How to Take Your Brick and Mortar Business Online

• You can take your brick-and-mortar store online by creating an ecommerce website that allows you to sell your products to customers anywhere, not just at your physical location.
• To get started, choose an ecommerce platform that fits your business needs. Then, create a digital catalog of your products with high-quality photos and descriptions.
• The main benefit of selling online is the ability to reach a much larger audience and make sales 24/7, freeing your business from the limitations of store hours and foot traffic.
• For a seamless customer experience, integrate your online and physical stores by offering options like in-store pickup for online orders.

You love having a brick-and-mortar store and you’ve worked hard to build it. But what about all the customers who can’t make it to your neighborhood? And what if you could be open for business 24/7? That’s the power of taking your store online.

It’s not about replacing the physical location you’ve already established. It’s about adding a new, always-on location that anyone, anywhere, can visit. With today’s smart ecommerce marketing tools, starting an online store is more straightforward than ever.

Ready to open your digital doors? In this blog you’ll learn exactly how to put your store online, so you can start reaching a wider audience and making sales even in your sleep.

What are the benefits of putting your store online?

Adding an online store isn’t just about keeping up. It’s about giving your brick-and-mortar business a whole new set of advantages. When you open your digital doors, you unlock some major benefits for your business:

Reach a whole new world of customers

Your physical store is fantastic for your local community. But what about shoppers in the next state, or even across the country? An online store breaks down geographical barriers. Suddenly, your neighborhood shop has a global reach.

You’re always open for business

Your online store never sleeps. It’s making sales for you at 10 p.m. on a Tuesday night while you’re relaxing on the couch. It allows customers to shop on their schedule, not just yours. That’s a lot of sales you would have otherwise missed.

Get to know your customers like never before

Your online store gives you incredible insights. You can see which products are most popular and what people are searching for. This data is a roadmap. It helps you make smarter marketing decisions that are easier to measure. Plus, tools like product reviews and live chat help you build trust and offer amazing customer service.

Grow your business smarter, not harder

An online store lets you scale up without the massive overhead of a second physical location. You can serve more customers and process more orders without needing a bigger building. It is the definition of growing your business efficiently.

Test new products with ease

Ever wonder if that new line of scented candles will actually sell? An online store is the perfect, low-risk place to find out. You can list a new product and see how much interest it gets before you commit to a big inventory order for your physical shop.

How to take your business online

So what does “taking your business online” actually mean? It’s not as complicated as it might sound.

At its heart, it’s all about making your business easy for people to find, easy for them to trust, and easy for them to buy from. You do this with a few key pieces:

• A professional website that acts as your digital storefront.
• Consistent branding that makes you look great everywhere.
• Plus, using the right online channels to connect with customers where they’re already spending their time.

Moving your storefront to the digital market may seem overwhelming, but you can ensure a smooth transition by following these simple strategies: 

Make a plan

It’s tempting to just dive right in, but a little planning now will save you a ton of headaches later. Before you do anything else, grab a notebook and think through these four key areas.

• Decide what goes online first. You don’t have to put your entire store online at once. Maybe you start with your 10 best-selling products. Or maybe you just start with a single category. Decide on a manageable first step.
• Figure out what you need. Be honest about your resources. How much time can you actually spend on this each week? What tools will you need? And are you going to build this yourself, or do you need to hire some help?
• Know what needs to be ready. What has to be in place before you can flip the switch? For example, you’ll need great product photos for everything you plan to sell online, plus clear, simple product descriptions.
• Set a realistic timeline. This will not happen overnight. Give yourself a clear but achievable launch date to work toward. This turns a vague “someday” project into a real goal with a deadline.

Got your plan sketched out? Great, now we can get into the details.

Research your customers’ needs and expectations 

Before you pick a single tool or design a single page, you need to get inside your customers’ heads. You have to understand how they actually like to shop online.

The answers you find here are not just for marketing. They will shape every decision you make. They’ll help you choose the right ecommerce platform, set up your website in a way that makes sense, and even decide which products to launch with first. This is all about learning how to find your target audience in their natural online habitat.

So, how do you do this research? It’s easier than you think.

• Talk to your current customers. Don’t be afraid to just ask. The next time someone is in your store, ask them what they would love to see in an online shop. You can even send out an email with a few simple survey questions to get amazing insights.
• Do some social media listening. What are your customers talking about on Instagram or Facebook? What questions are they asking your competitors? This is a goldmine of information.
• Play secret shopper. Go check out the websites of other businesses like yours. What do you love? What feels clunky or confusing? Take notes on what makes a great online shopping experience.

Your goal here is to answer a few key questions:

• How do they want to get their items? (Is super-fast shipping the most important thing, or is in-store pickup a must-have?)
• Who are these online shoppers, really?
• What do they actually want to buy online versus in-store?
• Where do they expect to be able to buy from you? (A full website? Directly from TikTok?)

Choose your online business model

Now for a big question: what exactly will your online business model look like? How will you actually sell online?

Deciding this upfront is super important. It will guide which ecommerce platform you choose, how you’ll handle shipping, plus even how you set up your website.

Your online store can be more than just a carbon copy of your physical one. Here are a few models to think about:

• Sell your physical products. This is the most straightforward option. You’ll sell the same great stuff online that you have in your store. Customers can buy it and you ship it to them, or they can pick it up in person.
• Offer digital products. You can sell things that don’t need a shipping label. Think downloadable guides (like a “How to Care for Your Houseplants” PDF), recorded workshops, or even digital gift cards.
• Book services online. Do you offer classes, consultations, or personal shopping appointments? You can let customers book and pay for those services directly through your website.
• Create a subscription box. This is a fantastic way to create recurring revenue. You could create a curated “Box of the Month” club featuring a selection of your best products.
• Expand with dropshipping. This is where you sell products from another company, but you don’t keep the inventory yourself. When a customer buys from your site, the other company ships it for them. It’s a great way to offer more variety without buying a ton of new stock.

You can even mix and match. But knowing your primary model is the key to choosing the right tools for the job.

Choose the right ecommerce platform 

Good news: you don’t need to be a tech wizard or a professional coder to start selling online. There are many tools out there that can do all the heavy lifting for you.

Think of an ecommerce platform as the sales engine for your online business. It handles everything from tracking inventory and managing your shopping cart to securely processing payments. The key is to choose the right one for your business.

Here are the main types you will find:

• Website plugins. Do you already have a website or blog that you love (like one built on WordPress)? You can often add a plugin, like WooCommerce, to add a powerful sales engine to your existing site.
• All-in-one platforms. This is the most popular choice for a reason. Platforms like Shopify or BigCommerce are your complete online store in a box, giving you everything from the website builder to the payment processor.
• Online marketplaces. You can also choose to sell on a huge, existing marketplace like Amazon or Etsy. The biggest advantage here is that they have a massive, built-in audience of shoppers who are already looking for products like yours.

Create your website

No matter which sales platform you choose, you need a great website. It is your digital handshake. Your 24/7 salesperson. It has to look professional, build trust, and make it incredibly easy for customers to buy from you.

Even if you decide to sell your products mainly on a marketplace like Etsy, having your own website acts as your central hub — a place where people can learn your story and see your entire collection.

Here’s what every great ecommerce website needs:

• A clear path to purchase. Every page should guide your visitor to the next step. Whether that’s a big “Add to Cart” button or a link to your Amazon store, make the call to action impossible to miss. For a specific campaign or product launch, you might even want to build a landing page to focus all their attention in one place.
• A clean, professional, and mobile-friendly design. Most of your customers will find you on their phones. Your site must look amazing and be easy to use on a small screen. Keep it simple, with a clear layout and easy-to-read fonts.
• Strong visuals and clear messaging. People buy with their eyes. You need high-quality product photos that show your items from every angle. Your words matter, too. Write clear, simple product descriptions that focus on the benefits for the customer.
• Easy navigation. Don’t make people hunt for things. Your website menu should be simple and intuitive. Group your products into logical categories so shoppers can find exactly what they’re looking for in just a couple of clicks. For more ideas, check out these ecommerce website design tips.

Set up essential business information

So you set up your online store — great! Before you can start accepting orders, you need to make sure the “business” side of your business is buttoned up. This step is all about building trust and making sure you’re ready to operate legally online.

Think of it like getting the right permits before you open a physical store. Here’s what you need to have in place.

• Confirm your business name and details. Is your business officially registered? Make sure your online store name matches your legal business name, or set up a DBA. Consistency here is key for building a credible brand.
• Add clear contact information. Don’t hide from your customers. Your website should have a clear “Contact Us” page with your business email address, phone number, and even your physical store address if you have one. This shows you’re a real, legitimate business they can trust.
• Understand your tax and legal duties. Selling online comes with a few rules. You’ll need to figure out how to handle sales tax for online orders, which can vary by state. It’s also a good idea to have basic privacy and return policies clearly posted on your site. Don’t be afraid to chat with an accountant or a legal pro to make sure you’re getting this part right. It’s a small investment that can save you a lot of trouble down the road.

Set up local and directory visibility

Your online store is global, but your local customers are still your bread and butter. You need to make sure your digital presence is tightly connected to your physical one. This is how you show up everywhere your customers are looking.

The first and most important step is to claim and fully optimize your Google Business Profile. This is the free listing that appears in Google Maps and local search results.

Think of it as your digital signpost. Fill out every single section. Add great photos of your store and products, make sure your hours are correct, and, most importantly, add a prominent link to your new online store. This is one of the best ways to let local searchers know they can now shop with you 24/7. It’s also a good idea to learn how to optimize your Google Maps listing to attract even more foot traffic.

Beyond Google, make sure you’re listed on other relevant online directories. This could be Yelp, your local Chamber of Commerce website, or any industry-specific platforms where your ideal customers might be hanging out. Consistency is key — make sure your business name, address, phone number, and website are exactly the same everywhere.

Present your products professionally

Think of your online product pages as your best salespeople. They need to be clear, compelling, and answer every question a customer might have. This is where you really build trust and make the sale.

Here’s how to make your products shine:

• Give all the details. Size guides, material information, care instructions — if a customer needs to know it, put it on the product page. The more information you provide, the more comfortable they’ll feel clicking “Add to Cart.”
• Amazing visuals are a must. We’ve all seen blurry, sad product photos. Don’t let that be you! Take high-quality pictures from multiple angles. Show off every detail. Even better, put your products into real-world scenarios. This helps customers imagine themselves using your items, which is a powerful motivator.
• Write clear, benefit-driven descriptions. Don’t just list features. Explain what your product does for the customer. Why is it awesome? What problem does it solve? Keep it concise and engaging.
• Be crystal clear on pricing and availability. No surprises here. Your pricing needs to be obvious. Plus, tell customers if an item is in stock, running low, or sold out. Transparency builds confidence.

Sort out your shipping costs

Fast, reliable shipping is important for keeping your customers satisfied and coming back in the future. For instance, if your customers are looking to buy a $12 book, and the cost is $15 for shipping, they’ll likely buy it elsewhere. 

Usually, a flat shipping rate is the way to go. This is one single rate for packages regardless of their shape, weight or size. You can also look at what competitors are doing to get ideas. Remember that if you’re running a fulfillment operation yourself, you’ll need workers’ compensation for all your employees, including those that work in your warehouse.

However, you can also look into fulfillment services to help you ship products efficiently. These companies are third-party warehouses that prepare and ship your orders for you. This is a good option if you don’t have the time to handle shipping or you’ve grown too big to do it yourself. These companies usually charge fees for:

• Managing your inventory at their warehouse
• Storing your items
• Packing your products
• Shipping to customers

Set up secure payments and checkout

Your customer has filled their cart and is ready to buy. Your checkout process needs to be smooth, simple, and completely trustworthy. A clunky or confusing payment system can kill a sale in seconds.

Thankfully, your ecommerce platform will do most of the heavy lifting for you here. Here’s what to focus on.

• Offer multiple ways to pay. Don’t make a customer walk away just because you don’t accept their preferred payment method. At a minimum, you should accept all major credit cards. But it’s also a great idea to enable popular digital wallets like PayPal, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. The more convenient you make it, the more sales you’ll complete.
• Make security obvious. People are smart about online security. They need to see that your checkout is safe. Your site must have an SSL certificate; that’s the little padlock icon you see in the browser bar. It encrypts your customers’ data and tells them their information is protected. All major ecommerce platforms include this standard.
• Keep the process simple. Only ask for the information you absolutely need to fulfill the order. The fewer forms they have to fill out, the better. And here’s a pro tip: always offer a “guest checkout” option. Forcing someone to create an account before they can buy is one of the top reasons for abandoned carts.

Use social media and digital advertising

Social and digital advertising are essential for enhancing your brand’s online presence.The best way to build a positive reputation online is to create content people enjoy and find informative. You’ll want to avoid posts that are clearly trying to push your products. However, you should always have your social media advertisements link back to your website. 

Remember, your goals with social media marketing are to: 

• Grow your visibility (the number of people who see your message)
• Engage more with your customers
• Increase traffic to your website

If keeping up with posting to multiple social channels consistently feels like a big hurdle (we get it!), check out social media marketing tools that are built to streamline the process.

How do you compete with other online businesses?

Perfecting the strategies above gives you a strong foundation to compete online. To go even further, consider these three strategies for staying competitive online: 

Provide outstanding customer service

In your physical store, you can build trust with a friendly smile and helpful advice. Online, your customer service has to do that same job through a screen. It’s how you prove there’s a real, caring human behind the website.

Giving great service online is one of the most important things you can do to build brand loyalty. Here are a few simple but powerful online customer service tips.

• Be a great listener. When a customer emails you with a problem, take the time to understand what they are really asking. Don’t just send a canned response. A little empathy goes a long way.
• Know your stuff. Make sure that anyone on your team who answers emails or social media messages is an expert on your products. They should be able to answer questions quickly and confidently.
• Respond quickly. In the online world, speed matters. A lot. A fast, helpful reply to a customer’s question can be the difference between making a sale and losing one forever.
• Keep your promises. If you say you will ship an order by Tuesday, ship it by Tuesday. If you promise a refund, process it right away. Every promise you keep builds a mountain of trust.
• Be accessible. Don’t make customers hunt for a way to contact you. Your website should have a clear “Contact Us” page with your email and phone number. Being easy to contact shows you have nothing to hide.
• Go the extra mile. A little surprise can create a customer for life. This could be as simple as tucking a handwritten “thank you” note into their package or including a small free sample.
• Follow up after the sale. You can set up a simple, automated email to go out a week after their purchase. Just check in to make sure they love their new item. It’s a small touch that shows you care beyond just the initial transaction.

Provide web content to engage new customers and build trust 

Use your social media platforms for:

• Responding to customers’ comments and concerns
• Posting videos about your brand or product to promote understanding
• Asking for input on recent changes or on your products or your services
• Posting informational content, facts, discounts or upcoming events

You can also engage your customers by starting a blog. Each blog post is an opportunity to speak directly to your audience and relate to them. Over time, this helps to build a relationship with your customers. Blog posts are also a great way to showcase your expertise in your industry and gain more visibility. Customers can share your posts across their own social media accounts, and help you increase your customer base in the long run. 

Cultivate trust and loyalty

An online sale can feel a little… cold. Just a click and a confirmation email. So how do you turn that simple transaction into a real relationship?

It’s all about building trust. Trust is what turns a first-time buyer into a loyal fan who comes back again and again. Here are two of the best ways to do it.

Get customer feedback

Think about the last time you bought something online. You probably scrolled down to read the reviews first, right? Your customers do the same thing.

Reviews are the online version of word-of-mouth. They are powerful trust signals that show new shoppers that you’re the real deal. The best time to ask is right after a great experience. You can set up a simple, automated email to go out a week after their purchase. If you need help with the wording, we have some great tips for asking for reviews from customers.

Every glowing review helps a new customer feel confident clicking “buy.” And don’t be afraid of less-than-perfect feedback. It’s free advice on how you can get even better.

Build loyalty through consistent experiences

Getting the first sale is exciting. But getting customers to come back again and again is how you build a sustainable business.

Make your repeat customers feel like the VIPs they are. You can create a simple loyalty program or just send them occasional perks to show your appreciation. This could be an exclusive discount just for them, early access to your next product drop, or a special freebie with their next order.

These small gestures show you appreciate their business. It makes them feel special, and it gives them a great reason to choose you over the competition, every single time.

Emphasize your unique value proposition

The internet is a big, noisy place. Unlike your brick and mortar business, your new online shop is now competing with everyone, from massive corporations to other small businesses across the country.

So how do you stand out? You don’t try to be everything to everyone. You lean into what makes you special.

This is your unique value proposition. It’s the simple, powerful answer to the question: “Why should I buy from you?” Maybe it’s not your price. And that’s okay. Your unique value could be:

• Your incredible quality: You source the best materials and your products are built to last.
• Your personal, human service: Customers can email a real person (maybe even you!) and get thoughtful, expert advice.
• Your deep expertise: You are a true expert in your niche, and you can guide customers to the perfect choice.
• Your unique convenience: You offer same-day local pickup that the big online stores can’t match.

Once you know your secret sauce, you need to make it obvious everywhere. Don’t assume people will figure it out. Shout it from the rooftops. Put it:

• On your homepage, right at the top.
• In your product descriptions.
• In your “About Us” story.
• In the emails you send.

Don’t hide what makes you unique. It’s your most powerful tool for turning a casual browser into a loyal customer.

What are the disadvantages of selling online?

Going online can be a game-changer for brands, but it’s not without a few hurdles. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

The competition is global. Suddenly, you’re not just competing with the shop down the street. You’re competing with businesses all over the country, and even the world. This is where your unique value proposition becomes so important. You have to be crystal clear about what makes you special to stand out in a crowded market.

You have to take security seriously. This one can sound scary, but don’t panic. Hackers are a real threat, and protecting your customers’ data is your responsibility. The great news is that reputable ecommerce platforms are built with Fort Knox-level security. They handle all the complex stuff like payment processing and data encryption for you, so you can focus on selling.

Your reputation is visible to everyone. A negative review in the online world can travel fast. Unlike a private customer complaint, online reviews are public, and they can impact how new shoppers see your brand. But here’s the secret: a thoughtful, helpful, and public response to a negative review can actually build trust. It shows you care and that you stand behind your business.

The internet has its own rules. When you sell online, you step into a bigger sandbox with a different set of rules. You’ll need to understand how to handle things like sales tax for different states and what your legal obligations are for customer returns. This is another area where your ecommerce platform becomes your best friend, as most have built-in tools to help you manage this.

You have to build trust without a handshake. In your store, you build trust with a friendly smile, great service, and a firm handshake. Online, your website has to do all that work for you. This is why having a professional design, clear product descriptions, great customer service, and obvious contact information is so important. They are the building blocks of digital trust.

Make a plan and take your business online

Getting your store online is a huge win. But building the store is just step one. How do you get customers to visit, and more importantly, how do you keep them coming back?

That’s where Constant Contact comes in.

Our ecommerce marketing tools connect directly to the online store you just built. We pull in your product info and customer data, so you can send powerful emails that actually drive sales. You can automatically welcome new customers, rescue abandoned carts, and announce new products to your most loyal fans.

You built the store. Now you’re ready to grow it. Sign up for a free trial of Constant Contact today and see how easy it is to start marketing your online store.