Starting a business is a brave move that many people will dream about doing, but few have the determination and skill to see through. If you are thinking about setting up your own online shop, then this article is going to be packed with useful information for you.
Running an online business allows you to be your own boss, invest your time and money in a pursuit that matters to you and perhaps even enable you to work from home and spend more time with your family instead of being locked to your desk in an office job.
This handy guide is going to walk you through the essential information you need before you take the leap of faith and begin to live your dream as an online business owner.
Get your branding up to scratch
The first thing you need to think about when you are starting up your own business is branding. The way you will brand your shop will have a significant impact on who decides to spend money with you and visit your website. It’s for this reason why you want to make sure everything is high-quality and focused specifically around your target audience.
Designing the logo
When it comes to the logo, arguably the most crucial component of your branding strategy, there are do-it-yourself logo design websites that can be a real help. First of all, designing the logo yourself is much cheaper than commissioning someone, which reduces your expenditure from the start. Plus, using an online logo maker means that you can create a professional design without having to learn how to use photoshop.
Designing the website
After you have designed your logo, you should use what you have created as a template for your next big branding task. Building a successful website is as much about functionality as it is about aesthetics, so you need to break this task in two.
Make sure all the menus and information are easy to access, with a clear layout and visible labels for where to find different products.
For the aesthetic design, think about the colors, shapes, textures used in your logo design and think about how you can expand upon this initial design to create a coherent and visually interesting website.
What’s your product?
Of course, if you are going to be running an online shop, then one of the most pressing things that need to be decided on is your products. You can find lots of helpful material online to give you ideas of what to sell, but one of the best places to start is with what you feel passionate about.
If you love jewelry, then why not anchor your business around bespoke, handmade items, for example. Try to think about what your natural strengths and abilities are and where these overlap with the things you feel passionately about.
A good rule of thumb is that if you are promoting a product that you would want to buy yourself, the chances are someone else will want to buy it too.