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How to Make Your Own Online Store

Yes, you can make your own online store. Here are some of the easiest ways to do it.

By Ossiana TepfenhartPublished 7 years ago 6 min read
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Having an online store has become something that many people want to do, but often feel like they don't have the skill or money to do it. However, it's 2017 and having a store of your own has never been easier, cheaper, or quicker to do — as long as it's online.

The problem for most people isn't even finding the right products to house; it's actually figuring out how to make your own online store work for you. Here are some of the fastest and easiest ways to make your own online store — and how it can help launch you into financial independence.

Cafepress, RedBubble, And Zazzle

One of the easiest, most low-cost ways to make your own online store is to start a tee shirt business that features designs you make on a major platform that's geared towards people who want custom shirts. The oldest of these is Cafepress, with Zazzle and RedBubble now becoming more popular options.

The way this works is pretty straightforward. You create designs on Photoshop or another illustration software kit, and upload the designs to the platform. Then, you get to choose which items you want to "stock" in your shop.

The obvious awesomeness of this is that you can make customized tee shirts and sell them on multiple stores' platforms. Additionally, it lets you unleash your inner tee shirt designer in a pinch.

When people buy a shirt, you make a small cut of the profit. They don't charge you for advance stock, and they also don't make you pay out-of-pocked costs for the shirt. So, if you're on a shoestring budget, this is a good option.

It's worth noting that each of the following ways to make your own online store has a core group that tends to buy from them more. Older people with more traditional ideas go for Cafepress. RedBubble tends to be for people who love more alternative styles, while Zazzle tends to work well for a mix of both.

Cost To Begin: $0

Perks: No startup cost, secure platform, easy to use, runs itself, easy to make multiple stores under the same name

Pitfalls: Limited creativity options, not enough flexibility to have a full store, high competition

Etsy

Etsy is awesome in the sense that it allows you to sell your own crafts, as well as your vintage clothing without having to deal with too much red tape or customers that are downright awful, like eBay's notoriously bad client base.

With Etsy, there's no cost to start a business, and you also don't have to worry about not being able to express your creativity or craftsmanship. However, you do have to foot the startup costs involving your company first, and you may also have to deal with shipping issues.

You can also advertise your own business and goods on Etsy using their "Featured" product listings for a fee. So, you can basically handle it all yourself. Multiple Etsy stores we've researched seem to do very well on this.

It's worth noting that Etsy has come under fire for its terms of service that currently exists for store owners. Even so, most people prefer Etsy to eBay and Amazon.

That being said, it's still one of the best ways to make your online store pay for your crafting habit. Moreover, many artists seem to swear by it as a way to score income and credit their stores as the only way they make ends meet. So, take that as you wish.

Cost: $0. Fees taken per sale.

Perks: Better client base, a lot better pricing, and a lot of creativity options to explore. You're not limited to clothing, either. Marketing is very DIY, but doable.

Pitfalls: You will need to foot the bill for the startup supplies to make the crafts. Terms of service might not be what you want to deal with.

Ebay

If you want to get the opportunity to sell anything you want, then by all means consider selling on eBay. This online megasite allows you to advertise your goods, set up a complete shop, name your prices, and also handle conflicts through their own system. You also get a huge amount of potential buyers, since eBay is one of the biggest selling platforms in the world.

However, there are a lot of issues that eBay sellers have pointed out. Most commonly, eBay's customer service tends to be lacking, and their terms of service gives way more power to the buyers than they do to the sellers.

There is currently a major problem with bad customer bases, scammers, and lowball bidders. As a result, eBay may not be advisable for beginner salespeople or people who are worried about having their goods "stolen" for lack of a better term.

Templating is very much an eBay thing, so if you're crafty with coding, you may be able to do a lot more than a typical non-programmer may.

If you are leery of too many fees or bad reviews, you may want to look for other ways to make your own online store. It's a difficult platform to tackle, and other options definitely may be better.

Cost: $0 for a basic store, up to $599 for a more advanced store. Fees are also taken on a per sale basis.

Perks: Massive customer base, customizable storefronts, easy to advertise, and you're allowed to sell whatever you want.

Cons: Negative reviews count for a lot, high fees per sale, insane competition, bad customer service, customers have all the power.

Amazon

Starting up an Amazon store is a good way to go about things, assuming that you're looking to sell products that are already being manufactured en masse. Things like technology, clothing, and makeup tend to go well on Amazon.

On the creative side, Amazon's Kindle store is a great way to ensure that you have a lot of readers and potentially start publishing your own book. Royalties are a gift that keeps on giving, so we can't argue with that.

Unlike eBay, Amazon's terms of service allow sellers a lot more power to dispute bad reviews and also handle their own business. Moreover, Amazon can also do direct shipping on behalf of the seller. So, there's really no reason not to try it if you're looking to cut costs.

That being said, Amazon, much like eBay, can have a bad customer problem. So, there's that to consider.

Costs: $0.99 per item sold for amateur, with $39.99 per month for pro. Fees also can be added on top of those, depending on the type of item being sold.

Perks: More rights than eBay, huge purchasing group, potential to be fulfilled by Amazon, quality customer service, disputing reviews is possible.

Pitfalls: Can't really sell handmade items on Amazon, items may require ISBN numbers, can be cutthroat, bad customers do exist.

Shopify, SquareSpace, And Other E-Store Makers

One of the more popular, newer ways to create an online store is to use an online platform that designs a site solely tailored to your own business. This allows you to take full control of the shop in question and, for many people, that's the best route to take.

If you're looking for ways to make your own online store that allows you to take 100 percent control, a store designer like Shopify is a great option. You stock the shelves, you take the pictures, you decide what's being sold, and you handle all the customer issues. If you do well, you do well. If you do poorly, you close up shop.

That being said, this is not easy, and you may have to work on running a very aggressive ad campaign in order to make your online store known. This can be pretty darn expensive and time-consuming, too.

You will also have to pony up all the costs associated with the goods you want to sell on your store, which makes this one of the most expensive ways to make your own online store, too. High as the cost is, it's often worth it.

Cost: Often $40 to $100 per month, plus advertising, stocking, fees, and more.

Perks: Full control over what you sell, full control of store layout, no competition from others on your own site.

Pitfalls: Small buyer circle, high costs, lots of time investment for success.

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About the Creator

Ossiana Tepfenhart

Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer based out of New Jersey. This is her work account. She loves gifts and tips, so if you like something, tip her!

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