Selling online is a great way to make money and with a global audience at your fingertips, you have access to a wide range of customers. But, as a start-up enterprise, knowing where to begin can seem daunting. There are so many aspects to consider and getting it right is key to ensure that your online business becomes a success.
The good thing is that there’s no shortage of information available to help you learn how to sell online effectively, making it easy to get up and running.
Understand your business
In order to fully understand how to sell online, it’s essential that you have a firm idea as to who you are as a business, what you have to offer and who your target audience is. All of these factors can influence your selling strategy and can make the difference between success and failure. Decide what makes you different from your competitors and emphasise this at all stages of the selling process, in order to keep customers hooked on your brand.
Website
The ideal starting place to sell your products or services online is to set up a website. Spend time getting your website right before you begin selling, to ensure that you make the right impression and to avoid any costly changes further down the line.
In order to know how to sell online, it’s also useful to understand how customers view and make purchases over the internet. These days, more people make purchases through mobile devices, so if you want to get sales flooding in, make sure your website is optimised for use on mobiles.
Security
Customers want reassurance that you’re a trustworthy supplier of goods or services, so make sure that your site offers secure e-commerce facilities so that their personal data is protected. An SSL Certificate will encrypt any sensitive data flowing through your website, to protect your business and your customers.
Think of other ways in which you can encourage customers to see you as a respected and trusted retailer. Perhaps include industry credentials on your site, satisfied customer reviews and testimonials as well as images that help invoke a positive image and reputation.
Effective copy
When working out your online selling strategy, it’s also essential that you pay attention to the copy that you create about your products. This should be informative and jargon-free and will undoubtedly benefit from the inclusion of photos or even videos.
SEO
In learning how to sell online, it’s also useful to appreciate the role that search engine optimisation plays in increasing your brand’s awareness. By carefully creating your content to contain relevant keywords, including regular blog posts that offer value to audiences and keeping your site fresh, you help to increase your chances of being ranked higher in the search engines.
If you’re new to SEO, don’t panic. We have a beginners guide to get you started.
Social media
When you’re planning your online sales strategy, it’s advisable to include social media into the equation. Social media has an enormous influence and makes for a great, cost-effective way to connect to audiences and increase your reach. Find out which social media platforms your target audiences use and make your presence felt on these sites. Include social media share buttons on your website to widen your sales potential and listen to feedback that social media generates about your brand. Customer feedback is vital to help shape your online selling strategy going forwards.
