Do you have unique handmade products that you want to sell? You have obviously put in time and effort to make your products and you want to make good profits. How can you do that? This is where an online store comes in, as it has relatively low upfront costs and gives you access to a huge market. The good news is that you do not have to be a tech expert to get this done because the process is very simple.
Outlined below are the steps you need to follow to create an online store for your handmade products.
Step 1: Looking for a builder
You can find online software that you can use for creating your online store, which does not require you to have any advanced tech skills, a dozen computer screens, or any coding knowledge. You have to choose the right online store builder, as there are a number of them out there. Some of the options to check out include Wix and Shopify.
Step 2: Select the right plan
Your online store builders are going to offer you different plans to choose from, which have varying features. The more you pay, the greater features you can get. But, the plan you choose should depend on your business size and your ambitions. You will need a paid plan for an ecommerce store, as uploading and selling products needs more complex software than a general informational website.
To choose a plan, you have to figure out how many products you intend to sell and your budget. You also need to think about the features you will need.
Step 3: Buy a domain name
The domain name refers to the portion of the URL for identifying the name of your store. If you want your online store to be a success, you need a good domain name because it can help building trust and establishing your brand.
Step 4: Select your template
Templates, also referred to as themes, can help you make your online store look good without requiring a design expert or coding knowledge. The website/online store builder will offer you several templates to choose from. There are different themes, depending on industry and the business. You will find those that are specific to online stores.
But, you should consider the features that you want to add to your online store. Do you need an about us page, galleries, videos on the home page, an order form, or maps? There are some templates that have more features than others, so you should consider the ones you want.
Step 5: Customize the template
After you have chosen a template, you should go to the admin tool and begin customizing it. This is an easy process and you can change pretty much anything like the color scheme, features, font and text size, images, embedding social media and positioning of products. In fact, you can even embed apps in your online store to cover features that might not be available otherwise.
Step 6: Add products
When you are using an online store builder, you can have a lot of control over the product pages. You have to add name, category, price and weight. Depending on the builder you are using, there might be a limit on the number of products you can upload, the number of options for every product and the number of variants. It is best to know the limits beforehand to avoid any issues later.
Make sure you write a proper product description and use high quality and appealing images. Do not forget about optimizing the products as well.
Step 7: Setting up payment methods
It is time to set up payment methods because you want people to be able to buy your products. It is easy to do with most online store builders because they can help you connect with different payment options, such as Visa, MasterCard, PayPal and Apple Pay.
To choose a payment method, you should consider the sales you expect to make and create a buyer profile. This ensures that you can cater to the needs of your clients. Lastly, make sure SSL certificates are included in your plan for security purposes.
Step 8: Choose shipping options
There are different shipping options that online store builders offer, such as dropshipping, printable shipping labels, pre-setup shipping providers and shipping management tools. You have to have an origin address and package types. There are different services you can use, depending on where you are based.
After completing these steps, you just need to test your online store and then publish it.
Disclaimer: MoneyMagpie is not a licensed financial advisor and therefore information found here including opinions, commentary, suggestions or strategies are for informational, entertainment or educational purposes only. This should not be considered as financial advice. Anyone thinking of investing should conduct their own due diligence.
