This article has been translated from Polish to English. The original article can be found at “Jak założyć sklep internetowy?”.
Starting your own business online is a great idea, but before you start selling, you need to understand the market and face the competition. The internet offers endless possibilities, but the key to success is a well-thought-out strategy and preparation. In this article, you’ll learn how to create an online store that really sells. From choosing the right products to effective promotion methods – you’ll find everything you need in the guide below. Get ready for a journey through the world of e-commerce and discover how to build a store that attracts and retains customers. Let’s dive into the specifics and consider what to sell online and what sells best.
1. WHAT TO SELL IN AN ONLINE STORE?
Wondering what to sell online and which industry is easiest to start an online store in? Choosing the right product and market niche can significantly impact the success of your e-business. Read on to find out what sells best and how to find your ideal industry.
WHICH INDUSTRY IS EASIEST TO START AN ONLINE STORE IN?
Choosing the right industry is a crucial step in setting up an online store. Some industries are more accessible to beginners due to lower competition, higher demand, or ease of market entry. Here are some industries where it’s easiest to start an online store:
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Fashion and Accessories: The fashion and accessories industry dominates e-commerce, accounting for about 35% of all online stores. Fashion is a dynamic market with high demand for new products, offering great opportunities for new entrepreneurs. Products like clothing, jewelry, and accessories are relatively easy to store and ship.
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Health and Beauty: The health and beauty industry, occupying about 25% of the market, enjoys growing popularity. Cosmetic products, dietary supplements, and wellness items are highly sought after. Building customer trust through high-quality products and professional advice is key in this industry.
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Electronics: Electronics is another popular industry, making up about 20% of the e-commerce market. Online stores offering gadgets, computer equipment, or mobile devices can count on stable demand. The high value of products makes margins attractive, though competition is significant.
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Home and Garden: The home and garden sector covers about 15% of the market and offers a wide range of products, from furniture to gardening tools. This category attracts customers looking for convenient and aesthetic solutions for their homes. Products are usually larger, which can increase shipping costs but also the value of orders.
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Sports and Recreation: The sports industry, covering about 5% of the market, is steadily growing, particularly in the context of increasing health awareness and active lifestyles. Products like sportswear, exercise equipment, and recreational accessories are in high demand.
When considering which industry to start an online store in, it’s worth paying attention to your own interests and experience. Choosing an industry you know well and are passionate about can significantly increase your chances of success.
Once you know what you want to sell, find out what an online store actually is.
2. WHAT IS AN ONLINE STORE?
WHAT IS AN ONLINE STORE?
An online store is a virtual trading platform that allows you to sell products and services over the internet. It operates similarly to a traditional brick-and-mortar store but allows you to reach customers from all over the world, regardless of their location. You can offer a wide range of products, from clothing and electronics to food and services. Customers can browse your offer, add products to the cart, make online payments, and receive orders directly to their homes. With integration with payment systems and logistics, online shopping in your store will be quick, convenient, and safe.
HOW DOES AN ONLINE STORE WORK?
An online store operates using a CMS system that allows you to easily manage products, orders, and other store elements. In the admin panel, you can add new products, edit their descriptions, manage inventory, and monitor sales. Your customers browse the offer, add products to the cart, and then proceed to payment, choosing their preferred method. Once the order is placed, the system automatically processes the payment and sends an order notification to you and the customer. This makes the entire purchasing process smooth and automated, allowing you to focus on growing your business.
HOW IS AN ONLINE STORE BUILT?
An online store is built in a modular way, meaning it consists of many independent components that you can easily customize and develop. Thanks to modern design patterns such as MVC (Model-View-Controller), the store’s architecture is clear and flexible. You can add new features and extensions without changing the basic structure of the store. Many extensions are available, allowing integration with payment systems, marketing tools, analytics, and logistics. This architecture allows for continuous expansion and optimization of the store to meet the growing demands of the market and your customers.
Once you know what an online store is, it’s time to get familiar with the sales models on the internet.
3. WHICH SALES MODEL TO CHOOSE?
Choosing the right sales model is crucial for the success of your online store. In this article, we will explore three popular models: dropshipping, B2C (Business to Consumer), and B2B (Business to Business), discussing their features, benefits, and challenges. This will help you make an informed decision on which model best suits your business needs.
WHAT IS DROPSHIPPING?
Dropshipping is a sales model where you don’t need to physically stock the goods. You work with a supplier who handles the storage, packaging, and shipping of products directly to your customers. Your job is to manage the online store, marketing, and customer service. Dropshipping allows you to run a business with low initial costs and minimal inventory management risk.
WHAT IS B2C?
B2C (Business to Consumer) is a sales model where a business sells its products or services directly to end consumers. This model is commonly used in online stores that offer a wide range of products available to individual customers. In B2C, marketing, offer personalization, and customer service are crucial, as consumer satisfaction directly affects business success. B2C sales enable quick reach to a wide audience and building customer loyalty through various promotion and communication strategies.
WHAT IS B2B?
B2B (Business to Business) is a sales model where a business sells its products or services to other companies rather than directly to consumers. This model is often used in industries where companies source raw materials, tools, technologies, or services needed to run their own operations. In B2B, business relationships, price negotiations, and long-term contracts are crucial, providing stability and continuity of supply. The sales process in the B2B model is usually more complex and time-consuming than in B2C, but it can lead to larger and more stable revenues.
Once you know how you want to sell, it’s time to consider which platform to sell through.
4. WHICH E-COMMERCE PLATFORM TO CHOOSE?
There are many e-commerce platforms on the market that can be used to base an online store. These can be divided into two main groups: SaaS and open-source.
OPEN-SOURCE E-COMMERCE PLATFORMS
Open-source e-commerce platforms are the most popular solution, and in this group, you will likely find software that fully satisfies you. Open-source platforms are free software with open code. Anyone can download the files and install them on their server. They are characterized by a large number of extensions at a reasonable price. They also have strong support from users, numbering in the thousands.
SAAS E-COMMERCE PLATFORMS
SaaS e-commerce platforms, short for Software as a Service, offer ready-made software. In this case, you don’t install files for the online store; you receive ready-to-use software. This type of platform resembles renting an online store. You can use it but cannot transfer it or access the files. The number of extensions is very limited, and support is only available from the software creators. Another downside is the fee. You have to pay a certain amount monthly for the software lease, plus often a percentage of sales.
5. WHAT ARE THE BEST OPEN-SOURCE PLATFORMS FOR AN ONLINE STORE?
There are three open-source platforms worth considering when planning to open an online store. They differ in functionality offered at the start, ease of use, and speed of operation. However, they are all characterized by a vast number of available themes and extensions.
MAGENTO
Magento is the first of the three open-source e-commerce platforms. It has the most functionality offered at the start. Magento allows for online sales with much more sophistication than other e-commerce systems. Despite this, it is less often chosen for startups due to higher server requirements and relatively difficult operation compared to other platforms.
PRESTASHOP
Prestashop is another great platform for online stores. It offers less functionality than Magento, resulting in easier operation. Prestashop is well-received among Polish sellers. Prestashop also has high server requirements for smooth operation.
OPENCART
OpenCart is an excellent system for online stores. It has slightly less initial functionality than the others, and for good reason. The creators of OpenCart focused on fast loading speed and ease of use. Despite less initial functionality, the system meets the expectations of over 90% of projects. The remaining 10% is compensated by the availability of thousands of extensions for this e-commerce platform.
WHICH E-COMMERCE SYSTEM IS THE BEST?
All of the above are good and designed from A to Z for online sales. However, we most often use the OpenCart system. Why? OpenCart has balanced functionality. It achieves a golden mean between speed, ease of use, and functionality. It is easier to add necessary functionality to the system than to have a bunch of features that slow down the store and are never used. Secondly, OpenCart works well on most available hosting packages, making it cheaper to maintain. Thirdly, its speed. Initially, without optimization, it is a really fast system; optimization further speeds it up, and Google has taken page loading speed as a ranking factor. The loading speed of a website affects its position in the Google search engine, and OpenCart is the best possible choice to quickly implement the plan of creating an online store that will start earning money quickly.
Now you know a lot. It’s time to learn what an online store should contain.
6. WHAT SHOULD AN ONLINE STORE INCLUDE?
Setting up an online store is a process that requires careful planning and execution of several key steps. From choosing the right e-commerce platform, through configuring the store, to an effective marketing strategy – each stage is crucial for the success of your online business. In this section, we present a detailed guide to help you step by step create your own online store.
SHIPPING METHODS
Choosing the right shipping methods is crucial for customer satisfaction and the operational efficiency of your online store. Offering various options such as couriers, parcel lockers, or personal pickup can meet the expectations of different customer groups. Fast and reliable delivery builds trust in the store and encourages repeat purchases.
PAYMENT METHODS
Various payment methods increase shopping convenience and can contribute to higher sales conversion. You should offer popular options such as credit cards, bank transfers, BLIK, and PayPal to meet the needs of different customers. Secure and quick transactions build trust in the store and encourage further purchases.
CART
The shopping cart should be intuitive and easy to use, allowing customers to add, remove, and modify products without issues. It’s important to display all relevant information such as prices, quantities, and shipping costs. Transparency and simplicity in the cart minimize the risk of cart abandonment at the final stage.
CURRENCIES
Offering different currencies in the online store is essential if you plan to sell your products internationally. This allows customers to make purchases in their preferred currency, increasing comfort and trust in the store. Automatic price conversion and currency exchange rate updates facilitate managing international sales.
PRODUCT IMAGES
High-quality product images are key to attracting customer attention and encouraging them to purchase. They should be sharp, well-lit, and show the product from various angles so the customer can see it in detail. Professional photos build trust in the store and enhance the value of the presented offer.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS
Well-written product descriptions are essential for conveying all important information about the offered items. They should be detailed, clear, and written in a benefit-focused language to persuade the customer to purchase. Unique descriptions also help in search engine optimization.
USER-FRIENDLY INTERFACE
The online store interface should be intuitive and easy to navigate to provide customers with a positive shopping experience. All elements of the site should be well-organized and easily accessible, making it easier to move around the store. A user-friendly interface increases customer satisfaction and encourages returns.
CHECKOUT
The checkout process should be quick, simple, and secure. Customers should be able to review their order, enter shipping details, and choose a payment method in a few easy steps. Reducing the number of required fields and clear instructions minimize the risk of cart abandonment at the final purchase stage.
7. WHICH FEATURES OF AN ONLINE STORE SUPPORT SALES?
Effective sales support in an online store requires the use of various features and tools that can increase customer engagement and optimize shopping processes. These can boost your store’s efficiency and improve sales results.
ONLINE STORE OPTIMIZATION
Optimizing the store is crucial for its promotion on Google. We ensure optimized links, images, and proper redirects in the .htaccess file, as well as converting images to next-gen formats if your server allows it. We also take care of speed, SSL certificates, and optimized canonical links, which improve Google ranking.
NEWSLETTER
A newsletter is an essential tool for contacting customers and building loyalty. It allows you to inform them about new products, promotions, and send discount coupons, encouraging repeat purchases. It’s an effective and low-cost form of advertising, especially when reaching subscribers of your store.
COUPONS, VOUCHERS, AND GIFT CARDS
Promotions attract customers, and discounts are associated with savings. Coupons, vouchers, and gift cards allow flexible management of discounts and attracting new and regular customers. You can set the validity period and the number of uses, giving you full control over the promotional offer.
BLOG
Running a blog increases the attractiveness of the store for customers and search engines. By publishing valuable content, product reviews, and expert advice, you build trust and position your store as an industry expert. The blog is also an excellent place to promote new products and technologies.
SALES STATISTICS
Sales statistics help analyze the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and customer preferences. They enable you to better adjust promotion methods and optimize your offer. Analyzing statistics helps understand what’s on top and which products are often bought together.
TRACKING ABANDONED CARTS
Tracking abandoned carts helps understand why customers abandon purchases. Monitoring these situations allows you to fix issues in the order process and increase conversion. Contacting customers who abandoned carts and offering discounts can effectively encourage them to complete the purchase.
Now you should know how your store should look.
8. WHAT SHOULD AN ONLINE STORE LOOK LIKE?
The graphic design is an extremely important element of every website and can decide on the success or failure in sales. When creating an online store, you need to ensure its appearance is in line with current trends and stands out from the competition. An aesthetic and modern graphic design will attract customers, build their trust, and encourage purchases.
GRAPHIC DESIGN IN AN ONLINE STORE
The graphic design is an extremely important element of every website and can decide on the success or failure in sales.
The graphic design created for an online store should comply with current graphic trends. A user visiting the online store should immediately feel that it is up-to-date and find top products. Besides trend compliance, we should ensure some innovation so that our online store stands out and becomes a trendsetter in the given industry.
The user will assess your business and assortment just by entering the home page. If they see that your online store is unique and modern compared to the competition, they will start browsing it. An original and modern graphic design helps attract regular customers and build brand awareness.
Another important issue related to the graphic design is its compliance with the product theme. A user entering the online store should immediately know they are in the right place. In most online stores, banners are used for this purpose.
The graphic design also defines the interface through which the customer can operate the online store. This should obviously be intuitive and placed where the user expects it.
HOW TO PRESENT THE PRODUCT OFFER IN AN ONLINE STORE?
Presenting the product offer is the weakest part of most online stores. If you want your store to sell, you must focus especially on the product presentation layer. Contrary to appearances, this is where you have the most tasks.
Let’s start with photos. Remember that a customer buying in an online store has limited perceptive capabilities. Senses such as touch and smell are excluded. The product can only be examined by the customer through sight and product description. Make sure these two perceptual paths fully satisfy your customer.
Product photos should be of good quality. If they are items, it’s worth placing them on a white background so that nothing else distracts the view. Photos should have proper lighting and sharpness. It is recommended to use photos taken by a photographer. Products should be presented from multiple angles and include key elements for the customer, e.g., mountings, interface in the case of electronics, material texture in the case of clothing.
Photos added to the store should also be appropriately optimized. Remember that there is no need to present images larger than full HD dimensions or with a DPI greater than 92. Most of your customers won’t have a screen that supports higher-quality images.
You already have the essential knowledge about online stores. How much does an online store cost?
9. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO CREATE AN ONLINE STORE?
Of course, the cost of an online store depends on its functionality, but some general ranges can be indicated. For more advanced platforms with dedicated functionalities, the cost can significantly increase, especially in the case of integrations and special modules.
WHAT IS THE COST OF SETTING UP AN ONLINE STORE?
The cost of an online store depends on its functionality, but some general ranges can be indicated. At Design Cart, creating a store starts at just under 6000 PLN gross, for which you get a modern, responsive store ready for sale. For more advanced platforms with dedicated functionalities, prices can range from 8000 PLN to 40,000 PLN, and sometimes even more. Additional modules, such as payments or integrations, can cost below 1000 PLN if they already exist. We have access to thousands of extensions that can facilitate customizing the store to your needs.
WHAT DETERMINES THE COST OF CREATING AN ONLINE STORE?
Several key factors determine the cost of creating an online store:
- Type of Platform: The choice between OpenCart, Magento, and a dedicated platform affects the price, with dedicated solutions being significantly more expensive.
- Integrations: Automation with CRM systems, warehouses, sales platforms like Allegro, and integration with couriers increase costs.
- Language Versions: Adding multiple language versions affects the price.
- Additional Functionalities: Advanced features such as product configurators, file imports, or advanced search engines raise costs.
- Infrastructure: Server, domain, and SSL certificate costs increase with the store’s complexity.
