Moving your business online is a great opportunity for businesses aiming to increase sales and reach new markets. E-commerce has experienced significant growth in recent years, and an increasing number of companies are taking advantage of this opportunity to open an e-commerce and grow online.
Opening an e-commerce is a winning choice but also a significant challenge: the competition is fierce, and large e-commerce giants like Amazon already occupy a substantial portion of the market.
Planning an e-commerce
The advantages of an e-commerce are numerous: in addition to cost reduction, you’ll have greater visibility, a store open 24/7, the ability to apply special promotions, profile customers, and study their online activity.
To open an e-commerce and achieve success with this venture, you need to study every detail meticulously during the preparation phase. Let’s go through everything you need to know before starting this exciting adventure that will give a significant boost to your company’s revenue.
Studying the company, the market, and the competition
First and foremost, you need to have a thorough understanding of your products and how they position themselves in the market. Understanding the benefits of the products you sell is important to effectively present them to the public.
Equally important is conducting an analysis of your market niche and its trends, identifying countries where you could more easily sell, and selecting the appropriate keywords to use. A study of your competitors is very useful to examine the offerings of those who sell similar products, assess pricing, and determine how to differentiate yourself from the competition.
Preparing a business plan
Another fundamental step that will be useful throughout all project phases is to create a business plan. Opening an e-commerce has lower costs compared to a physical store, but to measure your success, it’s essential to have a clear picture of potential costs, revenues, the turnover you want to achieve, and the necessary investments.
Opening a VAT number
The bureaucratic process to open an online shop, while simpler, is not very different from what is required for a physical store: first, you need to obtain a VAT number, identify the appropriate ATECO code (business activity code), and register your business in the Companies Register. To take care of this aspect, it’s useful to rely on a professional who can manage the process of obtaining the VAT number along with other bureaucratic aspects.
Organizing logistics
In addition to the financial and bureaucratic aspects, you’ll need to decide how to manage and ship your products. For maximum efficiency in shipments, it’s necessary to have a warehouse where you can store merchandise and stay updated on inventory and product availability. It will then be time to decide how to handle shipments and returns to achieve fast, punctual, and trackable deliveries.
Choosing a platform
Since this is a business that operates entirely online, the platform on which you sell will be crucial for your business. You will need to consider whether to rely on a web developer or use a Content Management System (CMS) service if you want to reduce costs. You can also decide to sell on large online shopping platforms like Amazon, eBay, or Etsy.
The e-commerce website should effectively represent your physical store. A user-friendly interface will enhance the browsing experience, making the purchasing process easier.
Defining marketing strategies
Now it’s time to implement the best marketing strategies to promote your e-shop! In addition to designing an informative and well-structured website, you can create engaging content, implement an SEO strategy,define your target customers, advertise on social media, and design an email marketing campaign to convert your leads into buyers.
The choice of marketing strategies will depend on the nature of your business and the goals you have set. You have many options available, but what always matters is testing, testing, and testing.
– Ready, set, go!
Are you ready to open an e-commerce? We can guide you step by step in this journey, from the initial planning to the day-to-day management of your e-commerce. Contact us for a free analysis and tell us about your company; we’re ready to tailor solutions to help your online business take off!
