There is no doubt that eCommerce is growing. In fact, it is estimated that by 2023 global eCommerce sales will reach $5.5 trillion. If you are thinking of starting your own eCommerce store, then now is the time to do it! There are a few different platforms you can use, some of them are free and some of them have a monthly fee. With your own eCommerce store, you can start selling your products and build your own eCom empire. In this blog post, we will discuss the pros and cons of using an e-commerce platform to sell your products online.
Here is the big question you maybe ask yourself, is eCommerce worth it?
The answer to this question really depends on your business and what you are selling. But basically, eCommerce can be very successful if you do it right and are patient. Don’t expect to make millions overnight. An own eCommerce shop costs a lot of time and sometimes also some money for premium plugins, themes, advertising, content, etc.
There are a few pros of using an eCommerce platform:
You can reach a larger audience: With an eCommerce store, you have the ability to reach a global audience. You can sell your products to customers all over the world without having to leave your home.
You have more control over your business: When you sell through an eCommerce platform, you have more control over your business. You can set your own prices, create your own shipping policies, and design your own store.
You can build a brand: With an eCommerce store, you can build a strong brand for your business. When customers visit your store, they will see your brand and products. This can help you to build a loyal customer base.
There are also a few cons of using an eCommerce platform:
You have to pay for the platform: Most eCommerce platforms charge a monthly fee. This can be costly if you are not making any sales.
You have to ship your products: When you sell through an eCommerce platform, you will have to ship your products to your customers. This can be costly and time-consuming.
You have to handle customer service: When you sell online, you will have to deal with customer service issues. This can be challenging if you are not prepared for it.
Now that you know the pros and cons of using an eCommerce platform, you can decide if it is right for your business. If you are ready to start selling your products online, then choose a platform and get started! You can build a successful eCommerce business if you put in the work.
What ecommerce platforms are avadible you can use?
There are a few different solutions out there you can choose from, let’s have a look at the most popular ones:
Shopify – This is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms. It is easy to use and has a wide range of features. You can start using Shopify for free, but you will have to pay for certain features and to make your shop public.
You have to pay at least 29 dollars per month, that’s the smallest plan for a Shopify store.
The good thing about Shopify is, that the software is very easy to use. So Shopify is optimal for beginners. Shopify also has great and fast support. In case there is something wrong, you can always contact the support team and get help.
Another con is, that Shopify highly relies on Apps or Addons. These Apps are mostly paid. You have to pay for each plugin 5-19 dollars per month on top. If you need a lot of extensions, it can get expensive really fast.
WooCommerce – WooCommerce is a plugin that you can use with WordPress. It is easy to use and has a wide range of features. You can start using WooCommerce for free, but you will have to pay for certain features or premium themes.
WooCommerce is completely free because it is open-source software. There are no monthly costs you have to pay.
There are a ton of plugins, themes, and Apps out there you can use to customize your store. Most are free, but most apps or plugins give you the option to upgrade to their premium functions. So it can be possible that you have to pay for some plugins as well.
The con is, that there is no support. If there is something wrong with your store, you have to fix it yourself or hire someone who fixes it for you.
You need a little bit of experience with WordPress or HTML when you want to use WooCommerce, so it’s not the beginner friendlies platform. You also have to find a domain name and hosting yourself where you can store the files. We recommend Bluehost because it’s the cheapest and has good support.
Magento – Magento is a popular eCommerce platform. It is more complex than Shopify and WooCommerce, but it has more features. You will have to pay for Magento, but there is a wide range of hosting options available.
Magento is a very popular and easy-to-use platform, but the cons are that Magento is “very” expensive. So you have to pay for a license: $22,000–125,000/year, the hosting is $500–6,500/year, the domain name is about $10–400/year, and then you need an SSL certificate that is about $5–300/year.
We recommend Magento only to companies that have high sales volumes and can pay the costs without any problem from their turnovers.
BigCommerce – BigCommerce is another popular eCommerce platform. It is easy to use and has a wide range of features. You can start using BigCommerce for free, but you will have to pay for certain features and themes.
BigCommerce has almost the same pricing model as Shopify. You pay $29.95/month. But there are also some hidden fees. Like Apps and plugins, you want to install on your store. That can add up really quickly.
So which platform should you choose?
The answer to this question really depends on your business and what you are selling. If you are just starting out, then Shopify or WooCommerce might be the best option for you. If you have a more complex business, then Magento or BigCommerce might be a better option.
No matter which platform you choose, make sure that you research all of the features and make sure that it fits your needs.
If you have the time and will learn about the technology then we can recommend using WordPress plus WooCommerce. This is the cheapest solution and there are a ton of people out there who can help you in the case that you will ran into problems.
What kind of products can you sell?
You can sell almost anything on your own eCommerce store. You can also sell virtual products or services.
You can use your eCommerce store to sell:
- Physical products
- Digital products
- Services
Make sure to put the right price tag on your products. Make sure to check the pricing for your products with other similar products listed on Amazon or eBay.
Can you use the dropshipping method to make money with eCommerce?
Yes, dropshipping is a very popular method of making money with eCommerce.
Dropshipping is a business model, where you can sell products without having to carry any inventory. When somebody orders a product from your store, you simply order the product from the supplier and have it shipped directly to the customer.
There are a few things you need to take into account when starting a dropshipping business:
- You need to find a good supplier
- You need to have a good marketing strategy
- You need to have a good eCommerce platform
- You need to find a niche market
If you want to start dropshipping, we recommend Shopify or WooCommerce. Both platforms support dropshipping from suppliers like Aliexpress.com
You only need to add an extra plugin (like the Aliexpress-Plugin for WooCommerce) and then you can import these products to your own online shop and start selling them with a margin.
We can recommend getting a Wholesale & Dropship Directory where you can see all avadible suppliers. >>Click here to get the best Directory<<
How to drive traffic to your new store?
That’s almost the hardest part of eCommerce! You can build the best shop in the world, but why somebody should visit your store? Nobody knows you… There is a competitor out there that sells the same products as you… How to drive customers to your shop? Traffic is an essential part of a successful eCommerce business.
You have two options to get traffic early on. First, you can pay for Google Ads, Bing Ads, or Facebook Ads. But their methods are very expensive because you’re paying for every single click on your page. And when nobody buys, your credit card will be charged… that’s the big downside of Ads.
If you are an expert and know exactly what you are doing, that it’s ok, but if you are a beginner, then it can be a big waste of money.
The second method to get traffic is content marketing. You have to produce good and interesting content around your products or services, post it on your blog or other platforms like Medium, Instagram, Pinterest, or YouTube and hope that people will read/watch it and then visit your store.
But there are a lot of blogs out there… so it’s very hard to be seen.
You can also do a combination of both methods. Use content marketing to drive traffic organically and use Ads to amplify your reach.
The most important thing is that you don’t give up! It takes a lot of time, effort, and money to build a successful eCommerce business, but it is possible!
There are a lot of stories out there about people who have made millions with their online stores.
So, is ecommerce worth it?
Yes, eCommerce is definitely worth it! If you are willing to put in the time and effort, then you can build a successful online store. Give it time, if you’re not willing to put a lot of money into paid Ads, you should expect that in the first 4-6 months almost nobody will find your shop by using the organic search on Google (Google Sandbox). Just make sure that you choose the right platform for your needs and don’t give up! Produce as much content around your niche as you can, so Google and other search engines will pick up your new store and your blog posts.
Need a little more help with your new business? Then we can recommend our Business Success Program to you. There you will find many more details on this topic.