How to create an online store step by step

The trend to create an online store has become a feature of the current era, as it became the first step to enter the world of e-commerce, which deserved to be a common market for the exchange and sale of millions of goods and services provided via the internet, so we will learn together how to create an online store, its advantages, shortcomings and the most important skills needed to be present for its success.

What is an online store

The e-store is intended to make a website dedicated to displaying services and products for individuals or institutions, with the advantages of various online sales such as Home Delivery, return, exchange and payment services in different ways that suit customers, and the establishment of e-stores is not limited to individuals only; it has become indispensable for major major commercial institutions, and it also helps in promoting the services of service institutions Both domestic and international.

With the spread of the concept of e-commerce in the Arab world, the percentage of online stores has increased significantly, bringing the number of online shoppers in the Arab countries to more than 30 million customers in one year, which highlights the future of electronic stores as an indispensable alternative to traditional commerce.

Advantages of creating an online store

The greatest importance of creating electronic stores is the demand of millions of people daily on the internet to search for their needs of goods and services, where you can get several advantages from creating an electronic store, the most important of which are:

• Autonomy: you can create your own store and be independent with your business without the need for financing from anyone, with the ability to control your financial and administrative matters without interference or control.
• Flexibility: you will have the opportunity to reach dozens of Regions and target thousands of customers daily at the push of a button to achieve the best marketing results with the simplest mechanisms.
• Multi-means: the internet gives you many marketing mechanisms such as promotion through social pages, websites, e-mail and others.
• Gain customer trust: you can gain customer loyalty by enhancing the chances of trust in your product or services, which will build a strong balance of loyal customers for your brand.
• Effective communication: you can easily receive feedback from your customers, respond to their suggestions and respond to their complaints, which will help develop your business and improve your image.
• Low cost: you can create an online store for free or for a small fee, along with the advantages of wide distribution and delivery of your services and products to millions of customers at minimal costs.
• Customer tracking: you can track the customer's itinerary from the moment he enters your store, collect data about him, and also identify his needs and what he is looking for to provide on your store.

Steps before creating an online store

If you are looking for success in your commercial field and want to develop your online store; you need to know the conditions and requirements for creating and managing an online store, so you need to follow the following steps before actually creating the store:

Make a specific plan

Planning is important before implementing the creation step, it is important to draw up a plan with your short and long-term goals, and also collect the necessary data and information, determine the target audience and develop a marketing plan, where to start and who to address, how you will implement your project.

Select the products you are going to sell

Before creating the store you have to know what you are going to sell, there are millions of products and goods offered; so it is important to choose from them and determine what you can sell professionally, so study your products, and do a feasibility study for your project is important before creating an online store, such as studying the prices of the products you are going to sell, their prices, profit margin, shipping cost, sale and others.

Put a name to your brand

Choose from the very beginning a sonorous name suitable for the nature of the products to be your brand, it is important to work under a distinctive logo and name that remains in the ears of customers to evolve with time, and beware of quoting famous names to avoid being sued.

Select a domain name for your online store

It is preferable that the domain contains a keyword related to your business, taking into account the country code located in it, and it is preferable to use hosting companies specialized in choosing the domain of your store.

How to create a professional online store

Creating online stores has become easy with the presence of specialized companies and with the development of content management services, and the basic step to making an online store is to create the store on WordPress and then add WooCommerce, just be sure to follow the following steps:

• Create your website on the WordPress platform, which is a free service at the beginning of Creation, then you have to subscribe to paid versions to upgrade your account.
• Buy a domain name or domain and make sure that a distinctive and suitable name for your products can develop your store's website in search engines, and the domain name is the name that appears in front of the customer in the address
• Choose the price plan suitable for you from the price plans offered by WordPress, the first creation step is free, but you need higher price plans to develop the store and improve its location.
• Building the store: the most important step is to lay the basics of the store, which includes (interface design - customizing photos and videos - inserting social media platforms - adding products or services that you will display in the store).
• It is important to secure your store against theft attempts by purchasing a security and protection card (SSL), which secures the store's information and your personal data, as well as the personal data of customers.

How to set payment and shipping settings on the online store

E-commerce depends entirely on the availability of various payment methods to suit customers without exception, and also the adoption of delivery and shipping methods, so you need to determine the payment and shipping methods when creating an electronic store by choosing the payment methods that you want to provide to the store's customers through the institutions of developing and establishing electronic stores, including credit cards, PayPal, pioneer, Fawry, Apple Pay and others, as You have to enter shipping data, prices, customer data, how to communicate, and other shipping management tools of the store.

How to create a free online store

There is nothing easier than creating an online store for free through WordPress with WooCommerce, where you can create an online store in a short period of time with simple steps the same as the previous steps that start by specifying the domain or domain address, and determine the hosting according to the region where you live, the most important thing is to secure your store with an SSL certificate, it is preferable to cooperate with a hosting company to accomplish the steps of creating a store Free e-mail.

How to market your online store

Marketing is the effective and most important element for your project to come to light, without a marketing plan, your online store will remain limited in reach, so there are some recommendations necessary to promote your online store, including:

• Marketing through social media accounts by promoting your store and products, making offers and discounts on store pages on social media.
• Content promotion: by creating attractive content that promotes your products and services directly or indirectly.
• Search engine development: by improving some of the conditions and criteria that make the store in an advanced position in the search engine results.
• Using e-mail is useful in communicating your products, offers and discounts easily to millions of customers and for a reduced fee.

Tips when creating an online store

There are some tips to help you create an online store and upgrade it and your business, including:

• Do not ignore the responses of the business, their suggestions and be sure to receive their product reviews with a hearty chest.
• Provide high-quality and high-standard products at affordable prices by setting an appropriate profit margin.
• It is easier for customers to shop from the store, complete the purchase, payment and shipping methods.
• Maintain store data and customer information using a secure and reliable protocol.
• Be sure to develop the store pages, especially the main page, with attention to the “About Us” page because it gives the customer an overview of you and your products.

The online store will take you an important step to start your project and easily deliver your products to multiple segments of customers in an unlimited geographical range at a small cost, towards brilliance and success.