So, you've had your lightbulb moment and you're ready and raring to go with your bright business idea. This initial stage can feel nothing short of exhilarating, as you're certain that a market of ready and waiting buyers are out there.
From here however, particularly for the first time entrepreneur or novice tech user, the road ahead can seem both confusing and incredibly daunting. Questions such as how you register a company name and just what you need to actually get up and running online, will likely lead to a world of confusing blog posts that contradict and that may provide advice filled with incomprehensible techno-jargon. Here we save you the hard work (and potentially much head scratching confusion) by cutting out the jargon and providing an easy to follow guide to trading online.
1. Registering a company Name
Choosing and registering a company name is as easy as A, B, C:
A. Know which names and words you can't use, by checking out the Government's guide and using one of the many online search tools to check out whether your name is available. You should also ensure that your name isn't already trademarked. Once registered you should consider trademarking the name yourself for complete protection and peace of mind (this costs upwards of £170);
B. Choose a name that defines your brand, your product or service and the USPs it delivers. Get a professional copywriter to help if you're struggling for inspiration.
C. Register online here from one of the many providers, where prices start from as little as £15. The form takes but a few minutes and the processing of your application will generally be completed within just 24 working hours.
Ideally your company name and website's address (domain) should be the same, so be sure to read the next section before forging ahead and registering your company name.
2. Buying your domain and hosting package
In short there are two things you'll need to begin trading online - a domain and a hosting package:
- A domain - this is your website address, such as www.thisismydomain.com. Ideally you'll match this to your company's name, although you do need to check that it's available via a tool such as Company Formation 24.7 clever tool, which checks for company and domain name availability in one go. You will need to purchase whatever domain you choose, with prices that range from £10, up to £100,000 and beyond. You'll also need to renew it every so often (depending upon how long a time you initially purchase, from 1 year up to 10 years;)
- A hosting package - Hosting can be thought of as online storage. It is from here that all of those files of code that will make up your website will sit. Hosting packages range in price depending upon the storage and features you need. In the majority of instances however the smallest hosting package will adequately allow for even the mid-sized online shop. Prices for such packages can range from £5 per month upwards
(paid up front for one year or more, as according to what you choose).
It's also well worth checking out each hosting provider's reputation for customer service, particularly if you're a novice user, as it can be the literal difference between getting the help you need as and when, and being left on your lonesome to pull your hair out; lastly consider buying both the domain and the hosting from the same place, as it simply makes things a little less complicated.
A little note: There are plenty of options out there that merge the domain and hosting purchase alongside their online shop solution. Generally however each of these platforms have limitations in one form or another, from the novice user unfriendly VirtueMart, to the relatively feature restrictive and locking in Wix platform.
That all said it can pay to research these options, as there may be benefits of choosing such a service as according to your business needs. Here are some of the biggest players within this market that you may wish to read up upon:
- Shopify;
- PrestaShop;
- Yahoo Store;
- Volusion;
- X-Cart Cloud;
- BigCommerce.
3. Setting up your website
Now we get to the good stuff - your website. First and foremost you need to decide between doing your website yourself, and hiring a professional. The choice between the two will come down to a blend of budget, time constraints and technical ability.
That all said it is possible for even a novice user to create their own website, in particular the WordPress CMS (Content Management System) is super user friendly and has thousands of beautiful premium themes out there for the picking (ranging from £25 and upwards).
There are also plenty of ‘Getting Started' videos over on YouTube, as well as a world of ‘plugins' that help you easily add new features to your website (such as social media feeds, live chat functionality and product review systems).
Nevertheless there are some instances where a professional will be essential, namely if:
- You need a completely unique design;
- Your shop has inherently complex products, such as personalised t-shirts where users can create their own designs.
In addition to these, there are also further benefits to choosing a web design pro, such as:
- A web designer professional will be well versed on crafting a user journey, and will employ strategies for converting visitors once they land on your page;
- They may provide one-to-one support for getting to grips with the system, and how to make the most of it;
- They may also be able to provide advice upon the next stages for marketing your shiny new online presence.
So, just how much does a professional web designer charge?
Fees for web designers vary drastically from provider to provider, ranging from hundreds of pounds to tens of thousands. Of course much of this will be based upon the complexity of your website, but beyond this there is great scope between the pricing of a web design agency, and the pricing of a freelancer - with the latter generally coming in at far more cost effective rate.
Luckily there are plenty of great freelancing websites out there that allow you to research freelancers, view their portfolio and even read up upon past client's feedback - all of which is essential when choosing a web designer.
4. The next steps (otherwise known as: "where the heck is my flood of customers?")
You've registered your company, set up your website and now your online presence is looking super shiny and ready for business. You await your customers - but they don't arrive. Just what is it that you're doing wrong?
Setting up a business to trade online is but half the story, and driving traffic to your website is another thing entirely. You'll need to become an online marketing whizz kid in order to truly make your online business a success.
Here are some initial steps you can take to begin your online marketing education:
1. Sign up for social media marketing tips from start-up business focused websites;
2. Check out your competitors and see for yourself just how they're marketing themselves through their blog and over on their social media counts;
3. Learn the basics of SEO from industry experts such as Moz, here's a great guide to SEO to begin with;
5. Brush up on the benefits of PPC (Pay per Click advertising) through Google search and upon social media websites.
