Shift4Shop eCommerce Blog | Starting a Business (8)

With so many logins and passwords to remember, it's easy to lose track of something. Even if you have the world's best organizational skills, you're going to end up using tons of different websites — especially if you run a business. Making things even more difficult is that some websites don't make their login pages easy to find, so signing into your account can be frustrating.

This article collects some of the most common login pages from websites you're likely to use while managing your[...]

If you start your own business, you're going to find yourself faced with a lot of questions. Who are your customers? What's your unique value proposition? What type of structure would be best? And should you incorporate?

Incorporation is the act of establishing your business as a corporation, of which there are two types: a C corporation and an S corporation. Both offer advantages, and depending on your business might be the best option for you. But there are downsides, too, which is why you[...]

A website is a necessity for a business these days, but no matter why you've decided to build a website, there are a few conventions you should follow to make sure your visitors enjoy their stay. Of course, the beauty of website creation is that you have a lot of flexibility and you should create something that truly reflects your brand — but you want to do it in a way that presents your business in a good light and encourages visitors to browse, learn and convert.

To reach this goal, you need[...]

The fundamentals of eCommerce are simple - purchase or create a product and sell it online. It’s the nagging administrative hassles that aren’t quite so easy to handle. And of those, the administrative detail that gives online sellers the most trouble is sales tax.

This article will provide online sellers with an overview of everything you need to know about sales tax nexus, how to calculate sales tax in different states, and more.

Let’s dig in.

Did you know that 80% of businesses fail within the first 18 months? It's a sad, frightening reality that often scares budding entrepreneurs away from the idea of starting a business of their own. But as hard as the facts are, they shouldn't discourage you from trying — instead, take the opportunity to learn from the mistakes of others.

There's a time-tested process for starting a business, and the better you do in these early stages, the more likely you are to survive later on, even in the[...]

Success as an online business is never guaranteed. It doesn’t matter how good your idea is or how much time and energy you commit to making it work, the rewards are not always forthcoming.

By following a few simple guidelines with a track record of generating success, however, you can give yourself the best possible chance of achieving something special.

In this article Richard Dean from Caffeinated Projects shares the 7 stages to start an online business, attract visitors and convert them into[...]

Many people dream of starting their own business, whether to make money and improve their lives, to build something they can be proud of, because they have an idea they'd like to see come to fruition — or all three of these reasons combined. Being an entrepreneur is both challenging and rewarding, and it's easy to see the appeal of being your own boss and reaching success through your own efforts.

Some potential entrepreneurs know from the very beginning what type of business they want to[...]

Amazon launched an enhanced version of Amazon Brand Registry in May of 2017 to help manufacturers and brand owners protect their registered trademarks (on Amazon) and create an accurate and trusted experience for customers.

What is Amazon Brand Registry?

A new and improved registry for a brand’s rights owners that helps you deliver an accurate and trusted customer experience on Amazon while protecting your intellectual property.

Why You Should Try Amazon Brand Registry

For brand owners,[...]

Selling on Amazon is an exciting prospect. Your products can be out there on the world's largest marketplace, where every day millions of shoppers hunt for their most-desired items.

If you want to start selling on Amazon as soon as possible, this guide is for you. We'll walk you through account creation, listing your products, and more. We'll also provide you with tips to help you build your Amazon strategy and get more sales.

To start, the first thing you need to do is create your seller[...]

Having been in the eCommerce business for more than a decade, I find it mildly amusing when new members of our eCommerce training course say that their biggest concern is the actual building of a website. It is understandable; of course, I'm sure that I was pretty overwhelmed at the concept back in the day, although it was so long and so many websites ago, I can't really remember.

The fact is, actually building your online store is the EASIEST part of setting up a web based business. Ecommerce[...]

Starting a business is a long, involved process, but you can make it a lot easier on yourself by following a structured plan.

The secret to completing any task is knowing what to do, and when and how to do it — and while starting a business might seem like a massive undertaking, it really isn't if you break it down appropriately. The process is long and involved, but like everything else, it's just a matter of completing the steps one by one until you get there!

This checklist will summarize[...]

The world of commerce is turning away from physical storefronts and going digital. It seems like customers can buy almost anything online nowadays, and more customers love the ease of online purchasing.

With big-name businesses like Amazon leading the way in the online frontier, it’s no wonder so many physical businesses are transitioning to the digital sphere. This transition is a natural step, but it’s easier said than done. There are a lot of things to consider when moving online, and you[...]

If you're interested in selling more online, you could be starting from a few potential points.

Maybe you already have an online store of your own and you're looking to break into a larger market. Maybe you're already selling on a large marketplace like eBay and you want to expand your reach. Or, maybe you're just starting out, you have no website or item listings anywhere, and you have yet to make a single sale.

These are very different situations, but they have a lot in common, and that's the[...]

More and more online stores have embraced dropshipping, a business model that leverages third parties to add efficiency to an ecommerce website. In fact, anywhere from one-quarter to one-third of all online stores use dropshipping as their preferred fulfillment method.

Of course, implementing dropshipping as a business model isn’t as simple as it seems. You need to arm yourself with a strong business plan to help mitigate the numerous challenges associated with dropshipping.

Which challenges do[...]

Since its founding in 1995, eBay has grown into one of the largest and most popular online marketplaces in the world. Every day, millions of people log on to list items for sale or auction, or to shop for the products they need. Over 2 billion transactions are made on eBay each day and the site hosts thousands of dollars' worth of sales every second.

As an eCommerce retailer, what do these huge numbers mean to you? You may think that owning your own online store means you have to compete with[...]

Privacy policy. The term conjures up images of grayed-out, minuscule links at the bottom of web-pages. Though often ignored, this legal document is easily one of the most important texts on a website.

Together with Terms of Service documents, acquiring user consent and Cookie Policy/Cookie Law, it's a key component of what should be a 360° approach to making your e-commerce website compliant to both national and international regulations.

With this in mind, iubenda and 3dcart are hosting a[...]

Sales on Amazon add up to almost half of all online retail sales, and that number is likely to continue to grow. For a large proportion of online shoppers, it's clear that Amazon is the first stop they make when they want to buy something.

If you're an eCommerce merchant already or if you're looking into getting started selling online, you're probably considering listing your products on Amazon.

Selling on this overwhelmingly popular marketplace can work out very well, but there are some key[...]

For many people, the first thing that comes to mind when they think of making an online purchase is eBay. Founded in 1995, eBay has become a major online marketplace for buyers and sellers in many countries all over the world. Every day, millions of people visit eBay to bid on auctions, make purchases, or sell their products and services.

As an eCommerce merchant, you have a very good reason to learn the ins and outs of eBay beyond the basics. Expanding your business into eBay sales can be a[...]

"How much does it cost to set up an online store?" is one of the most important questions you can ask when getting into eCommerce.

In fact, costs are a main concern when anyone is starting a new business venture. Nothing worthwhile really comes for free. Your budget affects the majority of your business decisions, and laying out your costs as thoroughly as possible is a vital part of your planning.

A lot of factors are going to come into play. But your primary goal is to create an online store[...]

Choosing a domain name when creating an eCommerce website is one of the most important business decisions you can make. As the URL (web address) your customers type into the address bar of their browser, your domain name affects your branding, visibility, search rankings, and more. What with all the competition out there, you need to be memorable, and your domain name can do a lot to help or hinder that.

A bad domain name can make your site hard to find and impossible for customers to remember[...]