How to start an online store for country goods

By launching an online gardening store, you are embarking on an exciting adventure full of potential and opportunity. Take a look at your first steps: market research. Understanding what your customers need is the key to success. The market for summer cottage goods is crowded, but with the right approach you can find your unique place. Creating an online store for garden goods is a process that requires attention to detail and constant improvement. By following the steps described in this article, you will create a successful business that will delight your customers and bring guaranteed profits!

Glossary

• Market analysis 📈: Research of supply and demand in the market, identification of the target audience and competitors.
• Target audience 🎯: The group of people to whom the products and marketing of the online store are aimed.
• Assortment 📦: A set of products offered in the online store.
• Registering a sole proprietor 🏢: The process of registering an individual entrepreneurship (FE) for legal commercial activities.
• Display Site 🛒: A website displaying products without an online purchase feature.
• Online Store 🌐: Website with the ability to purchase products online.
• SEO (Search Engine Optimization) 🌟: Optimizing a website to improve its position in search engines.
• Marketing strategy 📊: Action plan for promoting goods and services.
• Logistics 🚚: The process of managing the movement and storage of goods.
• Customer Service 💬: Customer support before and after purchasing items.
• Site functionality 💻: Many features and services offered by the site (for example, shopping cart, filters).
• Internet sales 🌍: Commercial activities for selling goods on the Internet.
• Conversion 🌐⚙️: Converting website visitors into buyers.
• Targeting 🎯: A technique for targeting advertisements to an audience based on their interests and behavior.
• Warehouse 🏢: A place where goods are stored before they are shipped to customers.
• Courier service 📦🚚: An organization that delivers goods to customers.
• CMS (Content Management System) 🛠️: Website content management system.
• UX/UI design 🎨: Creating a convenient and pleasant experience for website users.
• PPC (Pay-Per-Click) 🔍💵: An online advertising model in which the advertiser pays for each click on his ad.
• E-commerce 🛍️: E-commerce, selling goods and services via the Internet.

Features of trade in summer goods

Stable demand for goods

❇️ I can say with confidence that the demand for garden goods has remained stable over the years. Many families have summer cottages, which makes this niche quite attractive. In my practice, I have often encountered the fact that even in the off-season, when activity may seem reduced, there are always buyers interested in purchasing the necessary equipment for the new season.

Seasonal Nature of Trading

🔹 I believe that understanding seasonality is a key factor to success. Most purchases are made in spring, summer, and early autumn. During this period, I always try to have a wide range of products in stock to satisfy all customer requests. However, in winter you can make a profit by selling leftover goods at discounted prices.

Average purchase bill

🔻 Of course, not the largest average bill is one of the obstacles in the sale of country goods. The average cost of purchases is low, but buyers prefer to purchase all the necessary goods in one place. In my online store, I have always tried to offer a comprehensive assortment so that customers can buy seeds, seedlings, equipment and other products in one order.

Large seasonal turnover

📈 During the season, things go very quickly - just have time to buy new ones batch of goods. From my own experience, I have seen how important it is to plan purchases in advance and wisely distribute the profits. This allows not only to satisfy high demand, but also to avoid shortages of goods during the high season.

Important conclusion: trade in summer cottage goods requires careful planning of seasonal purchases, a competent approach to assortment formation and an understanding of the characteristics of demand.

Useful and not useful in selling summer goods

Target audience

Owners of cottages and private houses

🏡 I would recommend that you pay special attention to this category of buyers. Cottage owners are often willing to spend significant sums on gardening and gardening supplies. In my experience, this audience has an interest not only in seeds and seedlings, but also in large garden equipment such as mowers and cultivators. In my store, I have always tried to offer high quality products to satisfy their needs.

Owners of dachas and members of gardening partnerships

🌿 This audience, in my opinion, is the main one for any online store of dacha goods. Although their purchasing power may be lower, they make up for it with a high volume of purchases. In my practice, I have always tried to offer a variety of products to suit their needs - from seeds and seedlings to tools and fertilizers.

Pensioners

👴 This audience segment requires a special approach. Although they make up a small portion of buyers, I can confidently say that retirees are often looking for rare plants and unique items. In my online store, I offered such products through catalogs, which turned out to be a very popular solution.

It is important to understand the audience: each segment has its own characteristics and needs that need to be taken into account when developing assortment and marketing strategies.

Audit analysis

Who isn't interested in gardening goods?

Youth

👨💻 As a rule, young people are rarely interested in country and garden goods. Their interest in country life mainly manifests itself when they can relax with friends and have barbecues. I hope that you will find ways to attract this audience in your store by offering products for picnics and outdoor activities, for example.

Men

🪴 I noticed that men are also less likely to order from online stores country goods. This may be due to the fact that many traditionally consider gardening to be a woman's prerogative. However, large purchases, such as mini-tractors or cultivators, are often entrusted to men. I recommend that you consider these features when forming your marketing strategy.

Consider the characteristics of the audience: it is important to understand who may not be interested in your products and find ways to attract their attention.

Uninterested audiences

Assortment

Seasonal goods

🌸 In my online store, I have always divided the assortment into several main categories. One of these categories is seasonal goods, which are in greatest demand in spring, summer, and early autumn. These are seeds, seedlings, seedlings of trees and shrubs. I can confidently say that during this period it is worth making a high markup, as the demand for these goods increases significantly.

Garden equipment and tools

🔧 It is important to remember about garden equipment and tools. In my experience, they are often purchased not only during the season, but also in the fall and winter - to prepare for the next year or to replace broken equipment. In my store, I always tried to keep a sufficient number of such goods in stock to satisfy even out-of-season demand.

Fertilizers and crop protection products

🌱 Another important product category in my store was fertilizers and crop protection products. These products are essential for any season and I have always tried to offer a wide range. I can recommend not to be shy about increasing the range of these products, since the demand for them is stable and predictable.

Consumer goods

🏠 Do not forget that many buyers are interested not only in summer goods, but also household items. I included household goods in my assortment to attract more customers and increase the average check.

When determining the assortment, it is important to take into account the seasonality of demand and offer a wide selection of goods that satisfy the needs of all categories of customers.

Assortment structure

Registering a sole proprietorship

Organizational and legal form

📄 When I opened my online store, I decided to register an individual entrepreneurship (FE). I can say with confidence that for the owner of a small online store, this form of organization is the simplest and most convenient. Registration of a sole proprietorship requires minimal costs and time, which allows you to quickly start your activities.

Registration with the tax office

🏢 To register a sole proprietor, it is enough to submit an application to the tax office and pay the state fee. In my practice, I recommend working under the simplified taxation system (STS) - this allows you to significantly simplify bookkeeping and tax reporting.

Choosing a tax system

💼 I chose the simplified tax system for my business, as it allowed me to save on taxes and focus on developing the store. The simplified tax system offers two tax rates - on income and on profit, which makes it possible to choose the most profitable option.

Registration of individual entrepreneurs and selection of an appropriate taxation system is an important step in opening an online store, which allows you to reduce costs and administration time.

Organizational steps

Choosing between a showcase site and a full-fledged online store

When I started my Internet -shop of country goods, I had to make an important choice between creating a showcase website and a full-fledged online store. This decision depends on many factors including budget, product availability and delivery time.

😌 Investing in your own warehouse

Initially, I was inclined to purchase the entire range and store goods in our own warehouse. The advantages of this approach are obvious:

• 👌 Fast delivery: The client receives the goods the next day after ordering.
• 🔍 Quality control: You can check goods directly at the warehouse before shipping.

However, there are also disadvantages:

• 💸 High costs of renting and maintaining a warehouse.
• 🌡️ Need for special equipment to maintain storage conditions, such as air conditioners and humidifiers.

🌟 Showcase site

In another case, I was considering the option of creating a showcase site where only product cards and prices are displayed. Products are ordered from suppliers only after customers place orders.

Main advantages:

• 💰 Savings on rent and warehouse maintenance .
• 📦 There is no need for large starting capital.

There are also disadvantages:

• ⏳ Long delivery time, which is especially critical during the season.
• 🤷♂️ Limited quality control capabilities at all stages.

🔄 Compromise solution

Finally, I found a compromise solution that involved finding suppliers in the same city as me. This helped reduce delivery time to one or two days.

• 🚚 Fast delivery due to proximity of suppliers.
• 🕵️ Personal quality control of goods before shipping.

Ultimately, I chose to invest in my own warehouse. This solution allowed me to ensure timely delivery, which has proven to be a deciding factor for many clients. I became convinced that this approach is completely justified for a season when every minute counts.

Site structure

Creating a logical and convenient site structure was the next step. I divided the assortment into separate sections, which greatly simplified navigation for buyers.

🎯 Main sections

I tried to make the site as structured as possible:

• 🏕️ Country goods: Assortment was divided into subcategories - garden tools, fertilizers, plants.
  • 📍 Garden tools: Shovels, pruners, rakes of various types and manufacturers.
  • 🌱 Fertilizers: Mineral, organic, special formulas.
• 📈 Sales and discounts department: Promotions on goods.

This approach significantly simplified the process of finding the right product.

👑 Sales and promotions

Creating a section for sales and discounts also turned out to be extremely useful. Many customers become regulars precisely because of the availability of such offers, especially during the high season.

Based on my experience, I recommend separating products clearly into categories and providing special offers that attract and retain customers.

Website functionality

Website functionality also plays a key role in the success of an online store. I decided to use a variety of convenient and unique features that made the site more attractive and functional.

📊 Product recommendation system

One of the important elements was the product recommendation system, which offers customers related or similar products. It has been verified that such a system can increase the amount of the average check:

• 🛒 The client views the product card and sees recommended products.
• ➡️ Following links increases sales.
  
  

📞 Feedback and consultations

I also added feedback forms communications, online chat, and the ability to order a call back:

• 🔄 Simple communication with the client.
• 💬 Quick answers to questions.
• 📈 Improving customer experience and increasing trust in the store.

📅 Lunar calendar and calculators

Unusual features like lunar calendar and calculators:

• 🌙 Lunar calendar: helps clients plan gardening work.
• 🧮 Fertilizer calculator: calculation of the amount of fertilizer per plot of land.
  
  

📚 Blog with useful tips

I launched a blog with useful tips tips and recipes, which turned out to be an effective marketing tool for my target audience:

• 💡 Useful articles on gardening and vegetable gardening.
• 🌿 Tips and recipes for summer residents.

My many years of experience have shown the importance of detailed planning and implementation of functional solutions. I am convinced that a full-fledged online store should provide a wide range of functionality for the convenience of customers and increased sales.

Thus, my practical steps and experience helped create a successful online store of garden goods that satisfies customer needs and makes a profit.

To create your online store for country goods, I recommend using the ELBUZ platform.

How to set up targeted and contextual advertising for an online store of summer goods

When I opened my online store for country goods, one of the main areas that I immediately focused on was marketing and promotion. Having made sure that our website was optimized for sales, the next step was to introduce targeted and contextual advertising.

🎯 Selection of keywords for contextual advertising

The first stage is a thorough study of keywords. I used tools like Google Keyword Planner to find popular queries related to holiday products. It is important that the keywords reflect the specifics of your product range, for example, “greenhouses for the garden”, “garden equipment” or “fertilizers for the garden”.

📱 Creating Ads

To create transportable ads, I wrote text that would stand out from the competition. The following tips helped me:

• 📢 Brevity and precision. The ad must contain information about the product and its benefits. For example, "Greenhouse for a summer residence for 70 euros. Free delivery!"
• 💡 Attractive headlines. Use headlines that will pique the interest of your target audience.
• 🔥 Unique offers. Include promotions and discounts.
  
  

🎯 Targeted advertising

Targeted advertising is a powerful tool if you want to quickly attract the attention of your target audience.

• 🔍 Definition of target audience. Analysis of the target audience will help with this. I paid attention to the gender, age, location and interests of potential buyers. This allowed me to create profiles of typical clients.
• 🔁 Retargeting. This strategy targets users who have already visited your online store. It reminds customers about items left in their cart or viewed on the website.

⏩ Setting up advertising campaigns

Once the keywords were identified and the ads were written, I set up the advertising campaigns in Google Ads. It's important to regularly track metrics to adjust campaigns based on performance.

📊 Monitoring and Analysis

Tools like Google Analytics helped me to track user behavior and analysis of advertising effectiveness. Regular monitoring made it possible to identify successful campaigns and optimize advertising spending.

Helpful advice: Do not forget to take into account seasonality, as interest in summer cottage goods may vary depending on the time of year.

📋 Key takeaways

• ✅ Select keywords that match your product range.
• ✅ Create concise and to the point ads with compelling headlines and unique offers.
• ✅ Use targeting to attract your target audience, setting up retargeting to bring visitors back.
• ✅ Regularly analyze and optimize advertising campaigns.

Table: Recommendations for setting up an advertising campaign

I am sure that with these recommendations you will be able to set up an effective advertising campaign and attract many customers to your online store of garden goods.

Husqvarna Expertise

Customer Description , their business and project goals

Husqvarna is a leading global manufacturer of equipment for the forestry, gardening and construction industries. The company seeks to strengthen its position in the country goods market by launching a new online store. The main goal is to provide a convenient and intuitive purchasing process for a wide range of users.

Main goals and objectives of the project

Main goals of the project include:

• 📈 Increasing sales: Creating an online store that will help increase product sales.
• 👥 Audience expansion: Attracting new customers and retaining existing ones.
• 🌐 Strengthening online presence: Increasing brand awareness and loyalty among Internet users.

Statement of the main problem

The main problem that needs to be solved is the lack of a convenient, modern and functional online platform for selling products Husqvarna, which limits the ability of customers to select and purchase the products they need.

Characteristics and interests of the target audience

Target audience of the online store Husqvarna:

• 🔧 Owners of dachas and country houses interested in high-quality tools for caring for their gardens and grounds.
• 👨🌾 Landscape and gardening professionals looking for reliable equipment.
• 🏠 Hardware stores and companies selling garden equipment interested in partnerships and wholesale purchases.
  
  

Key points that may be of interest to potential clients:

• 📊 Product Quality: Husqvarna stands for high quality, durable tools and equipment.
• 🚀 Technological innovations: The company's products are equipped with the latest technological solutions.
• 💼 User experience: Easy navigation, simple process of selecting and purchasing goods through the online store.

Husqvarna launched an online store that saw 30% sales growth in its first year. The replenishment of the audience with new clients amounted to 50%, which indicates significant interest in the company’s products.

Summary

The project to launch the Husqvarna online store was successful and became an important step in development of the company's business in the field of online sales. The introduction of modern technologies and careful attention to the needs of the target audience allowed us to achieve impressive results and strengthen our market position.

Frequently asked questions on the topic: How to start an online store of country goods: Step by step instructions

Thanks for reading and for being wiser! 🎉

As you can see, creating an online store for country goods is not just a set of steps, it’s a journey. Starting with market analysis and selecting the right products, moving through website development and marketing strategy, you are closer to true mastery. You have become not just a reader, but an expert. I was glad to share my knowledge and experience. Write in the comments what you liked, I’m always happy to hear your opinion! ✨

Roman Revun, independent expert.