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One of the most exciting developments of recent years is clearly the rise of online retail stores. From clothes to everyday items, consumers are able to purchase anything and everything they need or want at the touch or the click of a button. People simply adopted online shopping, and this led to an exponential boom in the eCommerce industry, with billions of dollars being made every year by companies large and small. In fact, according to Statista, retail eCommerce sales are projected to reach 5.4 trillion US dollars worth in 2022.
With so much money on the line, there has never been a better time to start an online store of your own. However, starting an online business can be a difficult and time-consuming process, especially if you are starting from scratch. Well, not anymore; in this article, we’re going to show you how to set up your own eCommerce store with forms.app in just a few easy steps. You will be able to use online order forms to sell your product and start your online business with the best store builder in the market.
5 steps to a successful eCommerce business
Creating your own online store is a lot of work, but it can also be extremely rewarding. All it takes is a little time, a few dollars, and a willingness to learn. In this article, we’ll take you through the steps involved in starting an online store from scratch. We’ll also show you how to get your finances in order, market and sell your product, and start building your store with online forms, as well as How to improve customer satisfaction in eCommerce.
Find your niche
One of the most important steps in starting an online business is finding a niche. Narrowing your focus will make it much easier for you to build a successful business, as you’ll be able to devote all of your time to developing your idea instead of having to spend it researching and developing a product that nobody will buy.
With so many different eCommerce stores on the internet, it can be difficult to find a niche that will allow you to stand out from the crowd. However, by learning some of the most important eCommerce terms and developing a strategy for targeting potential customers, you’ll be able to find a profitable niche in no time.
Complete the branding process
After finding a niche and a great business idea, the next step is creating the essence of your brand. Similar to all other businesses, an online e-Commerce business needs a neat Company logo, domain name, and catch-phrase, among other things. As the masses will remember you with these elements, it is important to make them as aesthetic and easy to remember as possible. Branding elements should be related to your product idea and distinctly recognizable. Once you have completed the branding process, it means you are halfway through having an eCommerce business.
Have a business plan
A business plan is a critical part of starting a business, whether it’s an online store, a bakery, a landscaping service, or a retail store. It serves as a road map for your business and provides you with the information you need so that you can be successful as a business owner.
Having a business plan before starting an eCommerce business will help you stay on track and will make sure you don’t go off track. Having a business plan will tell your eCommerce store what your vision is, what you want your eCommerce store to be, and how you plan on getting there.
Create your online store
So, the question is, how can you open an eCommerce store without any hassle? You will have many options for your online store; creating an eCommerce website, opening a store on existing platforms (such as Shopify and Amazon), or using online order forms to start selling instantly. You have to consider the cost of building an eCommerce store. This is exactly where forms.app steps in to help you with the process.
As a powerful online store builder, forms.app provides you with a series of great eCommerce features and ready-to-use form templates. Thanks to forms.app’s great features, you can create and use online forms to start selling on all platforms. Online order forms will provide an easy and safe way to collect money through secure gateways. Thus, you can instantly build trust and start your eCommerce business with many options, such as:
- selling your products without having a website
- Using online order forms on a website
- Integrating with your Shopify store
Advertise and collect customer feedback
As Paul Graham says, “You can’t wait for customers to come to you. You have to figure out where they are, go there and bring them back to your store.” That’s why you should always seek a way to reach out to new customers to increase your sales. Today, marketing mostly determines whether your eCommerce business will be a success or not. Moreover, it is important to reach out to your customer base and collect feedback about your brand. This will help you create a loop of success and keep you on track all the time.
Using order forms to start selling without a website
Today, many want to start an online business, but paying for a website and maintaining it seems scary for everyone. This is the case because you have to build a suitable website for eCommerce, buy a custom domain, create product pages, and so forth. If you have a really good idea and start off without waiting or paying too much money, you can use online order forms without a website.
With its advanced product basket, all the payment options and additional features, forms.app acts as an online store builder and helps you sell your products everywhere. You can share your order forms via email marketing or post them on social media. If you are building a business on Instagram, for example, it takes only minutes to start selling on Instagram with online order forms. Considering the number of successful businesses on social media, selling with online forms is great for everyone who has a brilliant idea.
Using order forms on a web page
Online order forms make things easier for websites, as well. This is mostly because they come with an excellent product basket and offer you many payment options to choose from. This way, you will not have to worry about collecting payments or paying tons of money to a shopping system on your website. After selecting an order form template, adding your items, and finally creating your custom form, you will be able to embed your order form as Iframe.
Collecting online payments with your order form
Online forms have been adopted by many in the eCommerce business as they offer the easiest way to sell your products and collect payments. All you have to do is add the items you want to sell and enter their prices. Then, consumers can add them to the shopping cart, enter a shipping address, and choose one of the payment options. According to your preferences, your customers can;
- Pay with their debit or credit cards
- Use PayPal or Stripe balances
- Choose to pay-at-door
Setting up your store with forms.app
After finding a great idea, determining your target audience, and completing the branding, you are ready to open your online store. By creating an online order form on forms.app, you will be able to sell on as many platforms as possible. Furthermore, all features of forms.app are included on the free plan, so you can start realizing your dreams right away. Follow these easy steps and open your online store in minutes.
1 - Select the right order form template
2 - Add your products and enter the details
3 - Select your currency and enter the prices
4 - Choose payment methods for your customers
5 - Customize your order form according to your style
6 - Share it on social media or embed it into your website
Using the online order form templates for a quick start
As a cherry on top of all the eCommerce features, forms.app offers a wide range of order form templates that will make the whole process much faster and easier. Imagine you have a book store, and you want to start selling online. All you have to do is simply select the book order form template and add your products to your online order form. Using the right template will show you possible form fields you can use and help you create better order forms. So, check out the templates and start creating your online store without any effort.
Salim is Content Marketing Manager at forms.app. Ever curious, he loves researching different topics and areas. Salim has a lifelong passion for cycling and traveling. He has expertise in content marketing, content writing, online forms, and surveys.
