Being an online merchant sounds great. You sell various goods or services through the internet and make money. It’s quite simple, isn’t it?
However, there are always loads of things to take into consideration before starting your first online business. For instance, you have to choose the right type of the online store, you’re going to use for making money. It can be a big online shop (something like Amazon.com), a simple eBay store or a small template-based eCommerce site.
Sometimes it’s difficult to make the right choice, and you have to try several variants before choosing the most appropriate one.
Today, we’ll try to give you short descriptions of the most popular online stores to help you save your money, time and energy.
Overall, there are three most popular online shop types:
- eBay store;
- Template-based online store;
- Custom-designed online store.
eBay Store
eBay store may be maintained both for big and small eCommerce activities. When you open your store on this web platform, you always control the sales volume. Shoppers from all over the world get access to your goods or services either on the general auction page or on the Stores page.
In addition, the eBay store creation process is rather simple: you get a handy control panel with tools to design and manage your store easily. The only things to do are downloading your logo and listing the goods you are going to sell.
All in all, the main eBay store’s bonuses are:
- Immediate access to various shoppers categories;
- Additional safety guarantees (you won’t be able to qualify your store without the PayPal verification; all customers get an opportunity to leave comments about your store);
- Possibility to see all goods’ assortment in a single place.
Though eBay stores are able to increase sales up to 75%, don’t forget about a big rivalry. Sometimes, it happens that your online business may reach a better success among the shoppers who don’t use eBay.
Template-Based Online Store
Template-based online stores are often inexpensive and rather quick to create. When you choose such type of store, you get a cheap professional template (image library, payment gateway, inventory tracking) and a certain Web hosting plan.
The creation process won’t last more than several hours, but sometimes it’s necessary to hire an expert to customize your template-based web resource. In this case, your task will be limited to supplying a specialist with your images, logo and content (unless you don’t need copywriting).
You set a deadline, and the design team starts working. When the template-based store is ready, you will always get an opportunity to review and ask to make certain fixes if necessary.
Custom-Designed Online Store
If you want to look original and sound unique, you certainly need a custom-designed online store. It’s the most expensive and time-consuming online shop type, but it has a nice ability to attract more attention than any other kinds of online stores.
Firstly, your online shop won’t look like any other stores, because it will be designed only according to your own demands and requirements.
A custom design is often vital for those ones, who have a large online business and want to demonstrate his own brand.
Secondly, you don’t need to do anything by yourself. You hire a web designer, dedicate him yo your business goals, give him all necessary images and copy and, finally, let him work.
When the website’s mockup is ready, you get an opportunity to review it and ask the web design team to make all necessary changes.
Choosing the right online store isn’t difficult. Before doing anything, try to ask and answer the following questions, and you will easily understand what to choose:
- What do I want to sell?
- Do I have enough skills and knowledge to create and maintain the store?
- How do I want to offer my goods?
- How will my possible customers find my shop?
- Where will my store be hosted?
- Who will maintain my store?
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