{"id":94305,"date":"2016-06-13T15:28:17","date_gmt":"2016-06-13T13:28:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themeskingdom.com\/?p=94305"},"modified":"2022-10-19T12:49:30","modified_gmt":"2022-10-19T12:49:30","slug":"the-8-dos-and-donts-of-starting-an-online-shop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themeskingdom.com\/blog\/the-8-dos-and-donts-of-starting-an-online-shop\/","title":{"rendered":"The 8 Do\u2019s and Don\u2019ts of starting an online shop"},"content":{"rendered":"

Starting an e-commerce shop these days is easier than getting the permits and money to run a local brick-and-mortar store. If you’ve been itching to join this game of e-shop thrones, then prepare yourself with a few key tips:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"system\"<\/p>\n

Do: pick an easy to use system<\/h2>\n

You don\u2019t have to be a developer to create an online store. You don\u2019t even have to know how to run an online shop – you can learn along the way.<\/p>\n

The first thing you have to do is pick an already available shopping system. There\u2019s Shopify<\/a>, which is really popular for its simplicity and robustness. It\u2019s 30$ per month for up to 100 products and works for people who aren\u2019t rocket scientists.<\/p>\n

But the trouble with Shopify is that most people outgrow it pretty quickly. When you want more creative and managerial control of your online shop, you\u2019re going to want to create one on your own instead of relying on ready-made shops.<\/p>\n

The cheapest, quickest and easiest way to do this is to get WordPress<\/a>. It\u2019s the internet\u2019s most popular core on top of which websites are built.<\/p>\n

Think of your shop as a car. WordPress is the engine that chugs everything along.<\/p>\n

But a car needs more parts.<\/p>\n

\"payment\"<\/p>\n

Do: pick a straightforward payment processor<\/h2>\n

To handle payments from your customers, get a payment plugin like WooCommerce<\/a>, Jigoshop<\/a>, or OpenCart<\/a>. If you\u2019re a developer and want to have fun with payments, try Stripe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Personally, we at Themes Kingdom love WooCommerce – we\u2019re not even paid to say this lol. And we made all our premuim WordPress themes<\/a> work flawlessly with it. But you can pick whichever payment plugin looks good to you.<\/p>\n

Congrats! You\u2019ve made a sweet looking chassis for your car.<\/p>\n

Next up, let\u2019s get a futuristic design that people will love.<\/p>\n

\"design<\/p>\n

Do: focus on how you look<\/h2>\n

Good design inspires confidence, and makes you trust a website enough to give it your card\u2019s info and pay for products.<\/p>\n

We made a few professional but highly approachable themes for WordPress shops like Goodz Shop<\/a>. It\u2019s easy to set up, works great with WooCommerce, and looks gorgeous<\/a>.<\/p>\n

FYI: a theme for WordPress is the visual part of your car – a theme is what people see and interact with when they visit your site.<\/p>\n

\"high<\/p>\n

Do: use high-quality images of your products<\/h2>\n

A great theme can only do so much. If you use low quality photos, not even the most expensive theme can save you.<\/p>\n

Try talking to a good product photographer (not a wedding or event photographer) that can make great photos of your product. If you\u2019re a kind of store that sells someone else\u2019s products like eyewear or phones, then get the best photos direct from the manufacturer.<\/p>\n

\"advertise\"<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t: just open a web shop and think you\u2019re done<\/h2>\n

You have to tell people you exist. It\u2019s basically advertising, but you don\u2019t need flyers and billboards anymore.<\/p>\n

Try to engage with your community. Find online forums or Facebook groups and talk with them about their problems and how you can solve them. Don\u2019t just sell stuff. That doesn\u2019t work anymore.<\/p>\n

Instead offer your expertise. Write articles for your shop\u2019s blog where you explain how your products are made, or how they\u2019re really good at fixing people\u2019s problems. Offer a bit of your knowledge for free.<\/p>\n

That way you\u2019ll establish yourself as an authority on the topic; people will gain something from you for free and remember you – that\u2019s basically called creating brand awareness. And if you\u2019re good, they\u2019ll share your articles with other people in the field.<\/p>\n

Do not forget to track your Woocoomerce store essential metrics<\/a>, you need to understand the essential details behind your success and progression.<\/p>\n

\"review\"<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t: forget about customer reviews and Instagram photos<\/h2>\n

Reviews are a simple and effective way to reinforce trust into your products. Include a commenting and a reviewing options. If you\u2019re using WooCommerce it comes default with the plugin, you just have to turn it on.<\/p>\n

Be sure to include social media photos from your customers, because that builds trust too. Better yet, it shows that people buy, use and *love* your products, and there\u2019s no better ad than that.<\/p>\n

Why are reviews and social media content so important?<\/p>\n

Check this insightful video by L2inc<\/a>, a research company that benchmarks brands and their online\/offline success, to find out why:<\/p>\n