Guide To Sell Products Online - Step-by-Step on Website or Apps

Step-by-Step Guide To Sell Products Online

Selling over the internet is a terrific way to get revenue rapidly and with no risk. You may avoid the significant costs and hazards associated with renting a property, setting up a storefront, and relying on foot traffic to stop in if you don’t have a costly brick-and-mortar business. Therefore, here is a Step-By-Step Guide To Sell Products Online on websites or apps.

Selling things solely online is significantly more cost-effective, allowing you to keep costs low and maintain a bigger share of your money while reaching a bigger audience outside of your own zip code.

It’s fine if you don’t know where to begin. This tutorial will bring you through the internet selling process step by step so you may improve sales and revenue while keeping your costs low. We’ll help you figure out which things to offer online, how to handle the technical and legal aspects of your business, and how to develop a successful digital selling plan.

Guide To Sell Products Online Step 1. Find a product to sell online

There are several aspects to consider while deciding what things to offer. Use this Guide To Sell Products Online and consider the following factors while deciding what your online store will sell.

#1. Focus on a specific niche.

Niching allows you to target a certain part of your potential audience with your products and content. For example, a watch merchant could specialize in athletic-friendly watches that can withstand hard impacts and track steps.

It’s actually simpler to excel and set yourself different when you’re in a narrowed-down niche. A candle shop, for example, may not stand out, but one that sells organic, handcrafted slow-burning soy candles certainly does.

#2. Prioritize passion above profit.

Some products will have a higher perceived value and hence sell for a bigger profit margin. Other products, on the other hand, may pique your interest.

Buying from higher-quality vendors that handcraft their things rather than drop shippers, for example, may have a smaller profit margin, but you might be more passionate about them. Choose the option that is best for you.

If you’re still undecided about what to sell, think about additional options, such as:

By reading customer reviews for the brands and markets you enjoy. Check out what their customers have to say, both good and bad. Examine their best-selling things and observe what they’re emphasising the most. This may assist you in determining what’s new, what’s valuable to them, and what sells the quickest.

Alternatively, you might do professional keyword research for your sector. Hiring someone to undertake keyword research for you might be really beneficial. If you want to offer kitchen aprons but aren’t sure which ones to carry, finding out what search phrases customers use to find products similar to yours is essential. Take a look at the amount of volumes searched and the competition.

What should you do when you’ve decided the items to sell?

Once you’ve decided which products you’d like to offer, there are two things you should do.

Define your brand’s niche so that customers can understand it. This is a specific feature or attribute that distinguishes you from more generic products and sets you apart from the competition. Providing camping goods, for example, is a broad category, but you might target more extreme outdoor fans by selling camping equipment for extreme temperatures.
Look at the things you wish to market and consider the audience that will profit from them to find a niche. What distinguishes this group of people? If you’re having problems identifying potential niches, you can use the research techniques from the preceding section to assist you.
You’ll want to make sure your chosen products have a market. Hiring a freelance market research consultant to gauge demand for your items is the best way to do this.

The top trending products of 2020

Pet beds and sofas, particularly high-quality, orthopedic options
Minimalist-style jewelry, including both costume and fine jewelry
Beard products, including beard oil, straighteners, and grooming kits
Shapewear, including options for extended sizes
Athleisure wear, particularly high-quality options for both men and women
Face masks, including those designed for comfort and improved protection for wearers
Smartwatches, both for men and women
Infant, baby, and toddler items, including carriers and home entertainment options.

Consider conducting market research because this differs greatly by industry. COVID-19, for example, is causing many people to stay at home more in 2020. Home pastimes such as backyard inflatable pools, gardening, home cooking, and board games are anticipated to grow in popularity, as will the products that support them.

Guide To Sell Products Online Step 2: Product Sourcing Possibilities

You’ll need to work out how you’ll get access to and supply the things you’ll be selling now that you’ve decided which ones to offer.

There are three main sourcing choices available here: DIY, drop shipping, and purchasing through a wholesaler. As the Guide To Sell Products Online suggests, each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.

#1. DIY products

Making your own products allows you to create truly one-of-a-kind items about which you are passionate. It’s a unique touch that can really set you apart from the competition. This can be time-consuming, and unless you’re hiring staff to help, you’ll have to stop selling when you stop working.

#2. Dropshipping

Dropshipping is a simple and practical method of selling things that are manufactured by someone else and shipped directly to the client. There’s no need for you to physically store or send the things, so there’s a lot less work on your end and no need for storage space.

Dropshipping, on the other hand, means you don’t have control over quality and don’t have original products (though you can sometimes brand them yourself). It is also out of your control if there are delays in shipping.

#3 Purchasing inventory from a wholesaler is number three.

You’ll buy a batch of products from a wholesaler, have them shipped to you, and then put them in your store, raising the price for a higher profit margin. You will require storage space and will be responsible for shipment, but you will be able to inspect the things personally.

You can mix and match different supply options. A jewellery store, for example, might make its own pieces from scratch to create unique items, but it might also sell cleaning cloths and extra earring backs from a wholesaler.

Guide To Sell Products Online Step 3: Select an appropriate domain name for your online store

Our domain name is the online address at which users can reach your website, and it frequently includes your brand name. As a result, selecting a powerful domain name is critical because it can influence the buyer’s perception of you.

The Guide To Sell Products Online recommends that domain names should be simple, memorable, and easy to remember. Keep in mind that the shorter they are, the easier they are to spell and remember for users.

Guide To Sell Products Online Step 4. Apply for an eCommerce business license

Depending on your business’s location and industry, you may be needed to obtain specific licences or permissions. You can find out what your needs are by contacting the licencing section of your local business office. You can contact your state’s business licence registration for companies based in the United States.

Certain regulated sectors may require additional authorization before you can legally sell to customers. This could include people selling medical gadgets, food, or alcohol, for example.

In most cases, selling handcrafted things does not necessitate additional licencing.

Guide To Sell Products Online Step 5: Determine who your eCommerce target market is

It’s time to figure out who your target audience is once you know what you want to offer and how you want to sell it. Everything from your website to your marketing approach and branding will be shaped by this, therefore it’s critical to devote substantial time to research.

1. Develop buyer personas.

To begin, establish buyer personas to assist you better understand who your target customer is and which subsets of that population you may appeal to.

Buyer personas are fleshed-out depictions of what people of various parts of your audience would be like in real life. You’ll need to figure out the following to construct buyer personas:

Age and gender are examples of demographic data.
If applicable, the location
Online buying habits, education level, work title, and household income are all factors to consider.
Interests

You should also think about your target audience’s pain points and motivations. Consider how your product might help different types of clients and utilise that information to categorise your audience.

If you’re having trouble creating buyer personas, remember that there are plenty of freelancers who can assist you.

#2. Figure out where they’re hanging out online

After you’ve figured out who your target buyer personas are, you’ll need to figure out where they spend their time online. This enables you to create marketing campaigns on the channels that have the best possibility of reaching your target audience.

When deciding which social media networks to use in your marketing strategy, this is especially important. Social media networks frequently cater to highly specific populations. Pinterest users, for example, are overwhelmingly female and over the age of 25. You’re more likely to find Gen Z on TikTok than on Facebook if you’re marketing to them. Look at the demographics of your target audience and conduct research to find out where they spend their time online.

Tip: Consider visiting specialist forums or industry-specific websites. Writing guest pieces for high-authority publications or engaging in forums might help your website gain new visitors.

#3. Assess how your product will solve your customer’s pain points

It’s critical to understand your customers’ pain areas while promoting your items. Is it true that your items answer their problems and meet their needs?

Keep in mind that each audience segment will have its own set of problems. The key to developing great content that answers your customers’ problems and persuades them to make a purchase is to identify pain points and apply them to the proper target groups.

Guide To Sell Products Online Step 6. Places for selling your products online

You’ll want to evaluate the various internet channels that you can utilise to list your products and process sales as you move closer to selling your things online. You can maximise your reach by utilising the benefits of several platforms.

Your website and various online marketplaces will be your primary alternatives.

Option1. Your own website

Many organisations find that having their own website is a good choice, as it offers the following benefits:

The cost of hosting is relatively minimal. This can help you save money in the long run because you won’t have to pay to upload listings to your own site.

It’s reachable. There are numerous e-commerce website tools and platforms available that make setting up your online store simple. You might also employ a freelancer to help you out with this.
You are not responsible for any listing fees. Many third-party platforms charge a fee to list each item, and additional costs may be charged for product variations. Some even demand you to “renew” your listings after a certain period of time has passed.
There’s a lot more personalization available. You have complete control over what’s on your site, how it’s set up, and how it looks when you have your own website. This might help you create a more distinctive and branded website.
Customers come to you directly, not through a third-party. When you work hard on SEO on an online marketplace, it may be for naught: instead of allowing you to show customers other featured items, they may display users similar things from your competitors.
Only hosting on your own website has one significant disadvantage:

It’s more harder to reach. Customers are already looking for things on Amazon, eBay, and Etsy, so you might have an easier time being seen there. Instead of competing against a huge retailer in search engines, a tiny shoe company, for example, may have an easier time on a marketplace site.

Option 2. Online marketplaces

Third-party websites that allow sellers to create listings, basically establishing massive databases where shoppers can find products from a variety of brands and sellers all over the world.

You may now access customers who are researching and making purchases through over 100 different online marketplaces. Amazon, Etsy, Walmart, eBay, and even Poshmark are all online marketplaces that help people sell things online.

There are several benefits to consider:

With their vast consumer bases, you may dramatically broaden your reach. When it comes to shopping, many people will use their favorite e-commerce platform rather than Google or other search engines.
It’s a quick and simple approach to get your stuff in front of potential customers. Online marketplaces are teeming with high-intent buyers who are eager to make a purchase. It can introduce new consumers to your business while also generating purchases if you can appear in relevant searches here.
They provide a number of well-established programs that may be of assistance to you. As a vendor, you might profit from several online marketplaces’ powerful marketing, selling, and/or shipping programs. Amazon and eBay, for example, offer marketplace warehouses that can choose, pack, and ship merchandise on your behalf, saving you time and money.
You don’t have to be concerned about the site’s infrastructure. Online marketplaces can be useful if you don’t want to operate your own website. With online marketplaces, you don’t have to worry about site security, customer management, hosting bills, or even choosing a domain name.

There are certain drawbacks to keep in mind here as well:

Additional fees on online marketplaces may eat into your profit margin. These fees can range from 6 to 25%, depending on the marketplace, and are generally higher than selling on your own.
It’s possible that you’ll be pitted against other people. When people are viewing your goods on an online marketplace, many of them will see recommendations for other, comparable products from competing merchants. This may reduce the quantity of sales you make.
It’s more difficult to distinguish your brand. You can still have separate brand and seller profiles on multiple platforms, but you won’t be able to create a branded experience that’s all your own. Customers may make purchases without ever considering who they are purchasing from. All of these could make it difficult for you to get repeat business and make extra purchases.

Many online retailers and organizations prefer to have their own websites to offer a more branded experience and lower total costs, while also going out into online marketplaces for increased exposure.

Tip: When customers buy from online marketplaces, including a message or card thanking them and offering them 10% off their next order if they buy from your site. This will assist you in directing visitors from marketplace platforms to your blog.

Guide To Sell Products Online Step 7. Level up your digital selling strategy

You’ll need a clear strategic plan in place that includes how you’ll expand your reach, which content will perform well on the channels you’re using, and how you’ll boost traffic and sales.

However, there are a few key elements to a good sales strategy that you should be aware of and fully comprehend before beginning to develop your digital strategy plan.

The fundamentals of a successful online sales strategy

Understanding the sales funnel: Using a sales funnel, you may reach out to cold leads, connect with them, and finally convert them into customers. There are various types of clients, each with their own demands and motives for purchasing your product. Create different buyer profiles with multiple sales funnels to provide a tailored buying journey and develop a profitable conversion funnel from the outset.
Selecting the most appropriate key performance indicators (KPIs). To help you identify the performance of your campaigns, it’s critical to choose crucial metrics to track for each platform you’re using. This could be time spent on the page in content marketing, or the ratio of clicks to conversions in PPC ads. Make use of what you’ve learned from your data to improve your campaigns even further.
Having a solid grasp on your value proposition. Do you have the most competitive prices? What is the best quality? Something with a distinct personality? A brand built on ethical and sustainable practises? Consider what makes your company and products stand out, and emphasise that in your messaging.
Content and messaging that reaches all stages of the sales process. As we explained before in this post, nurturing conversions requires developing content that appeals to visitors at each level of the digital sales funnel.
Strong segmentation of the target audience. Each business will cater to numerous diverse audience niches, each with its own set of problems and requirements. One segment of a firm providing reusable silicone bags may be concerned about sustainability, while another is concerned about the fact that the plastic bags they use shatter too quickly when sent in their children’s lunchboxes. You need to know who your target audience is, what inspires them, and where they hang out online. You’ll probably need to make separate campaigns for each niche, but this will help them be more effective.
Multiple sales channels are available. It’s critical to have several touchpoints across various marketing channels to keep users going through the funnel. Consider producing blog entries, establishing a social media presence, implementing effective email marketing, and optimising each product page for SEO. PPC advertising might also help you swiftly expand your audience.

What content to utilise at each level of the sales funnel.

To connect with cold audiences, use outbound marketing tactics such as pay-per-click ads, referral marketing, content marketing, and affiliate marketing. Use messaging that focuses on introducing buyers to the capabilities of your products.
Consider having a FAQ page on your site, including lots of reviews and testimonials on product pages, being transparent on social media, and writing high-value blog entries that answer customer questions and develop trust.
Sending out emails and retargeting PPC advertising with discounts and free shipping offers is the goal. If you do, mention that you offer free exchanges or refunds.
When your customers add something to their cart but don’t complete the purchase, send them “abandoned cart” emails.
Loyalty: Reach out to prior customers via email, social media, and retargeting campaigns to show them complementary products that you believe they’d like or to remind them to reorder. You may also write more detailed blog posts to persuade them to make additional purchases.

Guide To Sell Products Online Step 8. Create your online store

It’s time to finish setting up your e-commerce business’s web store!

Create a website architecture that is SEO-friendly.

Your site design, or layout, impacts how Google indexes your site and how users traverse it. Your site should be straightforward and scalable, with your most general product categories in the main menu and more detailed subcategories branching off of those. You should also keep each page three or fewer clicks away from your home page. More than that, and the site becomes overly complicated.

The pages on your website that you absolutely must have

We always focus on product pages, but when selling online, you’ll also need to thrive on other sites.

These are some of them:

A great homepage that establishes your distinct value proposition and selling point.
An “About Us” page that tells the customer more about you, your brand objective, and gives them the impression that they know you better.
A frequently asked questions website including information on return and exchange policies, product manufacturing, and anything else they would need to know.
A Contact page, where users can contact you at any time during the purchasing process if they have any queries or issues. Encourage people to leave feedback on this page as well.
Product Category Pages, which allow you to group together related items from the same category.

The eCommerce features that are a must-have

There are other must-have features in addition to must-have pages that will considerably boost your sales potential.

These are some of them:

Checkouts that are quick and easy to complete, ideally with fast payment alternatives.
accessibility, which allows all users to access your site regardless of whether they have a disability that necessitates the use of screen readers or other assistive technology.
Layouts that are mobile-responsive and load swiftly on all types of devices.
Especially on product pages, user-generated content and reviews. If they contain photographs from the consumer, you’ll get bonus points.
Notifications provide a sense of urgency, such as “low stock” or “just three left” alerts for hot-selling items.
Featured products, which can be used to promote upselling or add-on sales by displaying comparable or complementary items. You can raise your average order value in any case.

Guide To Sell Products Online Step. 9 Ecommerce SEO

You want to optimize your entire e-commerce website for SEO so that your company and products may be found when customers search for them. You want to make sure that each product page is optimised for search engines.

#1. Keyword research

The foundation of any e-commerce SEO approach should be keyword research. The right keywords will boost your visibility by helping you rank higher in the most relevant searches.

For most firms, hiring a freelance SEO specialist is a wise decision. Many other SEO-related duties on your website will be dictated by keyword research, and if the keywords aren’t right, you’ll struggle to see results.

You’ll want to provide a list of keywords for each page in your keyword research that can be used for the following:

Keywords in the title. These will be the most important keywords for each page.
Keywords in the body These keywords are more precise than head keywords, and they typically have lesser search volume and competitiveness. They can be used in the supplementary content, subheadings, and product descriptions to offer variety to your keyword set.
Keywords with a long tail. Long-tail keywords are long-tail keywords that are four or more words long and can be phrased as a question. They have less competition and can assist you in connecting with users who are still conducting research. They’re fantastic for FAQs and blog entries.
Keywords for latent semantic indexing (LSI). These are phrases and words that search engines consider “related” to your main keyword. A bedspring, a season, or an action are all examples of the term “spring.” Synonyms and related words provide context, which helps search engines rank your content for the right keywords.
Keywords to ponder Examine the terms and phrases that clients use to express their problems or challenges, as well as the queries they’re asking. This can assist you in determining their pain areas and determining how to respond to their questions. It’s common for these to be long-tail keywords.

#2. On-page SEO

With the findings of your keyword research, you can and must now concentrate on the on-page SEO of your website.

The following are the primary on-page aspects of a properly SEO-optimized e-commerce page:

Each page (including product pages) is optimised for a single principal or head keyword.
Your homepage is only three clicks away from every other page on your site.
Without redirects, you have direct links from one page to another.
Google is able to index your pages, and your links can be followed.
On each product, you use both title and description tags.
For each page, you use titles, meta descriptions, headings (h1, h2, h3, etc.), and SEO-friendly URLs.

Most important questions to ask before hiring any SEO

What techniques do they intend to employ in order to boost organic traffic to your website? Check to see if they can provide particular examples and whether it’s targeted to your site.
What methods do they use to build links? You only want them to promote natural link building and steer clear of black-hat strategies that could result in Google penalties.
Is it true that they follow Google’s webmaster guidelines? It’s critical to follow Google’s rules because they control the majority of web traffic.
What metrics do they use to track their project’s progress, and what KPIs do they track? To help you build and improve your online store, you’ll need to know how to track, analyze, and optimize your website’s traffic.

Guide To Sell Products Online Step 10. Create product descriptions that sell

Product descriptions have the power to make or ruin your business. As a result, unless you’re a seasoned copywriter, hiring a copywriter with e-commerce experience can often be beneficial.

You’ll want to make sure your product descriptions are long and detailed, answering all of your buyers’ questions. These should at least three to five times incorporate the page’s target keyword, as well as LSI keywords as needed.

Make care to split down these descriptions into scannable, consumable chunks. Customers will be able to find the information they require more quickly as a result of this.

Guide To Sell Products Online Step 11. Get professional product images

If you want to increase sales, your images must be of good quality. If you don’t, you risk losing potential sales to your competitors and appearing less trustworthy and credible.

Make sure all of your product photographs are crisp, high-resolution, and well-lit. At least one image of the product alone on a neutral background should be included. For each item, try to include various product photos so that users can get a better look.

You should also optimise your photos for SEO so that they can help your site rank higher and have a chance to appear in a visual search. Add ALT tags to all photos, clearly indicating what the image is and, if feasible, incorporating keywords from your study.

All photos should be compressed to save site loading speeds on desktop and mobile devices. This is important for SEO since a slow-loading site makes it difficult for search engines to understand it—and it will also upset your customers.

Guide To Sell Products Online Step 12. Ecommerce shipping considerations

Once you’ve started selling, you’ll need to start shipping. This means you’ll have to decide whether or not you want to pursue a profession in shipping.

When selecting a shipping provider, there are various factors to consider:

Which carriers can deliver your products swiftly and on schedule to your customers?
Insurance and dependability: Are certain carriers better than others at preventing product damage while in transit? If not, how much does insurance cost if the shipment is damaged or lost while in their care?
Cost: Each carrier has its own set of fees. USPS is the most cost-effective, with UPS coming in second and FedEx being the most expensive. However, several online marketplaces and even e-commerce platforms provide members with exclusive delivery discounts.
It’s critical to make sure delivery expenses aren’t eating into your profit margins. Examine the price of shipping your products via various carriers and incorporate those expenses into your e-commerce platform. You’ll need to take into account product size and weight so that you may assign the appropriate values to each SKU as needed. You should also think about whether you’re shipping domestically or overseas.

Guide To Sell Products Online Step 13: Factors to Consider When Processing Ecommerce Payments

If you’re selling in an online store (rather than just a marketplace), you’ll need to make sure you’re ready to accept payments online.

Most e-commerce systems have built-in tools to assist with this, but you’ll want to do everything:

Make sure your website is safe. You should invest in site security so that your customers’ payment and personal information are protected. If your web server does not provide greater security by default, you can usually pay more for it.
At least one payment method should be set up. It’s best to accept a variety of payment ways, such as PayPal or Visa Checkout, which are instant payment choices. When possible, you should also accept credit cards.
Determine the appropriate tax rates. Many platforms feature options that can assist with this, like as tax rates that are automatically calculated based on the buyer’s region. To avoid any mistakes or obligations, you should do this ahead of time.

Tips for making secure online payments

Collaborate with a reputable payment processor.
Two-factor authentication should be used.
Customer payment information should not be kept on file.
Purchase an SSL certificate.

Guide To Sell Products Online Step 14. Audit your eCommerce website before you launch

It’s only natural to be ready to go as your site approaches its launch. However, before you do so, we strongly advise you to hire a professional to undertake a technical SEO audit of your site to ensure everything is in functioning condition.

They can assist you in identifying any of the following issues that may jeopardies your ranking potential:

Tags in the title or description that are either missing, duplicated, or excessively long
On your pages, there are no headings.
Pages with minimal words or images that give no value to readers are known as thin content.
Redirects or broken links
Canonical tags problems
ALT tags for images are missing.

Guide To Sell Products Online Step 15. Complete your eCommerce launch checklist

You’ll want to complete the following before you formally start your online business (or your listings online):

Create a monitoring system for the site. You want to keep track of everything about your company. Google Analytics is a fantastic free tool for tracking who visits your site, where they come from, and what motivates them to make a purchase.
Develop your social media presence. To begin, consider setting up between one and three social media profiles to keep in touch with your audience. Make sure to leverage platforms that you know your target audience uses.
Set up email autoresponder campaigns. You want to have your autoresponders ready to launch when someone joins your email list. A welcome email series, an abandoned cart series, and a completed order series should all be included.
Back up your website on a regular basis. Begin right now. Pay for a service that allows you to frequently backup your site and stores those backups for you.
Make sure everything is in order. Make sure there are no misspellings or errors. Ensure that your keyword research is precise and accurate, and that everything works on both desktop and mobile devices. Make a test checkout to make sure everything is running smoothly, and double-check those shipping charges. You want to detect faults as soon as possible, not later.

Guide To Sell Products Online Step 16. Ecommerce resources needed to grow your business

You might be shocked at how rapidly your e-commerce business expands, even if you’re starting from zero. You’ll almost certainly need assistance with everything from establishing targeted advertising to increasing customer retention.

We recommend contacting the following professionals as soon as possible:

Virtual assistants can aid with email responses, data entry, and information updates as needed.
Experts in search engine marketing who can build, operate, and manage pay-per-click programmes
Experts in search engine optimization (SEO) who can ensure that your site is optimised for search
Retention experts can assist you in keeping your consumers once you’ve acquired them.
Copywriters and content marketers who can assist you in improving your site text and creating valuable content that attracts clients.
Business intelligence (BI) analysts can assist you in analysing your data on a variety of topics, including pricing, acquisition expenses, and more.

Start Selling With This Guide To Sell Products Online

Thanks to a rising e-commerce sector and a plethora of fantastic platforms, running an e-commerce firm and selling things online is easier than ever. The possibilities are endless, whether you want to sell handcrafted, made-by-you things on your own website or dropship things through a third-party platform.

Consider what things you’d like to sell, what you’re enthusiastic about, and who you’d like to reach out to. These should serve as a guide for your future decisions, and when paired with the strategies outlined in this essay, they can help you achieve success. You’ll be able to immediately start selling things online and earning money without having to worry about high overhead costs or the hazards of a physical store.

About the Author

Donald Gonsalves is the founder of Enthof Creatives and a regular writer for the website’s blog. He has more than 2 decades of experience in marketing, sales and branding. His need to research and learn more about these segments in never ending. To contact him, just drop an email to donald.g@sh118.global.temp.domains

Follow him on Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldgonsalves

Step-by-Step Guide To Sell Products Online

Step-by-Step Guide To Sell Products Online