This is a list of areas that needs to be taken care of to have a healthy e-commerce site making sales. Just slapping some products on a template that you found in a dropship directory won't do a thing. Running an e-commerce site is like running any other business.
photography
product sourcing
materials ordering
labor management
outsourcing
content
sales copy
graphics
accounting
sales training
phone/emails
marketing tool expenses
payment systems/credit cards
customer service
SEO and other marketing
print design
leadership/team building
conflict resolution skills/manipulation
fraud prevention
legal documents and protection
accounting legal documents
I have addressed all of these areas and more with my own business. I learned a lot working in banking and freelancing. I had many battles. If you only have a few of these areas covered, you aren't partner or business owner material. I've made mistakes in the past by assuming my paterns knew all of the parts a business requires to run. WRONG! Everyone wants to be treated 50/50, but very few people are aware of business systems. This is why I advocate starting a blog before an e-commerce site. A blog is much more simple. Most people can't get their mind around all those subject listed above, plus all of them working together in concert with each other. Its a lot easier to wrap your mind around a blog with a few monetzation methods.
I made a mistake with a business partner. I expected them to cover 50% of those listed areas, and they didn't. They just wanted to take care of a few areas and still get paid as an equal partner. They thought the business was made up mostly of what they did, a few areas. Most of the population isn't aware of what it takes to run a business.
I hope you understand. You have to put in the time. Start with the blogging! Keep in mind, I've been programming since I was 7 years old. I didn't just pop up over night with all of this. I've been through fight after fight. I've been through full time college accounting classes, working a full time job. I nearly starved freelancing, living on my own. Most people don't have the stomach or guts to do what I do. Start with blogging. Its much more simple and faster rewarding.
Start A Blog
