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Is it a good idea to create an online toy store? Is it possible to sell products in this segment over the internet? Well, if we take into account the growth of this industry in recent years, the answer is “yes”.
According to data from the Brazilian Association of Toy Manufacturers (ABRINQ), sales have been steadily increasing since 2012. See the revenue statistics for domestic and imported products in Brazil:
- 2012 – BRL 3.875 billion
- 2013 – BRL 4.456 billion
- 2014 – BRL 5.160 billion
- 2015 – BRL 5.625 billion
- 2016 – BRL 6.018 billion
- 2017 – BRL 6.391 billion
- 2018 – BRL 6.871 billion
- 2019 – BRL 7.290 billion
With data like that, you can even get excited, right? That's why I decided to write this article in which I show you the safest way to develop your toy e-commerce. Keep reading and stay in the loop!
When you can, click on " Online children's clothing store ". Then, also read a complementary article ideal for those who want to enter the children's product retail market.
WHAT TO SELL IN A VIRTUAL TOY STORE
There are countless types of toys, so you need to be very selective when putting together a product mix for e-commerce in this sector. There are different categories, genres, and age ranges of children that you need to take into account.
If you want to work by age, for example, then you can specialize in a range like 0 to 6 months, 6 to 12 months, 1 to 2 years, 3 to 4 years, 5 to 7 years, 8 to 11 years or more of 12 years.
Also, you need to decide if you are going to sell products just for girls or just for boys. If you want, you can also sell products for both genders and for all ages, which is the most common in this field of activities.
The most interesting products for girls are dolls and accessories, scooters, skates, costumes for parties, musical instruments, plush toys, souvenirs, tents and dens, bicycles and trampolines, among others.
For boys, you can work with collectible dolls, mini electric vehicles, tricycles, building blocks, bikes, skates, puzzles, tracks and arcades, musical instruments, plastic cars, etc. Realize that products are often unisex.
In any case, be aware of the seasonality of sales so that you can plan promotions for the entire year. This table from ABRINQ shows how industrial sales have been since 2012. Note that trade increases in the months of July, August, September and November:
Anyway, select ten or more competing online stores and take a good look at them. That way, you'll be able to list the best features of each one (including the product mix) and merge them into your project.
HOW TO BUILD A VIRTUAL TOY STORE
To start and develop your virtual toy store project, follow the following steps:
01 - Planning:
At this stage, use a Business Plan to plan everything before investing. Completing this document will give you a clearer vision of your venture. It will help you refine your idea and make it easier to implement.
However, if you prefer, you can work with the Startup method . In this case, the theory and practice of the business are implemented simultaneously. That is, each small idea is tested with small audiences. If it is successful, then the idea is expanded to larger audiences.
It might be interesting to use both methods. That is, first produce a Business Plan to create the foundations of your e-commerce. Soon after, start testing your ideas through the Startup method.
02 - Legalization:
Already during the creation of your Business Plan you will come across the issue of legalization. In this way, you will know that you must open a company so that it is possible to issue Invoices for the products you intend to sell.
The legalization process also involves obtaining permits and licenses. These documents are essential for warehouses, factories, physical stores, distribution centers and other establishments dealing with the production and sales of toys.
03 - Development:
The development of an online toy store is one of the most sensitive stages of your project. I say this because if you create a bad e-commerce site, nothing you have planned in your Business Plan will work right.
A quality online store needs to look good first and foremost. It must have an original and exclusive design to differentiate itself from competing stores.
This Design, in turn, needs to be editable so that it is possible to develop banners for each commemorative date, for each month and time of the year. And in addition, so that you can make changes to any and all aspects of the store and improve its usability and sales performance.
Therefore, when developing your online store, prefer e-commerce platforms that give you the freedom to modify the layout and design at any time with practicality.
04 - Performance:
Once your online toy store is ready, you'll need to start promoting it. This is the first step in what's called sales performance. Therefore, promotion with sponsored links , SEO content, and other resources is essential to attract visitors.
In Brazil, for every 100 visitors, only 1 purchase. That is, 1% conversion. In this scenario, when it comes to performance, one of the most urgent goals is to increase that conversion rate to 2%, 3%, 4%, 5% or more.
For that, Performance Marketing is used, a practical science that aims at the continuous optimization not only of ads, but also of the interface and usability of the virtual store, which once again requires an e-commerce platform with a 100% editable CMS. .
Access and read the post “ VTEX CMS ” as well. Learn more about this e-commerce development and content management system.
ADVANTAGES OF HAVING A VIRTUAL TOY STORE
The advantages of having a toy e-commerce:
- Digital transformation: your company will start to operate in online retail and thus will attract new consumers, who are more connected, multichannel and informed;
- online all the time: an online store is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. This means that it will be possible to sell in the morning, afternoon, night and even at dawn;
- Shopping from anywhere: a virtual store can be accessed from home, the office, public transport, the beach, from inside your physical store, from the bread line, etc.
- multiple screens: count on a virtual toy store that can be accessed on PCs and notebooks, but that can also be in the palm of people's hands on a cell phone screen.
Furthermore, an online store is easier to promote. Advertise each of your sales pages online with Performance Marketing and improve your conversion rate day after day. Make your brand more well-known each year and evolve alongside the toy industry.
As soon as you can, also click on “ Galinha Pintadinha Store Launches on Amazon ”. This way, you can learn more about this brand that went from YouTube content to e-commerce success in six years.
