Learn how to start selling in e-Commerce

[shukla7789]

The e-commerce revolution is not new, but it is now beginning to gain new momentum. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the various restrictions imposed on commerce, many companies felt the need to adapt and evolve their presence to the digital world. And now comes the need to know how to sell in e-commerce.

With most stores closed, the internet was the channel found to maintain connections with customers and the sale of products and services.

If you are thinking about launching your company in the digital market, we will show you the first steps you should take to establish your online store.

However, before we develop this topic, it is important to understand jamaica whatsapp number database the concept of “e-Commerce” really means, which is no longer new in the retail sector.

What is e-Commerce?
Electronic commerce or e-Commerce is a concept that represents any type of business or commercial transaction that involves the transfer of information via the Internet. This term covers various types of businesses, from retail sites, Marketplaces - the well-known online shopping malls -, auction sites or sites for the trade of goods and services between organizations or individuals.

What types of e-Commerce are there?
When we talk about e-Commerce, there are several types of businesses that we can associate with this concept:

B2B (Business to Business) – Business established between two companies or entities.
B2C (Business to Consumer) – Most common sales model, where companies sell their products or services to the end customer.
C2C (Consumer to Consumer) – Transactions through Marketplaces, where consumers can place their sales proposals to other consumers. This type of e-Commerce is widely used for the sale of used goods.
C2B (Consumer to Business) – Reversing the usual sales order and with great growth in recent times, it is a transaction carried out on platforms where consumers can propose their services to companies in a service provision relationship.
S-Commerce (Social Commerce) – With the huge growth of social networks, a new trend has emerged that is beginning to be considered a type of e-Commerce. Sales via social networks are increasingly common today, and these platforms are becoming increasingly complete with the development of their own online sales tools.
What are the advantages of selling in e-Commerce?
With the digital world becoming increasingly popular, online sales are an open door to reach more and more people, easily expanding the area of ​​operation from a regional scope to a national or even international scope. Let's also look at local commerce, which, with the right technology and the commitment to digital sales, has gone from local to global .

If you are thinking of starting to sell in e-Commerce, discover the main advantages that you can get from this model.

Low initial investment – ​​Using social media or intuitive website building platforms, the project can be developed in-house and scaled as the business grows.
Business open 24/7 – Unlike physical stores, in the online world there are no opening hours and customers can consult or purchase products at any time.
Global Reach – With an open door to the world, anyone can visit your online store, regardless of their location, providing an opportunity to reach new people on a global level.
Personalization of the shopping experience – With the possibility of registering a consumer account, combined with a transaction history and a history of product views for each customer, it is possible to personalize the shopping experience and ensure that the most relevant products are presented to each visitor.
Ease of communication – With the possibility of integrating various consumption and navigation analysis tools combined with various communication channels (email, SMS, social networks, etc.), it is possible to establish greater, closer communication with the customer.
Steps to start selling in e-Commerce
If you have already made the decision to enter the digital world to expand your company's sales, it is important to start planning how this online presence will be created.

To simplify this process, we have outlined some steps you should follow to start your e-Commerce experience.

Define your product catalog
To start developing your online business, it is important that you start by defining the catalog of products you will sell.

If your business is not yet established, decide what you want to sell in your store and assess whether it is viable to sell it through this channel.

If you already have a business set up, consider whether it makes sense to upload all your products to the online store or whether you should select those that best fit.

Choose the platform for the online store
Now that you have selected the products you want to have online, it is time to choose where you will sell them.

You can choose to open an online store directly on social media, use a Marketplace or create a specific website for this purpose.

In the case of social networks, it is possible to create a store within Facebook, using third-party tools or the social network's own online sales features. This platform allows you to maintain a close relationship with the customer, allowing you to keep all advertising and negotiations in the same place.

For a more professional and complete presence, you can opt for an online store embedded in a website. Here you can encompass the entire purchasing process, from product presentation to payment and the logistics process of delivery to the customer. In addition, you can also take advantage of various tools to monitor the entire customer purchasing experience and integrate with various communication channels.

If you choose this last alternative, you will still have to choose the platform where you will create the store, the most popular being WooCommerce, Prestashop or Shopify.

If you don't want to develop an exclusive website for your brand, you can opt for a Marketplace, thus reducing online sales costs and increasing the instant reach of your products, although you may face greater competition within the platform.

Create and register your brand
Once you have defined what you will sell and the platform you will use for that purpose, you should, if you haven't already, create your brand (not to be confused with a company). In addition to the logo, you should also develop the entire visual identity (brand usage rules, colors, font, etc.) to ensure uniform communication across all media and channels.

Finally, don't forget to register it to ensure complete legality and exclusive use in your sector.