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How to overcome common obstacles to selling online

A caucasian female potter leaning over a workbench adding finishing touches to a piece of pottery. She is wearing a white strap top with a black apron on top

Being able to satisfy your retail therapy needs from the comfort of your own home is one of the joys of the modern age. This is why having an online business is now of high importance: selling online reaches customers worldwide and thus your potential target market is endless. If you’re nervous about selling online then read on – we’ve shown you how to overcome some of the barriers to starting an ecommerce business.

You have visitors to your site but they’re not buying!

A problem with selling online is that you are setting an expectation for your product. This means customers cannot tell the quality or fit of your product until they have purchased it. If what you’re selling is highly-priced, then some may be worried about handing over their money to your business. 

However, offering free delivery to new customers or free returns is a great way to soothe these fears. According to research by Barclaycard, 47% of shoppers said they wouldn’t order an item if they had to pay for the return and 30% admitted to deliberately overbuying products, knowing they would return the unwanted items. Not only does this stress the importance of having a free returns scheme, but it also means you’re able to send out more products. Even if items are returned, your visibility is improved.

Similar products to yours are already sold online 

This one is a toughie, as whilst it shows your product is in high demand, it also means that there are a lot of other business competitors out there. However, don’t let this sway you away from online selling: offering discounts is a great way to draw in users to your site, as the consumer will often look for the most cost-effective item. 

Putting a time limit on your discount is also an effective solution, as it pushes the customer into making a decision about whether they want to try your product. If you make these discounts seasonal then it is likely that you will create returning customers, who can then improve your online visibility by leaving good customer reviews. 

Setting up an ecommerce site is too tricky

Whilst the internet may seem like a daunting prospect, it is important to remember that setting up an ecommerce website is not as difficult as it used to be. Nowadays, website builders like ours can do all the hard stuff for you, making that transition into selling online all the more smoother. Our free 14-day trial allows you to create a website in minutes, and even have extra ecommerce features if you do decide to take the leap. Give it a go today!

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How to start selling things online

Male dressed in blue fixing a bicycle in a bicycle shop

Have you been thinking of setting up an online shop but not sure where to start? We’re here to help, with a handy guide on what you need to think about before you take the plunge into e-commerce.

Decide on your niche 

This is the first hurdle – what are you going to sell, and who are you going to sell it to? It’s a good idea to start with your niche, or the area that you are interested in. Think of this as an area rather than a product; ‘gardening’ rather than ‘trowels,’ and be strategic in your choice. 

The best niches are ones that sell expensive products (£80-100 per product), that occupy a sector that is steadily growing in popularity and hasn’t already developed a lot of brand loyalty. Do your market research to get information on your competitors and understand how the industry functions. Most importantly, don’t go into a niche that you know nothing about!

Choose a business model

This depends on whether you are selling items that you have created yourself, or if you are going to use a supplier. If you are using a supplier, you can choose between dropshipping – where the supplier holds the stock – or holding your own products, where you have to pay for warehouse costs and packaging. 

Holding your own products that you’ve shipped in or selling your own unique handmade items gives you an advantage when you’re looking to create and grow a brand. You are in full control of the customer experience, so you can design your own packaging, send it yourself and handle returns and customer enquiries personally.

If you are a small, local business that is just starting to sell your own products, capitalise on your ability to make each item personal. Include hand-written notes thanking them for their purchase and asking them to follow you on social media, and make sure your customer service is both personable and competent. Creating a great customer experience makes it more likely for them to recommend your service to others.

Choose a supplier

You’ve got your niche, and a good idea of what you want to sell; but if you’re ordering in your products or materials, how do you choose what products to stock? Search the best-sellers in your niche on Amazon and Ebay to compare prices, and look to AliExpress and AliBaba for good supplier sites. If you don’t want to start shipping in products internationally and you don’t need a huge supply, do some research in your area to see if you can create any deals with local suppliers instead.

Create a website

Now you’ve got the foundations laid, it’s time to craft a beautiful website! Choose a domain name that aligns with your brand, upload your products and start advertising your site. Go Sitebuilder is one of the best ecommerce website builders, and offers a 14-day free trial where you can make an easy-to-use and professional website, even if you have no experience in web design!

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How to effectively sell your product or service

How to effectively sell your product or service

You may know that you have an excellent product or service, but your potential customers don’t. So how can you show them – and persuade them – that you are a step above your competitors?

Tell me a story

Your potential customers aren’t interested in your product. They’re interested in the experience it gives them, or the solution it provides to a problem they have – your marketing should reflect that. Describe how it feels to use your product, or the difference it could make if it solves a long-standing problem. 

Look at car adverts, for example. The specifications are important, but they’re not what are going to make you remember a certain brand or model. Marketing for cars focuses on the driving experience, or how comfortable it is for a long road trip, not how large the engine capacity is or whether it takes diesel or petrol. 

That’s not to say specifications aren’t important, but they’re secondary; a customer will start looking at them only if they’re already interested in the product or service. Start with a story, and back it up with the credentials afterwards.

Audience is everything

Before even thinking about an effective strategy to sell your products or services, you need to consider your audience. What do they do, what do they need and why? How, when and where do they buy? Look at key trends within your target market, and adapt your marketing plan to match it. 

Once you get into the heads of your target audience, you can adapt your selling points accordingly. Remember that car advert? If you wanted to target young families, you could highlight the vehicle’s safety features, but if you’re wanting to attract young professionals, you’re more likely to focus on how stylish it is. 

Why you?

So, you’ve told a story that is perfectly aimed at your audience and you’ve backed it up with high-end specifications. Chances are, though, you won’t be the first person providing the same services and products as you do. Don’t ignore your competitors, because your potential customers won’t! You need to focus on your Unique Selling Proposition (USP), or what makes you stand out from the crowd. What do you offer that your competitors don’t? Make sure this is clear; it could be the one thing that turns a browser into a customer.

And of course, make sure your products and services are presented beautifully on a professional-looking website. Go Sitebuilder offers a 14-day free trial and has specially designed ecommerce features – try them out today!

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What online courses platform can I use to learn marketing strategies for ecommerce?

Young black male entrepreneur studying marketing strategies for his new online store. He is sat at a desk with a coffee and laptop, writing in a notebook

Having an ecommerce site allows you to keep an eye on analytics, which makes marketing strategies easier to design and implement…unless you’re a complete novice. If you’re setting up your online shop but haven’t the foggiest on how to make the most of it, then you can take a MOOC (massive online open course) to quickly learn the fundamentals. We’ve put together some of the best MOOC options. 

Udemy

Udemy is one of the largest MOOC platforms, and they have a great selection of courses on marketing strategies, with the most popular marketing courses ranging from £10-20. The price includes lifetime access to the course, so you can go back to brush up on your skills whenever you want, as well as a certificate upon completion. With a 30-day money back guarantee, they’re a great place to start, and they even have a marketing course quiz to help you choose which course is right for you!

Coursera

This is one of the largest providers of free courses out there, so if you’re on a budget, then this is the place to look! For most courses, you will have to pay extra if you want to get a verified certificate at the end, but you can view the course content free of charge and there is financial aid available if you need it. They offer a 7-day free trial to see if you like the extra features. 

EdX

EdX offers free courses from top universities and institutions. With most courses, you can access course content and discussion boards for free, but you won’t be able to view it after the course duration ends. The paid version includes lifetime access to course content as well as graded assessments and certification upon completion.

These are all general MOOC providers where you can search for marketing strategy courses, but some marketing specialist companies offer their own. Hootsuite, Hubspot Academy, and QuickSprout all offer specialised marketing courses that will give you pointers on how to increase revenue and attract more customers to your online shop. Universities also offer online courses (such as this one from University Arts London) but they’re often much more expensive than MOOCs. 

If you haven’t got your own website up and running yet, what are you waiting for? With Go Sitebuilder, you can have an ecommerce site online in just a few hours, with no experience needed. Try them out now with a 14-day free trial. 

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How can I sell things fast?

How can I sell things fast?

Creating a successful ecommerce brand revolves around building trust and a loyal following, which doesn’t happen overnight. But if you do need to sell things quickly, we’ve put together a few tips to help you get your products off your hands! 

Price it right

First, look at products that are similar to yours on online marketplaces. On Ebay, you can refer to the “completed listings” section, which shows you what products have sold and how much they cost. This can help you evaluate both the demand for the product and the standard price. 

If speed is your priority, list the item for slightly less than other similar products, but be willing to negotiate, especially if you’re selling on an online marketplace. Everybody loves to get a good deal, so prepare to sell your product for 10-20% lower than the price you listed it. If you’re using your own ecommerce site, consider offering discount codes or having a sale section.

Description and pictures

When writing the copy for your product, think about what you would want to know if you were buying this item. If it’s second-hand, make sure to include what condition it is in and why you’re selling it, and as for any other product, include detailed specifications, any special features that will help it stand out, and what accessories come with the product. 

The pictures of the item can make or break a sale. Make sure they are clear and taken in good lighting, and if there are any issues, take a close up of these as well. This helps build trust and gives the customer a good idea of what they’re buying, whereas limited and poor-quality pictures make the product look worse than it is and suggest you might be hiding something. 

Sell more than one product at a time

If you really need to get rid of some stock, you can sell your products in ready-made packs that will encourage your potential customer to buy more than the one product they originally wanted.

Selling items quickly isn’t always easy, but if you follow these steps then you can give yourself a good chance to speed up sales on your products! If you want to try out some of these tips on your own website, check out Go Sitebuilder’s 14-day free trial and have a look at all of the extra features they offer for ecommerce sites.

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How can I sell things online for free?

Female business owner accepting a package from a delivery person.

Maybe you already have an online store where you sell your products, or maybe you’re just starting out in the ecommerce world. Either way, online marketplaces are a great option to diversify your customer base and increase your income, as you can capitalise on the site’s already-existing loyal audience. 

If you’re just starting out, it’s not worth paying the fees for high-traffic sites like Amazon and Ebay, so we’ve had a look at two of the best online marketplaces that don’t cost a penny.

Craigslist

Created in San Francisco during the early days of the internet, Craigslist is now the world’s largest online classifieds website where you can advertise anything from houses to plant pots. According to SimilarWeb, the marketplace is ranked 15th in the United States and 48th worldwide, so the site has a large and loyal audience. 

Craigslist is good for selling items locally, as the buyer usually picks up the item in person and hands over the payment in cash. This can help you develop a good relationship and trust with your customers, but isn’t so good for expanding your customer base beyond your immediate area. If you do want to send your products further afield, you will have to handle everything from the point of sale, including the delivery and any after-sales issues. 

Facebook Marketplace

Using the ever-popular social media platform, Facebook Marketplace is a simple and easy way to sell your products. Just upload a picture and description of the item, and people can contact you directly through Facebook messenger. One of the benefits that this platform has over Craigslist is that you can look at the profile of the person you’re selling to by checking out their Facebook profile, which can help you identify scammers or bots. 

Being part of a social media site, Facebook Marketplace is also a good way to expand your audience, as content is easily shareable, either by you or by happy customers. Similar to Craigslist, this platform works better on a local scale, unless you’re prepared to handle delivery and online payment yourself. 

If you’re based in the United States, LetGo and Geebo are also good alternatives for free online marketplaces, but they are not yet available in the UK. 

Free online marketplaces are useful for local sales, but they are often limited if you’re looking to expand your reach beyond your city. If you want to set up your own ecommerce website, why not try out Go Sitebuilder’s 14-day free trial? Their online store has unlimited products, a variety of payment options and you can even create customised discount codes! 

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How to choose the perfect domain name for your online store

Female small business owner stood in the middle of her shop updating her online store via a tablet device. She is wearing dark green clothing and glasses

Your domain name is the first time your users will connect with your brand, and it’s important that you get it right. We’ve put together some tips to help you create a memorable and unique domain name for your online store. 

Does it reflect your brand and product?

If you’ve already developed and established a brand name, then use this for your domain. If that isn’t available, brainstorm words related to your core brand and values that are relevant to your business, and think about your potential customers; does this evoke the concepts and feelings your business represents? If you’re not sure, show some examples to friends and ask them what they think the website is selling and what kind of brand it is – if it’s way off, consider changing it to make it clearer. 

Can you optimise it for SEO?

Including keywords in your domain name will help your site rank higher on search engines and be more visible to potential clients, so pick a name that is specific to your product. However, be aware that this could make your site sound generic (cottontshirts.com) and could also limit what you can offer in the future. You can also use the domain extension .store as it both shows that you’re an ecommerce brand and helps you get that keyword into your domain name.

Is it simple and easy to understand?

You want your domain to be unique, but also memorable. Keep it short (17 characters max) and avoid unnecessary characters, abbreviations and numbers. Avoid unusual spellings and make it easy to say out loud, as then it’s easier to remember. 

When you’re starting out, brainstorm lots of ideas! Choose 10 words that represent your brand personality and your product, and play with different variations until you find one that sounds right. Check if it’s available and remember to buy it quickly; there are bots that buy up domains that have been recently searched to sell that at a profit later. 

A domain name should represent you and your brand, but you need a high-quality website as well! Go Sitebuilder has ecommerce capability, personalised domain names and offers five email addresses with that domain. Try out their 14-day free trial, and use their pre-built themes and designs to create a website that your customers will love. 

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What are five benefits of selling online?

Female ecommerce business owner boxing up new orders she's just received through her online store. She is casually dressed, leaning over a white table, looking at her laptop

If you’ve already got a brick and mortar shop or you’re just starting out in the ecommerce world, selling online is a great way to expand your company’s reach. If you’re not sure whether it would be beneficial for you, we’ve put together five benefits of selling online that could help you decide.

Shoppers start online

87% of shoppers start their search for products online, to compare cost, brands, inventory levels and to check customer reviews. Even though they may end up buying the item in a physical store, the only way you can form part of this initial search is for your shop to have an online presence. 

Lower set-up and running costs

With website builders, it’s possible to set up an ecommerce platform with ready-made templates in a couple of minutes, which usually cost around £15-20 a month. Compare this to renting a physical space and paying for bills, which can easily run over a thousand pounds a month. Your budget for staff will also be drastically reduced as the sales system in an online store is automated; all these savings mean an online store is often more profitable and more scalable. 

More customers, more opportunities

Your ecommerce site will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As it is not limited by the people who can actually visit your store in person, you can expand to new demographics and reach a global audience. This maximises both your sales and your profits, as there are no restrictions for customers to purchase from your site.

Easily measurable and marketable

Analytics tools are invaluable for helping you collect data on who is visiting your site. Not only can you look at customer activity, like average cart total, cart abandonment rate and how long your customers spend on certain pages, you can also look at the demographics of your audience. 

You will be able to use this data to develop better marketing initiatives that are geared towards your target market, which will boost your conversion rates and increase your profits.

Work from anywhere

One of the greatest benefits of working online is that you are not restricted to a city or even country. As long as you are able to cover delivery costs, you can oversee your ecommerce business from anywhere!

Does setting up an online shop sound good for your business? Getting online is simple and quick with Go SiteBuilder; you can even try out their 14-day free trial to see if it works for you!

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Creating a website for selling products

Woman shopping online

With more and more people choosing to shop online, having a website where you can sell your products is an invaluable way to increase your customer base. But, with so much competition on the internet, priority should be given to how you create and design your eCommerce website if you want it to succeed.

Always put the user first

When creating a website for selling products, step into the mindset of your users. Think about what you sell and who your target audiences are. Once you know who your users are, you should create your site with them in mind. Every style element you choose, from the fonts, to the choice of colours, images and text should be considered based on who you are trying to target. For example, if you sell beauty or fashion products, you should pay attention to the visual aspects of the design, creating a fun or informal feel, whereas if you’re selling something like financial products, your website should take on a more formal and informative tone.

Responsive design is critical

Gone are the days when consumers only use their desktop computers for purchasing items online. These days, smartphones and tablets have taken over, as more and more people use a variety of devices for internet shopping. In order to create a good user-experience when selling your wares online, responsive web design is key. This is where your website will adapt to suit the particular device that it is being viewed on so that it is easy to browse, scroll and navigate.

Create an easy, secure shopping experience

Make the online shopping process as seamless and straightforward as possible. Use text and images to accompany each product and state the prices clearly. Include your terms and conditions, and use a payment system that is reliable, safe and secure.

Include testimonials

Adding customer reviews and testimonials to your website helps to give your brand credibility, and these can prove a really worthwhile selling strategy. Try to include the reviews next to each relevant product you sell so that they are easy to spot by potential customers.

Make contact details easily accessible

Online shoppers like the reassurance of knowing that if they need to get in touch with a website business, they can easily do so. Make sure your contact details are easy to find on your website and are up to date. Include a variety of options for contacting you, including phone, email and an address. Good customer service is crucial, so always respond promptly to any queries you receive.

Building an eCommerce website is easier than you think. Go Sitebuilder has been created and designed with busy small businesses in mind – discover how you can create an online site today.