How to create your online store in 5 simple steps

Ethel Linnasaar

Marketing manager

Starting an online store may be a challenge, especially if you have decided to do
it independently, but it's not impossible. We'll share helpful tips to make your journey in web building easier.

Maintaining an online store and website is very important to your business - it brings you new customers, new income, and new opportunities.

An e-shop starts with a good idea.
Every e-shop starts with a good idea.

What's your idea?

Find an idea that would be successful and also personally meaningful. It's always good to do something that you like, but an excellent idea is when it also helps to fix the market deficit.

The first question you have to answer is whether you want to sell products or offer a service. The best advice for finding an initial idea would be to look at the categories of your favorite major e-shops - Amazon, eBay, AliExpress - you can find good ideas there, which will also sympathize with you.

Tip: Make yourself an Excel table where you can write down all your ideas; it will make it easier to have an overview. 


Keep an list of your ideas for your online store.
An overview of all the ideas will help you make a choice.
But if you've already found the area that you are interested in - such as accessories, furniture, children's clothing, whatever - you'll also want to explore your competitors and improve your product if possible. But remember, focusing only on a competitor's work and products won't make you better than them. After all, it's your idea and your company.

Avoid niches that are already dominated by well-known brands. There are areas where you just can't be better than the popular brands – for example, when you buy new headphones, you usually go straight to the best-known brands - Sony, Apple, Samsung, etc. But when it comes to areas that have not developed a market leader, people tend to search Google for what they want - a "cheap closet for the bedroom" or "an oak wood dining table." Optimizing your website is an excellent way to get more clients, more about that in the following chapter.

Make a plan to get started with your e-son
To get started with an e-son, first think through your business plan.

Build your own brand

Your company's brand is a vital part of the success of an online store. It is not a matter of life and death but gives a lot to your company.

The name should be easy to pronounce - it's best to put a name with the same pronunciation as spelling. Otherwise, people may not understand the spelling of your e-store and may not reach your website.

The e-shop stands out especially when a good name and brand is chosen.
The company's name and brand are important in gaining new customers.
Be original! Don't put a name that already exists or is very similar to an existing brand. In 1998, Victor and Cathy Moseley opened a laundromat called Victor's Secret. The first thing that comes to mind when hearing this name is the global brand Victoria's Secret, to whom the similarity of the two names had brought negative effects. Therefore, Victoria's Secret complained about the name of the lingerie store. As a result, Victor and Cathy were forced to change the name of their store. It is always better to put a proper name right away than to change it later.

Give the name meaning. There are two ways to do it - put a name related to the field of activity or a name that has a deeper and more personal meaning. When associating a name with a niche, you have to think about how it might fit your product/service so that it doesn't narrow down your field of activity - don't name your business Cool Gloves because maybe you want to start selling socks in the future. It can get confusing for customers. In the case of personal names, use the background history of the name as a marketing input - give your customers more information about the company, which can help you build trust and recognition.

In general, the length of the name MUST NOT be more than three words. We recommend using 1-2 words instead - it is crucial because the name is easier to pronounce and better to find.

Choosing an e-shop name is a thoughtful process.
Pay attention to the different factors when choosing a company name

Find a home for your online store

We previously talked about choosing a name. The choice of name and domain go hand in hand - keep an eye on the availability of domains simultaneously. It would be best to get the .com domain name you want; it is the most universal for customers. However, other domains are also gaining popularity.

In addition to .com, there are also country domains such as .ee (Estonian market), .eu (European market), .fr (French market), etc. In addition, it is possible to get a personalized domain such as .agency, .drink, .apartments. Using such a domain is to allow you to specify more precisely what your business is and what you are selling. Zone and Web Hosting are Internet support providers where you can also find personalized domain endings.

Register the domain of your website as soon as possible, it may not be available later.
It is also possible to buy your domain from Voog - you can find all domain endings here! The yearly domain is free for you with the Plus and Premium annual packages. In other words, if you need help adding a domain, redirecting, or whatever, here's an overview of how to set up your domain on your Voog website. And be sure to contact our super customer support at support@voog.com if you have any further questions.

Make your online store

Now that everything else has been decided and done, it's time to put the e-shop into practice. It all depends on how you want your online store to look - the fate of your e-store is in your hands. Let your creativity fly!

In the beginning, find a web solution that is right for you. One of the most popular multilingual website builders is Voog; creating an online store has never been easier. So open the Voog, and let's get to know each other - you can do it for free for 30 days.

Start free

Managing your products in your Voog e-store just got a whole lot easier, with an automated product list that automatically draws product pages.
To get started, find a package that meets all the goals of your business. We recommend the standard package if you want to make a company's business card-style website. The package includes an online store, but you can only add three products. If you already have a more prominent online store, it is wise to go for the Premium package. There is no 3% transaction fee, and you always have priority in customer support. The plus package is the golden path, usually suitable for most customers.

Tip: The Plus and Premium annual packages include a free yearly domain.


The Plus and Premium packages are the most suitable for making an online store.
Think about which package would be right for your business.
Now choose a design you like from the Voog template possibilities. Don't worry; it's not permanent. You can change the website template anytime. You can try all the templates in the stream for free for 30 days. Your store is in the cloud, meaning you don't have to install or code anything. Everything you need is right there – twist, drag and place.

In Voog, we take care of all the websites personally. We want all our users to feel safe on the platform, and we also take care of the updates. If you need help setting up your e-store, please read our guide or contact our customer support directly - support@voog.com.

Tip: If you feel that building an online store yourself is difficult and would still like the help of an agency, don't hesitate to get in touch with our friends, they can make your dreams come true.


It is easy for developers to use the Voog platform as a basis for their projects

It is very easy to create an online store yourself with Voog, but if necessary, our partners will also help you.



Now that the online store is visually ready, it's time to add the products to the e-shop. Voog has made the process very easy - you have to fill in the product information, and the product pages generate automatically. Adding a product content area to a subpage is also extremely easy. Different categories help you display specific products - a great tool if you want to run campaigns in your online store.

Tip: Here is a detailed overview of how to add your products to the store.


The only way to pay for the products is with an invoice, which is not a good solution when many different payment methods exist. After all, you want your customers to have the most convenient and effortless shopping experience, so we recommend adding other payment methods to your e-store - for example, Maksekeskus, PayPal, etc.

Now you have finished setting up your e-shop - products and other important information are added for the online store to function. But at the moment, we only have a front page and product subpages on the website. To make the website even more exciting and reliable for customers, add other pages - for example, the "Contact" page, "About the company" page, "Shipping and exchange" page. All this helps customers get to know and trust your business.

Make yourself visible

Now, you have everything set up, and the e-shop is open. When customers come from Google, Facebook, or other marketing channels come to your e-store website, they will immediately understand what you have to offer, and there will be no confusion. There is a lot of trust in a beautiful and well-functioning website. The next step is to start focusing on marketing.

The first step is to come up with a marketing strategy that works for your business - you cant use all the methods at the same time, you need to find a goal that your business focuses on and that you want to achieve over time. It gives you an idea of which channels are suitable for your business.

Be special and stand out thanks to Voog SEO tools.

Be cool and special, and stand out to others!


Next, configure your website for SEO (search engine optimization). There is a big difference between stores that optimize their website and those that don't - some are on the first page of Google, and some are very difficult to find on a search engine. To make yourself visible in the search engine, come up with a list of words that describe the purpose of your business and use those words in the content of your website. Voog platform has a unique SEO tool that makes it easy to set up.


Tip: Set up your online store SEO in 25 minutes; this guide will help you.


Social media marketing is a different matter altogether. It would be best if you found channels where your customers spend time and are sure to keep your Company account active. But the best advice on how to get started is to choose just one marketing channel and focus on it at the beginning and begin gradually. Create a marketing calendar that helps you plan your social media activities - keep track of your schedule and make scheduled posts, so you don't miss a thing.

Tip: Put links to all your social media accounts on the homepage.


E-mail marketing is one of the essential marketing outputs. If you thought it was an outdated or old-school technique, it is a very powerful and effective form of marketing. E-mail is a great way to send the desired information to the right target group quickly and cheaply.

Build your webstore today!
Start now!
All five steps have been completed, and now you have earned the title of "expert in creating an online store on the Voog platform". Our advice to you is to don't wait for the "perfect" time and start now.