The e-commerce industry has unlimited potential. One of the best advantages is that you can sell online beyond the borders of a city, a country or even a continent without leaving your own armchair. Virtually anyone, from anywhere in the world can become our customer. But where do you start? What do you need to bear in mind so that the whole thing has arms and legs? Find out with practical knowledge!
Internet sales - what is worth knowing about trading online?
There is no doubt that online sales are growing all the time - more and more people are buying products while in the comfort of their own home and using a smartphone or laptop to do so. This is good news for those thinking about the e-commerce market. On the other hand, however, there is no shortage of shops that are failing at a rapid rate. Therefore, before investing money in an online business, it is worth researching the market and the competition, thinking about the shop idea, creating a business plan and a company strategy. This is crucial if we want to achieve success.
What is profitable to sell online? The answer to this question is not so simple. The reason is that you can sell almost anything on the internet, but it does not always pay off, for example for logistical reasons. Of course, the best situation is when there is sufficient demand for the goods in question and you are an expert in the relevant sector. In the case of selling items that we are not familiar with, we will need to broaden our skills, get to know the market better and think about working with a specialist. 
How to sell online - top tips?
Wondering how to successfully start selling online? If you are just taking your first steps in the e-commerce market, pay attention to aspects such as:
- responsive web shop - when setting up an e-shop, it is worth paying attention that it is also designed with mobile devices in mind. There is a good chance that some customers will want to browse the shop's range or place an order from a smartphone or tablet. If your website does not adapt to every mobile device, you may lose a potential customer;
- site structure - users must not have any problems navigating the online shop. The website should be as user-friendly and clear as possible. Make sure that issues such as payment or product delivery are provided "on a platter". If consumers have to search for the most important information for a long time, there is a high risk that they will abandon the purchase;
- ensuring security of purchase and a simple purchasing path;
- Marketing - do you know how to effectively promote your business to attract buyers? This is extremely important if you're looking to increase sales on your online shop. There are many options: social media advertising campaigns, SEO, Google Ads campaigns, influencer marketing or more traditional forms such as TV spots. The choice depends mainly on what you sell, your budget and your target audience;
- the ability to choose between different delivery and payment options - it is worth ensuring that shoppers can use a solution tailored to their needs and preferences. Some prefer to finalise the transaction with BLIK, while others prefer to pay on delivery;
- Customer contact - every e-commerce business knows how important reliable customer service is. Here, it is not only the efficiency of the transaction and express processing of the order that counts, but it is equally important to respond quickly to questions asked by the customer. Consumers appreciate prompt assistance;
- clear product descriptions - in addition to nice pictures or videos advertising the goods, it is crucial to provide the most important information about the product, especially if you are selling clothes or shoes. After all, the customer will not buy a cat in a bag without knowing whether the item fits him or her. The more information the consumer can take from the description, the less chance of returns or complaints.
Where to sell online?
If you already have a business idea and know what you want to sell, now you need to think about where you want to do it. There are many channels for selling online. You can use open-source or subscription platforms for this, or sell through Marketplaces. What makes all the possibilities different?
The easiest to use are Marketplaces, i.e. platforms such as Allegro, OLX, Facebook, Amazon or eBay. More often than not, these sites allow customers to browse products or services listed by different traders. Users appreciate these types of sites because they can buy literally everything from an ashtray to a car in one place. Payment is not made on the platform, but at the individual seller. Shipping of the goods is also on his side.
Open-source platforms are distinguished by their free licence, with only a hosting fee. In addition, they offer tremendous flexibility when it comes to modifying the shop, and owners have access to the source code, which enables them to build an online shop from scratch themselves.
With subscription-based platforms, on the other hand, otherwise known as SaaS (Software as a Service), service providers provide ready-made software and templates for a fixed fee (paid periodically). This off-the-shelf solution allows you to set up your online shop quickly and efficiently, with all the amenities. Very often, support is included in the price. The subscription platform is not recommended for large companies that require special customisation and dedicated solutions.
What is the best programme or system for online sales? There are no easy answers here. All options have their shadows and glare, so it is worth considering which option will be most profitable for our business.
Online sales - is it worth setting up your own online shop?
E-commerce in Poland and worldwide is going from strength to strength and there is no indication that this is about to change. Some people cannot imagine life without being able to order goods online. All this makes setting up your own online shop easier than ever. But is the game worth the candle? Yes, if only we approach it properly.
In e-commerce, there are no restrictions on shop opening hours, which means that an online shop never sleeps and can earn all the time. In addition, we don't have to limit ourselves to local activities: our articles or the service we offer can reach a wider audience at home and abroad - it is now possible to take payments in another currency without any problem and international shipments are easier.
The e-commerce industry stands out for its enormous advertising potential: we are able to promote a brand more effectively than with a stationary shop. Marketing activities increase the company's visibility and reach, as well as boosting online sales and building an engaged community around the brand. The possibility to work remotely is also worth mentioning. This is great for people who want to regulate their working hours. 
Online sales in social media
Wondering how to increase online sales? Use social media! Buying online has already become the norm, which is why social networks are also introducing new features dedicated to sellers, enabling them to reach potential customers and increase sales.
Popular services such as Instagram and Facebook allow you to enable the 'Shop' function in your business account or fanpage. This provides the option to tag products in photos/videos and testimonials. Users appreciate this solution because they can see a brand's products and prices within a single platform. Importantly, it is not possible to promote services in this feature, but only physical goods can be advertised.
In addition to this, social media offers insight into statistics. This allows us to see which content has generated the most excitement and which has passed unnoticed. It is also a great way to find out at what times of the day users are most active under our posts.
Regardless of what you sell, it is worth including social media in your marketing efforts. It is important to note that popular social media do not take a commission on the product sold.
What formalities do I need to comply with to legally sell online?
In order to sell legally online, you have to meet all standards and take care of the legal formalities. The first step is to set up a company, i.e. to register your own business. The formalities involved can be done at home, sitting in front of your computer. If online sales are not your main source of income, you may want to start as an unregistered business, in which case your income may not exceed 50% of the minimum wage.
Importantly, some areas of economic activity require rationing, i.e. obtaining the appropriate administrative authorisation. This applies to areas such as the sale of medicinal products, for example.
An e-shop has no right to exist without rules and regulations. It is worth spending some time and attention to ensure that they are well written. It is a good place to inform your customers about issues required by law. Avoid prohibited contractual clauses.
Care must also be taken with the privacy policy. It is the duty of every seller in an online shop to inform buyers about the issues related to the processing of their data. 
Taxes and online sales - what do you have to pay and when?
When planning to sell through an online shop, it is important to take into account the need to pay income tax and, in many cases, VAT. You can choose the form of taxation that is most favourable to you. There are 3 settlement models:
- tax scale;
- flat tax in an online shop;
- lump sum in the online shop.
The form of taxation is chosen at the time of setting up the business, but can be changed until the 20th of the month following the month in which the first income of the tax year was earned or until the end of the tax year.
If you operate an online shop as an unregistered business, you are not exempt from paying income tax - the tax scale model applies here. The final rate depends on your income from other sources.
Companies whose annual revenue does not exceed PLN 200,000 may be exempt from VAT. However, this does not apply to sellers who offer: cosmetics and perfumes, computers, electronic products and appliances, precious metal products, cigarettes, alcohol, non-electrical household appliances.
Online shop and fiscal cash register
In most cases of online sales, a fiscal cash register is required. The exception is when a person only conducts mail order sales. In the case of stationary sales, we may be exempt from having a fiscal cash register only if our turnover does not exceed PLN 20000 per year. However, this rule does not apply to e-shop owners who sell: perfumes and toilet waters, tobacco products and alcohol, photographic equipment, accessories for motor vehicles, fuel and gas.
Summary
A decent business plan and marketing plan, a growth mindset, keeping up with trends, using social media, understanding customer needs, reliable service, a positive brand image - these are all key to being successful in the e-commerce industry and enjoying profits
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