How to set up an online shop – an e-commerce guide

How to set up an online shop – an e-commerce guide

Poles are buying more and more from online shops. Their even greater popularity has undoubtedly been influenced by the pandemic. E-commerce is one of the fastest growing industries. If you have an idea for such a business, now is the time to set it up. How do you open an online shop?

The latest report on e-commerce in Poland, prepared by Gemius Poland, indicates that as many as 73% of Internet users shop online. The pandemic had a huge impact on the development of this industry. For many months, non-food shopping could only be done online. The result is that people who used to buy online are buying even more, and many people who were sceptical about this type of shopping have been convinced. There is a lot of competition, but it is a good time to set up your shop. Selling online is not complicated. Below you will read how to open an online shop step by step.

Before launching an online shop…

Before you set up your own shop, there are two important things to consider. First of all, you need to know what specifically you want to sell and you need to define your customer group. If the shop is to be successful, it should sell original and unique products – preferably something that is not yet on the market or offer a wide assortment, which makes it easier to reach potential customers. The second important thing is to find out about the competition – to see if other shops offer similar goods and, if so, how.

How to open an online shop?

Once you have thought about the above and created a business plan, you can start setting up your shop. How do I set up my own online shop? It is not difficult, mainly because you can use free e-commerce platforms. Here is a short step-by-step guide on how to open an online shop.

Firstly, you need to choose a platform, i.e. the e-commerce software. This is the most important decision, because by choosing the right software, running your business will be easy. The best solution is an open source platform with numerous functionalities enabling shop development. The most popular platform is WooCommerce, as it offers the possibility to create a modern shop adapted to mobile devices. It is suitable for small, medium and large shops. It is Google search engine friendly, so it is easier to position such a shop. It has free and paid plug-ins to extend functionality. It allows for business analysis and optimisation.

Secondly, the appearance of the shop and the ease of use of the website is important. It is therefore necessary to take care of graphics, layout, professional product images, etc. elements. A nicely designed shop attracts customers and encourages them to buy. The website must look professional and credible. The impression the consumer has when using the site, i.e. the user experience, is also important. Navigating the shop should be easy and intuitive – a good product search engine is also worthwhile.

Nowadays, most people use a smartphone when shopping online, so it is necessary to have a mobile version of the shop – adapted to mobile devices such as phones and tablets.

Thirdly, you need to take care of the logistics, i.e. shipping and payment methods. The WooCommerce platform offers ready-made online payment poles and integrations for shipping orders. Most importantly – their configuration is simple. It’s worth choosing several payment types and shipping methods for greater convenience for shoppers.

Fourthly, legal issues, i.e. rules and regulations, are extremely important. The following should be created: rules and regulations of the online shop, privacy policy (cookies), information on personal data protection (RODO), information on payment methods and delivery methods, returns and complaints policy and a model withdrawal form.

All of the above affect the customer’s shopping experience, if you want to find out how to take proper care of the Customer Experience, you will find all the information in our article on the subject: “Ensure a positive customer experience for your online shop“.

How to set up your own online shop – what should you focus on once you have opened it?

After setting up an e-shop focus on marketing issues, i.e. SEO, social media and content marketing. This is important from the point of view of brand building and attracting new customers.

By positioning your shop well, you will be able to be found easily in Google searches and therefore attract as many customers as possible. Positioning should go hand in hand with content marketing, so it is worth betting on good quality content such as: product descriptions, product reviews, a blog (as a subpage of the shop), tutorials and various expert content. The online shop should be present in social media. This is because social media platforms are a source of traffic to the website. With well-run company profiles, higher sales conversions can be achieved. This primarily concerns media such as Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Once the shop has been opened, the focus should be on the range and equipment of the online shop. Packaging and packaging accessories are important from a corporate identity point of view. It is advisable to order good quality boxes or a different type of packaging depending on the product range. Customers pay attention to the packaging of their shipments – it must be secure and aesthetically pleasing. Packaging can be personalised, although this is not necessary if personalised adhesive tapes are used. RAJAPRINT is the only functional module available on the market on the company’s web platform. With it, you can design and order tapes with individual, company-specific printing.