5. Basic store setup

The online store is configured only once and you will have to provide the following personal and administrative data:

• Determine the postal address of the store, city, postal code, telephone numbers and opening hours, geolocation, etc.
• Choose which areas and countries you want to sell to.
• Define shipping areas: Each area has a different cost and taxes.
• Indicate the taxes you are going to add.
• Activate discount coupons. (optional)
• Define currency of payment.
• Allow public reviews and ratings on products.
• Add payment gateways.

6. Products to sell

Here begins "your work" providing all the information of the products for your store.
So create a document in Word or an Excel template and start collecting the information.
Before you start, I advise you to describe your products with a view to applying SEO. (search engine optimization like Google)
I invite you to read my post How to improve SEO in your online store for more information.

 I suggest that you classify your products in headings or categories. Each product can belong to 1 or more categories and it will appear in all of them.

Product Configuration

Each product in the store allows you to enter the following data:

• Main title: It is the brief descriptive title of the product that appears in the general grid of the store followed by the price. This will be the title of the product page and the fundamental factor for your client to find it. This title is also essential to promote SEO
• Price: It is the sale price and, if you want, also add a reduced price. In this case, the sale price is crossed out, the reduced price next to it and an indicator that says SALE. Temporary salescan be created (for example: from July 15 to 25).
• Short description: It is a small text that complements the title and appears immediately below the price when entering the product (you can indicate brand, color, size, etc.)
• Long description: It is what appears below as technical or complementary data. It can include additional photos and videos, technical data, measurements, ways of use, advertising messages, user manuals, frequently asked questions and everything you need to explain about the product.
• Code or article reference (SKU): Each product has a code and can contain letters and numbers which we call SKU. This is the reference code that will appear in the inventories and in the order notes. You can just put the article number if you wish.

A friendly and self-manageable graphical interface

The following image shows the editing panel for each product in the store, where you can see the fields that you will have to complete.

The data you entered in the previous panel will be reflected in the general list of the store. (Photo 1)
By clicking on the image you access the individual page of each product where the complete descriptions are displayed. (Photo 2)

All the images shown in this article are their own or were obtained from the web for illustrative purposes and belong to their respective authors.

Surely you wondered why have an online store if so far you have done quite well with your business premises, or perhaps you do not have enough information to encourage you and start your own virtual store.
In this post I will show you the benefits of integrating your business or activity into the world of electronic commerce.

>>> I WANT MY ONLINE STORE <<<

Internetizing

Internet is now available to everyone and more than half of the world's inhabitants are connected to the Internet, either through a computer, tablet or smartphone.
The truth is that consumers search the web for information about what they want to buy BEFORE than anywhere else.
The percentage of people who directly choose to buy from a virtual store, and this can open many doors to your business that you could not access otherwise.

For this reason, and because it is also an economic resource to increase business, there is no reason to waste the opportunity to sell any product, activity or service through this wonderful medium.

Immediacy, comfort and security. Those are the keys

Nowadays, people no longer often go to stores to buy a product.
All these searches are carried out through the Internet, so that when the customer arrives at the store, he already has a more specific idea of what he wants to buy.
But if you can buy that without leaving your home, at any time and from anywhere, it is much better.

As a seller, making the decision to enter electronic commerce is to assume that there are other ways of buying and selling, and that one does not disable the others but rather they complement each other.
An online store offers you everything that you need. business needs to carry out electronic commerce operations, with the immediacy and security that both you and your customers need.

The pros and cons of having your own online store

We all know several very popular websites that are leaders in online sales and are in fact very effective and reliable.
Many of us have had the experience of buying or selling through these sites with very good results, but sometimes also very bad.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of having your own store, or selling through those sites?

• The main advantage of having your own store is that you are the owner and no one else interferes.
• You decide what to publish and how to do it, you set the price and conditions, you manage the orders and delivery times, just as you would in a traditional commercial premises.
• Nobody knows your income since it is totally private and confidential.
• The store operates under secure e-commerce protocols that protect you and your clients.
• You do not pay commissions, neither to publish nor to sell your products, as long as you do it in cash, bank transfer or check.
• It allows you to include external payment methods such as MercadoPago or PayPal and assume the commissions that these platforms charge you for using them as payment gateways.
• Your posts never expire unless you delete them and there is no limit to the number of products in your store.
• You can organize your products by headings or categories and add as many photos and videos as you need for free.
• By integrating your store into your social networks, you can expand the promotion and sales options.
• You can sell to the whole world and with various currencies, all kinds of articles, activities and services that are legal in your country.
• The buyer only watches your products in the store and is not distracted by products from the competition.

A matter of promotion

Among the possible disadvantages that your own store may have against commercial sales platforms is that these sites have their own web positioning and dissemination systems.
Being leading brands with a long history online, they enjoy sufficient fame and prestige to become inevitable reference points for people looking to buy online.
They are platforms that have been evolving for years in the market where everything is already set up.
You just have to publish your products under their conditions, pay and wait that people are interested in them and buy from you.
It also facilitates (and disregards) all commercial management, but at the same time it subjects you and forces you to use their commercial platforms, with their commissions and conditions of use .

Coexisting for a time

Surely you are not going to do without the use of these platforms, but it is always very good to start the path of commercial independence.
Give your store the opportunity to grow and position itself in the market until you get your own clientele, and you become their best option to buy the products or services you offer.

The success of your virtual store also depends a lot on your commercial vision and the budget that you allocate, that you take it seriously and consider that it is as important as your commercial premises, and that it deserves attention and dedication.
Assemble a good work team with your webmaster, who will surely guide you so that you can obtain a customized virtual store and achieve optimization of your work and improve your profits.

What benefits can your own online store give you?

Next I show you some of the advantages that entering the world of e-commerce through your own online store will bring you

Expand your market from local to global

Your neighborhood, your city, your province, your country ... the whole world! There are no longer borders to sell your products or services online.
Unlike physical stores, you can sell wherever and whenever you want and you will gain new customers from different parts of the world.

Making your schedules more flexible

Your online store is open 24 hours a day and without geographical limitations, so that consumers can learn more about the company, its products and services, and even complete a transaction instantly, and that way you do not bind the client to visit you on your opening hours, nor does it bind you to being permanently available.
How many people work during business hours that coincide with your business? How many people can come to your place?
You are just one click away from making your sales. Don't let them pass ...

>>> I WANT MY ONLINE STORE <<<

Lower costs

Traditional stores bear very high fixed costs, even when they are not working.
You have to pay rent, expenses, insurance, taxes, services, authorizations, salaries, travel expenses, cleaning, etc.
Unlike this, the online store has a much lower cost: You only pay for the design, the domain and the webhosting, now sell!
In this way, the focus should be on offering a good professional design, excellent photographs and videos, and immediate attention to the client, and in an efficient service of dispatch of the orders.

Accessible from any device

By having an online store, your customers will be able to access it through any of their mobile devices and from anywhere in the world. The more facilities you give them, the better.

Imagine that you meet a friend and he tells you that he wants to buy an armchair for his house, and you advise him where to buy it. Immediately your friend looks for the store on his cell phone and buys it.
He no longer has to wait to return home, remember what you told him, connect to the internet with his computer and finally buy, just as he did just a few years ago. years.

At the same time, if you have a physical store and no online store, you are failing to take advantage of a very interesting virtual customer traffic.
Time is a very precious value for today's buyer, and immediacy is a fundamental factor to capture it and make the purchase.
For this reason, if someone wants to buy something that they saw in your physical shop window, but cannot find you online, it is very likely that they will end up buying it in the competition.

A great showcase for your brand

What better showcase than being on the web? Anyone with Internet access can access your store and see your products.
Having an extensive online catalog is much easier and cheaper than renting more meters in your business premises.
It is only necessary to carry out a photo session or make videos, where you can show your products from all possible perspectives.

Self-management

Your online store is fully self-managed with very basic knowledge of electronic commerce.
You will find hundreds of tutorials on the internet that will help you solve your concerns and optimize the performance of your store.
There are many reasons why you can choose sell online, but the most important thing is that you are the owner of the store and can manage its operation with total freedom and independence.

Wholesales or retails

On the Internet there are no limits for your store to grow. You can sell whatever you want in the amounts you can think of.

Knowing the customer better

Thanks to the web analytics that your virtual store offers you, you will be able to create reports on the operation of your online business.
This allows you to create marketing campaigns, offers, control your stock, know your customers' shopping trends, which products they like the most, which sections they are interested in compared to others, and even the age and geolocation of each one.
These reports are essential to offer the customer what they are looking for and that you can strengthen your products according to their specific needs.

In addition, your online store includes a user registration system that allows you to know who buys from you and to know the history of their activities.
It also has a rating system, where users rate the seller on the product, delivery times, etc. determining the degree of trust and the quality of the product or service.

The more you know about your customers, the more you can meet their needs and encourage loyalty and feedback with your company.

Si tus clientes están en internet ¿por qué no estás tú?

We all spend a large part of the day on the web, our daily lives have become "internetized" and we can no longer live offline. Can you imagine your life without internet? How do you feel when your service is cut off and you are cut off?
Your clients are there waiting for you. Go get them.

Your competition is already on the network

If you enter the network you will be able to make direct competition to your peers.
However, if you do not decide to enter, your competition will continue to move forward, while you continue to think about whether or not to launch into electronic commerce.
The world works perfectly without your presence Don't you think it's time to integrate?

Who can have an online store?

Any company, professional or individual that has products, activities or services to sell.

We can all have an online store, be it a large company that manufactures electronics, a clothing or footwear store, a supermarket, a publishing house, artists, artisans, manufacturers, traders, wholesale or retail distributors, importers or exporters, entrepreneurs, services. professionals, tourism agencies or catering service ...

Any product, service or activity that has a price can be sold:

• Physical products: phones, furniture, food, clothing, crafts, etc.
• Virtual products: e-books, tutorials and online courses, etc.
• Downloadable products: music, videos, images, tickets for shows or museums, air tickets, etc.
• Services: tourism packs, professional attention, etc.

Final conclusion

I hope you have enjoyed this article and it has been useful.
The advantages offered by e-commerce are so many that there is definitely no reason not to try to position yourself on the web.
What are you waiting for have your own virtual store?

If you wanted to have your virtual store and you consider that I am a suitable professional, do not hesitate to contact me, I will gladly advise you.

In the Related Articles section below, you will find many articles with specific topics that complement the one you just read. Thank you!

>>> I WANT MY ONLINE STORE <<<

All the images shown in this article are their own or were obtained from the web for illustrative purposes and belong to their respective authors.

Websites consulted:

• https://citysem.es/10-razones-por-las-que-debes-tener-tienda
• https://www.ombushop.com/blog/vender-por-internet/7-motivos-para-tu-tienda-virtual

¿Quieres vender online?

This post is aimed at those who want to enter their business into the virtual world and have some doubts about it.
Decidí escribirlo al recopilar las consultas que mis clientes normalmente me plantean y notar que hay demasiados temas en común para resolver.

Therefore, I will tell you everything you need to know about E-Commerce or electronic commerce to have your online store, what benefits it offers you and what characteristics a good virtual store should have.
In addition, I am going to give you some tips and suggestions to optimize its operation and obtain the best profitability.

En otros articulos posteriores, te voy a explicar más en detalle algunas cuestiones inherentes a las tiendas virtuales.
At the moment we start with the most basic concepts.

What is an online store?

Una tienda online, también llamada Tienda virtual o E-Commerce, es un sitio web donde se ofrecen productos o servicios a la venta vía internet.
But the important thing to note is that an online store is not a common website, but has the capacity and the necessary structure to make sales "by itself", and often without the intervention of the owner of the store.

Its design features and web architecture are exclusively aimed at achieving a greater number of sales and streamlining the purchasing process.
El cliente elige el producto, la forma de pago y el tipo de envío. El vendedor lo recibe, lo gestiona y lo entrega según lo acordado, sin más.

A diferencia de una web corporativa, donde se muestra la información de la empresa y se espera que la gente contacte por e-mail, teléfono o redes sociales, una tienda virtual gestiona automáticamente todo ese proceso.
Se pueden elegir los medios de pago, calcular impuestos y costos de envíos, gestionar ofertas, ofrecer cupones de descuentos, mostrar valoraciones de los productos, etc.
Todo esto unificado dentro de una misma plataforma autogestionable por el mismo propietario de la tienda.

>>> I WANT MY ONLINE STORE <<<

What characteristics should a good online store have?

El éxito de una tienda online depende de varios factores y características que debe reunir.
Most of them are offered by the online store itself, and others depend on your personal values and business vision to face a virtual business.

I will mention the main ones:

1. Usability
2. Esthetic
3. Detailed Products
4. Always updated information
5. Value added
6. Care details
7. Integration with social networks
8. Feedback with customers
9. Credibility
10. Security
11. Accessible purchasing information
12. Choice of payment options
13. Customer Service
14. Transparency and clarity in the information
15. Availability

If the online store has these characteristics, success will no longer depend on them, but on factors such as the competitiveness of the sector, the law of supply and demand, marketing and advertising campaigns to publicize the store, site positioning web, etc.

1. Usability

The store must above all be easy to use from any device, be it a desktop PC, a tablet or a cell phone, and in all of them it must have adequate functionality and readability.
Esto se da mediante un diseño sencillo y despejado, casi minimalista, que no distraiga al potencial comprador con información y detalles innecesarios.
Siempre debe prevalecer la funcionalidad por sobre la estética, sin descuidar ninguna de las dos.

Navigation must be intuitive and friendly, avoiding creating labyrinths from which the buyer does not know how to return.
A sidebar with permanent access with a product search engine, price filter, category search and updated shopping cart display, effectively solves navigation problems within the store.

El comprador debe poder acceder de inmediato a lo que está buscando, sin distracciones.
Es por eso que los productos a la venta deben estar estratégicamente ordenados por categorías, marcas, rubros, etc.
De este modo, el cliente podrá filtrar rápidamente los contenidos que está buscando.

2. Estética

Una tienda online debe ser visualmente agradable y mostrarse confiable, robusta y profesional.
No olvides que el comprador no tiene la posibilidad de conocer el local de tu negocio ni al personal que lo atiende.

Aquí no se tiene en cuenta el barrio ni el shopping exclusivo donde se encuentra tu tienda.
Tampoco tienes la posibilidad de demostrar tu amabilidad en un diálogo cara a cara con tus compradores, lo que favorecería a que finalmente se decida a comprar tus productos o servicios.

Everything that would impact the potential customer and make him make the decision to enter your store, must also manifest itself in the aesthetic aspect of your virtual store.

Sobriety, variety, abundance, prestige, security, efficiency, responsibility, friendliness are aspects or virtues that your store must show beyond the products it sells.

Your customers also do not have the possibility to physically see the products, touch, feel, smell, or perceive the textures, sizes, shapes and weight.
That is why the images must be of very good quality. In this case, the phrases "Everything enters first through the eyes" and "A picture is worth a thousand words" are very valid.

Therefore, this is the time to seduce, take advantage of it!

Te invito a leer mi artículo How to get the best profitability from your product photos for more info.

3. Detailed Products

Cada producto de la tienda online de muestra como una página independiente y debe brindar al cliente la información lo más clara y detallada, sin ningún tipo de ambigüedad ni nada que genere dudas al respecto.

It is true that the images speak for themselves at the time the buyer visits your store, but the texts are also essential.
Do not leave anything to chance or think that it is "understood", since everyone understands its convenience and that can bring you complications.

Quizás tú conozcas todos los detalles de lo que vendes, pero tu comprador los desconoce o simplemente no tiene manejo del lenguaje técnico que vos usás.
In these cases, it is best to use the Japanese "fool-proof" method and not skimp on descriptions even if they seem unnecessary.

Tienes que pensar que, en un entorno de soledad absoluta, el comprador decide hacer click (o no) en el botón de COMPRAR, y ¡tú no estarás allí para convencerlo!

El comprador posiblemente tendrá dudas antes de decidirse a comprar, por eso te aconsejo brindarle la mayor cantidad de información gráfica y textual en las descripciones de los artículos.
This will also prevent him from sending you a lot of previous questions, which will take time to answer and end up delaying the operation or, in the worst case, that he decides to buy elsewhere.

Siempre ponte en el lugar del comprador que quiere comprar algo que desconoce, y bríndale la información que necesita al respecto para convencerle que te lo compre.
Tómate el tiempo necesario para describir cada artículo o servicio que ofreces.

Personalizar los productos

Each item in the store allows you to enter the following information:

• Titulo breve descriptivo: Es el título del producto que aparece en la cuadrícula de la tienda.
  Este será el título de la página del producto y el factor fundamental para que tu cliente lo encuentre.
  El título además es fundamental para favorecer el SEO (optimizador de contenidos en motores de búsqueda como Google).
• Price: It is the sale price and, if you want, also add a reduced price. In this case, the sale price is crossed out, the reduced price next to it and an indicator that says SALE!
• Short description: It is a small text that complements the title and appears immediately below the price when entering the product (you can indicate brand, color, size, etc.)
• Long description: It is what appears below as technical or complementary data. It can include additional photos and videos, technical data, measurements, ways of use, advertising messages, user manuals, frequently asked questions and everything you need to explain about the product.
• Fotos y videos: Cada producto tiene una foto principal y puede tener más fotos en su descripcion larga, además de una galería de fotos complementaria.
• Atributos y variaciones: Existen articulos que ofrecen varias versiones de color, tamaño, talla, diseño, etc.
  Cada una de ellas puede tener un precio distinto.

4. Always updated information

The information of the products or services offered must always be perfectly updated, both in their descriptions, images and prices.
The online store allows you to manage your inventory in the cloud.

Puedes elegir en mostrarlo de dos maneras:

• Available / Not available: No muestra cantidad de unidades.
• Cantidad de inventario: Muestra cantidad de uidades en stock «Quedan 35 artículos»

Los productos no disponibles o agotados no deberían figurar en la tienda ya que hacen perder tiempo al comprador.

5. Value added

A virtual store must provide added value to its customers: the possibility of accessing exclusive offers and discounts, the possibility of receiving periodic information on news or offers, etc.

De este modo se creará en el usuario de la tienda virtual la necesidad de volver a visitar la tienda de forma periódica, aumentando así la posibilidad de que decidan adquirir los productos o servicios ofertados por la tienda.

6. Care details

Tu tienda online debe estar cuidada hasta en los más pequeños detalles.
Un sitio web con errores en los textos, faltas de ortografía, imágenes que no se muestran o tardan demasiado en cargarse, enlaces rotos, etc. generará desconfianza en el potencial cliente, llevándolo a abandonar la tienda.

Never show empty or under construction sections. A customer who cannot find what they are looking for, will hardly return ...

7. Integration with social networks

All the products in your store must be able to be shared on the social networks of your buyers.
It is very common for a person to see a product in your store and want to send only that product to another person to evaluate and buy it.
We must take advantage of all the benefits that social networks and digital messaging give us.
In addition, it is very positive that the customer can access your own social networks where they find additional content to those of your online store.

8. Feedback with customers

Puedes permitir que los clientes dejen comentarios y valoraciones de los productos. Esto hará que cualquier comprador indeciso elija finalmente concretar la compra.

Además, puedes establecer productos destacados, últimos lanzamientos, ofertas del mes, artículos mejor valorados, etc, y mostrarlos al inicio de la tienda a modo promocional.

9. Credibility

Muchos usan un perfil de Instagram o una fanpage de Facebook para vender productos o servicios, y eso no está nada mal.
Pero todos sabemos que cualquier persona puede tenerlo sin ningún soporte legal, y que muchos de ellos incuso pueden ser falsos.
This is how profiles and “ghost companies” appear and disappear that are not registered anywhere and to which we cannot make any claims in the event of scam or unsatisfactory sale.

Unlike social networks and being a website, the online store requires a domain that guarantees that it belongs to a natural or legal person, that it is registered with an official body, and that any user can consult its real existence online .
Furthermore, the national domains (.com.ar) are controlled by AFIP, which guarantees that the owner actually exists and is in a position to market online.

10. Security

In addition to having a national or international domain, the owner of the store must contract a webhosting service from any company that is a provider of such service.
This hosting, in addition to being registered with said company, must have activated SSL security protocols that allow secure online business operations.
Esto es fácilmente identificable ya que la dirección web o URL se muestra en el navegador como HTTPS
Algunos navegadores muestran también el ícono de un candado cerrado y la leyenda “sitio seguro”

This encrypted protocol provides security to the client to safely carry out transactions by credit card or any payment gateway that requires entering personal data online.

11. Accessible purchasing information

The cuestomer should be able to visualize at all times the information about the products or services that he has selected for his purchase, their quantities, prices to pay, taxes, shipping costs, etc. and it should be easy to modify these quantities before finalizing the purchase.

At the same time, you should be able to consult at any time the information about the delivery time of each product or service, purchase conditions, information on returns, contact details of the seller in case you need help or additional information, etc.

12. Elección de formas de pago

La tienda online debe proporcionar al posible cliente las formas de pago más habituales.

Your online store allows you to operate in two different ways safely:

• Sin comisiones: Pago en efectivo contra reembolso, transferencia bancaria o cheque.
• Con comisiones: Mediante pasarelas de pago con tarjeta de débito o crédito como MercadoPago o PayPal, donde las comisiones son establecidas por las diferentes plataformas.

13. Customer Service

Tu tienda online debe contar con un excelente servicio de atención al cliente, habilitando líneas telefónicas, WhatsApp, redes sociales y consultas a través de e-mail, etc.

Es necesario mostrar a los potenciales clientes que detrás de la tienda virtual existe un equipo humano de calidad dispuesto a ayudarlos en lo que necesiten, y que ofrece una respuesta rápida y eficaz ante cualquier problema.

14. Transparency and clarity in the information

The online store must provide clear and easily accessible information about:

• Identificación de la empresa vendedora: Dirección postal, teléfonos, e-mail, geolocalización, redes sociales, etc.
• Final prices of products or services: Including the details of taxes, shipping costs, etc.
• Preguntas frecuentes: Tu tienda debe contar con una página de preguntas frecuentes. Esto aclarará las posibles dudas del comprador y evitará que pierdas tiempo respondiendo innecesariamente.
• Política de privacidad y aspectos legales: Tu tienda debe contar con una página de política de privacidad que el cliente acepta al realizar una compra, y te protege a tí y a tu negocio de posibles reclamos judiciales.

15. Availability

An online store must be available 365/24, and that is why you should choose a good webhosting service provider that guarantees the correct operation and permanence online.

Jamás contrates servidores muy económicos, ni mucho menos gratuitos. Tu seguridad y la de tus clientes está en sus manos.
A failure during the purchase process or in the implementation of payment methods will lead to a loss of income and, worse, the loss of trust placed by customers in your online store.
Although it is true that the failure could be caused by the client's internet connection, but that would no longer be your responsibility.

Tips

Finally, I leave you some tips to optimize the performance of your online business

• Atiende a los pedidos con rapidez.
• Answer to inquiries immediately. Feedback is very important to your customers and surely the buyer has already made the same inquiry in another store similar to yours.
• Crea sliders promocionales con ofertas especiales y actualízalos con regularidad.
• Publica periodicamente nuevos productos.
• Update your social networks.
• Tóma en serio tu tienda virtual y disfrútala.

Final conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this article and that it was useful to you.
Now that you know everything you need to know to have your online store, I hope you decide to have yours.

>>> I WANT MY ONLINE STORE <<<

Si consideras que soy un buen profesional competente y quieres confiarme tus proyectos de diseño y sumarme a tu equipo de trabajo, no dudes en contactarme

In the Related posts section below, you will find many articles with specific topics that complement the one you just read.
I invite you to read them, share them and leave your comments if you wish. .
Thank you very much.

All the images shown in this article are their own or were obtained from the web for illustrative purposes and belong to their respective authors.

Websites consulted:

• https://es.wikipedia.org
• https://www.karakana.es/diseno-web/blog/caracteristicas-de-una-buena-tienda-online-1-2

• https://www.gadae.com/blog/que-es-una-tienda-online-y-que-beneficios-puede-traer-a-tu-negocio/

• https://sebastianpendino.com/que-significa/tienda-virtual-o-tienda-online/