Do you create or sell goods? Are you already selling them online? There are many ways to sell products over the Internet, including online auction sites, online crafts marketplaces and social media networks.
Many merchants have success simply selling over eBay, Etsy or via their Facebook page. If you're one of these sellers, there are many good reasons for having your own online store. Read on to learn why you should and how to sell online from your own site.
Why Have Your Own Ecommerce Website?
1. It is easier for customers to find you.
Most people who shop online use search engines to look for the things they want to buy. Unfortunately, you might have noticed that online auction pages or marketplace website pages don’t normally get higher rankings on search engine results than a bona fide ecommerce website. Why? One major reason is duplicate content. In an online marketplace, there could be a dozen or more shops selling the same thing as you are, and if other sellers copy your product descriptions, this duplication of content is frowned upon by search engines and could result in less traffic.
This means you are missing out on plenty of opportunities. Imagine the Internet traffic that you could’ve been getting from people who are coming from search engines looking for the type of products you’re selling. By creating your own online store, you're basically opening a bigger avenue for exposure and business growth.Â
2.It gives you more credibility.
Customers, in general, take a business with its own website more seriously. Having a professional-looking online store of your own separates you from amateur sellers and shows that you're a serious player in the market who is thinking seriously about the growth of your business.
3. It allows you to be more unique.
Shops in an online marketplace have a similar look and feel. When potential customers shop, it’s inevitable that you will be compared to so many other stores that look similar to yours. This makes it hard very hard to compete because customers cannot really tell you from the crowd. With your own online store, you have control over your website and can develop your own brand. As a result, you will be remembered more.
Creating Your Own Ecommerce Website
As you can see, even if you’re already an expert on how to sell onlinewithout a website of your own, your business will benefit when you can sell directly from your own online store. It can be initially an overwhelming prospect but think about how having a standalone ecommerce website will allow you to expand your sales channels. As you think about the possibility of setting up your online store, below are some of the most common questions that you might have.
Isn't it expensive to have your own website?
Not anymore. It used to be very expensive for businesses to have their own online stores. First, they had to hire a web designer and web programmer to create the site and then pay a web hosting provider and web master to keep the store up and running. Today, you can have a professional ecommerce website for just $79 a month and even as low as $14 a month for a starter website. These websites are part of a full-featured ecommerce platform solution that includes web hosting, file storage, customer support and even analytical reports.
Can you have a decent website even if you don’t know anything about design?
You can have a great-looking online store without any design or programming skills, thanks to ecommerce platforms that offer the whole package from website design to online shopping cart software. With this solution, you have hundreds of pre-made website templates to choose from to create your site. A good ecommerce platform has these templates professionally designed to give businesses an attractive website. Setting up your website would simply involve uploading your images and inserting your copy onto the content editor of the website to make them show up on your store. No design or HTML knowledge is needed. The important thing to ensure is that your chosen ecommerce platform will allow you to customize the template so you can make it look your own.
How will customers find your website?
There are many ways to build traffic to a website, but the most important step is to have quality content on your website. In addition to writing short and informative product descriptions, you can have an education center or a blog where you can write about your products in a way that is less promotional but more focused on providing valuable information to customers. Look for an ecommerce platform that works with powerful plug-ins so you can use great Internet marketing apps with your website. Using social media is also one of the best ways to promote your business and increase website traffic. You can also submit your useful content to social bookmarking sites. Explore online advertising avenues and find the one that best meets your needs.
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