There are many things you must consider when opening up an online store. Some of them are easy and some can be very difficult. Are you selling virtual items? Are you selling physical items? What bank account are you going to use? How will you handle taxes on items purchased? What about shipping? Who is notified about a purchase? Will you require a scheduling calendar? How do you respond to the customer? Are there different responses depending on the products? Do you have a product with options (color, size, etc.) Do you need product categories?
A good example of categories is a menu at a sit-down restaurant. They have an area for drinks, appetizers, kids, and even the man courses are broken down into Sandwiches, Steak, Chicken, Seafood, and more. What categories should your products be separated into?
Some of the obvious things are easy. Here is a shortlist of the items you will need to start.
- Item Name: What is this thing called?
- Short Description: of the item. Just a few words to give the customer an idea of what the item is.
- Long Description: All the details and benefits and options or any other items you feel they should know about.
- Item Photos: What is the prime photo you want to use. You should also have a few other shots of the item.
- Out the door time: What is your turnaround on the product? Download instantly or out the door in 24?
- Options: Do your products come with options such as color, size, or other options?
- Bank Account: Where are the funds going to go when a sale is made?
- Categories: If you have many products you may need to separate them into categories. What will they be?
We will post another blog on the Harder Topics soon.