subject: How to Start an Ecommerce Website? [print this page] How to Start an Ecommerce Website? How to Start an Ecommerce Website?
In simple words, ecommerce can be understood as a process of buying & selling of goods/services through internet. This can be formulated and implemented by creating an ecommerce website that provides products and services online. Conceptually, ecommerce is very naive process consist of an online shop where buyers and sellers meet for their needs and demand like in shopping mall and then further proceedings occur accordingly. There are some useful tips and information that could be very helpful and supportive for new entrants into online business.
1) Decide your niche market - Before setting up your website, you need to decide the product or services you will be selling through ecommerce websites. The decision of product or services is an important aspect of an e-commerce website because the products and services you will be selling through the website should have high potential of sale. Also, avoid those product or services for your online shop, which are in cut throat competition in the market and market leaders of such product or services already exist in the market.
2) Your Ecommerce Website - Once you decided the product or services for your online shop, web design is another important aspect of your online shop, because website is the platform through which you will be selling your product or services. While website designing, make sure that you can edit the website code in future accordingly so that it could be easy for you to give customize look in website as your company grows in future. Your website must contain separate sections to show pictures of your product and simple way to buy the product. Give product description for every product and let your customer contact with you easily through your website. As far as, search engine ranking is concerned, use informative content in your web pages and optimize it to make search engine friendly.
3) Registration of your company - It is advised to register your company either as Ltds or as PLC, depends on your company's budget. If your company is having very low budget then it is better not to register your company. Otherwise, if you are not having any registration of your company, it means the debt taken by you for your business will be your responsibility to pay it back. If you are registered, then you are protected by your company and you have to only pay back what you invest in company's business. Having a Ltd. business means you have submitted all your records to government. As far registration for Public limited company is concerned, take this step only when your company has enough budgets to sell their shares to public.
4) Suppliers - After deciding your niche market, you need to search for your suppliers and you can do this through directories, forums, trade shows etc. Basically, suppliers are of three types; distributors, wholesalers and drop shippers. For a beginner, it is advised to consider wholesalers or drop shippers as their suppliers. Another decision you have to make is to decide whether you will handle the stock by yourself or using drop shipper. The main factors to decide the use of drop shippers are size and cost of goods
