ecommerce

Why you should consider Amazon before opening your next ecommerce store!

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shopping_cartMany of you know I got started online when I opened up my very first ecommerce store.  I love ecommerce sites. I still have my ecommerce sites.  We still sell products every single day from my ecommerce sites.

Lately I have been getting phone calls from people asking me to help them build their ecommerce stores.  We work on Yahoo, Volusion, OSCommerce and many other platforms and a lot of people like the fact that I don’t just sell ecommerce design and marketing… but I do it for my own sites!  The thing is, most people are surprised when I tell them that before even building out their own site, the very first thing that I want to see them do is to get their products onto Amazon.  Let me explain why.

SEO used to be easy.  You could put up your site. Follow the rules.  Get #1 in Google.  Get lots of traffic and sales.  Done.  Today it does not work like that.  Today Google is showing sites in the top results that are authority sites.  The thing with being an authority site is that you have to have traffic to be an authority site.  So if you are depending on Google to send you that traffic to become an authority site to get ranked number one to get traffic… you see the problem?  =)

So today it is even more important to get your products out there on as many channels as possible!  You need to look at Google and SEO as one channel to get more sales.  But not the only channel and possibly not the most important channel.

So what is a channel anyways?  A channel is simply another pathway towards sales.  All successful companies know that it is important to not be dependent on one channel.  You could have an affiliate program.  That affiliate program is a channel as it drives sales.  You could use PPC to drive traffic and sales.  That is another channel.  You could have a team of re-sellers or sales reps.  They are another channel.  The key is to setup multiple distribution channels to sell your products in as many places as possible.

I mean think about it.  Would you rather have your products in one store?  Or a chain of stores?

Think about it this way also.  If you have a product what is the fastest way to get sales?  Put up a brick and mortar store.  Buy the shelving and decorate the store.  Co-ordinate a ribbon cutting ceremony.  Run ads in your local area.  Pass out flyers. Invite all your friends.

Or….

Negotiate a deal with an established business that already has a lot of traffic and customers for a little bit of shelf space in their store.

That is what you get with Amazon.

Amazon already has the traffic.  They already have thousands of visitors on their site every single day.  They don’t only have visitors, but they have thousands of visitors with their wallets out ready to buy!

So why do I recommend ecommerce owners get on Amazon first even before they open up their own ecommerce website?

 

#1 Traffic

Amazon already has the traffic.  You don’t have to wait to build your site, get the products up, write unique descriptions, begin an SEO and social media campaign or drive traffic with PPC.  All the traffic is already there.  You literally have to upload your products and wait for the sales.

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#2 Market Research

Many times we don’t know if a product will sell or not.  Did you know that there are major retailers that use Amazon to test whether or not they will carry a product in their retail stores?  Brilliant!  Instead of taking up expensive shelf space in a retail store to find out if a product will sell or not, you can now upload your digital versions of your products and test what the demand is even before you stock up.

 

#3 Amazon Fulfillment

One of the biggest benefits of Amazon is their Amazon fulfillment centers.  By storing your products with Amazon, your products are available to be sold through the Amazon Prime Free Shipping Program.  Your customers will also thank you because when your products are shipped through Amazon Fulfillment, you can get better shipping rates with UPS.

 

There are other channels to pay attention to.  The other major channels are Ebay, NewEgg.com, Sears.com, and rakuten.com.

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So before you start another ecommerce website, consider getting your products sold on Amazon first!

 

Need help setting up your Amazon store?  We can help you from start to finish to get your products up in no time flat.  Just give us a call and let’s get you added to Amazon in no time flat!

Make More Online Sales – 5 Tips for Success

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Budding entrepreneurs face the same issues as those who have been operating an online store for years, mainly how to increase conversion and make more sales. While optimizing pages pushes you up the rank ladder, you’ve got to be able to make sales once the buyer is on your site. Here are 5 tips to help you do just that.

content

Create Content that Causes a Response

Everyone with an online store has some experience with creating content for pages. Whether you offer a product or service, writing compelling copy is a high priority. Consumers need to know that you have what they need, but they don’t want to be sold. The fickle nature of an online shopper can be a challenge; but when you write content that is read, understood, and reacted to, you have gained a leg up. How do you do this? Simply put, you acknowledge what problem the consumer is facing, expand upon the problem just enough for them to know they need to change it, and then you promote how your product solves that problem or fills a need.

Create Urgency

Some ecommerce entrepreneurs have experienced great success with limited time offers. When a site visitor knows that a deal is only on the table for so long, they are more inclined to hit the buy button. Stores that utilize this sales method are successful when their offers really do expire. If your site promotes a limited time offer, but it seems to be ongoing, you run the risk of losing credibility with customers.

Take a Cue from the Grocery Store Checkout

Every time you go through the checkout line at the grocery store, there is a certain temptation to grab that pack of gum or candy bar; and these aren’t even things that you need! In your own online store, you can create this same “impulse buying” scenario and thus increase your sales. For instance, If your site sells clothing, then you could promote a belt or other accessory. Just about any niche has its own set of add on products that can work to get you more sales. Another way to get customers to look at additional purchases is to link from one product to another that compliments it.

Pricing: It Is what It Is

The last thing a customer wants is to encounter hidden charges that pop up during the check out process. For this reason, it is best to practice full disclosure right on your product or service page, to include shipping charges if there are any.

Give Something for Nothing

Along the lines of pricing, a huge bonus is to offer free shipping to customers. Some companies do this on orders over a certain price, while others offer free shipping on the majority of their items. When offering free shipping, you need to make sure that you can do this without losing money on the item being sold.

In building your online store, there are plenty of things to think about; site design, vendor relations, and more. In all that you do to attract new customers, also make sure that you create an environment in your customer service department that will enhance customer relations and bring your customers back time and time again.

Make More Online Sales – 5 Tips for Success

by

LinkedIn

Budding entrepreneurs face the same issues as those who have been operating an online store for years, mainly how to increase conversion and make more sales. While optimizing pages pushes you up the rank ladder, you’ve got to be able to make sales once the buyer is on your site. Here are 5 tips to help you do just that.

content

Create Content that Causes a Response

Everyone with an online store has some experience with creating content for pages. Whether you offer a product or service, writing compelling copy is a high priority. Consumers need to know that you have what they need, but they don’t want to be sold. The fickle nature of an online shopper can be a challenge; but when you write content that is read, understood, and reacted to, you have gained a leg up. How do you do this? Simply put, you acknowledge what problem the consumer is facing, expand upon the problem just enough for them to know they need to change it, and then you promote how your product solves that problem or fills a need.

content-marketing-mistakes

Create Urgency

Some ecommerce entrepreneurs have experienced great success with limited time offers. When a site visitor knows that a deal is only on the table for so long, they are more inclined to hit the buy button. Stores that utilize this sales method are successful when their offers really do expire. If your site promotes a limited time offer, but it seems to be ongoing, you run the risk of losing credibility with customers.

shopping-cart

Take a Cue from the Grocery Store Checkout

Every time you go through the checkout line at the grocery store, there is a certain temptation to grab that pack of gum or candy bar; and these aren’t even things that you need! In your own online store, you can create this same “impulse buying” scenario and thus increase your sales. For instance, If your site sells clothing, then you could promote a belt or other accessory. Just about any niche has its own set of add on products that can work to get you more sales. Another way to get customers to look at additional purchases is to link from one product to another that compliments it.

money

Pricing: It is what it is

The last thing a customer wants is to encounter hidden charges that pop up during the check out process. For this reason, it is best to practice full disclosure right on your product or service page, to include shipping charges if there are any.

Giveaway image

Give Something for Nothing

Along the lines of pricing, a huge bonus is to offer free shipping to customers. Some companies do this on orders over a certain price, while others offer free shipping on the majority of their items. When offering free shipping, you need to make sure that you can do this without losing money on the item being sold.

In building your online store, there are plenty of things to think about; site design, vendor relations, and more. In all that you do to attract new customers, also make sure that you create an environment in your customer service department that will enhance customer relations and bring your customers back time and time again.