It’s never been more important for your business to have a strong digital presence. And for many small businesses, being able to make sales through your website may now be essential.

But when it comes to selling online, there are so many options that it can be hard to know where to start. 

First, consider:

  • How will you get your storefront built? 
  • How will you get all your products or services into the web store? This includes descriptions, images, prices, inventory levels, and more. 
  • How will you maintain your product information over time? As services become unavailable or products go out of stock, how will ensure that information remains current on your website? 

Once you’ve thought through those initial considerations, here are five ways you can get started selling products or services on your website. 

Pssssst: or, you can just skip straight to our quiz to pinpoint the best solution for your business. Take the 2-minute quiz >

IMAGE: Shopify

1. Do it yourself with website-builder software

Many of the DIY software platforms include the ability to add a storefront. With this software, you could build your own ecommerce website, then connect it through a payment gateway to your bank account.

IMAGE: WooCommerce

2. Stand up an ecommerce platform

This might be too challenging to do yourself, but another option is to use an ecommerce platform that plugs into a website built on WordPress or another content management system.

3. Hire an agency

If you find either of the above options too time-consuming or difficult (don’t worry — we understand!), you can hire an agency to take care of it for you. 

Specifically look for an agency with experience building ecommerce websites — preferably for other businesses in your industry. 

4. Engage a designer

Like an agency, a designer can help you get your online store built. On one hand, this can be a more inexpensive way to go. On the other hand, a solo website designer may need more help from you, particularly on the business-process aspects of your online store. 

5. Get a made-to-order website

If you don’t want to build the website yourself, but you’re happy to set up and maintain all your product information, made-to-order may be the way to go. 

With a made-to-order solution, like Jottful, you’ll pay a lot less than if you hired an agency or designer — but you won’t have to do all the heavy lifting yourself.

So, what’s the best way for YOUR BUSINESS to sell online?

We’ve created a brief quiz so you can identify the option that makes the most sense for your needs. We’re even recommending the specific products and approaches we’ve found work best for small businesses like yours.   

Take the 2-minute quiz >