# Start up e-commerce site.



## Dambz2320 (Dec 1, 2014)

Hey all super amped to be part of the forum. Just a quick question though. My girlfriend and I are going ahead with the startup of an e-commerce site for t-shirt. We are looking at doing the the transfers ourselves and then selling via e-com... We are really amped and raring to go, any tips on how to keep it efficient and streamlined. Looking forward to some great feedback.


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## Hebiki (Apr 4, 2013)

Dambz2320 said:


> Hey all super amped to be part of the forum. Just a quick question though. My girlfriend and I are going ahead with the startup of an e-commerce site for t-shirt. We are looking at doing the the transfers ourselves and then selling via e-com... We are really amped and raring to go, any tips on how to keep it efficient and streamlined. Looking forward to some great feedback.


Derick

there's two ways you can do an e-commerce website. here's a quick overview so you dont fall asleep while reading this. 

1. do it yourself.
2. hire a professional web designer and developer.

if you're going #1... you have two options there. A. pay a monthly subscription to a company like Shopify or Volusion. or B. build your own website using Opencart, Magento, WooCommerce, etc. 

things to keep in mind if you do #1 or #2 are related costs.

You'll have to pay for your domain name to be registered, hosting (which is usually included in solutions like Shopify, Volusion) and an SSL. Also you need to have some sort of payment gateway. A lot of people use paypal. Or if you have a merchant business bank account, Authorize.net. And of course if you hire someone, the cost for them to build it for you.

Hope this helps, if you have any other questions, PM me.. or post here and ill try to keep track of it.


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## Dambz2320 (Dec 1, 2014)

Super feedback, the excitement is building we really can't wait to get started ! Appreciate the feedback it's super helpful. Already have my business plan pre-approved by a consultancy agency!! Raring to go. We thought of the shoplift option as a trial, if it pulls off we will stick with it or move on to try our own website. Awesome to know that there are people out there that share a passion like this ! Big cheers to you !


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## albadavenport (Mar 31, 2015)

Hey there,
Firstly wish you all the best with your new venture! E-commerce is a booming industry nowadays and with the right resources you can really earn a lot! The first and foremost thing for the success of an e-commerce business is the website because that is where users buy products from. A dull, boring site won't attract users to your site. I would recommend that putting in a bit of investment in getting your website done from a good and reputed website design company will reap great benefits. Professional web designers have complete knowledge of the right styles and frames that must be implemented to make your website unique and eye-catching. Apart from design, many web design firms also provide services like social media management and seo where they not only design your site but also help in promoting it. This will be really beneficial for your e-commerce business.


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## JohnWilson (Mar 31, 2015)

Hey,

Congrats For your new Starup! Agree with Hebiki that you have two options either you can use DIY option or you can hire professionals.Creating a clean and easy to navigate website for your business is a key
to attract customers.For new e-commerce entrepreneurs, it's important to have a high-quality product on your website that is different and better.Having a customized design and layout will make your site more accessible, appealing and user-friendly.


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## lvprinting (Sep 23, 2014)

Dambz2320 said:


> Hey all super amped to be part of the forum. Just a quick question though. My girlfriend and I are going ahead with the startup of an e-commerce site for t-shirt. We are looking at doing the the transfers ourselves and then selling via e-com... We are really amped and raring to go, any tips on how to keep it efficient and streamlined. Looking forward to some great feedback.


Don't get sucked into the "I need to pay $1000 for a good website" talk from people. You can get a developer to build a nice clean WooCommerce or OpenCart site for $300 if you can provide your own product images and descriptions to them. Or start off with a $14/month Shopify site and save yourself some money while you determine if your products will sell or not.

Sent from my SM-G900T using T-Shirt Forums


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## SunEmbroidery (Oct 18, 2007)

I like your ENERGY! If you go with a professional web designer just make sure your excitement - your passionate for what you're doing - isn't lost in the process.


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## SickHead (Apr 23, 2015)

i was told i had to spend thousands for monkey button pressing realizing i could've done it with my own ****s and giggles. check me out! sickheadempire.com


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## brad7821 (Mar 28, 2015)

As far as the ecommerce platform I can recommend what has worked for us and that is shopify. I suppose any similar platform would work. Shopify has some nicely made themes with styles for everyone. We ended up purchasing the retina theme which gave us the building blocks and tools to create a great first website. With a bit of additional help from online html and css editing tutorials like Learn to codeacademy we were able to get our shop to the level we wanted - hollowlegstore.com
Doing the website ourselves kept our costs down dramatically. One downside that we are currently dealing with is very limited options for discounts. Be prepared to need additional apps to compliment your shop that might cost you extra. 

Best of luck


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