Setting Up Your Online Store

When it’s time to open your online store, there are some things you need to have in place before you can open to the public. Of course, you’ll need to know what you’re selling. Here are a few other things to keep in mind as you prepare to open.

Store Name

This is a sticking point in setting up many businesses. You want a name that is easy for people to remember and spell. You also need a name that is available as a domain. You don’t want to choose a store name and then have to have an entirely different domain name because your first choice was already in use. Your URL is equivalent to your brand. To get some expert help choosing a name for your store, look no further than Namify. Their store name generator lets you input some keywords about your store — maybe the types of items you’ll be selling, or your main customer base. You can even enter your name if you’d like to use that in your branding. Namify will offer several suggestions of names you might like and can help you purchase your domain as well.

Delivery Methods

If you sell physical items, you’ll need to look into shipping options before you set up shop. Some store owners choose to keep physical inventory in stock at a location they can access. Then they package and ship the items themselves — or a member of their staff does. Choosing specialty packaging materials can be a great way to set your items apart from the crowd when customers receive your shipments.

Another popular option is to use drop shipping. With this system, your inventory lives at an off-site location until an order is placed. The company that houses your inventory is also responsible for the shipping process. You just send them the information they need from any orders that come in.

For digital products, there are many great online providers who can host your files and handle delivering them to your customers while preventing access by those who have not yet purchased. Many of these services also have tools in place to help you build your website store so that you can beautifully display your products. They also allow you to securely take payments from your customers.

Customer Management

Many stores rely on repeat business to keep their sales at sustainable levels. Be sure that you have tools set up to help you keep track of your customers and what they’ve purchased. You can create targeted email campaigns to offer your previous customers products that can solve more of their problems, based on what you know they’ve already purchased. Any personal attention you can show to your customers lets them know that you value them. Your customers are also much more likely to open emails and pay attention to them if the recommendations inside are customized to them.

Once you’ve figured out what your online store is going to sell, you need to get a few more things in place before your grand opening. Finding the perfect name for your store is a great place to start.