What to sell online? It was under this title that, in 2012, I wrote a post highlighting the need for planning before creating an online store . Since then, I've learned some new tricks, which I'm now sharing with you, dear readers of this blog:
HOW TO SET UP AN ONLINE STORE: PLANNING
At this stage, you should research the business niche you intend to enter. Use the Business Model Canvas tool , for example, to build an initial scenario.
Once you are sure of what you want to do, start creating a Business Plan . This document will help you analyze the market, your competitors, your target audience, create operational, financial, logistical and advertising plans, and gather information that will allow you to predict future scenarios and create plans for each of them.
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Planning is important because it reduces the possibilities of errors and waste, which reduces your expenses. Take your time when performing this task. In general, 6 months to 1 year is enough. But there are companies that spend 2 years just to complete this phase;
E-COMMERCE PLATFORM
Choose the type of system you will use to structure and manage your online store. There are several options on the market, such as CiaShop Framework, Vtex, and Bseller. Here at Agência E-Plus , we have many projects implemented with the CiaShop e-commerce platform , which has dozens of features and serves all sizes of companies looking for a professional e-commerce platform solution.
HOW TO SET UP AN ONLINE STORE: MARKETING AND SALES STRATEGIES
Long Tail Strategy for eCommerce:
When you first start your online store, I recommend that you sell a few products to test out the tools and features. However, as soon as you gain some experience, start increasing the number of products so that you can sell fewer and fewer from an ever-growing list, which, believe me, will give you greater profits;
Sales funnel:
Turn internet users into friends, friends into customers, and customers into lifelong loyal patrons. You can achieve this through a good sales funnel strategy.
Product photos:
Pay close attention to this detail, because, as the saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words." Many people buy e-products based on the photo. If needed, hire professional photographers like those at Shotcom , a company specializing in images for e-commerce.
Okay. In addition to planning, choosing an e-commerce platform , developing a Long Tail strategy, preparing a sales funnel, taking care of product photographs and descriptions, invest in marketing tools such as sponsored links and email marketing, in logistical innovations such as Axado and Speedyboy , and in target audience analysis tools such as buyer personas in order to offer them improvements in the shopping experience.
