Launching a startup business requires creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and courage. The first year in the life of a startup business can pass in the blink of an eye; it’s a busy, exciting, gigantic learning curve. However, amid all the challenges of setting up, hiring staff, and deciding on your marketing, website, and content strategy, it’s a moment to assess how the business has done and what you’ve achieved.

To many people, "Search Engine Optimization" (SEO) sounds impossibly technical. You may feel it’s too difficult for the average person to approach. But, while it’s true that SEO is a big pond to dip your feet into, it’s a skill that can be learned.

This article will explain the basics of SEO and give you a working knowledge that you can put to use on your own site. You’ll also learn how to keep away from ineffective tactics that can harm your website in the long run.

There is no such thing as a business that’s easy to run and manage. Regardless of your industry, there will be various challenges and obstacles to growing and staying competitive. It should go without saying that when trying to run any business — especially a relatively small eCommerce store — it’s vital that owners and management allocate resources appropriately and efficiently. 

At Shift4Shop, we're passionate about giving back. That's why we're supporting an organization that gives back every day — St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital^®. We want to help St. Jude accomplish their mission: Finding cures. Saving children.^®

So, we’ve partnered with them to develop a new app that makes donating at checkout easier. Introducing: the St. Jude Donation App.

In the past, retail brands had to choose between brick-and-mortar, eCommerce, or multi-channel retail. Today, customers’ expectations have increased — they demand a unified, omnichannel experience.

Dropshipping is one of the most popular ways to start an eCommerce business because it allows you to focus on building your brand while still making money with every order. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t need to invest funds into a dropshipping business. You may run into several costs, ranging from marketing tools to wages.