Online shop for a start-up – a serious player for product retail
In recent years the internet has turned into a serious player for product retail in the BtoB and BtoC market. But don’t think the internet will do the work for you. Here are some key facts that start-ups should keep in mind when establishing their own online distribution channel.
The right shop software
The first question when looking into shop software is always: “make or buy?” In most cases, especially with a low budget, it is wise to buy. There are many good standard shopsoftwares that provide a broad functionality and a high level of configuration. When comparing different providers, these are important questions to keep in mind:
- Is the provider in the same culture group? For example, in Switzerland it is wise to choose a European rather than an American software provider. By choosing a similar provider you may avoid surprises when configuring your website.
- Does the provider offer active release management? This way you can be sure that you always have the newest versions and work with the latest improvements.
- Is there a mobile version of the software? In recent years there has been an on-going trend towards mobile commerce, so your website should be able to convert to smartphones.
Don’t forget to remember that your customers will want to pay when visiting your shop. Therefore you will need to provide them with the common methods of payment in Switzerland. Moreover, you might want to think about how you will process and ship your orders in the future. And last but not least, you should organise the hosting for your shop.
Don’t underestimate
Countless providers of online shops will tell you that it’s really easy to get your own online store up and running and even easier to make money with it. Don’t be fooled, in most cases it’s not.
Let me give you an example: “Driving a car is simple” – well it is, as soon as you have learned how to drive. And as soon as you know how to drive you will realise that the difficulty lies not in steering, de-clutching and changing gears at the same time, but to keep watch over the passing traffic and to react at the right moment.
When setting up your own online shop it is like learning how to drive. If you try to do it alone it will take a substantial amount of time and there is a good chance you will quit in fury. Like when driving, with the right driving instructor you will reach your goals without too much hassle. In this phase you will set the foundation for you later success. An individual appearance will improve your online corporate identity. Extensive information about your products will improve your customers purchase decisions and a well-structured check out process with the right payment options will prevent them from quitting to early.
However, similar to our driving skills the key to success in online retail lies with what you do as soon as you have set up your online shop. Now the task at hand is to spread the word throughout the internet, to keep an interesting product range, to take care of your customers and to process the incoming orders. This is a lot of work that you should not underestimate, but if you’re ready for it, if you’re prepared to put in the effort, then it will provide you with a lot of fun and, most of all, with a high turnover.
