Starting an e-commerce business might seem like a big step. It doesn’t have to be.
Yes, there are a lot of considerations, but it doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. As you will soon see, some of the more popular brands and businesses started out small, only selling one or two products online and grew from there.
If you’re considering starting your own ecommerce store, or looking for tips and ideas for growing your online business presence, then this guide (and checklist) is for you.
How Anker went from a side business to a global brand with Amazon
Did you know that Anker Technologies, the global provider of phone chargers and power banks, started out as a small ecommerce business on Amazon? Steven Yang and his wife first ran a dropshipping business that sparked the idea of selling portable charging devices; it became Anker. As sales took off, the couple devoted themselves full time to their business. Today Anker is a global company, the same path also takes julapi .
Is It Too Late To Start An Ecommerce Business?
No, it’s not too late to start an e-commerce business. As consumers become more comfortable with purchasing products online, the e-commerce industry is expected to continue to grow.
Don’t be intimidated into creating or building your online store. Start by testing the waters with Amazon to see if your idea has potential. After all, having access to millions of online shoppers can give you plenty of opportunities to interact with potential customers and quickly adjust your product offering, pricing, or descriptions.
The Individual Selling Plan allows you to sell online and pay a per item fee each time you sell a product. This is ideal for sellers who are still deciding what to sell.
For existing business owners or entrepreneurs ready to go, the Professional Selling Plan gives you access to professional sales tools. A monthly subscription gives you access to features such as advertising and promotions that can impact your visibility and income.
Learn more about Amazon Selling Plans
How Profitable Is Ecommerce?
The trends show that e-commerce continues to grow year over year. For aspiring entrepreneurs and growing businesses, ecommerce can be a very profitable model to adapt either as your sole business focus or as an additional sales channel.
How to start an ecommerce business from scratch
Here’s how to go from dreaming your million dollar idea to running your own online store.
Step 1: Research your business idea
Before you start building your online store, you should research your business plan to help you make critical choices quickly and effectively. There are several ways for sellers to decide which products to sell or which to build. Here are some of the most important decisions to make when trying to start your ecommerce business.
Find a pain point or challenge worth solving
What problem or challenge are you looking to solve? Who feels the pain the most? Who would be the most excited if you solved this challenge?
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Finding a problem worth solving is crucial, as some ideas, even innovative ones, can fail when they don’t have an audience of customers to back them up.
For example, are you looking to make high quality kitchen utensils? Then the people who love to cook will be among your best customers. Do you sell thicker, more durable yoga mats? Then yoga practitioners and instructors could be your best advocates and fans.
Think about the challenge your products will face. Identify the users who will really enjoy what you’re trying to create, and keep them in mind. This will guide your priorities.
You don’t have to go far to find a great product idea. Often times, people are selling to a familiar group because it is much easier to spot problems and identify needs faster. Think about your own interests to identify product opportunities that people with similar interests or hobbies might need.
Being an observer can help you come up with a great product idea
The best ideas can come from regular daily events, like a meal with a friend. Online business owners Saadia Mirza and Bassel Riche got a business idea while they were having dinner. They noticed a problem on the sidewalks in Atlanta. Women in the evening would take off their sore shoes and walk barefoot on the sidewalks to relieve their sore feet. This inspired the owners of the brand to come up with a new product: Purse Pals, squeezable ballerinas to help relieve sore feet from sore shoes satta.
Finding a challenge worth solving and an audience that wants the problem solved will make your business much more likely to bring you success.
Questions to ask yourself when looking for product ideas
The easiest place to start researching your business idea is in your immediate surroundings. Discover the goals, aspirations or challenges of the people around you, then find products to help them. By being an observer, you can come up with ideas for your business which you can then research online.
What pain points or problems do you have that you want to resolve?
What faults or complaints do you have with the products you are currently using?
What trends have you noticed around the world that you can capitalize on?
What comments do you hear from friends or family about the products they use?
Quelles activités aimez-vous faire ? Quels produits aideraient à améliorer ces activités ?
Utilisez des outils de recherche de mots clés pour repérer les tendances et les opportunités
Lorsqu’il s’agit de vendre en ligne, votre passion ne se traduira pas nécessairement par le succès. Vous devez déterminer si les clients veulent votre produit. Vous pouvez utiliser des outils en ligne pour rechercher des tendances, rechercher des questions que votre public peut avoir et déterminer quelles sont leurs solutions actuelles. Jetez un œil à la liste des meilleures ventes d’Amazon pour repérer les opportunités de produits de niche.
Votre produit existe déjà, et maintenant ?
Si votre idée ou votre produit est déjà sur le marché, ne vous inquiétez pas : vous avez plusieurs options. À savoir, vous pourriez être en mesure d’offrir le même produit à un prix plus compétitif, ou de fournir un meilleur produit alternatif. De plus, le fait que le produit soit déjà disponible est une validation du potentiel du marché, c’est un bon signe !
Lisez les avis des clients sur les produits existants pour savoir où vos concurrents ne sont pas à la hauteur. Comptez les plaintes et recherchez des modèles. Ensuite, faites vos recherches et déterminez combien cela pourrait coûter pour résoudre le problème.
Étape 2 : Validation de votre idée de produit
Plus vous consacrez de temps à valider votre produit, meilleures sont vos chances de réussite. Une fois que vous avez identifié votre idée d’entreprise, recherchez les performances de produits similaires et ce que vos clients potentiels pourraient rechercher.
Parlez à des clients potentiels pour valider votre idée
Le moyen le plus simple et le moins cher de déterminer si votre idée vaut la peine d’être poursuivie est de parler aux gens. Une fois que vous avez identifié un problème qui mérite d’être résolu, parlez-en aux personnes qui ressentent le plus la douleur ou la frustration.
Contactez un petit groupe de personnes pour comprendre si elles sont confrontées au problème que vous essayez de résoudre et découvrez comment elles gèrent actuellement ce défi.
Offer to buy 5-10 people a cup of coffee for 30 minutes of their time. Use your meeting to talk about the challenge and see if the issue is something they would pay money to fix, or if it doesn’t bother them a lot. Avoid talking about your product, as this can influence the responses you get. Instead, focus on how they feel about the challenge, how they’re currently tackling it, and whether they would pay to fix the problem. If so, how much would they be prepared to pay? Asking these questions can help you determine if there might be an audience for your product.
