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How to start an eCommerce business: Step-by-step definitive guide

Online shopping is one of the hottest trends of this digital age. Whether is it a household or an office purchase today’s buyer is first to check it on an e-commerce platform. The comfort convenience and affordability of online shopping are some of the major factors responsible for the market growth. Because of this current scenario businesses big or small are trying to sell their products online either through building an online store or choosing an e-commerce platform to sell.

In the simplest definition selling and buying products or services using the internet is e-commerce. According to a report, in 2021 the market size of e-commerce has reached US$13 trillion and is expected to grow at a rate of 27.4% CAGR during 2022-2027. Setting up an e-commerce business can be challenging without proper information, in this blog we have covered all the steps you need to follow if you are searching for answers to how to start a successful e-commerce business.

Before getting started with how to start an e-commerce business. Let us first take a look at what are the factors responsible for the growth of the e-commerce market.

Smartphone ownership

The number of people using smartphones is increasing every minute. Mobile users prefer to shop online, it provides the flexibility to buy from any of the e-commerce websites.
Access to smartphones with the increase in internet usage and better connectivity makes online shopping easy and convenient.

Accessibility

With the help of the internet and globalization, it is possible to buy products that were once far beyond the reach of the buyer. The range of products you get to choose from is humongous. E-commerce outgrows the limitation of physical shopping.

Secure online payment

One of the crucial aspects of any e-commerce business is access to secure payment gateways. With the help of technology, secure payment gateways are not a problem anymore.

Technology

The advancement of technologies like artificial intelligence, and data analytics is shaping the world of e-commerce. The intervention of technology in e-commerce gives customers an enhanced user experience with functions like shopping assistance and chatbots. Data analytics gives a better understanding of consumer requirements and buying patterns that would help the business in decision-making for revenue growth.

The ease with which one can buy and sell products online is contributing to the growth of the number of e-commerce platforms and websites. Our e-commerce business guide will help you understand and set up your own e-commerce business.

A guide on how to set up an e-commerce business

1. Research

The first step in the direction of setting up your e-commerce business is gathering information about the market scenario. One needs to understand how e-commerce business operates and functions. For this, study the market research report that has studied the recent trend in the business like which products are in demand. There are different categories in which businesses operate depending upon the buyer and seller. The other important thing to decide is selecting the type of business model.

There are 4 types:

1. B2B Business to Business
2. B2C Business to Consumer
3. C2B Consumer to Business
4. C2C Consumer to Consumer

2. E-commerce Business Revenue Model

The revenue model for an e-commerce business is classified based on the product you choose to sell and how.

Here are some of the major models:

A. Dropshipping

In dropshipping model, you don’t need to set up and maintain the inventory. When an order is placed you need to connect with the supplier and get the order dispatched from the supplier to the customer. The investment is low in the dropshipping model.

B. Wholesaling

In this model, you need to set up and maintain stock of the products you have listed to sell. You buy the product from the manufacturer in large quantities and store them to sell as and when the order is placed.

C. Manufacturing

This model is adopted by the manufacturer who wants to sell their products directly to the customer.

D. Subscription-based

The subscription model is suitable for items that are bought at regular intervals such as groceries. Online courses are also sold in subscription format. The customer can take a monthly or yearly subscription as per their needs.

3. Choosing the product

After getting a brief idea about how e-commerce business operates. The next major thing is choosing the product to sell. To make the decision analyzing the gap in the market can be a way to finalize the products. If there is any unique product to sell you can get started with that. Looking for options to source the product is an important factor to be considered.

4. Register your e-commerce business

Decide on the brand name you want to create for your business, register your e-commerce business, and get the license, business permit, and other legal documents that depend on the region in which you are located.

5. Branding

The next step is to work on building your brand. You can use the online tool able to create the logo that resonates with your brand and figure out other details like your brand color, fonts, and tagline. These are the assets that would help create the image for your brand or business.

6. Build an online store for your business

This step requires you to hire a company to give you an e-commerce business solution either to build an e-commerce website or an application. The technology company can assist you with building your online store and guide you with the other technical specifications. There are three major technologies widely used to build an e-commerce website.

1. Shopify
2. Magento
3. Bigcommerce

7. Market your e-commerce business

Marketing strategy is one of the core strategies of any business. An E-commerce business guide is not complete without the marketing aspect of the business. For an e-commerce business, online marketing is the best option. Social media marketing, content marketing, and e-mail marketing are some of the channels through which you can market your business. Companies are providing digital marketing services and have a team of experts to handle online marketing, you can connect with them.

Conclusion

The e-commerce business is on exploding and there are enormous opportunities to start your own e-commerce business. With the increase in the number of e-commerce websites, the competition is bound to increase. Hiring the best technical partner for building your website or application can help your business with the right start.