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How to Open an Online Western Store
by Angie Gentry
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Overview
Starting an online Western store is an affordable alternative to opening a traditional brick and mortar business. Although having an online store eliminates the necessity of a retail location, there are still costs associated with launching and running the business. Running any business, whether online or in a store, requires a significant time commitment, and good management and marketing skills. When you start out with a solid business plan and follow through with good management, opening an online Western store can be a profitable venture.
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Develop a Plan
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Develop a business plan. Your business plan will help you obtain funding, if needed, and serve as a written resource of your goals and strategies. The plan should include your estimated start-up costs, marketing plan and sales projections.
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Find suppliers. A popular resource for Western-wear store owners is Western Lifestyle Retailer. You can also attend the Western and English Sales Association's market in Denver to visit in person with hundreds of Western-products suppliers.
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Pick a domain name and web-hosting service. Choose a name that is short and memorable and avoid names that are difficult to spell or type. Selecting a name that ends in .com is typically better than a .net since most browsers default to .com addresses.
Set Up Your Store
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Set up your website. Unless you are a skilled web designer, you should hire someone to design your website. You can find a designer through local listings, online or by a referral. If you see a site you like, check the bottom of the page for a link to the designer's site.
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Purchase e-commerce software. Research extensively before deciding on a software because there are many options available. Many software companies will allow you to download a demo version or watch tutorials on how their software works. Your web designer can be a good resource to ask about specific software programs if they have experience in e-commerce sites.
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Set up a merchant account. You can go through your bank or an online provider like PayPal. This account enables you to accept credit cards through your site. There are some fees associated with this service but they will cost you far less than trying to collect payments by mail or phone.
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Display your products. Once the basic design and functionality of your site is done, add images and descriptions of your inventory. Keep in mind that product descriptions should be optimized for search engines.
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Set up your management systems. Organize your accounting system so you track sales, expenditures and inventory accurately. Also set up an analysis package so you can monitor your site's traffic, keywords and popular pages. This will enable you to determine your site's conversion rate, which is how many visitors actually make a purchase. Another important aspect of a web store is a security and backup system. This will ensure that your customers' information is safe and that you do not lose any valuable business data.
Market Your Store
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Get out there. Once your site is ready for customers, it is time to let them know about you. There are free and paid methods to spread the word and, since your business is online, the Internet is a great place to start. Look for free business listings on sites like Google's comparison shopping engine, Froogle.
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Use social media. This is a great way to drive traffic to your site. Set up a profile on Twitter and start a fan page on Facebook. Look for people to "follow" or "friend" who have equine or Western interests by doing a search. Continue to make announcements and cultivate relationships on these sites, then let virtual marketing take its course.
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Target your market. For example, if you are selling Western handbags, you might choose to advertise in a Western publication or on a website for women. Think about who your buyer is and where they get their information or product recommendations.
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Start an e-newsletter. This will keep your clients in touch with your business. By creating an opt-in sign up form on your site, you can build a list of clients who are interested in your product. You can then pass on announcements for special offers and new products. Purchase an e-mail software like Constant Contact or AWeber to manage your list and track how many customers are opening your e-mails.
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Set up a booth. Attending equine or rodeo events is a common marketing method for many Western store owners. With a little investment for signage and fixtures, you can take your online business to events to sell products to attendees and increase your online following.
- 3
- Business plan
Inventory
Domain name
Web hosting
Merchant account
- Business plan
- Inventory
- Domain name
- Web hosting
- Merchant account
- One of the best ways to be competitive when opening an online Western store is to have a specific focus or specialty. For example, instead of carrying all types of Western products found in a traditional store, your online store might focus on Western handbags.
If you need help writing your business plan, consult your local Small Business Development Center or SBA chapter.
To help the search engines find your business, try to use the word that describes your product in the domain name. For example, if you sell Western handbags, try to work that into your domain name.
Do a bit of research and find out what your market is searching for so you can optimize your product descriptions for search engines. For example, is "cowboy boots" or "Western boots" a more popular search term?
- One of the best ways to be competitive when opening an online Western store is to have a specific focus or specialty. For example, instead of carrying all types of Western products found in a traditional store, your online store might focus on Western handbags.
- If you need help writing your business plan, consult your local Small Business Development Center or SBA chapter.
- To help the search engines find your business, try to use the word that describes your product in the domain name. For example, if you sell Western handbags, try to work that into your domain name.
- Do a bit of research and find out what your market is searching for so you can optimize your product descriptions for search engines. For example, is "cowboy boots" or "Western boots" a more popular search term?
