I am planning to launch an e-boutique in around 3 months and am looking for tips and strategies. Ideally, I don’t want to be just another site you might find in searching. My e-boutique will cater to ladies (25-55 years) and sell mainly upper body clothing (for career, casual, dressy, maternity) including the usual styles/fabrics/etc in addition to more exotic offerings such as a couture blouse or a hemp jacket. I plan to use one type of product to capture a variety of styles whether light and feminine, avante-garde, fashion-forward, etc.. I would like the website to also be a place of learning and fun with articles, blog, contests, etc with the emphasis on having fun with style, trying new things and being creative. Not everything may be launched at the same time, but that’s the direction. There is no brick and mortar store, but it is a desire for the future.

The start up process could probably take less time but I have a full-time job and therefore have to be creative with time. I am currently building the website as well as working through merchandise, operating conditions, delivery, and other back-office functions. But the marketing is stumping me.

I am new to the selling side of e-commerce. How do I get people to my site as a relative unknown in an ocean of e-commerce sites? What can I do now? I’m particularly concerned about my official ‘launch’? How do you launch with more than friends and family? or is that all you need to start? Is it necessary to do an official ‘launch’ or just complete the website as well as office matters, and just submit to the search engines?

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If you haven’t already, create a strategic marketing plan. Getting traffic alone isn’t enough – you want the right people looking at the right time. Getting your business message placed correctly is more than simply putting up your website, listing it in a few places, and waiting for the phone to ring.

You’ve identified who you’re targeting. How much will the average sale be? Will they be from the US? Who is your online competition? What, besides information, would make your site more appealing to them?

Creating a business is more than a website and figuring out stuff to sell. It’s a bigger vision of where you’re going, how will you get there, what resources will you need, and what milestones are you creating for yourself?