5 Things You Need To Consider When Opening an Online Store

by Startacus Admin

In the UK, 95% of people buy their goods via Internet retailers and in just one year more than £100 billion can be spent online. With these figures in mind it’s no wonder why you are planning to open an online store.
But, before you start seeing pound signs, there are a few things you need to consider before setting up that virtual shop:
1. Which ecommerce platform are you going to use?
The very first thing you need to do is decide which ecommerce platform you are going to use. You can, of course, use the likes of eBay or Amazon, or perhaps you would rather be on Etsy or notonthehighstreet.com. Or maybe you could use Shopify to set up a shop via your current blog or website, where you have already built up a following.
To help you decide, consider things such as what product you are selling and how much involvement you wish to have when it comes to designing the store plus how easy it is to add listings.
2. What product are you going to sell?
Alongside deciding the right platform to use, you need to choose what product you are going to sell. Maybe you already have something in mind? If you do you might want to do some research to see whether anyone else is selling it? How well they are doing with it and how can you be more competitive.
If you are selling something you have made yourself – artwork or jewellery, perhaps – you should probably look at a site such as Etsy or your own website for inspiration for your online shop. Secondly, you need to consider how easy the product is to make and what supplies you will need when determining the price, plus how easy it will be to keep up with demand – should it suddenly take off.
3.Where are you going to store the products?
When you first open your shop, you may be able to keep the products in your home – if you are lucky enough to have the space to do so. But, as demand grows, you are likely to run out of space here. Therefore, you need to think about where you are going to store your products.
You need somewhere that is safe and secure, that you can easily access whenever you need to – such as a storage unit that is specifically for eBay and online business storage. You can increase the space as and when you need to and there is a receipt and dispatch service so you don’t have to wait around for deliveries.
4. How are you going to ship the products you are selling?
Consider the size of your item, the most cost effective way and how professional you want the service to be. This could be Direct Dispatch – so you sell the item and the supplier ships this or standard Royal Mail which is great for books, clothing and other small items. A professional courier network such as FEDEX, DPD, YODEL, or Hermes are also worth considering. Think about areas of the world are you going to ship to and how are you best going to serve the customer with this in mind as well as maximising profit and product exposure.
5. What will you do in terms of customer service?
How are you going to interact with your customers and what policies are you going to adhere to when dealing with their queries. Will you have a FAQ page to elevate general concerns? Will you have a phone line or email based service? What will your working times be and how does this impact international buyers if you are targeting them. Will you have English or overseas customer service agents etc.
Once you have considered and answered all the above questions you are ready to open your virtual store to the public.
Article written by Naomi Webb in collaboration with online self storage experts Ready Steady Store.
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
The impact of standards, ethics and conduct on business success and profits - Work.Life has some interesting insights...

The lowdown on Space32 - the startup that wants to help hybrid-working businesses find the working space and solution that's right for them.

Global Tech for Good initiative seeks innovative startups and scaleups that are creating positive social impact and enhancing people's lives through tech.

The lowdown on Bidnamic, the startup that's combining advance machine learning with human expertise to help retailers to maximise revenue and profitability from Google Shopping.

Innovative Czech fintech startup 4Trans raises investment to expand first of its type AI driven factoring services across Europe.

Edinburgh-based life science company Cytomos secures funding to support further development of its innovative cell analysis tech.

Ethical Equity and Streets Consulting join forces to deliver Founder Workshop to help close the inequality gap in startup to scaleup funding.

Fancy being featured in this year’s SmallBiz100, which showcases the best of Britain’s vibrant small business community? There's just a couple of days left to do just that!

Screenloop secures major investment to support further development of its AI-driven recruitment platform that helps companies build the best teams and removes unconscious bias.

New research from School of Marketing reveals the impact that Covid-19 has had on key business sectors in the UK.
Published on: 2nd November 2016
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.







- How the pandemic affected each industry 27th Jun 2022 New research from School of Marketing reveals the impact that Covid-19 has had on key business sectors in the UK.
- The Finalists of DBACE 2022 are revealed 21st Jun 2022 The lowdown on the innovative young visionaries that are in the running for this year's Deutsche Bank Awards for Creative Entrepreneurs.
- OKAPI: Orbits raises €5.5m for Breakthrough Space Traffic Management Software 13th Jun 2022 Innovative German SaaS startup OKAPI:Orbits secures investment to support its mission of securing efficient and safe operations in space.
- Kita, the world's first carbon insurer, raises £350k in pre-seed round 9th Jun 2022 Innovative startup, Kita secures investment to support build and launch of its essential carbon insurance products.