If you like the idea of running your own e-commerce business but you feel like you don’t have the necessary technical skills to get started, do not be discouraged. These days it is easier than ever to set up an e-commerce store even if your technical skills are nonexistent. Here is a quick guide to the main points you need to know about starting your own e-commerce business without facing any technical dilemmas.
Launch Your Website
Launching a website is a daunting task for someone who does not have any experience in this area. However, getting a fully functioning website up and running has never been simpler. For the most professional end result, hire a web designer. You may want your site to run on WordPress, because this will enable you to publish new pages and blog posts, edit details, add pictures and do most of the things that you want to do without the need for any technical skills.
Choose an Online Payment System
Setting up an e-commerce shopping cart may sound complicated, but once again this is something that has been simplified over the years so that it is now possible to set up a shopping cart solution on your own. Try to find a shopping cart that can accept international payments if you are shipping all over the world. You should also look out for one that enables you to manage your online store with ease so that you can write keyword-rich descriptions, create categories for navigation and make all of the necessary changes at short notice without any help.
Choose a Company to Handle Your Deliveries
You will need to find a trusted company to send all of your deliveries to ensure that they arrive on time and undamaged. A service like My Parcel Deliverycan help to ensure this, which can take a huge weight off your mind. It is also a good idea to find a service that does not charge extortionate prices. If you have to add on large postage and packaging fees, this could scare off potential customers.
Market Your Store
Generating targeted traffic to your store is the hardest part of all. How well you market your website will determine how many visitors you attract, and if you fail to generate enough traffic you will face a huge challenge making a success of your e-store. Online marketing is therefore crucial, and there are a number of different marketing techniques that you could choose to focus on, including:
- SEO
- Social media marketing
- PPC
- A company blog
- Email marketing
With all of these techniques you can find out the basics yourself and begin a campaign with next to no technical skills. However, you may need help with some of the more technical areas like PPC and SEO, so it could be worth outsourcing these.
Consider an eBay Store
If all of the above still sounds like too much work, you could cut out most of the steps by setting up your e-commerce store on eBay. This will take the hassle out of designing a website and sorting out payment processing, and you will also benefit from the large amount of traffic that eBay generates. The problem with this option is that you will have to pay fees to enjoy the benefits, so you have to weigh up the pros and cons for your own situation. However, if you are looking for a solution that requires hardly any technical skills whatsoever, eBay could be a good choice.
Get Your e-Commerce Store Up and Running
If you decide to set up your own e-Commerce store, you do not need to have any technical skills. You can carry out most of the various stages yourself, and where you find yourself needing help you can always outsource. Opening an e-commerce store is easier than ever before, so don’t let a lack of technical skills put you off launching your own store.
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- License: Creative Commons image source
John is a freelance writer specialising in marketing and technology.