Back in the early days, only a privileged few could commence their own businesses. But now, in the 21st century that’s no longer the scenario. Today, it is possible for anyone to start and scale up an online business, irrespective of their past entrepreneurial experience or professional background. 

Though the entry-barrier has become lenient, it’s not fully eradicated. One still needs to think of a viable product idea, determine a proper sourcing or manufacturing strategy, before finally fixing a sales model. 

But all of these challenges should not discourage anyone from kick-starting their own online business!

In today’s world, the availability of many advanced technologies at hand has made it look like it’s hasslefree to setup an ecommerce store online, although it is usually not so simple to find the easiest, convenient and cheapest option when it comes to setting up a custom online store. Having an online presence lets businesses have endless gateways to flourish new connections that can enhance their growth.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to set up your custom online store in a few clicks, that has the potential to boost your business.

Analyse and find your niche

The initial step in understanding the process of starting an eCommerce business is carrying out the necessary research. Here’s a couple of questions whose answers have to be kept ready – What is your eCommerce business going to offer precisely? Are you going to sell products or services? If you are selling products, are they digital or physical? Where will be your products sourced from?

These particular questions are important in the initial phase of the business and its plan creation process. Undergoing this evaluation path throws a better light on the specific goals ahead. Precisely in the eCommerce case, finding the niche is a very crucial part.

Select a legal structure and a business name  

Once the decision is made to roll forward with your desired eCommerce business, the next step in the process is to confirm a unique name that successfully indicates the intricacies of the business.

Next, finalising the legal structure of the business is crucial. Various legal and financial implications will be implied for certain operational activities depending on the type of entity chosen. 

Acquire an EIN

The immediate next step in line is to apply for the unique employer identification number for your eCommerce business. While every business entity does not need an EIN, this nine-digit number is essentially helpful for segregating business and personal finances. Application for the EIN can be done from the IRS, which is primarily free — either by  phone, mail or fax.

Procure permits and business licenses

Though certain licenses are not required for most eCommerce businesses, still it is advised to acquire some of the below-mentioned documentations:

• Sales tax permits.
• Professional & trade licenses for select industries.
• Signage permits.
• Environmental, Safety and Health permits.
• Building & construction permits.

Choose an eCommerce builder platform to create website

The most pivotal step for building a custom online store is narrowing down on the perfect online store builder platform that is suitable for all the business needs. There are plenty of options available in today’s market, which offer different types of plans at various pricing options, and are loaded with user-friendly eCommerce development tools that facilitate hasslefree setting up of the store in an efficient way. In order to build your own ecommerce website, some research & checking is mandatory – so as to cross-verify which one will be suitable. The one you choose should ensure effortless customisation of the store blueprint, inventory management, shipments and orders, payment pages, and much more.

Product listing

The last step of this entire setup process is cataloging and showcasing products on the storefront which will be put up for sale. One thing to always keep in mind is the positioning of the entire inventory lineup on the online store — considering the customer experience, SEO, and the entire process from the beginning to a purchase and completion of sale.

Online Promotion

Once the listing of products and services are done on the storefront, followed by the website being live and running, one is now all set to engage with customers in full swing. For this to become a success, proper marketing of the eCommerce business is very essential.

There is a wide range of marketing strategies which one can make use of — Google search ads, word of mouth, social media ads and much more. Optimising the SEO for the business website is something that should be done very stringently.

Once orders start tapping in and the business is up-and-running, one has to maintain a detailed track record of the marketing tactics that are actually yielding results and which aren’t. With the flow of time, required tweaks in the respective marketing strategies can be made to determine the one that suits the business the most. 

These are the primary to-do steps for structuring and setting up a systematic online business store. Research well and follow all the steps accordingly, to set up your store in no time and start rolling. Sales Klik is one of the trusted and fastest growing website builder platforms where one can seamlessly setup an ecommerce store online, with a user-friendly interface in just 3 easy steps.