Breakdown of Starting an Online Store

Starting an online store may seem intimidating but when it is broken down into parts, it is not too hard. Online stores is the most simple way to go, if you do not have a lot of capital but have time.

Before I started my first online store, I was lost and turned to the web to figure out what to do. There are so many success stories but very few "how-to" or "what-if" articles. After searching for almost a month, I found answers to some of my questions. Luckily, I also found a friend who was interested in the same thing! After a few deep conversations, lots of late nights, and a lot of trial and error, we figured out how and what we needed to get started. Below are the results:

The online store part of the business, the PLATFORM

There are a lot of eCommerce platform out there. In my opinion, they are all the same, but some with extra perks or features that works better for the way you would like to do business. Also, depending on your expertise in eCommerce, web designing, etc, some may work better for you than others. I have worked with Magento, Prestashop, WooCommerce, and Shopify.

Out of those platforms that I have worked with, I feel that Shopify have been the best for me. Although I have a great understanding of HTML and able to work well with the rest, Shopify has been--by far--the best platform.

• Magento: Requires you to purchase a server that can host Magento. Magento is a very robust platform and with that comes the need to use a lot of resources. I have been with Magento since v1.9 and after they stop supporting v1.9, I transferred my store over to Shopify. With Magento, you are able to customize your pages and add customization that you sometimes can't do with something like Shopify, however, you would need a good knowledge of coding to do so. With v2.0, I have not come to like the way things were drastically changed. It was harder to get what I needed done.

• Shopify: With Shopify, I was able to put up my store within a week and started making sales within the second week--keep in mind that I already had a customer base. Shopify provided everything I needed plus more. Shopify allows you to upload products quickly via CSV or you can connect to existing marketplaces and download your products. Once that is done, all you have to do is customize your site and make it live. (I will go in depth about customize and editing in another blog)

Now lets talk cost. Shopify is subscription based. It will cost you minimum of $29/month (14 days trial). If you opt-in to pay a year in advance, you will get a few dollars docked off. Other than that, you are good to go. You do not have to pay for servers or have to configure much. With Magento, you will have to install the script, pay for the server, configure the server and much more. Too much work for someone who wants to get their store going.

Where you will buy the domain name

Domain names cost $12/year via Google Domains (you can alternatively use GoDaddy.com to get the domain for a little bit cheaper but I like Google because they have better DNS system)

You can also purchase a domain name from Shopify, which would be way easier and quicker but since I freelance web design, I like to keep all my domain names in one place. If you do not go with Shopify, you will need to configure a few settings to direct people to your Shopify store. Google Domains does this with ease, but Shopify will be the best option for beginners.

Theme/template for the Shopify store

When purchasing a theme, focus on where you will put your content and how things flow throughout the site. I would ask myself, "Would I shop from this theme?" If your answer is a yes, then proceed to ask another person who have fresh eyes. I feel that when we are committed to one thing, our eyes will deceive us. It is best to ask for a second opinion.

With themes, I like shop on Themeforest. They have a better variety of themes and it doesn't cost you a hand and foot. Themes are more economical. DO NOT shop on Shopify for themes. Each themes on there run you about $100 or more and from what I see, it is not even THAT good.

The only thing you need to check on before you purchase the theme is if it is compatible with Shopify. This is a MUST because I have made that mistake and lost money. If the seller is nice, they may refund you but most will not. Themes on Themeforest will run you about $40 - $60.

Product inspirations and sources

Dropshipping is sometimes the best route to go, if you have not already have a source to purchase your products. My first online store was a dropship store and it was very successful (read more about dropshipping here).

As far as the products, for my first store, I sourced my products from Aliexpress. For those that do not know what Aliexpress is, it is a child company of Alibaba. All the products you see on Aliexpress are from China sellers. When you order a product, it will take about 2 weeks or more to receive it, but on the bright side, it is very cheap. I would make a 50% margin on all my products I sold on my store and the prices were still very economical for the quality of the product.

If you were to dropship from Aliexpress rather than bulk order and stock inventory, there are a few things you need to know.

• Lunar New Year: During late January to mid-February, the Chinese will celebrate the Lunar New Year and will NOT ship out any order. Do not be like me and freak out the first time Lunar New Year came around. If you are dropshipping, when it comes to this time, all you can do is increase your prices. I did because it means less people will purchase it and if they do purchase it, I can purchase a faster service so that when the sellers reopen their shops, my customer will receive their orders quicker.
• Shipping time: I have already mentioned this but when it comes to shipping time, it is critical that you understand that if you are dropshipping, your customers will not receive their orders until 2 weeks have passed (I have seen faster transit time at times but do not depend on it). To help my customers understand that it will take a long time, I made it clear that it will take a few days to process the order and take a few days to get to them.
• Clothing merchandise: When it comes to clothes, be very careful. The sizes that you see on the Aliexpress site is all Chinese sizes, therefore, size LARGE on Aliexpress is usually SMALL in USA size. If you are planning to sell the clothing on there, you need to change the sizes around.
• Brand name merchandise: When it comes to brand name merchandises like Nike or similar, I would stay away from it. Most of the time, it is counterfeit and you just do not want to deal with it. The price tag may look appealing but it is not worth the headache.

eBates.com - Cashback service

Sign up for eBates and get cashback. Once you sign up, it will prompt you to download the Chrome extension. DOWNLOAD IT. It will save you a lot of time and help you save everywhere you shop. You can probably find a way to incorporate eBates into your business somehow but I will leave that up to you.

GivingAssistant.org - Cashback service

Same as eBates, but at certain times, the cashback is better so I pick and choose which one to use.

Oberlo.com - Dropshipping from Aliexpress

Oberlo is a great app on Shopify that connects you to Aliexpress. It makes the ordering, inventory control, and price control so much easier. Once you open up your Shopify store, navigate to their app store and install Oberlo. It will walk you through the installation and then you are good to go. Adding products is fairly easy. Once you add the products, you are set. Oberlo will track the inventory and the prices. As long as you set the profit margin, Oberlo will make sure your prices complies with your settings.

The great thing about Oberlo is that is FREE. Their service is free and it is amazing!