In 2019, consumers spent $601.75 billion buying from US merchants online—up 14.9% in 2018. Sales are growing fast, creating plenty of opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs.

With planning and a bit of work, you can create your own successful ecommerce business.

Keep reading for five tips for building an ecommerce website for your business.

1. Research and Choose Your Niche

Don’t make the mistake of believing you can get rich selling just anything on the internet. Your online store must have a niche to stand out.

Pick a focus by researching which areas are competitive. If there is no competition for your desired niche, it’s safe to say there isn’t a market for it either.

You also can’t pick an overly crowded niche or try to sell products dominated by successful brands. The more specific you are about what you sell, the less competition you’ll likely face.

Once you’ve identified your niche, you’ll start itching to find products to sell—not so fast. It would help if you thought about your target audience. You can’t choose items to sell if you don’t know who you’re selling to.

To identify your store’s target persona, ask yourself the following questions:

Who are you?

What does your store represent?

Who are your ideal customers?

Do your best to present a consistent brand image, and you’ll gain loyal customers.

3. Don’t Skip the Basics

An online store may seem easier to run than a physical one, but you shouldn’t neglect your business plan.

Creating a solid business plan allows you to iron out the details such as product sourcing, staffing, logistics, breakeven point, and marketing budget.

While you’re setting your business plan, don’t forget to apply for the appropriate licenses and permits. Check with a local attorney to see which licenses you need. Get any licenses approved before you start operating your online store.

4. Choose the Right Platform

When it’s time to create your online store, make sure you choose the platform that best meets your needs.

You don’t need an expensive development company to design your ecommerce solution. Just use a pre-built theme from an existing platform such as BigCommerce, WooCommerce, or Shopify.

Each platform will have several pricing tiers and options. For example, Shopify offers two platforms: Shopify and Shopify Plus. They’re the same solution with these differences that provide enterprise-level companies additional options.

5. Invest in Online Marketing

You can’t create a store and expect people to come without investing in marketing. If you don’t have the funds to invest in online marketing right away, get to work researching the marketing industry.

There are plenty of resources out there for digital marketing tips—subscribe to marketing newsletters or digital marketing podcasts and take notes.

Ready to Start Your First Ecommerce Store?

Creating your own ecommerce store doesn’t have to be a struggle. If you put in the time and effort, you could launch a profitable website for only a few hundred dollars per month.

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