Starting an online shoe business can be a great way to tap into the lucrative footwear market. With more and more consumers shopping online, having an ecommerce shoe store gives you access to millions of potential customers. However, launching an online shoe business requires careful planning and consideration. Here is an in-depth guide on how to start selling shoes online.
Conduct market research
Before launching your online shoe store, you need to conduct thorough market research. This will help you understand your target audience, competitors, and opportunities in the market. Consider the following questions:
- Who is your target customer? Identify demographics like age, gender, location, income level etc.
- What kind of shoes do they buy? Casual shoes, athletic shoes, dress shoes, sandals etc.?
- How much do they typically spend on shoes?
- Where are the gaps in the market?
- Who are your major competitors and how can you differentiate?
- What value proposition will you offer to customers?
Perform keyword research to identify high search volume and low competition keywords. This will help boost your website’s SEO and drive qualified traffic.
Select a profitable shoe niche
Rather than selling all types of shoes, it is better to focus on a specific niche. This could be based on:
- Gender – only women’s shoes or only men’s
- Category – athletic shoes for runners, heels for parties etc.
- Size – large size shoes, narrow or wide widths
- Use case – wedding shoes, hiking boots, cycling shoes etc.
- Material – leather shoes, vegan shoes etc.
Selecting a profitable niche allows you to target a specific audience, customize your inventory, and establish yourself as an expert in the niche. Ensure there is sufficient demand for the niche to support your business.
Source shoe inventory
An online shoe store lives and dies by its inventory. You need to find high quality shoes at reasonable wholesale prices. Consider these inventory sourcing options:
- Shoe manufacturers – Reach out to shoe brands and wholesale manufacturers. Order minimums may be high.
- Shoe wholesalers – There are many wholesale shoe distributors online like InfoShoes.com and ShoesWholesaler.com.
- Overseas suppliers – Importing in bulk from China or other countries can provide big cost savings.
- Shoe liquidators – Buy excess shoe stock at steep discounts.
- Shoe retailers – Some shoe retailers allow reselling of their shoes online.
Thoroughly vet any supplier on factors like product quality, reliability, minimum order sizes, and pricing. Order samples before placing any large orders.
Set up an ecommerce platform
To launch your online shoe store, you need to build out an ecommerce website. Some popular platforms include:
- Shopify – Offers everything you need including themes, payment processing, and shipping integrations. Easier to set up but can be more expensive at higher volumes.
- WooCommerce – Build a store on top of WordPress. More flexibility but requires dealing with hosting, security, updates etc.
- BigCommerce – Scalable SaaS ecommerce platform. Comes with integrated marketing features.
- Magento – Full featured open source platform ideal for larger catalogs and transaction volumes.
Consider ease of use, features, scalability and costs when selecting your ecommerce platform. Most platforms offer free trials to test them out.
Design an intuitive online store
The design and user experience of your online shoe store will directly impact sales. Follow these tips:
- Use high quality product images shot on white backgrounds. Allow zooming to see small details.
- Optimize page speed by compressing images, minimizing plugins, leveraging caching etc.
- Make navigation, search and filters intuitive. Allow shoppers to easily find styles and sizes.
- Show prices, discounts, shipping costs and delivery timelines upfront.
- Use enticing CTAs and exit intent popups to capture email addresses and reduce cart abandonment.
- Display seal logos (McAfee, Norton etc.) to establish trust.
The checkout process should be simple with guest checkout options. Clearly highlight policies around shipping, returns, exchanges and warranty.
Optimize SEO for the shoe niche
SEO is crucial for an online business to drive traffic from search engines like Google. Some effective SEO tips include:
- Perform keyword research to identify high traffic keywords related to your niche.
- Create content optimized for those keywords – product descriptions, blog posts etc.
- Include keywords in page titles, meta descriptions, headers, image alt tags, schema markup etc.
- Get backlinks from relevant websites to improve domain authority.
- Make site mobile-friendly, fast loading and easy to navigate.
- Add XML sitemaps, robots.txt and submit to search engine tools.
- Monitor rankings and traffic in Google Analytics.
Mastering SEO for your shoe niche will result in a steady stream of targeted visitors to your online store.
Market your shoe business online
Beyond SEO, you need a multi-channel marketing strategy to promote your shoe store. Tactics can include:
- Email marketing – Send promotional emails, cart abandonment reminders, and nurture interested subscribers.
- Social media marketing – Run engaging shoe content and paid ads on platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
- Influencer marketing – Collaborate with relevant bloggers, YouTubers and social media influencers.
- Affiliate marketing – Partner with other websites and earn commissions for sales referrals.
- Retargeting ads – Remarket to previous visitors across the web to re-engage them.
- Content marketing – Develop resources like shoe guides, tips, trends etc. to attract visitors.
Track metrics in Google Analytics to determine the most effective channels to double down on.
Offer fast and reliable shipping
Online shoppers expect fast, affordable and trackable shipping. Work with major carriers like USPS, UPS, FedEx and DHL to offer:
- Free shipping over a minimum order value or paid flat rate shipping
- Expedited shipping options for faster delivery
- Return shipping labels to make returns hassle-free
- Tracking numbers and shipment notifications
- Discounted international shipping rates
Integrate your ecommerce platform with the shipping software for labels, tracking and status updates. Keep improving logistics to delight customers.
Provide excellent customer service
From pre-sales questions to post-purchase support, customers expect responsive and personalized service. Ensure high levels of customer satisfaction by:
- Maintaining complete product descriptions, sizing charts and other details on your website.
- Answering pre-sales queries within 24 hours via phone, email or live chat.
- Sending order confirmations and shipping notifications once purchase is made.
- Making returns and exchanges hassle-free by providing prepaid return labels.
- Following up with customers post-purchase to resolve any issues.
- Responding to negative reviews publicly and resolving customer grievances.
- Surveying customers periodically for feedback to improve services.
Delighted customers become brand advocates who provide referrals and positive word-of-mouth for your shoe business.
Manage finances and inventory
Running a profitable shoe business requires paying close attention to finances, inventory, accounting and other backend operations. Recommended best practices:
- Use accounting software like QuickBooks to track sales, profit margins, taxes and other money matters.
- Maintain organized inventory with SKUs, transfer notes, quantity tracking etc. using tools like TradeGecko.
- Monitor listings and inventory levels across sales channels to avoid overselling.
- Use data to identify fast selling items and place replenishment orders accordingly.
- Negotiate payment terms up to Net 90 with suppliers to improve cash flow.
- Ensure appropriate business licenses, tax registrations, credit card processing and legal compliance.
Streamlining the backend allows you to focus on serving customers and growing your shoe business.
Grow through omnichannel retail
A mistake some online retailers make is limiting themselves to selling only through their own website. Tap into multiple sales channels to maximize reach:
- List products on marketplaces like eBay, Walmart, Amazon.
- Sell through major retail chains – online and brick-and-mortar.
- Partner with niche distributors that serve your target customers.
- Open your own physical stores or pop-up shops.
- Establish B2B partnerships with corporations and businesses.
- Offer D2C sales from branded storefronts on social media.
An omnichannel strategy gives existing customers more opportunities to purchase while also helping you acquire new customers.
Expand product line for growth
While starting with a niche helps focus your efforts, expanding into related products and categories will fuel business growth. Ways to expand include:
- Complementary accessories – offer matching handbags, socks, shoe care products etc.
- Expanded category range – branch into dress shoes, work boots, kids’ shoes etc.
- New styles for different use cases – cycling, hiking, CrossFit etc.
- More sizes to suit different fits – narrow, wide, big sizes etc.
- Materials for varied preferences – leather, vegan, specialized performance fabrics etc.
- Licensed merchandise of popular brands.
Each new addition opens doors to bigger revenue from your existing customer base.
Conclusion
Launching a profitable online shoe business takes thorough planning and sharp execution across product sourcing, ecommerce, marketing, operations and customer experience. Start with a specific shoe niche before expanding your catalog. Offer genuine value to customers through fair prices, quality products and excellent service. With persistence and business acumen, your shoe brand can become the next big name in the industry!
