Create an online store for free in Ukraine | SoloMono

In the era of information technology, digitalization has become an integral part of entrepreneurship. The term e-commerce has ceased to be something new even for small and medium-sized businesses. More and more company owners decide to create an online store, including those working in the food industry, construction, and the sale of goods of the national economy.

Entrepreneurial citizens tend to automate processes. Therefore, in terms of the number of people who want to create an online store for free in Ukraine, it is not inferior to the European region. The same goes for consumer habits, which in 2022, as well as in the coming five-year period, are unlikely to change. AI accompanies people at almost every stage of interaction with large stores. A company based on trading via the Internet is considered more successful. Mainly due to the transparency of transactions, clear interaction with suppliers established in industry groups. Let's analyze the main stages of creating an online store.

Step one - come up with a store name and buy a domain

An online store domain is a unique web address where buyers find a specific site. A common practice is to use the variant associated with the resource name. The task of those who decide to order the creation of an online store from scratch is to facilitate the simple identification of the site. To do this, when choosing a name, they are guided by the following principles:

• short and understandable domain name;
• an option that tells visitors about the scope of a particular business;
• the domain is not associated with the names of competing stores.

You can buy a domain from any Ukrainian registrar at a price of 1,000 to 3,000 hryvnia per year. The main thing to take care of is choosing a unique address! Aspiring entrepreneurs should check that the domain is not taken before making a final decision on a store name.

What platforms are online stores built on?

Before you open your online store, you need to establish target markets and analyze the strategy of competitors. The huge opportunities available for e-commerce allow you to launch sales in almost any region. But this does not mean that finding a consumer will be a cakewalk. Without the right guidelines, the budget can be wasted.

The choice of a platform for trading will directly affect the costs, the flexibility of setting parameters, and the quality of reaching the target audience. Even those who want to create an online store for free cannot do without customization. The latter often turns out to be more expensive than buying a package tariff. Generally speaking, aspiring entrepreneurs have at least 3 ways to start:

1. An online store built from A to Z and hosted on a rented server. In this case, you can 100% adapt the site to the needs and expectations of the business owner. Although writing code and plugins is associated with the involvement of professionals who are not ready to work for free.
2. Platform based on ready-made open source solutions such as PrestaShop, WordPress + WooCommerce, Opencart. The presented solution also assumes the cost of adapting the store software to the needs of online sales. Relevant for FOP I-II groups.
3. Trading platform (marketplace). The solution involves creating an account within a specific portal. Sales are limited by platform regulations, as is market coverage. A clear advantage is the ability to create an online store for free or with minimal fees for using template solutions.

When choosing a platform, you need to take into account several important nuances: the specifics of a particular service, the availability of help, the ability to customize the site in accordance with the needs of the consumer, openness for positioning in Google.

Installing the hosting engine

The most time-consuming stage for entrepreneurs who decide to figure out how to create an online store on their own. The key issue in the setup process will be the choice of software. Various solutions are available on the market: a SaaS (software as a service) subscription store, an open source platform, ready-made e-commerce packages, and marketplace tools.

The principle of installing sites on all CMS is the same. For Joomla, Wordpress, Opencart, it will take no more than 40 minutes (for an advanced user). When developing a platform on a template engine, a business owner needs to replace photos and product descriptions. This is the only requirement. Although the possibility of editing the interface is not always provided for those who decide to create an online store for free. Such nuances should be taken into account by every novice entrepreneur.

Adding plugins to the engine

The appearance of the store affects whether the buyer accepts the offer or decides to leave the site after 10 seconds. It is important for entrepreneurs to add a visually appealing, understandable and easily perceived offer already on the main page. Although the creation of an online store from scratch will not end there. Among the basic tools for a novice developer:

• display of promotions on the main page;
• top and recommended
• my goods (separate blocks);
• sale (products are marked with a promotion end counter);

slider for brands available in the store.

The site will have to be scaled and modeled in accordance with the changing conditions of a particular business. For those figuring out how to make an online store, the list of requirements can be updated every 3-6 months. You should be prepared for this and allow for extra time.

Connection of payment systems and regulations

Regulations are necessary for every online store. The public file contains information about the transaction (determination of the terms of interaction between the seller and the buyer), a description of the products / services sold and the scope of activities.

For the buyer, the ordering algorithm and transparency are important. A guide describing the specifics of concluding a sales contract, the form of delivery and the timing of the return of defective products will not hurt. For those who figure out how to create an online store for free, the step-by-step instructions for adding payment gateways provide for the integration of one of the following options:

• Mastercard & Visa;
• PrivatMoney (LiqPay, PrivatBank);
• PURSE, EasyPay, Fondy.

The privacy policy is the second very important point. The provisions contained therein are closely related to the principles of the GDPR. The latter relate to the scope of personal data collected, the purposes and method of processing. We are talking about the information provided when placing an order (cookies, principles for filling out the contact form).

Delivery

Through the Internet, you can sell anything - by the piece, by the meter, by the liter. Determining categories and ranges will be a major step for most enthusiasts. An important step for those who decide to understand how to create an online store on their own is the organization of reliable supply channels. The choice of partners is based on product groups. A universal option is cooperation with Nova Poshta. The block in this case contains the following data:

• choosing a warehouse in your city;
• invoice generation;
• order status tracking;
• choice of payment method;
• dispatch automation.

Buyers in online stores are guided by the speed and convenience of processing applications. They would like to use automatic data filling, reduce the chance of errors and make a purchase in a few clicks. For those who have figured out how to create an online store for free, the step-by-step instructions for adding the Nova Poshta plugin will not be difficult. As a rule, this is 1-2 steps, subject to access to the admin panel.

When installing the LR module, integration with the carrier's API is configured, which allows loading correct information about the location of branches from the server after registering the delivery address. This happens in real time. A tool that calculates the cost and timing has a positive effect on the quality of customer service.

Filling IM with goods

The basic form of updating the assortment in an online store is manual data entry in the administration panel. After clicking “add product”, the system redirects the user to filling in individual fields: name, price, short description, photo, weight, color options, dimensions, code, stock availability, etc. The set of parameters depends on the type of product and the specifics of the selected platform.

Before you open your online store, an entrepreneur should take into account the time spent. Adding one product manually will take 1-2 minutes. The parameter depends on the availability of pre-prepared templates. Manual addition is relevant only in 3 cases:

• stores with a branded product range;
• FOP with a small turnover (up to 1000 new articles per month);
• companies without access to the commodity flow from the warehouse.

Automatic introduction of goods in the store is a good alternative to manual selection. A wholesaler with whom cooperation is set up is enough to provide a file in XML or CSV format. The store owner will manually select from the items in stock and they will appear in his store.

The Importance of Electronic Merchandising

Electronic merchandising - organization of the correct location of goods in the store, timely display. Before you make an online store, you need to think about preparing additional materials. KP and price lists should be understandable for potential consumers. The decision of the consumer to buy depends on how well everything is designed. Basic guidelines:

• a sufficient number of photographs for each product, compliance with the format and resolution;
• ways of product presentation optimized for different devices;
• availability of reviews and articles for popular positions;
• additional blocks: availability for sale, date of completion of the order, delivery costs;
• selection of characteristics when adding items to the cart.

Website builders make most things easier and faster. The user does not need technical skills, there is no installation process. A self-written engine requires more time and knowledge. Entrepreneurs will have to look for hosting, install software and plugins. Learning to navigate the platform is no longer so easy.

Business owners who decide

It is not possible to figure out how to make an online store, they often turn to intermediaries for help. We are talking about experienced programmers who are able to offer alternative solutions for a particular business. For example, you can always order an online store from SoloMono, we have prepared several options for ready-made solutions for beginner entrepreneurs and experienced businessmen.

Prospects for business digitalization

Thanks to automation, transactions are processed with minimal influence of the human factor. You will not have to manually enter customer data into invoices, courier labels, check whether payment has been made, monitor prices and stocks (the system will automatically display the information). Such circumstances are the reason why Ukraine has become one of the most promising regions in terms of the number of entrepreneurs who decided to create an online store for free. For example, one of the business automation systems is HugeProfit software. Each entrepreneur can choose a tariff plan for himself, including a free one.

Using online platforms for e-commerce is not only the ability to communicate via internal email or connect instant messengers. Entrepreneurs trying to figure out how to open their online store will have to deal with complex software. You can start selling immediately after setting up the following:

• monitoring;
• analytics;
• reporting.

The cost of opening an online store is lower than starting a traditional business. With the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, this will be a solution for most executives to improve the efficiency of interaction with consumers. Aspiring entrepreneurs do not have to rent a room, hire employees, and sometimes store goods (if the dropshipping system is chosen).

Cooperation with experienced teams

Not every entrepreneur has the time and desire to figure out how to create an online store on their own. Many business owners prefer to turn to professionals. When ordering a service from our specialists, you will definitely be satisfied. We will not only help you choose the right solution for your particular business, but also guarantee professional support.

Do you want to create an online store for free in Ukraine right now? Try to test IM SoloMono for free. Our developers will perform all technical and analytical work for such companies. We take care of security, hosting settings and updates. With this kind of assistance, entrepreneurs will be able to focus on building and running their business. Order a turnkey solution that works on the principle of Start-Earn.