How to Make an Online Store: The Ultimate 2024 Step-by-Step Guide 

Author
Ewelina Wróbel

Author: Monika Buchelt

12.01.2024

24 minutes

Do you want to start operating on a larger scale? Time for your online store! It will generate even more profits than a stationary one. If you don't know how to go about it, I have good news for you. There is a reliable way. It will help even those who are weak in technology. 

Choose an ecommerce platform or online store builder, select a domain name, determine the targeted audience, optimize the site for search engine results, determine the cost of creating an online store and create your own profitable ecommerce business!

Read carefully, and you will learn how to set up your own online store step by step. 

Content:

1. How to make an online store?
2. What is an online store?
3. When is it useful to have your own online store?
4. Examples of online stores
5. Setting up an online store - formalities
6. Online store on the website or on a separate platform?
7. How to make your own online store?
8. What should an online store look like?
9. How to monitor the effectiveness of an online store?
10. How much does it cost to set up an online store?
11. How to get your first customers

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1. How to Make an Online Store?

How to create profitable ecommerce store and customize them?  Very often, e-commerce platforms are used for this. Of course, we can use ready-made templates that make all the work easier, but they typically give limited possibilities. It is worth knowing how the platforms differ from each other and being aware that you cannot edit the checkout in all platforms. You can outsource the creation of a website for our e-commerce business to an agency or a freelancer, but in this case we have to reckon with higher costs for this project.

If we have some time and desire, we can undertake the creation of the store ourselves. In case we have coding skills, this will most likely be our way to build it, but of course not everyone can handle at least HTML and there is nothing wrong with that. There is another solution to make your online store website yourself.

We're talking, of course, about a page builder that works on a drag-and-drop basis - placing page elements exactly where you want them.  

But before we get down to design work, let's get a little acquainted with the concept of an online store itself - what you need to know before you set it up, what formalities you need to fulfill. Let's check it out! 

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2. What is an Online Store?

We start with the basics, which is simply the definition. An e-store is a form of the website that allows you to buy and sell products and services remotely (that is, simply over the Internet). Admittedly, this formula suggests to us that an e-store is a website, but, of course, we are all well aware that there are, however, many dedicated store platforms called e-commerce platforms, which are also used for trading via the Internet.

As users, we benefit from the offerings of many online stores — from large sites such as Etsy or eBay, to small sales businesses that offer specific items or services. 

There is no shortage of solutions for small stores — most often their owners reach for the offers of the previously mentioned e-commerce platforms — some of which are a bit like social media, where we set up our account. People coming to such a site are already potentially interested in buying, but looking at it from another perspective, we also have to compete with a lot of competition. 

One of the most effective solutions, however, is to combine the expertise of the store creator and the sale of specific products - that is, to make the store into its own website.

Designing your own online store can be fun!

3. When is it Useful to Have Your own Online Store?

An online store is one form of earning money online, it is usually used to sell specific products or services. For example: If we are in the business of creating handicrafts and want to find new customers, an online store would then be ideal.

Interestingly, we can also sell knowledge and skills. This includes, for example, specialized courses, training courses or e-books. In order to properly advertise them and profit from them too, we use our own website (often in combination with social media). 

The same will happen with other products: 

• clothes,
• shoes,
• gadgets,
• furniture,
• candles, 
• jewelry,
• art, etc.

The possibilities for such sales are really quite numerous. What we choose depends largely on our preferences and skills.

Conducting sales in the form of an e-shop also works through Facebook — known as marketplace. Products are also frequently listed, for example, on Allegro or other classifieds sites. Of course, we also have the famous Amazon or AliExpress. There are also many sites for artisans.

This does not change the fact that it is the external platforms that facilitate online sales that continue to be external platforms. Therefore, your own online store is a good solution - in practice, for any handicraft manufacturer, but not only.

5. Setting up an Online Store - formalities

Selling online, of course, involves formalities that must not be forgotten. Do you want to create a successful online store? Online sales are a combination of many factors. However, let's start with what scares many - the paperwork. 

Payment, goods, logistics, shipping

The above elements can also confidently be counted as formal issues, and we certainly should not forget about them before we open an online store.

If we plan to introduce a shipping option...that is, the necessity of an online store, we need to determine in advance what forms of it we want to offer our customers. The same goes for payments and logistics. However, these payments must be secure - regardless of the form we choose. It is best to decide on more solutions so that the consumer has the option to select the most convenient way for him. However, let's not forget about our capabilities - let's not guarantee something that will cause big problems in the order fulfillment process. 

When running an online store, we can also sign a contract with a shipping company - then we will sometimes even meet with certain discounts. For example, these can be popular courier services InPost, DPD or DHL. 

This also allows us to simplify the very process of sending products to new buyers.

Security of the online store

Payments pass through the online store, so it is worth taking care of their security. An SSL certificate on the entire site - not just where you make a purchase - is a must, but secure payments are also a must. Nowadays, there are many options - from quick transfers to card payments to PayPal. The same is true for the security of personal information.

If you have an email database - it's best to use an external tool to organize it, and to clearly define what will be done with this data.

It is worth mentioning that in WebWave we get an SSL certificate for free.

6. How to Choose a Platform to Create an Online Store?

As we have already hinted to each other, the online store can be a separate tool that will be created on a dedicated platform, but it can also be an integral part of the website - then we can talk about an on-page store. This is a practical solution when you want to combine sales with a comprehensive presentation of the offer or information about the product.

How to make an online store on an e-commerce platform? We choose one of the many available on the market and set up a store on it. Most often, however, it will not be a website with a store, but a classic online store. This has its limitations. To expand or change its appearance we will need coding knowledge, or use additional plugins (very often paid) to increase our room for maneuver.

An online store on its own site, on the other hand, has the advantage that we can shape and change it almost at will - especially if we choose a good website making program. Contrary to appearances, this is an important topic, because making a distinctive online store can help you gain customers. And after all, that's what it's all about.

7. How to Make your Own Online Store?

Once we have chosen the right platform for ourselves, we need to think about how to make our own online store. A simple step-by-step instruction will come in handy. Here we go!

It's best if we write out the structure of the entire store on a piece of paper. This is the simplest solution, and just arranging the subsequent pages and products is very important from the perspective of future customers and navigating their traffic in such a way as to facilitate their goal.

We need to make a choice as to whether the online store will be an element of the site - that is, the products will appear on successive subpages, or whether we want to allocate a separate section on our website for this. Once we have determined how we want to solve this, we set about dissecting everything that will be on our website. If our store had a more diverse assortment, at this stage it's worth dividing it into categories as well. 

It's good if the structure of the store is reflected in the link structure, or slug. For example: If we are selling pillows, a page with a decorative pillow named "floral" might have the following slug: website-name.com/podcushions/decorative/floral.

Tip: Remember that the structure and overall design of the online store and the site itself should be user-friendly and lead users to purchase the products.

Product photos

The professional term for the photos we see on store websites is , "product photos. They should be professionally taken and depict specific, and of course, real articles. Nice photographs can induce purchase. This is widely known. It's best not to limit yourself to one photo, because a potential customer wants to get to know the product as thoroughly as possible before buying. In the case of clothing, it's a good idea to present them on a model. In some cases, you can also use a 360' option. 

Photos really help in making a purchase decision and not only because of their visual aspect, but also, among other things, by adding credibility to our offer. 

In practice, we can show them on the site using a slider, for example. 

When posting photos of a product, we should also not forget one more very important thing, and that is that the photos must be our own. Stealing photos from other sites is a bad idea - not only is it stealing someone else's property, but it further lowers the credibility of the store.

In most cases, we will be able to take good photos on a solid background even with a phone. All we need is proper lighting and a steady hand. Of course, we can use the services of professionals, but this is always an additional cost.

Product descriptions

Photos alone are not enough. In addition to the visuals for our products posted in the online store, we should also make a description of them. It is worth dividing it into several parts. Let the first be bullet points, or in this case, key information about the product. What it is, what it is made of, and what sets it apart. 

For example: A pillow, we can describe in the following four points:

• 100% cotton pillowcase
• anti-allergenic filling,
• durable, washable

This, among other things, is what most customers interested in such a purchase are looking for.

In the next section, we can describe a specific product in detail. Create a kind of story about this product - what it is, how it was made, what it is suitable for. In case we have some user opinions about it, it is worth quoting them in the description. Social proof is a strong argument for many people.

If we do not know how to describe a product, we can try to put ourselves in the position of the customer and think about what questions come to mind when, for example, we look at a product in a store. 

In the descriptions we create, we should go beyond the classic terms "(not) suitable/possible to use" and try to answer the needs of future customers in them.

Payments

We have already mentioned payments when planning to set up your own sales site. The ability to pay for an order is one of the basic (impossible to exclude) functionalities that an online store should be equipped with. The user should be provided with at least a few basic online payment options, such as wire transfer, credit card. Cash on delivery is also useful - for some, this is the most convenient form of purchase. Although it involves adding a few zlotys for them, it gives a greater sense of security.

Clear pricing policy in the online store

It should not be overlooked. Customers like and have the right to know how much a particular product costs. Among other things, the product page should include information about: what shipping options you get, how much each option costs, and the expected delivery time of the purchase. It is better to inform users about such details right away rather than only at the order summary.

Contact

Despite appearances, this is a very important thing. The customer appreciates easy contact with the seller. If we have the opportunity, it is best to consider adding chat to the site. In many cases, those interested in buying will have additional questions and this form would be the most efficient. The minimum is to provide an email address and a phone number (if you have one, a business one, not a private one)

As for the posting itself, it is worth suggesting a standard design, because as with any website - users will look for the contact in the main menu and in the footer of the website. 

Not only will such a contact increase the likelihood of a sale, since we will have a chance to dispel any doubts, but additionally this way we will learn what else our product descriptions need - how to improve them.

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8. What Should an Online Store Look Like?

User experience is extremely important when creating a website. It affects not only the overall user experience (as the name itself suggests), but also the overall appearance.

So how can you make an online store that is both pretty and user-friendly? So that Google will also like it?

It is worth taking a look at good solutions from competitors, but you should always follow the basic KISS principle, i.e. keep it simple, stupid or in a relaxed version, keep it short & simple.

Moderation and balance have saved many projects, which is why knowing good UX practices is so important.

The easier it is for the user to understand what he needs to do, the better.

What should an online store look like? Some of the rules will coincide with those that apply to a website in general, or at least to the basic and most popular concept of its design. This includes, among others: about the symmetry of elements, maintaining proportions, placing only those elements that are needed there on subpages and, of course, we do not forget about the appropriate page layout and good navigation, i.e. the menu and the page footer, i.e. the so-called the backbone of every online store (and every other type of website platform).

Check more details on how to make a website.

9. How to Monitor the Effectiveness of an Online Store?

Now that we know how to make an online store, it's time to answer the question: how to measure its effectiveness? These two things are inextricably linked.

Of course - the most important conversion indicator will be the store's revenue. However, there are many other ways to monitor conversions. To collect data on users, it is worth using basic and free analytical tools. We can use, for example, Google Analytics. Its plug-in to the store's website, in addition to just monitoring traffic, allows you to observe events and their values.

One of the important determinants of a store's effectiveness is the conversion rate, i.e. how many users turn into customers and make a purchase. This is quite an important piece of information, especially if you want to deal with optimizing the store's conversion. 

There are many tools for analyzing traffic and events on the site - we include Hotjar, for example, but for a start, even for a store, the just-mentioned Google Analytics will work great. In addition, it's also a good idea to connect Google Search Console to our website - if only to get it indexed. This is important if we want our online store and the offer posted on it to appear in search results.

10. How much Does it Cost to Set up an Online Store?

How much does build an online store cost? The answer we get to this question depends, among other things, on: depending on what form of its creation we choose. 

Job

Commissioning the creation of an online store to an agency or freelancer will not be cheap. It is also difficult to determine the exact rate because the ranges can be really stretched. - depending on the scope of the project, the number of pages, the number of product photos and the reputation of the contractor.

We are talking about amounts ranging from PLN 10,000 net to several dozen thousand zlotys. Especially if we want to order a unique online store. Then you usually have to add the amount for running the store and its maintenance. 

E-commerce platforms

In addition, we can also create a store on one of many e-commerce platforms. Most of them operate on a subscription model, which means you cannot buy the service once, but you have to pay from time to time - usually for a month or a year. You should then add from several dozen to several hundred zlotys for the tool itself. In addition, there is often a commission when making a purchase - if we decide on this type of store, we should always check what additional fees we have to take into account. 

Online store in WebWave

The situation will be even different when setting up a website using a website builder. Using WebWave, we can design our sales platform for free - we can add various products/services, payment methods, regulations, etc.

When we want to officially start selling online and launch our store, all we need to do is buy the Business plan for (PLN 50 per month - PLN 25 on promotion). There are no additional fees on profit (zero commission). What we earn from our store goes to us.

11. How to Acquire your First Customers

There are many ways to acquire customers, but getting the first ones is the most important thing when it comes to an online store! On the one hand, we can base the promotion of the store on advertising in search results, i.e. Google Ads. Unfortunately, many phrases related to the offers of smaller stores are heavily occupied, and the ads themselves can be very expensive.

On the other hand, we can use social media advertising. Of course, the same problem as in the case of Ads is also likely to occur here, but this does not mean that we should not test it.

In addition to sponsored content, it is also worth running organic content - on the website and social media. It is also worth recommending your offer to your friends (maybe they will recommend it further). We don't end there - it's best to try several solutions supporting the marketing of an online store that will help you acquire your first customers without paying for advertising.

Promoting the online store and its offer

There are different ways. We have already discussed some of them when we mentioned acquiring the first customers. Simply arousing interest or sharing knowledge can also be a good method here.

An example of using knowledge as a sales tool is Michał Szafrański. His book sold in such large numbers not because he was a blogger, but because people trusted his knowledge and analyzes. It is similar with many fields. Potential customers are looking for reliable information about something. If we have a lot of knowledge about what you want to sell, it is worth sharing it. And if the content is valuable, there is a high probability that the user will turn into a customer.

There are also many local portals, business incubators and organizations bringing together local "craftsmen". Many of them are happy to promote new initiatives - it is worth looking for such an organization in the area.

SEO for your online store

Positioning an online store is a very extensive topic. Before we tackle this area, we should make sure that the selected e-commerce platform allows us to work on positioning. It's not that obvious at all. 

There are several problems related to this when building a store - from the repetition of descriptions, to the repetition of photos or the overall content on the website. 

However, this does not change the fact that it is worth knowing the basics of website positioning in Google and creating your own SEO strategy yourself. Free online training can also help you understand the most important activities.

Intrigued by website development? Be sure to check out the articles below:

12. Is it Worth Running a Blog and Online Store?

How to create a blog on an online store website? And is it worth pursuing? Of course - but you have to approach it wisely.

A blog or other way of sharing new content on an online store's website is usually a good marketing technique, including: because:

• engages users,
• creates an opportunity to contact customers,
• helps with website positioning,
• can attract new customers,
• it gives users and bots a signal that the website is updated regularly. 

Since we run a store, we can also write about it. Following the example of a pillow, we can, for example, create material on how to choose it or how its fillings have changed.

In every industry, there are some "hot topics". Using them, we can gain the attention of people looking for a specific answer by publishing an interesting and comprehensive text on a blog.

However, running a blog on an online store's website has its drawbacks - especially if you do not plan to publish content there regularly. An unmaintained blog can become a stumbling block - the online store is operational, but the last entry on the blog is from two years ago. Therefore, a potential customer may start to wonder whether this store is really functioning, and we cannot allow such doubts to arise, so if we decide to create additional content, we should ensure its regularity and quality.

If we plan to place a large amount of content on our store website and simply leave it there, it is best to create dedicated subpages for them. This should help.

How to make a website?

What Do I Need to Create a Website for a Small Business?

Beginners Guide: How to Start A Successful Small Business Blog in 2023

13. Tools Useful in Running Your Online Shop

When running your ecommerce website, it is worth using some really practical tools.

Some of them can really make our current work easier, while others will help us gain additional knowledge.

What tools can be useful in running an online store?

• tools for monitoring website traffic and conversions, e.g. Google Analytics, Hotjar;
• tools for creating mailings and automatic communication with users, e.g. Freshmail or Sales Manago;
• tools for processing graphics or photos - from free Gimp and Canva to Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator;
• remarketing tools such as Pixel from Facebook;
• tools for project scheduling. 

We have just learned the most important information that will definitely be useful to everyone who plans to set up a store, but also to those who already have it but want to "renovate" it or gain even more customers.

We have mentioned here more than once that to create a store we need a place, i.e. a platform. Finally, let's ask ourselves this one important question again.

Where can you run an online store yourself?

Choosing the WebWave website builder allows you to create a professional online store:

• fully responsive, i.e. friendly to mobile devices
• with any graphic design - based on a fully editable template or your own concept
• with a lot of scope when it comes to positioning - with access to the SEO Analyzer.

What Does it Look Like to Start an Online Store?

This is what the WebWave Cart function is for. Thanks to it, we can easily add products, their descriptions (including various variants, e.g. colors), photos and videos, payment methods, and supported currencies to our website.

Interestingly, creating an online store in WebWave does not require specialized knowledge or experience. We don't need to have any coding skills here either - we work on the drag&drop principle (i.e. we drag and drop elements in the place where we want the page design). 

Additionally, we can use the integrations available in WebWave, e.g. some tools from Google and PayLane, etc.

Conclusions

Tools that will be useful in creating and running an online store include: monitoring traffic and conversions, e.g. Google Analytics, Hotjar; facilitating mailing and contact with users, e.g. Freshmail or Sales Manago; for processing photos and graphics, i.e. Gimp, Canva, Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator; for remarketing, e.g. Pixel; to send push notifications; to create an online store from A to Z, i.e. WebWave website builder (with this tool we can create a free online store).  

FAQ.

What are the key steps to create a successful online store?

To create a successful online store, you need to start with a solid business plan, choose the right ecommerce platform, identify your target audience, customize your online store, and implement effective ways to promote and manage your online store.

How can I pick the best ecommerce platform for my online store?

When selecting an ecommerce platform, consider factors such as cost, built-in features, ease of customization, and the platform's ability to help you sell online. Platforms like WebWave, Shopify and Square Online offer free trials and are popular options for setting up a successful online store.

What are some key features to look for in an ecommerce platform?

When selecting an ecommerce platform, look for features such as inventory management, a user-friendly checkout process, customizable templates, and tools to promote your online store. These features are essential for building a successful online store.

How much does it cost to start an online store?

The cost to start an online store can vary depending on the ecommerce platform and the specific features you need. Some platforms offer options to build your online store with no money upfront, while others may require initial investments for certain features.

What are some tips for promoting my online store?

To promote your online store, consider using social media marketing, email campaigns, search engine optimization (SEO), and partnerships with influencers. These strategies can help increase your online store's visibility and attract more potential customers.

How important is it to customize my online store?

Customizing your online store is crucial for creating a unique brand identity and providing a seamless shopping experience for your target audience. Look for ecommerce platforms that offer easy customization options to reflect your brand's individuality.

What are the key factors for building a profitable online store?

Building a profitable online store depends on factors such as choosing the right products, effectively managing inventory, providing exceptional customer service, and implementing successful marketing and sales strategies.

Is it possible to start an online store for free?

Yes, it's possible to start an online store for free using platforms like WebWave, which offer free plan and tools to help you build a successful online store without an initial investment.

How can I increase my online store's sales and revenue?

To increase your online store's sales and revenue, focus on optimizing your website for conversions, expanding your product range, implementing upselling and cross-selling techniques, and continuously analyzing and improving your sales performance.

What are the benefits of having an online store in 2024?

In 2024, having an online store is essential for reaching a broader audience, accessing global markets, and leveraging the increasing preference for online shopping. It also provides opportunities to pivot from a brick-and-mortar store to a successful online presence.

WebWave website builder is your AI-powered solution for building an online presence. Create your website in 3 minutes, add an online store or a blog, and grow your business. 

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