Start-ups: Understanding the first steps to creating that online store

Creating an online store.

For many people, the ecommerce tickle hits them at some point in life, even if it is a passing fancy. It doesn't matter if the person has a full-time job or already operates as a part-time freelancer, or anything in-between. There is a curiosity about making an income online, or at least spending a moment asking themselves the question of whether it can be done successfully.

For those "already in the business," those steps can seem obvious and they have forgotten what it is like to be a "newbie" in the area of ecommerce and the accompanying skill of online marketing. Fortunately, there are many articles on the subject, throughout the Internet and this was available in decades past. This makes in much easier in this day and age.

Looking To the Past To Understand the Present

Years ago, before blogs were introduced, the phrase "internet marketing" was brand new and the late Cory Rudl was king of it with his "Internet Marketing Center" and training course comprised of two four-inch binders full of information on how to do it. Back "in the day" Rudl's training was the only information available and it was revolutionary. Obviously, Internet marketing has moved past the days of recommending FFA (free-for-all) pages and there are more innovative ways to make that mark. Cory Rudl has also passed from this life and left a legacy that is best told in articles, leaving the new strategies to the new training.

Back in those days, there were many more difficult hurdles to overcome and more steps, as well as an increased need for professional designers and programmers to do the job. Fortunately, life is easier and more economical for anyone wanting to set up their own ecommerce site. It is still beneficial to hire professionals, but since there are free solutions (like Wordpress) available, there is not as much need because the shop owner no longer has to find someone to code the raw HTML of the web site. Also, since there are free Wordpress plugins (like WooCommerce), there is no longer the need to hire the web programmers to develop a PHP or Java interface (store) from scratch.

Is there a need to hire professionals? Yes (if the intention is to "do it right"). However, the professionals may not be needed for as many hours as was needed in decades past and this is a big time saver. Instead of hiring a programmer to perform 100 hours of programming for a storefront, a branding consultant could be hired (even if it is a higher hourly rate) for 5 hours.

Preparation and Next Steps to Get the Ecommerce Off the Ground

So, even with all of the conveniences and the free software, there are still some expenses, as well as the need to hire professionals. For example, a start-up will want to contract a marketing expert, specifically a branding expert. If coaching or hiring a consultant is not what is desired, it is possible to enroll in a class, like Debbie LaChusa's 'How to Brand Yourself and Your Business.' After enlisting their help to identify the branding and putting together a brand kit (as well as the brand messaging, as a part of that process, they will want to hire someone to perform the custom graphic design. This is a needed step, to ensure that the branding is consistent and just the right logo is developed. After all, once the ecommerce store is up and running, it is often that logo that will continue to draw the visitors to the site, especially with that brand recognition.

After meeting with the branding expert, and possibly a business coach, as well as the graphic designer, there is the process of setting up the online store. The cost is not necessarily zero (if done right), but it is much less expensive than it was 20 years ago, because of the free options available. These free options are also much more functional and less buggy than the do-it-yourself methods that existed prior to Wordpress (WP). It is not that WP is necessarily a perfect solution (does 'perfect' exist?), but it is a great place to start and it does not mean that a person has to remain loyal only to one solution. If the ecommerce solution that is chosen takes over and makes a million dollars, profit, in the first year, then the sky is the limit and there are no restrictions to re-inventing oneself.

This is a start, with a couple of resources to boot, but more work is still needed. It is important that it is understood that the dream is possible. The idea is to get out of the starting gate. There are many resources and experience available, at the fingertips, here on what is called the World Wide Web.

Source: Start-ups: Understanding the first steps to creating that online store