In the modern world, e-commerce is the key to financial independence. If you are an emerging entrepreneur inspired by the success of e-commerce websites, then you are not alone.
E-shops specializing in personalized gifts have steadily gained popularity. Perhaps because people want to give their loved ones specially made presents, but don’t have the skills or time to do so. If you have the artistic skills needed, then setting up an online shop for personalized gifts is a good initiative.
Narrowing it Down
First things first, what kind of personalized gift are you going to sell? This is the first question you need to answer before you jump headfirst into setting up an online store. Do you want to sell scented candles? Engraved woodwork, maybe? Or perhaps, you’re thinking about customized apparel? Do you want to specialize in one kind of gift, or are you willing to provide several options?
Answer these tough questions before you look towards building an e-commerce platform for your custom made gifts business.
Create your business plan
The first thing that comes into the business plan is defining a budget. It will help you in attracting the right investors, reduce unnecessary expenses and keep track of future trends. A properly thought out business plan will keep you focused. You need to decide the cost for your products, your marketing strategies, product sourcing, product delivery and employee hiring.
Register your business
After you have decided on a name for your business, make sure to get it registered with the right authorities. You don’t want to face any legal problems when your business is finally up and running. So take care of the legalities beforehand.
Select an e-commerce platform
There are numerous e-commerce platforms available where you can launch and sell your product. Very powerful platforms are Magento, Shopify and then WordPress. When choosing a platform you will have to compare their features and see which one suits your requirements the best. Once you get the hang of it, it is pretty easy to build an entire e-commerce store from scratch.
Purchase a domain name
A domain name should be short and easy to remember. Avoid generic names and come up with a name of your own that stands out.
Hire a Developer
Even if you have a little knowledge of how website creation and running works, it is better to hire a professional. You can hire a freelancer or a professional but make sure it is a competent worker. Share your vision, launch date and budget with your developer to ensure that you both are on the same page.
Your website
Choose a template for your website according to your vision. Make sure that the website is easy to navigate for the visitors. Add your products to the website and make sure that it follows SEO guidelines. Use high-quality images of your products. Add a separate category for personalisation of the products which is user friendly.
Next, add payment methods that will be easier for you as well as the consumer. Enlist your shipping policies and the courier companies you plan to enlist. Return policies should be very clear as it is very difficult in the personalization and customization business to facilitate free returns and refunds.
Test run
Make sure that you do a test run of your website before you make it live. Preview your online store and see if it is working properly on different browsers on desktop as well as mobile.
Conclusion
E-Commerce is the future of shopping. Taking your business digital is an excellent decision and will increase your reach and customer base. Follow the guidelines mentioned above and you will have a smooth journey towards an e-commerce personalised gift website creation.