{ "componentChunkName": "component---src-templates-blog-posts-jsx", "path": "/blog/18/", "result": {"pageContext":{"postsPerPage":6,"categories":[{"id":"dGVybTox","name":"General Articles","slug":"general-articles","count":129},{"id":"dGVybToyMTc=","name":"Shopify","slug":"shopify","count":5},{"id":"dGVybToyMjE=","name":"Shopify Development","slug":"shopify-development","count":4}],"pagesCount":23,"currentPage":18,"categoryOriginPath":"/blog","pageHeader":{"background":null,"backgroundOpacity":1,"color":null,"fieldGroupName":"page_header","title":"Latest Articles: Stay Informed","opacity":1,"position":"on","size":{"desktop":64,"tablet":48,"mobile":32},"spaces":{"top":null,"bottom":null,"leftright":null,"units":"em"}},"pageMetaData":{"title":"Latest Articles: Stay Informed","description":"UTD Blog — Shopify, eCommerce & Growth Insights"},"posts":[{"id":"cG9zdDo1MzY5","title":"How To Make a Website To Sell Your Products","date":"24.05.2023","schemaDate":"2023-05-24","modifiedGmt":"2026-09-11T10:05:25","slug":"how-to-make-a-website-to-sell-your-products","acfSchemaPost":{"blogPostingImage":null},"categories":{"nodes":[{"id":"dGVybTox","name":"General Articles"}]},"levels":{"nodes":[]},"acfPost":{"fieldGroupName":"acfPost","excerpt":"Building your own website gets easier every year, but building an ecommerce store for your online business takes a bit more planning and effort. An ecommerce website should include features like a custom domain name, an intuitive user interface (UI), an appealing website design, a frictionless shopping cart and checkout flow, and search engine optimization.","squaredImage":{"altText":"How To Make a Website To Sell Your Products","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"fullWidth","backgroundColor":"#b8c8d8","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/static/2323ca2ed6c12f0466804d2e4c0b7210/b956e/how_20to_20make_20a_20website_20to_20sell.webp","srcSet":"/static/2323ca2ed6c12f0466804d2e4c0b7210/d1fa5/how_20to_20make_20a_20website_20to_20sell.webp 750w,\n/static/2323ca2ed6c12f0466804d2e4c0b7210/b956e/how_20to_20make_20a_20website_20to_20sell.webp 1024w","sizes":"100vw"},"sources":[]},"width":1,"height":0.4228515625}}}},"metaData":{"title":null,"description":"Learn how to build your own ecommerce store and start selling products online. This step-by-step guide covers everything from determining your target audience and choosing a domain name to designing your website, optimizing it for search engines, and marketing your online store. Take your small business to the next level and establish a successful online presence"},"banner":{"title":"How To Make a Website To Sell Your Products","showTitle":true,"image":{"altText":"How To Make a Website To Sell Your Products","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"fullWidth","backgroundColor":"#b8c8d8","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/static/2323ca2ed6c12f0466804d2e4c0b7210/b956e/how_20to_20make_20a_20website_20to_20sell.webp","srcSet":"/static/2323ca2ed6c12f0466804d2e4c0b7210/d1fa5/how_20to_20make_20a_20website_20to_20sell.webp 750w,\n/static/2323ca2ed6c12f0466804d2e4c0b7210/b956e/how_20to_20make_20a_20website_20to_20sell.webp 1024w","sizes":"100vw"},"sources":[]},"width":1,"height":0.4228515625}}}}},"timeToRead":null,"sections":[{"fieldGroupName":"post_Acfpost_Sections_ArticleRichTextContent","content":"

Building your own website gets easier every year, but building an ecommerce store for your online business takes a bit more planning and effort. An ecommerce website should include features like a custom domain name, an intuitive user interface (UI), an appealing website design, a frictionless shopping cart and checkout flow, and search engine optimization.

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As a small-business owner, you have many ecommerce website builders to choose from. No matter what ecommerce platform you choose for your website, you’ll follow similar steps to get your online store up and running. Here’s a step-by-step rundown.

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How to make a website to sell

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  1. Determine the purpose and target audience of your website
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  2. Choose a domain name and web hosting service
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  3. Design and develop your website
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  4. Optimize your website for search engines
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  5. Launch and market your website
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  6. Monitor and improve your website
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Starting a successful online store has much in common with establishing a brick-and-mortar store: You identify a target audience and make efforts to connect with them, invite them to shop, then close the deal with a smooth, positive retail experience. Here are strategies for tackling each of these six steps so you can get your business online and start selling.

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1. Determine the purpose and target audience of your website

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The success of your ecommerce business hinges on your ability to connect with the types of online shoppers who would sincerely like to buy your products. Before you start selling online, take time to do the following:

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  1. Determine your target audience. Your target audience consists of the people most likely to buy the physical products, software, or services you offer. Research the common behaviors, pain points, goals, personality traits, and demographic information among your target market, and create a buyer persona to guide the rest of your decisions.
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  2. Analyze your competition. Find out who else is competing for your customers’ online shopping dollars. Run a competitive analysis and an overall market analysis, then use the results to stake out a market niche for yourself.
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  3. Analyze yourself. Consider what your company is uniquely primed to offer potential customers. You can assess your ecommerce business idea by running a SWOT analysis (which looks at your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) and determining your unique selling proposition.
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Get your free brand positioning template

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Stand out from the competition and make your brand the go-to choice for customers with our brand positioning analysis.

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Grab your copy

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2. Choose a domain name and web hosting service

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It’s common for small business owners to launch an ecommerce site using a professional website builder. You’ll likely want to choose a platform with a built-in online store builder, which lets you list and sell products on specific pages of your website. Here are the key steps that go into launching your ecommerce site:

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  1. Choose a custom domain name. Your website’s domain name is your online digital address. The best domain names tend to be short, brandable, and memorable. Once you’ve picked an available domain name, buy and register it.
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  2. Choose a website builder. Research the best ecommerce website builder for your business’s needs. Whether you go with a Shopify site, a Squarespace site, a WordPress site, or something else, you’ll want a platform with built-in ecommerce software. A Shopify website is a strong choice for people who want to house all their ecommerce operations—from web hosting to inventory to checkout—in one place.
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  3. Purchase web hosting capabilities. Web hosting is the operation of internet-facing hardware and software that provides web services to end users. Websites live on computer servers, and to host yours you’ll rent server space via monthly or yearly subscriptions. The cost of a web host varies depending on your business’s needs, but it’s safe to assume that you’ll spend somewhere between $5 and $50 in monthly fees.
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3. Design and develop your website

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Website builders like Shopify, Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace offer content management systems (CMS) that let you design the custom look of your site. Here are a few components of website design:

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  1. Design for your target audience. Good website design for small businesses involves selecting a clear and consistent visual language (including color schemes, icons, fonts, and graphics) with your target audience’s preferences in mind. You can find inspiration from ecommerce site design ideas or use an ecommerce template that comes with your CMS.
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  2. Build a clean, intuitive user interface. User interface (UI) is the layout, design, and interactivity of a digital product (in this case, ecommerce platforms). Your customers interact with your site’s UI on their computers, tablets, and smartphones. A site-building platform like Shopify offers ecommerce website templates that send customers on a seamless customer journey from browsing to checkout.
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  3. Create content for your site. Content on an ecommerce site includes product descriptions, images, and perhaps a blog or audio-visual content to help educate consumers about your products or services. You can also give customers the option to review your products. Ecommerce reviews offer social proof to other prospective buyers.
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Shopify Themes—built for commerce

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Take your store from launch to scale with themes that make selling easy. Check out Shopify themes to review a collection of templates ideal for small business websites.

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4. Optimize your website for search engines

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SEO stands for search engine optimization. You can reach far more customers with an online store built for search engine visibility. Here are some strategies to improve your SEO rankings:

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  1. Learn the basics of website SEO. Website SEO is a type of digital marketing that aims to make your website appear higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Ramping up your SEO content writing, improving your on-page SEO, and adding backlinks to other pages on your site are all ways you can help your site show up at the top of more SERPs.
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  2. Do keyword research. A keyword is a single word or phrase that internet users type into search engines. Using keyword research tools, you can find out what phrases people are looking for that are relevant to your business; then create SEO content designed to show up in those users’ search results.
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  3. Set up Google Analytics. Google Analytics is a free tool that helps you monitor incoming web traffic and visitor behavior on your website. It can help you chart key performance indicators (KPIs) such as time spent on certain pages, the devices your audiences use to browse your website, and the source of your inbound links (such as search engines, social media, or backlinks from other sites).
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5. Launch and market your website

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With your website built and optimized for search, you’re ready to launch it and sell products online. Here are some ways to market your new ecommerce store:

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  1. Pick your sales channels. A sales channel is the route you take to reach your customers. For instance, you could focus on the business-to-consumer (B2C) market, the business-to-business (B2B) market, the wholesale market, or modern marketplaces like Google Shopping, which refers web searchers to your site. Choose multiple sales channels to have multiple potential streams of revenue.
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  2. Promote yourself on social media. Social media marketing can help you drive traffic to your ecommerce store, build brand awareness, and connect directly with potential customers. By posting regularly and replying to user comments, you can build rapport with the billions of people who use social media. Social media management tools can help you in these efforts.
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  3. Solicit customer reviews. Positive reviews can help potential customers feel more confident about purchasing products from your site, while negative reviews can provide you with valuable feedback. Distribute customer satisfaction surveys via email or ask your existing customers to leave feedback on product pages after they’ve made a purchase. When surveyed, 84% of shoppers reported that they trust online reviews as much as personal referrals.
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Free marketing plan template

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Calibrate your strategy and create a content roadmap for paid and organic channels to earn new customers and keep the ones you’ve got with our marketing strategy template.6. Monitor and improve your website

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You can continue to improve your website after it’s launched. Here are three strategies for doing so:

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  1. Install ecommerce plug-ins. An ecommerce-focused website builder like Shopify lets you install ecommerce plug-ins to augment your site’s functionality. For instance, if you need shipping services for your store, you can search the Shopify App Store for shipping apps that let you estimate shipping costs or print shipping labels.
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  2. Keep adding new content. Keep your site fresh by adding content on a regular basis, whether that’s a blog post, video, or new product listing. High-quality, helpful content can inform purchasing decisions and improve your site’s SEO value.
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  3. Introduce customer-friendly perks. Keep shoppers coming back to your site through various promotions. This could include loyalty programs, discount codes sent via email newsletters, or a buy now, pay later plan (like Shopify’s Shop Pay) that lets customers pay for purchases over time.
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Continue to monitor site traffic and trends. Using tools like Google Analytics and your site builder’s analytics tools, monitor the ways customers interact with your ecommerce store. Use this information to plan marketing campaigns, guide new product development, and optimize your site for better search engine visibility.

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How to make a website to sell FAQ

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Can I create a website to sell products without any coding experience?

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Yes, thanks to modern website-building software, you can build a website without any prior coding experience. You can choose from popular web builders like WordPress, Squarespace, Weebly, and Wix‚ among others. You can also opt for a website builder that’s designed for ecommerce, such as Shopify.

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How do I make sure my website is mobile-friendly?

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The best way to ensure your website is mobile-friendly is to use a website builder that automatically codes with a mobile-responsive design. Today, all of the major website-building platforms—including Shopify—use mobile-friendly designs. Given that over 60% of all web traffic comes via mobile devices, mobile responsiveness is essential.

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How can I track website metrics to measure the success of my website?

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You can track website traffic and engagement metrics using free tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console, alongside paid tools like Ahrefs and Semrush. If you have a Shopify merchant account, you gain access to a wide variety of reports and analytics that help you track and analyze online store conversions, inventory, sales attribution, customer behavior, and much more data.

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https://www.shopify.com/blog/how-to-make-a-website-to-sell

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You just started your ecommerce business and want to grow and get new customers. Spreading the word about your small business to a large audience, such as the approximately two billion people on Facebook every day, is a good place to start. On it, you can promote your company and Facebook’s services, and let potential customers know exactly where to find you.

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But first, you need to create a Facebook business page and use it to its best advantage.

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Table of Contents

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What is a Facebook business page?

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A Facebook business page is a public Facebook account that includes pertinent details about your business (hours, location, etc.) and allows you to market your business and interact with your followers on Facebook through posts, videos, images, and advertisements.

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A Facebook business page allows your business to access Facebook’s advertising platform and Facebook Shops, where you can sell directly to customers without them having to leave the site or app. Facebook also offers the free Audience Insights tool, where you can get business page analytics to see impressions and shares on specific posts, as well as follower demographic information.

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Creating a Facebook page for your business as part of a larger social media marketing strategy can expose your product or service to new audiences, and increase clicks to your website and visits to your online store.

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How to create a Facebook business page

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Here is a step-by-step guide to setting up a new Facebook business page so you can start marketing, selling, or gathering data.

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  1. Create a new page from your personal Facebook account
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  2. Add photos or video
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  3. Customize your page information
    4. \n
  4. Post content
    5. \n
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1. Create a new page from your personal Facebook account

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Creating a business page requires a personal Facebook account, so if you don’t have one of those, be sure to set one up first. Once you’re logged in to your personal account, navigate to the menu on the left side and click Pages then Create New Page.

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A window will pop up asking you for some basic business information—your business name, your category or industry, and a brief bio. Input these and then click Create Page and your business profile will go live on Facebook.

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2. Add photos or video

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The next step is to add a profile photo and a cover photo or video to your Facebook business page. The profile picture is typically the logo for your business and will be cropped into a circle. The Facebook cover image, which acts as a header on your main page, must be at least 400 by 150 pixels. This could be a picture of your store or something playful and fun related to your business, such as a photo of your staff or a product in action. If you’re using a photo, be sure that any text on it is centered so it doesn’t get cut off.

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Facebook also has the option to upload a video to the header that will play on a loop. Videos have to be between 20 and 90 seconds and a maximum of 1080 pixels in .mov or .mp4 format. Because it loops, be sure that the video has content that will make sense when repeated. Once you’ve uploaded your photos or video, click the Save button.

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3. Customize your page information

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Near the top of your Facebook business page, click the Manage button, then navigate to the Set Your Page up for Success section. Here, Facebook asks you to fill in important details about your business, such as your website, address, business hours, and more.

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You can also take this opportunity to add action buttons to your page, which allow Facebook users to do things like message you through WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, book an appointment, order from you, or visit your Facebook Shop.

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4. Post content

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Once your page has been built, your photos uploaded, and your information filled in, it’s time to start populating your profile with content. Your first post should be an introduction of some kind welcoming followers to your page, explaining your business and the types of content you plan to post in the future.

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Behind-the-scenes photos or videos of your business, product launches or other events, or links to longer written content on your website all can be engaging and perform well, depending on your business and audience. A florist, for example, might post a photo of the new bouquets they just assembled for the start of spring; a drone company might share footage captured using their drones.

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How to optimize your Facebook business page

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Creating a page for your business is just the first step. Here are a few ways to create an engaging Facebook business page once it’s up and running.

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  1. Finish your profile
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  2. Choose a URL
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  3. Allow reviews
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  4. Add more page tabs
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  5. Update content regularly
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1. Finish your profile

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This might seem obvious, but make sure you have all the relevant and up-to-date information listed on your page. Nothing is more frustrating for followers than being unable to find a business address, website, or phone number for a business they want to contact.

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2. Choose a URL

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You can choose a custom username for your profile, which can help your page stand out in search results and make it easier for customers to type directly into their browser. To do so, click Settings and Privacy, then Settings in the drop down menu at the top right hand corner of the screen on your Facebook business page. In the username section, click Edit to choose a custom username for your profile.

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3. Allow reviews

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Reviews are a convenient way to get feedback from customers, as well as communicate to potential customers that you are a trusted and respected business. To enable reviews on your page, from your account menu, click the Settings button. From there, click on the Templates and Tabs section and toggle the Reviews option on.

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4. Add more page tabs

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Tabs are like tabs in your website browser but within the Facebook page itself. They help your audience navigate your business page. To enable tabs, navigate to Template and Tabs and scroll to the list of current and available tabs. These include Offers, which you can use to highlight ongoing sales or promotions, as well as Events, which show what’s happening next at your business.

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5. Update content regularly

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Demonstrate your business is healthy and thriving by consistently adding new content to your business page. Fresh posts keep your business relevant in their minds and keep followers returning to your business page since your posts will pop up in their feeds. They can also draw in potential customers, since the more content you post, the higher the chance that it gets shared widely to new audiences. New photos, explainer videos, promotion shoutouts, even memes and jokes can be great ways to engage people on your Facebook business page.

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How to measure the success of your Facebook business page

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Meta Business Suite offers Facebook page insights, a free service that provides the performance analytics of your business page. From your business page profile, click the Insights tab to get to a professional dashboard that displays metrics like your page views and followers. Facebook Insights gives you the option to zoom in on specific posts to see how they’re performing in terms of views, likes, shares, and negative feedback such as users that opted to hide your post or unfollow your page.

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Insights also allows you to discover when your followers are most active on Facebook to know when to schedule posts for maximum impact. Having this information can help shape your social media content strategy so you can drive more audience engagement.

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Creating a Facebook business page FAQ

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Does a Facebook business page have to be linked to a personal account?

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Yes. However, none of the information on your personal profile will ever be shared on your Facebook business page or vice versa unless you choose to do so.

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Can you separate your Facebook business page from your personal account?

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No. Once you create a Facebook business page through your personal account, there is no way to unlink the two except to delete one or the other.

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Are there any fees associated with creating a Facebook business page?

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Building a Facebook business page is free. However, if you want to utilize services such as launching Facebook Ads through your business page, that will cost money.

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Can you add other people to manage your business page?

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Yes. In the Facebook page settings, click People, which will show you a list of your Facebook friends, then select the person you want to give access to. Next, click on Add Assets, and select the business page you’d like to grant them access to. Finally, click Save Changes.

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Can you connect your Facebook business page with other social media channels?

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Yes, Facebook allows you to connect your Facebook business page to your Instagram account. Under settings, click on Instagram and select Connect Account, and then enter your Instagram handle.

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https://www.shopify.com/blog/create-facebook-business-page

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One of the keys to survival for any small-business owner is planning for taxes. It can make the difference between receiving a big, unexpected tax bill—which can put a painful or even fatal dent in a new business—or going on to future success and prosperity.

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The US federal government provides for a variety of tax deductions and credits that can reduce the bite taxes take out of your small business. One of the most important things for any small-business owner to understand is the general business credit.

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Shortcuts

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What is the general business credit?

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The general business credit (GBC) isn’t actually any one single tax credit. Instead, it’s the combined value of all the individual tax credits the owner(s) of a business claims during the current tax year—which can range from where you choose to do business to whom you decide to hire.

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It’s important to note that the GBC is a credit, not a deduction. A deduction reduces the amount of income subject to taxation, while a credit reduces the tax owed, even after deductions are taken. The GBC is a nonrefundable tax credit, meaning it can only go so far to reduce your tax bill. Once your tax bill hits zero, any credit in excess is forfeited, meaning you won’t get a tax refund from Uncle Sam.

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Which tax credits does the general business credit include?

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The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recognizes more than 30 individual general business tax credits. Some of the more popular credits include:

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Limitations of the general business credit

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The benefits of the general business credits are not endless. If you manage to reduce your tax liability to zero using the GBC, you won’t receive any tax refund. Likewise, there’s a limit to the total general business credit that can apply to your business in a given tax year, although this varies from one business to another.

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The other rules governing how the GBC works are complex, and the help of a tax professional often is needed. According to the US tax code, the GBC for any given taxpayer can’t be more than the excess of net income tax liability, or whichever is greater: (1) the tentative minimum tax for that tax year, or (2) 25% of the taxpayer’s net regular tax liability in excess of $25,000.

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It’s important to note that GBC-eligible credits are reported and applied in a specific order, which means you should be careful about which credits you use in a given tax year, and which you’ll carry forward. The order of use is:

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  1. Carryforwards from past years. These are credits you didn’t use in previous tax years in which your business was up and running—whether by choice or because you reached the maximum number of credits allowable for your income bracket. Although limits vary depending on the credit in question, some can be carried forward as many as 20 years.
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  2. General business credit earned during the current tax year. These credits are available for use at tax time.
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  3. Carrybacks from future years. These are credits you’ll be eligible to use in future tax years. Restrictions on carrybacks are a bit more limiting than on carryforwards, and most can only be carried back one year, although some may be carried back as many as five.
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Manage your money where you make it with Shopify Balance

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Shopify Balance is a free financial account that lets you manage your business’ money from Shopify admin. Pay no monthly fees, get payouts up to 4 days earlier, and earn cashback on eligible purchases.

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How to file the general business credit

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To claim the GBC, you can fill out tax forms associated with each individual credit you plan to claim (including carryforwards and carrybacks). Next, report the total value of these credits on Form 3800, General Business Credit, which is then filed with the IRS. If approved, you should see the credits applied to your income tax bill for the year in which you filed.

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General business credit FAQ

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How does a business qualify for a general business credit?

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According to the IRS, an eligible small business for the general business credit (GBC) is any of the following:

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  • A non-publicly traded limited liability company (LLC), a closely held corporation, or an S corporation
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  • A partnership
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  • A sole proprietorship
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  • Any of the above that do not exceed $50 million in average annual gross receipts for a period of three tax years prior to filing. Once you’ve set up an eligible business entity, you can begin taking advantage of the GBC in your first tax year of operation by identifying which individual business credits you plan to claim and complete the respective IRS forms.
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Is there a deadline for claiming the general business credit?

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For corporations, LLCs, and sole proprietorships, the deadline to file Form 3800 for the most recent tax year usually is April 15. For partnerships and S corporations, the deadline is March 15. However, take note: Specific deadlines apply to the various credits that make up the GBC.

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Can a general business tax credit be carried forward or carried back?

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Yes, the GBC can be both carried forward (applied to a future tax year) and carried back (applied in the current tax year, instead of a future tax year). Carryforward and carryback rules vary depending on the credit in question, but most unused credits can be carried forward a maximum of 20 years. Most GBC-eligible credits can be carried back one year, but some can be carried back as many as five.

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How long do you have to be in business to qualify for a general business credit?

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Eligibility requirements for GBC-eligible credits will vary, but in general, the amount of time your business has been in operation will not affect your eligibility for the GBC.

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https://www.shopify.com/blog/general-business-credit

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\n"}]},"page_header":{"background":null,"backgroundOpacity":100,"color":null,"fieldGroupName":"page_header","title":"General Business Credit 2023","opacity":100,"position":"on","size":{"desktop":64,"tablet":null,"mobile":null},"spaces":{"top":null,"bottom":null,"leftright":null,"units":"em"}},"link":"/blog/general-business-credit-gbc-definition-and-what-it-includes"},{"id":"cG9zdDo1MzUw","title":"The Importance of Supplier Relationships in Building a Food Brand","date":"24.05.2023","schemaDate":"2023-05-24","modifiedGmt":"2023-07-28T07:59:00","slug":"the-importance-of-supplier-relationships-in-building-a-food-brand","acfSchemaPost":{"blogPostingImage":null},"categories":{"nodes":[{"id":"dGVybTox","name":"General Articles"}]},"levels":{"nodes":[]},"acfPost":{"fieldGroupName":"acfPost","excerpt":"Sometimes popping a hot, buttery bag of popcorn is all you need to complete the perfect night in. But what if your favorite snack is hard on your stomach? \r\nFor Jen Martin, finding alternative heirloom popcorn kernels was her saving grace. Not only were they easier to digest, but they tasted better too.","squaredImage":{"altText":"The Importance of Supplier Relationships in Building a Food Brand","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"fullWidth","backgroundColor":"#284898","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/static/78b1aea4643f8fa5a3c83c82c89091c5/98549/Masters_PipcornHeairloomSnacks02_2.webp","srcSet":"/static/78b1aea4643f8fa5a3c83c82c89091c5/2b35b/Masters_PipcornHeairloomSnacks02_2.webp 750w,\n/static/78b1aea4643f8fa5a3c83c82c89091c5/98549/Masters_PipcornHeairloomSnacks02_2.webp 1024w","sizes":"100vw"},"sources":[]},"width":1,"height":0.423828125}}}},"metaData":{"title":null,"description":"Discover how Pipcorn, a successful food brand, established meaningful supplier relationships to fuel their growth. Learn how forging family-like bonds, communicating expectations, and leveraging supplier networks contributed to Pipcorn's success. Explore their story on the Shopify Masters podcast and gain insights into building a thriving food brand"},"banner":{"title":"The Importance of Supplier Relationships in Building a Food Brand","showTitle":true,"image":{"altText":"The Importance of Supplier Relationships in Building a Food Brand","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"fullWidth","backgroundColor":"#284898","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/static/78b1aea4643f8fa5a3c83c82c89091c5/98549/Masters_PipcornHeairloomSnacks02_2.webp","srcSet":"/static/78b1aea4643f8fa5a3c83c82c89091c5/2b35b/Masters_PipcornHeairloomSnacks02_2.webp 750w,\n/static/78b1aea4643f8fa5a3c83c82c89091c5/98549/Masters_PipcornHeairloomSnacks02_2.webp 1024w","sizes":"100vw"},"sources":[]},"width":1,"height":0.423828125}}}}},"timeToRead":null,"sections":[{"fieldGroupName":"post_Acfpost_Sections_ArticleRichTextContent","content":"
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The Importance of Supplier Relationships in Building a Food Brand

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  • by Gogo Zoger
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  • Podcasts
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  • 3 minute read
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  • Email
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  • Pinterest
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  • Facebook
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  • Twitter
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  • LinkedIn
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\"The
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Sometimes popping a hot, buttery bag of popcorn is all you need to complete the perfect night in. But what if your favorite snack is hard on your stomach?

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For Jen Martin, finding alternative heirloom popcorn kernels was her saving grace. Not only were they easier to digest, but they tasted better too.

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Jen, her brother Jeff, and Jeff’s wife, Teresa, launched Pipcorn in 2012 and found immediate success. The brand was included in Oprah’s Favorite Things, the founders pitched on Shark Tank, and in 2019, they raised more than $6 million in VC funding.

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Jen sat down on the Shopify Masters podcast to explain how Pipcorn established meaningful relationships with suppliers in order to grow the brand and create opportunities for the business.

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Forging family-like bonds with suppliers

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Establishing deeper relationships with the farmers who supplied Pipcorn’s raw ingredients was important for the founders. “We flew out to our farm really early on, played basketball with the kids, and had lunch and dinner with the whole family,” Jen says.

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Jen has always chosen to work with family farms, because they can deeply relate to her experiences of being in business with family. These bonding moments helped Pipcorn establish strong relationships and get to a place where their partners wanted to help them early on.

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Pipcorn’s first snack was its staple product, its heirloom popcorn, which it offers in sea salt, spicy cheddar, and truffle.  Pipcorn
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Communicating expectations every step of the way

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Once Jen and her co-founders saw the traction Pipcorn was having, they went back to the farm to order larger quantities to keep up with demand. They were always upfront and honest about their needs, which made it easier for the farm to plan and support the demand.

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“We could ask to buy a lot [of heirloom kernels] and scale really, really quickly,” Jen says. Having open communication helped the farming team plan for future orders. And, the Pipcorn team was able to map out clear timelines and requirements for new retail opportunities.

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\"A
Pipcorn launched more than a dozen new snack flavors over the past seven years. Pipcorn
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Leaning into supplier networks to expand reach

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“I met one farmer who had a large community of farmers around them. As we grew and they couldn’t grow anymore in their farm, they would work with their neighbors, friends, or family, Jen says. Once she started working with one farmer who grew her heirloom ingredients, the doors to other growers and relationships opened up too.

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Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe to Shopify Masters.
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Jen says it’s key for business owners to find a partner that will understand how special your product is, so when it comes time to expand product offerings, they support the growth of your business, and introduce you to new partners or possibilities.

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With the help of these advantageous relationships, Pipcorn has been able to develop 12 new snack flavors, including cheese balls, corn dippers, and twists, as well as grow into an established brand with a strong social following.

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Tune in to the full Shopify Masters episode to learn more about Pipcorn’s approach to farming, the team’s time on Shark Tank, and how they raised more than $6 million in VC funding.

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https://www.shopify.com/blog/pipcorn-heirloom-snacks-farming-relationships-shark-tank

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\n"}]},"page_header":{"background":null,"backgroundOpacity":100,"color":null,"fieldGroupName":"page_header","title":"Supplier Relationships in Food Branding","opacity":100,"position":"on","size":{"desktop":64,"tablet":null,"mobile":null},"spaces":{"top":null,"bottom":null,"leftright":null,"units":"em"}},"link":"/blog/the-importance-of-supplier-relationships-in-building-a-food-brand"},{"id":"cG9zdDo1MzQ0","title":"What Is Shopify Email? Product Intro, Features, and Tips (2023)","date":"24.05.2023","schemaDate":"2023-05-24","modifiedGmt":"2023-07-28T07:59:45","slug":"what-is-shopify-email-product-intro-features-and-tips-2023","acfSchemaPost":{"blogPostingImage":null},"categories":{"nodes":[{"id":"dGVybTox","name":"General Articles"}]},"levels":{"nodes":[]},"acfPost":{"fieldGroupName":"acfPost","excerpt":"Email marketing is one of the most effective ways for businesses to build relationships with their customers, so it’s no surprise this element of digital marketing is high on many entrepreneurs’ to-do lists when starting out. But what tools do you need to make email a profitable part of your marketing strategy?","squaredImage":{"altText":"What Is Shopify Email? Product Intro, Features, and Tips (2023)","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"fullWidth","backgroundColor":"#089858","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/static/b21f5d27df6a96abd5342dbeadf4d9aa/b956e/shopify_20email.webp","srcSet":"/static/b21f5d27df6a96abd5342dbeadf4d9aa/d1fa5/shopify_20email.webp 750w,\n/static/b21f5d27df6a96abd5342dbeadf4d9aa/b956e/shopify_20email.webp 1024w","sizes":"100vw"},"sources":[]},"width":1,"height":0.4228515625}}}},"metaData":{"title":null,"description":"Shopify Email: Boost Your Commerce with Effective Email Marketing | Discover Shopify Email, a powerful tool built for commerce by Shopify. Create, send, and manage your email marketing all within the same system you use to run your business. With pre-made templates, customizable designs, personalization options, segmentation features, and automation capabilities, Shopify Email equips you with everything you need to start and scale your email marketing strategy. Learn top email marketing tips, explore inspiring examples, and find answers to frequently asked questions. Start building profitable relationships with your customers today"},"banner":{"title":"What Is Shopify Email? Product Intro, Features, and Tips (2023)","showTitle":true,"image":{"altText":"What Is Shopify Email? Product Intro, Features, and Tips (2023)","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"fullWidth","backgroundColor":"#089858","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/static/b21f5d27df6a96abd5342dbeadf4d9aa/b956e/shopify_20email.webp","srcSet":"/static/b21f5d27df6a96abd5342dbeadf4d9aa/d1fa5/shopify_20email.webp 750w,\n/static/b21f5d27df6a96abd5342dbeadf4d9aa/b956e/shopify_20email.webp 1024w","sizes":"100vw"},"sources":[]},"width":1,"height":0.4228515625}}}}},"timeToRead":null,"sections":[{"fieldGroupName":"post_Acfpost_Sections_ArticleRichTextContent","content":"

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways for businesses to build relationships with their customers, so it’s no surprise this element of digital marketing is high on many entrepreneurs’ to-do lists when starting out. But what tools do you need to make email a profitable part of your marketing strategy?

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When you’re building on Shopify, Shopify Email is ready and waiting for you with all the essentials for email marketing in commerce.

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Table of Contents

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What is Shopify Email?

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Shopify Email is email marketing built for commerce, by Shopify. You can create, send, and manage your email marketing in the same system you use to run your business. Start with pre-made email templates, email automations you can set up with a few clicks, and your first 10,000 emails free every month—and scale easily with flexible designs, custom automations, and campaign management.

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Best Shopify Email features

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Shopify Email has everything you need to start and scale your email marketing strategy:

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Create branded emails in minutes with Shopify Email

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With Shopify Email, you can easily create, send, automate, and track email campaigns all from your Shopify admin—no coding required.

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Discover Shopify Email

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Shopify Email: 4 top email marketing tips

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Here’s a selection of email marketing strategies from the experts who built these tools. Ensure you’re delivering the best experience for every one of your email subscribers, whether they’ve just signed up or have been a loyal customer for years.

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1. Carefully curate your email list

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To make the most of every visit you get to your store, you’ll want to offer ways to connect that aren’t just making a purchase—lots of people aren’t ready to buy right away. That’s why it’s smart to always have a lead-capture form enabled.

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If you’re new to lead capture, here’s a quick explainer. Any time you see a sign-up form promising a discount on your next order in exchange for your email address, that’s lead capture. When you’re thinking about what to offer visitors in exchange for their email, here are some ideas:

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Shopify Forms is a free app to help you create engaging lead capture forms for your store with just a few clicks—no code or design expertise needed. It connects with your email marketing automations with no extra setup required, so once you get your form up and running, your email tools are immediately boosted.

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2. Elevate your design

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When someone opens your email, you want them to know it was from you—and be crystal clear as to what they should do next, whether that’s visit your store or add that hot new product to their cart. Shopify Email gives you design flexibility without needing to touch a line of code, leaving your emails looking great on desktop and mobile.

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Here are some pro tips from Shopify Email’s lead designer, Laura Forbes, that you might want to consider to make your emails stand out. Laura spends her days thinking about great email design while building these tools, so she knows her stuff.

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Edit your product titles and descriptions, right in the email

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When you add products to an email, Shopify pulls in the information directly from your product listing to save you time—but that might be too much detail for your chosen layout. You can hide the product description, title, and price, or edit down a too-long title to line up nicely in a grid.

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Grab free images, directly in the editor

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Shopify Email integrates with Burst, Shopify’s free stock image library, so you can add stock photos directly to your emails with a single click.

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Use the image and text block to structure your layout

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Whether you want to display products in a new way, share different value props for a single product, or highlight multiple promotions, consider alternating images and text to keep things interesting. You can use this section to highlight your store’s hours, introduce yourself to your subscribers, and sign off with an image of your signature at the end of an email.

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Use a background color and spacers to add white space

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Sometimes it’s as much about what you don’t include as what you do. If you use a background color in your emails, try adding spacers using the same color between sections to create sections in your email.

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There’s plenty more you can do to create emails that get results in Shopify Email. Why not try using the multi-column layout to highlight your recent blog posts, create side-by-side CTAs, or even just do a two-column text layout? You can also include an express checkout section to add urgency for a hot new product, and send your subscribers right to the checkout page.

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3. Segment your audience

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When you have only a few subscribers, it makes sense to email everyone on your list, but as you grow—especially once you have more than 100 subscribers—you’ll probably see higher open rates, click-through rates, and sales if you target your emails to a specific audience.

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You can create dozens of segments directly in Shopify using the customer data you already have, including what, when, and where people buy. Start with templated segments and then add filters as needed to make them your own, and email your customers with different offers. That might include giving your VIP customers early access to your annual sale, or sending a compelling discount offer to people who haven’t yet made their first purchase.

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4. Automate your email marketing campaigns

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Automating your email marketing is one of the most powerful things you can do for your business. Once your automations are set up, they’re going to work for you in the background and show up at exactly the right time for each customer.

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Here are some ecommerce automations to start with, all of which you’ll find templates for in Shopify’s marketing automations:

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You can customize any of the templates available, or build your own flow to deliver the exact email you want, to the exact customer you want, at the time that’s right for everyone involved.

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Pro tip: To turn any template into an email series, include a new wait step and then add another marketing email.

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Shopify Email examples

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Successful brands use Shopify every day to create polished marketing campaigns with email. Get inspired by these examples of marketing emails created using Shopify Email. And, borrow from their effective tactics for your own brand to turn email subscribers into customers.

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Ogham Craft Spirits

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Feature used: Express checkout buttons
\nWhy it works: Ogham reduces friction by letting customers purchase the featured product with one click from the email.

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\"Example

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Saltspring Kitchen Co.

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Feature used: Automations
\nWhy it works: Saltspring Kitchen Co. combined great storytelling content with a template that lets the brand shine.

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\"Example

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Sam James Coffee Bar

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Feature used: Automations
\nWhy it works: Sam James used automation features to pull discounts directly from Shopify into a marketing email.

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\"Example

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Wood Wood Toys

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Feature used: Automations
\nWhy it works: Wood Wood Toys used automation features to pull products directly from Shopify into a marketing email.

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\"Example

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Start and scale with Shopify Email

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Whether you’re just getting started and want to send your first email campaign, or you’re looking to set up more advanced marketing with automations and segmentation, Shopify Email was built for you and your business.

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Shopify Email FAQ

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How do I use Shopify Email?

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Shopify Email is a powerful email marketing tool you can use directly in the Shopify admin to create, send, and track your email marketing. To find it, just search “Shopify Email” in the top bar of Shopify, select the app, and open it. Shopify Email will pull in your store’s brand colors to dozens of email templates, and you can quickly add products and discounts from your store to emails to drive more sales.

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What are the steps to building an email marketing campaign in Shopify?

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To send an email marketing campaign in Shopify:

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  1. Add Shopify Email to your store, or open the app if you already have it installed.
    2. \n
  2. Select from one of several existing email templates, build an email from scratch, or create your own email template to use.
    3. \n
  3. Add a subject line, preview text, and select a segment of customers to email.
    4. \n
  4. Customize the body of the email with your own images, products, and discounts, all pulled in from your store automatically. You can even pull in free stock photos directly from Burst to use in your marketing campaigns.
    5. \n
  5. Review your email and send yourself a test campaign, then choose to send your email immediately or schedule a time in the future.
    6. \n
  6. Check in on how your email campaign performed a few days later, including stats on open rates and sales, directly in Shopify’s email marketing tool.
    7. \n
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Can I automate email marketing in Shopify?

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Yes, you can automate email marketing in Shopify. Marketing automations are included on Shopify’s Basic plan and above, and you can use pre-built templates to automate key marketing moments like welcome emails, post-purchase upsells, abandoned carts, and more based on the data you have about your customers.

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How can I build my email marketing list in Shopify?

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Shopify offers two key ways to build your email marketing list. You can install Shopify Forms to create lead capture forms, like overlays on your store or standalone pages to capture customers’ email, name, phone number, and more. You can also use Shopify Inbox to build your list, since customers can opt into email marketing directly from the chat window.

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https://www.shopify.com/blog/shopify-email

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Knowing how to reach your target market is the only way to increase your market share and improve sales. Get it wrong, and your finances may suffer.

\n

So, how can you reach your target audience and get them interested in your product or service?

\n
\n
\n

Table of Contents

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\n

What is a target audience?

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A target audience is a specific group of consumers identified by you as most likely to want your product or service. They are consumers you hope will eventually become your customers. Target audiences can be dictated by age, gender, location, income, interests, or other demographic information, such as their job titles or those with a particular pain point or at a certain life stage.

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Why knowing how to reach your target audience is important

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It’s helpful to know who your target audience is. But, if you don’t know how to reach them, you’ll struggle to get your brand and products in front of them.

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Knowing how to reach your target audience is important because:

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How to reach your target audience: 8 effective strategies

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Ready to reach your target audience? Here are steps to get started.

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  1. Define your target audience
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  2. Learn where your audience is active
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  3. Create relevant content
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  4. Use targeted advertising
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  5. Work with influencers
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  6. Create a referral program
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  7. Use hashtags on social media
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  8. Stay in touch with your audience
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1. Define your target audience

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First, you need to know who you’re targeting before you can reach them. Define your target audiences:

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Understanding who your target audience is informs every other part of your marketing strategy.

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2. Learn where your audience is active

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After you identify your target audience, it’s time to figure out where they hang out online and how they prefer to interact with brands. Do they spend most of their time on Instagram? Do they prefer trade publications over corporate blogs? Understanding where your target audience is most active online (and offline) will help you deliver your message on the right platforms.

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3. Create relevant content

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Your content is the message you’re sending to your target audience. Try to understand their unique needs and struggles and create content that answers them. Consider creating blog posts, email newsletters, social media content, ads, videos, or other content to share in relevant communities and use data to create more of the stuff your target audience loves.

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4. Use targeted advertising

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“Create and they will come” isn’t always true, especially for new merchants.

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Use targeted ad campaigns to reach your audience on the platforms they’re active on. Google ads and social media ads all offer advanced targeting capabilities to help you reach the people who matter. You can target your campaigns based on various characteristics and behaviors of your audience, including their age, location, online interests, life stage, job role, and income. This ensures your ads are only shown to people who will more likely be interested in your brand and products.

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Roman Originals uses Instagram ads to target people who have an interest in women’s clothing, are frequent travelers, and live in the UK.

5. Work with influencers

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Influencer marketing involves working with people who’ve built reputations around a specific niche, and a community that caters to that niche. Influencers create content for their channels, promote your brand, and, in return, help you make more sales. Team up with influencers whose audiences are full of people you’d like to reach, create content that shows your brand in its best light, and use the influencer’s pre-built trust to drive their audience to your own website and platforms.

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Jewelry brand Nominal partners with influencers to promote products on its own Instagram page. Instagram
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6. Create a referral program

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Referral programs encourage your existing customers to recommend your products to their friends and family—a.k.a. people who are likely to be similar in wants, needs, and characteristics.

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An old but relevant Nielson study shows that recommendations from family and friends are the most credible form of advertising, and incentivizing happy customers with cash back, future discounts, and free products is a great way to foster closer relationships with your existing customers.

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Luggage brand Away encourages existing customers to share the brand with their friends to claim $20 off their next order.
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7. Use hashtags on social media

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The right hashtags on social media channels like Instagram and TikTok can extend your reach and engage your target audience. Find hashtags that are trending in your niche and incorporate them into posts on your social media channels. This will ensure you show up in the feeds of people who are actively searching for that hashtag and relevant content.

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Snack brand Love Corn uses hashtags to reach people who are vegan and looking for delicious snacks. Instagram
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8. Stay in touch with your audience

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When you’ve managed to reach your target customers, the last thing you want to do is leave them hanging or disappear completely. Stay in touch with the people you reach by encouraging them to sign up for your email list, sending regular, relevant emails, and continuing to connect with them on their favorite social media platforms.

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How to reach your target audience on specific platforms

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Different platforms call for different tactics. Here are some key ways you can increase your visibility and reach your target audience on major social channels.

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How to reach your target audience on Instagram

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How to reach your target audience on Twitter

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How to reach your target audience on TikTok

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Run TikTok ad campaigns and use the “Promote” feature

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How to reach your target audience on YouTube

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How to reach your target audience for a small business

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Defining and reaching your target audience is critical to the success of your small business. When you understand who you’re targeting, what platforms your audience is most active on, and the type of content they need, it’s much easier to promote your brand and sell your products.

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Stand out from the competition by nurturing relationships with your target audience. Here’s a recap of how you can do that:

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How to reach your target audience: Takeaways

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It’s much easier to sell your products and grow your ecommerce store when you’re targeting the right people on the channels they prefer. The more data you get on your existing customers, the more you can hone in on niche audience segments to ensure you’re delivering highly relevant content on the most effective platforms.

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When you’re just getting started, make sure you have a defined target audience. Then, figure out where that audience spends their time, create relevant content, and use tactics like partnering with influencers, incorporating hashtags, and referral programs to help you reach them.

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How to reach your target audience FAQ

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How do you reach a target audience in marketing?

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– Define who your target audience is and where they spend their time.
\n– Create relevant content that speaks to their needs.
\n– Use targeted advertising to reach the right people.
\n– Partner with influencers to increase your visibility.
\n– Create a referral program to take advantage of personal recommendations.
\n– Use hashtags in your social media posts.
\n– Don’t forget about your existing customers!

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What are 5 things you must consider for your target audience?

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1. Demographic information like their age, gender, and location.
\n2. Psychographic data, like their challenges, interests, and aspirations.
\n3. The platforms they frequent the most.
\n4. What content they want and need from you.
\n5. How you’ll create an ongoing relationship with them.

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What are the 3 target market strategies?

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1. Differentiated marketing: When a brand creates individual campaigns for several different target audiences or segments.
\n2. Concentrated marketing: When a brand creates one marketing message for a singular, niche target audience.
\n3. Undifferentiated marketing: When a brand creates one campaign with the same message for its entire audience.

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https://www.shopify.com/blog/target-audience

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