1. Define Your Target Audience and Choose a Viable Niche: The first step in starting an online store is to choose a niche market you want to serve. Neglecting to concentrate on the three aspects of selecting a niche is one of the most common mistakes made by new business owners:


Profitability: To create an online store and see a return on your investment, you want a profitable niche. A product's potential for profitability is low if it cannot be manufactured or purchased wholesale. In a similar vein, a product might not be suitable for online sales because it would cost too much to ship it.



Searchability: The most effective e-commerce stores carry sought-after goods. Make sure that "dog leashes" is a keyword that you target if you want to start an online store that sells dog leashes, for instance. Utilize SEO tools to find out what products people are looking for.

Passion: Think about your interests. For instance, what topics do you enjoy discussing or researching? When times are tough, you'll be more likely to stick with what you're selling if you're passionate about it. When you create eCommerce website, make sure it has all the marketing features. In addition, you want customers to recommend your store to others because you are an authority on a particular product or service.



The people you want to reach are just as important as your niche. You want to ensure that they will be interested in your products and that they will be able to buy them easily. 


2. Select a Product or Service: After identifying your niche and target market, it is time to select a product or service. This might be the most challenging aspect to build eCommerce website. You must ensure that you are not selling a product that is either unavailable or too costly to manufacture. In addition, it is essential to ensure that you have the resources, such as shipping and storage, to accommodate your products.


3. Pick your Business Name: The next step is to choose your brand or business name and create your brand assets, such as your logo, once you have an idea of what you want to sell. This step might come very easily to some people, while for others, it might be very hard. Going to a domain name registrar like GoDaddy and looking for available domains is one method that businesses frequently use to sort through potential name ideas. The reason for this is that you ought to have your domain name match the name of your business.


You can use appropriate online tools that are a great place to start if you're not sure where to begin when creating your logo. Numerous free and straightforwardly customizable logo templates are on offer. You can always hire someone to design your logo for you from sites like Fiverr and 99Designs if you don't want to try your hand at it.


4. Register Your Business: You will require an EIN (employer identification number) in order to process payments for your online store. You must register your online store as a business in your state in order to obtain an EIN. Although you can register as a sole proprietorship or corporation, most small businesses do so as an LLC (limited liability company), which helps safeguard your personal assets in the event that your business is sued.


5. Select an E-Commerce Platform: Now comes the decision to select an online store builder. Your online store will be built and managed on this platform. There are a wide range of excellent e-commerce platforms available in the market. However, because each platform has its own set of features that affect its affordability, capabilities, and ease of use, it's worth taking the time to find the one that works best for you.