branding has a huge effect on a company?s reputation, so creating a successful one can be the difference between making or breaking it in ecommerce.

Step 3 ? Design Your Site

When it comes to building your site, there are many options and tools available to you. If you?re particularly tech-savvy and have knowledge of HTML coding, you can construct your site from scratch. There is also software like Adobe Dreamweaver or free open source programs to help you along. If you don?t know what features to include in your store, you can also use something like Amazon?s ecommerce platform that implements functional elements for you.

?You?ll also need to choose a hosting site. Compare price, guaranteed uptime, and special features each host offers to ensure you make the right choice for your brand. Here is a list of great hosting companies to help in your search.

?One of the most crucial characteristics to focus on is functionality. This includes good navigation, clear calls-to-action, a shopping cart function, and easy checkout. A positive user experience will turn site visitors into return customers.

Step 4 ? Start Marketing

Once your store is up and ready for business, it?s a good idea to consider outlets for marketing. Blogs and social networking sites are great tools to market your brand. You can communicate special deals, coupons, sales, etc., as well as spread your name and post great content that your customers are interested in. Keep your branding consistent across all these channels, and you?re on your way to becoming a brand consumers recognize.

?If this is your first branding experience, business blogging can vary greatly from the personal musings of your own blog. Browse over this guide to business blogging to make sure you get started on the right foot.

?Similar to blogging, social media is a great way to give your brand a voice. Remember though, that there are plenty of examples where social media has gone haywire. Make sure to tread carefully, act personable and avoid intentional controversy.

Step 5 ? Strategize and Evolve

Rather than just producing content or products on a whim, it will benefit you to implement a schedule of new products, special deals and social media content. Everything you do or post should be relevant to your customers. This will keep them interested and build your reputation of being a solid and relevant brand.

?Almost guaranteed, a year after launch, your brand will show signs of a directional shift. The most successful ecommerce sites are adaptable to client need and demand. Adjust toward where you see opportunity, change as quickly as possible when you see the necessity, and keep your ears open to your customers.

Authors Bio:
Rob Toledo is a Seattleite who matches the usual stereotypes. Loves coffee, the rain, and prefers dogs to cats. When not rambling about marketing and web design, he can be found in the mountains either climbing or hiking.

Source: http://www.e-junkie.info/2012/12/five-steps-to-creating-online-store_24.html

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