eCommerce for Dummies: How to create an Online Store without Coding?
The pandemic of 2020 has propelled eCommerce's growth, and the demand for online shopping is increasing exponentially. So there are plenty of business opportunities if you take your enterprise online.
At the start of 2021, eCommerce sales reached the $4.891 billion mark. eCommerce experts say that in 2024, the sales will be about $6.388 billion yearly.
Planning to build an online store? A decade ago it was a very tedious and time-consuming activity. Now anyone can design an eCommerce website without handling the technical aspect.
If you adopt the right business model while setting up your custom eCommerce store, you don’t have to even worry about stock management and shipping.
Pick a Readymade eCommerce Platform
IT value-added resellers (VARs) don’t intend to spend much on setting up their eCommerce business. In such circumstances, they should use readymade eCommerce solutions that will allow them to build their online store with minimum investment.
This platform is a cloud-based solution and comes with a host of built-in features, making it easy to set up the store. The vendor handles web hosting which means no need to purchase a dedicated server to host the website. The server is hosted in the Cloud which can be easily accessed by any Internet-enabled device.
As a VAR IT reseller, you don’t have to worry about any technical aspects of your website. This includes software updates, website performance, server maintenance, etc.
Steps to Create your eCommerce Website
Building an eCommerce store using this platform is hassle-free and doesn’t require any coding knowledge. These platforms are beginner-friendly and you can set up your store in just a couple of hours.
Step 1: Choose your Monthly Plan
These ready-to-use eCommerce platforms are sold on a monthly subscription basis. You just have to pay a monthly fee to your vendor to use their software application. The monthly plan will vary from $250 to $600 depending upon the features added to the platform.
Choose a monthly plan that enables you to access all the features you are looking for to run your online business successfully. Whatever service package you choose, it would be far more economical as compared to traditional eCommerce platforms.
Step 2: Choose a Template or Layout
These platforms have a huge collection of eCommerce templates (themes) that are free. Each of these templates is highly customizable which will enable you to design your website as per your unique requirements.
The eCommerce templates come with a drag-and-drop editor which means you can design web pages by simply dragging and dropping pre-made sections, content blocks, and elements.
You have the flexibility to edit and set colors and text. Using the “Themes Settings”, you can design the look and feel of your store.
Step 3: Upload your Products
Before you build an eCommerce store, firstly decide whether you want to sell digital or physical products. If you plan to sell physical products, you need to have product information in excel sheet format.
If you are selling IT products, make sure you add all the product details including images, product descriptions (short & long), technical specifications, etc., in the excel sheet. Once it is done, you can easily upload the excel sheet into your store via your eCommerce backoffice. Most readymade platforms have the option to set multiple variants of the same product.
Step 4: Setup your Payment Gateways and Shipping Carriers
Any online eCommerce store builder has custom integrations with a wide range of payment gateways and shipping carriers.
Just set up a business account with these third-party services. Once it is done, your account will be instantly connected to your platform.
There is a provision to set up shipping rates which can be either flat or will vary depending on the weight.
With payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.net, etc, you can easily accept online payments using credit and debit cards.
Step 5: Pick the Dropshipping Model
Not interested in handling inventory, packaging, and shipping? Pick a supplier that provides dropshipping services. Dropshipping is a business model that saves you from holding stock and shipping. The supplier handles the order fulfillment process, allowing you to focus on sales.
Step 6: Launching your eCommerce Store
Before you launch your online store, you need to purchase a custom domain name that is search-engine friendly and helps to improve the ranking of your website. You also need to create marketing campaigns that will help to generate awareness about your business.
Wrapping Up
In today’s times eCommerce website builders are readily available, hence setting up an online store is not at all difficult. Gone are the days when you had to hire a web developer and look for a hosting provider to build and host your website. You can easily build an eCommerce store on your own and even add advanced functionalities to meet your evolving business needs.
