If you have items to sell, whether you’re an artist, an individual, or a business, selling online can be a great asset. However, there is more to getting great sales online than just posting your items somewhere and waiting for people to find them. First, you need to post them in the right places. Then you need to do some major advertising.
The internet has opened up numerous avenues for selling online. What is available to you depends on what kind of time and money you want to put into your venture, and what type of items or services you are selling.
Getting Your Stuff Up For Sale
You could simply sell your items from your own website. No matter who your website is through, even if it’s Wix or WordPress, you should have access to some sort of shopping cart app. This allows you to post items and sell them direct, with no middle man. However, you may need to do even more marketing with this, since people will need to be able to find your website.
Combine the use of your own store with the availability of other online shopping centers. Using something like Google Shopping can help you direct more people to your shop, whether it’s on your own website or elsewhere.
Plus, the more places your items are available the more chances you have of increased sales. If you are selling your own art or handcrafted items you don’t want to only be posting them on Etsy. Look into other sales sites online that cater to the handmade products, like Amazon Handmade.
If you’re selling something manufactured, and not handmade, you could be selling on both eBay and Amazon. And, for anything you might be selling, consider using your social media accounts as well. Facebook even has it set up that on business pages and groups you can post items for direct sale through their system.
Marketing What You’ve Got And Where It’s At
Using keywords is a great way to boost yourself in search engines, and they can be used on your website, in your blog, and even on social media. Use them every chance you get, organically of course, to help people find you and what you’ve got for sale.
You also want to make sure you have links shared in various places to each of your sales venues. Make sure there are direct links through your website, and make sure you are sharing links, and even new product and services posts on your social media accounts.
Don’t stop there. By offering discounts and coupons, through social media and maybe even a monthly newsletter, you can attract more new sales and repeat sales. The more you get your links out there, the more people will know what you’re selling.
Originally posted on September 10, 2016 @ 9:38 pm