How to Set Up an Online Store for Free (2024 Guide) – Forbes India Advisor

There are many different ways to create an online store. You can use Shopify, BigCommerce, or any number of other paid platforms. But what if you don’t want to spend money? In this guide, we’ll walk you through creating an online store for free and share tips on what you can do to scale your store once you start making money.

Step 1. Decide on a niche

A niche helps your audience understand what your store is about. It also makes it easier to target keywords and create content that will attract people. For example, if you sell clothes, your niche might be “women’s plus size workwear.” If someone asks friends and family for recommendations for women’s plus size workwear, you want them to recommend your online store as their primary source for your product.

Niche ideas include:

• DIY hydroponic equipment
• Book editing services
• Organic tea
• Fitness printables
• Sports memorabilia
• Custom-made furnishings
• Homeopathic medicines and supplements
• Holiday packages for people with special needs
• Tutoring services

You can often command a premium by having a specialized niche if you sell services. For example, a dentist who wants to hire a copywriter for his clinic’s blog can hire any copywriter, but will consider a copywriter for dental offices to be a specialist and will pay more.

Product-based businesses typically use the name of the store, while service-based businesses often use the name of the attendant. Regardless of your niche or type of product or service, your name must be easy to spell and memorable, and you must have an accessible domain name and social media handle.

Step 2. Choose a platform

Shopify and BigCommerce are two of the most popular e-commerce platforms. Both are great, but they also come at a price. If you want to set up an online store for free, your best bet is to use a platform like Weebly. It’s not as flexible and customizable as Shopify and BigCommerce, but it does offer a free plan forever.

The free version of Weebly doesn’t allow you to have a custom domain name, so your URL will look like forbes.weebly.com instead of forbes.com. Once you start making money with your online store, you can upgrade to a paid plan with Weebly or switch to another e-commerce platform for more versatility.

Step 3. Set up your store

In this tutorial, we use Weebly.com, a website builder that allows you to create a free online store. Getting started is easy and requires no coding knowledge. Plus, you can use Weebly to build a professional website for free if you upgrade to a paid plan later. Best of all, it’s backed by Square, the manufacturer of point-of-sale card readers.

• Go to Weebly.com and click the “Sign Up” button in the top right corner.
• Fill out the form with your personal data.
• On the next screen, select “Try Square Online.”
• Then indicate which type of seller best describes you – an individual or a company.
• Enter the name of your store (this is what will be displayed on customer bills).
• Choose your type of business.
• Select the type of product you are selling (e.g. physical items, services, memberships, etc.).
• Select how you want your orders fulfilled (e.g. shipping, pickup or delivery).
• Choose the type of store you want, a single page store or a full website with an online catalog.

Step 4. Customize your online store

Once you’ve entered all the details and made your selections, it’s time to customize your online presence. To do this, open the site editor. Then add your logo and choose a color scheme. Select a domain name (e.g. yourcompanyname.com). Customize your site’s header, footer and navigation. Add, remove and customize additional web pages (e.g. about us, contact). Finally, create a product catalog by adding items and shipping information.

• In the user panel, select the “Design now” option.
• Upload your logo and choose your main color, font and button style.
• Select a domain name.
• Customize your header, main banner, image gallery, location and opening hours, email newsletter and footer.
• Add items for sale.
• Set shipping rates.
• Set up sales tax for online orders.
• Click “Publish”.

Step 5. Promote your online store

Now that you have your online store set up, it’s time to start promoting it. This is where a niche comes in handy again. You can use your niche to target specific keywords and create content that will attract your target audience.

Here are some ideas for marketing your online store:

• Affiliate marketing: Get others to promote your store in exchange for a commission on each sale.
• Guest posts: Write guest posts for other sites in your niche and include a link to your store.
• Social media: Share photos of your products on Instagram, write product reviews on Facebook and tweet about special offers.
• Email Marketing: Send a weekly newsletter with helpful tips, exclusive offers and links to new products.
• Paid ads: Use Google Ads or Facebook Ads to reach people who are already interested in what you sell.
• Influencers: Collaborate with influential bloggers and vloggers in your niche to promote your store. Some influencers require payment for this purpose, while many micro-influencers are happy to accept free products.
• Rewards for customer loyalty: Offer discounts and rewards to customers who recommend your store to their friends or leave reviews.
• Presents: Host a contest or giveaway on social media or your blog to generate interest in your store.
• Promotional incentives: Offer discounts to customers who spend a certain amount of money or buy certain products.
• Podcasts: This method works best for service companies. Start a podcast discussing your service and featuring advertisements for your online store. You can also be a guest on a related podcast.

There are many different ways to promote your online store. The key is to find the best marketing strategies for you and your niche. Experiment with different marketing techniques and track the results to see what works best for your business.

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