How to Build an Online Store That Sells More Products

The ecommerce world has exploded in recent years. But with that explosion has come intense competition. Today, simply having an online store isn't enough—you need a store that sells. That means a well-structured foundation, the right technology, and a clear understanding of what makes people buy.

In this guide, we’re not just talking about setting up a store—we're talking about building one that’s optimized for conversions, designed to grow, and tailored to sell more products. Focuses on the planning phase, helping you build a strong base before launching. This is where most businesses either set themselves up for success—or stumble before they even go live.

Let’s begin with the essentials.

Step 1: Identify Your Niche and Winning Products

The most successful online stores serve a specific niche. Why? Because trying to sell “everything to everyone” leads to generic branding, broad messaging, and poor conversions.

Start by identifying your niche. Are you targeting eco-friendly shoppers? Tech-savvy millennials? Pet owners who treat their pets like royalty?

Once you know your audience, identify 5–10 core products with clear demand. Use tools like:

• Google Trends to track interest over time

• Amazon Best Sellers to see what’s moving

• TikTok and Instagram to find emerging trends

Don’t just chase what’s trending—align it with what you can actually source, brand, and deliver well. Winning products usually fall into one of three categories:

• Products that solve a problem

• Products that spark emotion or lifestyle appeal

• Products that are hard to find elsewhere

Before moving forward, ask yourself: Would a customer choose this product over Amazon or Walmart? If not, why should they buy it from you?

Step 2: Define a Clear Value Proposition

Now that you have your niche and products, you need to answer a key question: Why should someone buy from your store, and not a competitor’s?

This is your Unique Value Proposition (UVP)—a one-sentence statement that sets you apart.

Great UVPs focus on:

• Faster delivery

• Exclusive products

• Lower prices (or better value)

• Better support or post-purchase experience

• A cause or mission (e.g., sustainable, cruelty-free)

Example:

Instead of saying: “We sell skincare products,”

Say: “We help busy women restore their skin’s glow naturally in just 5 minutes a day—without harsh chemicals.”

Once your UVP is clear, integrate it across your homepage, product pages, ads, and packaging.

Step 3: Choose the Right Ecommerce Business Model

Choosing the right business model determines how you source, ship, and profit from your products. Here's a breakdown of the most common ecommerce models for 2025:

Business Model	Description	Pros	Cons
Dropshipping	You sell, a supplier ships to the customer	Low upfront cost, scalable	Low margins, supplier dependency
Private Labeling	You brand and sell pre-made products	Higher profit margins, brand control	Inventory management, upfront costs
Print-on-Demand	Custom designs on apparel, mugs, etc.	No inventory, flexible product offerings	Long shipping times, limited customization
Wholesale/Retail	Buy in bulk, sell individually	High volume potential, reliable fulfillment	Requires storage, higher upfront investment
Subscription Boxes	Recurring product deliveries	Predictable revenue, high LTV	Needs strong branding and retention strategy

Choose a model based on your budget, time, and risk tolerance. Many new businesses start with dropshipping or print-on-demand, then shift to private label or wholesale once they validate their market.

Step 4: Conduct Legal, Tax, and Payment Planning

Before setting up your store, take care of the backend essentials:

• Register your business: Choose a legal structure (sole proprietorship, LLC, etc.) based on your country’s regulations.

• Apply for an EIN (in the US) or a tax ID in your jurisdiction

• Open a business bank account

• Understand sales tax rules, especially if you sell across states or countries (use tools like TaxJar or Avalara)

Also, ensure your ecommerce platform supports secure payment methods. In 2025, most customers expect:

• Debit and credit cards

• Apple Pay and Google Pay

• PayPal, Stripe

• Buy Now, Pay Later options (e.g., Klarna, Afterpay)

Make sure the platform is PCI-DSS compliant and includes SSL encryption by default.

Step 5: Select the Right Ecommerce Platform

Your store's platform is your virtual headquarters. Choosing the right one affects your speed, flexibility, SEO performance, and marketing potential.

Here’s a breakdown of the top ecommerce platforms for small businesses in 2025:

Platform	Best For	Starting Price	Standout Feature
Shopify	All-in-one selling	$29/month	App store + multichannel tools
WooCommerce	WordPress-based sites	Free plugin	Full customization & control
Wix	Creatives & beginners	$27/month	Drag-and-drop editor
BigCommerce	Fast-scaling stores	$29.95/month	Built-in SEO + B2B features
Squarespace	Visual storytelling	$23/month	Elegant templates + blogging

Choose based on your needs:

• Shopify for robust ecommerce + easy setup

• WooCommerce if you’re already on WordPress

• Wix or Squarespace for visual brands with simple product catalogs

• BigCommerce if you plan to scale aggressively or need complex inventory features

Step 6: Set Up Your Store Structure and Branding

Before adding products, set up your site's structure to guide users toward a purchase.

Navigation:

Stick to 5–7 top-level menu items. Example:

• Home

• Shop (with dropdown for categories)

• About

• Blog

• Contact

Pages to Create:

• Home: Clearly highlight your UVP, categories, and bestsellers

• Category Pages: Organize your products logically

• Product Pages: Include high-resolution images, benefits-focused copy, and real reviews

• Cart and Checkout: Keep it clean, distraction-free, and mobile-optimized

• Support Pages: Shipping, returns, FAQs, privacy policy

Branding Essentials:

• Logo in SVG or PNG format

• Brand colors (limit to 2–3 main + 1 accent)

• Fonts that are easy to read and reflect your brand tone

• Voice that speaks to your audience’s values (fun, authoritative, minimalist, etc.)

Step 7: Upload Products with Optimized Descriptions

Your product pages can either convert or confuse. In 2025, high-converting pages include:

• Benefit-focused product titles: Not just what it is, but why it matters

• Persuasive descriptions: Highlight features, benefits, and use cases

• Professional product photos: Use white backgrounds + lifestyle photos

• Videos: Add product demos or unboxings

• Clear CTAs: “Add to Cart,” “Buy Now,” “Get Yours Today”

• Social proof: Verified reviews, star ratings, and testimonials

Don’t forget to optimize your product metadata for SEO. Use relevant keywords in:

• Product titles

• Meta descriptions

• Image alt text

• URL slugs

Step 8: Prepare for Launch with Pre-Marketing

Before your store goes live, build anticipation. Don’t wait until launch day to attract traffic.

Use a “Coming Soon” landing page to collect emails with:

• A free gift or discount

• Early access signup

• A countdown timer

Promote your store before it launches using:

• Social media teasers and stories

• Influencer partnerships

• Community group engagement (Facebook, Reddit, etc.)

This not only builds hype but gives you a warm audience to launch to on day one.

Optimizing Your Online Store to Sell More Products

The foundation of your online store, Part 2 is about scaling it with strategy. Because the truth is, launching a store is only half the battle. The real challenge lies in converting visitors into buyers — and then turning those buyers into repeat customers.

In today’s ecommerce world, consumers are overwhelmed with choices. What makes them choose you? It often comes down to how well your store is optimized for conversions, user experience, and trust.

The guide focuses on conversion rate optimization (CRO), product presentation, marketing automation, and building repeat sales channels — all critical for increasing your sales per visitor.

 

Step 1: Create High-Converting Product Pages

Product pages are the final gateway between browsing and buying. Optimizing them is the most direct way to increase your conversion rate.

Here’s how to craft product pages that sell:

Headline and Title Optimization

• Use clear, benefit-driven titles instead of just product names.

• Example: “100% Organic Cotton T-Shirt – Breathable and Skin-Friendly”

Description Formatting

• Focus on solving the customer’s problem or fulfilling their desire.

• Use bullet points for scannability.

• Include key specs, benefits, and unique value propositions.

Images and Videos

• Include multiple high-quality images: product-only, lifestyle, zoomed-in, and alternate angles.

• Product demo or unboxing videos improve conversion by 20–30% (source: BigCommerce, 2024).

Trust Signals

• Show real customer reviews and ratings.

• Include icons for secure checkout, return policies, fast shipping.

Call-to-Action (CTA)

• Use a clear, bold CTA like “Buy Now,” “Add to Cart,” or “Get Yours Today.”

• Avoid vague buttons like “Submit” or “More Info.”

Step 2: Speed and Mobile Optimization

Slow websites lose sales — full stop. In fact, according to Google, a 1-second delay in page load can reduce conversions by 7%. Your site must be fast and responsive, especially for mobile users.

Key tips:

• Compress images without losing quality using tools like TinyPNG or ShortPixel

• Minimize plugins or scripts that slow down your site

• Use mobile-first design practices (larger buttons, simplified layout)

• Implement lazy loading for product images

Also, test your store’s performance using Google PageSpeed Insights or GTMetrix regularly and act on suggestions.

Step 3: Build a Funnel That Captures Every Visitor

Every visitor won’t buy on their first visit. That’s why smart stores are built like funnels — not just websites.

Here’s what a conversion funnel looks like:

Traffic Stage

Attract visitors using SEO, social ads, email, and influencer promotions.

Engagement Stage

Use product recommendations, content, and reviews to keep users browsing longer.

Capture Stage

Offer a discount or freebie in exchange for email. Example: “Get 10% Off Your First Order.”

Conversion Stage

Simplify the checkout process. Offer guest checkout and reduce form fields.

Post-Purchase Stage

Show a thank-you message, request reviews, and suggest related products.

Loyalty Stage

Add customers to email automation and encourage reorders or referrals.

Step 4: Use Scarcity, Urgency, and FOMO

People buy emotionally and justify logically. Use psychological triggers that encourage action.

Tactics That Work:

• Show real-time inventory updates: “Only 3 left in stock”

• Add countdown timers: “Offer ends in 2 hours”

• Display real customer activity: “Sarah in Dallas just bought this”

• Limited-time discount popups for first-time buyers

Be honest—these tactics work best when backed by actual inventory or promotions.

Step 5: Increase Average Order Value (AOV)

More products sold = more revenue. But instead of chasing more customers, increase what each customer spends.

Here are the most effective AOV strategies:

Strategy	Description	Why It Works
Upsells	Recommend a better version of the same product	Adds perceived value; boosts revenue
Cross-sells	Suggest complementary products (e.g., phone + case)	Increases basket size
Bundling	Offer “Buy 2, Get 1 Free” or “Starter Kits”	Adds convenience and value
Free Shipping Thresholds	Encourage spending more to unlock free shipping	Nudges users just over the spending edge
Volume Discounts	Tiered pricing for quantity purchases	Motivates higher quantities

Use Shopify apps like Frequently Bought Together or WooCommerce plugins like Smart Offers to implement these easily.

Step 6: Automate Your Marketing to Work 24/7

Marketing should never stop — but that doesn’t mean you need to work around the clock.

Here are the essential automations every online store should set up:

Email Automation Flows

• Welcome Flow: Engage new subscribers with your story, values, and top products.

• Abandoned Cart Flow: Recover 10–20% of lost carts with reminders and incentives.

• Post-Purchase Flow: Thank customers, request reviews, and suggest reorders.

• Winback Flow: Re-engage customers who haven’t purchased in 30–60 days.

Use tools like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, or Omnisend for powerful ecommerce-specific automations.

Retargeting Ads

• Use Facebook Pixel and Google Ads to retarget visitors who didn’t convert.

• Dynamic product ads bring them back with the exact product they viewed.

SMS Marketing

Fast and high-converting. Great for flash sales, restocks, and abandoned carts.

Step 7: Drive Long-Term Traffic with SEO and Content

Ads may drive instant traffic, but SEO drives lasting traffic at no ongoing cost. Your ecommerce store needs an SEO plan from day one.

Key SEO tactics:

• Use keywords in product titles, meta descriptions, and URLs

• Add alt tags to every product image

• Create a blog that solves problems or inspires use cases (e.g., “Best Gifts for Coffee Lovers” if you sell mugs)

Add long-form content like buying guides, comparison posts, and “how-to” articles to capture long-tail search traffic.

Step 8: Build Customer Loyalty and Repeat Purchases

It costs 5–7x more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one. Loyalty is where profits grow.

Top loyalty tactics:

• Start a points-based reward system

• Offer referral incentives like $10 for every friend who buys

• Personalize emails with customer names, order history, and recommendations

• Offer early access to VIP customers for new launches or sales

Consider using platforms like Smile.io, ReferralCandy, or Yotpo Loyalty.

Conversion Tools That Help You Sell More

Tool/Strategy	Purpose	Recommended Platforms or Apps
Abandoned Cart Recovery	Reclaim lost sales	Klaviyo, Shopify Email, Omnisend
Upsells & Cross-sells	Increase AOV	ReConvert, Bold Upsell, WooCommerce Boost
Exit-Intent Popups	Capture emails before bounce	Privy, Justuno, OptinMonster
Review Automation	Build social proof	Yotpo, Judge.me, Loox
Loyalty/Referral Programs	Drive repeat purchases	Smile.io, ReferralCandy, Rivo
Heatmaps & Behavior Tools	Optimize UX and fix friction points	Hotjar, Microsoft Clarity
Retargeting Ads	Bring back visitors	Facebook Pixel, Google Ads, TikTok Ads

Step 9: Keep Testing and Improving

Your store should always be evolving. Use A/B testing and analytics to learn what works.

A/B Testing Ideas:

• CTA button colors and copy

• Product page layouts

• Homepage headlines

• Free shipping thresholds vs. discounts

Tools like Google Optimize or VWO can help you run these tests. Monitor metrics like:

• Conversion rate

• Bounce rate

• Cart abandonment rate

• Revenue per visitor

Small tweaks can lead to massive gains over time.

Summary

Building an online store that sells more products is about far more than uploading products and waiting. It’s about designing every inch of your store and funnel with intention and optimizing every stage of the customer journey.

By focusing on speed, trust, personalization, automation, and user behavior, you turn your store from a static shop into a dynamic sales engine. And with the right data, tools, and tactics, you can out-sell competitors even in the most saturated markets.