Your decision to establish an online store will prove to be absolutely successful, innovative and profitable!

The amount of capital to invest in the acquisition of the online store and the field of your commercial activity, are the two primary elements that you will determine and which will also affect the rest. The third most basic element is to choose the company you will work with to get an online store. At Webed we are experienced, organized and dynamic and we can develop you an online store that will bring you sales and profits!

Product categories for online store

Define what will be the sale items for online store in detail and precisely, i.e. you need to define product categories for online store, which categories will be further broken down into products or sub-categories and products.
In this case you can also consider alternative ideas for product categories for online sales:

a) to focus on the sale of only economic products of the chosen sector, b) to do electronic sales presenting only middle and upper class branded items in the chosen sector, c) to promote in the online store new brands and unknown to the consumer public, but with greater profit margin for you, d) to sell the stock from your already existing physical store or that will be bought opportunistically from suppliers, e) to sell the same categories of goods as your physical store but from other brands and brands, g) you must you know that NOBODY forces you to have the same products in both the physical and the online store. This only concerns you, but it’s a good idea to clarify this in the terms of sale, so that consumers are not inconvenienced.

Commercial policy of the eshop

The commercial policy of the eshop is a key area that you should give importance to, monitor its implementation and shape it according to the circumstances in the market.

Target audience

The commercial policy of the eshop always starts with the purchasing public to which you will address. The range you will create, i.e. the products that will correspond to each category, should be closely related to the customers you will address.
It is necessary to decide and know who your customers will be:

⦁ by gender,
⦁ by age,
⦁ by economic status,
⦁ by location (local, export, Greece, islands only, mainland only).

After determining the audience to which you will address, then you will also shape the final range of products that will correspond to each category of activity.
It is good to have a few different products for each use and with different prices in order to respond to as many audiences as possible.

In which language will you operate?

The online store platform allows you to
choose from the beginning whether your online store will be presented in a second or third language depending on the type and the market you are targeting.

Retail, wholesale, or both

The retail sale is also called B2C, i.e. Business to Customers, while the wholesale sale is also called B2B, i.e. Business to Business.
The range of products you will form, the amount of investment you will make, can determine whether you will do both retail and wholesale. If you import goods or produce for third parties, you can sell some of them to merchants through the online store to ensure liquidity and quick warehouse <turn>.

Price policy

It is necessary in the commercial policy of the e-shop to decide whether in the online store you will list a price before the discount and a price after the discount or if you will only have one price, the final price.
We recommend that you, at least for the beginning, experiment with the prices of the online store. It is good to have different price ranges and with different profit percentage, to see which items you have an advantage, which items do not move maybe because of a high price, or which items are bought even if they have a higher price than similar ones. Usually the prices of online stores valid only for online purchases that are finalized and paid through the online store platform. The same products in the physical store cost more. You must specify this in the terms of sale.

When you bid on an item, as part of the commercial policy of the e-shop, it must be available in quantity and it is good to state that the price is valid until the stock is exhausted. We recommend that you avoid virtual offers, that is, presenting some items on sale and when the buyer orders them, tell him that it has just sold out!
You can make use of the coupon or points accumulation system that exists in every online store to attract more customers or encourage existing customers to return.

Find suppliers to sell online

Where will you find the goods you will sell through the online store? Finding suppliers for online sales has the following options:

⦁ import the goods yourself from abroad,
⦁ buy from suppliers in the domestic market, store them in your warehouse and sell them through the eshop,
⦁ produce your own eshop products,
⦁ buy from suppliers in the domestic market purchase and deliver them directly to your customer,
⦁ have your own products by outsourced production to have the advantage of low cost of goods acquisition, especially if you have experience and knowledge of your industry,
⦁ have a combination of the above cases.
If you have goods ready for delivery, this will be an advantage in selling because many customers are interested in receiving their order immediately. The goods that you will have in your warehouse stored and ready for delivery will be marked in the online store, with a special marking provided by the platform, such as <IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE>. Those you will source from domestic suppliers will be marked < DELIVERY TIME 2-5 DAYS>.

In the process of finding suppliers for online sales, you should find suppliers with quality products, competitive prices and consistency in delivery. In addition, you should agree:

⦁ if they have correct packaging procedures,
⦁ if the products have dimensions and specifications,
⦁ if they are accompanied by the legal guarantees,
⦁ if they have instructions for use,
⦁ if the suppliers have ready content in electronic files for loading the goods and updating the e -shop with product descriptions, adequate photos.

Warehouse of the online shopping store

If you stock some products from the domestic market or will be imported from abroad, you will need a warehouse of the online shopping store, organization of this space and declaration of its operation to the tax office.

The warehouse of the online shopping store should have an entrance or loading ramp, accommodate the estimated capacity that you will need to move, be equipped with some kind of goods moving machine and have space for packaging the goods. It should also have a computer or cash register to issue sales and loading documents.
If you need to equip your warehouse with a rack, it must be operated by a licensed rack operator.

Establishment of an e-commerce company

Don’t find it difficult to start an e-commerce company! The procedures are mostly done electronically and the steps are simplified.

Online store name

Decide on your online store name! The name should have some of the following characteristics:

⦁ to be related, to be connected, with the object of activity,
⦁ to attract attention,
⦁ to be sonorous, to sound nice, to be easily remembered,
⦁ to be written easily and in Latin characters,
⦁ to be original, unusual, special,
⦁ not large to be easily written everywhere,
⦁ be what represents you and you have united.

To find the right online store name for your new online store, spend some time thinking, look up dictionaries, contact special marketing service agencies, ask acquaintances (mainly sellers or philologists,) research the competition both in Greece and in abroad. It is good to settle on one name as first preference and 2-3 other names as alternatives, because you need to get approval from your local Chamber of Commerce if the name you chose as first preference is available.

Trademark for eshop

The trademark for eshop or logo as it is called is something that will define your company, your customers will recognize you and it will evolve into a synonym of your existence. The trademark that will be included on your site requires care and attention in its design, and we can make it for you with great inspiration and originality!

You can register the trademark as your own, so that no one can use or copy it, by submitting an application to the OBI (Industrial Property Office).

Choice of legal form of company for online store.

After deciding the above you will need to create a legal form (a company) to operate. You need an accountant and most incorporation work is done online. We advise you to work with an experienced and organized accounting office to avoid mistakes and delays in your operation.

The simplest, easiest and most economical company that can be founded by ONE PERSON is the IKE (Private Capital Company) with a required capital of only one EURO, and with third-class bookkeeping, while its website needs to be established, where they will be published all the elements of its establishment and operation.

The most complex and expensive to establish and with a required minimum initial capital of 25,000 E, and third-class accounting books, is the LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, which can be established by one person or more. There are also intermediate forms of companies, your accountant or even your lawyer will advise you which legal form serves you best.
Also, be aware that for the establishment of a certain type of company, it may be required to draw up a relevant establishment document by a lawyer.

Notifications to the tax office for the establishment of the eshop.

The accountant you have chosen and who will keep your accounting books for you will make notifications to the tax office about the establishment of the eshop and will declare through the special platform:

⦁ the company headquarters and contact information,
⦁ the legal representative of the company that will be designated in the establishment process
⦁ the VAT number, the Activity Code Numbers of the goods in which you will be active. The codes (for all goods, all activities) are registered with the tax office and the accountant will state which correspond to your case
⦁ the cash register you will use.
⦁ the address of the warehouse (if any) if it is different from the headquarters.
⦁ the computerized maintenance of your accounting books.

Supply of a computerized accounting management system.

Accounting books are now computerized and therefore you need to install computerized accounting software.

Print operating forms.

You will need to order from a printing company the ready-made form with your logo and full company details which will be filled in with the recipient details and the type of goods, and will correspond to a sales invoice or retail receipt.
You will also make sure to make a stamp with your full name, distinctive title, full address, phone number, VAT number.

Online Store Owners Insurance.

Depending on the legal form of the company you choose, there is a statutory requirement for insurance in the OAEE (Self-Employed Insurance Organization) of the legal representative or the other shareholders depending on the percentage of participation of each one in the company.

Recruitment.

Before being hired, the employee must sign an individual employment contract, which the accountant then submits electronically to the Ministry of Labor, on the relevant platform.
Usually this contract is prepared by accountants and is a somewhat formal document. We advise you in every contract to write down the details of the work that the specific employee will be asked to do, especially if you agree with him to do additional work in addition to those provided by the legislation for the specific position. Also, always agree with the employee’s gross salary as defined by law and calculated by your accountant.

Online store registration at the chamber of commerce.

It will be useful to register the online store with the chamber of commerce in your area, first of all to check the availability of the name/distinctive title you will choose for your eshop.

Loading online store orders.

It is of great importance for an online store that its customer receives the goods he ordered and pre-paid on time and in excellent condition. The correct receipt of the order by the buyer shapes the final positive user experience (user experience, ux) and increases sales and traffic. For this reason, cooperation with reliable transport companies is a very important part of establishing an online store.
Deliveries of your goods can be made:

⦁ from courier companies that deliver door-to-door, and specialize in small and medium sizes and weights of goods (up to 10 kg)
⦁ from transport companies that deliver larger and bulky items and also deliver on floors, after a special agreement with you.
⦁ from transport agencies that cover the entire province,
⦁ from transport agencies that distribute in the center of Athens as well as throughout Attica.

You can also operate with 2 or even 3 carriers depending on the price, and the type of goods that each one specializes in.

Charge for shipping costs on online sales.

The agreement you reach for the shipping charges for online sales with the carriers will also affect your own shipping charges policy for the orders you accept from your customers. Again you can decide:

⦁ if you will make a full charge for transport,
⦁ if you will have free shipping,
⦁ if you will make a small and symbolic charge,
⦁ if you will have free transport for purchases of more than a certain amount or more.

The charge for the transport method will also be indicated on the order form and will be calculated in the payment amount.

Correct delivery of online shopping orders.

For the correct delivery of online shopping orders, make sure:

⦁ have a work bench and all the packaging materials needed to pack your items well,
⦁ place the appropriate red self-adhesive marking tags on packages or pallets when necessary, CAUTION-FRAGILE and/or DO NOT STACK,
⦁ number the parcels or pallets of the same recipient so that they are not lost,
⦁ write the final number of parcels or pallets on the shipping document to each customer,
⦁ Send together with the sales document and the receipt (if the customer has already paid) or the cash on delivery receipt (if the delivery also includes cash on delivery payment).

Your relationships with online shopping customers.

Your relationships with online shopping customers must always be at an excellent level and offer conditions of choice that will satisfy and delight the buyers.
It should be known that on the home page of your eshop, at the bottom, the detailed terms of operation and cooperation between the eshop and the customers of online shopping must appear. Failure to provide these documents will result in fines if a relevant complaint is made to the Department of Trade of the Ministry of Development, even anonymously.

Why choose Webed to build an online store?

To build an online store, choose to work with a specialized software company like Webed . We can be very useful to you with our scientific knowledge and experience in creating online stores. So you will easily get an efficient eshop with the ultimate guide for setting up an online store.!

If you also want to create your own online business with sure results, Design and strong Marketing call us at:

+30 216 070 2930 Artemis 1, Glyfada

Or via email: info@webed.gr

Source: Webed.gr