How to Build an Online Store in 2020 in 5 Easy Steps
In this post, we provide a way to build an online store using 5 easy steps. You will learn how to set up your store as well as some great strategies that will save you time and money.
E-commerce currently accounts for almost 20% of all retail sales and that number is only going to increase. More and more people are using mobile devices to buy products that used to be purchased from stores. So if you are a store owner thinking of opening your own store, it's really important that you know how to set up an e-commerce site in the best possible way.
Let's dive in. 1. Find the Perfect E-commerce Store Builder
When it comes to online store builders, there are a lot of platforms out there that you can choose from. A lot of them have the same features but only a select few have all of the features that you need in order to maximize your sales.
Let's consider Shopify. It's one of the more used platforms out there and has social media integrations (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest) and marketplaces. It also has apps that you can pay for to customize your store. On the other hand, the Shopify blogging feature is very weak, lacks SEO features and they don't have a way to optimize for mobile users.
Ucraft - on the other hand - has all the features that we mentioned, and also comes with a mobile app that you can build alongside your site, and for no additional cost too. Ucraft also has a really great easy to use blogging feature, as well as a drag and drop site builder. 2. Select the Right E-commerce Template
Business owners tend to spend a long time on this step, which results in the design elements of the site being much more complicated than they need to be. Select one of the templates that catch your eye and customize it to fit your vision. Don't spend too much time on this. Once you have built up your site, you can always hire a professional designer to work out some of the finishing touches for you and sharpen things up.
A really easy way to do this is to choose an online store builder that allows you to drag and drop all of your elements on the page. Instead of spending a lot of time and energy on learning how to code, create a full website in a number of hours (or even minutes) with a simple website builder. 3. Add All of Your Products
Once you completed the template, it's time to add all of your products. Remember - it's really important to have clear pictures and clear descriptions for each aspect. You may want to include a bullet point list of the top benefits/features of each product in your store.
Another great addition to your product pages would be a collection of customer images showcasing how they use your product. This always gets a lot of engagement and smiles from your visitors. 4. Add a Blog
Content marketing is a really important pillar of any e-commerce store. Running a blog and publishing content on it regularly can allow you to generate leads and build rapport with your customers. It could also help you grow your email list and your social media presence by sharing the articles that you write in an email blast or a social post.
Adding a blog to your store also ads a huge boost to your SEO efforts, which is why it's important that the online store builder you chose is optimized for search engines. A platform like Ucraft, for example, has all of the SEO features built-in to the blog feature, so you can just fill in the blanks and let the builder do the rest. 5. Finalize Checkout Options
The checkout is perhaps the most important element of your store because that's where you get paid, right? It's important to set up your checkout options correctly. A lot of users may want to check out using PayPal or GooglePlay, so make sure to have those options available. It's important to pick a website platform that gives you the choice you need to make it easy for all of your visitors to go through checkout smoothly. Recap
If you want to compete with already established online stores, you're going to need to build an e-commerce store and sell your products or services online. Here are the five steps that we outlined for you:
These are the building blocks of e-commerce, so start there and continue developing and optimizing your online store. Good luck!
