How To Start A Successful Online Shopping In 2022 - The Complete 20 Step Ecommerce Guide



Knowing how to start an online store can be intimidating all by yourself. I have many questions. Where

do you sell it? How to convince people to buy? Where do you sell your products? How to actually

receive money from people and process payments? How to process credit card information? etc.

But don't worry, I'm here to answer this question. Helps you learn how to start an online store in an

effective way. – A way to convince people to buy aka!


Everything you need to know about how to sell online. Here's a 20-step beginner's guide to starting an

online store.


Editor's Note: This post was originally published on September 9, 2018 and has been fully revised and

updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.


How to Start a Successful Online Shopping - 20 Step Guide for Beginners


Step 1 – Choose the Right Ecommerce Platform

If you want to start an online store, the first thing on your to-do list is choosing an ecommerce platform.


An e-commerce platform is a special type of website that allows people to purchase products or services

from a small business. This tool allows people to complete a purchase without leaving your site. The e-

commerce platform also informs you that a new order has been placed.


In short, it is an all-in-one online sales solution.


If you want to learn how to sell online, you can't really do it without quality e-commerce solutions at

your disposal. A tool to help you realize your business ideas and make money online.


Choosing the right ecommerce platform can be the difference between the success or failure of an

entire store.


After all, you don't have to deal with transaction issues, customer orders disappearing, or mishandling

shipping details. You don't even have to start a security vulnerability.


Here at ecommerce-platforms.com, inspect and test the best ecommerce solutions in the marketplace,

literally all we do. Every week we test new features in the e-commerce space and then communicate the

results to business owners, freelancers and affiliate marketers.


One of the experiments currently underway is at the top 10 e-commerce platform Mart. We consider

several factors when deciding which platform is on top.


The current lineup is as follows:


Step 2 – Don't Neglect Your Mobile Users

Running a successful online business means knowing how to bring your store to your customers

wherever they are. ,


A successful mobile strategy isn't just about *not neglecting* your mobile users.


In fact, starting with mobile in the first place!


This is surprising, but mobile is actually the most important thing. Learn how to start an online store.

Importantly, more people access the web using mobile devices than desktop computers and laptops

combined. Here's how: 2021 data:


But that's not all about mobile stories.


These days, Google cares more about mobile than desktop. In one of our recent algorithm updates, we

made the Google decision "mobile index" to be the primary index for all search engines. What this

means is that Google now uses your site's mobile content to determine its search engine location.


In other words, if your store doesn't display properly on mobile, the whole crowd is likely to fail,

whether it's offering online courses, webinars, podcasts, or blogs on your site.


Luckily, the platform that always recommends everything new to ecommerce store owners to use –

Shopify – is optimized for mobile. For business owners, this means you don't have to worry about this

aspect at all. If you're building your own business presence online using other systems like WordPress'

self-hosted tandem, WooCommerce (which is also a popular solution), things should look good on

mobile too.


To make sure your website works on mobile, use Google itself. A mobile-friendly tool. Enter the web

address and check the result.


If you don't like what you see, you have to think about your changes. Ecommerce store design if possible

(more on the subject here). If you're a small business owner using free template designs and don't know

how to change the design, you may need extra help. There are many web design experts who can

provide hourly assistance. However, the easiest option is to switch to another ecommerce platform that

is easy to customize.


Step 3 - Create a Amazing First Impression

There are reasons why running an online business is so difficult.

There's more to being a freelancer than selling your services online. You need to figure out how to

connect with your audience and make money online. To learn how to sell online, you must first get users

to engage with your site. It takes 50 milliseconds to determine whether a user likes your site or not.


You want and need to be as creative as possible. It could be something as simple as a header or a store

name. These tips will give you the correct name and domain for your store. The important thing is to


invest in the best possible design, so it provides a unique experience for users of the right design

template. Or, if necessary, contact a web design expert.


First impressions can last for years, so you want them to be memorable and original while tailoring them

to the purpose of your site and how you sell online.


Step 4 – Why Photos Matter

Obviously, there is more to running. Rather than sign up for an online business today, dropshipping or

finding the right web hosting to bring your business idea to life. You will need a lot of help if you want to

start earning full-time cash from your online initiatives.


One of the most important things you can invest in to increase your conversion potential is your image.


Customers remember 80% of what they see and 20% of what they read.


If you want an ecommerce site that stands out with great product photography, there are two main

areas to focus on.


Awesome photo checklist:


white Use a completely white background to make your product stand out.

✅ Grow in scale to grab users' attention and tell them exactly what to buy.

Enable customers zoom so your customers can see all the details

all Product photos from all angles

equipment Rely on professional photographers if you don't want or don't want the proper equipment

(not cost effective if you're selling hundreds of items)


Step 5 - Improve your site navigation

In addition to making your small business website look great, you need to make sure it works well. No

matter what kind of business model you're interested in, whether it's dropshipping, affiliate marketing,

online courses, webinars, podcast publications, or selling products – UX is key.


The term UX refers to “user experience” and determines how customers feel when browsing your

website. One of the easiest ways to improve your UX is to strengthen your navigation strategy.


It provides stress-free navigation, making it easy for visitors to find what they are looking for. Because if

you can't find it, you can't buy it.


Step 7 – Create a Strong USP (Unique Selling Proposal)

Once you have a list of business ideas to choose from, you can start thinking about what makes a small

business special. After all, there are many online business options for customers to choose from. You

need to convince your audience that there is something worth the time.


Why do you need a unique selling offer? There are around 100,000 ecommerce websites! That's right.

Ten million people. You don't have to. If you want to make such a sale and start living your life as a full-

time entrepreneur, you have to make an incredibly unique selling offer.


Every successful business has “something” that sets it apart from other businesses. You just have to sit

back and figure out what it is. Another option is to do your own research and take a closer look at your

competitors. What are they focusing on? What am I missing out on? Can you bring it to your customers?


Step 8 – Start a Blog

Knowing what the USP is for an online business idea can help you start attracting more attention to your

company online. From search engine optimization to pay-per-click advertising to designing your own

YouTube channel, there are plenty of ways to grab the attention of your target market online.


However, the easiest way to get started is with a blog.


Step 9 – Create an Amazing “About Us” Page

Your company page is a window into your business, and you want it to be attractive and fresh. Around

7% of visitors to your home page click to view the information page. People who see it 30% more than

those who don't. They also spend 22.5% more on average. This alone should get you started writing this

page.


Honest, updated, well-designed About Us pages can spark curiosity, and someone you know can

generate unexpected sales from people you just browsed. Your company page is the first place tens of

thousands of online users visit when they want to learn about a new business. You can also use this

page to link to other information, including eBay pages, YouTube channels, and LinkedIn profiles.


Step 10 – Develop a Successful SEO Strategy

Designing an attractive website for an affiliate marketing campaign, online webinar, or other business

model is one of the first steps you should take as a business owner. You should also think about how you

can use search engine optimization to bring your target market to your site.


Step 11 – Target the right visitors with the right product.

Taking you to life online business ideas means more than being the right company and affiliate marketer

or making the right choice. drop shipping company. You need to make sure you are providing the value

your customers are looking for.


Product recommendations can provide a personalized shopping experience and increase the value of

your order by up to 40%. That said, I can't afford not to use this strategy. 53% of 1000 UK online

shoppers want to see a product recommended based on their previous purchases.


Amazon was one of the first retailers to successfully implement this, and eventually everyone jumped on

it. This infographic is an illustration of Amazon's first 20 years of history, showing some of the strategies

Jeff Bezos used to make customers push the "Add to Cart" button harder.


Step 11 – Target the right visitors with the right product.


Taking you to life online business ideas means more than being the right company and affiliate marketer

or making the right choice. drop shipping company. You need to make sure you are providing the value

your customers are looking for.


Product recommendations can provide a personalized shopping experience and increase the value of

your order by up to 40%. That said, I can't afford not to use this strategy. 53% of 1000 UK online

shoppers want to see a product recommended based on their previous purchases.


Amazon was one of the first retailers to successfully implement this, and eventually everyone jumped on

it. This infographic is an illustration of Amazon's first 20 years of history, showing some of the strategies

Jeff Bezos used to make customers push the "Add to Cart" button harder.


Step 13 – By Coupon or With Coupon

Pricing is tricky. You need to offer lower prices than your competitors while making a profit. This little

guide focuses on the best pricing strategy as you figure it out. How to start an online store.


Once the base price is applied, you need to decide which coupon and discount strategy to use. If you

have either a friendly product or a handmade item, a promotion isn't a must. Also, they can sometimes

do more harm than good. However, for regular merchandise and simple products, coupon codes can

bring more business.


Data shows that 75% of mobile shoppers use coupons. By providing your customers with something to

help them with their purchases, you can potentially unlock many new business opportunities.


Most e-commerce platforms support the use of coupons natively. Both Shopify and WooCommerce

enable coupons to be activated in a few clicks.


Here are some ideas for coupon codes you can use.


First time buyer discount


volume discount

Member discount

FREE Shipping

Return customer discount


Step 14 – Enhance Your Shopping Cart Experience

Your control over your shopping cart experience depends on what kind of business model you're using.

If you are an affiliate marketer, there is nothing you can do about payments. However, if you have an

online store, you can easily upgrade your shopping cart with our step-by-step guide. Some web hosting

companies also offer tools to help.


Step 15 - Develop a Successful Shipping Strategy

Customers now expect to see a “Free Shipping” banner on every online store they visit, and 78% find the

cheapest delivery.


Currently, the most common shipping options are:


Step 16 – Ask for Feedback

Few things are more important to your online business than market research, insights and feedback. It's

the best way to get an inside look at your target market.


How amazing is it that there is no way for ecommerce store customers to submit reviews for your

products. This can be a huge obstacle on how to start an online store. In fact, 77% of online shoppers

read reviews of products they want to buy and 90% make decisions based on what they read.


Step 17 – Rethink Your Newsletter Approach


Estimated ROI for email is 4,300%? Incredible numbers! Yes, some stats show that people tend to get

annoyed when their inbox is full of lots of emails. But at the same time they still read those emails and

buy something.


Check out the following approaches and how to convince tens of thousands of visitors to sign up for

your special deals and updates.


Step 18 – Show people that your site is safe and trustworthy.

A secure shopping cart system is essential to maintaining the integrity of the payment process.

Ella Neville

Online data is very sensitive, so more and more customers need to be very careful before placing an

order. So, you need to check every bullet point to make sure your site is safe and reliable. It is not

uncommon for online retailers to lose $3.5 billion annually as a result of online scams. This could allow

large stores to handle the losses, but businesses selling custom soaps will quickly hit the bottom.


Step 19 – Use the power of social media to promote yourself.

Whether you're a freelancer or affiliate marketing, dropshipping or building your business online, you

should always have a social media strategy. Even with the right linked account, you can get a domain

name for more customers to see.


Social media is huge these days. Literally every ecommerce site should exist if you want to maximize its

potential on social media, especially how to sell online. Social sharing tools like addthis make it easier for

your visitors to distribute content to social networks with family and friends.


Step 20 – Introducing the Referral Program

Referral programs can be a great "additional" factor to convince people to promote your product more

than others.wise.

The rules of the referral program are simple.


someone buys from you

You are invited to a referral program.

You get a unique link that you can use to recommend your store.

When someone makes a purchase after your referral, the referring person receives additional gifts,

coupon codes, or reward points that can be used on future purchases.

The appeal of this - from a customer's point of view - is that they can not only buy what works for them

(don't they sell something useless after all?) but also recommend your product. You can get extra

benefits for your friends/family and for that.


The rules of the referral program are simple.


someone buys from you

You are invited to a referral program.

You get a unique link that you can use to recommend your store.

When someone makes a purchase after your referral, the referring person receives additional gifts,

coupon codes, or reward points that can be used on future purchases.