In the beginning, it’s worth noting that, as of 2020, there were an estimated 23 million e-commerce and online sales websites worldwide. Let’s agree on this: out of every 100 people, 90 have either bought or sold something online.
Online shopping is one of the easiest and safest ways to purchase products and services. But have you ever thought about selling online? There are many reasons to get excited about the idea and to learn the art of online selling, such as:
- Setting up an online store requires relatively low costs.
- 84% of shoppers search for products online.
- Collecting customer data and tracking their behavior is easier.
- You can reach customers who are unable to visit your physical store.
- It’s quicker and easier to establish an online store for sales.
Although setting up an online store is easy, it’s crucial not to rush into your ideas without proper planning and gaining a deeper understanding of the art of online selling.
Before Starting to Sell Online
- Think about your brand overall.
- Develop a strategy for online selling.
- Choose the right products to sell online.
- Select the platform that suits you for online sales.
- Create a well-functioning website.
- Set up your social media accounts before starting.
Where to Sell Online
There are many places where you can sell online, such as:
- Social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, etc.).
- E-commerce platforms.
- Your own store.
- And more.
With all these options, it can be difficult to know the best way to start selling online. Explore the different online selling methods available to you, choose the one that suits you, and don’t forget that you can switch to another method if your selling approach or needs change.
Selling through Social Media
You can easily sell through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest. The benefits of selling via social media include the ease of setup and the steadily growing audience on these platforms. Facebook Marketplace is a great way to keep sales going.
The “Shop Now” button on Facebook and Instagram allows the audience to easily click and be redirected to your website or store to make a purchase. Pinterest is also a great place to sell products, where consumers can click directly on items to go to your store and buy.
Benefits of Selling Through Social Media:
- Immediate audience.
- Easy to set up.
Drawbacks:
- It’s difficult to track repeat customers.
- Less formal than a store.
- Harder to integrate your brand.
Note: You may choose to sell on social media if you’re just starting out and want to see if online selling is right for you.
Selling Through E-Commerce Platforms
Selling through e-commerce platforms is a more formal method, but it requires minimal effort. It’s a great way to take advantage of the existing audience that frequents these platforms. The downside of selling on e-commerce platforms is that they often take a percentage of your profits. Examples of platforms you can sell through include:
Benefits of Selling Through E-Commerce Platforms:
- An easy way to find an interested audience.
- A formal method of selling, unlike social media.
Drawbacks:
- E-commerce platforms take a percentage of your sales.
Note: Sell through e-commerce platforms if you’re not ready to create your own store.
Creating Your Own Store and Selling Through It
This path is considered the most challenging, but it allows you to build and customize your own store with your brand. Therefore, if you are serious about starting online sales, this is the best way to do it.
The best way to create a unique and standout online store is to work with a professional web designer. However, there are many content management platforms like WordPress, Joomla, and Wix that allow you to build websites without extensive experience in programming or design. These platforms offer various templates that allow for customization. You can also hire or consult a specialist in these systems to assist you and achieve a distinctive look and a flexible store.
Benefits of Selling Through Your Own Online Store:
- Customization and showcasing your brand.
- Easy tracking of repeat customers.
Drawbacks:
- Setting up and preparing your online store is more difficult than selling through social media platforms.
- There are costs, such as for domain registration and hosting for the store.
Note: If you have the budget to start selling online, creating your own store is the right choice.
The Importance of Thinking About Your Brand
No matter where you sell online, a distinctive brand will drive more sales. By creating a brand, your audience will be able to recognize you instantly.
Branding includes everything, from the logo design to your product packaging, to the types of images you use on your online store and social media platforms (learn about social media design sizes and platforms). It also includes professional motion graphics videos, and more.
The Importance of Learning the Art of Sales, Marketing, and User Experience
Online selling doesn’t stop at creating an online store. You need to have a strategy in place to attract an audience to your store, as well as how to retain them and make them return for repeat purchases. This is the essence of the matter, as we are talking about the art of online selling and marketing strategies as well. Here are some points to consider in order to expand your audience and gain their loyalty:
Paid Advertising Marketing
Paid advertisements are a very effective way to attract your audience to your online store or to learn more about you and your brand.
Don’t forget that 51% of online shoppers use Google to search for the product, item, or service they plan to buy. This statistic is based on a survey conducted in 2019.
Once your customers search, you can seize this opportunity to promote to them via Google, and then retarget them through social media platforms. Even if this person doesn’t immediately convert into a customer, your product or service ad will appear to them, which works in your favor as they get familiar with your brand, increasing the likelihood of converting them into a customer in the future.
Email Marketing
The number of email users worldwide is around 3.9 billion! Are you still convinced that email is an outdated and ineffective method with no opportunities? In this topic, we’ve discussed some of the most important tips for email marketing.
Email marketing offers the highest return on investment for small businesses. If you’re looking for a great way to attract your audience to your online store, email marketing is a perfect fit. It allows you to promote current offers and introduce new products.
What types of products can you sell online?
There are two types of products that can be sold online.
- Basic consumer products.
- Specialized and targeted products.
Basic products are items or services that are essential and needed by everyone. The majority of online purchases are for basic products, such as clothing, makeup, food, etc.
Targeted and specialized products or services are for a very specific or niche audience. They are typically made to order or in small batches, such as handmade accessories, promotional products, homemade sweets, wedding invitations, etc.
Note: Selling only basic consumer products will make it very difficult to compete, as you’ll be competing with large stores that sell the same goods and have a much larger audience. Therefore, we suggest selling a mix of both basic and specialized products.
Digital products also have a special place in online selling. These products can include games, eBooks, website templates, images, professional designs, online courses in various fields, and more.
The Top 3 Trends for Selling Online
Are you still looking for ideas for your online store? We’ve gathered the best e-commerce trends for 2024 to give you some great branding ideas.
Animated Images and Motion Graphics
Videos and animations are more popular than ever and are a great way to stand out from others when it comes to online selling. Showcasing your products in motion makes them more appealing to the audience and provides greater opportunities for them to engage with the products.
Landing Pages – Product Page
The paid ads we discussed earlier and social media posts should direct the customer straight to the product page (landing page), not the homepage of your store. This is why e-commerce designers focus more on these pages, creating a customized page dedicated to a single product.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of the most important strategies and trends. It involves improving the ranking of your products in search results to ensure they appear in Google search or any other search engine.
Most likely, if you’re just starting out, your budget won’t allow for running paid ads all the time. At times, you’ll need to temporarily pause the ads for reasons such as exceeding the budget set for the month. In such situations, improving your search results through SEO will be a very effective marketing strategy to attract interested customers.
Are you excited about the art of online selling?
Whether you’re starting to sell on social media, through e-commerce platforms, or setting up your own store, you need to focus on your brand, provide a great user experience, and consider the types of products you’ll be selling.
If you have a great idea for selling online or an online service, this is the perfect time to reach out to us for marketing advice and consultation. If you already have an online store, consider developing it further with these tips.
