Want to Be an Online Retailer? 3 Tips for First Timers
Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 6:24 am
If you want to be an online retailer and you’re considering setting up shop, good for you! Ecommerce is huge and is only going to get bigger. These days, you can buy everything from coffee to a car online. According to Mashable, Americans spend $1,200 to $1,300 on online purchases every year, and that number is expected to increase 44 percent to $1,738 by 2016.
That’s a whole lot of opportunity for online retailers.
But before you hit “publish” on that first product listing, here are three ecommerce logistical considerations you need to figure out.
How to Sell?
There are a couple of ways you can sell your products online. You can partner with an tunisia whatsapp number database existing online marketplace, or you can use a shopping cart tool that’s integrated with your website.
– Hook up with an online marketplace
Marketplaces like eBay, Amazon, Etsy and Storenvy are probably the easiest and fastest way to start selling online, because you’re tapping into an existing e-commerce network and platform. These sites provide step-by-step guidance on how to set up a store or merchant account on their platform, as well as lots of support and advice on how to maximize sales. They also have a large, active base of potential buyers and offer opportunities for you to get in front of these customers, so you don’t have to start from scratch on marketing and getting visibility. Storenvy and Etsy, specifically, cater to the crafty, creative crowd.
One big drawback about online marketplaces is that you don’t have a lot of creative freedom to differentiate yourself from other retailers. Most “storefronts” and product listings are templated, where you just plug in the information and it’s all created for you. It’s great for those who aren’t very tech-savvy, but limiting if you want your customers to have a unique shopping experience. And because most of them (except for Storenvy) charge you a listing fee and/or a percentage of the price of every item sold, costs can add up.
– Use a shopping cart tool
If you want a more customized and robust retail experience for customers, consider a shopping cart solution. This approach won’t give you the built-in customer base of an online marketplace, but you gain a lot more freedom in how your online store looks and how it’s integrated into your website. Nearly all shopping cart solution providers offer ready-to-go templates, but if you’ve got some HTML or CSS knowledge, you can personalize to your heart’s content.
There are lots of shopping cart platforms out there with varying levels of features and support, for the small shop all the way to the enterprise-level store. Some of them include:
That’s a whole lot of opportunity for online retailers.
But before you hit “publish” on that first product listing, here are three ecommerce logistical considerations you need to figure out.
How to Sell?
There are a couple of ways you can sell your products online. You can partner with an tunisia whatsapp number database existing online marketplace, or you can use a shopping cart tool that’s integrated with your website.
– Hook up with an online marketplace
Marketplaces like eBay, Amazon, Etsy and Storenvy are probably the easiest and fastest way to start selling online, because you’re tapping into an existing e-commerce network and platform. These sites provide step-by-step guidance on how to set up a store or merchant account on their platform, as well as lots of support and advice on how to maximize sales. They also have a large, active base of potential buyers and offer opportunities for you to get in front of these customers, so you don’t have to start from scratch on marketing and getting visibility. Storenvy and Etsy, specifically, cater to the crafty, creative crowd.
One big drawback about online marketplaces is that you don’t have a lot of creative freedom to differentiate yourself from other retailers. Most “storefronts” and product listings are templated, where you just plug in the information and it’s all created for you. It’s great for those who aren’t very tech-savvy, but limiting if you want your customers to have a unique shopping experience. And because most of them (except for Storenvy) charge you a listing fee and/or a percentage of the price of every item sold, costs can add up.
– Use a shopping cart tool
If you want a more customized and robust retail experience for customers, consider a shopping cart solution. This approach won’t give you the built-in customer base of an online marketplace, but you gain a lot more freedom in how your online store looks and how it’s integrated into your website. Nearly all shopping cart solution providers offer ready-to-go templates, but if you’ve got some HTML or CSS knowledge, you can personalize to your heart’s content.
There are lots of shopping cart platforms out there with varying levels of features and support, for the small shop all the way to the enterprise-level store. Some of them include: