ECOMMERCE BUSINESS

STARTUP GUIDE
CHECKLIST & BUSINESS PLAN

ECOMMERCE BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE: CHECKLIST & BUSINESS PLAN 1

ECOMMERCE BUSINESS
STARTUP GUIDE
This is the exact same checklist I use to help my clients build 6-figure and 7-figure
online businesses.

With it, you’ll know exactly how to create a profitable foundation for your ecom-
merce business from the very first step (before you even *think* of a business plan).

Follow these steps to start your first online business without getting tricked into
risky investments and random guesswork.

… Or use it to build your 14th ecommerce business without making any costly mis-
takes that drain your budget.

Inside this 14-page PDF, you’ll get:

• A customizable, fill-in template for every stage of your ecommerce business

• A step-by-step guide to help you lay down a profitable foundation pre-launch
• Crystal-clear instructions to minimize your costs & eliminate costly mistakes

ECOMMERCE BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE: CHECKLIST & BUSINESS PLAN 2

Darren DeMatas, MBA

Darren has 10 years of corporate market-

ing experience for retail, manufacturing
and Internet marketing companies.

In 2008 he started his Internet “side

hustle” consulting niche ecommerce and
7-figure brands.

In 2013, his “side hustle” income sur-

passed and replaced his corporate in-
come. He also became a father and full
time entrepreneur - building and mone-
tizing websites.

Darren has an MBA in Internet Market-

ing from the Florida Institute of Technol-
ogy, a Bachelors in Advertising from the
University of Florida and over a decade
in the trenches of Internet marketing.

ECOMMERCE BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE: CHECKLIST & BUSINESS PLAN 3

 BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE
LAUNCH CHECKLIST

Before You Start

There’s a ton of legit ways to make money online. Not every business model is right
for everyone. Before you invest time and money into a business idea, take a minute,
and learn about the different business models.

Too many people rush into specific business models because a “guru” told them to.
Only after they get into the business, then realize it was not for them.

These are the five most popular ecommerce business models. Research them! You
don’t need to deep dive; you just need to know what they are and decide which ones
you might want to pursue.

Research Private Label Business Ideas

Research Amazon Affiliate Marketing
Research Dropshipping
Research Print On Demand
Research Selling Digital Products

Research Product Ideas And Target Markets

You need more than a “hot” trending product to have a sustainable online business.
You also need a well-defined target market. Look for emerging product niches; they
usually have less competition.

You don’t necessarily need a specific product. Whats more important is an in de-
mand product niche (or category of products). Once you have this you can imple-
ment various business models.

Research Best Sellers On Amazon / Ebay

Use Watchcount To Find Popular Products On Ebay
Quora To Source For Ideas And Get Feedback

ECOMMERCE BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE: CHECKLIST & BUSINESS PLAN 4

 Compare Alibaba and Amazon Product Pricing
Mine Amazon Reviews For Product Modification Ideas
Use JungleScout or Helium10 To Find Low Competition Product Ideas
Use Google Trends To Compare Your Product Ideas
Research CAGR To Validate Long-term Market Growth
Validate Your Selected Niche Using Facebook Audiences

Competitive Market Research

Once you a have basic idea of your product and market niche, you need to identify
your competitors and uncover their monetization strategy.

Identify Direct and Indirect Competitors

Identify How Market Leaders Monetize Their Website
Make a List Of Competitor Sites That Inspire You
Study Competitor Reviews and Facebook Fans To Research Customers
Create a Facebook Buyer Persona of Your Ideal Customer

Initial Brand Development

To succeed online, you need a customer-centric brand. We start with the customer,
and build our brand in a way that shares their interests and values.

Use your competitive market research to create a brand that establishes points of
parity (similar to competition) and points of differentiation (different from competi-
tion).

Draft Your Brand Style Guide And Key Brand Messages

Purchase A Brandable Domain Name
Claim/Create Social Profiles For Your Brand Name
Design Logo, & Image Mood Board (Colors)
Get Original Product Photos and Stock Images

ECOMMERCE BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE: CHECKLIST & BUSINESS PLAN 5

Set Up Business & Complete Plan
After you get your brand established its time to make it official. Set up your business
legally and obtain the necessary licenses you need. Check with your local chamber
of commerce.

Choose Business Name (Does Not Have To Be Same As Brand)

Set Up LLC or S-Corp
Obtain Local Business License
Obtain Business Bank Account
Obtain Tax ID / Employer Identification Number
Determine Your Primary Business Model
Estimate Your Start Up Costs
Estimate Your Product Costs
Determine Your Break Even and Payback Period
Complete Your Business Plan and Revenue Forecast

Plan Your Website Content & Launch

The specific steps you take here will depend on your business model. But in general,
most businesses will need to:

Research Keywords to Target Your Ideal Audience

Obtain Product Samples and Finalize Logistics Plan
Create Your Branded/Sales Content
Make an Editorial Calendar Of Your Blog Content
Set Up Your Website / Ecommerce Platform
Set Up PayPal Business Account and Payment Gateways (As Needed)
Add SSL Certificate and Enable HTTPS
Set Up And Customize Theme
Set Up And Customize Plugins
Set Up Google Analytics Ecommerce and Add To Website
Set Up Google Search Console

ECOMMERCE BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE: CHECKLIST & BUSINESS PLAN 6

 Set Up SEO Plugin
Set Up Facebook Pixel
Customize Your Home and About Page
Add Blog Posts (As Needed)
Add Terms, Conditions, Privacy Pages (As Needed)
Add FAQ, Shipping and Returns Policy Page (As Needed)
Delete Dummy/Template Pages From Site (As Needed)
Add Contact Form / Support / Chat (As Needed)
Add Category & Product Pages (As Needed)
Create Offer Sales Funnels (As Needed)
Test Payment Gateways On Store And Funnels (As Needed)
Apply for Amazon Associate Program (As Needed)

Email Marketing Automation (As Needed)

If you plan to sell anything on your website, consider adding email automation to
your marketing. This is where most people selling products fail. They don’t set up
emails correctly.

Set Up Email Marketing Automation

Add Opt in Software To Your Website
Pre-Purchase Content Welcome Email Automation
Pre-Purchase Offer Welcome Email Automation
Abandoned Cart Email Automation
Every Purchase Email Automation
New Customer Email Automation
Repeat Purchase Email Automation
Win Back Email Automation

ECOMMERCE BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE: CHECKLIST & BUSINESS PLAN 7

 ECOMMERCE BUSINESS PLAN
EDITABLE PDF TEMPLATE

Executive Summary

Business Overview
BUSINESS MODEL

Monetization Strategy

Product / Industry

Target Market

Sales Channel

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Brand Name

Company Type

Domain Name

Mission

Vision

Value Proposition

Brand Traits

ECOMMERCE BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE: CHECKLIST & BUSINESS PLAN 8

PERSONNEL ROLE HIRE DATE

Market Analysis
NICHE SELECTION

Product Niche Overview

Product Niche Rationale

Micro Niche / Sub Niche

Type Of Niche

TARGET AUDIENCE OVERVIEW FB AUDIENCE SIZE

Core Audience

Segment 1

Segment 2

Segment 3

ECOMMERCE BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE: CHECKLIST & BUSINESS PLAN 9

COMPETITORS DOMAIN MODEL EST TRAFFIC PRICING RANGE

Market Leader

Direct #1

Direct #2

Direct #3

Indirect #1

Indirect #2

Products & Services

OFFERING DESCRIPTION SEARCH VOLUME AMAZON PRICE RANGE

Tripwire

Core Product

Cross Sell

Up Sell

Additional

UNIT COST / PRICING TRIPWIRE CORE PRODUCT UP SELL CROSS SELL

Target Price

Supplier Cost Of Product

Total Cost Per Unit

Net Profit Per Unit

Profit Margin Per Unit

ECOMMERCE BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE: CHECKLIST & BUSINESS PLAN 10

Marketing and Operations Plan

MARKETING OVERVIEW DESCRIPTION

Primary Marketing Strategy

Primary Advertising Strategy

MARKETING BUDGET AMOUNT

Sales / Branded Content

SEO / Blog Content

FB / IG Ads

Influencer Marketing

PR/Outreach/Social

Marketing Tools

Product / Lifestyle Photography

Niche Advertising

TECHNOLOGY BUDGET PROVIDERS ANNUAL COST

Ecommerce Platform / Hosting

Apps / Plugins

Website Design / Development

Email Opt In Software

Email Automation

ECOMMERCE BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE: CHECKLIST & BUSINESS PLAN 11

Funnel / LP Builder

Live Chat

User Generated Content /

Reviews

OPERATIONS VENDOR CONTACT INFO

Manufacturer

Secondary Manufacturer

Shipping and Fulfillment

Financial Plan
STARTUP BUDGET

Business / Brand Set Up

Technology Costs

Product Costs

Content Costs

Marketing Budget

Total Startup Costs

Break Even Point (# Of Core Units)

Payback Period

ECOMMERCE BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE: CHECKLIST & BUSINESS PLAN 12

REVENUE FORECAST MONTH 1 MONTH 2 MONTH 3 MONTH 4 MONTH 5 MONTH 6

Traffic

Goal/Event
Conversion Rate

Transaction Rate

Customers

Average Order Value

Revenue

REVENUE FORECAST MONTH 7 MONTH 8 MONTH 9 MONTH 10 MONTH 11 MONTH 12

Traffic

Goal/Event
Conversion Rate

Transaction Rate

Customers

Average Order Value

Revenue

REVENUE FORECAST YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 YEAR 4 YEAR 5

Traffic

Goal/Event
Conversion Rate

Transaction Rate

Customers

Average Order Value

Revenue

ECOMMERCE BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE: CHECKLIST & BUSINESS PLAN 13

Additional Notes

ECOMMERCE BUSINESS STARTUP GUIDE: CHECKLIST & BUSINESS PLAN 14