How to Earn Money in eCommerce

E-commerce became one of the lucrative industries during the pandemic. Given the movement restrictions, plenty of people saw the opportunity of selling online. Many learned the trade of how to earn money in eCommerce where they can generate money from the comfort of their homes.

Are you interested in starting your eCommerce business? Here is a quick guide on how to earn money online by setting up your online store and selling your products to anyone in the world.

1. Decide on your niche

Take time to research the niche you want to take on. According to eCommerceceo.com, below are some of the niches you can try.

Private Label Natural Skincare products designed for women
Handmade treats for pet owners
Baby toiletries for environmental-conscious parents
Print on demand
Training programs and gear for beginners
A beauty subscription box for men
High-end fashion for rent
Organic food on demand
Online courses for students

Make sure that your chosen niche is of interest to you. It would be best if you are willing to try the products and services yourself before selling them out to others. You can start by being your ambassador.

2. Choose an eCommerce platform

There are many eCommerce platforms available today. Below are just some of the best platforms Zapier has listed.

Shopify
Square Online
Ecwid by Lightspeed
BigCommerce
WooCommerce
Wix

Forbes also made their list of eCommerce platforms apart from the ones listed above.

Squarespace
Shift4Shop
Weebly
Big Cartel

Each of these platforms has its strengths and areas to improve on. Pricing and payment plans also vary. The features you can enjoy also differ. Take time to read each platform and make a competitive analysis. This will help you decide which one suits your best. In general, the platform needs to suit your needs and your budget.

3. Start your website

You can either educate yourself in creating a website by taking up courses. You can also hire a professional to build one for you. The website should be easy to navigate and must be user-friendly.

According to entrepreneur.com, the top website builder for this year are:

Weebly
Wix
GoDaddy
Shopify

There are other websites you can try as listed by Web Designer Depot.

Editor X
Webflow
Duda
WordPress
Carrd
SquareOnline
Zyro

4. Product Sourcing

This could be one of the challenging parts of your eCommerce business. Finding a trusted and credible supplier takes time. Decide whether you want to get your materials straight from manufacturers, wholesalers, or drop shippers. Some of the platforms where you can source your products are:

Oberly
Printify
Dropshipper
Spocket
Syncee
Creative /hub
Printful

5. Set up payment and shipping options

Decide how you want to get paid and how you are going to ship your products. Set up a merchant account on your website to process the payment and the shipping carrier.

6. Start promoting your store

The best way to let your prospective buyers know about your product is to market them. You can advertise your store through social media platforms. Make sure that you also optimize your website for ranking and visibility. You can either get in touch with a professional marketer for SEO and advertising. Or, you can start advertising within your network. Driving traffic to your website is essential to your business. You can try different marketing strategies such as pay-per-click marketing (PPC), and email marketing. This will help to drive traffic to your website and increase sales.

7. Use the right tool

Make yourself adept in using tools that will help you run your eCommerce business. These tools help organize your operational systems and improve customer experience.

8. Check your analytics

Keep an eye on your store’s performance. You have to regularly monitor your store’s orders and sales. Also, address any customer’s query and feedback on time. Customers’ reviews are an important part of marketing your store. Checking your analytics, allows you to come up with informed decisions. This will be helpful as you make adjustments to your store.

9. Continuously Improve

Make the necessary changes depending on the data you are getting. As more data comes in, you can learn and develop new strategies and tactics to improve your eCommerce business. This will help you increase revenue.

Building an eCommerce business and making sure it is profitable can take time. Just like any other business out there, you are taking a risk. You have to be committed, and patient when you are just starting. Your hard work will eventually pay off in the coming months.

What are the advantages of eCommerce?

E-commerce allows you to reach a wider audience. People can buy from your online store from any part of the world. In addition, your buyers can make a purchase any time of the day. E-commerce allows you to sell your products 24/7. Thanks to automation you don’t have to watch over it all the time. The sales, shipping, and management of inventory can be automated.