You only need to get four things right to start a successful online store in 2026.

I’ve been running online stores full-time for 14 years. A lot has changed since then.

If I started over today from zero, these four new steps are the only things I’d focus on in the first 30 days.

In this blog, I’ll walk you through those steps so you’ll know exactly how to start an online store that lasts and stands out from the competition.

Deciding What to Sell

When you’re deciding what to sell, most people fall into one of two traps.

They either pick trendy products that blow up for six months then disappear, or they design something they love without thinking about whether anyone will actually buy it.

And I get it. When you’re creative like me, you want to make what excites you.

But if you want your business to actually pay the bills, you’ve got to find that sweet spot between what you enjoy making and what people will keep buying.

So here’s the test I’d run on any product idea.

First, ask yourself this question: can I make this repeatedly without burning out?

It doesn’t matter if you’ve got the best product idea in the world, if it takes forever to make and you can’t charge enough to make it worth your time, it’s not going to work.

Even if you love the process, your time is your most valuable asset. You can’t get it back, so you need to be paid fairly for it.

This is where most people get stuck. They create something that takes ages to make, costs a ton in materials, and leaves almost no profit.

Economics have to work.

You can design the most beautiful product out there, but if the market won’t pay enough for you to profit, it’s not a business, it’s just a very time-consuming hobby.

Before you make anything, run the numbers.

We’ll talk about pricing in a bit, but if things don’t add up, you’ve got to either make the product faster, use cheaper materials, or choose a different product altogether.

Second, ask yourself: will people keep buying this, or is it just a fad?

You want products with staying power. It takes a lot of effort to get a business off the ground before you even make your first dollar, so make sure that time counts.

If you jump on a trend that dies out in a few months, you’ll find yourself starting all over again.

Think about LONGEVITY, not just what’s blowing up on TikTok right now.

Here’s the question most people skip when choosing a product to sell and honestly, it’s the most important one, especially now that there’s more competition than ever.

What’s your MOAT?

In business terms, a moat is your competitive advantage.  It’s what keeps someone else from copying what you do and taking your customers.

Why would someone buy from you instead of another shop?

There are so many people selling online these days, so this matters more than ever.

Your moat could be a lot of things, maybe you use a unique technique, have access to special materials, or your designs are so distinctive that copies look obviously fake.

Because if your product can be easily replicated by anyone with the same supplies, you’ll end up competing on price and that’s a race to the bottom.

So when you’re thinking about your product, ask yourself: What can I do that’s hard to copy? What makes my version stand out? Why would someone choose me over a hundred other sellers?

This doesn’t mean you need to invent something revolutionary. It just means you need an angle that gives you an edge. 

Even small advantages add up over time, so take your time to think this through.

Once you’ve figured out what product you want to make, you’ll face a whole new challenge…

Naming Your Business

Even the best product won’t sell if people can’t remember where they bought it.

You’ve got a product people want. Now you need a name they’ll remember.

And this is where a lot of people mess up. They either go too generic, like “Handmade Jewelry by Sarah,” or they get too clever and choose something no one can pronounce or remember.

So let’s talk about what actually works.

Research shows that names with two to three syllables are much more memorable than longer ones. Keep it short and simple.

But simple doesn’t mean boring, okay? You want a name that’s clear enough for people to understand what you do, but catchy enough that they remember it later.

So when a friend asks, “That’s a cool piece, where did you get it?” they can actually say your shop name.

Take Tiny Hands, my polymer clay jewelry business. It’s short, gives a hint of what I make, and it’s personal, I really do have tiny hands!

And this is where your domain name comes in. When someone tries to find you online, they need to remember exactly where you live on the internet.

The very first thing I’d do is grab a domain. This is what I do every single time I come up with a new business or product idea.

Normally, I’d recommend a .com domain, but let’s be honest, most of the good ones are already taken.

That’s where .store domains come in. 

Instead of .com, I’d go with a .store domain extension. Because that’s what your business is, a store, right?

It instantly tells people you’re not just here to browse, you’re here to sell. In fact, websites with a .store domain get 87% more traffic and rank twice as high on Google (A TLD Experiment).

That’s why over 2 million sellers from artists and creators to big names like MrBeast and Shakira use .store domains for their businesses.

If you’re serious about turning your passion into profit, head to go.store/ch1 and use my code CREATIVEHIVE to grab your .store domain for just 99 cents for the first year.

Here’s the bonus: when you get a .store domain, you’ll also get free access to the Plus version of elevate.store.

Just click here: https://elevate.store/creativehive

That’s where you’ll find exclusive discounts and extended free trials for tools to help you build your online store like Shopify (my favorite website builder).

Google Workspace for your business email, LegalZoom for setting up your business legally, ShipStation for shipping, Vistaprint for business cards, QuickBooks for bookkeeping, and more!

So if you’ve already got a business name you love and it fits the criteria we talked about, go to go.store/ch1 and use code CREATIVEHIVE to grab your .store domain.

Here’s something I see all the time, people name their business after themselves.

A lot of fine artists do this, and unless you’re already famous, it’s usually not the best move.

Can it work? Sure. Some people get lucky, at the right place, right time and their personal brand takes off.

But that’s not a strategy you can count on. Most of us aren’t going to become household names unless our work is so iconic, unique, and in-demand that it basically markets itself.

And let’s be honest, that’s pretty rare these days.

Instead, think about what your business actually does. What does it represent? Who are your customers? What interests are you serving?

Maybe your shop is all about gardening, cottage chic, or video games. Start thinking of words that connect to what you’re focused on.

So now you’ve got a product that works and a name people will remember. But you can price yourself out of business in seconds if you make this next mistake.

Pricing Your Products

Let’s talk pricing, because this is where I see people completely sabotage themselves.

Most people think about pricing backwards. They add up their costs and call it a day. Or worse, they check what competitors charge and price lower, thinking it’ll help them sell more.

Here’s the thing, people don’t buy based on price alone. Sure, price matters, but it’s not the whole story. People buy based on perceived value.

Studies show that consumers rely heavily on the first piece of information they see when evaluating options.

This is called anchoring.

For example, if someone sees a $100 necklace first and then a $50 necklace, that $50 option feels like a deal.

But if they see a $20 necklace first, the same $50 necklace suddenly feels expensive. It’s all about how people perceive value, not just the numbers.

So positioning matters more than the actual number.

And here’s the thing, if your product looks amazing, you can charge more than something that feels amateur.

Same goes for your website. Great product photos and a smooth shopping experience let you charge more than someone with a clunky site and blurry, poorly lit photos.

Here’s a simple formula I use to get started with pricing:

1. Add up your cost of goods, that’s materials and supplies and your labor to make the item.

2. Then, multiply that total by two.

3. And multiply it by two again. That’s your retail price.

The doubles are your markup, that’s where your profit comes from. Without it, you’re not making any real money.

For example, if materials cost $5 and it takes an hour to make at $20/hour, your total cost is $25. Times two is $50. Times two again is $100. That’s your starting price.

But now you might be thinking: nobody’s going to pay $100 for something that only costs $25 to make.

And here’s where pricing psychology gets really interesting.

“Value” isn’t just about cost, it’s different for everyone.

Another crafter might see value in one thing, but your actual customer sees it in something completely different.

Your customer probably can’t make what you create themselves. They don’t have the tools, training, or time.

They’re not just buying a product, they’re buying convenience, something nice for themselves, their home, or a loved one.

They’re buying something that makes them happy. And all of that is worth more than just your materials and labor.

The biggest mistake I see? People pricing too low because they’re scared.

They think lower prices mean more sales. But what actually happens is you train customers to expect cheap prices, make little to no profit, and burn out trying to keep up with orders that don’t even pay you fairly.

Sometimes, you even get fewer sales because people start to wonder, “Why is this so cheap? Is something wrong with it?”

I tested this myself. I had a necklace priced at $28. Then I raised it to $49.99. And you know what? I sold more at a higher price.

Why? Because higher prices signal higher quality. People trust the product more, and that trust converts to sales.

Of course, this only works if you actually have a high-quality product, great photos, and an easy to use website, all of which make charging more not just possible, but totally worth it.

So don’t be afraid to charge more. Start with that formula, cost times two, then times two again and then adjust based on market research and how your product compares to similar items from successful shops.

But pricing only works if people actually come to your store. And this is where most people waste months building the wrong thing.

Building Your Online Store

You’ve got your product, your name, your pricing, now it’s time to build the store itself.

This is where people overcomplicate everything. Weeks, even months, get spent designing the “perfect” website and constantly tweaking branding.

Here’s what you actually need to start selling: a way for people to see your products and a way for them to pay you.

That’s it. You can get this done in less than a week, even 48 hours if you really focus! 

Let’s keep it simple and focus on the 80/20

The 20% of things that drive 80% of your sales. And if you want more step-by-step help, I have a mini course called Start Your Store Blueprint that walks you through it.

Just click here: https://tinyurl.com/4hadrszd

First things first: pick your platform wisely.  Don’t rely on Etsy as your main focus.

Etsy takes a 6.5% transaction fee on every sale, and you don’t own your customer data or your brand experience. 

You’re building on rented land. If Etsy changes their algorithm or shuts down your shop, you lose everything. 

Instead, start with Shopify.

Shopify powers over 4.5 million active websites, and the best part is you own your store, your customers, and your data.

When you build on Shopify, you’re building real equity in your business.

Can you use both Shopify and Etsy? Absolutely. I have students who sell on both.

But your main focus should be your own store, with Etsy as a side channel for extra visibility.

If you want to dive deeper into the Shopify vs. Etsy strategy, I have a free workshop that explains why I recommend building your own store first and lays out a roadmap for a successful Shopify business.

Click this link to sign up: https://tinyurl.com/mrybwdy8

So, what do you actually need on your Shopify store to get started? A homepage, product listings with clear, high-quality photos.

Seriously, invest the time in your photos because this is something that pays off for years and a simple checkout that doesn’t make your customers jump through hoops. That’s it.

You don’t need a fancy About page, a blog, or a paid theme that costs hundreds or even thousands. All you need is a clean, simple Shopify theme, the free ones work great.

Don’t spend weeks tweaking every pixel. Get it functional and live, and start selling!

Focus on the basics: a simple, clean website with great product photos and an easy checkout flow.

You learn more from selling one product than from spending a month perfecting a website nobody has seen yet.

Build the minimum version, launch it, start telling people about your new store, and hopefully start making sales. Then improve as you go based on what you learn.

Most people start online stores and fail within the first year. Not because they picked the wrong platform or had bad marketing, but because they skipped the foundation, the part that’s SO important.

Here’s what you should do right now: pick one product idea and run it through the sustainability test we talked about.

Ask yourself: can I make this consistently? Will people keep buying it? Does economics work?

Because everything else we covered only matters if you get that first decision right.

And if you want to see how to market your store once it’s set up, how to get traffic without spending a fortune on ads, check out this blog where I break down the strategy that took my business from just a few sales a month to consistent six figures

Starting an online store can feel like a lot, but it doesn’t have to be.

Nail your product, pick a name people actually remember, price it smart, and get a simple store up and running and you’re already ahead of most people trying to figure this out.

These aren’t just steps, they’re the foundation for a business that lasts.

So take what you’ve learned here, start small, get it live, and watch it grow.