Blogmarketingtool.com – In this tutorial, you will learn how to build an online store from scratch, where you can display and sell products in the form of goods. Create an online store for some people is a difficult thing to do, but if you use the tool and the right way as in this tutorial, you can make it easily. How to build an online store from scratch?
Things You need to create an Online Store:
To create an online store or any other type of website, you only need two things.
- Domain – i.e. a website address to your online store on the internet, such as yourstorename.com
- Hosting – a place where your online store website files are stored.
There are many types of hosting services that you can use.
How to build an online store from scratch
Steps to Create an Online Store
Step 1: Determine the Website Platform
There are many website platforms that can be used to create an online store. Some examples of popular website platforms are Shopify, WooCommerce, WordPress, and Magento.
Each online store platform has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it must be ensured to choose a platform that suits your business needs.
Step 2: Order Hosting and Domain.
Order hosting and domain for your online store.
Note: If you have chosen a domain when registers, it is necessary to remember that your domain will not be accessible on the internet directly. This process is called with the pointing and takes 5 minutes to a maximum of 24 hours. Email and your website will not function properly until your domain pointing.
Step 3: Installing a Website
Do WordPress installation with plugins and themes.
Install WordPress.
So that your website can be accessed through the internet, you must perform the installation of WordPress. Here are the steps.
- Please login to Your cPanel hosting, using the username and password that was sent to your email after You make payment and your hosting active. For cPanel login URL in the form yourdomainname.com/cpanel. After a successful login to cPanel please click WordPress menu as shown below.
- Next, please click the Install Now button
- In the Software Setup section, please select your domain name in the Choose Domains field, for the In Directory field to be emptied.
- Don’t forget to fill out your online store’s name along with a description.
- Please specify the username and password that you will use to login to the WordPress dashboard.
- Last please click the Install button.
- If the installation process is successful, will perform detail regarding your website URL with the URL to login to the WordPress dashboard.
You can also learn about How To Install WordPress Manually Using File Manager?
Install the WooCommerce plugin
Next, so that your website has comprehensive features for online store website, please do the installation of the WooCommerce plugin.
- Please click the Plugins menu > Add New
- In the search field, please type WooCommerce.
- Enable the WooCommerce plugin by pressing the Activate button
Replace WordPress Theme
After the installation of WooCommerce is already done, to make the online store is to install special online store theme.
- To replace the WordPress theme, please access your WordPress admin page. The login URL used to be http://yourdomainname.com/wp-admin/
- Then select Appearance > Themes > Add New
- In the search field, please type the name of the template that you want to use, in this tutorial we are using Storefront. Then click install on the selected theme. (You can also use premium WordPress theme like Avada: All-in-One Theme)
- Activate the theme with click the Activate button.
Step 4: perform the Website settings
Although earlier when doing your WordPress installation already specify the name and description of your website, sometimes for the store name and description are not yet perfect.
To change it, please choose “Settings” menu > General, in the Site Title section please enter your online store name, and in the Tagline section, please enter a short decryption about your online store, then click the Save Settings button.
Step 5: Setting the Online store
Perform WooCommerce Settings
- Please click Run the Setup Wizard button to make settings on your online store.
- Please fill in the full address details of your store, currencies, and the type of product you are selling, then click Let’s go!.
- Determine the type of payment you can receive, if only the Bank transfer method, please directly click the Continue button.
- If you want to specify the same postage rates for all regions, please enter the shipping cost in the Shipping Method. Then press the Continue button.
- In this step the process of setting up WooCommerce is complete. Please click the Return to Your Dashboard link.
Add Product
Once you have successfully set up the WooCommerce plugin, to make the online store able to display the products that you sell, please add the product according to the steps below.
- Please select Products > Add New.
- Enter a title and description about the products you are sell
- On the right or below, there is a menu of Product Categories, please click the link + Add New Category and add a name for Your product category. This will come in handy when the buyer looking for your product by category.
- Add the price in the Product data section under the editor.
- Click the Inventory menu, in the SKU column, please add the item code that will make it easier for you or the buyer to find it. If you want to display the stock quantity, please check the Enable stock management at product level, then fill the stock quantity in Stock quantity.
- In the Shipping section you can add product weight and size.
- Enter a short description of your product in the Product short description, this will appear on pages containing some of your product list.
- Lastly, one of the most important parts, please enter your product image. For the main image, click the Set product image link and for the gallery product you can add it via the Add product gallery images link.
- If you have finished adding products, please click Publish
Add Image Categories
So that every product category you show has pictures, you need to add the picture as following steps.
- Please select Products > Categories
- Click Edit on one of the product categories.
- Upload images according to your category through the Upload / Add image button then click Update to save the changes. Please do that step to other product categories.
Do The Main Page settings
The main page is the first seen by visitors when your domain is accessed. Therefore, you have to create the online store more attractive by making settings on the page. Please follow the steps below.
- Please select Pages menu > Add New
- Fill in the title of the page, in the Page Attributes section, please select Homepage, then press the Publish button
- Select Settings menu> Reading, in the Front page displays, please select A static Page, then select the page you have created. To save your changes, please press the Save Changes button.
Step 6: develop your Online store
In this step You’ve made online store to be able to display products. Next, you need to add some important parts in an online store website, such as adding a contact page or how to order page.
In order for your product to easily enter the search engine index list, please verify the website to Google Webmaster and Bing Webmaster.
Step 7: Promote
After the online store website is completed, the next step is to promote so that your online store is known by many people.
Promote with social media, SEO, and also use paid advertising platforms (google ads, Facebook ads, Tiktok ads) to increase the possibility of your store being seen by many people.
Thank you very much for reading How to build an online store from scratch, hopefully useful.
