If you have a passion for creation — whether it’s candles or home decor — you can turn that interest into a flourishing business by creating an online store. Over the past several years, eCommerce businesses have been skyrocketing, allowing consumers to purchase products from the comfort of their homes.

Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? Now’s the time. In this guide, we’ll provide six steps on how to create an online store so that you can become a successful entrepreneur.

How to Create an Online Store

If you’ve been wondering how to create an online business, you’re in the right place. Whether it’s an online jewelry store or an online clothing store, there are a few simple steps you can follow to get your company off the ground.

At Pietra, we can help make this happen by giving you all the tools you need to get started. Take a look at how to create an online store below.

Step 1. Formalize Your Idea

The first step in forming any business is coming up with your idea. If you have a passion you want to share with others, whether it’s making apparel or designing clothes, formalizing your idea and determining where you want to take it is where you should start.

From there, you’ll then be able to create a business plan. A business plan outlines your company’s goals and objectives and serves as a roadmap for you to follow as you grow and scale your business. At Pietra, we can take your information and ideas and help create a business plan for you. There are a few critical components of an effective business plan, including:

  • Executive summary
  • Company description
  • Market analysis
  • Organization and management
  • Products and services description
  • Marketing and sales information
  • Funding request
  • Financial projections

At Pietra, we provide users with a wide array of business resources, including a library of tools, resources, and workshops. At Pietra, new business owners can take a free business class to ensure the success of their online store and access videos and tools to grow.

Step 2. Pick an eCommerce Solution

Once you’ve crafted your business plan for your online store, the next step is finding an eCommerce solution for you to start selling your products. eCommerce platforms can vary depending on their integration capabilities, extensions, and features. It’s essential to take time to research different platforms to determine what features and integrations you need to start your online store.

Pietra is the perfect place to start. We’re more than just an eCommerce storefront. With Pietra, you can create an online store from start to finish. You can work with freelance designers to create a logo, find suppliers to create products for your store, and access our fulfillment services that will manage your inventory for you.

Step 3. Create Brand Guidelines

In order for your online store to succeed, you need to create a brand identity that consumers will remember. Whether you already have an idea in mind or don’t know where to start, Pietra can help. With Pietra, you can work with highly-talented freelance designers to help create your logo, develop branding guidelines, take product photography, and help design your website.

When creating your brand guidelines, there are certain aspects to consider, such as:

  • Font size
  • Color scheme
  • Page layout
  • Photography/videography aesthetic

Staying consistent with your brand guidelines can help make your online store more distinguishable from your competitors.

Step 4. Add Products to your Store

The next step to creating an online store is adding products to your online shop. There are a few key components needed when adding products to your store, including:

  • Product descriptions: A product description is a brief description that summarizes what the product is, including materials, sizes, colors, and why a shopper needs the product.
  • Product images: The images of your products are what get them sold, which means you need product photography that fully encapsulates every angle of the product.
  • Category pages: Products should also be arranged in categories so shoppers can browse similar products. For example, an online jewelry store can add hoop earrings and stud earrings to the category “earrings.”

At Pietra, you can source products at steep discounts from more than 50 product categories, such as candles, lotions, and even shirts for your online clothing store.

Step 5. Set Up Fulfillment Services

After you’ve sourced your products for your online store, you need to find a way to get them to your customers’ doorsteps. This is where fulfillment services come into play. Running an online store can be challenging, especially when it comes to inventory management. By using an eCommerce platform, you’ll have access to fulfillment services that can store and track your inventory.

With Pietra Fulfillment Services, you’ll have access to affordable storage space and fulfillment rates. Not only will we be able to have a space for your inventory to be received and shipped, but you’ll have access to photography services, assembly, custom boxing, and more when you sign up.

Step 6. Market your Online Store

With your business plan in place and products picked out, it’s time to start marketing. To attract leads and visitors to your online store, there are different strategies you can use, such as:

  • Social media marketing
  • Influencer marketing
  • Search engine optimization
  • Paid advertising

These are some of the different marketing tactics you can use to attract a larger audience to your online store. Pietra provides the tools and resources to help you effectively market your products and convert leads into repetitive customers.

How Much Does it Cost to Create an Online Store?

You know how to create an online business, but how much does it cost to create an online store? Prices can vary from business to business, but Pietra makes it easy by offering several pricing packages to meet your budget.

Pietra pricing starts at $39 per month. However, depending on your business needs like sampling, inventory, and packaging, there are additional expenses that Peitra Creators can pay for to streamline their online business.

Create an Online Store With Pietra

Ready to bring that business idea floating around in your head to life? Start working with Pietra today. At Pietra, you can join the Creator Marketplace and create your own online store directly on our platform where thousands of monthly users around the globe shop for items they love. Our team can teach you how to create an online store and provide you with the tools and resources needed to succeed. Learn more about how Pietra works.