How Can I Make an E-commerce Website?
E-commerce is all about building online spaces where products can be offered to customers, 24/7. This article is written with the small business owner or solopreneur in mind. With platforms like Online Store Builder, launching a professional online store has never been easier. No need for a big budget or a dedicated IT team to get started — just click, drag, and sell. We’ll guide you through everything step by step, from choosing the right platform and domain name to setting up product listings, payment options, and shipping. We’ll also explore design, user experience, and simple SEO tips to help attract customers and keep them coming back. Why sell online? The UK is the third-largest e-commerce market in the world today. That’s right — third: ahead of Japan, ahead of Germany, and behind only the US and China. Online business in the UK is valued at a staggering $195 billion (around £160 billion) in terms of business-to-customer (B2C) revenue. Online retail now accounts for 36% of the UK retail market in total. Impressive stuff. To make sense of the numbers, nearly 65 million of us in the UK have internet access, of which over 50 million can be counted as online shoppers. Britain leads Europe in terms of spending per e-shopper, averaging at £4,115 spent online each year. Mobile shopping plays a big part in it. According to SellersCommerce, most online shopping transactions (63%) are made on mobile devices (or tablets) these days, with nearly half of those being made via apps. Cards are used for 52% of payments, while digital wallets cover 28%. Surprisingly, the UK also ranks very highly when it comes to future potential. E-commerce is growing, but still has plenty of room to grow further. In short, there’s never been a better time to start your own online store. The future of retail: online or bust? All this stands in stark contrast to the realities of the high street. Physical shops continue to struggle as more and more customers choose the comfort of shopping from their sofas. Over 28,000 shops have closed since 2010, and this trend has only accelerated in recent years. Fact is, commerce hasn’t gone away. It’s just somewhere else. Staying relevant means embracing change. Moving online opens up a world of opportunities and gives retailers access to a larger, ever-growing market. It’s about meeting customers where they are, and increasingly, that’s online — and on mobile. 10 Reasons to Take Your Business Online ✓ Eyes on your brand Getting your store online gives you the chance to show off your brand and products to people all over the world. The wider the reach, the more chance you’ve got to grow your customer base and get noticed. The more people see your brand, the more likely it is they’ll remember it when they’re ready to buy. ✓ Lower overheads Forget the rent, utility bills, and physical stock storage. Running an online store means fewer costs, so you can put that money where it matters — growing your business. Without the need for a physical storefront, you can reinvest those savings into better customer service, improved marketing, or expanding your product range. ✓ Scalability, Flexibility Running an online shop means you can manage things from anywhere with an internet connection. Want to expand? Easy. Need to scale back? No problem. You can adjust as you go, whether it’s adding new products, expanding your marketing, or just working with what works best. ✓ Be open 24/7 (if you like!) With an online shop, you’re open 24/7. Customers can browse and buy when it suits them, making it easier to boost your sales without lifting a finger. Plus, you can cater to different time zones, so you’re not limited by traditional business hours. ✓ Smarter marketing Paid online ads are often cheaper and more effective than traditional advertising. Same goes for email campaigns. The idea is to keep it targeted, so you reach the right people at the right time. Content marketing helps you share your message with a wider audience without breaking the bank. Using SEO techniques makes it easier to get noticed on search engines and draw in more customers over time. ✓ Mobile ready More of us are shopping on mobile devices than ever before. Having an online store optimised for mobile means customers can browse, compare, and buy on the go. ✓ Improved stock control With built-in inventory management on many e-commerce platforms, tracking stock and handling orders is easier. You can keep a close eye on stock levels, reorder in time, and avoid the stress of running low on popular items. ✓ Build customer relationships Running your store online lets you connect directly with customers. You can chat with them, get feedback, and offer a personalised service, without the middleman. This makes it easier to create loyal customers who feel heard and valued. ✓ Customer insights Online stores can tap into a wealth of data on customer habits, likes, and shopping patterns. Use this info to fine-tune your marketing, improve the shopping experience, and make informed decisions for your business. Free tools like Google Analytics can help you adjust strategy. ✓ Global reach You’re not restricted by location when you run an online store. You can start selling across the UK, expand to Europe, or even take your products global if that’s where you want to go. The whole online world is your marketplace. What’s the difference between e-commerce and an online store? E-commerce and online shops or stores are essentially the same thing — websites where buying and selling take place. The difference might come down to context. For smaller, more local setups, “online store” feels a bit more down to earth; bigger international businesses are more often referred to as “e-commerce”. As we’ll explore, e-commerce giants use advanced platforms that let them manage inventory, handle thousands of customised orders, and operate at scale. Keeping this running often requires dedicated IT teams. But you
2024 Guide to Starting an Online Business
Launching an online business has never been easier. You can do it without big upfront funding and there’s no need for serious tech skills. With the flexibility to set your own schedule and call all the shots, this is an opportunity to be your own boss. With just a little clever strategy it’s possible to reach a huge audience right from the get-go. Whether you’re looking for a gentle income stream on the side — or dreaming of a worldwide e-commerce empire — anything’s possible. With that, here’s our guide to starting an online business in 2024. Why start an online business in 2024? | Come up with your business idea | Choose your business model | What type of entrepreneur are you? | Conduct market research | Write the business plan | Get the funding | Register your business | Manage your accounts | Buy the domain name | Choose your online platform | Set up shop | Start taking payments | Build your online presence Why start an online business in 2024? Building an online business is a great chance to do something rewarding — in more ways than one. To start with the obvious, the entry barrier is often very low. Online ventures tend to come with minimal start-up costs, compared to a bricks-and-mortar business, saving money on rent, utilities, and other associated start-up expenses. It’s a way to get a foot in the business door without reaching deep into your wallet. For those who do already have a physical shop, going online offers a great way to increase revenue and expand, reaching new avenues and wider audiences. You have the flexibility. As the customer base grows, you can expand operations without the constraints of physical space. You have the power to map your online business to fit exactly what you need. Whether you’re starting small with a niche product or dreaming big with a diverse range, you can up the size and complexity as you go along. You needn’t be a tech wizard. With so many user-friendly platforms and handy tools out there, it’s possible to set up shop with only limited tech skills. Good website builders provide templates that make it utterly easy to launch a professional-looking website in minutes — then manage stock and update pages daily. If you’d prefer instant access to customers, you might try the existing marketplaces of Etsy, eBay, and others. And there’s never been a better time to start. In fact, the UK now boasts the world’s third largest e-commerce market in the world after China and the US. Online sales account for more than a third of the total retail market in the UK, in spite of what’s going on with the economy. Online sales even increased by 36% last year. By 2025, the total domestic revenue from e-commerce is predicted to be worth £230 billion. So, if you’ve got something to share with the world, 2024 is the time to make your mark. Finally, did we mention you can do it all from home in your pyjamas? Come up with that business idea So you’ve decided to start an online business. Exciting! The first step is to define your business idea. It’s about turning that spark of inspiration into a clear, actionable concept. There are several key things to think about — to guide your thought process and to help shape this vision into something tangible and viable. First, consider the scale and commitment of the business venture. Are you looking to start a side-gig to complement your lifestyle and income, or are you aiming for a full-time enterprise that’ll become a primary focus? Think about the core of your business: the product or service you want to offer. This is where your passion meets market demand. Is there a specific product or service you are passionate about or have expertise in? Define the niche. Pinpoint a specific market segment and, instead of trying to serve everyone, focus on a particular group with shared interests. Tailor your products or services to meet their preferences. This approach helps your business stand out and builds stronger connections with loyal customers. Identify your passions and market gaps to find your niche effectively. How well does the business idea align with your skills and experience? Will you need additional training or partnerships? A business idea that fits your strengths and areas of expertise is more likely to take off. Choose your business model There are four primary business models in e-commerce lingo. Those are: Business-to-Business (B2B), when a businesses sell products or services to other businesses. When it comes to wholesale, a B2B might act as intermediary in a supply chain, purchasing goods in bulk from manufacturers and selling them to retailers or other businesses. Business-to-Consumer (B2C), where a businesses sells direct to consumers. This is the biggest e-commerce business model there is — whenever we make an online purchase as an individual customer, we’re engaged in the B2C model. Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C), when consumers sell goods or services to each other through an intermediary platform. Casual and occasional selling on eBay or Facebook Marketplace would fall into this category. Consumer-to-Business (C2B), when consumers provide services to businesses. Switching around the B2C idea, this one is a bit oddly named, as it typically refers to freelancers selling to businesses. For example, getting paid to upload photography to Shutterstock. Decide: What type of entrepreneur are you? Think about what you love and what you’re good at to find a business model that fits. Understanding the dynamics can help you position your business and work out your opportunities. Whether you decide to go wholesale and manage stock yourself, or to “dropship” orders straight from supplier to customer, the choice should reflect your strengths and market positioning. Think about your Value Delivery Method. That’s a posh way of asking how you’ll meet the needs of consumers. This choice goes beyond logistics; it shapes the entire approach to bringing value. Each type of business has its unique set of
Tesco make fitting move
Virtual fitting rooms are nothing new, neither are online stores embedded into Facebook but the fact that a brand like Tesco has launched the same may suggest many more are set to swiftly follow. The new Facebook page that Tesco offer http://www.facebook.com/Clothingattesco?sk=app_261347243942251 is an attempt to make their online clothing store more personal and appealing to would-be customers. As well as seeing how items from the Tesco clothing range look on the on-screen model, potential customers can upload an image of themselves and see if the style and colour really would suit them. There are 50 outfits available for 50 virtual trying on, but given the cost to develop the system you can expect more to follow if initial feedback is good. Of course Facebook is all about engagement and increasing reach and shares so there is a facility for you to upload an image of you wearing the outfits and get the Facebook community to vote on the best look. The Facebook portal design is something that seems to be attracting more and more brands but doesn’t look like ever taking over from the need of having a real full-blown website, more as an additional revenue producer. Designers: Have you had more enquiries from clients wanting specific in-Facebook micro-sites? Consumers: Would you be more likely to buy if you can virtually try?