More Creative Ways to Sell Your Products Online

Selling goods on the Internet is both easy and difficult. It’s easy because there are many available resources that make setting up online shops quick and easy. They can also take advantage of tons of how-to guides and tips to get better at encouraging customers to buy.

But it’s also what makes it difficult. Since more and more people are setting up online shops, the competition goes up and it gets harder to grab a slice of the market pie. This is true for individuals and small businesses that can’t afford traffic and lead generation services. Bigger companies that have bigger budgets can afford these services and that’s a huge reason why their websites are ranking high in search engines. Selling products online for the small players can be a daunting task.

In an interview, Steven Aldrich, SVP of Productivity Apps for GoDaddy, said that one of the challenges for online selling in 2014 is the “continued consolidation of buyers to the biggest marketplaces.” That means more consumers are going to search for and buy products in big ecommerce websites like Amazon and eBay.

That presents a huge obstacle for small businesses selling products online. They will need to muster up everything they got to convince consumers to pick them, and we all know that it takes a lot to go from search engine obscurity to top ranker.

That doesn’t mean, however, that it is not doable. With the right strategies, even the smallest ecommerce site can rise to the search engines, obtain a huge following, and make lots of money. It pays to think outside the box. While you’re implementing the traditional marketing techniques, it’s advisable to come up with more creative ways to sell online.

Use Your Tablets More Often

There’s an increasing number of people who shop through their mobile devices, and the numbers are expected to continue rising. Gartner reported that sales of Android devices alone are expected to reach $1 billion in 2014. With that many people using mobile devices, it’s safe to presume that they’re going to spend a lot of time online. That gives you the opportunity to find and connect with potential customers.

Get in Touch with Previous Customers

Sometimes your previous customers are too busy to remember to check out your site. Why not send them a short email? Ask how they’ve been and remind them that you have items they might like. It’s also helpful to offer them some incentive for shopping in your store. This is an extremely vital step for selling products online more effectively, since it has been proven that business which can get old customers to return back are the ones which are successful.

Offer Incentives

Incentives are great. They are effective in getting people to buy something, even if they don’t really need it. You don’t need to offer huge freebies, simple items will do. The important thing is they’re free. People respond positively whenever the word “free” is involved.

Run Quick Contests

Contests can be effective tactics to entice customers to buy because they’re fun and rewarding. Put up a cool prize, like a gift certificate or one of your most popular products. These contests must not be complicated. You can come up with things like, the first 10 people who can re-tweet and share your logo or a mention of your business.

Start Posting on Instagram

Post photos of people using (and enjoying) your products. Photos have a significant appeal to consumers since most people are visual learners. Make these photos creative and appealing and you’re sure to see a spike in the number of your followers and, more importantly, traffic, conversions, and sales.

Create a YouTube video

Videos are great marketing tools because they will show your product in action. Consumers will see how beneficial your product can be. They’ll learn how to use it. Make videos that are informative, creative, and fun. With the number of people watching YouTube videos every day, it shouldn’t be difficult to gain a customer or two. The Kissmetrics blog reported that 70 percent of videos appear in the top 100 search results, so start making those videos.

Use Feedback, Polls, and Surveys

Asking for feedback can be effective in engaging customers. That’s because they feel businesses value their opinion, and that you are using it to improve the product/service you provide. They’re more likely to participate and take action if you value their opinion.

Offer to Donate to Any Charity of Their Choice

Offer to give donations to any charity your customers pick. Tell them that you are making the donation in their name. This works because they feel they’re doing something good while satisfying their personal needs. Put up an announcement in your home page or in the product pages.

Put Up Blogger Events

Social media is a powerful force. Utilize it to increase your sales. One way to do that is to invite bloggers to sample (for free) your products and request that they write about it in their blogs. These people have followers that trust their taste on products and services. Think about the kind of exposure and positive branding you can get from this.

Selling products online may be a slow process but remember that things will look up if you stick to it and continue to find better ways to reach out to your customers. According to the research firm Forrester, mobile ecommerce sales are expected to reach $100 billion in 2014. That’s great news, and a strong motivator for you.