How to Start an Ecommerce Store

Not all ecommerce stores are created equal. The most successful ecommerce websites are the ones that prioritize a smooth, intuitive shopping experience and manage all the aspects of the customer journey with finesse. And that only happens when you take a strategic, thoughtful approach to building your ecommerce store.

But where do you start? From choosing the right ecommerce software to optimizing the customer experience, every decision impacts your store’s growth. Here’s how you can build your ecommerce store.

What you’ll learn:

• What is an ecommerce store?
• Benefits of ecommerce stores
• What makes an ecommerce store successful?
• How to start an ecommerce store
• Six best practices for starting an ecommerce store
• Choosing an ecommerce store-building platform
• Build your ecommerce store with Salesforce

An ecommerce store is a digital storefront where you can sell products or services online. Instead of shopping in a physical store, customers browse, select, and purchase items from a website or app. Unlike traditional brick-and-mortar shops, an ecommerce website doesn’t have the same geographical or time limitations. Customers can shop anytime, anywhere, which makes your business model more flexible and scalable. These online stores come in different forms:

• Business-to-consumer (B2C) ecommerce: B2C businesses sell directly to individual customers, like an online clothing store.
• Business-to-business (B2B) ecommerce: B2B businesses sell to other businesses, such as a wholesaler supplying office equipment.
• Direct-to-consumer (D2C): A D2C brand bypasses retailers and sells straight to customers, common in beauty and fashion industries.
• Marketplaces: Platforms where multiple sellers offer products under one roof. Amazon for retail goods or Etsy for handmade and vintage items are a few examples of marketplaces.

Ecommerce businesses expect 54% of revenue to come from digital channels in the next two years. That’s why leaders are prioritizing selling online. Ecommerce opens up opportunities that traditional in-person sales can’t match. Whether you’re selling niche products or building a global brand, an online store means easy growth and access to a wider audience. Here are a few benefits:

Unlike a physical store with set hours, an online store is always open. Customers can browse and make purchases at any time — during lunch breaks at work or late at night at home. This round-the-clock availability increases sales potential and caters to shoppers in different time zones.

A local store serves nearby customers, but an ecommerce platform removes geographical barriers. Whether you’re selling handmade jewelry or digital products, you can reach buyers across the country — or around the world — without needing multiple storefronts.

Without the expenses of renting retail space or maintaining a large in-store staff, ecommerce business ideas typically cost less to run. You can reinvest these savings into marketing, product development, or customer experience improvements.

Expanding a physical store often requires new locations, additional staff, and high upfront costs. With an effective platform, growth is much simpler. You can add more products, adjust pricing, and serve a larger audience — all without major operational changes.

Not all online stores thrive — what sets the best ones apart? A successful online shop focuses on customer experience, trust, and efficiency. Here are the key factors that drive growth and keep shoppers coming back:

A cluttered or confusing website turns customers away. A well-designed website should be easy to navigate, with clear categories, intuitive site search functions, and a smooth checkout process. The goal? Make shopping simple, fun, and frustration-free.

More than half of online shopping happens on mobile devices. If you want your mobile commerce to be effective, your pages should load quickly, images scale properly, and with a seamless checkout — whether a customer is shopping on a phone, tablet, or desktop.

Shoppers can’t touch or try products online, so visuals and descriptions matter. Clear, high-resolution images, detailed specs, and engaging descriptions help customers feel confident in their purchases.

Customers need to trust your store with their payment information. Offering multiple secure payment options — such as credit cards, digital wallets, and buy-now-pay-later services — helps reduce cart abandonment and builds credibility.

Long wait times or unclear delivery details drive shoppers away. A strong inventory management strategy helps you know that products are in stock and ready for fulfillment, while transparent tracking keeps customers informed.

Questions and concerns can arise at any stage of the shopping journey. Providing fast, helpful ecommerce customer service — through live chat, email, self-service, or a detailed FAQ page — can turn a frustrated customer into a loyal one. You can also implement AI chatbots or Agentforce to offer prompt, contextual, and 24/7 customer support.

Even the best ecommerce shop won’t succeed if no one can find it. A combination of ecommerce marketing, social media, email campaigns, and search engine optimization (SEO) helps drive traffic and boost visibility.

Launching a successful ecommerce store is a big endeavor. Fortunately, it becomes much more manageable if you break it down into smaller, actionable steps. Here’s how to turn your business idea into an operational and profitable ecommerce business.

Identify your niche

Choosing a niche helps your ecommerce store stand out. Instead of selling everything to everyone, focus on a specific product category or audience. Whether it’s eco-friendly home decor or specialty fitness gear, a well-defined niche attracts the right customers and reduces competition (It’s a total win!).

Research platforms

The right tools make all the difference. Consider factors such as ease of use, customization options, payment processing, and growth potential. The best ecommerce platform should align with your business goals and offer built-in ecommerce capabilities to help you scale.

Register your domain

A memorable domain name builds credibility and makes it easier for customers to find your store. Keep it short, relevant to your business, and easy to spell. Many online storefront software solutions offer domain registration as part of their setup process.

Design your online store

Your store’s design should reflect your business, its core values, and provide a smooth shopping experience. Choose a clean, mobile-friendly layout, and use high-quality images. You should offer simple navigation to keep customers engaged and encourage sales.

Choose shipping options

Shipping plays a big role in customer satisfaction. Whether offering free shipping, flat rates, or real-time carrier rates, transparency is key. A strong inventory management system is one of the best ways to consistently provide timely deliveries and prevent overselling.

Curate product listing pages

Your product listing and product detail pages should be informative and engaging. Use high-quality images, detailed descriptions, and clear pricing. Include customer reviews and FAQs to build trust and drive conversions. For example, beauty powerhouse brand L’Oréal uses rich images and descriptions to create an engaging product listing page. Along with useful information on ingredients, swatches, and features, it also offers a “find it nearby” section.

Launch your store

Before going live, test every part of your store — checkout, mobile responsiveness, and load times. A soft launch with a small audience can help identify issues before a full-scale rollout. Once everything is in place, start promoting your store through marketing and social media.

Ecommerce success starts with a thoughtful plan and a strategic approach. You need more than just great products to succeed in today’s market. It’s crucial to have a plan that prioritizes customer-centric experiences and ongoing optimization. Here are six best practices to help you set a strong foundation and expand your business:

1. Conduct thorough market research

Before launching, it’s essential to understand who your customers are, what they need, and how your competitors are meeting (or failing to meet) those needs. Market research helps you identify gaps in the industry, price your products competitively, and tailor your marketing efforts for maximum impact. If multiple businesses sell a similar product, look for ways to differentiate — whether through superior customer service or exclusive offerings.

Start by analyzing your competitors and these questions:

• What products are they offering?
• How do they position themselves?
• What are customers saying in their reviews?

2. Define your target audience

Next, define your target audience. Consider demographics (age, location, income) and psychographics (lifestyle, values, shopping behaviors). Analytics, Google Trends, social media monitoring, and industry reports offer valuable insights into emerging trends and customer preferences. The better you understand your audience, the more effectively you can tailor your ecommerce strategy to meet their needs.

3. Focus on high-quality product presentation

Customers can’t touch, try on, or physically inspect products when shopping online, so presentation is everything. High-quality visuals and detailed descriptions don’t just make your products look more appealing — they directly impact trust and conversion rates.

Invest in professional product photography. Use high-resolution images that showcase different angles, close-up details, and real-world usage. Lifestyle shots — showing the product in action — help customers visualize how it fits into their lives. Pro tip: Include 360-degree images or short product videos to provide a more immersive experience.

Beyond images, product descriptions should go beyond listing features. Instead of simply stating that a jacket is "waterproof," explain how it protects against harsh weather while remaining breathable. We love how Yeti does this — showing benefits and products through great content and storytelling. The goal is to highlight benefits that resonate with the customer’s needs.

4. Develop a solid marketing strategy

Even the best-designed online storefront without great marketing is a meaningless pursuit. And it’s one of the main differences between in-person retail vs. ecommerce. A strong marketing plan drives traffic, builds brand awareness, and turns visitors into loyal buyers. The most effective strategies combine multiple channels to engage potential customers at different touchpoints and increase average order value (AOV) over time. Let’s look at some tips for ecommerce marketing:

• Search engine optimization: Optimize product pages, blog content, and metadata to rank higher on search engines and attract organic traffic.
• Social media marketing: Engage with potential customers on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, using visually compelling content and targeted ads.
• Email campaigns: Build relationships with your audience through welcome sequences, ecommerce personalization, and abandoned cart reminders.
• Influencer partnerships: Collaborate with influencers in your niche to reach a broader audience and gain credibility.

5. Prioritize customer experience

94% of customers say positive service experiences lead to more purchases. A smooth, enjoyable shopping experience keeps customers coming back. Shoppers have high expectations for speed, convenience, and reliability — if your store falls short, they’ll go elsewhere.

Page load times are critical for this very reason. A sluggish website can repel customers before they even explore your offerings. Compressing images, optimizing code, and using a reliable hosting service can significantly improve site speed. Mobile-responsive sites are just as important, as many customers will browse and buy directly from their phones.

Create a frustration-free shopping experience with an intuitive UI. Make sure product categories are easy to navigate, search functions are efficient, and checkout is seamless. Offering guest checkout options and multiple secure payment methods such as one-click checkout and digital wallets can help minimize abandoned carts.

Customer loyalty is built on excellent support. Offer live chat, multichannel support through Agentforce, and FAQs to quickly address concerns and common questions. Go beyond the transaction with personalized follow-ups and handwritten notes, creating a memorable customer experience.

6. Choose the right ecommerce platform

The ecommerce platform you select is the cornerstone of your business. It directly influences your ability to manage inventory, customize your storefront, and scale with demand‌ — ‌factors vital to your success. Choosing poorly can result in technical hurdles, limited features, and higher costs.

Look for a platform that aligns with your business needs. If you’re just starting, an easy-to-use solution with built-in design templates and marketing tools can help you launch quickly. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) should consider a platform that supports growth and scalability. The platform should handle increased traffic and integrate with your existing tech stack.

The platform you choose is the invisible hand guiding every click, every purchase, and customer experience in your store. Choosing the right ecommerce platform is a critical part of your success, since the technology determines so much of the experience on your site. But with so many options available, how do you determine the best fit for your business? Here are some key factors that will help you decide:

• Ease of use: If you’re new to ecommerce, an intuitive platform with drag-and-drop design tools and built-in templates can help you get started quickly. A steep learning curve can slow down your launch and make daily operations more difficult.
• Customization options: Your store should reflect your brand. Look for platforms that allow you to modify layouts, colors, fonts, and features without requiring advanced coding knowledge.
• Mobile responsiveness: A significant portion of online shopping happens on mobile devices. Your website should be fully optimized for different screen sizes to create a seamless shopping experience.
• Scalability: While you may be starting small, your platform should support future growth. Make sure it can handle increased traffic and product expansion as your business gets bigger.
• Payment and checkout options: A frictionless checkout experience is key for conversions, which means your point-of-sale (POS) system needs to be convenient for consumers. Choose a platform that supports multiple secure payment methods, including credit/debit cards, digital wallets, and buy-now-pay-later services.
• SEO and marketing tools: Your store needs built-in tools to help drive traffic and increase sales. Features like SEO optimization, email marketing integrations, and social commerce can help grow your audience.

Security and compliance: Protecting customer data is non-negotiable. Look for platforms that offer SSL certification, fraud prevention, and compliance with data privacy regulations.

Running an ecommerce store is a multi-tasking marathon. A unified ecommerce platform brings harmony and offers a 360-degree view of inventory, marketing campaigns, customer interactions, and fulfillment. Go for an integrated ecommerce platform like Commerce Cloud as it helps you offer seamless shopping experiences to your customers. Plus, you can count on built-in automation and Agentforce to offer personalized experiences to your customers.