How to Start an Online Store for your Small Business

Starting an on-line store doesn't have to be expensive...

Starting an on-line store can sometimes be expensive and too overwhelming to even consider, but small business owners might be pleasantly surprised that setting up an online store can actually be affordable and won't require paying tens of thousands of dollars to a website designer.   If you are planning to take your on-line store to a bigger level and have plans to expand, consulting with a web-designer prior to beginning your online store will save a lot of wasted time as you may require more than a standard shopping cart site.  
The tips in this article below are our top suggestions for small business starting an on-line store themselves. These suggestions utilize programs and sites to make it easy for you to start your on-line store yourself.  These suggestions are purely ours from our experience, and client feedback, we have not been paid to suggest them.

Before You Start your online store:

1. Consider if you have the time, skills and design knowledge to create your online store yourself.  Sometimes hiring a professional to do create the store, while you get the content ready is a much faster option if you are new to using such programs.  Ask us more here
2. Organize your own domain name & business email address e.g. wwww.mybusiness.com.au  This can cost as little as $12 a year through companies such as Crazy Domains.
3. Create a business banking account if you have not done so already so all purchase payments will be easy to track.
4. Set Up a Pay-pal merchant account for customers to purchase conveniently and securely online.  This will take around a week to confirm so don't leave it until the last minute.
5. Decide on one on-line store platform that suits your needs.  Do not set up multiple stores on different sites, but instead link the store to all of your social media sites for convenient purchasing.
6. Research Postage or Courier Costs for your customers on-line purchases. How much do your products weigh and what sizes are they.   Australia Post has a free on-line postage calculator and also set prices for satchel weights and costs Australia wide. Courier Companies to consider are Fastway & Sendle amongst others (check which companies service your local area).  You may also be able to negotiate prices depending on your estimated parcel dispatch quantities. 

Online Store Options:

Using A Online Store Host Website:

1. Ebay:  Ebay is a great way to start a successful online business.  Ebay has proven to be very succesful for many small businesses for a long time, and now we are seeing bigger businesses listing their items for sale on ebay stores as well.  Opening an eBay Store gives you the ability to list an item in multiple quantities while only paying a nominal listing fee. More Here...
2. Shopify:  Receive a 14 Day Free Trial available for creating a shopify store to see if it is right for your business.  Simply choose a stylish e-commerce website design, easily customize your online store, add products and then you are ready to open your professional store. Shopify has everything you could want in a professional online store and includes a wide vareity of customer payment options including Afterpay.  Setting it up will be time consuming, so we can help you if you need.  Find out more about Shopify  More here...
3. Etsy:  Creative Businesses wanting to sell Homemade goods, vintage goods or craft supplies will love an Etsy Store and it's free Membership. Some clients do say that their SEO isn't as good as they would have liked on Etsy, but it certainly is the right place to be to be found in the home-made niche.  More here...
4. BigCartel:  Big Cartel provides clothing designers, bands, jewellery makers, crafters and other artists with their own customizable store to sell their products online.  The results are a professional easy to use site with the options of adding your own domain name.  Big Cartel is free to list 5 items but costs are involved to create a larger store, but this site is worth it for its professional layout and ease of use.  More here... Create your own Free Website Store:

Templated Website & E-Commerce Store

1. Weebly or Wix..  Both Weebly & Wix offer attractive online store's that can be built with ease and both have the also has the options for you to set up you own SEO.  You will need to have the top membership with Weebly  to use all of the elements of an E-Commerce Store.  Domain names can also be purchased directly through either provider and the sites are relatively is easy to manage.  Blue Bird Internet Marketing can help you get started building your own Weebly or Wix Website or we can create one for you in a short turn-around time. Contact Us to find out more & receive a 10% Discount on a Weebly Pro Membership.

Stand Alone Facebook Store:

• Many businesses run their Facebook Page like a mini website, utilizing a Facebook Store through the tabs on their page.  This type of store can provide pay-pal secure purchasing just the same way a website or ebay store can.   I would only suggest setting up an facebook store if you have no intentions of having a website online and have a good marketing and advertising plan to reach a large customer demographic.  This type of store is suitable for very small businesses only looking to sell to Facebook & Instagram audiences.  We can help you link your facebook store to tag products on your instagram account for direct sales.
• Keep in mind that all external online stores can be linked easily to tab on your existing facebook page - so don't go and create two different stores.  Blue Bird Internet Marketing can add your Store tab to your Facebook Page quickly if required. Ask us how.

Connect Your Store on all Social Media Profiles:  

• After you have taken the time to set up your online store, or have had Blue Bird Internet Marketing create one for you, ensure that you continue to share your store and link it to all of your Social Media Sites including a tab on your Facebook page, share store images on Pinterest and Instagram and tweet about your products and specials on twitter.

Keep Your Store Updated:  

• ​Ensure that you update  your online store with your stock lists and availability regularly and keep your postage/shipping costs updated.

For quote on any of the above suggestions or assessment of a current e-commerce store please contact us.  Feel free to share a link to your online store in the comments below! 

Happy Selling!

Judi Gray
Blue Bird Internet Marketing