I don’t want to lure young people with phrases like “Build an online store for $0” or “Earn $1,000 every day.” The truth is, those who look for shortcuts rarely succeed. There’s a big difference between using smart strategies and expecting something for nothing.

Besides major marketplaces like Amazon and Etsy, there are many DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) self-hosted online stores today. Competition is fierce. From a consumer’s perspective, there are already countless options. Why should they choose your product? What value does your product bring them? These are fundamental business questions you must answer before building an online store. No one will pay for a product they don’t need, especially if it’s expensive.

No matter where you are in the world, this is no longer an era where success comes easily. Don’t just casually build an online store — if you do it, do it well and commit for the long term. Think of Apple: they never release products casually, but when they do, their products are always among the best in the market.

As someone who has operated stores on major marketplaces for years and run my own self-hosted online store for over eight years, I have the following advice:

1. Don’t open an online store until you have a high-quality, unique, and competitive product. Of course, it’s fine to start by learning, but don’t rush into launching.

2. Sell products you are familiar with. Understanding the use cases and the value of your products makes it much easier to convince consumers naturally.

3. Don’t fall for free lunches. Trying to open an online store without spending a dime will cost you dearly in the long run — you’ll understand this by your 30s.

4. Don’t start a business casually. Even if it’s a trial run, approach it with long-term commitment and vision.

5. If your product isn’t selling well, don’t panic and shut down your store. Adjust your marketing strategy or consider selling other product categories. An online store is just a tool — it’s not the problem.

6. Page speed is critical. Using a powerful e-commerce platform on a cheap, low-performance server will lead to slow loading times, and many customers will leave as a result.

I hope everyone can build a distinctive, well-run online store and achieve real business success.