How to Build an eBook Store without Breaking a Sweat

eBooks have come as a boon to authors, publishers, and readers. Revenues from eBook sales show strong promise and keep growing all over the world. 

eBook sales increased by 7.3% in the first five months of 2020 in the US. The industry generated more than $435 million in a few months as people stayed inside their homes.

The growth is still strong, and more publishers are looking to create eBook stores. We have a few big players in the field, like Kindle, that have captured a sizable market share. But you still have enough room to build your eBook store and turn a profit. 

Related Read: How to Create an Interactive eBook in 10 Steps

In this blog, we will learn –

• What is an ebook store?
• How to build an ebook store?

1. Create your website
2. Add eCommerce feature
3. Focus on SEO
4. Develop a mobile app
5. Add your products
6. Strengthen your online presence

• Conclusion

An eBook store lets you sell your eBooks. We are, of course, talking about online stores or an eCommerce platform to sell your products. Your customers will be able to make payments and buy your eBooks hosted on your store.

Most publishers will hire a website developer to build their eBook websites. You can also use eBook store templates to develop your site. Such templates may also come with payment processing options to sell your eBooks.

Templates are a great way to build any website, including eBook stores. You can get dedicated digital book store templates complete with payment processing. With a few customizations, you can create an excellent eBook store to save effort and time. 

Here are some sections or pages your eBook store can have-

Create account: Users should be able to sign in and search eBooks. You can also provide options to save searches, make wishlists, and browse downloads.

Homepage: Most online stores list products on their homepage, like Amazon. You can also use your homepage to engage your customers and promote your offers.

Catalog: Your eBook store will have a page where you list your products. Website visitors can click on eBooks in your catalog and buy them. Some stores may also have a “category” section to sort eBooks based on niches.

Subscriptions: Your website should have a subscription page. Users will be able to view and purchase subscriptions directly from your page.

About us: Tell your readers who you are and share tidbits about your company. You can also use your about us section to highlight your USPs.

You can add more pages if you want to your eBook store. However, it’s better to keep your store simple and not confuse your buyers with too many things.

Not all templates come with an inbuilt eCommerce platform to sell your eBooks. If that is the case, you will need to add an eCommerce platform like Shopify or WooCommerce to your website. 

You will also need to add payment gateways to collect payments from customers. However, most eCommerce platforms like Shopify come with third-party payment integrations.

Most stores take payments in cards, wire transfers, or online portals like PayPal. You can integrate third-party payment services easily with your eBook store. 

Some publishers may want to sell subscriptions in their stores. Your website builder may have an option to sell subscriptions. Else, you will need to custom develop it by a developer.

SEO or Search Engine Optimization is necessary for every website. SEO helps increase your website’s visibility and rank on search engine results. Try to build your website focusing on SEO ranking factors to increase your exposure. 

Some basic SEO tasks include-

• Using the right keywords in your description, titles, and tags
• Link building
• Ensuring fast website loading speed
• Creating quality content
• Making eBook store mobile-friendly

Google has over 200 ranking factors that determine where your website appears on search results. The latest being core web vitals that Google plans to roll out soon.

Mobile sales have doubled since 2015 and accounted for over 1/4th of total eCommerce sales in 2019. Publishers can’t afford to ignore the importance of mobile sales anymore. Building a mobile-friendly eBook store is essential if you don’t want to miss out on revenues. 

You have three options when it comes to creating a mobile app-

• Develop a native Android or iOS app
• Develop cross-platform apps
• Go for web apps

Native apps perform the best and can take advantage of device hardware. However, native apps are the most expensive. 

Hybrid apps work on different platforms and are coded using HTML5, CSS, or JavaScript. Hybrid apps are cost-effective and easy to develop but don’t offer the same performance as native apps. 

Web apps are just like websites that work on mobiles and PCs alike. However, you can’t add web apps to app stores like Google Play.

You will need to hire a developer no matter which path you wish to take. Be sure to work out the features you will need and include them in your app.

Adding products is an ongoing task for an eBook store. Your developer may add your existing titles while developing your website or app. After that, you are on your own unless you opt for post-development services.

It’s of utmost importance to create appealing product pages and descriptions. You should write your eBook descriptions, author bio, and other details with the same dedication authors write their books. 

You can hire experienced copywriters if you are not good with words. Additionally, include your target keywords in your descriptions and tags to attract more organic traffic.

You can now make your website and app go live and start selling eBooks from your store.

Building a website is the first step towards creating your online presence. SEO adds in and helps you increase your visibility. You can maximize the results by creating your presence on social media. You can consider Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and forums like Reddit to grow your social presence. 

Posting blogs is a sure way to grow your online presence and attract more customers. You can write eBook reviews and cover topics that interest your readers. Share your blogs on social media and watch your following and traffic grow.

You now know everything you need to create your eBook store. Publishers with zero experience in web or app development should work with a reliable partner for business success. Hurix Digital is a leading provider of digital solutions for publishers and enterprises. You can partner with us for developing your eBook store, right from ideation to improving customer retention. We can design, develop, and create your eBook store along with mobile apps to provide your readers a great experience. From automating orders to changing eCommerce platforms, we do it all for digital publishers. Get in touch with us to discuss your needs today.