How to create a new online store easily

Are you planning your own online store? Then you need a good tool to help you set up and manage your store. Here our tips, tricks & recommendations.

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The e-commerce business is booming like never before. It's no wonder that more and more founders are focusing on their own online store, with which they can successfully generate sales and increase their brand awareness.
 
But what exactly needs to be considered when setting up an online store? What is the best way to proceed? And what legal aspects do I need to consider? We have taken a closer look at the most important aspects of setting up an online store and presented them in an easy-to-understand way.

What you need to consider when starting out

Money rules the world. Unfortunately, this is also true if you want to start an online store. The first thing you need is a well-founded and meaningful business plan that you can use to convince your bank to give your project a financial push. A well-thought-out and structured business plan, including a market analysis, a unique selling proposition and clear positioning, shows your bank that you not only have great visions, but also know what you're doing. If you know exactly what you are doing, you can count on banks that are willing to lend.

This is what your business plan should contain:

  • Description of your business idea
  • Market analysis and target group
  • Cost planning
  • Marketing measures
  • USP and personal brand

Visual design in your online store - the eye sells with you

Customers want professional advice. The best way to make your customers feel comfortable and confident in your online store is to use the right web design. An appealing and convincing visual design gives your customers a good feeling and can positively influence both their length of stay in your store and their purchase decision.
 
The best way to achieve this is persuasive web design, which is based on psychological principles and is designed to give your customers the perfect user experience.

Pro Tip

Nowadays, users mainly go online with their smartphones and tablets. Therefore, make sure that your web store has a Responsive Web Design (RWD) that flexibly adapts to the end devices and displays the content of your website accordingly.

The start page of your webshop should be clearly arranged and contain all of these important points if possible:

  • your logo
  • a search function
  • the personal shopping cart
  • login for existing customers
  • contact possibility
  • menu
  • meaningful content that makes you want more
  • Services (support, FAQ area, etc.)

Content is King - Words Reach People

The expression made famous by Bill Gates in 1996 has lost none of its relevance. Besides an individual persuasive optical design, the content of your online store should not be neglected.  

You need good texts for your online store for two reasons: to satisfy your customers and Google. The right keywords ensure that your site gets a lot of traffic via Google. However, you can only keep your potential customers in your online store if your content inspires them and meets them where they are.
 
The best way to achieve this is to use the classic formula Attention - Interest - Desire: Your text must first aim to get the reader's full attention. The next step is to arouse the customer's interest in your product and ultimately make them want to buy it.

The right mix makes the difference: Make sure that Google values your text. This requires a high-quality text that is absolutely unique and contains the appropriate keywords in "natural" form - i.e. no keyword bombs. For your customers, you should rely on gripping storytelling and visual stimuli in the form of images.

The right name for your online shop

When it comes to choosing a name, it's not just parents-to-be whose heads are spinning, but also the founders of online stores: Which name fits best? With which name will I attract the most attention and be remembered by my customers?

Basically, you have three options when choosing a name for your online store:

1.     Keyword Domain
2.     Brand Domain
3.     Mix Domain

Keyword domains are characterized by the fact that you create a suitable name from the keyword that best describes your product or service. However, this obvious variant also has a disadvantage: If you decide to expand your product range or offer at some point, the keyword domain will no longer fit.

The situation is different if you decide to use a brand domain. It is not based on a keyword, but on your brand name - your individual brand. With a brand domain, you will definitely stand out from the crowd and have a good chance of building a really strong brand.

The mix domain contains for example interesting word additions and offers you the possibility to combine both variants. This way you can build a brand and at the same time make sure that your customers immediately know what your online store is about.

Pro Tip

Get help and ideas with your name search: there is the self-learning name generator Namefruits and the NameRobot Toolbox with over 100 name generators. A quick check and evaluation of your name ideas can be done at Namescore.

The 5 best platforms for online stores

How do I find the best e-commerce platform for my online store among all the many store systems? This is probably the question that burns you the most, isn't it? Then we won't let you stew any longer and present you our 5 favorites when it comes to the best web store providers. Here we go:

 

1. Jimdo - The Pioneer

Jimdo complies with all EU directives for e-commerce requirements and is absolutely legally compliant. With this provider, you can even create and publish your articles in the free version in no time. Depending on your chosen plan, you can choose between many different payment methods and shipping options. One small drawback: unfortunately, Jimdo does not offer a customer login, so you can't submit product reviews. Cost: from $15 per month.

 

2. Ecwid - For Small Businesses

Ecwid has a simple concept with great impact. Especially small businesses can benefit from this provider, which allows to launch an online store with 10 products for free. The advantage of Ecwid is that the tool can be integrated into any website, making it easy to start an online store even for those who want to add just that to their website. The paid version is available from €12.50 per month.

 

3. Shopify - The Market Leader

This provider offers you the possibility to list an unlimited number of products in your online store. This makes Shopify especially interesting for large stores. You also have the option of offering your products through various channels such as Amazon, Facebook and eBay. If you are interested in fancy designs and don't have any outstanding programming skills, Shopify is well suited for you. The provider is available from $26 per month.

 

4. Wix - The Versatile

Wix is available from €17 per month and offers over 100 design templates for your online store. The provider, which does not charge any transaction fees for the common payment methods, is particularly well suited for small online stores. In addition, you can try out all the features for free before you decide to pay for the release.

 

5. Quiqqer / Ecoyn - The Independent

The content management system Quiqqer brings a lot of useful tools that you can use for your online store. The store system Ecoyn is based on this CMS and extends it with all imaginable store functionalities.

 

Quick Tips

If you want to start with an online store, you should be well informed about all legal aspects.
 
1. Did you know that email advertising is only allowed with the consent of the addressee?

2. Remember to register your trademark and have your name checked.

3. There is a lot to consider when collecting personal data on your website. Privacy should be a priority in your online store. So do your research before you make mistakes that could cost you dearly.