talkweb ecommerce guide
DESCRIPTION
A simple guide to selling onlineTRANSCRIPT
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TheTalkwebGuide tosellingonline
Starting up an online business seems to be a dream which many people
have these days. Being your own boss, avoiding the morning commute
and ditching the shirt and tie seem like irresistible benefits, but sadly it
is not all plain sailing; a successful online presence takes time, resources
and thorough planning.
We have put together this starter guide to navigate you through the pro-
cess of setting yourself up online and outline what factors need to be
considered before launching your store to the public.
eCommerce can be tricky, so be sure to ask for advice if you are unsure
about how to break into it. Contact TalkWeb on 012373 694770 or email
us at [email protected] if you would like to call upon our expertise.
Best of luck,
TalkWeb
introduction£€$
test
ing t
he w
ater
Selling online is a whole different ball game from selling in the real world.
It does not have the luxury of being on a high street or having physical
stock which customers can inspect, it all depends on how you present
it. Some of you venturing into eCommerce may just be web enthusiasts
who have knocked together a few websites in the past. Don’t let this fool
you into thinking that opening a webstore will be just another website,
Before taking the plunge and creating your own webstore, try selling your
products through pre-established websites such as eBay and Amazon.
Get a feel for how you are going to present your items online and how
successful each of your products are.
test
ing t
he w
ater
By starting out on these websites, you can begin to understand what
works and what doesn’t. Remember, you don’t always have to go straight
for the obvious webstores. There are plenty of others out there, such
as Etsy for handmade items and iOffer for general selling. Listing your
items on these websites may help them from getting lost in the crowd
on larger stores.
If successful, your attempt at selling online could be a great educational
experience in areas such as customer service and product popularity.
Also, it could be a good indiction as to whether you should continue with
your eCommerce plans or pursue other ideas. Take into consideration:
• The time spent maintaining the store and handling orders
• The return on any money spent on products and handling
•How you found dealing with customers123
set up shopOnce you have tested the waters and established that you are still ready
to continue with your plans to sell online, the question is what do you
sell? This kind of decision is not limited to eCommerce, when establish-
ing any kind of business, you have to make sure your products are some-
thing prospective customers would be interested in buying.
Some product types, such as electronics and entertainment, are often
best left to the big boys as they can get the cheapest prices by ordering
in bulk. The best kind of product is something that would be exclusive to
your store, such as something you have created or have sourced locally.
Try to establish a gap in the market, where you will be able to thrive in
your niche rather than be constantly competing with others.
swot analysis
Once you have come up with an idea, try using SWOT analysis to deter-
mine it’s validity. SWOT analysis lists an idea’s Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Threats. For example, if you had decided to sell cus-
tomised t-shirts, a simple SWOT analysis could like a little like this:
• Strengths: Your customised shirts are exclusive to your store.
•Weaknesses: Customising the t-shirts by yourself could lead to you
falling behind on orders, leading to customer dissatisfaction.
•Opportunities: You could expand into other customised clothing as
time goes on.
• Threats: Other, more established services allow customers to create
and personalise their own t-shirts.
Your
solu
tion
When deciding how to operate your webstore, the first option to con-
sider is a service such as Zazzle and Cafepress. These sites allow you
to create your own store selling customised items such as mugs, cloth-
ing and accessories. Whilst this is an easy way of setting up your own
business as the creation and shipping of the items is all handled by the
website, you are dictated to as to what the minimum price your items
will cost the customer. Also, you are limited to selling what the website
offers, thus making this option inadequate for many eCommerce com-
pany’s needs.
The second option is services such as Create and Volusion, which allow
sellers to create a webstore at varying levels of functionality, according
to the level of monthly subscription paid. This is a great way for sellers
with little technical know-how to set up their own webstore whilst al-
lowing more advanced users to customise and fine-tune their storefront.£€$
Your
solu
tion
Finally, TalkWeb offer a complete eCommerce solution which includes
full hosting, custom design and connection to payment gateway. Also,
clients have access to consultations and a free training day to fully navi-
gate their new webstore. This option is the most comprehensive of the
selection, suited to those who really want to make a success out of sell-
ing online. Some factors to consider when deciding on an eCommerce
solution:
• An unprofessional looking site or technical errors will put customers
off from buying from your store.
•Will you be able to sell enough products monthly to cover the cost of
the proposed solution?
•Check that advanced features such as discount codes and customer
accounts are available in your package if required.
•Does the solution include a system for the organisation of orders and
shipping?
promote yourselfSocial Media
Set up accounts on popular networks such as Facebook, Twitter and
YouTube. Connect with possible customers and spread the word of your
new store. Share introductory offers and discounts with similar and re-
lated pages (without spamming, of course). If you need a little help with
Twitter, sign up to our Facebook page for a free guide to tweeting for
businesses. Guides to Facebook, social media strategies and LinkedIn are
to follow.
SEO and AdWords
When creating the webstore, be sure to engineer it with a clear structure
and with strong keyword placement for SEO. Being listed on the first
page of Google can make or break or company, never underestimate
the power of search. Alternatively, pay for ads through Google Adwords.
Magazines & Newspapers
Free local magazines and newspapers are a great place to start, wheth-
er contacting them to see if they would be interesting in covering the
launch of your website or by placing an ad. Then, move on to specialist
publications depending on the products your store supplies or even na-
tional newspapers
Sponsorship & Events
Most new eCommerce businesses won’t have the money to sponsor
TV shows or high profile products, so investigate into radio sponsorship,
sponsoring events or local sports teams. Start small, then grow as your
business does. Attend local trade events or events related to your prod-
ucts. Have some printed promotional materials created to make a lasting
impression.
promote yourself123
prom
ote y
ours
elf Blogs
If you ask nicely, perhaps including a deal or incentive of some sort,
bloggers may wish to feature your webstore in a future post. When ap-
proaching them, do not be ‘salesy’ or impersonal, take an interest in the
blog, have a read through of their style and perhaps comment on a few
of their previous posts. Building a rapport with bloggers can be handy not
only just for when you are launching, but throughout the whole lifecycle
of the store.
keep
ing i
nter
est
Don’t blow your whole marketing budget at launch, try to keep a steady
rate of advertising apparent for a prolonged period through both tradi-
tional and digital methods. eCommerce can be a slow burner, be patient.
Be sure to mention social network profiles wherever possible, on all
branded stationery and in e-mail signatures. Then, offer your followers
and friends exclusive contests and discounts, boosting fan numbers and
in turn, raising awareness of your site.
Lastly, customer loyalty is like gold dust for an eCommerce business.
Ensuring that the transaction runs smoothly, that the item arrives intact
and that you offer good value can be a tricky equation to balance. If you
manage to persuade a customer to trade with you again, be sure to
reward their loyalty with discounts, upgraded shipping or a more person-
alised service.
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