How to Start an Online Store in 2024 (Step by Step)

With over 15 years of experience building and managing online stores, I‘ve seen ecommerce evolve from a novel idea to a multi-billion dollar industry. Today, launching an online store is easier than ever for aspiring entrepreneurs. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share everything you need to know to create a successful online store from the ground up.

The Rising Tide of Ecommerce

First, let‘s look at the macro ecommerce trends that make now the perfect time to start an online business.

According to Digital Commerce 360, retail ecommerce sales grew by an astounding 44.0% in Q2 2021. Total ecommerce spending in the US surpassed $860 billion in 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to online shopping. Consumers adapted, and many analysts believe these new digital habits will stick. By 2024, ecommerce could account for 21.8% of total retail sales worldwide [Source: eMarketer].

The opportunity has never been bigger to claim your slice of the booming ecommerce pie. Starting an online store today puts you ahead of the curve to tap into surging consumer demand.

Choosing the Best Ecommerce Platform

The first step in creating your online store is choosing the right ecommerce platform. This decision can make or break your chances of success. The two primary options are:

Shopify

Shopify is the most popular all-in-one hosted platform for ecommerce stores. It powers over 1 million businesses worldwide.

Pros

• Quick and easy setup. Just sign up and pick a template.
• Optimized for conversions with built-in features.
• Scales to enterprise-level stores with billions in revenue.
• Extensive app marketplace expands functionality.

Cons

• Monthly fees add up. Starts at $29/month and increases with addons.
• Transaction fees on top of monthly costs. Ranges from 0.5-2%.
• Less control over core code and design flexibility.
• Limited payment gateway options without added fees.

Shopify is a great choice if you value simplicity and convenience. It‘s ideal for ecommerce beginners who prioritize fast setup. But lock-in and rising costs may become an issue as your business scales.

WordPress + WooCommerce

If you want maximum control and customization, WordPress paired with WooCommerce is the top option.

Pros

• 100% free and open source software. No monthly fees, just pay for hosting.
• Complete design flexibility and control over code.
• Scales to any size, even the world‘s largest online stores.
• Integrates with thousands of plugins and services. Add any feature.
• Own your platform and data. No lock-in or exit penalties.

Cons

• More complex initial setup required.
• Must choose and configure your own hosting.
• No included native features. Rely on plugins and customization for added functionality.

WordPress + WooCommerce is the undisputed leader for customizable enterprise-level ecommerce sites. But expect a steeper learning curve, especially for non-tech users.

	Shopify	WordPress + WooCommerce
Cost	$29+/month + fees	$5-10/month for hosting
Ease of Use	Beginner friendly	Moderate learning curve
Design Flexibility	Templates and themes	100% customizable
Features	Built-in tools	Rely on plugins
Scalability	Up to enterprise level	Limitless scale

My recommendation is to start with WordPress and WooCommerce. The initial investment is low, you fully own the platform, and the ceiling for customization is unlimited. You can always switch ecommerce plugins or migrate your store later as needed.

Next, let‘s get into the steps for setting up your new WooCommerce store.

Setting up Hosting and Domain with WordPress

To run your WooCommerce store, you‘ll need:

• Domain – Your custom web address, like yourbrand.com

• Web hosting – The place your site‘s files are stored and served from.

Your domain acts as your address, while hosting provides the actual server your site runs on. I recommend getting both through the same provider for simplicity.

For WordPress hosting, I suggest Bluehost. They‘re the top hosting provider recommended by WordPress themselves.

The benefits of using Bluehost include:

• Free domain name registration
• Pre-installed WordPress for fast setup
• WooCommerce optimized hosting configuration
• Free SSL certificate for security
• 24/7 support
• 30 day money-back guarantee

And for WPBeginner readers, Bluehost is offering an exclusive discount that makes starting at just $2.75 per month. Claim this deal to get your new WooCommerce store online.

With your hosting setup complete, it‘s time to install WordPress and configure settings.

Installing WordPress and WooCommerce

Log into your Bluehost account and access cPanel, your hosting control panel. Then:

1. Click "Log in to WordPress". This auto-installs WordPress for you.

2. On your WordPress dashboard, go to Settings > General. Update your Site Title, Tagline, and Timezone.

3. Under WordPress Address and Site Address, change to https:// to enable SSL security on your site.

4. Go to Plugins > Add New. Search for WooCommerce and install the plugin.

5. Activate WooCommerce then run through the onboarding wizard.

That covers the basic setup to get your WordPress site ready for your WooCommerce store.

Configuring Payments in WooCommerce

Now it‘s time to setup payments so you can start accepting orders. Under WooCommerce Settings > Payments, there are tons of payment gateway options available as plugins.

I recommend starting with these top picks:

• Stripe – Easy to use with predictable fees (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). Supports one-click checkout.

• PayPal Standard – Allows customers to conveniently pay with their PayPal account.

• Bank Deposit – A low fee option for accepting direct bank payments.

For each gateway, click Set Up and enter your API keys or account details to enable it. Make sure you enable SSL encryption in the settings as well.

Here‘s a comparison of the most popular WooCommerce payment gateways:

Gateway	Fees	Accepted Payment Methods
Stripe	2.9% + $0.30 per transaction	Credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay
PayPal Standard	$0.30 + 2.9%	PayPal balance, bank accounts, cards
Braintree	2.9% + $0.30 per transaction	PayPal, Venmo, credit cards
Authorize.Net	$0.10 per transaction + 2.9%	Credit cards
Bank Deposit	Fees vary by bank	Bank transfer, electronic funds transfer

I suggest starting with Stripe and PayPal Standard paired together to cover the most common online payment methods. It‘s easy to add and configure additional gateways later on.

Adding and Managing Products

Your online store won‘t get far without products to sell. Adding new products is easy in WooCommerce.

Go to Products > Add New to create a product. You‘ll be asked to fill out details like:

• Title and description
• Product images
• Pricing and inventory
• Categories and tags

I recommend starting with 25-50 products in your first few categories or collection. This gives customers enough choice when first visiting your shop.

As your store grows, you may want a plugin like WP All Import to bulk import and manage large inventories more efficiently.

But don‘t worry about importing thousands of SKUs upfront. Start small and expand your catalog over time.

Choosing and Customizing Your WooCommerce Theme

WooCommerce itself is theme agnostic, meaning it works with any WordPress theme. But you‘ll want a theme specifically optimized for ecommerce.

My top theme pick for WooCommerce beginners is Storefront. It‘s 100% free, responsive, and designed for use with WooCommerce core.

Once installed, customize Storefront to match your brand by going to Appearance > Customize. Here you can tweak things like:

• Colors
• Fonts
• Layout
• Logos
• Headers
• Footers
• And much more

Take the time to tailor your theme. This makes a huge impact on the first impression your brand makes.

Extending Functionality with Essential Plugins

One of the best parts of using WordPress is being able to enhance your site‘s functionality with plugins. Here are some must-have‘s for WooCommerce stores:

WPForms – Easily build forms for contact pages, lead capture popups, surveys, and more.

SeedProd – Create high converting landing pages, sales pages, and funnels to promote products.

Google Analytics – Connect your store to monitor traffic sources, top pages, conversions, and other analytics.

Mailchimp – Sync your store data with Mailchimp to send email newsletters and notifications.

Shipping plugins – Automate shipping rates, delivery time estimates, printing labels, and more.

There are over 50,000+ WordPress plugins available, so it can be tempting to go overboard. I suggest starting small with just the essentials for your business. You can always add more later on.

Driving Traffic and Launch Marketing

You did it – your new online store is ready to go! But building it is only step one. The next crucial step is driving traffic and making sales.

Here are some proven marketing tactics I recommend for promoting new ecommerce stores:

• SEO Optimization – Make sure your store pages implement SEO best practices on-page and off-page. Read SEO guides to learn how.

• Google/Facebook Ads – Create targeted PPC campaigns to get your products in front of buyers. Start small to test and refine what converts.

• Social Promotion – Share your new store on social networks and run giveaways/contests to create a buzz.

• Influencer Marketing – Reach out to relevant influencers and offer free products in exchange for reviews and promotion.

• Content Marketing – Publish blog posts and videos related to your products/industry to bring in organic search traffic.

• Email Marketing – Onboard email subscribers to send announcements, promotions, guides, and automations.

Don‘t make the mistake of building your online store and crossing your fingers for traffic. Actively promote your business across multiple channels simultaneously. Measure performance and double down on what drives conversions.

Final Thoughts

And there you have it – a complete step-by-step blueprint for building your profitable WooCommerce online store from A to Z.

Here are some key takeaways:

• Use WordPress + WooCommerce for the most flexibility and ownership of your platform.

• Take time to customize your theme and create a polished brand experience.

• Prioritize essential business-driving plugins over unnecessary bells and whistles.

• Promote your new store aggressively from day one across multiple channels.

• Analyze site analytics frequently and fine-tune your marketing approach.

Wishing you huge success with your new ecommerce venture! The internet has opened up so much opportunity – now go seize it.