How to open an online store in Moldova

Dreaming of your own online store but don’t know where to start? Since 2014, we’ve been helping entrepreneurs from Moldova and around the world create successful online stores. Over the years, we’ve gained invaluable experience and understand the challenges and questions entrepreneurs may face at the very beginning. That’s why we’re happy to share with you a detailed guide that will help you launch your own online store from scratch and make sure you don’t miss any important steps.

Step 1: Create a Business Plan – Your Compass in the World of Online Commerce

A business plan is not just a boring document — it’s your roadmap to success. It will help you to:

• Define your goals: How much do you want to earn? What market share do you aim to capture?
• Study your target audience: Who are your customers? Where do they live? What are their interests?
• Develop a marketing strategy: How will you attract customers? Which marketing channels will you use?
• Create a financial plan: How much investment will you need? When will you reach profitability?
• Outline your action plan: What steps are needed to open your store? How will you source products? How will you process orders?

Creating a business plan is like laying the foundation for your house — the stronger the foundation, the more secure and successful your business will be.

Step 2: Define Your Market

Where will you sell your products?

1. Moldova:

• Language: If your customers live in Moldova, your website should be in Russian.
• Currency: Use the Moldovan leu (MDL) for transactions.
• Customs: If you sell imported products, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with customs regulations and prepare the necessary documentation.

2. International Market:

• Language: You will need to create a multilingual website to reach potential customers in different countries.
• Currency: Offer payment options in multiple currencies.
• Taxation: Study the tax regulations in the countries where you will ship your products.
• Postal restrictions: Consider the cost threshold for postal parcels in each country. For example, since July 1, 2021, in EU countries, all parcels — regardless of value — are subject to customs duties, while in the USA this threshold is $800.

Your decision on which market to target depends on:

• Your niche: Some products and services are in higher demand in certain regions.
• Your capabilities: Do you have the resources to create a multilingual website and manage international trade?
• Your goals: Do you want to reach as many customers as possible or focus on a specific customer group?

Don’t be afraid to start small! You can always expand your target audience later as your business grows.

Step 3: Choosing a Niche for Your Online Store

Choosing your niche is one of the most important steps in creating an online store. It determines your target audience, product range, marketing strategy, and ultimately, the success of your business.

Don’t underestimate this step. Many entrepreneurs mistakenly believe that the store’s theme doesn’t play a key role. However, working with products that genuinely interest you and generate profit is fundamentally different from selling products you are not passionate about.

How to Choose the Right Niche?

Passion 

Are you ready to work with a smaller profit but in a niche you truly enjoy? This will help you stay motivated during tough times and avoid giving up in moments of crisis.

Growth Potential 

Does the niche have room for expansion? For example, if you start by selling women’s shoes, you could later add products for men and children.

Competitive Advantage

Have you analyzed your main competitors and identified what will set your store apart? This could be expert advice, lower prices, unique offers, and more.

Trends and Popular Products

If you haven’t decided on a niche yet, you can use statistics from specialized services or research from major players. Google Trends shows that in 2024, users are actively searching for power tools, pet food, baby products, and smartwatches.

Here are some of the best niches for online stores:

• Clothing
• Medical products
• Home goods
• Fitness products
• Pet supplies

Step 4: Defining Your Market Segment

At the initial stage, don’t try to cover the entire niche.

Decide which price segment you will operate in:

• Low-cost
• Mid-range
• High-end

Each price segment has its own characteristics:

• Target audience: Expensive products are often purchased by people with a higher income level.
• Advertising messages: In the low-cost segment, the focus is on discounts, while in the high-end segment, it’s on exclusivity and premium quality.
• Decision-making time: Low-cost products are often bought on impulse, while high-end items require more consideration.

Remember: Choosing the right niche is the key to a successful online store!

Step 5: Finding Reliable Suppliers – The Foundation of Your Success

Finding reliable suppliers is not just a task — it’s one of the cornerstones of your online store’s success. The right supplier choice directly impacts:

• Product quality: You definitely don’t want to disappoint customers with low-quality goods.
• Product variety: The more products you can offer, the higher your chances of attracting new customers.
• Delivery consistency: No one wants to wait months for their order.
• Ability to restock: Seasonal sales and promotions mean you’ll always need sufficient inventory.
• Competitive pricing: The lower your purchase price, the higher your profit margin.

How to find a reliable supplier?

1. Use the Internet:

• Monitor Google results: Search for keywords like “wholesale [your product name].”
• Use specialized supplier directories: For example, “sastavki.md,” “yellowpages.md.”
• Research group purchasing services: Such as “spravka.md,” “orgprice.md.”
• Attend industry trade shows: An excellent way to find new suppliers and evaluate their product quality.

2. Dropshipping and Fulfillment:

• Dropshipping: Allows you to sell products without storing them in a warehouse.
• Fulfillment: The supplier not only sells you products but also handles storage, packaging, and delivery to your customers.

3. Negotiating with Suppliers:

• Check if they provide all necessary product documentation.
• Establish the minimum order quantity.
• Find out the delivery terms.
• Clarify who is responsible for repairs or replacements under warranty.
• Request product descriptions and photos from the supplier.

Remember: The quality of your interaction with suppliers determines the efficiency of your online store. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and request all necessary information from suppliers. Work only with trusted, reputable companies.

Step 6: Immersing Yourself in the World of Your Target Audience

Knowing your target audience is the key to any business’s success. Who are these people? How old are they? Where do they live? What are their interests? What problems and needs do they have? How do they usually shop for products?

The more you know about your potential customers, the better you can:

• Create products and services they genuinely need.
• Develop marketing campaigns that attract them.
• Provide excellent service that meets their expectations.

Example: Let’s say you sell wedding dresses. If you know that your target audience consists of young women aged 23–30, with higher education, living in Chișinău and planning a wedding, you can target your ads more precisely. You’ll be able to write more effective copy that resonates with this audience and choose the most suitable promotion channels for your store.

It’s important to understand that your target audience can be heterogeneous:

• Primary audience: The people who make the purchase decision (in this case, the brides).
• Secondary audience: People who can influence the decision (for example, mothers who give advice or pay for the purchase).
• Broad audience: All brides looking for a wedding dress.
• Niche audience: Brides looking for a white A-line wedding dress with lace trim.

For each of these groups, you’ll need to create a personalized message to maximize conversions.

Step 7: Creating Your Brand and Registering Your Domain

Your brand is what sets you apart from competitors and makes you recognizable. It’s not just a logo, a slogan, or a name — it’s about the associations customers make when they think of your store. It includes:

• Your values: What is important to you?
• Your mission: What problem do you solve?
• Your target audience: Who are your customers?
• Your unique selling proposition (USP): Why should people choose you?

Building a strong brand is an investment that will pay off in the future. A well-developed brand:

• Motivates customers to make purchases.
• Improves recognition of your store.
• Allows you to charge higher prices for your products.
• Makes you more resilient to competition.

Domain Registration

Your domain is your online store’s address on the internet. When choosing it:

• Pick a name that is easy to remember and spell.
• Make sure it matches your brand.
• Check if it’s available.
• Register it with a trusted domain registrar.

Step 8: Creating the Website for Your Future Online Store

It’s time to turn your ideas into reality! Now that you’ve defined your niche, brand, and target audience, it’s the perfect moment to create your online store’s website. Creare Site offers you two simple options:

1. Free Trial:

• Create your online store on the Creare Site platform and enjoy a 14-day free trial. During this period, you can:
  • Explore all platform features.
  • Add products and categories.
  • Configure the design and layout.
  • Test the shopping cart and payment functionality. If you like the platform, you can easily switch to a paid plan.

2. Paid Plans:

• Creare Site offers several pricing packages to suit every preference and budget. Each package includes:
  • Domain name.
  • SSL certificate.
  • Free hosting.
  • 24/7 technical support. Choose the package that best fits your needs and start selling online today!

Not sure where to start? Don’t worry! Creare Site specialists are always ready to help you choose the right platform, set up your website, and promote your online store. We offer a wide range of services:

• Development of a turnkey online store .
• Design and functionality setup.
• SEO optimization and search engine promotion.
• Setup of contextual advertising..
• Social media management..
• And much more!

If you haven’t yet decided where to build your website, you can read about OpenCart, WooCommerce, and Shopify.

Step 8: Accounting

Before launching a new business, product, or entering a new market, it’s essential to carefully analyze taxation. Mistakes in the fiscal domain can be very costly — not only because of fines and penalties. For example, many online stores registered their legal addresses outside Chișinău to avoid the local tax, which in the capital used to be up to 10,000 MDL. Since 2021, the municipal council reduced this tax to 5,000 MDL, and for first-time registration — to 2,500 MDL.

A poor pricing strategy or mistakes in VAT registration can lead to significant additional expenses for an online store. Experts recommend taking extra time before launching to review all aspects and draft contracts correctly to avoid lengthy disputes with customers, partners, suppliers, or employees. Use an electronic signature to sign contracts — it costs 10 MDL per month for a mobile signature or 350 MDL per year for a full digital signature.

Sellers need to invest more time and resources into accounting, taxation, and legal support from the very start of their online store’s operations, regardless of the platform used.

The main rule of accounting in online sales: every transaction must be backed by a primary document or a fiscal receipt proving the transfer of money from the buyer’s card to the seller’s account.

It’s also important to plan the product return process for customers. The seller should calculate the cost of reverse delivery and clearly describe this process on their website.

Step 9: Legal Matters

The legal form of an online store does not necessarily have to be a Limited Liability Company (LLC). E-commerce can also be conducted as a patent holder or within an IT Park. However, it’s important to note that roughly one-third of activity types are not covered under the IT Park law. Still, the IT Park regime is economically advantageous for companies with a significant portion of expenses related to salaries or those achieving a profit margin of up to 71% of cost.

Experții prognozează că în următorii 3-5 ani, 80% dintre vânzătorii moldoveni vor migra către comerțul online. Acest trend subliniază importanța adaptării la mediul digital și necesitatea de a înțelege și aplica cerințele juridice specifice pentru a asigura conformitatea și succesul în comerțul electronic.

Pasul 10. Încărcarea produselor pe site

Lucrul cu produsele pe platforma Creare Site nu necesită mult timp. Am făcut acest proces cât mai rapid și convenabil. Pentru a încărca produsele pe site, puteți folosi importul din Excel. Puteți colecta informații din diverse surse într-un singur fișier Excel și să le importați în masă în magazinul online. Acest fișier este ușor de editat, simplificând procesul. Importul din Excel este de asemenea convenabil atunci când migrați la Creare Site de pe o altă platformă, dacă aceasta suportă exportul în Excel.

Conținutul poate fi adăugat manual, dacă numărul de produse este mic sau informațiile despre acestea se află în documente diferite sau pe site-uri diferite. Fotografiile produselor pot fi încărcate direct de pe computer. Informații mai detaliate despre umplerea site-ului veți găsi în webinarul nostru.

Step 11: Choosing, Installing, and Configuring Payment and Delivery Methods

To avoid losing potential customers due to the lack of a convenient payment or delivery option, it’s recommended to connect all possible methods. With the Creare Site platform, this is simple — we’ve made it possible to connect different payment and delivery methods with just a few clicks, ensuring convenience for both our clients and their customers.

All popular payment methods are available:

• Cashless payments — online payments by credit card via Paynet, PayPal, VISA/Mastercard
• Cash payments

Step 12: Attracting Customers

Creating a stylish and user-friendly online store is only half the job. As the owner, you must actively attract customers — even the most beautiful website will go unnoticed if no one knows it exists. Let’s look at the promotion channels worth activating immediately after your website goes live.

Uploading to Marketplaces

Large e-commerce platforms, such as 999.md, attract massive audiences. Listing your products on such platforms ensures they will find buyers. Creare Site makes it easy to integrate with marketplaces and social networks like Instagram and Facebook, allowing you to start selling your products right away.

Social Media (Facebook & Instagram)

A presence on social media is a must. It allows you to gather loyal customers, communicate with them regularly, and share updates. Social networks serve as an additional storefront for your products. Create a Facebook shop where users can view product photos and descriptions and make purchases by sending direct messages.

SEO – Search Engine Optimization

SEO is one of the most reliable sources of high-quality leads for an online store. This channel enables you to compete with major players on low-frequency search queries and doesn’t require pay-per-click fees. However, SEO results take time and financial investment. The Dits.md team has simplified this process by integrating basic SEO settings into the standard version of the platform. This means your store is technically optimized from the start, saving you both time and money.

Google Contextual Advertising

Contextual advertising is a powerful tool for attracting customers. Ads placed at the top of the search results page, marked as “Ad,” immediately capture user attention. Contextual advertising works best when your site is stylish, user-friendly, loads quickly, and has a mobile version. With Creare Site, you can easily generate a product ad file for your campaigns.

Google Shopping

Google Shopping ads display product cards with images and prices directly in search results. This helps attract users who are already interested in your product. You only pay for clicks on the ads. Creare Site makes this process quick and simple by enabling automatic generation of the feed for Google Shopping.

Email Marketing

Newsletters are an excellent way to stay in touch with customers. You can inform them about order confirmations, delivery status, new collections, promotions, and more. On the Creare Site platform, you can send triggered email notifications without connecting external services. If you need more advanced features, you can integrate with dedicated newsletter services.

Google My Business

Registering your business in this service allows your company to appear on the first page of search results for certain queries without additional SEO investments. Fill out your business profile as thoroughly as possible: add a map, photos, business hours, contact information, and answers to frequently asked questions. Regularly update your photos and videos, and respond to customer questions and reviews.

These steps will help you attract customers and make your online store a success.

Step 13: Analyzing Visits and Sales

After launching your online store, it’s crucial to connect Google Analytics. This powerful analysis tool will help you understand your customers’ behavior and improve your business processes. Here’s how it can be useful:

• Popular products: Identify your most in-demand items so you can restock them in time.
• Conversion rate: See how many visitors place orders, allowing you to optimize your sales funnel.
• Traffic sources: Analyze where your visitors are coming from to focus your efforts on the most effective channels.
• Average order value: Understanding your average order value will help you develop more effective marketing strategies.
• Promotion and discount performance: Track how different promotions and discounts affect sales volume to better plan future campaigns.

On the Creare Site platform, connecting and setting up Google Analytics is automated, allowing you to start using analytics right away without unnecessary hassle.

Step 14: Considering Potential Risks

Even when following our recommendations, it’s impossible to eliminate all risks when launching an online store. Force majeure situations and unforeseen circumstances can occur at any time, and you’ll need to address them as they arise. There’s no universal solution for every problem, but you can prepare for them mentally and strategically. The main risks to consider include:

1. Technical issues: Ensure regular system updates and maintain data backups.
2. Legal aspects: Be ready to adapt to legislative changes and new requirements in e-commerce.
3. Shifts in demand: Continuously monitor the market and be prepared to adjust to changing customer preferences.
4. Competition: Keep an eye on competitors and constantly improve your service and offerings.

The main goal is to be mentally prepared for challenges and not give up on your dream after the first setbacks.

Conclusion

Launching an online store is a complex process that requires careful attention at every stage. By following these steps, you can create a successful and profitable business.

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