Today, it's important to have an online store if you're selling goods and services and need to grow your business. You should consider how you'll handle online purchases, shipping/delivery, and secure shopping when you're creating an online store. An ecommerce store can be pricey, depending on your merchant account (for credit card transactions) and the number of products you're selling. However, it is possible to create an online store with less money by using a free store creator, so you can be up and running in no time.
Instructions
- 1
Create a free store online through a service such as eCrater.com by signing up for an account. You'll receive a free sub-domain name for your online store, such as www.yourstore.eCrater.com. You may, however, purchase a domain elsewhere (such as with a web hosting company) and forward your sub-domain to it.
2Click on the "Sign Up" button to begin. You'll need to enter a unique store ID, password, contact name, address, phone number and an email address. Select "Continue" to proceed. An email will be sent to the address you've indicated.
3Check your email to retrieve your eCrater activation link and confirm it. Now, you can administer your account from here. You may create your store right away or do so later by logging in with your store ID and password (through the website) when you're ready.
4Start with the Navigation section in the left pane. Select "Texts & Colors" to choose your color template, logo, home page image, text and FAQ information for the free online store.
5Edit the text for each page, such as your home, about us, contact, terms and conditions pages by selecting "Edit Texts" under "Texts & Colors." You may also add a title tag, Meta tag description and keywords for your ecommerce store.
6Set up a basic store by going to "Basic Set Up" in the navigation. Then choose your payment options, such as Google Checkout, PayPal, money order, cashier's check, personal check, etc. You may also set up your products and categories for each item under this section.
7Go to "Shipping & Taxes" in the navigation to set up shipping and taxes.
8Go to the "Account" section to choose additional options for your free online store, such as orders, widgets and eBay imports. Here, you can also make your store active or inactive.
