You come up with a fantastic concept for an internet retailer. Or maybe you became motivated after reading about another prosperous business owner.

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You work up the courage to follow through on your plan, but you find yourself asking, “Where do I begin?”

We’ve put up this tutorial with step-by-step directions on how to start an online store to make your life simpler. We’ll assist you in getting off to a good start whether you’re starting a business from scratch or expanding your physical store online.

01. Identify the people you want to reach

When starting an online business, one of the first things to think about is who you want to sell to. Your chances of creating a profitable business are higher the closer you are to your product (or audience).

Use your existing product concept (if you have one) to identify who your target client is. If not, think about speaking to a more familiar audience. Which goods do you regularly use? What qualities of your preferred brands do you find most valuable? Alternatively, whoever are you hoping to help with your items in your life?

Finding a goal that will inspire you throughout time is beneficial, just as in any business. After all, e-commerce isn’t always sunshine and butterflies (for more information, read our definition of e-commerce). You’ll need to deal with a lot of financial and logistical issues.

You can better remain on course by reminding yourself of why and for whom you are conducting your firm. Spend some time creating buyer personas in order to do this. By using personas, you may better understand your target audience and make informed decisions about message, eCommerce website design, marketing tactics, and other areas.

02. Decide what to list for sale online

It will take thought to decide which things to sell.

In addition to considering the preferences of your intended audience, you should conduct some competitive analysis and pose some important questions to yourself. First things first: which businesses are well-known online already? Which particular problems can you assist in resolving? How are you going to source your goods?

03. Choose your organizational structure.

You’re probably hopping in your seat by now, eager to get going. To officially launch your company, you will need to take care of a few legal matters. This includes submitting an official file to guarantee that the government will acknowledge your company. It also includes choices that will impact your personal safeguards, tax duties, and eligibility for business funding, among other things.

04. Select an online storefront

You’re halfway there if you’ve worked out what things to sell and where to get them.

Building a website to list your items is the next stage. Your website is your company’s public face. Here is where you will have the greatest influence over the customer journey as a whole and your branding. You’ll also be managing necessary duties and taking payments there. You may be able to manage your selling, marketing, payments, logistics, and procurement with just one system.

Finding the finest eCommerce platform to host your website is so crucial. Don’t allow a platform’s bells and whistles entice you at this point. Don’t forget to check down and ask all the pertinent questions.

05. Collaborate with a shipper

You may always try dropshipping if you want to get started selling rapidly. Some major benefits of a dropshipping business include low initial expenditures and simple maintenance.

Owning a dropshipping company means collaborating with a supplier that takes care of production, warehousing, and shipping on your behalf. Here’s a rundown of how it functions:

Direct interfaces with well-known dropshipping platforms like Spocket and Modalyst are provided by Wix eCommerce. You may list and manage items from your vendors utilizing our integrated solution without ever leaving Wix. Additionally, any orders from customers will be instantly forwarded to your suppliers and software, giving you a central location to handle all of your back-office and customer-facing duties.

06. Establish a payment processor

You need to choose your payment method before you can make your first dollar through eCommerce. It’s wise to accept a variety of payment options. Just recall your most recent restaurant or retail experience. Most likely, you anticipated that they would take Apple Pay or credit cards. You could occasionally enter a store that only takes cash, in which case your options are limited.

Additionally, there are a variety of payment gateways (also known as payment processors or providers) available. Fund transfers are made secure and successful via payment gateways. The nature and location of your business will determine which gateway is best for you. Whichever option you select, before you can withdraw your earnings, your supplier will need to authenticate your bank account.

Wix Payments is a well-liked option for U.S.-based companies to accept credit, debit, Pay Now by Klarna, and other payment methods at the point of sale. It’s simple to set up on your Wix account and costs nothing. Having a single, integrated dashboard helps you customize your payout cycles and more in the end.

Using third-party plugins, which provide more than 50 payment channels globally, is an additional choice. Wix doesn’t impose extra costs on transactions and may be seamlessly linked with your preferred gateway right now.

07. Choose a domain name for your shop.

Lastly. It’s time to start developing your brand. First, choose a catchy name for your company. Having a well-known brand may help you stand out from the competition in your intended market.

List all the terms that are connected to your brand, sector, core principles, or differentiator. Alternatively, utilize a shop name generator to get ideas.

Think about SEO when choosing a name. Determine the search phrases that consumers use to locate your kind of physical or digital goods. For assistance in this area, you may utilize keyword research tools such as Semrush or Google Trends. For more advice, you may also refer to our SEO guide.

Mentioning your product type or category right in the name might not be a terrible idea. This will immediately inform customers of what you have to offer. For instance, you may use the words “accessories,” “fedoras,” or “caps” in your name if you’re a hat seller.