stablishing an online store has become one of the dreams of many now, as e-commerce is one of the fields that has been able to prove itself the most in recent decades, and lay the foundations that pave the way for a bright future at all levels. Although creating an online store is a difficult and multi-step process, in the following guide we will pave the way for you to create an online store from scratch, even if you are not familiar with this field.
The first step: Choose the right market for your online store (Niche)
Before creating an online store, it is important to pay great attention to the step of choosing the right market. We all dream that our online store includes all possible products; We believe that with more products, the consumer is more likely to demand them. But in that case, it will compete with the largest international online stores such as Amazon, Souq.com, and Ali Express.
Ask yourself an important question: What will push a customer to leave shopping through these famous and trusted international stores and buy from an emerging online store?
Let me tell you the secret, simply: ( specialization ) or (Niche) , but what does it mean?
What we mean here is choosing a specific category of products for your store, and that choice is divided into three cases:
The first case
is to display all products related to an entire category, such as electronics products, so that your online store brand is built around a general market, which is the electronics market in this example.
The second case
is displaying your products in a private market. Such as selling computers or even just parts of them, in which case you will build your brand around a specific product category and its accessories. This case is more specialized than the first case.
The third case is
to showcase a few specific products that you make or produce yourself . For example, if you are good at making home furniture or accessories. You can then create a special online store to sell only these products. You will build your brand around your ability to excel in designing and manufacturing those products.
What is the benefit of choosing a niche for your store?
Many online store owners make the mistake of starting out with an idea that’s too big, by trying to sell everything. This mistake becomes an obstacle for two points: the first is the inability to compete with large international stores, and the second is the difficulty of growth.
Choosing a niche for your store helps make it easier to build a brand around a specific product category. Instead of selling (men’s clothing) – which is a huge category -, we can sell (men’s leather jackets). In that case, it is easy to build excellence around that specialty and focus on it; As a showcase of the best jacket designs this year.
How do you choose the appropriate (specialization) or (niche) for your online store?
There are a number of tools that allow you to find out what people in a particular area are searching for most. The goal of this step is to ensure that the market you choose is not stagnant, and that its products are in appropriate demand.
The following methods will help you choose the appropriate specialization:
1- Google Keyword Planner
is a tool specialized in analyzing search results for specific words. For example, if you are thinking about creating an online store to sell display screens, you can log into the word planning tool with your Google account, and in the search box type (display screens) and search for it.
The results will show you the number of searches for that keyword. To choose the best product category, try to choose products that receive an average number of searches of (100 – 1000) per month or (1000 – 10,000) per month at the maximum.
The categories that obtain more results than that have great competition, and the categories that obtain lower results have stagnant markets.
2- Social mediaSocial media are not only communication applications, but also search engines. Search for categories you’re considering on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Quora, and YouTube. Analyze the results and hashtags for each category.
Moreover, you can search for sponsored ads for some products within those categories, then analyze the interaction on them and anticipate the competition.
For example:
Go to Facebook and select (Marketplace) from the top menu.
In the search box on the right, search for a basic product that you are considering selling on your store, let’s say it is (camera stands).
Select filters such as the geographic range in which this product is sold, and the minimum and maximum price.
Analyze the results by determining the best competition price, photography method, and the most famous competitors around you.
3- Large electronic stores:
Large electronic stores such as Amazon, Souq.com, and Ali Express provide you with a huge information base about products and their categories. Besides this, you will find the number of purchases and ratings present under the sellers’ products.
Try to identify the categories that get good sales, and always be aware that the product category is the winner, and you will confirm it with experience afterward.
For example:
Go to Souq.com and select all categories from the top right
Find the custom category you want to choose products from
Analyze products and their prices in terms of number of purchases, ratings, and competitor offers
Thus, you have chosen the category in which you will display your products, and determined a number of products that you intend to sell, in addition to knowing their average prices in the market and the amount of competition.
The importance of this step then appears in the marketing process. Targeting a custom audience, even if it is not large, achieves greater results than targeting everyone without customization.
Step Two: Create an online store using WordPress
WordPress is one of the best systems for creating websites and online stores ever. I’ve personally been using it for years, and have tried most other alternatives. Although the features vary, it is the ideal choice in terms of cost savings and the ability to design and manage the site more controlled.
You will not need programming skills to start creating an online store using WordPress. You can start directly after determining the category or market in which you will work, by applying the following steps:
1-Get a domain and hosting
There are many international sites that provide domains and hosting services. Each hosting provider has different price plans and capabilities, and it is important to choose the appropriate plan to run your online store efficiently. You will not want visitors to flee from the online store because of slow hosting or constant collapse.
Among the best sites that provide hosting services are:
Choose a unique domain that represents the online store and category you’re offering your products in, and keep these requirements in mind:
- Add an SSL certificate to your hosting to ensure your store is secure.
- Purchase a backup service for your store’s data so that you do not lose all data if an unexpected problem occurs.
- Go for plans that provide additional features for online stores. For example, GoDaddy’s plan for hosting stores via WordPress provides free access to more than 40 paid WooCommerce plugins.
It is also recommended that you speak with the customer service of your service provider before choosing these services, and inquire about the conditions for activating accounts and their suitability for your country.
2- Install WordPress
All hosting service providers offer to install WordPress while activating the hosting creation steps. But if you missed this step, or want to skip it while setting up the hosting and install WordPress yourself afterwards.
Go to your hosting’s cPanel, and choose WordPress from the Web Applications list.
On the next page, click on the (install this application) button and the installation process will begin.
3- Install a WordPress template
A WordPress template is the look of your online store, and WordPress templates for online stores are different from blogs or other websites. It provides product themes, shopping bag, checkout page, and other requirements for creating an online store.
The template is installed as follows:
Click on the ( Appearance ) option in the WordPress control panel, then choose ( Templates ), and on the next page click on the ( Add New) button located at the top right.
On this page, search for the appropriate template for your online store through the search bar, or select the field (e-commerce) from the (Sort by specialty) option, then choose the best template suitable for you and press the (Install) button.
If you want to install a free template, through the previous steps you can install it directly through WordPress. If you are purchasing a paid template, you must then upload the zip file for the template and install it.
To do this, at the top right of the page click ( Upload Template ), then choose the selected file ( Choose File ), and press the Install button.
If you intend to use a free template, I recommend using the Storefront template. If you turn to paid templates in order to get more features, I recommend that you use the Flatsome template.
4- Install the Woocommerce add-on
Installing WordPress alone does not provide you with the functionality of online stores; you also need to install the WooCommerce plugin . It is an add-on that provides electronic payment functions, adding products and prices, and all other functions of well-known online stores.
To install the Woocommerce plugin, click on the (Add-ons) option and then the (Add New) option in the WordPress control panel.
In the side search bar, search for Woocommerce, then click Install for the aforementioned add-on and leave it until the installation process is completed.
During the installation process, you will be required to fill in some data, and select several options about your online store, such as address, category, product types, contact information, and others.
After that, the (Woocommerce) option will appear in the WordPress control panel. Go to it, then to (Settings) and start specifying the appropriate settings for your website, and thus you have successfully completed installing the Woocommerce add-on.
5- Adding categories
Categories are like a book index, but for products. For example, the categories of a men’s fashion store can be defined into (T-shirts – shoes – accessories – watches, etc.), so that each category includes a specific group of products that makes it easier for website visitors to access them.
To add categories to your online store, from the WordPress control panel, click on (Products) then (Categories).
On the next page, add the information for the classification you want, then click the (Add a new classification) button at the bottom.
The categories are divided into basic and subcategories. Subcategories can be added to each basic category, subcategories can be added to subcategories, and so on at the same pace.
For example, Watches < Classic < Rolex is an example of a basic classification (Watches) that includes a subclassification below it that defines the type (Classic), and the Type classification includes another subclassification (Rolex) that defines the brand. This property can be set from the (Parent Classification) option, which is located in Categories creation page.
6- Adding products
Now comes the stage of adding products, which is the last step in completing the establishment of your online store before launching marketing operations.
The step of adding products is divided into several steps as follows:
- First: Click on the (Products) option and then (Add a new product) on the WordPress control panel.
Second: Add the product title and detailed description, and it is preferable to add a number of pictures within the description. After that, add the short description of the product, which appears at the top of the product page under the price and the purchase button, preferably in the form of short bullet points.
Third: Add product data. Product types in this case are divided into two main types. The first type is the simple product. You can add the price directly, specify shipping and tax options, and add attributes such as color and size.
The second type, which is a multi-type product, is selected from the top menu located in the product data section, and enables you to add several types to the same product, in addition to adding several features to each type.
In this form of product, the price is added and taxes are determined for each type of product separately.
Fourth: Finally, from the side menu, choose product categories, add tags, the main product image, and some additional images to describe the product.
After completing all these steps, click on the (Publish) button at the top left, and your product will appear on the site within seconds.
Step Three: Marketing your online store?
The process of creating an online store and adding products to it alone is not enough to achieve sales. There is a whole path waiting for you to effectively market those products.
Here are the best ways to market your online store:
1- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Most people who decide to buy a product from the Internet go to search engines and start finding what they want there. Therefore, it will be important for you to have your products appear on the first pages of Google and other search engines.
You can improve the search engines for your products through add-ons such as (Yoast Seo) and (Rank Seo Math), which are simple to use as their steps are clear and easy, and with some learning and research, you can carry out the task with great proficiency.
2- Content Marketing
The new global trend to achieve effective marketing indirectly is the use of content in the marketing process.
The most prominent method of content marketing is to create a blog for your store, where you publish the latest news, best products and offers.
This method may take some time to build an audience, but after that, it will be one of your most powerful marketing tools, especially since it costs little compared to its results.
3- Social media marketing
Social media sites certainly include your potential audience, and in most cases, it will only cost you a logo for your online store, and creating pages on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Then start publishing the latest offers and exploiting the events to create discounts.
You can do this yourself, or hire a specialized marketer, as marketing through electronic social media sites requires constant posting, at least three times a week.
4- Affiliate marketing:
Affiliate marketing is one of the best free marketing tools ever, and it consists of allowing other people to market products on the online store in exchange for a commission (a percentage of the profit).
You can take advantage of WordPress plugins to provide your site with an affiliate marketing feature, including: (AffiliateWP), (Affiliate Manager), and (YITH WooCommerce Affiliates).
These additions will allow you to provide affiliates with a complete control panel, set and manage their commissions.
5- Influencer Marketing: Influencer
marketing depends on searching for people who have a large audience of followers and who they can influence.
Influencers are found on all social media sites in general. However, you should choose influencers in niches that follow the category of your online store; In order to reach the appropriate audience.
Have you decided to sell cameras, for example? You will find a good number of influencers who provide camera reviews on YouTube. You can write to them and get a good deal in exchange for marketing your products.
6- Native ads: Native
ads appeared as part of the social media booms, as they are the means through which social media sites get their profits. Integrated ads are divided into several search engines, including sponsored ads on social media sites, product ads on Google, and ads that appear in YouTube videos.
If you decide to use this method to market your online store, you will need to be very aware of the personality of your consumers and the best way to reach them through social media.
7- Email Marketing Email marketing
is one of the most effective direct marketing methods to date, as it requires collecting a number of email addresses for your potential customers, and then using them to send offers on an ongoing basis.
how do you do that?
There is a good way, add a discount coupon on your products in exchange for customers submitting their email. Also, do not forget to provide the ability to subscribe to the email service on your website, whether on the blog, or in the form of a pop-up window.
You can rely on the Mailchimp add-on and link it to WooCommerce to use collected email from customers to launch advertising campaigns and offers.
8- Public Relations:
Although public relations is somewhat distant from marketing an online store, you will need it to create partnerships with influencers and companies, which will then contribute to marketing your online store.
Identify the people who could be interested in your online store, and how they can benefit from it. Whether delivery companies or marketing companies, contact them to make suitable deals.
9- Participation in events and events
I remember one time when I was walking through the Cairo Book Fair, and I met a team of young people displaying their products that happened to be in the category that my online store specializes in.
Although I was not preparing myself to do any marketing tours, I started talking to them about the possibility of adding their products to my store. They welcomed the idea very much, and are now among the most active product providers on my store.
Well, you never know what surprises are in store for you. But believe me, events are one of the most important realistic marketing methods. It enables you to talk face to face with a potential partner or a number of clients,
Conclusion|
WordPress is now one of the easiest ways to create a website ever, as it does not require programming skills to use it, and the costs of creating an integrated online store are low. One of the best features that WordPress offers to online stores is the ability to have great control over the store’s design and functions, and to provide add-ons that contribute to marketing operations afterwards.
