Friday May 18, 2012

Selling stuff on the web is easy!


Selling on the InternetDo you have a product or service you want to sell on the Internet? Whether you have one product or many, we can help you get started with a real plan that gives you verifiable results. This is not a get rich quick scheme. What we create for you, you will own and operate, as a business, just as you would a brick and mortar store.

It's not as expensive as you think and the results can be fantastic, but it does take time, work and some money. Contact us and we will meet with you and discuss your plans then give you a no-cost proposal on how you can market your products, process the online sales and collect the money. It sounds easy, and it is, however, if you don't do it the right way, your efforts will not produce results.

Build it and they will come may have worked in the movie Field of Dreams, but it won't work on a poorly planned e-commerce website. Planning a good e-commerce website includes choosing the right marketing plan, along with a good website design. They go hand in hand.

Some of the steps that make Internet sales work:

  • Know your product
  • Know your competition
  • Know how customers find products like yours on the Internet (i.e. search engines, social media, resource websites, key words and phrases, etc.)
  • Provide valuable information to the public and keep it fresh with a blog, FAQ's, special offers, etc. (content is king, but do not keep outdated material)
  • Good, professional photos (optimized for the Internet)
  • Keep track of your online customers (send follow up emails and newsletters with permission ONLY)
  • Get your customers and others to recommend you to their friends with an affiliate program
  • Don't SPAM
  • Use Social Media (FaceBook, Linkedin, MySpace, etc.)
  • Keep your website simple, don't let Flash and excessive design get in the way of making sales
  • Get help writing content, spelling, grammar and choosing the right words helps
  • Promote your website on business cards, print ads, phone listings, everywhere
  • Have a good privacy policy and be prepared to keep your word (build trust)

Take a little time and write down what your goals are:

  • How much can I reasonably sell?

  • Am I selling locally, nationally or globally?

  • How much time, effort and cash can I devote to the project?

  • Who's my competition?

  • How soon can I get started?

This is just a getting started overview, after you have that ready to go, and then please contact us to help get you started!