It is common nowadays to consider a side hustle and start an eCommerce website to supplement income. But it’s not easy.
You don’t just slap up a website. You will spend more time and money than you think. I’ve written a lot about what is involved but never created a simple checklist that covers every step you need to nail down.
Below is my checklist with links to other articles on this site for more information.
Step 1: Research and Planning
Choose a Niche
Identify Interests and Expertise: List your interests and areas where you have expertise. This will help you choose a niche you’re passionate about. Without passion, it won’t happen. [More here.]
Analyze Market Demand: Use tools like Google Trends, keyword research tools (e.g., Ahrefs, SEMrush), and Amazon Best Sellers to gauge demand for potential products. Don’t kid yourself by putting up a “me too” website. [More here.]
Market Research
Identify Competitors: Search for competitors within your niche. Analyze their websites, product offerings, pricing, and customer reviews. They already own market share. What will you do differently and better? [More here.]
Understand Your Audience: Create a customer persona detailing your ideal customer’s demographics, interests, and purchasing behavior. You need to cater to your specific target market. You cannot be everything to everyone. [More here.]
Business Plan
Executive Summary: Describe your business idea and objectives. Create as much detail as possible. [More here.]
Market Analysis: Summarize your market research findings. Describe your target customer’s needs and wants. [More here.]
Marketing Strategy: Outline how you plan to attract and retain customers. Note every venue, website, and activity you need to take to reach your target market. [More here.]
Brainstorm Ideas: Create a list of potential names. Ensure they are easy to spell, pronounce, and remember. Avoid anything that can infringe on established trademarks.
Check Availability: Verify that your chosen name is not already in use. You can check domain availability using tools like GoDaddy.
Register Your Business
Local Regulations: Check with your local and state government or a legal advisor to understand the necessary steps to register your business.
Business Licenses and Permits: Depending on your niche, you might need specific licenses or permits.
Legal Structure
Sole Proprietorship: Simple to set up but doesn’t separate personal and business liabilities.
Partnership: Good for businesses with multiple owners. Shared responsibilities and profits.
LLC (Limited Liability Company): Provides personal liability protection and flexible tax options.
Corporation: Suitable for larger businesses with complex structures.
Please seek legal advice to know what will work best for you, your setup and situation.
Step 3: Create Your Online Store
Domain Name
Choose a Memorable Domain: Select a domain that reflects your business name and is easy to remember. Avoid common mistakes when making this decision. Also, consider domains that describe your products or services. [More here.]
PRO TIP: Purchase your business and product domains in various extensions to avoid misspellings or competition down the road.
E-commerce Platform
Shopify: User-friendly, great for beginners, includes hosting, and has many apps and themes. Review packages to make sure you have all the features you’ll need.
WordPress & WooCommerce: A highly customizable plugin for WordPress that requires separate hosting. Add-ons also can add up. [More here.]
BigCommerce: Scalable solution with built-in SEO features and various integrations.
Wix: Easy to use with a drag-and-drop interface, suitable for small businesses.
WordPress is the only platform you can easily migrate to new hosting if needed.
Website Design
Choose a Theme: Select a template that matches your brand’s aesthetic. It must be block enabled. Avoid freebie themes. [More here.]
Customize: Adjust colors, fonts, and layout to fit your brand. Add a logo and create essential pages (Home, About, Contact, Shop, FAQ, etc.). [More here.]
Mobile Optimization: Ensure your site is mobile-friendly by running tests.
Order Process: Create a flow chart of your order process to ensure all the bases are covered. [More here.]
Set Up Payment Methods
Payment Gateways: Integrate secure payment options like PayPal, Stripe, or Square.
SSL Certificate: Purchase an SSL certificate to secure your website and protect customer data. Most Managed WordPress hosting includes SSL with hosting at no additional charge.
Step 4: Source or Create Your Products
Product Sourcing
Manufacturing: List the necessary supplies and create an inventory system so you have materials on hand as needed.
Wholesalers: Purchase products in bulk from wholesalers. Do a thorough review of all your options.
Drop Shipping: Investigate partnering with drop shipping suppliers to sell products without holding inventory.
Product Listings
High-Quality Images: Use professional photos showing different angles and uses of the product. Image quality sells—never cut corners here. [More here.]
Compelling Descriptions: Write detailed descriptions highlighting features, benefits, and specifications with SEO in mind. The more detail, the better. [More here.]
Pricing: Set competitive prices while considering production costs, competitor pricing, and perceived value. Never race to the bottom when it comes to pricing. [More here.]
Step 5: Launch Your Online Store
Test Everything
Functionality: Test all links, forms, and buttons. Then do it again — and again.
Checkout Process: Simulate a purchase to ensure the checkout process is smooth. You want this process to be as easy as possible.
Payment Methods: Verify that payments are processed correctly.
Soft Launch
Feedback: Invite friends, family, or a small group of potential customers to test your site. Collect feedback on usability, design, and functionality.
Adjustments: Make necessary changes based on feedback.
Step 6: Marketing and Promotion
SEO
Keywords: Conduct keyword research and incorporate relevant terms into your website content. [More here.]
On-Page SEO: Optimize product titles, descriptions, meta tags, and URLs. [More here.]
Content Marketing: Include a blog to share helpful content related to your niche, which can drive organic traffic. [More here.}
Social Media
Profiles: Create profiles on platforms where your target audience is active. Ensure they are all identical in color and style so customers recognize your brand. [More here.]
Content Plan: Develop a content calendar to post regularly. Share product updates, promotions, behind-the-scenes content, and customer testimonials. Plan on posting once a week, minimally. [More here.]
Email Marketing
Email List: Use tools like ConvertKit* to collect email addresses and manage your list. Your list is probably your most effective marketing tool.
Newsletters: Send regular newsletters with product updates, promotions, and valuable content. Plan on providing an update each month. [More here.]
Paid Advertising
Google Ads: It gets expensive fast to run ads. Do your homework first before committing.
Facebook/Instagram Ads: Target specific demographics (do your homework) with visually appealing ads.
Retargeting: Use retargeting ads to reach visitors who didn’t complete a purchase.
Step 7: Manage and Grow Your Business
Customer Service
Support Channels: Offer multiple support channels (email, live chat, phone) and respond promptly. [More here.]
FAQs: Create a comprehensive FAQ page to address common questions. [See mine here.]
Inventory Management
Tracking: Use inventory management software to keep track of stock levels.
Reordering: Set reorder points to avoid running out of stock.
Analytics
Google Analytics: Track website traffic, user behavior, and conversions. Your analytics are invaluable in telling you what is or isn’t going on.
E-commerce Metrics: Monitor critical metrics such as conversion rate, average order value, and customer acquisition cost.
Continuous Improvement
Customer Feedback: Regularly collect and analyze customer feedback. Polls are a great way to extract essential nuggets for improvement.
A/B Testing: Test different website elements (e.g., product pages, checkout process, calls to action) to improve performance. Then, review your activity statistics to see what worked best.
Product Updates: Continuously update and improve your product offerings based on customer feedback and market trends. Online is the opposite of stagnant.
*Some of the links on this page are to companies I have a professional affiliation with. Read my full affiliate statement here.
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