Creating a virtual store is a complex task that must be structured to minimize the possibility of getting lost along the way, so we are now showing you its “ecosystem” and we propose a step by step that will help you minimize impacts and maximize profits. results.
The dream of having your own business is old and common to many people, and more recently they are becoming the object of desire for those who want to start a business. Meanwhile, understanding how to set up a virtual store may not be as simple a task as many may think.
This is because, in addition to having to attend to all issues related to opening, management, etc. of a physical business, a virtual store also requires a series of technical care of its own.
It is necessary to think about the infrastructure, management and adequate to the virtual environment.
But remember that this does not mean that it is not advantageous to open an e-commerce, only that there are some more successful ways to do it than others.
Therefore, in this article we bring you a complete guide on how to set up a virtual store. Check it out below!
Virtual store: you should know if it’s really worth it
Some time ago it was very common for an entrepreneur or merchant to establish a company in a point of sale and remain there. That was the rule, regardless of the product or service offered. People knew what to buy and where to find it.
However, things have changed a lot. Today, just by doing a quick Google search, you can find countless stores where you can find your desired product.
In fact, the growth of electronic commerce has occurred infinitely faster than that of traditional.
Although there are still people who prefer personal contact with vendors, the comfort, practicality and increasingly personalized attention of the virtual environment has conquered many consumers.
But what does this growth represent for someone who wants to start a digital business? We list here the before knowing how to set up a virtual store. Look!
1. Cost difference
Opening a virtual store is not always as cheap as you think. If on the one hand you save money, for example, with physical space, on the other you need to invest in digital infrastructure, in elements such as website hosting or domains.
In this way, a low investment in physical resources may have its counterpart in the need to hire more qualified professionals, such as specialists in information technology, marketing or logistics.
2. Product diversity
A very positive point for virtual stores is the variety of products that can be offered in them. These products do not necessarily have to be in your stock, as long as you use a good supply chain.
This offer may also depend on the type of product. It is much easier to make a wide variety of televisions, smartphones and other electronic products available to the public than something that needs more customization.
Even so, in recent years the number of people who buy clothes, shoes and other items that until recently were thought to be difficult to adhere to has grown a lot.
The transformation of this scenario has been favored by the improvement of the merchandise exchange systems, as well as the new artificial intelligence technologies that, for example, can offer personalized offers based on the articles previously selected by the Internet user.
3. Breadth of customer reach
In theory, almost everything on the Internet can be purchased by anyone anywhere in the world, since many virtual stores and marketplaces achieve high levels of turnover with international sales, unlike small neighborhood stores, which always have a very limited audience.
However, in some cases the value of the freight may make the sale unfeasible for long distances. For this reason, e-commerce is advantageous if it can be overcome, more than physical barriers, logistics.
It is also important to develop adequate strategies to attract a qualified audience that is really interested in buying your products. And this is where the , with ads and other resources aimed at converting into sales, comes in.
4. Office hours
This is one of the most obvious advantages of a virtual store, both for customers and for merchants. An e-commerce works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This means that the customer no longer needs to submit to the operating hours of the conventional store, buying when and where it is most convenient for him.
It is important to remember that there is a restriction of the back office, since billing, delivery and other routines that require human labor are still subject to the workers’ schedules.
But the customer does not need to limit himself to buying at those times, he places the orders when he wants. Thus, you do not lose a sale due to lack of opening hours.
5. Accessibility to the virtual environment
The growth of e-commerce is largely due to the popularization of the Internet and the creation of broadband services. In other words, with the ease of people’s access to the web, it became not only viable but also very interesting to invest in virtual stores.
In this way, if in a physical store there must be a concern for accessibility, to provide easy access to all, to offer a pleasant atmosphere and with a good disposition of the products, when creating an online store this must also be be considered.
Thus, in an e-commerce you should always think of ways to encourage purchase, highlighting the products in front of interested audiences and taking care of all the necessary technical aspects to guarantee comfort and access to customers.
6. Prices and forms of payment
In this aspect, e-commerce stands out for the possibility of making various services available to the public, such as credit and debit cards or payment requests, among others.
Prices can also be more competitive if some costs are cut. Investing in technology makes a lot of difference here, both in payment gateways and in tools that optimize the purchase process.
However, many clients still complain about the difficulty of negotiating special conditions according to the needs of each one. For this reason, a virtual store can create strategies such as offering discount or loyalty plans, which increase customer satisfaction.
How to set up a virtual store: 9 steps to achieve it
Don’t know how to set up an online store? Next, we detail 9 steps for you to open your e-commerce. The steps are not necessarily in order, as many can and should be done simultaneously. Check it!
1. Do strategic planning
In the same way as occurs in physical stores, it is essential to carry out strategic planning to guide all the processes and actions to be implemented in the organization.
The main difference in the case of virtual stores is that they are usually more open to changes, taking into account the faster transformations that occur in the digital environment.
After all, a marked characteristic of e-commerce is to have a fluid market. The competition grows every day, with new stores emerging, and also the behavior trends of the public can change.
Therefore, for you to be successful with your store you need to know how to keep track of the competition and the public, as well as adapt it to any transformation that may occur.
For this, it is essential to have a well-planned one according to your type of business, target audience and objectives, to achieve the latter efficiently.
2. Perform financial controls
Another important point when creating a virtual store is not to neglect the . Even if you have good money to invest, you need to know how to use all the resources in the best way. Otherwise, the investment may be lost.
At that time it makes a lot of difference to carry out good financial management and with the right ones, which will help to understand the real situation of the organization. It will be necessary to know all the inputs and outputs, balances and cash flows, among other information.
3. Define a market niche
As we already mentioned, the competition between online stores can be very great. It is difficult to remain competitive without a good infrastructure, without investments in inventories, logistics and marketing. For this reason, small e-commerces usually suffer at the beginning.
In the case of small online businesses, the best way to handle this situation is to invest in the . When finding a market niche, choose a very specific and preferably little-explored target audience.
This should be done based on the characteristics of who might be interested in a certain product. People of what sex, age, location or financial situation, among other characteristics.
For example, what would be the profile of someone looking for mountaineering equipment? The truth is that there is an infinity of, just find the right client.
4. Take care of the relationship with the client
It’s not only after acquiring a solid customer base that you should listen to them. On the contrary: from the first moment you start planning the business, it is necessary to talk even with potential clients.
Therefore, make one as soon as you have chosen what your niche and business model will be.
Then, from then on, it will always be necessary to maintain a good relationship to build the credibility of your organization. You can understand what the problems and points for improvement or growth are directly from the users of your service or product.
This can be done through efficient communication channels, such as email, chat, Skype or telephone, among others, in addition to forming a well-trained team to serve customers.
Obviously, it is useless to listen without responding to problems and offering solutions in the best possible way, always giving feedback.
5. Monitor results and goals
In any business you need to be very specific and be able to monitor all the results. Meanwhile, running a virtual store means that the time to reach them is usually much shorter. After all, it is a much more fluid market and subject to fluctuations.
And that should not be seen as a negative. Market transformations are challenging, which makes it necessary to monitor all results closely, but fortunately there are several tools that facilitate this process, with indicators based on realistic data.
6. Design your digital marketing strategy
We will not go into the discussion of saying what are the most efficient marketing strategies to promote an online store. But, it is important to note that these are essential for the dissemination of the business and to be able to reach customers who are truly interested in acquiring your products or services.
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