Starting an ecommerce business is hard work with many steps and decisions that need to come together at the right time. To help, we have put together a comprehensive resource list, compiled from Shopify’s most popular blog posts. These posts have been placed into a logical order based on how you would research, build, launch and grow a profitable ecommerce business.
Choosing a Product
Finding A Product To Sell
The first step to building an eCommerce business is to know what products you want to sell. This is often the most challenging part of starting a new online business. In this section, we will highlight the strategies you can use to find product opportunities, explore the ten best places to look for product ideas, and finally, we will reveal ten trending products that we came up with.
- Find a product on the Oberlo marketplace
- How To Find A Product To Sell Online: The Definitive Guide
- 8 Strategies for Finding Your First Product
- 10 Places To Look For Products To Sell Online
- 10 Interesting Product Ideas Trending Right Now
Evaluating Your Idea
Once you have a product idea in mind, how do you know if it’s a good idea or not? In this section, we will go through two exhaustive evaluations methods, evaluating both the product itself, as well as the market for your product choice.
- How To Evaluate Market Demand For Your New Product Idea
- How To Evaluate Product Viability
- 5 Strategies To Evaluate Your Product Idea
Obtaining Your Product
Having found your product idea and evaluating them in the previous section, you must now figure out where and how you’re going to obtain your products. The next two posts will cover the various methods for acquiring your products, along with the pros and cons of each model.
- Make, Manufacture, Wholesale or Dropship: The Pros and Cons of Each Model
- How To Find a Manufacturer or Supplier for Your Product Idea
- Alibaba 101: How to Safely Source Products from the World’s Biggest Supplier Directory
Research & Prepare
Research Your Competition
You’ve found your product, evaluated the potential, and sourced your supplier. It’s time to write your business plan, but before you get into that, you’ll need to research your competition thoroughly so you know exactly what you’re up against.
- Tools To Research Your Competition
Writing Your Business Plan
With your competitive research complete, it’s now the perfect time to write your business plan. A business plan will be your road map that helps bring your ideas and thoughts together. A business plan is vital so that you can determine how to best move forward and most effectively compete.
- Why Your Ecommerce Store Needs a Business Plan (and How to Write One)
- The Ultimate Guide To Business Plans
Registering Your Business
With a business plan in hand, now is a good time to consider your options for registering your business.
- The Benefits & Costs of Incorporating Your Business
Setting Up Your Business
Naming Your Business
Aside from finding an actual product to sell online, another difficult decision is determining your business name and choosing an appropriate and available domain name. These blog posts will help you tackle these important tasks.
- What You Need to Know About Ecommerce Trademarks
- What Should I Name My Online Store?
- 5 Rules For Choosing A Memorable Domain Name
Creating A Logo
Once you have solidified your name and registered your domain, it’s time to craft a logo. In these posts, we will show you several options for creating a great logo for your new business.
- 5 Logo Design Tips for Ecommerce Websites
- 5 Easy to Use Online Logo Makers to Design Your Brand
Understanding Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
You’re almost ready to begin building your online store. However, before you jump into it, you should understand the basics of search engine optimization so that you can optimize your site for Google and other search engines.
- The Beginner’s Guide To Keyword Research For Ecommerce
- Ecommerce SEO Video Series
Building Your Store
With a better understanding of search engine optimization (SEO), it’s time to build out your store. There are many critical elements. Below we have included a list of our best blog posts to help you write captivating product descriptions, shoot beautiful product photography, and a list of some of the best tools to help you optimize those photos.
- Write Product Descriptions that Sell
- The Ultimate DIY Guide to Beautiful Product Photography
- 18 Free and Paid Online Photo Editor Tools for Gorgeous DIY Product Photography
- 40 Tools and Resources For Creating Beautiful DIY Product Photography
- 10 Must Know Image Optimization Tips
Don’t forget, if you run into any problems getting your store set up, you can always hire help from Shopify Experts.
