Business

Setting Up Your Business Online

posted by Chris Valentine

With so many digital tools at your fingertips, it is easier than ever before to set up your own business. Out of the box ecommerce solutions make it relatively simple to create a website and start trading, before you do so, however, there are still some “old school” factors to consider. And it is with this in mind that here we look to offer some advice about setting up your business online.

A light Bulb Moment

Before you can take advantage of the technology that is now on offer and set up your online business, you need to work out just what you intend to trade. There are some great examples out there to inspire you, but it can be difficult to pinpoint what will work best for you. Many look to their own experience and interests as a starting point, for example, if you are a keen golfer you may consider selling golf balls.

A light bulb moment is required, a strong idea that can serve as the foundation for the entire operation. One that is robust and that can offer the returns that you will need in order to build and sustain a business over time. Once you have made a decision, you then need to source suppliers and make some calculations to establish your margins, expenses and profits – start to build a business plan.

Building Your Business Online

Completing your business plan will also involve choosing a name for your business and registering it with Companies House. Once you have done that you can buy a domain name and start to build your business online.

Most small business owners choose to use an ecommerce platform like PrestaShop because it takes a lot of the hard work out of setting up a business website. Besides some personal details such as bank account codes, all you are likely to need initially is photos of your products and some graphics – a company logo for example. Having set up a website you will be ready to go live, but before you do so there are one or two other elements of the business to think about – logistics for instance.

Shipping Orders

Good customer service will play a vital role in the success of your business and so you need to get it right from day one. Choosing a fast and reliable parcel delivery service such as Parcel2Go will allow you to ship orders domestically and internationally. Those who ignore the importance of logistics may struggle in the fiercely competitive world of ecommerce.

Digital Marketing

Now, with your online business set up and ready to trade, you’ll need to get some customers interested in what you have to offer – drive some traffic to your website. One of the most cost effective ways to achieve this is by using social media. Use the likes of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to post images of your products, inform your audience about promotions and engage them with related information and news.

The culmination of all this work should be a business that you are then able to work with and build on, refine and define as you continue your journey into the world of ecommerce.

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