Dos:

• Understand your market

Before you start, it’s important to identify the target audience, the competition and the present demand for the kind of products you are offering. You can understand all of this with the help of conducting an efficient market research. Make a google form and get as many relevant people to fill it up as possible. Talk to people who are already in the business and get their insights.

• Products

The successful market research will help you figure out which products you wish to offer exactly. Narrow down your range and focus on whichever products will help you build a brand name.

• Creating The Experience

Choose the correct platform:-

Identify your budgets and the requirements of the products you will offer before you make a choice. You can always start small with options like Shopify.

The interface:-

Make sure the interface is easy to understand and will help the users create a seamless shopping experience.

The content of the interface:-

All the user will ever need should be handy. Make sure you cover information on the following points:

• About Us – Create a product story. Let your customers connect with you on a deeper level. You can write about why you run this business, how you started off, what is your vision or what makes you special.  
• Shipping and Delivery – Include all the necessary information that a customer would need while deciding whether or not to buy your product. Information like the shipping/ delivery charges, payment methods and time for delivery.
• Policy – Information about returning a product and other policies should be mentioned clearly and prominently.
• Contact Us – The customer should be able to reach to you easily.
• Follow Us On – Increase your reach and boost your advertising.

Automate :

Use order management software to your best convenience.

Give good post-sale experience:

The customers should be able to reach out to you easily with their issues. Establish a system which will help you deal with such customers hassle-free.

• Marketing:

You need to promote your business through different marketing mediums to draw customers and increase sales.

Make the most of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram to reach out to people and build a brand. You can also send out promotional emails. Explore new creative ideas like giveaways on Instagram.

If you have a website, it is also very important to boost your search rankings on search engines. Put up relevant content and improve the website’s visibility.

Don’ts:

1. Try to focus on a particular range of products. Try not to have too many kinds. Specialization will help you build a brand name better.
2. Don’t deliver low-quality products. It will harm your reputation in the long run.
3. Don’t send too many messages to people and drive them away.
4. The images will be the first impression of the products. Don’t hesitate to put efforts on improving the kind of images on your website.