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How to sell online is a challenge for just about everyone. There is no one way to go about it. Similar to real world selling, online selling business is fully dependent on fundamental marketing principles. To start business online and be successful you need to understand product management, sales channel management and the coding used for the site, the laws and the regulators of your target country. There is a system, however, to be successful in selling online.
How to sell online checklist
- Know what problem or need you are resolving.
- Who will use the product you are supplying
- List down the product or service you are supplying
- What will the product look and feel like
- Determine a realistic pricing for your product and service
- Nail down the delivery or fulfillment method
- Confirm the payment method
- Confirm the warranties and returns/refund process if any
- List out your terms of service
- What is the brand name you will go to market with
- Customer acquisition plan
Online Marketing Types and Online Selling Business Methods
If you have the above list checked off then you now have to decide what form of online marketing you are going to do. Understand your choice of online marketing to be as follows:
- Search marketing
- Facebook marketing
- Instagram marketing
- Whatsapp marketing
- Email marketing
- Youtube marketing
- Shopping Sites listing
Malaysia encourages and drives internet selling. Harvard Business Review has listed Malaysia as a breakout country for digital with most public policies in place.
You should understand that internet marketing is about communications and selling. So selling online is viewed as an extension of real world selling, with the same types of rules and laws. So there are liabilities to consider when selling online, such as tax liabilities and consumer protection.
- Register with SSM to get at least an enterprise business registration number
- Then, from the list above, decide how you want to start business online
But firstly, you need to do the following to sell successfully online:
#1 Build an interesting brand to start business online
The first thing you need to know about selling is that attractiveness is a key to success. The world is getting more and more visual. Social media platforms have made appearances and looks very important and the rise of millennial are making brands even more important. To note, most online customers are millennial and millennial like to be loyal customers. They also like a brand they want to stick to. So make sure to be creative and unique at the same time!
#2 Identify your persona
Knowing who your customers are is the most important step you need to take. Building your product will take place before the identification of your persona. However, after you identify your customers, their ages, genders, occupations, and needs, you will be able to give your product a shape and a purpose. This will give it a strong foundation in the market as it will have a specific goal with a fixed group of customers. This will also help you identify which online shop you will use and your price range.
#3 Master product photography
As we mentioned previously, appearances are everything these days. As more and more people have professional cameras and cell phones that take stunning pictures, they like pictures that have a good quality. Products that are photographed well show how professional the brand is. Nobody will trust a store whose pictures are blurry or taken in a dark place. You do not need to buy an expensive camera, instead, learn how to use yours to make your pictures seem beautiful, attractive, and professional. Also, the products in the picture should be clear so we advise you to use homogeneous backgrounds. People want to see your product clearly to make sure this is what they really want to buy. If your pictures are bad, they will get a product that is different than what is displayed on your store and get disappointed, thus, give a bad review.
#4 Have a good content marketing
Yes, pictures are worth a thousand words but sometimes pictures do not communicate everything we have to say. Pictures are there to show potential customers what the products look like. However, the role of your content is to give people a description of what the product is. Avoid typos and bad grammar because it will push away. Use a friendly and a simple language to make things easier. Remember, most people who shop online do not have time to go to stores. Your job here is to save their time. Use bullet points and short phrases.
#5 Design an attractive store
The internet is all about visual attraction. Design a store that will make people attracted enough to visit. Use colors that go easy on the eyes like blue and avoid flashy colors because it causes discomfort. Choose a font that is easy to read and stick to it. The idea here is to build a brand and get people used to your product. Looking at big brands, they hardly change their logos, and if they do, they keep the core idea the same. Plus, it will make things easier on you.
#6 Decide what are your payment and shipping options
Here is when things become serious! Depending on your country and location, choose your payment and shipping options! Make them as clear as possible to give your customers a peace of mind!
#7 Show your customers that you care
Once the product gets delivered, make sure to ask your customer if everything went well and as predicted. Ask them for feedback since it will help you to improve your shop. Also, if the customer is loyal, do not hesitate to send a symbolic gift along with the product like a Thank You card for example. Loyal customers generate more sales as they advise their friends and acquaintances to buy from your store. Also, they write good reviews which attract people!
#8 Use social media platforms
The majority of people are social media users and the easiest way to promote something is by posting! So whether you personas are mostly available on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, make sure you have a page where you can promote your store while there are scrolling! This will help you remind them daily about your store and its products and attract more customers!
#9 Create a mobile application
Most people spend their time on their phones. So they will most likely prefer to do their shopping on their cell phones. To make their purchasing experience more pleasant, consider creating a mobile application. To note, using the web to do shopping takes a lot of time since it takes a lot of time to load.
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