Create a Profitable Online Store in 7 Easy Steps With SureCart

Ever dreamt of building a thriving eCommerce store? It’s easier than you think!

If you do it the right way, you can easily create an online store and take your rightful place in the multi trillion dollar eCommerce industry.

Global eCommerce retail sales are expected to hit $8 trillion by 2027.

There’s plenty of opportunity for you to take a slice of that!

If you want to create a successful online store, we’re here to help. We have built dozens of stores in our time and have vast experience in the field.

This 7 step eCommerce guide shows you how to:

Choose a profitable niche and the right product
Set up a professionally designed online store
Configure your eCommerce plugin
Promote your store for more sales

In this guide, we’ll use SureCart – the ultimate plugin for all your eCommerce needs.

Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or a curious beginner, this comprehensive guide empowers you to create an online store that stands out.

Choose The Right Business Model

Before you create your online store, it’s crucial to decide on a business model.

This decision will shape everything from your product selection to your marketing strategy.

What is a business model? It’s simply how you plan to make money with your online store.

Let’s break down some of the most common models:

Business-to-Consumer (B2C): Sell directly to customers. Think of an online clothing or grocery store.
Business-to-Business (B2B): Sell directly to other businesses. This could be anything from office supplies to software solutions.
Direct-to-Consumer (D2C): This model cuts out the middleman. Brands like Waryby and Apple sell their products directly to customers.
Selling on marketplaces: Platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy allow you to sell products to a wider audience. It’s an easy option but competition is fierce.
Dropshipping: Sell products without holding inventory. Another easy option. When a customer buys something, your supplier ships it directly to them.
Print-on-Demand (POD): Similar to dropshipping but focuses on printed products. When you receive an order you create and ship the product.
Subscription: Customers pay a recurring fee to receive products or services on a regular basis. It’s normal in industries like education or broadcasting.

Note:

It’s not mandatory to stick to a single business model. You can also combine them. For example, you could run a B2C store that also offers subscription services.

Create an Online Store in 7 Steps

Creating an online store starts with picking a profitable niche.

1- Choose a Niche and Target Audience

Picking the right products to sell online isn’t just about luck. It’s about understanding your customers and what they want.

Let’s break it down.

What Is a Niche?

A niche is a specific group of people with similar interests or needs. Instead of trying to sell everything to everyone, focus on a particular group.

For example, instead of selling all types of clothing, concentrate on something more specific, like sustainable fashion for women.

This allows you to cater to a specific audience who are passionate about eco-friendly products, making your marketing efforts more effective.

When you select the right niche, it gives you certain advantages, such as:

Less competition: When you focus on a specific group of customers, you’ll face less competition and can become a top choice in that area.
Deeper customer understanding: Knowing your customers well helps you create products they love. This makes them more likely to buy from you.
Higher sales: Customers are happier when you sell things they actually want. This should hopefully mean more sales.

Here’s how to find your niche:

Passion and knowledge: Start with something you love and know well. Your excitement will show in your products and marketing.
Market research: Use tools like Google Trends to find popular products. Look for things people are buying a lot of. For example, if you notice a rise in searches for “plant-based protein,” you might consider focusing on plant-based food products.
Competitor analysis: See what other businesses are doing well. Learn from their success and find ways to be different.

Knowing Your Target Audience is Equally Important

Knowing who you’re selling to is super important. Are you trying to reach busy moms, tech-savvy teens, or fitness fans?

Understanding your customers helps you map their user journey, in order to sell them the right things.

To figure out your ideal customer, imagine who they are. What do they like? What problems do they have?

For example, if you sell eco-friendly clothes, your customers might be young people who care about the planet.

Social media can also help. Look at what people are talking about on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

This can give you ideas about who to sell to.

Tools To Find Your Niche and Target Audience

There are some helpful tools (free and premium) to learn more about your customers and what they want.

Here are a few:

Google Trends: This tool shows you what people are searching for online. You can see what’s popular right now.
Social media insights: Check the numbers on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. You can learn about the people who follow you.
Market research tools: Websites like Statista, Nielsen, SimilarWeb, and SEMrush have lots of information about what people buy and why.

Profitability and Searchability

Once you know who you’re selling to, think about how to make money and get found online.

Make money: Sell things that cost you less to make than you sell them for. For example, handmade jewelry usually makes more money per item than plain t-shirts.
Get found: Sell things people are actually searching for online. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find popular items. For instance, instead of just selling “workout clothes,” try “plus-size yoga pants.”
Love what you sell: Selling things you’re passionate about makes running a business more fun and you’ll work harder to succeed.

Note:

Finding the right customers takes time, but it’s worth it. Knowing who you’re selling to is the secret to a successful online store. Spend time learning about your customers and build a strong relationship with them.

2- Your Product, Your Profit: Choose Wisely

Choosing the right products isn’t just about filling up your online store. You need to find items that people actually want to buy.

Just like finding the perfect customers, picking the right products takes some work.

How To Find Profitable Products

Picking the right products to sell is one of the most important decisions you’ll make.

Here are some tips:

Match your products to your customers: Sell things that your customers will like. For example, if you sell clothes for people who care about the environment, sell t-shirts made from recycled materials.
Make a profit: Choose products that you can sell for more than they cost to make. This way, you can make money.
See what’s popular: Use tools like Google Trends to find out what people are searching for online. For example, if lots of people are looking for “keto-friendly snacks,” you could sell those.
Look at your competitors: See what other stores are selling. This can help you find popular items or things that are missing.
Keep shipping costs low: Choose products that are easy and cheap to ship. This will help you make more money.
Try different things: Don’t be afraid to try new products. See what your customers like best.
Sell what you love: If you’re passionate about a product, it’ll show in how you talk about it. This can help you sell more.

Places To Find Great Products

There are websites that can help you find hot products to sell:

AliExpress and Alibaba: These are good for finding cheap products to buy in large quantities.
Etsy: This is a great place to find unique, handmade items.
Oberlo and Sprocket: These websites help you sell products without having to store them yourself (dropshipping).
eBay: You can see what’s popular on eBay to get ideas.
Kickstarter: Check out new products that people are excited about.

Note:

The key to a successful online store is finding the right products. You want to sell things that people love and that make you money. For example, if you sell trendy phone cases that cost you $5 to make but sell for $20, you’ll make a good profit.

3- From Dream To Store: Building Your Brand

You’ve found your niche, your customers, and the perfect products. Now, it’s time to make your online store official!

3.1 Pick a Standout Name

Think of your business name as your store’s nickname. It should be catchy, easy to remember, and give people a hint about what you sell.

Here’s how to choose a winner:

Short and sweet: Aim for something easy to say and spell, like “Pawsome Pet Treats” or “Techie Tees.”
Relevant to your niche: Does your name hint at what you sell? “Eco Threads” for sustainable clothes or “Fitness Fanatics” for workout gear are good examples.
Check availability: Make sure the website address (domain name) you want is available. Tools like GoDaddy or Namecheap can help you check.

Pro Tip:

Share your name ideas with friends and family and see which ones stick!

3.2 Make It Official: Register Your Business

Registering your business makes it legit and lets you open a business bank account and get a license (if needed).

Here’s how:

Choose a business structure: This depends on how you run your store. Common options are “Sole Proprietorship” (you’re the sole owner), “LLC” (offers some liability protection), or “C-Corporation” (more complex structure). Talking to an accountant or lawyer can help you choose.
Register with authorities: Every region has its own process. Check your local government website or contact your local authorities for details.
Get an EIN (US): Think of this as your business’s Social Security number. You’ll need it for many things, like opening a bank account and filing taxes. You can get one for free on the IRS website.

Every region will have different rules so check those where you’re planning to operate.

3.3 Design Your Logo

Your logo is like your store’s picture. It should be cool, unique, and match the overall vibe of your brand.

Here are some ways to create one:

Do-It-yourself: Websites like Canva offer user-friendly design tools to help you create a logo.
Hire a pro: If designing isn’t your thing, platforms like Fiverr or 99Designs can connect you with freelance graphic designers.

4- Choose the Right Store Platform

You’ve got your products and you’re ready to start selling. Now you need to create your online store.

There are lots of different platforms to choose from, each with its own pros and cons.

Here are some popular choices:

WordPress: This is like building a house from scratch. You have total control, but it takes some work. WordPress is free and very widely used.
Shopify: This is like renting a pre-built store. It’s easy to set up, but you have fewer options for customization. It may not be cost effective down the road.

Other popular options include Square, BigCommerce, and Squarespace.

When picking a platform, think about these things:

How much will your business grow? Choose a platform that can handle more customers as your business gets bigger.
How much control do you want? Some platforms let you change everything about your store, while others have more limits.
How much will it cost? Compare the price of different platforms, including monthly and transaction fees.
What features do you need? Make sure the platform has tools to help you manage products, take payments, and market your store.
How tech-savvy are you? Some platforms are easier to use than others.
Who owns your data? Make sure you can access your sales and customer information.

We’ll be using WordPress in this guide, but you can choose the platform that works best for you.

5- Create Your Online Store

Now, let’s get your online store up and running!

We’ll break it down into easy steps so you can do it yourself.

5.1- Register Your Domain Name

Every website needs an address on the internet, just like we use wpastra.com, yours could be “anythingyouwant.com”. The address is called a domain name.

Remember we talked about choosing a domain name earlier? Ideally, your business name and domain name should be the same.

But sometimes there might be a reason to choose something different.

For example, maybe your business name is long or hard to spell. In that case, you can pick a shorter, catchier domain name that reflects your niche.

You can register your domain name through a domain registrar, a company specializing in this.

Another option is to claim it when you purchase web hosting (explained next). This can be more convenient.

Here are a few popular domain registrars if you want to register your domain independently:

Pro Tip:

When choosing a domain name, make sure it’s easy to type and spell!

5.2- Hosting

Next, you need a web host. This is a company that provides server space to store your website data.

When you search for a web host, you’ll find many companies with cheap prices. Be careful, though, because your choice can impact your business.

A reliable web host ensures your website is always available, secure, and fast. While other factors affect website speed, your web host plays a major role.

Here are some highly-rated web hosts known for their performance and support:

Pro Tip: Many web hosts offer free domain registration for the first year when you sign up for hosting. This can save you $10 – $20.

5.3- Install WordPress

Next, you need to install WordPress as it’s the foundation for everything that comes after.

You can install WordPress in a number of different ways depending on your skill level, but the easiest way is to use one-click installation.

Almost every good web host offers to install WordPress in a few clicks.

For instance, if you use Hostinger, follow these steps inside the dashboard:

Find Auto Installer in the menu under Website.
Press the Select button inside the WordPress to start the installation.
Create login credentials when the setup wizard asks. Save them for later as you’ll need them to log in.

If you prefer to use another web host, the process will usually be similar.

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5.4- Set Up a Professionally Designed Store

After successfully installing WordPress, it’s time to transform your basic site into a pro-level online store.

An easy way is to use a multipurpose WordPress theme from the official WordPress repository.

For instance, one of the best WordPress themes for an online store is Astra.

You can choose any theme of your choice but Astra stands out with over 2.6 millions happy users.

This multipurpose theme is:

Performance optimized
Versatile and customizable
Lightweight and fast loading
Responsive
eCommerce friendly
Comes with hundreds of professionally designed Starter Templates

The good part is, you can start with the free version and use a template to launch your store. Then, when the need arises, simply upgrade to the premium version for the extra features.

To install Astra, head over to Appearance > Themes and search for Astra.

Install and activate the theme when the option appears. That’s it!

Customize the Astra Theme

Customizing Astra is a breeze. The theme comes with tons of options to change headers, footers, layout, colors, fonts and the overall look.

To do this, click the Dashboard under Astra menu on your left to use the Quick Settings area.

Alternatively, you can use the traditional way from Appearance > Customize to change the look however you want.

Astra lets you customize your website any way you imagine. This video is a masterclass:

Install a Starter Template

Astra comes with hundreds of useful Starter Templates. They are full websites that import in seconds and can be customized to fit your brand.

This is a quick way to transform an ordinary looking website into a professionally designed online store.

The process is similar to installing a theme. Go to Astra menu and click the Dashboard to access the Starter Templates tab.

You’ll see a popup prompting you to Install & Activate.

Press the button to install the plugin and connect with the template library.

You’ll see two options on the next screen: AI Website Builder and Classic Starter Templates.

AI Website Builder is a really powerful option and we’ll leave it for another day.

We’ll focus on Classic Starter Templates for now.

Press the Build with Templates button to open the template library.

Use different search options to find a template.

For instance, type “store” in the search field and you’ll see a list of Starter Templates for different types of online stores. It includes free as well as premium templates.

Here are a few free templates you can consider for your store:

Brand Store

Cosmetic Store

Skin Cleanser Store

If you want to look at the whole library, go to Starter Templates and browse the collection.

Install SureCart

When you click on a Starter Template, the setup wizard will first ask you to choose your eCommerce platform.

You’ll see two options: SureCart and WooCommerce. Let’s choose SureCart for this tutorial.

SureCart is a better option for creating an online store for several reasons, which we’ll discuss in detail later.

Choose SureCart and press the Continue button.

Next, customize the fonts, colors, and logo.

You can also add advanced features like Donations, Live Chat, or Video Player.

This step is optional and can be skipped.

The import process takes just a few seconds to complete. Voila, your online store is ready!

Note:

If you prefer the traditional method, you can install SureCart from the Plugins menu or directly from the Astra dashboard.

6- Setting Up SureCart – The Essentials

Before adding products, SureCart requires some initial setup.

This includes naming your store, choosing payment methods, and customizing your shopping cart.

Let’s do it step by step!

6.1- Connect Your Store With the SureCart Server

Let’s start by connecting your store with the SureCart server.

SureCart is a headless eCommerce solution. Your store’s backend operations run on a secure SureCart server, while you manage everything from your WordPress dashboard.

This setup improves website speed and performance and is the future of eCommerce

To connect, go to your WordPress admin area, find the SureCart menu, and click the Complete Setup button.

Provide store information like currency, language, name, and time zone.

You can change these later in SureCart Settings.

Click Next Step to finish and then press Back to WordPress button to see the Setup Complete message.

6.2- Enable Payment Processors

Your online store is complete once you activate payment methods.

SureCart includes popular options like Stripe, PayPal, Mollie, and Paystack, catering to a global customer base.

To enable a payment processor, go to SureCart > Settings > Payment Processors. Click your desired processor to access its setup page.

For example, to use Stripe, click on it and sign up for a Stripe account (or log in if you already have one).

The process is similar for other payment processors.

This page also shows you which payment processors are currently active or inactive.

Use Stripe Test Mode Before Going Live

For beginners, we recommend testing your store with Stripe’s test mode before going live.

On the previous screen, choose the Test Mode option instead of Live Mode.

Skip the optional form on the next page to enable Stripe test mode.

This will load a page confirming the status of your Stripe account.

Verify test mode by clicking Payment Processors at the top.

Ignore the notification about missing live mode processors; it’s not relevant for testing.

Alternatively, check test mode status from the Payment Processors page in your WordPress admin.

Note:

During testing, you might need to enable test mode within the SureCart dashboard. Remember to disable both SureCart’s and Stripe’s test modes once you’ve finished testing.

6.3- Add Your First Product

When you install SureCart, you’ll find sample products to experiment with.

Access them by going to SureCart > Products.

Explore each product in edit mode to see how SureCart handles different product types without additional plugins.

To add your first product, click the Add New button on the product page. Give your product a name and click Create.

This opens the product form, where you can add detailed information. Here’re some of the items you can engage with.

SureCart Product Detail Page

– Product description
– Images
– Pricing
– Inventory
– Variants
– Integrations
– Downloads
– Licensing

– Shipping
– Product category: Physical or digital
– Collections
– Sales restrictions
– Affiliate commissions
– And more

We mentioned earlier that SureCart offers multiple ways to add products.

For instance, you can set complex pricing structures for a single product, like one-time payment, installments, subscriptions, or even a pay what you want option.

SureCart also provides flexibility in shipping options. You can set varying shipping rates for different regions.

We’ve added basic information for our red shoes as an example. See how the product page looks.

If you want to explore SureCart’s full capabilities, read this in-depth review.

6.4- More Amazing Features

SureCart is a premium eCommerce plugin packed with powerful features. Best of all, many are available in the free version.

Here are some key features:

Design and branding: Customize checkout pages, add logos, and enable/disable slide-out carts.
Customizable templates: Choose from pre-designed checkout templates or create your own.
Abandoned cart recovery: Send automated reminders and discount offers.
Customizable notifications: Send tailored notifications for purchases, refunds, and more.
Subscription management: Handle upgrades, downgrades, cancellations, and failed payments.
Affiliate program: Create and manage your own affiliate program.
Comprehensive tax management: Cover almost all tax regions.
Flexible shipping management: Offer various shipping options and rates.
Data ownership: Export and save customer, order, and purchase data.
Integrations: Easily integrate SureCart with other tools, including learning management systems.
Coupons: Manage discounts and coupons.

All these features and more are included in SureCart to help you build a successful online store.

If you want to see how SureCart makes building your online store a breeze, watch this video:

7- Promote Your Store

Once you’ve added products, it’s time to tell the world about your store.

There are a number of ways you can get the attention of potential customers.

7.1- Social Media Has the Audience

Social media can really boost your store’s popularity.

Share awesome photos and videos of products, and give people a behind-the-scenes look at your business.

Running contests or giveaways with cool prizes, like discounts or free stuff, is a great way to get people excited.

You can also use paid ads on Facebook and Instagram to reach more people.

7.2- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO helps people find your store. Use tools we mentioned earlier such as the Google Keyword Planner to find popular search terms related to your products.

Include these words naturally in product descriptions and blog posts.

For example, if you sell shoes, describe the material, comfort, and style.

Building links to your website from other reputable sites, like by guest blogging, also helps improve your search rankings.

Want to do an SEO course to skyrocket your ranking? Here it is.

7.3- Email Marketing

Email marketing is a great way to connect with your customers.

Offer special deals or exclusive stuff to get people to sign up for your emails.

Send personalized messages based on what people like, like suggesting products they might love.

You can also set up automatic emails to welcome new customers or remind people about items they left in their shopping cart.

7.4 Influencer Partnerships

Partnering with influencers can be a game-changer.

Find people who love the same things as your customers and who have a lot of followers.

Give them free products to try, like a new pair of your shoes or a cool piece of clothing.

If they like it, they’ll often share it with their followers, which can lead to a big boost in sales.

For example, if you sell sunglasses, you could team up with a fashion influencer to get the word out about your new line.

7.5- Paid Advertising

Paid advertising can supercharge growth by getting your products in front of more people.

Google Ads lets you create targeted campaigns based on what people search for online. So, if someone searches for “red sneakers,” your ad might pop up.

Facebook and Instagram ads let you show your products to specific people based on their interests or where they live.

And you can try other places to advertise, like Bing or Amazon, to reach even more potential customers.

7.6- Content Marketing

Creating awesome content can really help people find your online store.

Short on time? Hire a writer or use an AI writing assistant to create content quickly.

Start a blog and write helpful articles about your products or industry.

For example, if you sell coffee, you could write about the best beans to use or how to make the perfect latte.

You can also write articles for other websites to get your name out there. Don’t forget about pictures and videos!

People love to see what you’re talking about, so use images, short videos, or infographics to make your content pop.

Note:

It’s important to keep trying new things. Always check how your store is doing and make changes based on what works and what doesn’t. Try different things to see what brings in more customers.