How to Start an Online Store: A Step-by-Step Guide

Here are some key aspects to contemplate as you find products to sell.

Selling products within a particular niche helps customers recognise exactly what your business is all about, and empowers you to focus your time, energy and budget effectively. To find a profitable niche, it can help to define a specific problem that you intend to solve through your product or to appeal to a specific audience that you understand well.

Selling within a particular niche helps customers recognise exactly what your business is all about, and empowers you to focus your time, energy and budget effectively. To find a profitable niche, it can help to define a specific problem that you intend to solve through your product selection, or to appeal to a specific audience who you understand well.

A unique selling proposition or USP focuses on the differentiating factor that sets your business apart from other sellers. For example, you might put more research into your products, use more advanced technology or have products with great durability. Defining your USP is a strong early step as it can help with everything from marketing to expansion.

Will you be manufacturing your products yourself, or working with wholesalers? If you plan to source from suppliers, will they be able to deliver the product reliably? It’s important to take your product supply chain into account when it comes to your business logistics, delivery times and profit margins.

A robust business plan sets out the many elements that are necessary for a successful online store.

This is all about answering questions such as:
● What will your business look like in the day-to-day?
● Who are your customers? What appeals to them and how do they shop online?
● How will you be staffing your business, and how do you plan to fulfil orders?
● What are other sellers offering in the same space, and how does your USP set your products apart?

• Check if your desired business name is available using the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) website
• Register your business name through ASIC if it's available
• If you are a sole trader and your business name is the same as your personal name you do not have to register with ASIC

• Apply for an ABN through the Australian Business Register (ABR)
• The ABN is a unique 11-digit number that identifies your business and helps you interact with the Australian Government

• If your annual turnover exceeds $75,000, you must register for GST
• GST registration can be done through Online services for business on the ATO website

• Depending on your industry and location, you may need specific licences or permits to operate your business
• Check with your local council or relevant government agencies for requirements
• You can also use the Australian Business Licence and Information Service (ABLIS) to help you find what licences are required for your business

Choosing where you’ll sell your products can be just as important as what you sell. Here’s how to find what works for your business.

You can sell on your own website, via a store like Amazon, or both. While weighing up the possibilities, think about where your customers shop online. Which names do they trust? How can you provide them with the best possible shopping experience?

Of course, the right choice will come down to your individual business plan and strategy. If you’re new to selling online, Amazon has loads of built-in features and resources to help you along the way.

Amazon offers two different plans for sellers. An Individual plan is ideal if you’re testing the waters and plan to only sell a handful of items as you get started. The Professional plan can be ideal if you’re after the full-featured selling experience and want more ways to maximise your visibility and sales. You can change or cancel your plan at any time.

How will you show shoppers all the best features of your products and brand? If you’re registering your brand, you can build your own custom storefront and product detail pages at no extra cost.

You won’t need to know your HTML from your CSS when it comes to website design, because building an online storefront is an intuitive process with Amazon. Simply choose your preferred template, and drag and drop tiles to create your bespoke brand presence.

Your product detail pages are where your products can get the spotlight they deserve. Be sure to include detailed descriptions, high quality photos and your brand story so your customers can feel confident about making a purchase.

Great news – with Amazon, mobile responsiveness is all taken care of. Mobile shoppers will experience your professional storefront and shopping experience optimised for their mobile device.

The next step prior to launching your products will be ensuring you can manage your inventory.

Effective Inventory management can be a balancing act, as there can sometimes be a fine line between having too much stock and not having enough to sell. Amazon’s Inventory Performance Index (IPI) is a handy feature that indicates how well you’re managing your inventory on a scale from 0 to 1000.

It’s simple to add, adjust and manage your inventory within your Seller Central account.

A tailored digital marketing strategy can help pave the way to selling success. Here are some of the ways you can drive traffic and conversions for your listings.

Amazon Advertising offers a number of ways to reach shoppers who are looking for the kind of product you sell, have bought similar products or might enjoy connecting with your brand. You can choose to promote your brand or your products – learn more about advertising with Amazon and test out what will work best for your business.

You may be able to improve the quality and quantity of traffic to your listings simply by ensuring you use clear, descriptive keywords in your product descriptions. These keywords can help people find and buy what they’re looking for easily, so make sure you’re listing your products accurately including materials and differentiating features.

Social media channels can be a great way to engage with existing and potential customers. Your social media marketing strategy might include a mix of paid and organic reach, or one of the two depending on what’s right for your store. By connecting with customers where they love to spend their time, you could build up a loyal following by posting product demonstrations, promotions to gain early adopters and all of your latest news.

A product recommendation from a trusted influencer can have far-reaching effects, turning a product into the new must-have or must-try item. If you plan to reach out to content creators for a sponsored collaboration, take some time to find the right fit. A recommendation is always more compelling from someone who genuinely enjoys and uses the product.

You’ve put your plans into place and are ready to share your products with the world. As the time comes to launch your store, consider these vital steps.

Order fulfilment describes the process of picking, packing, labelling and shipping orders to customers. You can choose to have Amazon fulfil your orders with Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA), choose Fulfilment by Seller to fulfil orders yourself, or use a mix of both options.

Quality shipping is key when it comes to ensuring your customers receive their orders without delay. If you’re fulfilling orders yourself, you can consider using Amazon Easy Ship to provide fast, reliable and 100% trackable delivery for your customers.