Websites are the gateway to selling products online successfully
Promoting and selling products online can be difficult, with thousands of websites competing for business. It can be an even greater challenge to market a product or service without a site carefully designed to engage potential clients. Anyone can place products for sale online, but not all sites generate significant profits. It will take time, strategic marketing and implementing tools to earn positive results with consistent traffic.
Instructions
1. Build an easy-to-navigate website. Purchase a domain name and select a hosting company. The name should be related to the name of the business and products sold. List the products prominently in one section on the page. Include a site map that shows all the links associated with the site. The website must link back to the homepage on every page. For example, the "About Us" link must have a link that allows the client to click back home. It also may be smart to list payment options on each page as well.
2. Make the products listed on the page stand out. Consider adding hyperlinks to blog reviews near the product pictures on the website. The pictures should catch the potential client's eye, and the content should secure the sale. Establish a review section linking to your company's blog or other authoritative blogs that review similar products or services.
3. Open a merchant account to accept online sales. This link should be strategically placed below a product picture. For example, a picture of an electronic appliance may include an add-to-shopping-cart function. PayPal and other merchant companies provide these services for little or no cost. Paying for the product must be easy for the client.
4. Implement a marketing plan that includes social media and posting classified ads online. Merchant Circle is a low-cost option to promote via classified ad, blog, forum participation and more. Finding all the best places to promote and sell products online can be a time-consuming task. For instance, a Facebook fan page could be very useful in gaining product exposure. However, the effort to post updates and participate in forums can take significant time. Creating a poll on Facebook about where people look for your products could be the easiest tool to help generate smart marketing. Also, adding a merchant account feature to sell directly on Facebook is an option. Facebook fan pages are free and a good option to get started selling and promoting online.