Pets, and especially dogs, have always been an integral part of families. There is not a little kid who did not ask for a puppy or some other pet at one time growing up.
Pets retain the same value for seniors as companions when the children are long gone and you have possibly lost a spouse. These friends require foods, accessories, and grooming products, wherein lies a golden business opportunity that you can set up online.
Getting started
The first step is to set your eCommerce store to increase your business opportunity. You may also want to include a blog and boost its popularity using pet guest posts you can research at OurFitPets.com.
You may not be tech-savvy in digital matters so consider engaging a professional web designer to set up a blog for you. However, put together all the data you will require, such as products, product information, and prices beforehand.
Research your market
It helps to understand the market you want to venture into to be able to compete effectively. Get information on pet products in the market and their prices to help you design a catalog that puts you at an advantage or go for a rare product if you spot one. Check out the existing online stores to see what you can do differently to enhance customer experience
Carry out your research as though you were a customer to identify areas not presently addressed. Having this market intelligence will put you at a great advantage once you launch your pet e-store.
Decide on the category of products
interestingly, the pet store is not different from the master’s supermarket with multiple categories of products. There are foods, utensils, grooming, clothing, and accessories that can individually stock your online pet store if you choose to specialize.
You can set up a pet supermarket with everything conceivable if you have the financial muscle for a one-stop shopping experience. For added advantage, include on your website a blog to share tips on pet health care, training, and general anecdotes to create a community of pet lovers and loyal customers for you.
Create a website and pet store app
Currently, there are dedicated eCommerce open-source platforms that you can use to set up your online pet store. Some of these are simple to use even for those without technical knowledge and allow for this option. The advantage of this approach is that you can customize the site from the understanding of your vision for it and create a better customer experience.
The mobile platform is increasingly gaining popularity among customers, as it is handier than the desktop. Design an appropriate pet store app that grants you a wider market reach and convenience of faster access by customers.
Set up a secure payment gateway
You need the payment for your products, and at the same time, your customers expect to have a simple and convenient payment method when shopping. Limiting options for payment may deny you many customers with alternative modes for payment and stunt your business growth.
Select a credible and secure payment gateway to manage your payments, ensuring more options that include conventional credit/debit cards, internet banking and convertible alternative currency. Your preferred gateway company must also assure you of timely remittance of cash collected or offer an efficient and reliable withdrawal system for you.