How do I start an eCommerce business?

The best way to start an eCommerce business is to plan it, resource it correctly, and make sure it’s search engine friendly before you go ‘live’.



1. Know your audience and product

The first step when starting an eCommerce business is researching your market and deciding what to sell.

  • Find a gap in the market
  • Track your competitors
  • Learn the detail behind potential customers
  • Create an attractive price point
  • And, if you need it, scope the best manufacturer or supplier for you

Don’t be afraid to start small with a ‘minimum viable product’ (or MVP) that you know people want. You can grow as you learn about what customers buy and what their behaviour suggests they need.



2. Line up your eCommerce business team

No matter how it takes shape, you need expert resources along the way – such as a photographer, graphic designer, web designer or coder, and a copywriter.

It’s important to work with specialists who understand how to build and write content for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) for search engines such as Google. In a nutshell, SEO are the mechanisms in which you can improve your website quality for search engines to find your website and drive more traffic to your site. You want customers to be able to find you without knowing your web address.

eCommerce site tips:

  • Photography – 2-3 images per product; shot in a light space; good contrast and lots of clarity
  • Writing – work with an SEO copywriter; brief them on the product benefits that customers will love; make the information easy to scan with sub-headers, short sentences and bullet points
  • Site design – easy to move around; mobile responsive (given the bulk of users could be on their phones); small (in size) image files that won’t slow down page loads
  • Site speed – work with your developer to ensure your online store loads quickly on mobile devices and desktop


3. Link eCommerce payments

You can take payments in a few different ways. With Tyro for example, we can do everything like online payments with electronic invoicing, recurring payments, and virtual terminals, or help you take payments on your website.

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