How to start an online shop? 5 tips for success

Running an online shop is a great opportunity to earn a lot of money, but it is also a considerable challenge that requires well-thought-out actions. Simply launching it is not enough. You need to ensure visibility, effective order processing and clever customer attraction. How can you stand out from the competition, improve logistics and make customers more likely to return? We've got some tips. 

How to start an online shop – first steps for beginners 

Your online shop is already up and running, but sales are not at a satisfactory level? Customers visit the website but do not place orders? This is a common problem in the early stages of business. Here are some tips on what you can do about it: 

• Prepare professional product photographs because customers pay attention to the aesthetics of the product. If the photos are of poor quality or do not reflect the actual appearance of the item, it has a discouraging effect. 

• Ensure accurate product descriptions that will dispel buyers' doubts. Customers want to know what material the product is made of, what its dimensions are, and what it is used for. 

• Improve navigation and category layout in your shop so that customers can quickly find what they are looking for. An overly complicated structure causes frustration. Intuitive menus, well-chosen filters and logical categories make it easier to navigate the shop. 

• Optimise the ordering process , because the faster the customer can make a purchase, the better. It is worth opting for a simple shopping basket, quick payments and a choice of different delivery methods, including Paczkomat® InPost. 

• Provide customers with efficient service and quick responses to their questions. Often, it is good contact with the salesperson that influences the final purchasing decision. 

There are many ways to quickly get an online shop up and running, but the most important thing is to be open to suggestions and customer needs. 

Online shop – how to avoid the most common mistakes 

Many companies ignore the importance of logistics in online sales. In addition to an efficient warehouse, it is also necessary to choose a delivery method, including Paczkomat®. The 2024 Gemius E-commerce in Poland report contains information on which parcel machines are most encouraging for online shopping. As many as 95% of respondents declare that the possibility of using InPost parcel lockers is a strong motivator. . 

Shop owners often try to attract customers by offering competitive prices for their products. This leads to minimal margins and, subsequently, financial problems. Instead, it is worth focusing on a unique value proposition, e.g. through a unique product, excellent customer service and the aforementioned fast and convenient delivery methods. 

How to promote an online shop and increase its visibility on the web 

The key issue is search engine optimisation (SEO) of the shop. This is based, among other things, on the selection of keywords and optimisation of product descriptions. This translates into a higher position in Google and, consequently, greater organic traffic. 

Paid advertising is an extremely effective way to promote your business, for example through Google Ads and Facebook Ads campaigns. Thanks to  remarketing  You can remind customers who visited your website but did not make a purchase. Working with influencers is also a good solution. 

Regular activity on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok creates a community around the brand and engages potential customers. Posts, stories, competitions, and interactions with users make the company more recognisable. 

How to launch an online shop with InPost Fulfillment and streamline order processing? 

Even the best marketing and a huge variety of products will not help if customers have to wait a long time for their deliveries or encounter problems with returns. That is why many retailers decide to outsource their logistics to InPost.  Fulfillment What are the benefits of this solution? 

First and foremost, it significantly streamlines the order fulfilment process. InPost Fulfillment offers comprehensive services. – from goods storage, through packaging, to dispatch. Thanks to the proximity of logistics centres and parcel sorting facilities sent before 8 p.m. can be dispatched on the same day . 

By using InPost Fulfillment, sellers do not need to maintain their own warehouses. There is also no need to hire staff to handle orders. This allows for a reduction in fixed costs and their conversion into variable costs, which is extremely beneficial from a financial perspective. 

In e-commerce, returns are inevitable, but managing them properly has a significant impact on customer satisfaction. InPost Fulfillment ensures that returns are accepted quickly and products are put back on sale. This allows for comprehensive loss reduction and improves the operational efficiency of the shop. 
 

An efficient online store is a combination of an attractive offer, effective promotion and well-organised logistics. If you want to focus on growing your business, it is worth investing in solutions that will relieve you of time-consuming processes. Find out how InPost Fulfillment can help you streamline your shipping and increase customer satisfaction!