How to Start an Ecommerce Business in 2022 [Steps + Must-Follow Tips]

In June 2021,over 440,000 businesses were launched，自2020年3月开始大流行以来，它是创纪录的。

Many are focusing on ecommerce businesses, as they offer an easier point of entry. There's no physical space to scope out, rent to pay, or permits to obtain. However, that doesn't mean starting an online business is a piece of cake.

Learn what it takes to start an ecommerce business and the steps to start one today.

Tips for Starting an Online Business

1. Design your website with intention.

Your website is your storefront – you don't want potential customers arriving, looking around, and walking right out.

将您的网站标题和元描述视为窗口显示。您希望该描述足以打败竞争对手，并让用户点击您的网站。

您的主页是访问者降落（或走进）时首先看到的。您会在什么时候让他们继续滚动？也许这是您的最新报价或最新广告系列中的惊人图像，或者这是一个简单但引人注目的CTA，会引起好奇心。

用户应该能够在几乎没有摩擦的情况下无缝导航您的网站。这需要大量的计划，设计和迭代。

Just as you would take time to curate every section of your store, be sure to give that same care with your website. Every section should have a clear goal and lead users to your desired action.

A first impression can last and can be hard to change – so make sure it's a good one.

2. Don't skimp on your creative assets.

We've already mentioned the importance of designing your website with care and intention.

现在，让我们了解将构成您网站的元素：您的副本和视觉元素，例如图像和视频。

您的创意资产可以使您的品牌感知产生或破坏您的品牌知觉。不相信我吗？看看一般保险公司。bob全站app

The company recently rebranded and revamped its entire marketing strategy because公众怀疑该品牌的信誉due to its perceived low-budget ads. They even addressed it in a commercial.

All this to say that it's vital that you invest in high-quality visuals as they will be a representation of your brand.

至于你的副本,这是很重要的,以确保y message you are putting out is driving the action you want. Otherwise, you may get visitors to your site but not get them to convert. If you don't feel equipped to take this on yourself, hire a copywriter who specializes in your industry.

For your visual assets, you can:

• Outsource the work to a marketing or branding agency, or work directly with professionals on a contract basis.
• Leverage sites likePexelsandUnplashto get some high-quality stock product photos and videos that are free for commercial use.
• Use sites like Canva to create beautiful visuals that fit within your brand identity.

3. Social media will be key to your success.

将社交媒体视为您希望商店进入的高流量区域。

Social media is one of the biggest discovery points for ecommerce brands, aside from search. If you post content where your audience lives online, you can help them discover your company and build a strong community of brand loyalists.

如果您做对了，社交媒体会让他们对您的品牌感兴趣，您的网站会让他们坚持下去，并在买家的旅程中转向下一步。

4.帮助客户自助。

Many ecommerce brands struggle with customer service.

They often have a small team that's unable to manage large volumes of requests from customers. One way to combat this is by offering helpful resources to current and prospective customers so they can the answers they need quickly.

After running your business for a while, you may notice that you get the same questions repeatedly. This is a clear sign that customers are experiencing friction on your site and need more support. FAQ and knowledge base pages are great ways to address that.

An FAQ section will not only be great for SEO, but also address your visitors' most pressing questions. A knowledge base will help your customers troubleshoot and solve their issues on their own.

This will also allow your team to focus on addressing more important issues instead of fielding simple requests.

5. Automate when and where you can.

On the topic of customer service, automation is the name of the game.

There are many ways to automate interactions in a way that leads them further down the buyer's journey. For instance, you could set up a chatbot that is designed to answer common questions from website visitors.

Automation can also look like:

• Email workflow after a customer makes a purchase to ask for a product/service review.
• 票创建你的销售团队的一员reach out to a prospect once they visit the pricing page.
• Unpublishing out-of-stock products and email notification sent to fulfillment team.

如果您有工作流程，则可能有一种自动化的方法。

6. Leverage multi-channel selling.

As an ecommerce business, you want to maximize your reach and be everywhere your audience lives.

You may have some customers who shop directly from your store on your website. However, you may have some who shop exclusively on Amazon or Etsy.

To maximize your earning potential, sell your products on multiple marketplaces, as long as they align with your target audience and product.

How to Start Your Own Business Online

1.确定市场差距并验证您的想法。

The best ideas stem from personal experience.

Maybe you experienced friction when completing a task and figured out a way to streamline it. Or perhaps you thought of a product that would make your life 10 times simpler.

Wherever the inspiration comes from, it's definitely worth exploring.

If you're having trouble coming up with an idea, try the SCAMPER method for brainstorming:

• Substitute- 如果您想在以后建模现有的产品/服务，也许您可​​以替换一些元素以使其与众不同。想想素食冰淇淋。
• Combine– You also have the option of combining two existing products to make one great one.
• Adapt– Have a product that you think needs some changes? See how you can adapt it to the times, the audience, or the location.
• 修改，缩小或放大- 这敦促您查看现有的产品或服务，并确定某些可能使用某些调整的元素。
• Put to another use- 尽管最初可能用于一个目的的某些东西并不意味着您不能将其重新利用。例如，不合适的市场takes grocery items that are deemed too ugly for the stores and repurposes them by selling them directly to consumers.
• Eliminate– If you find a current product or process clunky and complex, perhaps you can develop a simpler way of doing things.
• Reserve/Rearrange– The way you present a product or idea can have a big impact on how it's perceived. This can be your entry into the market.

These options give you the freedom of developing something without the pressure of starting from scratch.

2.验证您的想法。

Once you identify a product or service, you have to validate it.

坚硬的事实是，并非每个想法对企业都具有可持续性。在此阶段，您要确保有一个受众和市场需求。

您如何完成此操作？有几种方法：

• Research – Resources like Google Trends can help you separate fads from trends that have longevity.
• Competitive analysis – Are there other companies currently offering the same or a similar product? How are they performing?
• Crowdfunding – Crowdfunding puts the power in the hands of the people by allowing them to fund ideas they believe in. This is a great way to confirm the need for your product but also get funds to jumpstart your business.

3. Develop your product and/or service.

This stage is the one that may take the longest.

You'll need to figure out manufacturing, sourcing, packaging, shipping, pricing – all of the -ings.

您遵循的过程将取决于您的业务类型和行业。例如，如果您正在开发一种新产品，那么与白色标签（从供应商购买产品并在您的品牌下进行营销的过程）相比，这将涉及更多的步骤。

Need more help on this? Read this article on theproduct development process.

4.命名并提交您的业务。

一旦对您的业务及其提供的东西有了清楚的了解，就必须提出一个名字。

当涉及到命名您的业务,这里有一个few tips to keep in mind:

• 避免可以限制您的业务的名称。说我将我的业务命名为“ Martina Bretous Copyriting”，它暗示我只提供文案作为服务。假设我整体上扩展到营销，我必须做更多的工作以让听众知道。
• Make sure the name is not already trademarked or tied to a business in your same industry.
• Consider a name that's catchy and has a relevant meaning.
• 大声说出您的业务名称，看看它的声音。
• Avoid names that are too general. E.g.: "Lux Clothing"
• If you're debating between a few options, see if the domains and social media handles are available. That can help you narrow down the best choice for you.

After submitting your business name to your state department, you'll also want to apply for an employee identification number (EIN) for tax purposes.

Lastly, do you need any permits and licenses to operate? Be sure to speak with a professional about the rules and regulations in your state and submit proper documentation before launching your business.

5. Build your brand identity.

Now that the legal details are all covered, you can get to the fun part:Building your brand.

此步骤是关键，因为它将影响您如何向目标受众推销品牌。在此步骤中，您需要问自己几个问题：

• What is our mission?
• What do we stand for?
• If this brand was a person, how would we describe them?
• 我们希望如何在市场上被感知？

From there, you can start working on your brand logo, colors, tone, and other creative assets that reflect your identity.

6. Secure your domain and social media handles.

Developing a strong online presence will be instrumental to the success of your ecommerce business. As such, you want to start early.

在网上找到和购买域很容易。顶级域站点包括：

• Google域
• GoDaddy
• namecheap
• Domain.com

Many site builders, like Squarespace and Wix, and most hosting platforms also allow you to buy your domains directly from them. That way, the site that owns your domain will be the same one where you host your ecommerce site.

7. Choose an ecommerce platform.

The internet is full of ecommerce platforms, each offering different features and benefits.

首先，确定所需的自定义级别。您可以选择四类电子商务平台：

• 严格的电子商务平台that offer tiered packages based on your needs. ThinkShopify,BigCommerce， 和Shift4Shop.
• Website builders with templates and ecommerce tools喜欢正方形,Wix,正方形spacethat can be used to build any site but offer features like product catalog management, shipping tools, abandoned cart recovery.
• Ecommerce WordPress plugins,喜欢WooCommerce, that are ideal for people who already use the CMS and are familiar with its platform, and want to build from it.

To decide, look at what your timeline and what you want to accomplish. Pre-built websites make it easy to build an ecommerce site quickly. However, they're not very customizable and can be limiting.

On the flip side, there are fully customizable platforms that offer a lot but can take much longer to set up.

在电子商务平台中寻找的主要功能包括：

• Product and order management
• Mobile compatibility
• Reporting and analytics
• 内置的SEO功能
• Abandoned cart recovery
• Third-party system integrations
• 高级内容管理系统
• Multi-channel sales

8. Develop a marketing strategy.

The last step before launching your business is developing a pre- and post-launch strategy.

The idea behind apre-launch strategyis to get your target audience excited about your product or service before it's available. If done right, you'll have a line of customers waiting to try out your products.

发布后策略是更长远的marketing strategythat involves tying your business objectives to specific marketing goals, such as building brand awareness and acquiring more leads.

您的营销策略还应在买方旅程的各个阶段考虑受众。如果您过多地专注于漏斗的顶部，那么您将无法将潜在客户转换为客户。如果您专注于漏斗的底部，则将无法吸引新客户进入您的业务。

In 2022, building an ecommerce business is more accessible than it's ever been. If you follow the steps outlined above, you'll have your company up and running in no time.