What You Should Have Before You Start An Online Store

April 4, 2008 - PRLog -- So you are planning to start an on line store. In this case, it would be safe to assume that you know all that is required for starting an online store and that there are absolutely no loopholes in your plans. However, most of us tend to forget the basics at times while concentrating on the bigger picture. Make sure that you have the below mentioned things ready and prepared before striking out to start an online store of your own.

A Good Product: before you start an online store of your own, you should know exactly what you plan to sell. Saying that you plan to sell jewelry is not good enough. You should know what kind of jewelry—real or costume, with what particular USP, catering to which customer and within which price range. At the same time you should have a steady and reliable source for your products. In fact it is better to have more than one source so that you always have a backup.

A Properly Detailed Business Plan: A good business plan is important for every good business. So make sure that you create a plan that is detailed and well thought of. Your business plan should tell you everything ranging from what to sell and where to get it from to how much inventory you will carry, what will be your costs and how and where your profits will be coming from. A business plan that details all your initial as well as monthly expenditure should help put things in perspective.

Technological Help: Unless you are really a whiz at coding and software, it is advised that you hire a good web designing firm that is able to create a professional and good looking website for you. This is one place where you should not be thinking of saving money by going for something substandard. You will also need to be fully equipped with a convenient and user friendly e-commerce software for your web store. If you are hiring professionals for designing your store, they should also be able to equip your online business with the right kind of software.

A Reliable Web Hosting Service: You web server is like the virtual mall where your store is situated. If the mall is not open and accessible, then how will customers ever come to your store? Therefore, it is extremely important that you chose your web hosting company with a lot of care. Do your homework well before signing up with any company, because it is extremely painful to shift from one host to another once your business is up and running. Think of your server and online store partnership as being life-long, and you will instinctively make the right decision.

A Merchant Banking Account: This is the most important thing that you should have when you start an online store. You’ll need to have a merchant account with your bank so that payments to your website could be made through credit cards. Like everything else, opening a merchant account also involves a lot of initial as well as monthly costs, so check your commitment about starting an online store before actually starting one.

Written by Robert Riles, owner of   http://www.skyfireproducts.com