I created an E-Commerce store to learn more about the world of business. My original goal was to make 15 sales. However, this project meant more than a sale. It was a lesson on self-sufficiency, retail, product research, product development, web design, and marketing. This month was about learning.
Results
I ended up making no sales. However, I came away with a functioning Shopify store, a business Facebook page called MayMarkets, and many different skills. I gained basic proficiency in FB Ads, Canva, Printify, and Shopify.
What I Learned
Self-sufficiency is working towards a goal without relying on others. So, to do this I had to rely on my systems. I use google calendar to plan my schedule for the week that details the day to day procedures. I also decided to wake up and immediately work on one thing project related.
Retail was the one concept I was most excited about. Something about making money from selling a product from your own website was captivating. I learned about pricing, (especially from the supplier) and how to adjust the price on my website for profit.
Product Research and Development was definitely the most difficult aspect of the project. When creating a dropshipping business it is extremely important to find a product that is popular, profitable, and marketable. I spent a lot of time researching the best e-commerce products. The websites I used were Oberlo, AliExpress, and Amazon Movers and Shakers. These sites aided me in finding the best selling products. Amazon Movers and Shakers, for example, ranks the best selling products from their website. I ended up choosing iPhone accessories because they are consistently in high demand. I marketed for a week and then switched products after making no sales. I figured so many people were selling iPhone accessories so I wanted to sell a more specific product. Since the 2020 presidential elections are around the corner, I decided to sell Trump shirts. I custom designed them on Canva and manufactured them with Printify.
Web design was my favorite part of this experience. I learned how to create a website with Shopify. This taught me how to make a blank page look aesthetic. For my Trump shirts, I wanted the site to look very patriotic. So I set the color scheme to red, white, and blue. My header reads “Make Merchandise Great Again” with a giant American flag in the background. When I was selling iPhone accessories I designed the site with a silver scheme and had images of apple products for my header.
Marketing was essential in driving traffic to my website. I learned how to drive traffic with FB Ads. I initially spent 11$ on FB ads across a few days. I was able to reach 17,000 people and had 11 people visit my site. With FB Ads you create a business manager account that manages the ads. You also design the ads yourself. It is essential to keep the ads concise because most people scroll past your post on Facebook. That is why I chose to market just two shirts with the price centered.
So yeah, that’s it! I am proud of the work I put into my Shopify store. I think the valuable aspect of these hand-on types of projects is the skills gained along the way. Since I tasked myself to create an online store I was able to learn about the world of business. I put myself in an atmosphere that allowed for personal growth. In the future, I want to create one sale for my Shopify store. I am going to run FB ads for my Trump shirts and when I do I’ll make sure to update these blog posts.
