If you have something you are passionate about a bit more than others, and can see yourself becoming your own boss, it might be a good idea to open an e-commerce store in Portugal. As many portuguese have chosen staycations this year, there is an interest in domestic shopping as well.

But what does it actually take to open an e-commerce business in Portugal and how do you get started? We will guide you through it here.

Do your research and plan your products

Before you establish your e-commerce store it is always a good idea to do some thorough research and plan your products a bit more closely. You probably have an idea of what you want to sell already, how you will market yourself and what products you are planning on selling. However, a proper market analysis will give you all valuable information that is needed to make better decisions.

So, start your market analysis by selecting products with potential. That is products with a demand from Portuguese people. A great way of doing this is to use Google Trends. What is trending on Google tells you a lot about how many customers you might get by selling certain products, which is necessary for your business to succeed.

Once you are done, start analyzing your competitors. What do they do and sell? Take their best features and ideas and then try to make them your own.

Finally, you should also niche yourself. By niching in on a narrower area, you can keep any customers who want particular products as well as keeping your prices down and offering better service.


Choose your e-commerce platform

Once the market analysis is done and you know what products you will sell, it is time to choose the platform for your e-commerce. This will be one of your biggest decisions in the process of starting your own online business.

There are tons of systems to choose from, so make sure you pick a platform that suits your needs and allows for your business to expand. Things to keep in mind when choosing a platform include your budget, the features you need, how you want your store to look and the payment solutions you can offer.

The range of platforms is vast, so take your time and learn all about online marketplaces with a guide before you pick one for your e-commerce.

Get started

Now that you have come this far, congratulations! It is now time to go live and get started with sales. Remember that an e-commerce will probably require more time than a physical store would because you are open 24 hours a day.