Introduction
Setting up an online store can seem like a daunting task. There are so many moving parts, and you might have no idea where to start. But what if I told you that you don't need to be a tech wizard in order to set up your own online store? And what if I told you that there are online platforms that can save you time and effort by providing easy-to-use tools for creating your very own storefront?
Well, it's true! In this article, we'll walk through setting up an online store using Wix ecommerce—a popular platform used by small business owners across the world. Why Wix?
Because setting up your site with Wix means putting all of the tools you need in one place—allowing you to focus more on running your business rather than fighting with hard-to-use software for hours on end.
Determine your target audience
To create an online store, it's important to define your target audience. Your target audience is a group of people who share common interests, hobbies, needs or problems that you can help solve with your products.
There are many ways to learn more about your target audience:
Google “keywords” related to the topic of interest. For example if you're planning on selling running gear for women then try searching for “women's running shoes” or "women's sportswear." This will give insight into what words people search for when looking for these types of products online.
Check out forums where other runners talk about their favorite gear and brands that they've used before (like Reddit). This will offer insight into what types of questions these people ask themselves regularly—and if any solutions exist yet!
Choose what to sell online
Choose a product that you are passionate about. It is important that you choose a product that you enjoy using yourself. You will be promoting this product to your customers, so if it doesn't interest or excite you, chances are no one else will either.
Choose a product that you know about. If this is your first time starting an online store, choosing a niche market can help make things easier for yourself as well as your customers. If the niche market is too broad (e.g., all technology), there may not be enough demand for the products because there are many other competing websites selling similar products at lower prices than yours—and if they're priced higher than theirs, then they aren't going to buy from yours either!
Choose a product that has high profit margins and low competition but still sells well enough through organic search traffic or advertising campaigns on social media platforms like Facebook Ads & Instagram Influencers (which I'll talk more about later). The best example of this would be gift cards because they don't require any inventory at all and can generate huge profits per sale due solely on shipping costs which make up for most of those profits since there's no overhead cost involved other than just buying gift cards themselves with credit card rewards points from different stores like Target Red Card Credit Card & American Express Blue Cash Preferred Rewards Program before reselling them at higher prices; however even though these types do exist don't get discouraged if this isn't something within reach right away since there are plenty others ways.
Decide on your business structure
There are many different types of business structures, and each has its own set of pros and cons. Here are a few things to consider when choosing the right one for your online store:
How much money do you need to invest?
Do you need support from other people (for example, partners or employees)?
Are there any legal requirements that apply to your industry?
Pick an eCommerce platform
Wix is an eCommerce platform that's great for beginners, as it has a free trial and allows you to create a store with no coding knowledge. It also offers free and paid plans, so you can choose one that fits your budget.
Many businesses have chosen Wix as their online store builder because of its extensive community of users who have created their own stores on the platform. Artists, companies and small businesses all use Wix to sell their products online—including some big names like Rihanna!
Wix has been around since 2006, so it's tried-and-tested by many people over the years. A lot of people who start out using Shopify or WooCommerce end up switching over if they're looking for something simple yet reliable. You can do everything you want with Wix—from creating custom websites and blogs to connecting your storefronts with eBay or Etsy accounts so customers can easily add items from both shopping experiences into one cart (which means fewer steps!).
Partner with a dropshipper (optional)
If you are selling a niche product, it can be difficult to get the word out about your business. Dropshipping is a great way to get started and build up your brand's reputation. It’s also a low-cost way to test whether or not there is a demand for your product in the market before making an initial investment into manufacturing and shipping costs.
While dropshipping has many advantages, it also has drawbacks as well (see below). So before getting started on this path, make sure that you understand how it works—and make sure it’s right for YOU!
Connect a payment provider
At this point, you should have a basic grasp of the elements that make up Wix's platform. The next step is connecting your payment provider to the store. If you're thinking about using PayPal, Stripe or Square as your payment provider, then Wix has integrations with all three of them (and many more).
There are a few different types of payment providers: Payment Gateways and Payment Processors. A Payment Gateway allows your customers to pay for goods and services online through their bank account or credit card information. A Payment Processor simply processes payments made by your customers; they don't allow payments from any specific method but rather from any form of payment supported by Wix's e-commerce platform such as PayPal or Stripe's API integration methods.
Name your store and get a domain
The first step in setting up your Wix store is choosing the URL of your website. You can choose a domain name that’s easy to remember, spell, type in and pronounce—all good things for an online business.
If you want people to find your website through search engines like Google or Bing, it’s important that you pick an easy-to-read domain name. The shorter and more fun this is for users, the better! Choose something memorable too so that customers will be able to recall what they were looking for next time they need it again (and so will anyone who sees their friends using it).
The best thing about naming a company or product after yourself? It's simple! No one else has thought of it yet either, so there are no conflicting names out there already being used by someone else with similar branding aspirations as yours own.(Of course, this may not work so well if your surname isn't common.)
Design your site for sales
Once you've done all of the above, it's time to start thinking about how your store can be used for sales. The first thing you'll want to do is make sure that users can find what they're looking for. Use a good layout, and use high-quality images that are relevant to the product being sold. Then, use good typography and icons when writing descriptions of products in order to keep them engaging and easy to read. Next, remember that videos are an excellent way of showing potential customers exactly how something works or why it's beneficial; don't forget this step!
Make sure that your header image is eye-catching while still providing information about what you sell (again with good typography). If possible, include some sort of call-to-action button like “Buy Now” so people will be able to purchase items easily from their smartphones as well! Don't forget about having links throughout your site so shoppers know where else on the internet they could visit if interested in specific topics related somehow back up here at [your store name].
Create a strong branding strategy
You'll want to think about your brand's personality and how it fits into the marketplace.
The best way to do this is by talking to customers and potential customers, but also by researching what your competitors are doing.
One important thing to keep in mind is that people will form an opinion of you within seconds of visiting your site. That's why it's so important that you make sure everything on the site looks professional and trustworthy, from fonts and colors used for text design all the way down to photos chosen as part of a product image gallery (or even just a single product image).
Start your marketing campaigns
Once you're up and running, it's time to start marketing your store. You can do so many things to promote your business:
Create a Facebook and Instagram page for your brand.
Create a newsletter that informs customers about new products and sales events, or offers them exclusive discounts, coupon codes, and other perks that will make them want to buy from you again in the future.
Use social media platforms like Facebook Ads Manager or Pinterest Promoted Pins to get the word out about what's new or going on with your e-commerce business; this is known as influencer marketing. This technique can be pricey but very effective if done right!
Use SEO tactics such as keyword research, site optimization (coding), link building (backlinks), etc... This will help ensure that people who are looking for something similar discover yours first!
Use affiliate marketing strategies—in which bloggers are paid based on how much they refer traffic back through their site(s) toward product pages where they earn commission—to incentivize writers who write guest posts on other sites (such as HuffPost) by offering compensation via commission off any sales made by readers clicking through links within those articles! You can also reach out directly yourself if there’s an opportunity available through partnerships with established brands already doing well online already
Conclusion
You can start creating your online store with Wix today. Just follow these simple steps and before you know it, your website will be up and running. This guide should help you to get started on making your dreams of having an online business come true!
And if you still need help or want to take your online business to the next level, don't forget that we offer a free consultation with one of our experts who can help guide you throughout the process.