eCommerce : Own A Store Online

There are lot many companies on the Internet that provide a service to create and own a store in the virtual space using the Internet. These are a complete suite of packages, and they are customized as per your need. You can create a virtual store for free using a free trial period of fourteen days. There are many models available using which you can partake in eCommerce.  

The company provides themes and templates to decorate the store which has inbuilt features like displays, shopping carts, checkout, wish lists, etc. The product display is usually three-dimensional in form of quality images. Individuals buyers can create accounts and log in. They can maintain orders or a Wishlist.   Purchase options are facilitated by electronic payment systems which accept credit/debit cards, net banking, etc. Payments could be made post-delivery all this depends upon the merchant concerned.   The return policy is usually shaped by the providers. 

In order to own a store, you have to register first. After logging in you can use features offered by the company in order to create a functional store. You have to pay a subscription fee-based monthly or annually. Depending upon the company, many features are provided as per the subscription plan. You can pay more and upgrade for more comprehensive features.  

Facilities like search and display are common features of the eCommerce Portal where your store is situated - one among many!

You can sell your goods as well as a dropship. The latter is just taking orders and instructing the manufacturer to deliver. Ethics apply to these virtual stores hence read policies and guidelines set by the company and follow them there should be no complaints.    

There are many eCommerce solution providers on which entrepreneurs or small businesses can create a store. These Internet Platforms make selling through websites or social media platforms possible some will also enable selling offline. 

Companies like Shopify because of the inbuilt custom interface are preferred by amateurs and small business owners. These are easy to use, cost less, and do not need the services of developers or designers. You need to pay a subscription fee as per the plan you prefer. The themes and templates are inbuilt but for greater appeal, third-party ones are also available which are usually paid. The functionality is also comprehensive but if you are building an eCommerce store using the Word Press CMS then you will require plugins to enhance features, especially those pertaining to SEO.    

If you are ambitious with greater investment capabilities then you can choose Magenta O/S wherein the open-source code is free but the development and maintenance charges can be substantial. The packages, some of which are paid, provide immense scalability with advanced features that large shopping sites would prefer. 

But remember highly scalable sites built using Magento or the likes require a sound development team that could be in-house or hired at cost of services. This is not for amateurs or small businesses seeking virtual space to sell their merchandise.       

Some of the best eCommerce website builders are: 

• WIX
• Square Space
• Shopify
• BigCommerce
• Weebly
• Square Online
• Zyro
• Shft4Shop
• Big Cartel

Some of the globally famous platforms or shopping sites where a store can be created are:  

• Amazon
• eBay
• Ali Baba 
• Flipkart 
• Myntra
• Snapdeal 

For Local Sales 

• FaceBook
• Craigslist 
• Bonanza

These are globally popular and reputed with sound features and functions. They have managed to garner a major share of online shopping or eCommerce. On Amazon and eBay, you can practically sell everything but some products may require approval. Although most provide a market for the B2C segment there are sites that also cater to the B2B segment. 

Shopping Niche

But there are niche shopping sites also most of which have a regional presence. Keep looking for more niche sites on which you can build your store provided you sell relevant products. 

• eShakti.
• Shoptagr.
• Forever 21.
• 10 Dollar Mall.
• Deb.
• Necessary Clothing.
• Plasticland.
• Choices.
• Ruby Lane (Antiques & Vintage Products)

In time to come online marketplaces are bound to expand covering every niche. Keep searching... 

As mentioned earlier shopping stores are not passive sources of income, they are in a practical sense full-fledged businesses. You need to keep pursuing the objectives and achieve satisfactory sales.  You will need to push your store on Social Media as well, and hence the platform should incorporate Seo-friendly features.

For example, Seo-friendly features like creating user-friendly URLs and topic categorization may not be possible. You will need to make your online shop attractive and comprise sound features. Buying third-party add on, templates, themes, and plugins can lead to substantial investment.    

Make yourself familiar with digital marketing especially search engine optimization. Also, develop a sense of aesthetic designing. You can hire a professional SEO or webmaster for this and take the help of a designer or developer but all this will cost money. Hence choose the most compact, user-friendly platform to make your store and sell.  

There are many platforms that enable the creation of online stores some of them charge a minimum but please choose one on basis that suits you most.