The eCommerce world is booming and 2025 promises to be an incredible year full of opportunities for the people who are thinking of taking their business online. Starting an eCommerce business offers unmatched potential for growth and flexibility.
Both global and US eCommerce sales are due to increase by an average of 11.2% year-on-year until 2027. As customers continue to switch to online stores to make purchases, more entrepreneurs begin to question how to start an eCommerce business.
This complete guide created by one of the experts of an eCommerce development company highlights 10 important steps that can help you start an eCommerce business.
10 Steps to Start an eCommerce Business from Scratch
With an approximate of 288.45 million eCommerce users in the US alone in 2025, this bubbling eCommerce industry offers a lot of opportunities for brands to grow.
However, with an average shopping cart abandonment rate of 70.19%, not all the businesses are guaranteed optimal results and conversions.
Nonetheless, with a well-defined strategy and the right steps, brands can expect a significant return on investment.
1. Right Niche is What You Want at Most
Your niche is the foundation of your eCommerce success. A focused market means less competition, more loyal customers, and faster growth.
Instead of going broad, solve a specific need—like selling shoe horns for toddlers instead of generic sneakers. This makes your business more memorable.
Palmpress nailed this by offering just one product: a compact coffee press. Their niche focus sets them apart.
To find your niche:
- Spot trends and gaps using tools like Google Trends and online reviews.
- Match your niche in to your interests or your knowledge.
- Check profitability via reports on Statista, Globe Newswire, and top brand performance.
A smart niche is the combination of passion, demand, and potential. Start here—it’s your launchpad.
2. Conducting Market Research is a Necessity
No matter your niche, you’re entering an existing market. To stand out, you need to understand it – its gaps, customer pain points, and opportunities.
Smart research helps you avoid costly mistakes and shape a winning strategy from day one.
LEGO did this brilliantly. Research revealed girls made up 50% of the toy market but less than 10% of LEGO’s customers. Their response? Launching the Friends line for girls, which doubled sales expectations despite early backlash.
Here’s how to do effective market research:
- Spot trends: Use Google, social media, and forums to explore rising products and unmet needs. Run surveys or focus groups for direct insights.
- Study behavior: Use tools like Similarweb to see how users interact with competitors. Read product reviews to spot recurring pain points.
- Analyze competitors: Search key industry terms, identify top players, and run a SWOT analysis to pinpoint your edge.
Knowing your market gives you the clarity to build something people actually want. It’s your compass.
3. A Solid Business Plan Can Help You Sail Through
About 20% of new businesses fail within two years—nearly 45% within five. A solid business plan helps you beat those odds by clarifying your goals, anticipating risks, and managing finances effectively.
Think of it as your strategic roadmap. It keeps you focused and can attract investors. While templates help, your plan should include:
- Executive Summary: Mission, goals, and value proposition.
- Company Overview: Business structure, team, and services.
- Products/Services: What you sell, with USPs and benefits.
- Market Analysis: Target audience, trends, and competitors.
- Marketing Plan: Pricing, promotion, and distribution strategy.
- Operations Plan: Supply chain, production, and tech stack.
- Financial Plan: Budget, projections, and key financials.
With a well-structured plan, you’ll launch smarter, stay on track, and be better positioned to grow.
4. Choose the Right eCommerce Business Model
Your business model defines how you sell, source, and deliver products. Whether you create your own goods or partner with third-party suppliers, choosing the right model is critical.
Common eCommerce models:
- B2C: Sell directly to consumers.
- B2B: Sell to other businesses.
- C2C: Peer-to-peer sales (e.g., via marketplaces).
- C2B: Individuals selling to businesses (e.g., freelancers).
- D2C: Sell straight to consumers, no middlemen.
- Dropshipping: Suppliers manage inventory and shipping.
- Wholesaling: Sell bulk items to retailers.
- White Label: Rebrand existing generic products.
- Private Label: Sell products made specifically for your brand.
- Subscription: Charge recurring fees for regular deliveries.
To choose the right model:
- Analyze competitors in your niche.
- Understand customer preferences (speed, convenience, personalization).
- Test and improve your business model for long-term success.
Choosing the right model sets the foundation for how you’ll operate and scale.
5: A Reliable eCommerce Platform Can Make Your Task Easy
Your chosen eCommerce platform is the main element of your eStore. It impacts how customers shop and how you manage your business.
Top platforms to consider:
- Shopify: Beginner-friendly, customizable, and powers over 4.9M stores.
- WooCommerce: A WordPress plugin ideal for SEO and flexibility; used by 6M+ sites.
- Magento (Adobe Commerce): Feature-rich for large, complex businesses; higher cost and learning curve.
- Wix & Squarespace: These are the simple, template-based platforms suitable for small businesses.
Key factors when choosing:
- Ease of use: Simple backend for you and smooth UX for customers.
- Features: Inventory, shipping, marketing, and integrations.
- SEO: Built-in tools to help you rank and attract traffic.
- Security: Strong protection and reliable plugins.
- Support: Accessible help, guides, or expert resources.
Choose a platform that matches your technical skills, business size, and future growth goals.
6. Build a Compelling Online Store
Your eCommerce website has just 50 milliseconds to impress visitors, so first impressions matter.
When creating your online store, you have three main options:
- Use a website builder: Platforms like Squarespace offer easy drag-and-drop tools and quick setup. However, this can limit custom design options and slow down your site speed.
- Build in-house: If you have an internal team with design and development skills, you can create a fully custom eCommerce site. This route offers full control but isn’t feasible for most small businesses or startups.
- Hire a professional agency: Partnering with a web design agency ensures a high-quality, optimized e-store while letting you focus on other aspects of launching your business.
Choose the method that best fits your budget, timeline, and technical resources to build an e-store that stands out and converts.
7. Set Up Payment Gateways & Shipping Solutions
A smooth checkout and delivery experience is crucial for your eCommerce success. That’s why you need to set up both payment gateways and shipping logistics effectively.
Choosing a Payment Gateway
A secure and reliable online payment solution builds trust and improves conversion. When selecting a gateway, consider:
- Security: Who handles the payment data—your business or the gateway provider?
- Usability: Always test the checkout process for smooth usability and read user reviews for improvements.
- Fees: Look into transaction and membership costs.
- Localization: Make sure that your platform supports multi-currency and multi-language for the global markets.
- Platform integration: Confirm that your payment gateway is compatible with your eCommerce platform (e.g., Shopify, WooCommerce).
Popular options for payment gateways: tripe, PayPal, Square, and Authorize.Net.
Setting Up Shipping Solutions
Define your shipping strategy by considering:
- Shipping rates and methods
- Product weight and dimensions
- Packaging type and branding
Reliable order fulfillment ensures timely delivery and enhances customer satisfaction.
8. Optimize Your eCommerce Site for SEO
Nearly 69% of all organic clicks go to the top three Google results—so SEO is non-negotiable if you want to drive traffic and sales.
Key SEO strategies for eCommerce:
1. Keyword Research
Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to find high-volume, relevant keywords. Apply them to:
- Product pages
- Meta titles/descriptions
- URLs & image alt text
2. Link Building
Get backlinks from credible sites in your niche to increase authority and rankings.
3. Content Optimization
Publish helpful and informational content like blogs, FAQs, and product guides to attract and engage your audience.
4. Core Web Vitals
Improve:
- Speed
- Interactivity
- Visual stability
Use GTmetrix or PageSpeed Insights to test performance.
5. Site Structure
Keep navigation clean with clear categories and strong internal linking. Better UX = better SEO.
9. Develop a Marketing Plan
A solid eCommerce marketing strategy is key to attracting visitors, building brand awareness, and increasing customer retention.
Whether you’re running digital campaigns (like paid ads or social media marketing) or using offline promotions (like promotional merchandise or billboards), brand consistency across all channels is crucial. In fact:
- Continuous or consistent marketing efforts the can increase revenue by up to the 33%
- 60% of the brands worldwide say that an efficient marketing plan is important for lead generation
To build a high-impact, results-driven eCommerce marketing plan:
1. Understand Your Target Audience
Use market segmentation, surveys, and tools like Google Analytics to learn your customers’ demographics, preferences, and buying behavior.
2. Choose the Right Marketing Channels
Market your brand on the social media platforms where you find your audience most active:
- Social media marketing for making your brand online-visible and improving engagement
- Email marketing for personalized offers and retention
- Paid ads (Google Ads, Meta Ads) for targeted sales campaigns
3. Maintain Brand Consistency
Create clear brand guidelines that cover:
- Logo usage
- Color palette
- Typography
- Tone of voice
This ensures a consistent, recognizable presence across your website, ads, emails, and packaging.
10. Focus on Offering Unmatched Customer Service
Offering unmatched customer service is not just a bonus, it gives you a competitive advantage. In fact, customers are 3.5x more likely to buy again after a positive experience.
Exceptional support helps build trust, drive repeat purchases, and fuel long-term growth.
Below are the ways you can implement to offer unmatched customer service in your eCommerce business:
1. Offer Multi Channel Support
Ensure customers can reach you on their preferred platforms—email, phone, live chat, and social media. Fast, accessible support improves satisfaction and brand loyalty.
2. Personalize the Experience
With the help of CRM systems and data analytics tools you can personalize support and marketing. Provide tailored FAQs, targeted offers, and quick access to relevant help resources.
3. Implement Self-Service Options
Empower customers to find solutions on their own by adding chatbots, help centers, and searchable knowledge bases. This reduces support load and improves efficiency.
Start Building Your eCommerce Store Today
The best time to launch your online store was yesterday, the second-best time is now. Get in touch with a company offering web development services today.
Whether you’re a maker of handmade goods, a digital creator, a reseller, or a brand building your own products, today’s eCommerce tools make it easier than ever to get started.
Your journey won’t be perfect, but it will progress. You’ll learn, adapt, and grow as you connect with customers and refine your offering. The key is to start.
