How to Start an Online Bookstore in 2020? Your Online Book Store

10 June 2020 Ilona

The Importance of SEO for an Online Book Store
How to work on marketing and SEO promotion
Usability tips
Essential e-commerce features for bookstore website
How to start a bookstore website on WordPress
Online Store Setup Service
How to Choose a Template
Online store themes for inspiration

Online book store. Books are once again gaining popularity among people from all over the world. The desire to learn something new and develop more and more noticeably is observed in people of different ages, social affiliation, and occupation. Against the backdrop of such a rapidly developing trend, the creation of your online bookstore company is a pretty attractive idea for organizing your own business or developing an existing one.

Starting an online bookstore requires in-depth knowledge regarding the most effective site organization, methods for promoting it in the digital world, and many other important “chips.” All of this in combination is vital for creating a high-quality internet product that will bring profit to your organization.

The Importance of SEO for an Online Book Store

Before starting an online book store and working on its SEO promotion let’s find out if we really need SEO promotion; and if the answer is positive, for what purposes it’s crucial. Here we go.

We have found two significant reasons for the need for SEO today and in the future.

Creating a personal brand. The constant presence on the internet, especially when searching for products and services related to your company, allows users to better get acquainted with your organization. This ensures the proper level of recognition and trust in the company, which in the future will improve your presence in the services market, or even lead you to the leading position in sales. The more often a potential buyer meets your brand, the more likely it is that when it comes to buying, they will give preference to you, not your competitors. Over time, the brand you created will work for itself.
Gain top positions in search results. The algorithm to impossibility is simple: the higher you are in the search results, the more responses and opportunities the company receives. Subconsciously, users associate leading positions in search engines with leading organizations that should be preferred and which can and should be trusted.

Clue facts and statistics about online book store

The digital world continues to enslave potential buyers, no matter what goods or services they are interested in. Recent studies have shown that most consumers, before purchasing a product, look for information about it on the internet; in particular, on sites selling the product. Such data is an alarming signal for those who still believe that SEO is not very important for the development of their business. If such companies fail to make the right conclusions in time, in the near future they simply will not be able to compete with their competitors and will be left far behind.

The official proof of the dominance of the online world in the provision of goods and services is the results of a survey conducted by GE Capital Retail Bank, which found that more than 75% of respondents said that they must carefully study a product online before making a purchase, and only after that research, purchase it.

Some more statistics: according to LSA-Acquisio, three-quarters of requests made using mobile phones ensures that shoppers will visit the store again within 24 hours, and about a third of these visitors will definitely buy something.

As we see, not taking into account the internet space when developing your business is a huge mistake. In addition to simply making inquiries about the product in question, more and more users make online purchases. Some do this because they simply don’t have time or opportunity to go to the store and do it themselves, while others do it simply because it’s faster and more convenient. Regardless of their motives, the result is that the main work with clients is gradually moving into the digital space. This change in behavior must be given special attention.

How to work on marketing and SEO promotion of your online book store

Your online bookstore business plan must include a network promotion strategy. The following are key tricks for its implementation.

Work on your SEO strategy

First of all, you need to determine the ultimate goals that you want to achieve as a result of promoting your site. Explore the market for similar projects, determine the reason for the success of those projects that currently occupy higher positions in the search results; and clearly monitor what changes occur when you begin to act.

Make a list of keywords and the range of customers you want to interest

The list of keywords in the case of starting an online bookstore should contain keys like "buy books online", "online book store", etc. Also pay attention to the extent to which you want to advance: at the level of city, state, country, or world. This will help most accurately reach the audience you need for success of your business.

Rate your site

Without any regrets, critically evaluate the content of your website: the more strictly you evaluate, the more successful your business will become in the future. In addition to the directly accessible representation of the entire range that you have, your internet resource should contain interesting content that will force users to constantly return for relevant information. Sites on which content is regularly updated are more popular with search engines, so you should make time for filling the site with useful information. Competent programmers add meta tags to articles, besides headings, that provide information about these pages to search engines.

Track changes regularly

Every change you make to your store affects your rating in one way or another. As a rule, changes occur within two weeks, so tracking improvements after a few days from the moment the changes are made will not allow you to see the full picture. Be patient.

Usability tips

Mostly people who are the authors of various books are seriously interested in creating an online bookstore: using their own online platform, it is easier for them to regulate profits from the sale of their own books. But people who are not authors themselves, but only distributors, can also create an online bookstore. There are also those who sell their own books as well as books from other publishers. It all depends on the desired size of the enterprise. Regardless of which category you want to belong to, it’s useful to find out some tips on how to start a bookstore.

Design a professional layout for your future website

The future online bookstore should be attractive not only in terms of design, but also in terms of ease of use. It is desirable to make the design discreet, using calming colors, so as not to distract the main attention of the buyer from the focus on choosing books.

Pay attention to site structure

The semantic content of the site should first of all contain a catalog of books, divided into various sections by authors, genre of literature, etc. Search will be equally important: this is for that category of users who already know exactly what they want to purchase. For those who have not yet made their choice, an advanced search is suitable: it will allow you to choose a book by genre, author, keyword, cost, etc. Descriptions of books, user reviews, and voting will help to further interest in buyers.

Don't forget about safety

Pay attention to the confidentiality of personal data of users, as well as the security of payment methods: this will help increase confidence in your store.

Incentives and interesting offers are the key to your success

To the extent possible, try to provide regular customers with certain discounts, or discounts when buying goods at a certain cost. Promotional offers will help not only attract new people, but also please your loyal users.

Grow through the use of an internet newsletter

As the owner of an online book store, you have at your disposal the email addresses of your regular readers. Through the newsletter you may regularly notify them of upcoming promotional offers or new arrivals.

Essential eCommerce features for online book store website

Trading in the digital world has its own characteristics, the correct use of which will provide your online book store with everything necessary for continuous development and expansion of opportunities. Each industry has its own features, and the sale of books isn’t an exception. You may already be familiar with some of them, and something will become new.

User-friendly

Three quarters of regular users of online stores claim that having a simple way to use a site is crucial. Therefore, you should not try to come up with something complicated or overly fancy in an effort to surprise the buyer. On the contrary, try to make the visitor’s experience with the store as easy as possible.

Adaptability for mobile devices

Transactions made through a mobile phone will account for almost half of the total number of online purchases made. Accordingly, creating a high-quality mobile phone application will help increase your profits.

Quality media files

The reality is that photos sell goods, not text, so you should focus on high-quality pictures of your products, preferably from different angles, so that the buyer can "feel" the product through their screens.

Related Items

Such a function will be equally useful to both you and potential buyers. They will be able to purchase some interesting books that match their interests, and you will increase your income.

User Reviews

There are practically no users who purchase goods without first reading reviews about them. It is important that there are both positive and negative reviews, so that the review line does not look "artificial", but it is desirable that the rating of the book is not lower than 4 stars. Reviews will make your store more “lively” and increase customer confidence in you.

Special offers

The discount system that we mentioned above will expand your customer base, increase revenue, and improve your SEO.

FAQ

Often, people need more detailed information regarding the conditions of purchase, return, delivery, and restoration of their personal page. Having this section will show users that you care about them.

How to start your online book store website on WordPress

All the popular stores that are known today are connected to the internet in order to reach more potential customers. WordPress is the most preferred content management system, so using it we will show how to create a fully functional online book store.

Set up domain, hosting, and WordPress

Those who already had the opportunity to get acquainted with the key features of websites and WordPress in particular, probably guessed that we will start with a domain and hosting. If you are new to this business, in a nutshell, the domain is essentially the IP address of your store, and hosting is the repository that stores all the data. If you already have these two elements, then you can safely proceed to the installation of WordPress.

Adding eCommerce features

Among all possible eCommerce plugins, WooCommerce is considered the most popular. About one third of online stores around the world use its services. Installing it isn’t difficult. To do this, follow these instructions:

on the admin panel, find the "Plugins Menu" button
in the search bar enter the name of the plugin – WooCommerce plugin
install and activate it

Next, the installation wizard will appear: follow its instructions for setting up an online store.

The picture is more visualized.

After successful activation of the plugin, you should create the basic pages of your future online site, indicate your location, and choose a payment method (PayPal is most preferable).

Build your first product

On the dashboard, find the "Products" section.

There you can add new positions by filling in the proposed fields for characteristics. For example, product name, short description, image, etc. Add all of your products in the same way.

Choose a theme for online book store

In conclusion, you should choose the most suitable theme for you and your business. Below in our article you may find a list of interesting themes among which you will surely find something to your liking.

Online Store Setup Service

Using the services of professionals in setting up an online bookstore is a great solution for a number of reasons. First of all, you do not need to personally study the materials related to setting up this internet platform: as a result, you will save not only time, but also effort. Secondly, our experts, who have significant experience in such matters, will set up an online store, adhering to your needs exactly, while doing it quickly and efficiently. Web developers can easily compensate for your lack of technical skills by taking your online store to a competitive level.

In order to further specify the services we provide, we consider it necessary to indicate them in detail:

setting menu navigation, delivery parameters, and payment methods
uploading the logo for your online store
full import of products
updating customer base
filling in sections, adding content, and other useful information

Separately, it is worth mentioning that our web developers are integrating a service that allows you to track the activity of site visitors. Thus, you can optimize the content of the site, focusing on those aspects that you are most interested in.

How to Choose a Template for your online book store

Many developers around the world are working on creating practical plugins and useful features to improve the appearance of websites. Their designs also include a variety of themes and templates. You may build many theories about how to choose a template that will make your site better. But in reality, everything is much simpler: the template that you will like, both in terms of aesthetic characteristics and technical ones, about which you, like no other, are best aware, is most suitable for your site. The high-quality templates are distinguished by an excellent level of performance, the presence of visual effects and all the necessary set of functions, namely:

At each stage, remember what type of site you are developing, since each site’s uniqueness has its own specifics and characteristics that cannot be ignored.
Do not let excessive economy affect the quality of the site. Many people are concerned about the financial side of the project, but be sure that it is better to increase expenses at the initial stage, so that in the future you do not have to spend time on improvements: it is better to spend the time saved for promoting products.
Be patient. Really cool stuff takes a lot of time and effort, and starting an online book store is no exception.
SEO friendliness is a priority. We already mentioned the need to promote SEO in this article, so we only recall that your position in the search results, and therefore your income, depends on SEO.
The setting options matter. At the initial stage, you may not attach this importance, but as the site functions, you will have to make corrections one way or another, where the configuration options will come in handy.

Online book store themes for inspiration

Before starting an online bookstore, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the most popular templates, but especially with some of the most requested themes. Having studied each of them, you may choose the most suitable instance that will satisfy your needs in all respects.

Boighor - Books Library WooCommerce Theme

A characteristic feature of this theme is the creative approach of its creators to the organization of appearance and focus. Thus, starting an online bookstore with this theme means creating a high-quality and interesting product that will attract users by offering them a variety of books in a hated and interesting interface. Adaptability to any type of screen, more than three views of the main page, various fonts, slider, and social network icons - these are just a few features that this theme offers.

The Book - Single Book WooCommerce Theme

The quality of the content is provided by the Power Build plugin: creating custom page layouts and new posts will take a minimum of time and give an excellent result. User reviews will be arranged in an unusual and attractive way thanks to the capabilities of the Cherry Testimonials plugin. The theme includes detailed documentation, having studied which you may easily install and customize the theme in accordance with the needs and requirements for creating an online bookstore. After reviewing the demo version, you can find answers to all your questions.

Coruja - Book Store & Publisher WooCommerce Theme

When you start an online bookstore, you should pay special attention to this topic. It combines the attractive design of the main page in several variations, a huge number of colors, a slider, compatibility with almost all plug-ins, ready-to-use mega-menu, and much more. The theme is customized with one click. In addition to this theme, your site will look equally worthy on all types of gadgets, regardless of the screen it is viewed on.

EXLIBRIS - Book Store WooCommerce Theme

This theme successfully combines rationalism, minimalism in design, and multifunctionality in settings. The menu is presented in horizontal format, which makes it easier to perceive it. The theme is fully responsive, so the site is equally convenient to use both on the small screen and on the large. When you design the main page, you may use the sliding sections that are already pre-activated. In addition, you may create separate pages for each author, summarizing the key facts from his biography and attaching a photo.

E-book - e-book website theme with widgets for Elementor WooCommerce Theme

Unlike online stores in other areas, a theme for opening an online bookstore should be chosen taking into account the minimal use of unnecessary bright elements and the absence of a large number of templates. Ease and simplicity will become your faithful helpers. A feature of this theme is the emphasis on the representation of books. The home page contains key news and updates, as well as the most popular product categories. Using the "About Us" section will enable your customers to get to know you, your online book store, and your mission better. Each position is dedicated to a separate page, which contains a brief description of the position and photographs illustrating it, as well as rating and user reviews. Products are sorted depending on the filter you select: price, availability of discounts, demand, etc.

BookSto - Bookstore ECommerce Modern Elementor WooCommerce Theme

Starting an online bookstore is no longer difficult if you trust the professional BookDay theme. Elementor, the famous page designer, can create all the pages you need in a matter of seconds. Responsiveness of the theme means an exclusive focus on any gadget, which will allow your store to look decent, whether viewed on a computer, tablet, or smartphone. The reviews section allows users to write reviews or peruse existing reviews. There are also social network icons at your disposal, which will allow website visitors to monitor your posts on social accounts.

BookDay - Clean and Rapid Online Bookstore Website Design WooCommerce Theme

FAQ: your online book store

Traditionally, we conclude with a small selection of questions that users are interested in when they encounter the topic of our article today.

?How profitable are online bookstores?

There is no single answer to this question. It all depends on how much you advertise your internet site, what prices you set, and what sales turnover you will have.

?What related products may I sell in online bookstores?

Potential products include all types of stationery, as well as items needed for creativity. In fact, there are no restrictions, and you may sell anything.

?How much money do I need to spend on opening a quality online bookstore?

Such an undertaking usually costs an amount equal to that which must be spent on the purchase of books to set up your inventory. If you start with selling your own works, the costs will be minimal.

?Which online bookstore is recognized as the best?

It’s difficult to single out one store, but the most popular are AbeBooks, Book Depository, Walmart, Alibris, and Booktopia.

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Ilona

Cheerful and self-motivated person. Interpreter, sportsman, pastry-cook, writer. I strongly believe that self-development is not only about the benefit for yourself, it is also about the opportunity to become useful to others. Meet me on Facebook.

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