If you’ve decided to start an e-commerce business, there are two ways you can go about it. You can go the traditional route of creating your own website or landing page and building your online storefront yourself. Or, you can use Shopify—an e-commerce platform that allows anyone to launch an online store in minutes and comes with a ton of great features to help you grow your business.
Step 1: Create an account with Shopify
To get started, you’ll need to sign up for a free trial account with Shopify by entering your email address. This trial will give you 14 days of access and won’t require any credit card information. When the trial is over, if you decide to upgrade to a paid plan, your monthly fees will depend on how many products are in your store. If there’s no limit, then it’s $29 per month plus $0.50 per product added or edited each month. If there’s a 500-item limit then it’s $29 per month plus $0.30 per product added or edited each month.
Step 2: Register your domain name
Once you’ve decided on a name for your website, it’s time to register a domain name. Most web hosting providers will allow you to add a domain name of your choice when signing up. If not, there are many registrars (such as GoDaddy) that make registering a domain name very easy and can even help with the process if need be. Make sure the name is available before proceeding!
Step 3: Choose your theme (templates)
Templates are pre-designed websites that use a specific layout. These can make the set up process for your store quicker, since you won’t have to design everything from scratch. There are tons of free and premium templates to choose from, with plenty of different features and customizability options.
The easiest way to figure out which templates you’re going to need is by taking a close look at what your products will be and how they’ll be displayed in the store.
Step 4: Start Selling Products
Now that you have all your products in a streamlined system, you’re ready for the next step: getting your product online and in front of customers!
Start by selecting the Sell Online option from the sidebar. You’ll be prompted to enter the URL of your website or domain.
Step 5: Tracking Statistics
Setting up analytics will allow you to see how your site is performing. Google Analytics is a free and easy way of tracking how many people are visiting your website, which pages they’re viewing, how long they’re spending there, and where they’re coming from. You can even monitor the geographical breakdown of visitors and convert this data into new marketing strategies. Having these metrics at hand will allow you to improve your site with ease.
Step 6: Increase Sales with Marketing Techniques
This is the part of the process where you’ll want to let potential customers know about your product, who it’s for, and what makes it unique. There are a number of ways you can do this, such as, placing banner ads across different sites (like Facebook or Instagram) with links directing people back to your site. Create social media campaigns that feature products or deals. Promote these through sites like Twitter and Facebook. You could also create posts around things like shopping trends, bestsellers, or new arrivals so followers feel they’re getting value even if they don’t buy anything that day.
Partner with United Funding Group
In these uncertain times, it’s more important than ever to have a reliable partner you can count on for funding, especially with a Startup business. United Funding Group has a long history of helping small businesses weather tough times. We offer a variety of funding options that can be tailored to your specific needs. So if you’re worried about how inflation will impact your business, give us a call. We’re here to help.
Contact UFG, Today!
United Funding Group provides funding for all types of businesses, regardless of industry. We provide merchant cash advances for many industries, including retail, service, restaurant, and real estate investment. Whether expanding your business or opening a new one, we can get you funded quickly and easily. Contact us today to learn more about merchant cash advances from United Funding Group, ufgfunding.com.
