Ecommerce: An Easy Beginners Guide [2023]

Q: What Skills Do You Need For Ecommerce?

Here are 5 skills that you need to have for ecommerce: 1. Customer Service Customer service is an important part of any business, but it's especially crucial in ecommerce. You don't just have to be able to answer questions and solve problems; you also need to be friendly and empathetic. 2. Marketing and Sales Marketing and sales go hand-in-hand with customer service. You can't have one without the other! What's more, marketing is essential for gaining new customers, while sales are necessary for getting them to buy from you again. 3. Management Skills Ecommerce is all about managing inventory, finances, time, and staff — both on the front end (customers) and back end (employees). If you want to succeed as an ecommerce entrepreneur, you'll need more than just technical skills; you'll also need management know-how. 4. Writing Skills Every aspect of running an ecommerce business requires good writing skills: product descriptions, blog posts, social media posts, emails sent out to existing customers or potential customers - everything! If you aren't a strong writer yourself, find someone who can help out with this aspect of your online store. 5. Technical Skills To succeed in ecommerce you also need to have technical skills or the ability to learn them quickly. Search engine optimization (SEO) and email marketing are both essential for ecommerce success. You'll need to know how to optimize your site for search engines so you can get more organic traffic. You'll also need to know how to use email marketing to reach customers and get them to buy from you.

Why should you learn ecommerce?

Because it’s the easiest way to make money online… and the lifestyle is awesome!

I know it’s a bold statement. But it’s true!

Ask yourself this…

Have you ever wondered why so many people are making a ton of money online?

It’s simple… they learned how to use ecommerce and sales funnels to sell stuff.

You don’t have to be a marketing guru to know that people buy nearly everything online.

Ecommerce is the new normal… it’s the fastest growing industry on the planet… it’s where ALL the money is being made.

And, here’s the thing…

Ecommerce is only going to get bigger!

And you can be a part of it too.

But, I know what you’re thinking: “Ecommerce sounds expensive. It must be hard to set up. Or it’s going to take too much time and effort.”

Well, the truth is, ecommerce is actually easier and way more affordable than you think!

And the benefits are huge…

You can sell anything from anywhere, no matter where you live.

You don’t have to spend a dime on education, or even go through any formal training to get started in ecommerce.

And, you don’t need a lot of money or experience to set up your online store either… all you need is a laptop, an internet connection, and some free time!

So, if you are tired of working for someone else, want more freedom, and the lifestyle to do more of the things you truly enjoy – then ecommerce might just be for you.

To help you get started, I’ve put together this easy ecommerce for beginners guide to help you learn the basics.

I’ll explain what ecommerce is, how it works and its benefits. I’ll also show you the different types of ecommerce businesses, and how you can start your own ecommerce store today.

So, are you’re ready to start your empire?

Great. Let’s dive in!

What Is Ecommerce?

Ecommerce is the buying and selling of products or services over the internet. The term comes from a combination of the words ‘electronic’ and ‘commerce’.

Ecommerce is also known as online shopping, Internet shopping, or web-based shopping.

Ecommerce has become one of the most rapidly growing industries in the world. In fact, it’s estimated that by 2027, the ecommerce market will reach $55.6 trillion dollars worldwide.

Is it Ecommerce or E-commerce?

So is it ‘ecommerce’ or ‘e-commerce’? This is a question I get asked all the time by beginners.

The simple answer: It’s ecommerce… no hyphen.

Why?

For one reason…

Because the biggest names in the ecommerce industry including Amazon, Shopify, and BigCommerce are now all using ‘ecommerce’ without the hyphen.

Of course, you’ll still find the hyphenated term ‘e-commerce’ in Wikipedia and all the dictionaries.

But, if you’re old enough to remember, the term ‘e-mail’, which started as ‘electronic mail’ years ago, is now only referred to as ’email’. Well, now the same thing is already happening with ecommerce.

What about Google using a hyphen?

Google’s search results shows both of these terms, as well as another five terms including:

E-Commerce, eCommerce, Ecommerce, ECommerce, and E-commerce

You can see here there are differences in hyphenation, and the use of capitalization for the letters ‘E’ and ‘C’ too.

The important point for you moving forward, is that Google Search recognizes all the terms the same way.

In fact, other big business media names like, Forbes, Bloomberg, and the BBC also use both of the terms ‘ecommerce’ and ‘e-commerce’.

But, as you move forward, I believe you will see the unhyphenated term ‘ecommerce’ more and more.

So, here on FunnelKarma, as we follow the industry… and we’re using ‘ecommerce’ and the capitalized version ‘Ecommerce’.

How Ecommerce Works

The concept of ecommerce is simple, but the process can be complicated.

So here’s the real easy version of how it works:

Ecommerce is basically the buying and selling of products online. You can buy anything from an ebook to a car through an ecommerce website or platform.

Ecommerce platforms allow sellers to list their products for sale online.

Buyers browse the listings and make purchases by paying for their purchase through an online payment service such as Visa, MasterCard, PayPal or Stripe.

You can even Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies as a form of ecommerce payment.

The seller receives payment for their product, then ships the product to the buyer.

The buyer receives their purchase and leaves feedback about their experience with the seller. The seller uses this feedback to improve future sales.

People tend to overthink ecommerce and forget that it’s a very simple business model.

The goal is to sell products and services to your customers with a great experience. It’s not about making things complicated or difficult; it’s about providing value.

That’s it. You don’t need to do anything else!

Ecommerce History: A Very Brief Timeline

Here’s a very brief ecommerce timeline:

1979: Englishman Michael Aldrich invents the first online shopping system. He called it Teleshopping. It involved connecting a television to a computer via a telephone line

1992: An online bookstore called Book Stacks Unlimited was launched as the first site dedicated to selling books over the internet.

1994: Jeff Bezos launched the Amazon website as a bookstore that sold books from all over the world. They now sell everything!

1995: Pierre Omidyar started eBay as an online marketplace to buy collectibles. Today, eBay is one of the most popular online marketplaces with millions of items for sale daily by sellers from around the world.

1999: Alibaba Group is established in China specializing in ecommerce.

2015: Amazon resonsible for more than half of all ecommerce growth.

2021: Global ecommerce market reached $13 trillion dollars.

2027: The global ecommerce market is forecast to reach $55.6 trillion dollars by 2027. This works out at a average growth rate (CAGR) of 27.4% during 2022-2027.

How Ecommerce Is Changing The World

The ecommerce revolution has turned the world upside down, and it’s only just begun.

With ecommerce, you can buy almost anything from anywhere in the world at any time of day.

You can also sell products to people all over the world without having to leave home either.

The world’s largest companies are scrambling to adapt to this new model of commerce, which is reshaping the way we shop, consume and interact with brands.

Ecommerce is changing more than just how we buy things; it’s also changing our entire culture.

Ecommerce has made it possible for people who live in remote areas or even in developing countries to participate in global trade.

It has also given smaller businesses a chance to compete with larger ones by lowering their costs and providing access to more customers than ever before.

The truth is, the internet has created new opportunities for ecommerce entrepreneurship that were never available before.

Why Ecommerce Is The Future

Ecommerce is not just the future… it’s the new normal.

Ecommerce is growing faster than any other sector in the world. The market reached $13 trillion in 2021 and is projected to reach over $55 trillion by 2027.

The numbers don’t lie… ecommerce sales are up.. way up!

If you look at any of the big ecommerce sites like Amazon, eBay or Alibaba, you will see that their numbers are increasing every year.

Why?

The reason for this is simple… ecommerce is convenient.

People can shop from home and not have to worry about traffic, parking, crowds… or even dealing with people.

Instead, they can order whatever they want, when they want it, and have it arrive on their doorstep the next day… or hour!.

There’s no reason to go anywhere else when you can just shop online.

What Is An Ecommerce Business?

An ecommerce business is a business that sells its products or services online.

An ecommerce business can be a brick-and-mortar shop that has an online presence. Or it can be a website that sells directly to customers without any physical presence.

Ecommerce businesses are a great way to start your own company without having to deal with the headache of rent, employees, or other expenses that come with traditional brick-and-mortar stores.

Types of Ecommerce Business Models With Examples

Here are the 6 types of ecommerce business models:

Business-to-Consumer (B2C)

The business-to-consumer (B2C) model is one of the most common types of ecommerce business. B2C companies sell directly to consumers.

Amazon and Walmart are examples of B2C ecommerce companies.

Business-to-Business (B2B)

The business-to-business (B2B) ecommerce model involves selling products and services to other businesses rather than directly to consumers.

Amazon Business and Alibaba are examples of B2B ecommerce companies.

Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C)

The consumer-to-consumer (C2C) ecommerce model allows consumers to buy and sell products directly with each other, usually through an online marketplace.

Amazon Marketplace, eBay, and Etsy are examples of C2C ecommerce.

Consumer-to-Business (C2B)

The consumer-to-business (C2B) ecommerce model is where consumers provide a product, service, or deliver value to a business rather than the other way around in B2C.

Examples of C2B ecommerce include Google Adsense, Shutterstock, and Survey Junkie.

Affiliate marketing is also an example of C2B ecommerce.

Business-to-Government (B2G)

The business-to-government (B2G) model allows companies to sell products and services to government agencies, including federal, state and local governments.

Aerospace and defense companies like Boeing, or cloud software platforms like OpenGov are examples of B2G ecommerce.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping is an ecommerce business model in which a retailer does not keep products in stock, but instead, relies on suppliers or wholesalers to physically ship products directly to the consumer.

Dropshipping is a popular way for smaller ecommerce businesses to get started because it allows you to sell products from other stores and websites.

There’s no risk of overstock or returns, and you don’t need to invest in expensive inventory or warehouse space.

An example of a dropshipping ecommerce business is AliExpress.

AliExpress is an online marketplace that lets you purchase products from overseas manufacturers and sell them in the US.

You don’t need any inventory or customer service… AliExpress takes care of all that for you.

Ecommerce Advantages And Disadvantages

Ecommerce has both advantages and disadvantages when compared to traditional brick-and-mortar businesses.

Advantages Of Ecommerce

Here are some advantages of ecommerce:

Be Your Own Boss

The best thing about an ecommerce store is that you are your own boss! You can make all the decisions for your business, and there’s no one else telling you what to do. If you want to take a day off and spend time with family, no one will say anything. It’s up to you when work needs to get done and how fast it gets done.

No Physical Location Required

You can start your ecommerce business from home or any other place on earth where there is an internet connection. You don’t have to be tied down by a physical location or have to pay rent for a store front.

Lower Startup Costs

One of the biggest benefits of selling online is that you can start with very little capital. In fact, if you use dropshipping, there are ways you can get started for free, and there are no extra costs for storage or inventory management.

Easy Access To Customers

The Internet is a global marketplace, and you can reach customers from all over the world. This means that with ecommerce, you don’t need to be limited by your location when it comes to selling your products.

No Employees Needed

You don’t have to worry about payroll or benefits. You can hire out any tasks that need to be done and pay people by the hour… rather than on salary.

Higher Profit Margins

With an ecommerce site, you have more control over the price of your products or services. You don’t have to worry about middlemen like retailers who need to make a profit from the sale of your goods.

Easy To Manage

With an ecommerce site, you don’t have to worry about managing your inventory. You can simply set up an automated system that takes care of everything for you. You can work from home and spend time with your family and friends.

Easy To Scale

With an ecommerce site, you can easily scale up your business as demand increases. You can start small and see how your business does before you invest more money into it. If it works well, you can scale up by hiring employees or outsourcing work to freelancers.

Disadvantages Of Ecommerce

While the benefits are clear, there are also some drawbacks to ecommerce. Here are some of its disadvantages.

You’re On Your Own

When you’re your own boss, there’s no one there to help you out. If something goes wrong with your ecommerce business, it’s up to you to fix it! You’ll need to find solutions on your own or hire someone else who can help out.

It Takes Time To Get Started

Starting an ecommerce business can be slow going at first because it takes time to build up traffic and sales through word-of-mouth, advertising, and search engines.

The Hours Can Be Long… And Lonely

You’ll be working long hours, especially in the beginning. And while you’re busy building your ecommerce business, it can feel like there’s no one around to talk to.

You Might Lose Money

Like any business, you can lose money… ecommerce is no different. Even if you have a great product or service, there’s no guarantee that it will sell. And if you’re not able to make enough sales to cover the bills, then you’ll lose money.

Competition From Bigger Companies

Ecommerce is very competitive, and there are many big companies that offer similar products and services. If you want to be successful, you’ll need to make sure that your online business has a competitive advantage over its competitors.

Ecommerce Platforms

There are many different types of ecommerce platforms, each with their own features, strengths and weaknesses.

The question is: which one is right for you?

What Is An Ecommerce Platform?

Ecommerce platforms are software solutions that help you build, manage and grow your online store.

Also called ecommerce tools, they handle everything from payment processing to inventory management and shipping.

There are two main types of ecommerce platforms:

Hosted
Self-hosted

Hosted ecommerce means that the platform is hosted by a third party.

It is much easier to set up and manage than self-hosted ecommerce because you don’t have to worry about maintaining your own server or installing any software.

However, there are some limitations… hosted ecommerce can be less flexible and doesn’t give you full control over your data or store design.

Self-hosted ecommerce solutions are more complex but they offer greater freedom and flexibility. This means you can customize them more according to your needs and business goals.

What Are The Most Popular Ecommerce Platforms

If you want to start an ecommerce business, you need to choose a platform.

The following are some of the most popular ecommerce platforms available today:

Shopify

Shopify is one of the most popular ecommerce platforms out there.

It has over 500,000 stores in its network and is used by businesses of all sizes and industries. Shopify’s biggest strength is its ease-of-use and simplicity.

It offers a wide range of features, including payment processing, shipping tools, analytics and more.

Wix

Wix is a very popular website builder that allows you to create beautiful online stores without any technical knowledge or design skills.

It’s similar to Shopify’s platform in that it allows you to set up your store without any technical knowledge or design skills required.

You can also choose from a great range of templates, which makes it very easy to get started quickly.

Both Wix and Shopify are great platforms for beginners.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is a complete ecommerce solution that allows you to build an online store and manage all of your marketing, sales and customer service in one place.

BigCommerce is geared toward larger businesses and offers a lot of features.

It’s also ideal for small businesses that want to grow big by running their ecommerce on multiple digital marketing channels.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the most popular ecommerce platform for self-hosted WordPress sites.

It’s a free plugin that can be installed on any WordPress.org website to enable you to sell products online.

The plugin integrates with many popular payment gateways and shipping providers, making it easy for you to get started selling online.

Zyro

Zyro is an easy-to-use and affordable hosted website builder that makes it easy for anyone to create a professional ecommerce store.

Zyro comes with a drag-and-drop platform that allows you to build your online store with no prior coding knowledge too.

Squarespace

Squarespace is a popular hosted website builder that offers ecommerce features.

Its intuitive interface and easy-to-use tools make it easy to create a professional looking online store.

Squarespace also offers a variety of templates that can be customized to create a unique online store.

Volusion

Volusion is a popular hosted ecommerce solution that offers a variety of features and integrations.

The platform includes all the tools you need to build an online store, including a shopping cart, checkout process, templates and more.

Volusion also allows you to create your online store without any coding knowledge or web design experience.

What Is The Best Ecommerce Platform

Choosing an ecommerce platform can be a tough decision.

There are many solutions out there… each one has features that make it attractive to certain types of businesses.

So how do you know which one is best for your needs?

The answer is simple: The best ecommerce platform is the one that will help you meet your goals and grow your business.

If you don’t have a specific goal in mind, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the options out there.

But if you know what you want from your platform, the decision becomes way easier.

So, the first step in choosing the best ecommerce platform for you is to ask yourself some questions:

What kind of ecommerce store do you want to build?

Do you want an online store that sells physical products, digital downloads, or both?

Some platforms are better at selling physical products than digital downloads, and vice versa.

What are your goals for your ecommerce business?

Do you want to grow your business quickly and sell thousands of units per month?

Or would you rather have a smaller online store that makes enough money to support your lifestyle?

What do you want your ecommerce site to look like?

The best ecommerce platforms allow you to customize your site’s look and feel with custom themes. Others don’t offer any design options beyond basic color schemes.

Before choosing a platform, think about what kind of experience you want your customers to have when visiting your site.

If your goal is to create a ecommerce site that looks professional and trustworthy, then consider choosing a platform with more design options.

It may be more expensive, but it will be worth it in the long run!

On the other hand, if you’re just starting out and can’t afford custom designs or premium themes, then choose a platform that offers simple but functional themes at no extra cost… or even free.

How much time do you have to spend managing your ecommerce store?

Some ecommerce platforms are very easy to use but have limited features. Others are fully customizable but may require more maintenance than others.

You need to choose one based on your available time and skill set.

What kind of customer support does the ecommerce platform offer?

If you’re just starting out and you have questions about how to set up your online store, or how to promote it, then having 24/7 support could be really helpful.

The best platforms offer resources like guides and tutorials that can help get your business off the ground quickly.

What integrations are available with each ecommerce platform?

Most ecommerce platforms have some kind of integration with popular tools like Mailchimp.

Other platforms give you access to more advanced features like inventory management and accounting software integrations.

This can make running your online business easier overall.

At the end of the day, the best platform for your business depends on its features, cost and ease of use.

Consider these questions, and then go back and look at the 7 popular ecommerce platforms from the list above.

They all offer some sort of risk-free trial so you can play around… you’ll soon see which one feels right for you.

How To Start An Ecommerce Business From Scratch

Okay, so now the good stuff… how to begin!

Starting an ecommerce business from scratch can be intimidating, especially if you’re a beginner.

The good news is that it is much easier once you break the task down into small, manageable chunks.

So, here are the 11 steps I recommend you take to start your ecommerce business:

1. Understand Your Market

The first step to starting an ecommerce business is to do your research. You need to find out:

What people want
Who they are
How they want to buy

You’ll need this information later on when you start creating your store. So make sure you have a good idea of what people are looking for before jumping in.

2. Find A Niche

Next, try to find a niche that’s not already saturated with competition. This means that you’ll want to look for niches where there’s room for you to stand out from the crowd.

To find an ecommerce niche, try searching on Amazon and Google’s search engine for keywords that are related to your products or services and see what comes up. You can also use Google Trends to see what niches are trending.

This will give you an idea of how many other people are selling similar items.

Ideally, try to find a niche that you are interested in. It will be easier for you to stay engaged in your store if you’re passionate about the products you’re selling.

3. Choose A Product Or Service

Once you’ve found your niche, if you don’t already have your own product or service, you need to decide what product or service you want to sell.

Keep in mind that you can’t just sell anything in ecommerce… it’s important that your items are relevant to your niche AND will help people solve a problem or need that they have.

You’ll also want it to be something that people are willing to pay for.

3. Create Your Brand

With a niche and a product or service, now it’s time to create your brand. This can be as simple as choosing a a name and designing a logo for your ecommerce business.

You want to make sure that your brand is unique, memorable, and attractive to consumers. It should be able to stand out from the competition while still fitting in with your niche.

Don’t overthink this stage or prevent it from holding you back. Business names and logos today are usually very simple and straightforward.

You can get a free logo from a site like Canva if you don’t have the funds to hire an agency.

Just make sure that your brand is consistent across all social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok etc.

4. Create Your Online Store

The next step is to create you online store.

Simply choose from one of the best ecommerce platforms for the list in the previous section.

All of them have free trials so that you can try out their services before deciding which one to use.

I recommend you start with either Shopify or Wix.

Both of these platforms are extremely user friendly and they have amazing customer support. You will be up and running in no time with either one of them.

If you want to host your ecommerce store on WordPress, then I strongly advice you to use WooCommerce.

The WooCommerce platform is used for over 50% of the online stores in the world, so it’s safe to say that it’s one of the best ecommerce platforms available.

Once you have chosen an platform, simply create your account.

Then follow the instructions provided by your chosen platform on how to build your online store.

5. Choose A Payment Processor

The next step is to choose your preferred payment processor and shipping providers from your ecommerce platform.

Both Shopify and Wix offer integrations with various payment processors and shipping providers, so simply choose the ones that you think will work best for your business.

If you’re using WordPress to host your online buinesss, WooCommerce also integrates with a variety of payment processors and shipping providers.

So choose the ones that work best for your business here too.

6. Create Your Product Listings

Now that you have created your ecommerce store, the next step is to add your product listings.

This involves choosing the right category for your products, and writing compelling descriptions with effective copywriting. You’ll also need to add keywords, and choose photos that will attract your customers too.

7. Start Selling!

Now the fun begins… once you have your product listings set up, you can start selling from your ecommerce store!

The key to success here is to have a variety of products, set competitive prices, and make sure your store has an easy checkout process.

You must make sure customers don’t have any problems completing their orders. If you do… they will leave, never to return!

And remember, in ecommerce, you have to provide excellent customer service too.

8. Drive Traffic To Your Ecommerce Business

So you’ve now got an ecommerce business, but what about customers?

To get customers you need to drive traffic to your online store and sales funnels. This can be done in several ways:

Create a blog with useful content like guides and reviews about your products. If you’re using WordPress to host your ecommerce business, then you already have a blog. This is a great way to build up your customer base, as well as getting more traffic from search engines like Google and Bing.
Create social media accounts with all your preferred networks and start engaging with people. This helps to build a following. So when you post about your products, they will be more likely to visit your store.
Create videos on YouTube about your products and how to use them. This is an excellent way to build brand awareness, as well as drive traffic back to your site.
Create an email list of subscribers who are interested in hearing about your business. Then use email marketing to drive traffic back to your store.
Put up an online ad on Google Ads, Facebook Ads, or Twitter Ads that directs people straight to your site.

The key to getting loads of traffic in ecommerce is to create content that adds value and helps people to solve their problems.

And be consistent in your in your efforts. The more you post, the more people will come back to your business to see what else you have to say.

This is the only way to build a following and make money in ecommerce.

To learn more about how to drive traffic to your sales funnels, be sure to checkout our guide:

How To Drive Traffic To Your Sales Funnel [Easy Guide]

9. Build Relationships With Influencers

As you continue to drive traffic to your ecommerce store, think about how you can build relationships with influencers in your niche.

These are people who have large social media followings and can help you get more exposure for your brand.

Try to find influencers who have audiences similar to yours, and then reach out to them with a personalized message that lets them know about your brand.

You can also try to get featured on their blog or podcast if they have one.

Your products, brand, and business can go viral overnight with the right influencer and the right content.

10. Track Your Progress

As you start getting sales and making money, it’s important to track your progress.

To do this, you can use the ecommerce analytics tools that come with your platform. They will give you data on how your business is performing.

You’ll see what products are selling well, and which ones aren’t doing so great. This way you can make adjustments as needed.

If you’re using WordPress and WooCommerce for your online business, then I suggest you install the free Google Analytics plugin so that you can start tracking your site’s performance.

Google Analytics is the most popular website analytics tool. It will give you all kinds of information about how people are using your site.

11. Optimize Your Content

As you start to track your performance of you ecommerce business, you’ll start to see certain pages that are performing better than others.

This is where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in. SEO involves optimizing your content so that it performs better in search engines.

This means adding keywords and keyphrases to your pages, but also making sure that the words are used correctly.

Both Shopify and Wix’s platforms have SEO tools built in and features to help you optimize your content.

If you’re using WordPress and WooCommerce for your business, make sure to install the free Yoast SEO plugin.

Yoast SEO is one of the best SEO plugins for WordPress. It allows you to easily optimize your content, so pages and posts on your ecommerce store rank higher in Google and other search engines.

And that’s it!

That’s how easy it is to start an ecommerce business.

As you can see, you don’t need a lot of money or experience to get started in ecommerce… and you can do it all on your own schedule.

Just follow these steps above and you’ll be well on your way to success!

Conclusion

So, are you tired of the 9-to-5 grind?

Do you ever feel like the world is passing you by while you sit at your desk, day after day?

Can you hear your inner voice screaming, “I want more!”?

If so, then it’s time to take control of your life, learn ecommerce, and start making money online.

Ecommerce is about selling products or services online… and it can be one of the easiest ways to start a successful online business.

No matter what your skill level or experience, ecommerce provides a low-cost way to build something amazing.

With a successful online store, you can be the boss… work when and where you want… have more freedom… more money… and the lifestyle to do the things you truly enjoy.

It’s a no-brainer… people are buying stuff all over the world, and you can sell it to them too!

Want proof that it works? Just take a look at Amazon…

Jeff Bezos started out selling books online out of his garage… and now it’s one of the biggest ecommerce companies in the world!

And you could do the same…

All you really need is passion, an internet connection and some free time!

The world has changed – and so should your business.

There’s no better time to be an entrepreneur than right now…

So why wait? Start your own ecommerce business today!

Ecommerce FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about ecommerce that I often get asked by beginners:

Ecommerce is the process of buying or selling products or services over the internet.

Ecommerce can be conducted via a website or a mobile app, and it’s often referred to as online shopping.

The basic steps of ecommerce include:

A potential customer finds your product online and decides they want to buy it.

The customer puts the product into their shopping cart and goes through the checkout process. This involves entering payment information.

You get paid, and the system then sends an email receipt for their purchase.

You ship the item to the customer at some point in time – usually immediately after completing the purchase. Or within a few days if you’re waiting for another item from them to arrive first.

That’s the basics of ecommerce. Yes, it really is that simple!

Michael Aldrich is widely credited as the inventor of ecommerce.

The British-born computer scientist developed the first commercial online shopping system in 1971, which he called Teleshopping.

Aldrich created the first online shopping system by connecting a real-time transaction processing computer to a home television via a home telephone line.

Here are 6 easy steps that will help you get started in ecommerce:

1. Decide on a niche and your products

The first step is to figure out a niche and what products you want to sell. This can be difficult, but it’s essential that you do your research before jumping into ecommerce.

2. Choose an ecommerce platform

Next, create an account with one of the major ecommerce platforms like Shopify or Wix. This will allow you to build your own online store and start selling products.

3. Create your product listings with photos and descriptions

Now that you have an account, it’s time to create your product listings. This is where you will add photos and descriptions of each item that you sell.

4. Choose your payment processor and shipping provider

Make sure to choose a payment processor and shipping provider that fits your business needs. This will allow you to accept credit cards and other forms of payment while also getting your products shipped quickly.

5. Promote your brand and drive traffic

Once you have your store setup, it’s time to start driving traffic. You can do this by using social media, creating blog posts, email marketing, and other forms of digital marketing.

6. Start selling!

Now it’s time to start selling. This is where the fun begins the fun part. You can start making money from selling your products and building your brand.

Just remember to patient and keep working at it. Building an ecommerce business doesn’t happen overnight.

It’s a process that takes time and patience. You need to put in the work, but if you’re persistent, it will pay off in the end.

Here are 5 skills that you need to have for ecommerce:

1. Customer Service

Customer service is an important part of any business, but it’s especially crucial in ecommerce. You don’t just have to be able to answer questions and solve problems; you also need to be friendly and empathetic.

2. Marketing and Sales

Marketing and sales go hand-in-hand with customer service. You can’t have one without the other! What’s more, marketing is essential for gaining new customers, while sales are necessary for getting them to buy from you again.

3. Management Skills

Ecommerce is all about managing inventory, finances, time, and staff — both on the front end (customers) and back end (employees). If you want to succeed as an ecommerce entrepreneur, you’ll need more than just technical skills; you’ll also need management know-how.

4. Writing Skills

Every aspect of running an ecommerce business requires good writing skills: product descriptions, blog posts, social media posts, emails sent out to existing customers or potential customers – everything!

If you aren’t a strong writer yourself, find someone who can help out with this aspect of your online store.

5. Technical Skills

To succeed in ecommerce you also need to have technical skills or the ability to learn them quickly. Search engine optimization (SEO) and email marketing are both essential for ecommerce success.

You’ll need to know how to optimize your site for search engines so you can get more organic traffic. You’ll also need to know how to use email marketing to reach customers and get them to buy from you.

Yes, Amazon is ecommerce.

Amazon is the largest ecommerce site in the world, and it continues to grow at a rapid pace.

But Amazon is not just an ecommerce company, it’s also a major player in cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence.

The answer to this question is very simple: yes, ecommerce is profitable.

But it’s not always easy. And it’s certainly not for everyone.

Ecommerce is a great way to make money, but you have to be smart about it.

You need to know what you’re doing and do it well. You have to put in the time and effort required to get your business up and running, which takes time away from other things in your life… like sleeping.

But if you can handle all of that, then yes, ecommerce is profitable!

An ecommerce website is a website that sells products or services online.

It allows you to create a storefront where you can sell your products and services to customers around the world.

If you have ever used Amazon or eBay, then you know what an ecommerce site looks like because they are two of the most popular ecommerce sites in the world.

So “Can I Start An Ecommerce Business With No Money?” is another very popular question I get asked a lot.

And, the simple answer is yes…

There are plenty of ways to make money selling products online without having to invest any capital.

Here are two ways you can started an ecommerce without spending any cash up front:

Start Selling Your Stuff Online

If you have anything lying around your house that could sell on eBay or Craigslist (or even Amazon), then go ahead and list it!

Even if you don’t end up selling all of your items, the fact that you’re trying will help build up your reputation as someone who is serious about running an ecommerce business and can help build up credibility with future sellers.

Start A Dropshipping Business.

Dropshipping is the easiest way to get started with no upfront costs or inventory.

Dropshipping is a business model that allows you to sell products without having to own them or store them in a warehouse.

When it comes time to ship, you can use a company that specializes in dropshipping, like Oberlo, which will also handle returns and refunds for you.

You don’t pay any upfront costs and your profit margin is higher because you don’t have to invest in inventory management.

If you want to get started in dropshipping completely for free, you can use a platform like Ecwid.

Ecwid by Lightspeed is an ecommerce platform allows you to build an easy-to-use online store for free. It can be integrated with your existing website, or a business page on a social media network.

And, if you don’t have a website, Ecwid offers a free one-page site with its own built-in store to help you get started too. No coding or design skills are required to start.

Ecwid is perfect for individuals, as well as small and medium-sized businesses wanting to get into ecommece. In fact, it’s already being used by hundreds of thousands of ecommerce merchants in 175 countries.

The best bit, although limited, Ecwid offers a Forever Free plan, no transaction charges, and no costs to get setup.

This means Ecwid is an easy way to get started selling online without any initial investment at all!

There are many ecommerce platforms out there for small business.

The one you choose will depend on your business, budget and time requirements.

For a hosted solution, I recommend Shopify or Wix.

Both have been around for many years and continue to be used by thousands of businesses worldwide.

They offer a wide variety of features, such as shopping carts, payment gateways and more.

Shopify

Shopify is one of the most popular ecommerce platforms out there for small business.

It’s easy to use, has plenty of features for any size business, and it’s very affordable. Plus, it has a global reach – over half of Shopify stores are run by businesses outside North America!

Shopify is great for beginners. It has a lot of resources to help you get started with marketing your business online, such as their guides, blog and podcasts.

Wix

Wix is another popular ecommerce platform for small business that has been around for years now.

While it doesn’t have as many bells and whistles as Shopify does, Wix is still very functional and flexible. It offers free templates, as well as a wide variety of premium themes that will make your online store look amazing.

If you’re looking to create an ecommerce store without spending much money upfront, Wix might be the right choice for you!

For a self-hosted solution, I recommend WooCommerce or Bluehost WooCommerce.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a free plugin for WordPress that powers close to 25% of all online stores.

If you’re using WordPress for your site, WooCommerce allows you to set up an ecommerce storefront with ease.

You don’t need any extra technical knowledge or experience – just install the plugin and start selling!

The benefit of this solution is that you own everything: the content on your site and all the data about your customers and orders.

This means that if the hosting provider goes out of business (or if they’re acquired by another company), your store won’t disappear with them.

Bluehost WooCommerce

If you’re still itching to use WooCommerce but don’t want to spend hours setting up all the plugins and WordPress themes, then Bluehost has a solution.

Bluehost WooCommerce hosting is the perfect solution for small businesses who want to set up their own ecommerce store quickly and easily.

It’s built on the WordPress platform, so it has all of the functionality of WordPress without any of the hassle or time associated with setting it up yourself.

To set up hosting, choose a plan that is appropriate for your ecommerce needs and then add or create your domain.

It only a few minutes and then you can choose a WooCommcerce theme for your online store.

Once you’ve done that, you can begin adding your products, payment information… and start selling!

So, can ecommerce make you rich?

The answer is yes!

Ecommerce is a booming business and has plenty of room for more entrepreneurs. With an ecommerce store, you can sell anything to anyone in the world.

Just remember that competition can be fierce in certain ecommerce niches.

But, just like in any business, if you’re prepared to put in some hard work, passion, and dedication, then you can make a lot of money with ecommerce.

Here are three ways that ecommerce can make you rich:

1. Make a lot of money with one product.

Here, you’re goal is to find a product that people want and need to purchase over and over again.

One of the best ways to do this is by finding an under-served market niche where there are no competitors.

If you can create something new or improve upon an existing product, then your chances of success will increase greatly.

2. Increase profits with multiple products.

In this case, you want to find a product that people want and need, then add complementary products to increase sales.

For example, if you’re selling shoes, then you could offer a shoe cleaning kit or shoe polish to go along with each pair of shoes sold.

If the customer already has one item from your ecommerce store, then they’re more likely to purchase additional items in the future.

3. Scale your business and sell to more customers.

The best way to scale your ecommerce business is to find more customers than you can handle.

Here’s how:

Focus on increasing traffic.

The first step is to make sure that as many people as possible know about your site.

You can do this by using social media marketing, SEO, pay-per-click (PPC) ads, emails, and other methods to get your brand in front of potential customers.

Get your customers to buy more and refer you to everyone they know.

The second step is to have your customers buy more from you.

Sounds obvious, but you’ll be amazed at how many entrepreneurs and businesses still don’t do this.

Don’t just be happy when you make a sale from a customer…

If you want to be rich from your business, you have to get your customers to come back and buy more.

Better still, you want them to also tell their friends and family about your business too.

This is called “referral marketing” or “word-of-mouth marketing”… and it’s one of the best ways to grow your business and make money quicker.

To generate a steady stream of revenue, give customers lots of value and then ask them to buy more from you.

When you build a relationship with your customers and keep adding value, they will be more likely to buy from you again.

If you do this right, your customers will be thrilled to spread the word about how great they think you are.

And, this means more new customers and sales for you!

Yes, you can. But it’s not that simple.

The first step is to find out exactly what you need.

When it comes to ecommerce business insurance, there are many different factors that should be taken into account. For example:

Do you run your ecommerce store exclusively online?. Or do you sell products or services online from a brick-and-mortar store?

How much inventory do you have?

What types of products do you sell? Is your inventory high risk like electronics, or low risk like clothing?

Do you sell digital products like software, software as a service (SaaS), or digital books and music?

Or, do you sell services like consulting or coaching?

Are there any regulatory requirements that apply specifically to your industry?

Once you’ve answered these types of questions, it will be easier to figure out which types of coverage are needed and how much they’ll cost.

You can get ecommerce business insurance from the same place you get your personal insurance.

Your current insurance provider may have a specific policy for ecommerce businesses, or they may be able to customize one for you.

If not, there are plenty of other companies out there that can help.

Ecommerce is growing at a rapid pace, and it will continue to do so.

The numbers don’t lie… ecommerce is expected to grow at around 27% annually through 2027.

That’s incredible growth!

This means that the world has never been a better place for online shopping.

More people are using their phones to make purchases than ever before.

And more small businesses are turning to mobile commerce because it enables them to reach new customers.

So as mobile devices continue to advance, this trend is likely to grow even more.

The short answer is no. Ecommerce will not die.

The truth is, ecommerce isn’t going anywhere…. it’s too convenient for consumers, and the returns are too high for retailers.

In fact, ecommerce is growing at an alarming rate.

We’re already seeing the emergence of a new generation that is growing up in an ecommerce-first and cell-phone based world.

Today, more than half of all online shoppers browse for products on their smartphones before making any purchases.

As this trend continues, it’s hard to imagine that online shopping will die out anytime soon.