Have you ever wondered how to grow an online retail business? Well, we get a lot of small businesses asking that question because an average of 18 million eCommerce stores presently exist, and only a few make a sale of more than $1000.

As competitive as the market might seem, there is much room for growth. But how does one begin and grow a successful online retail business?

Today's operation of an eCommerce business has become easier with the advent of several websites built for eCommerce management. For example, you can basically rent space on a platform, follow the community guidelines, and begin running your new eCommerce store at little to no cost. You have to know what you are doing to do it the right way, even though it sounds easy. So keep reading as we show you how to grow an online retail business for free. Consider this your beginner guide to eCommerce.

How to Start and Grow an Online Retail Business for Free?

Starting an online retail industry has never been as easy to start as it is now. All you need is some form of a following online, a means to process transactions, and inventory. You do not even need your own website thanks to the same internet. You can easily sell your products on Shopify, WordPress, AllValue, and many other eCommerce site builders.

You can employ different free eCommerce business models to show how to grow an online retail business for free. Examples of these models are:

1. Affiliate Marketing: Affiliate marketing is a popular way to earn money online. It is performance-based marketing where you receive a commission for driving traffic to another company's website. Essentially, you sell products for other companies, and they give you a commission for each product sold. Affiliate marketing is a great way to earn money online because it doesn't require your own product or a physical storefront.

1. Dropshipping: Dropshipping is an eCommerce business model that allows you to sell products online without holding each item. The dropshipping model enables you to sell your products directly through various websites, such as eBay and Etsy, without having the product yourself. Dropshipping probably tops the list on growing an online retail business for free as it requires little to begin with. With lower costs of inventory and fulfillment, you can start an eCommerce store with less capital and then gradually grow it into something more substantial.

You can start an online store using the top eCommerce website builder, such as AllValue, and WordPress, easy-to-use platforms that can do everything from bookkeeping to marketing. Of course, you also need a digital or physical product that you can sell or promote online. This online inventory allows potential customers to know what it is you sell.

Requirements to Launch an eCommerce Business

To find out how to grow an online retail business, you have to know how to start one. Follow these steps to begin your journey to financial freedom with eCommerce:

• Find Your Niche: What field of eCommerce retail are you interested in? What products are needed but lacking in the eCommerce industry?

• Learn about Customer Service: Since eCommerce is a customer-oriented business, your store needs to be customer-oriented.

• Create a Business Plan for Your Online Retail Store: What strategies do you plan to employ for product marketing and promotion? Get started on social media and other marketing efforts. The next step with a business plan in play is to use the marketing strategies you developed, primarily via social media.

• Set Up an Online Store: You can choose to go the challenging route and create a website from scratch, but since your goal is how to grow an online retail business for free, we advise you use a hosting site like AllValue.

A Six-Step Guide to Growing Your eCommerce Business for Free

There are many ways to increase your eCommerce business, although some of these methods may cost a significant penny. With that in mind, here's a simple guide to growing your eCommerce business for free;

      Step 1: Create your online shop with a platform that will help with product promotion like AllValue.

      Step 2: Create content for your website. Engaging content will always draw a crowd over boring content.

      Step 3: Build and utilize your email list. Sometimes people don't know what they want until they see it. Put your products at the forefront by having a solid email list.

      Step 4: Use social media. More people spend time on their social media than they do sending texts. Your ideal customer base is on social media; why not use it.

      Step 5: Google shopping can promote your products for free. You can visit google help to read up on requirements.

      Step 6: Let your customers speak for you by building a loyal customer base who willingly provides honest reviews about your services.

The crux of how to grow an online retail business is in the platform you use; rather than worrying about how to start your business, partner with a platform with marketing capabilities, like AllValue.

AllValue is an eCommerce software tool that is simple, scalable, and risk-free. With AllValue, you don't have to put any money down upfront, especially with our 30-day free trial at sign-up. Instead, we’ll take care of all the backend details so you can focus on growing your business. Visit our website for more information on our services!