Building Your Online Empire: Selling Your First Product

Building Your Online Empire: Selling Your First Product

Establishing an online business is a big achievement. We’ve seen it happen. We’ve watched small entrepreneurs turn their dreams into a million-dollar reality.

If you are reading this page, chances are that you are a beginner or have already established your online business and you are looking for strategies that will enable you to sell your first product.

So, what selling options do you have?

The internet is a virtual platform that is full of many potential places that you can sell your product. However, choosing the best one for you may be challenging. Many established entrepreneurs set up their own websites, but that isn’t the only option.

Social media stores:

Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter can be used to your advantage. They will enable you to establish an online presence and make your product known. For instance, as an entrepreneur, you can choose to set up a Facebook store. This simply involves the use of Facebook’s plugins to host a shop on your social media page.

This will allow you to sell to your existing following and get other potential customers. If you choose to use this method, ensure that you keep yourself up to date with the current Facebook algorithms in order to ensure that your shop is updated when the platform makes changes.

Your very own store

It is very exciting for an entrepreneur to create their own storefront. While many know this as a challenging process, it is far much easier than you think.

Combining your WordPress and WooCommerce pages will give you the interactive online shop that you want.

WordPress: According to research, 24% of all websites on the internet are powered by WordPress. With it, you can be able to choose pre-set designs and modify them according to your preference.

WooCommerce: This technical toolkit will handle all the tricky payments mechanisms, products, and shipping.

With these two systems, you can create your own store and manage payments and shipping. If you are not a WordPress fan, Shopify is another user-friendly option that many new store owners are opting for. If you decide Shopify is the right fit for your project, you can find and register a domain name, choose your template, setting billing & shipping, and even find products to dropship from within their platform.

In either case, setting up your web store is so much easier than in the past so don’t be afraid to give it a shot!

• eBay, Etsy, and third party services

These platforms have thousands of small shops and boutiques located within them. They are simple and allow you to sign up and start selling in the shortest possible time. They do all the hard work and make the whole process easy. In addition to this, many customers prefer these platforms.

But they come with one big challenge;

You will never be able to build your online empire on them. It is very difficult to build a good audience following and strengthen your brand identity on someone else’s site. Therefore, it’s preferable to make your first sale on your very own store.

Selling Your First Product

Once you have already set up an online shop and have chosen the best-selling method(s) for you, it is time to focus on driving sales. Making your first sale may be tricky but once you accomplish that, what follows is a snowball effect.

The most successful online sellers do not just launch and hope everything goes well, they come up with solid marketing initiatives that will get their stores and products in front of millions of audiences. If you are a short on ideas, here are a few good ones to try.

1. Create a blog

A blog is simply a place that will enable you to build a relationship with your customers by letting them know about your online operation. It is a place for you to promote new products as well as share non-sales related information. Through it, entrepreneurs can show their process for shipping orders, talk about new products or let customers know what your products and services are all about. When customers feel well-informed, they are often motivated to make a purchase.

2. Have a compelling story

Prospective buyers are looking for more than just a cool product. Instead, they want a story that connects with them and their everyday lives. What makes your product unique? Why do people want to hear about you and your product? Establishing an emotional connection is something that will create a buzz about your product and eventually, multiple sales.

3. Assemble a look book

If you sell clothing, accessories, shoes and other products that are associated with a lifestyle brand then a look book will showcase your product in an aesthetically pleasing fashion. It will also help buyers imagine what they would look like if they own and use your products. Go beyond the standard product shot and give your potential buyers the opportunity to see your products in action. Even if your products do not represent a lifestyle brand, photography is always a good way to make an impact on your customers.

4. Work with an influencer

Who do your potential customers look to for buying advice? Is it a blogger, news outlet or a podcaster? The online world has many influencers. As such, it is important to reach out to potential partners that you can work together with. You can always propose a contest or giveaway that will get your online store in front of your target audience. This lets someone else sing your praises and this is the best way to make your first sale, which is what makes influencer marketing a growing trend.

5. Post Facebook and Instagram ads

Facebook (now which owns Instagram) makes advertising very simple and customizable. As these social platforms have billions of users, you can be certain that your products will be well-advertised. You will quickly get tangible results in the form of leads and sales.

6. Always be present in spaces where your customers spend time

This is the best way to organically build a relationship with your customers. Does your target market spend time on a Reddit thread or Twitter chat? Once this is determined, actively participate in these places without making a sales pitch. Instead, be kind and resourceful. Share your expertise and let people grow to trust you.

The reality is that building an online empire and selling a product is challenging for many people. With this guide, you do not need to feel daunted by the process. If you are not already executing these strategies then it is definitely time to start. In no time, you will be well past selling your first product and will be busy packaging orders.