In this video, I will show you the steps you need to take to start an online store and share a lot of valuable tips that I learned from my years of experience selling online.

1. Get a domain name – This is the first thing you need to do if you want to start an online store. GoDaddy and Namecheap are two of my favorite websites to buy a domain from. Here are some tips to get a good domain name:
a. It needs to be short.
b. It needs to be easy to spell.
c. Easy to remember.
Bonus Tip: Include keywords
2. Pick your shopping cart – Choosing the correct platform to build your store on makes everything easier. There are a lot of shopping cart platforms out there but I only recommend two: Shopify and Woo Commerce. I use both of these for different scenarios.

Shopify starts at around $30/month. It’s easy to use and it just works even if you don’t have any technical knowledge and one of the best features of it is all the Apps.

With Woocommerce, all you have to do is pay for hosting which may cost you $4 a month. This is a cheaper option but I only recommend using Woocommerce if you have technical knowledge of HTML, CSS, javascript and/or you’re willing to learn. The only issue with WooCommerce is that it breaks easily and there’s not really any support to help you out.

3. Set up your Store – Here are some big mistakes that beginners make:
a. Fundamental knowledge of SEO – One you have the knowledge SEO and keyword research it will help you create a website that Google would want to run higher which will give you free traffic.
b. Confusing Website – There’s a great book called “Don’t make me think” and the whole premise of the book is, you want to make it as easy as possible for a customer to purchase from you.

4. Make it Legal – Here are a few simple things you can do:
a. File for an EIN Number – Free to get
b. File a State’s Seller Permit – This is also free to get. It depends on whatever states you live and this is just basically for sales tax.
c. Create a Business Entity – The two main ones that I recommend are LLC and DBA. LLC provides you with more protection but it’s a lot more expensive. DBA doesn’t give as much protection but it allows you to have a business bank account, business credit card, and others. You may also probably don’t need a trademark or a patent for your logo or idea unless you think that there’s potential that someone might infringe on it.

5. Getting Customers to your Website – Here are 10 ways to get customers to your website:
1. SEO – Ranking high on Google so you can get free traffic.
2. Content Marketing – Creating unique interesting content. Articles, Blog, Podcast, YouTube Videos.
3. Public Relations – Try to be a guest or get articles written about you on other media. Get into newspapers, magazines, podcasts, and others.
4. Social Media – Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, Youtube or whatever social media is popular for your niche.
5. Adwords – Anytime someone searches a word in Google that is right for your business, you can show them and an Adword so they can come to your website.
6. Product Listing Ad – Specifically shows a product, a price tag so people are more likely on a purchasing mindset when they visit your website.
7. Paid Social Media – Facebook Ads, YouTube Ads, Instagram Ads
8. Influencers – Not only can you get amazing photos of your product but these influencers can also post on their social media and that will get you even more followers and even more fans for your product.
9. Display Ads – You can use Google’s Ad Network to get your banners all across the web.
10. Retargeting Ads – These are the ads that when someone comes to your website. your Ads will follow them anywhere they go online. This Ad is great because it can target customer who already knows about your website but hasn’t purchased yet.

Which one of these advertising strategies will work on your business depends on a lot of factors. It depends on the kind of product you’re selling. It depends on what kind of business model you are using. If you’re just doing a boring old dropshipping model which I do not recommend, a lot of these won’t work. But if you’re creating a unique, new product, a passion product then a lot more of these methods will work.

Take the next small step on your journey today. Get a domain name, a shopping cart, start working on your website and remember, most importantly, to enjoy the journey.