How to Sell Your Product or Service Online

For small businesses, the Internet has been previously considered to be the 'Holy Grail' for wealth and massive revenues. Although that perception has rightly changed in recent years it is still true that having a company website can provide you with an additional revenue stream, although obviously not every product or service is suitable for selling online.

It is important to remember that your online presence will ultimately be judged not only by your product but also by the experience that the customer has when purchasing from you. This means that if your website does not function correctly or you charge unreasonable amounts for delivery the customer will be unhappy.

In order to sell your products on the Internet you will need to set up an online shop. You can either do this yourself (if you are confident enough with HTML) and pay for it to be hosted somewhere or you can use software like OnlineOffice that allows you to create one very easily. Generally, the more payment methods you are able to offer your customers the better and if possible try to accept a service such as PayPal which allows them to pay for goods without entering their credit card details, as many people are reluctant to do that.

The hardest part of online selling is driving traffic to your website. You will need to learn about search engine optimisation (SEO) in order to ensure that people who are searching for the product or service you provide are able to find you. Remember to also put your website address on all business cards and company stationary.

The online marketplace is very crowded and you will probably find that someone already controls the sector that you plan on entering. However, this does not mean that sales are unobtainable – the trick is to target the right market and identify your competitive advantage over the main players who currently occupy it. Competitive advantage can mean anything from excellent customer support to customised products or whatever it is that you do better than everyone else. Even if you have difficulty attracting new customers to begin with, the website will at least be an additional channel of communication through which your existing clients can interact with you.

Ultimately, selling your products online will not solve all your sales problems. It can, however, provide a substantial amount of income if it is treated as an integral part of your business strategy. If a product is not suitable for online sales then you shouldn’t force it, but providing you plan well and do not spend more than is necessary you should definitely consider taking your business online.

Checklist for your online shop

• Which products / services do you want to sell online?
• Will you sell only to UK residents, other countries or worldwide?
• How will you send your goods to your customers?
• For each product: 100 to 500 word description, professional picture, price.
• Terms and conditions for your customers?
• Who in your company will look after fulfillment of online orders?
• How much business do you expect to come through the website?
• What is your return and refund policy?
• Where will you promote your new shop?