Being a small business owner, it might seem expensive to start your online business but the truth is, having an online store already cuts your expenses down by a mile. It can be a hard task getting a starter pack together, so we have put together a list of the essential tools you will need for starting your online business.
Where To Start?
Some items are non-negotiables and should be the bare minimum to start your online store:
- A Good and Reliable Internet Connection: A fast, reliable internet connection will ensure that you are ready to serve clients online, accept orders and run your online store proactively.
- Smartphone: As we know, everything nowadays happens on our mobile phones. Having a smartphone will ensure that you are always connected and ready to assist customers whenever possible. You can also use your smartphone to take pictures of products, accept orders, process payments, or even to communicate with your customers.
- Computer Or Laptop: Although having a smartphone is great, it won’t be all you will need to get the job done. Having a computer or laptop allows you to manage your online shop anywhere and from a different perspective. This will also help you when setting up your website, sending out email campaigns, using Google’s business suite to monitor your success, and more!
Now that you have the basics, let’s dive into which tools are the most important and why they will benefit your business when you start your online shop.
Tools That Are Important When Starting An Online Store:
Many of the tools we have listed below, are cost-effective and allow you to get your store up and running in no time. Look through our ‘starter pack’ to get your shop online as quickly as possible.
Starting A Website:
Starting a website can seem extremely time-consuming, pricey, and daunting. That’s why it’s good to do your research and check out some of the best online store builders that South Africa has to offer.
Letha Shop is an eCommerce platform that gives you the ability to open your own online store in the form of a website and mobile app. You will get your own domain, a shop management module, and of course, full creative control! We are a proudly South African online store builder that will enable you to get your products online selling to anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Letha means ‘bring’ in Zulu which is what we want to do for our customers – bringing you customers to your unique online experience.
Signing up for a new store is easy and affordable. Our prices start at just R217 per month. Find the best suited option for you!
Payment Options:
Generally, when starting a new store online, you will need to be able to accept payments. This means that you will want to accept all the major credit cards like Visa and Mastercard. Letha already offers safe and secure online payments with either one of the following:
- Peach Payments (Visa and Mastercard)
- Ozow payments for EFT payments
There are of course other payment gateways that you can use but if you choose an eCommerce website builder, make sure that these tools are included and take the hassle out of you having to run around trying to find an integrated payment option.
Google Analytics:
It is essential to monitor the performance of your website to measure your success. A great tool to do that is Google Analytics. Keep track of metrics that matter to you like website visitors, conversions, bounce rates, and more. With Google Analytics, you will be able to dive into the behaviour of your customers and work to improve your performance as you go.
For example, if you are finding that one of your pages has a really high bounce rate, you can identify this with Google Analytics and work to reduce your bounce rates. It may even be that a link is broken or a product cannot be clicked on, on a page. You will have the wealth of knowledge at your fingertips!
Mailing Software:
A great and effective way to reach out to customers who are indecisive and haven’t yet made a purchase or even customers you want to re-purchase is through email marketing. Sending out newsletters, offers, or news about your business may keep customers interested in your products and shows them that you care.
A reliable mailing software to use is MailChimp. MailChimp is a great tool to grow your customer base, easily connect your shopping cart or other important products and pages as well as give you some great marketing metrics to see how your emails are performing.
Start Selling Your Products Online Today:
As you can see, there are many tools that are inexpensive that you can use to get your online store up and running. Using these tools will help you with the essentials you will need. If you are looking for a reliable online store builder, contact us at Letha Shop today. We are willing and ready to get you live and selling your products as quickly as possible!
