How to start selling Online from scratch

Here is how to open an e-commerce business and start selling products online

Starting to sell online from scratch and without investing large amounts of capital is the dream of many entrepreneurs, but it is also the desire of many professionals and individuals who aspire to increase their turnover with a web-based business.
The secret to an efficient e-commerce business, which helps you increase your clientele and fully satisfy the demand for a product or service that is particularly in demand on the market, is planning a strategy. The most common mistake of those who start selling online is not setting tangible objectives and thinking of tackling the "jungle" of the web without an in-depth knowledge of current trends, and therefore without having a focus on potential customers. Before opening your e-commerce business, there are some essential elements to consider. Here are the steps you will have to follow to be able to dedicate yourself to your new business in a productive way.

Selling Online From Scratch: 5 Steps to Get Started

Starting to sell online, especially if you are starting from scratch, requires an operational plan that is not very different from a traditional business plan, with the difference that you will have to deal with a clientele accustomed to purchasing online, who will need to be assured of a punctual and effective, but above all rapid, service.Users who buy online are the same ones who hate queuing at the supermarket, at the bank or at the checkout of a shop, they most of the time need to save time and spend less or find unique products that are often difficult to find in physical stores. Dealing with this type of clientele requires a smart business, which cannot ignore a clarity of intent and the definition of a precise strategy. Let us examine together what the most important steps are to start selling online:

Products or services? Start defining which products or services you want to offer to your customers and update them to conform to current trends.

Who are you hoping to reach? It is essential to understand and define your ideal customer profile.

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  1. What to sell: products or services? As a first step, you will have to define which products or services to offer to customers and, more importantly, understand if they are in line with current trends and able to satisfy the needs of users. There are evergreens to focus on and other categories of goods that are less suitable for being sold through the web: try to understand if what you intend to offer responds to a need or a real request.
  2. Analyze the market. The second step to take to start selling online is market research: it is not necessary to have studied statistics to understand which products are on the crest of the wave or the services that can best meet people's tastes, but it is essential to carry out in-depth studies on competitors to know how to differentiate yourself. Analyze in particular how they work, what their strategies and strengths are to be able to draw inspiration from them and understand the weak points to address the reference market with more competitive proposals.
  3. Choose the target. Who should you contact? This is one of the most important questions to ask yourself when you intend to start an online business from scratch. It is essential to define a real hypothetical profile of the customer, what in marketing is called the identity of the buyer personas, or your ideal buyers. Knowing what they need and how to best serve them will help you understand how to generate interest in your product. So try to answer questions like: what services might interest my customers? How old are they and where do they live? Are they women or predominantly men? What are their interests? Use surveys, analyze forums, use interviews or use feedback from your sales network if you have a physical store.
  4. Define the objectives. Knowing your target audience in depth and having a comprehensive picture of the market in which you operate allows you to methodically define your medium and long-term business objectives. Develop good empathy to observe your products or services from the outside, through the eyes of the customer, so as to anticipate their needs and plan your sales activities according to their needs.
  5. Define the business model. Do you have a goal? Do you know who to turn to but have not yet defined your business model? To start selling online from scratch in an effective and productive way you will have to decide whether to turn to companies or individuals. The most widespread method is Business to Consumer or B2C, between company and consumer, B2B or Business to Business instead occurs between companies and professionals, C2C or Consumer to Consumer is a sale between private individuals, for example auctions or sales through advertisements, finally with C2B or Consumer to Business, you offer services to companies and professionals as private individuals.

What a company needs to start selling online?

One of the most effective channels to start selling online is definitely e-commerce: if you plan to transfer your business online, you can also choose to use social media in parallel to attract a wider audience and reach a different target, both in terms of tastes and consumer habits. By using digital platforms you could be able to increase your earnings and make your online store known, but to manage your business better, there are still some things that you cannot overlook, from bureaucratic procedures to shipping your products. These are the details:
  • Bureaucracy. You cannot start selling online without first thinking about the correct management of all the bureaucratic procedures. If you intend to start a commercial activity via the Internet, you must first open a VAT number, register with the Chamber of Commerce and finally, in Italy, with the Sportello delle Attività Produttive.
  • Logistics. Good order and shipping management is essential to grow your online business: decide whether to have a warehouse to store your products or whether to prefer dropshipping. This system, which works on behalf of third parties, allows you to enable a sort of online showcase where your buyers can forward their orders, so you only have to request the products from the supplier. Mail Boxes Etc. offers you MBE e-LINK, the free downloadable plugin for the complete management of your e-commerce shipments and logistics. It connects directly to your online shop, allowing you to offer different types of shipping and service levels to your customers, all characterized by Mail Boxes Etc. quality: in just a few clicks you can request quotes, manage and check the status of your transactions, directly print parcel labels or waybills.
  • SEO and Content Marketing. Your brand must be recognizable with a logo and a name that best identifies your online business: however to start selling online, it is not enough to insert the products in a catalog, you will also have to enrich your web space with content, i.e. descriptive texts aimed at selling that describe exactly what you offer and push users to buy. It is also important to give the right attention to the images, as long as they are quality photos and offer additional value by showing the details and positive aspects of your products.


If you want to give your business an extra boost, MBE offers you the best solutions for online selling, taking care of the management of the warehouse and orders of your e-commerce, the packaging and shipping of the products and also the design of your digital contents. Contact us to learn about all our services!
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