What to start selling online. What is profitable to sell on the Internet: options for goods and services, how to test a niche and check demand for free, online services for fully launching a business

Selling goods online is an alternative way to sell products. It involves searching for potential buyers on the World Wide Web.

Every year, millions of people around the world successfully sell products online. But there is also the other side of the coin, on which is engraved the same number of sellers whose efforts remained unjustified. Therefore, do not rush to rejoice and dream of millions, even if you do everything correctly and smartly - the chances of successful transactions are reduced due to high competition in this segment of making money on the Internet.

Before writing this article, I looked at many publications from other sites (on this topic), as well as videos. Most often, I came across posts from people who, most likely, had never sold anything, but simply copied texts from other sources (with some modifications to add uniqueness to the text). The remaining authors talked about the speed of generating income from this type of income. But is it?

Let me give you a simple example using potatoes. There is a regular food market where anyone can sell either their own crops or those bought from someone else (previously called "speculation" and now "market economics"). So you took the second path, brought the purchased potatoes early in the morning, laid out the scales and waited for buyers.

Next, your competitors come, who, just like you, bought potatoes from that same supplier. And by 9 o’clock in the morning there are already five to ten people on 50 square meters. Same potatoes, same price (based on costs and the desire for more or less profit, prices may vary, but not on a significant scale).

Why should buyers choose your product? Quality and price? It’s possible, but if you sacrifice price, some buyers may decide that you resorted to such a step because of the low quality of the vegetables. Or competitors will see your price tags and also correct theirs.

Do you think that this situation does not apply to selling goods on the Internet? You are wrong. On the World Wide Web you will face even more competition.

Let's start with choosing a site for implementation. In fact, there are not so many of them. This could be a personal online store (which, by the way, you can create absolutely free to begin with), auctions and message boards, and social networks. Perhaps this is all, there is no point in listing the rest.

1. An online store requires at least minimal knowledge of SEO (fortunately, there is a lot of information about this on the Internet now, but it’s best to start by reading the recommendations from the search engines Yandex and Google), unique photographs of the product and their descriptions. Advertising is an indirect and individual, but very useful weapon in finding buyers.
2. Auctions and bulletin boards require perseverance (you have to work hard), unique photographs of goods and their descriptions (but shorter than for a store).
3. Social networks - requires the seller to have thousands of friends on the page or a “promoted community”, the above-mentioned photos and also descriptions.

Based on the above, you probably already understood that no matter what path you choose, you need to have unique photographs of it and describe it in text form. Unique photos, not copied from the Internet, will help the buyer understand that you are not a fraud and you have the product in stock (or was, but already in stock). Unique descriptions perform a similar function.

Unique descriptions do not mean texts that have been checked through various services for “uniqueness,” but those that contain elements not described by the supplier. Completeness of information about the product (sizes, composition, application, etc.) is the key to “selling text” (I hate this expression, but here it is very laconic).

Without these two components for buyers, you are one of thousands of identical sellers from which they can choose anyone. And so at least you will be different from other shushvali.

1. Online store – we study a potential buyer, select an advertising platform for him, set it up and move on.
2. Auctions and bulletin boards are similar advertising, only the services themselves will serve as a platform.
3. Social networks - your friends and subscribers do not need “anti-aging foot cream” and therefore we are looking for buyers either on message boards and auctions, or creating an online store.

Advertising drives sales, it doesn't do it for you. On the Internet, you should resort to it only when you are sure that the money for its implementation will not go down the drain. If you have an interesting product, the page for it is beautifully and competently designed (contact details, price, description are indicated, there is an image or video), then a buyer will be found.

A small example from life

The father of one of my friends decided to sell his old car, which he had previously used for work purposes. Due to its age, the cost of the car was not high. He decided to make the sale through a well-known website created specifically for this purpose (a message board for the sale of used cars).

First steps: composed a description in which he indicated not only technical characteristics car, but also listed the repair work that was carried out on it (as well as a list of parts that were replaced or restored during the repair). Is this correct if you think that this is how it should be? Have you often seen descriptions of lots with winter boots that indicate that they were made in China and that they are made from very cheap materials? Let's move on.

After the text part, he moved on to photos: more than 10 pictures were taken, which allowed buyers to view the car from all angles. And finally, he made a video in which he showed the interior of the car, the open hood, started the engine, etc. The video gave the potential buyer the opportunity to see his future purchase practically with his own eyes (which is impossible to do through a computer, looking only at photographs).

The lot was posted around 6-7 pm. The next morning the buyer called, and in the evening he drove home by car. Don't ask about re-registration and so on, this is not relevant. I described a situation that I saw firsthand and in which I personally took part.

Afterword

I did not discover America for the majority. Didn’t fully answer the question “how to sell goods via the Internet?”, but whoever caught the trick understood everything. I wish you successful and profitable transactions.

Want to know how to learn how to sell products and services online? Then this article is for you! In it we will try to collect and reveal the main secrets of successful sales via the Internet.

Internet representation on the Internet is your own virtual office where you can sell your product or your services.

Place information about your products on your website, create an opportunity for the user to view the product and place an order, and you will undoubtedly receive an influx of customers from the Internet.

Let's look at it in order.

The mental component of selling online.

So, there are several stages that a visitor goes through before he becomes your client.

We distinguish 4 main stages:

1. It is necessary to capture the client's attention.
2. Talk about the product from a favorable point of view.
3. Create a desire to buy a product.
4. Complete the transaction by selling the product.

The stages work only comprehensively and in strict sequence.

The difficulty with selling online is that your potential buyer is far away from you and does not have the opportunity to try, touch or test the product.

He has to rely on your arguments and customer feedback. Therefore, your task is to convince the client that he should buy this particular product and from you.

The first stage is to capture the client's attention.

Bright and eye-catching headlines will help you.
Competition on the Internet is very high.
You have only a few seconds to attract attention and interest the client; if you fail to use them wisely, the client will leave for your competitors.

The second stage of sales is positioning your product.

You need to tell and show the client all the best and strengths of your product. The more accurately you describe its benefits, the greater your chances of moving on to the third stage. The customer will undoubtedly have a question about why he should buy this product. And no one except you, a specialist in this field, can answer him better.

You, unlike the client, are professionally versed and well versed in your products. Consumers most often do not know all the intricacies of the product, therefore, your task is to tell as comprehensively as possible about the qualities and benefits of the product that you are going to sell.

Imagine your client is Homer Simpson. He expects you to tell him everything, explain it and sort it out. All this is necessary to arouse the client’s interest and desire to buy this product now and immediately!

The third stage – we create a desire in the client to buy, now and immediately!

The time has come when your customer is already thinking about buying your product. You have already caught him in your net, captured attention and presented your product in the most favorable conditions. Now is the time to make the customer want to own this product.

Here you can use the following technique - product presentation. Give the person the opportunity to see the product in action. Try to involve the person in the process, making him feel like the owner of this product. Provided that the first two stages have been completed 100%, the client himself will want to buy the product.

The fourth and final stage is sale.

Many deals fail because the seller did not persuade the client to buy. Please note that many sites have bright and eye-catching “Buy” and “Order” buttons. Help the client make the right decision!

The emotional component of texts plays an important role. Fill your site with video presentations and selling texts; don’t hesitate to add emotions to the text.

Don’t write “This method will increase your income.” Well, it will increase, so what? The question immediately arises, how much will it increase? Or maybe not by much? Write “This method will increase your income to 150 thousand per month!” - this is a tempting offer, after such an offer you want to read the article further.

Tools you need to organize online sales:

• Promoted optimized website
• Convenient online store with the function of selecting and ordering goods
• Email newsletters
• Selling pages
• Unique selling proposition

This is the key to success in online sales.

It is important that all stages are interconnected, from filling the site to the order button or feedback form.

We hope you found the article useful and interesting!

Sales Generator

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Many businessmen engage in Internet sales to one degree or another. This is a very convenient and profitable option for earning money. A person can not leave home and still control his business and earn a good income. To become an Internet businessman, you do not need to receive special education; you just need to master this type of sales. Today we will tell you how to sell online so that the money flows to you.

From this article you will learn:

1. Where to sell online
2. How to sell abroad online

What to sell online to get rich

Many people want to succeed in online trading, but not everyone succeeds. The situation is aggravated by the fact that competition is inexorably growing. In such conditions, it is quite difficult to find and occupy your niche and effectively sell through the Internet those goods that a potential consumer needs. Among the most successful sales objects are the following.

• Navigators, radar detectors, video recorders

There is a very large markup on these products. A common situation is when a product is bought for 500–700 rubles, and sold for 1000–3000 rubles or more. Do you think this is unrealistic? But that's the reality. Chinese radar detectors cost pennies. Their purchase price starts from 200 rubles, but in Russia you won’t find them cheaper than 700 rubles. As you already understand, selling this kind of goods will allow you to get rich very quickly.

• Shoes and clothing

The situation is the same with clothing, which is very inexpensive to purchase directly from the manufacturer, but can be sold online at a large markup.

• Car accessories and car care products

Car enthusiasts are always ready to spend a lot of money to care for their iron horse. Cleaning products, steering wheel and seat covers, numerous useful and decorative accessories for cars are always in demand. Therefore, sellers set fairly high prices for all these paraphernalia. For example, they can sell a snow broom online for 500 rubles, while its true price is five times less.

• Unusual goods

All kinds of unusual gifts, entertaining souvenirs, and funny toys are popular among the Internet audience. Such original items, such as business card holders in the shape of a knife, have a markup of 100%.

• Women's and men's accessories

Through the Internet you can buy various accessories very cheaply in China, which everyone can purchase on their own on the well-known Aliexpress. For example, you buy bracelets, glasses, belts for a minimum price of 100 rubles, and sell these same goods not even for 200, but for at least 500 rubles, as quite worthy branded items.

• Interior items, bed linen, towels

Beautiful home furnishings command a very high markup and are profitable to sell online. So, you can purchase very cheap bed linen from wholesalers and sell it at two or even three times the price. Other decorative items that have an auxiliary purpose (bottle stands, shelves, soap dishes, etc.) are also in demand, so you can make very good money selling these products.

• Phones and tablets

Smartphones, telephones, tablet phones and other means of communication are extremely popular in China. Asian craftsmen have gotten the hang of making them functional at a very low price. For 2,000 rubles you can buy an Android smartphone, and then sell it online for at least 5,000 rubles.

• Small electronic gadgets

Chinese craftsmen produce various gadgets and technological devices in large quantities. A huge selection of universal chargers, players, e-books, adapters and other much-needed equipment in the modern age can be purchased there at extremely low prices and you can really make money selling them in Russia.

• Lighting devices

You can sell various music and lighting equipment for clubs via the Internet with great profit. Laser pointers and light music are very cheap from wholesalers.

• Cases and other accessories for phones

Very popular items! Many people prefer to buy them online because there is a much larger selection and prices are lower than in offline stores. The purchase price for the same covers starts from 100 rubles and even lower, but they can be sold at a price of 500 rubles. And people will buy. Some people make cases with their own hands and sell them at a price cheaper than store-bought ones, which, in general, is also a good way to earn money.

• Handmade

If your hobby is handicrafts, then this hobby can become a source of good income. After all, everything is sold on the Internet. Jewelry, toys, and crafts can find their buyer if the item has its own flavor. Individual and unusual creations are always in demand. If you have “golden hands”, then make your craft a way to constantly earn money through the Internet.

At any time, people will buy food. Food is another hot commodity that can be sold online. People are good at buying baked goods and sweets. But you can only sell products online that you know how to cook yourself and that you can deliver to the recipient.

• Services

The Internet is a place for selling not only goods, but also services. Whatever abilities you have, they will all be in demand. Perhaps you will be able to draw up a custom-made statement of claim or submit financial statements to the tax authority, conduct training on an effective weight loss technique or a master class on origami techniques. The main thing is that you have enough strength and energy to provide enough services to earn a living.

Submit your application

• Collections

Collectors can always make good money selling their treasures. There are things that cost a lot of money: antiques, a collection of rare coins, etc. It is even advisable to organize auctions for such exquisite and expensive things. Rare collectibles will find their buyers. But, I must say, this type of sales is not available to everyone, since this product is piecemeal.

• Graphic arts

As an option for making money online, you can sell copyrighted photos or videos via the Internet. Selling such a product has its own specifics, but the business of distributing graphics can be profitable if it is properly organized and put on the right track.

• Knowledge

• Cosmetics

How to sell cosmetics online? Typically, buyers agree to purchase cosmetics and household chemicals only from well-known companies. If you have recently started your business, you will have to really try to win the trust of your customers. This is a very difficult field of sales for beginners.

Let's highlight a few rules for successful online business:

1. Main quality. Offering quality items online is very important, only then the audience will quickly reach out to you and expand your customer base. Glory o good goods disperses quickly.
2. You should always start with a product that is known to the consumer.. You should not offer people something new when they are not yet familiar with your company. Start by selling those things that are in significant demand. Set a decent markup that will allow you to get started.
3. The uniqueness of your product will become a trigger to launch sales. Even if you choose a popular product, make it different from everyone else. Something in your product must be unique: production technology, price, quality - whatever.
4. The more you invest in your business, the greater the head start you will get over your competitors.

Is it possible to sell medicines and alcohol via the Internet?

If you seriously decide to engage in online sales, then you should start by studying the Rules for remote sales, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of September 27, 2007 No. 612. From this document you can learn about what exactly can be sold via the Internet.

Clause 5 of the Rules states that remote sales of alcohol are inadmissible. The same ban applies to tobacco and goods, the free sale of which is prohibited or limited by Russian legislation. You will also not be able to sell medicines and weapons, narcotic and psychotropic substances over the Internet.

For violation of such norms, administrative liability is provided under Article 14.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation:

• for citizens - 1500–2000 rubles with or without confiscation of goods;
• for employees of organizations - 3,000–4,000 rubles with possible confiscation of goods;
• for organizations -30–40 thousand rubles with or without confiscation of goods.

How to sell online correctly

Deciding on how to sell certain products online is not an easy task. This task is of a strategic nature. You need to think through everything thoroughly in order to have maximum income with minimal investment.

• Accounting. In order to save money, you need to abandon a full-time specialist. Think about an alternative way of doing accounting, which could be one of the effective online services, for example, “MoeDelo”. This step will allow you to save a fair amount of money.
• Logistics. It is very important to decide how you will deliver your goods. Perhaps your business allows you to do this yourself. But when it grows, you will have to resort to a delivery service. One of the reliable and affordable companies is the MultiShip service. When sending goods using it, you can always track the shipment.
• Telephony. You shouldn’t skimp on this point either. There are organizations that allow you to create a PBX for a very modest fee. The Mango company will provide you with a virtual PBX with an answering machine for little money. As an option, you can purchase a SIM card from the Megafon operator and buy a landline number for 200 rubles per month.
• Software If you have decided to save on office rent and hiring full-time employees, then you should take care of organizing successful interaction between all members of your team. So, you can use the Google Docs service, which allows you to create diagrams, edit texts, build tables and solve other tasks simultaneously by several people.

Where to sell online

• Virtual bulletin boards

The most active sales site in Russia is Avito - a free bulletin board that involves trading without intermediaries. It’s not very convenient to post information about a product every time, but for one-time transactions the resource is more than suitable. Virtual bulletin boards are always able to attract additional customers.

Social networks are a great help for those who decide to sell online. Social networks currently trap a huge number of people who will find it much more convenient to make purchases without leaving Facebook or Vkontakte. Your task is to correctly compose and place an advertisement, as well as open a bank account or an electronic wallet with which they can pay you for the goods.

One way or another, both Avito and an ad on a social network will lead interested people to your official website. If there is none, then the interest of many will remain unsatisfied, and the purchase will not take place. Therefore, having your own online platform where you can find out everything about your product is very important.

If you sell a single product, especially if we are talking about information business, then a landing page is suitable for you. A sales page works perfectly if your goal is to quickly sell, for example, a tour package in one direction without any alternative offers.

There are many exchanges on the Internet where people offer their services. These are analogues of real-life labor exchanges, but here we are not talking about hired workers who are trying to register with a work book, but about freelancers who want to work remotely and sell their services via the Internet. And this is also a sales option.

Mostly copywriters and designers work on these freelance exchanges. Everything related to the creation, promotion and design of websites is accompanied by certain services that will be in demand as long as the Internet exists. All the applicant needs to do is register on the exchange and indicate his e-wallet. The most famous platforms are Advego, TextSale and eTXT.

How to sell used items online

It happens that people sell things that have been used, and this is noticeable in appearance. This item has scratches, abrasions, etc. Its price will be significantly lower than the purchase price. But, if the item was used carefully or very short term, then it has all the characteristics of a new product, although it costs less. Many people prefer to buy items that have already been owned by some owners, precisely because the price for them becomes significantly lower than the store price. But with proper care, thrift and accuracy, the subsequent acquirer will not remember the previous owner of the item.

Sometimes a brand new product is stripped of its label and never used. Of course, this thing can no longer be called new, and it is automatically classified as used. The price of such a product is falling, so finding a buyer for it will not be difficult. The main thing is to determine the thematic platform. Let's look at several options for selling used items online. Let's define the product category:

• Products for children;
• cloth;
• fur;
• furniture.

Each type of product has its own platform where sales will be most effective.

For example, if you decide to sell children's items online, then there are several items on the Internet that deserve attention. sites suitable for these purposes:

• Russian-language website “Yu-Mama”, offering not only goods at reasonable prices, but also a forum with discussions of pressing and pressing topics for current or future parents;
• a website with the self-explanatory name “Children's Flea Market”. It offers not only clothes, but also strollers, toys, textbooks, baths, swimming pools and many other interesting and useful things for the growth and development of children.

Let's reveal some secrets For quick sale product:

• Prepare your photos. It’s better to add images, because psychologically people are more interested in those ads where the product can be seen immediately. Don't take someone else's photo from the Internet. If the illustration of the item is much better than the item itself, the buyer will clearly refuse to purchase in the future, wasting his and your time.
• Create a unique selling proposition. It should stand out from all the others. The advantages may be a lower price or some kind of bonus as a gift.
• Don't overprice an item. Evaluate the product realistically. Some people believe that it is better to inflate the price a little, so that later in the bargaining process they will give in. But in fact, the high price puts many people off right away. And no one thinks about how much it will be possible to bargain. Calculate the average cost and sell the item you don’t need a couple of percent cheaper.
• Don't deceive the buyer. Be truthful about the features of the product you are selling. Remember that if a person calls you and asks about an item, it means that he is interested in buying.
• In a relationship seasonal items, determine the optimal time for sale. The demand for them increases precisely during the corresponding season. It is better to sell formal clothes on the eve of the holidays, autumn and winter items - before the cold weather. Focus on time and post ads about a month before the season.
• It is most effective to post information right away at several sites. They will be easy to remove after sale.

How to sell goods through an online store

If you are planning not just a one-time sale, but a real business, then, of course, you need to sell a product that is in demand. The best way to trade on the Internet is to launch a selling website. It doesn’t take much money to create and promote it. It is important to organize and think through everything correctly.

An online store can operate using the following mechanisms:

• Standard sale. A typical story for an online store. The website contains a catalog of products with prices. Once the customer places an order, you ship it to the specified address. This way, the transaction is made directly between you and your buyer.
• Dropshipping. This business model is often used by those sellers who do not have their own warehouses. Here's how it all happens: your website contains information about a product, its characteristics and cost, but in reality you do not have this product. And, as soon as the user places an order, you place an order with the supplier of the product, acting as an intermediary.

You can sell over the Internet goods retail and wholesale. Again, not everyone can afford to store inventory for wholesale sales. In the second case, accounting will be more difficult. Therefore, it is better for beginners in the field of online trading to start with retail.

If you open an online store selling only in a specific region, it will be less expensive for you. It is much more convenient to deliver only within your region. This is the most acceptable option at the start, but then you can cover a wider coverage area.

How to start selling through an online store

Stage No. 1. Choosing a niche

When choosing a niche, you must calculate your chances in advance. Are you able to compete with other suppliers of products similar to those you plan to sell online? Is the chosen type of sales capable of bringing you profit, or is it associated with only losses?

The choice of the product itself, which you will sell, also directly depends on your finances. Start-up capital sets certain limits. Unless you have significant cash flow, you are unlikely to sell jewelry or expensive electronics.

First of all, you should carry out marketing analysis. This can be done independently or with the assistance of specialists. You will, of course, make the final choice based on your personal feelings and preferences. What causes a storm of emotions in you will probably be liked by the consumer.

But, nevertheless, relegate personal feelings and preferences to the background when the main directions have already been selected on the basis of serious analytics. For example, you decided that your niche will be selling clothes. But now you have to decide, should you start by selling ties or gloves? Trust your intuition.

What should you consider in your choice? The product planned for sale must be:

• in demand;
• competitive (it is desirable that the competition is not too high);
• off-season.

When starting a business, these criteria are of great importance. Knowing how to sell online is not enough. You need to decide what you will sell.

Stage No. 2. Search for suppliers

Information about suppliers of certain goods is now visible and invisible. And finding it is not a problem. We list several ways to find suppliers for an online store.

1. Internet. There are many catalogs that contain information about companies supplying a variety of products. Study information on forums and thematic websites that contain unbiased reviews of suppliers left by their clients and partners. Use this information and compile your list of suppliers, including contact information and business reputation information.
2. Printed publications. A lot of benefit can be gained by studying specialized magazines, newspapers, and brochures. But you need to choose exactly those publications that are related to the theme of your online store.
3. Exhibitions. Events where manufacturers showcase their products are an optimal place to build bridges and learn about a particular market sector. Here you can look at the products with your own eyes and chat with company employees. The only negative is that usually organizations that participate in such exhibitions and conferences are aimed at wholesale sales.
4. Markets. In conditions small town this option may also be quite acceptable. At the market you can look at goods and even touch them, collect business cards from suppliers, and negotiate favorable terms of the transaction.
5. Competitors. If you ask the seller for product certificates, you will be able to see information about its supplier. But in order to get the same favorable conditions for working with suppliers as those offered by competitors, you need to work hard, since not everyone can conclude profitable deals.

Stage No. 3. Business registration

When you have acquired partners and created the basis of your business, you need to think about the form in which it is most profitable to organize this business. How to sell online more conveniently? There are two forms for an online store:

• limited liability company (LLC);
• individual entrepreneur (IP).

Registration as an individual entrepreneur is a simpler, low-cost procedure. But broader prospects are opening up for LLCs. However, to register you will need to incur costs in terms of time and finances. For example, the minimum value of the authorized capital for an LLC is 10 thousand rubles. Additionally you must also pay:

• state registration fee;
• fee for notary services for certification of copies of documents and the applicant’s signature;
• fee for issuing a power of attorney, if necessary;
• other expenses;
• fee for opening a current account.

The minimum amount to create a legal entity is 50 thousand rubles. In addition, it is important to have your own legal address, so you will need to think about the premises. Calculate whether all these costs are justified by the planned profit?

If you do open as an individual entrepreneur, then you will have to pay only one state fee in the amount of 800 rubles. An individual entrepreneur may not have a seal or a current account. However, for the purpose of more convenient cooperation, it is still better to create them. Even if you instruct us to arrange everything necessary documents to a third party, your expenses will be no more than 4,000 rubles.

Stage No. 4. Search for an office and warehouse (can be skipped)

What your office will be like and whether you can maintain a warehouse depends on how much money you have at the start. Without calculating the expected profit, it is difficult to make the right decision. If the income is expected to be small and you will have to wait too long for it, it may be better to do without a warehouse and office at first.

If you absolutely need an office and warehouse, then do your research on the cost of renting the appropriate premises. Pay attention to access roads, the territorial location of structures, as well as their technical condition.

Renting an office is often associated with hiring one or more employees. And all this requires additional costs. Therefore, decide whether you should spend the initial capital on renting these premises.

Stage No. 5. Creating an online store

How to sell online if you don't have an online store? Theoretically, this can be done, but it is inconvenient. So, to create an online store you will need a logo and corporate identity. Expect that your image will be your face for many years; think carefully about this moment in organizing your business.

Almost all online store owners develop their logos and landing pages from freelancers. Numerous remote service sites will allow you to find a specialist who will create a high-quality and conceptual logo for you. It will cost about 3–10 thousand rubles, and the design of the web resource itself will cost 10–30 thousand rubles.

No matter what you sell online, you can use branded gifts as incentives for customers. Try to be creative in developing it. Be guided not only by your taste, but also by the opinion of a specialist, as well as the compliance of the chosen style with the general direction of the store’s activities.

For your website, with the help of which you will sell your products online, you need to have three things:

• hosting;
• domain;
• engine.

Hosting – a remote server for storing all store materials. A domain is the address of a store on the Internet. Often both hosting and domain are provided under one contract; their maintenance usually costs from 600 rubles per year.

Engine is a website content management system. Free engines contain minimum set functions. If you want to make a more developed and user-friendly website, then you should look for a more expensive option.

Stage No. 6. Filling the online store with content

For an online store website you need to create high-quality content. Moreover, it is advisable to think through every little detail. Start with an attractive greeting and a story about the company, continue with product descriptions (photos, prices, characteristics), end with ease of navigation and a conversion button that encourages purchases. All this is very important and affects profits.

Entrust the drafting of texts to freelancers or carry out this activity yourself. The cost of the finished text is measured in rubles per thousand characters without spaces. The minimum price is 20–30 rubles. If you simply copy other people’s texts, you will be blocked by search engines, and then you can forget about promoting an online store and selling online for a long time.

It is better to have a professional photographer take pictures of the product. His services are not cheap: for each photo you will need to pay 150–200 rubles. In some cases, this amount is close to the actual cost of the product. If this is expensive for you, then at worst the photo can be taken from the supplier’s catalog.

Stage No. 7. Launching an advertising campaign

In order to sell things or services online, it is important not only to create a website, but also to promote it, otherwise no one will ever even know about its existence. Promotion is carried out by special companies that have considerable experience in this matter. You are unlikely to be able to do this on your own.

Freelancers can also do SEO optimization. They will prepare texts for your site that include keywords. It is for them that search engines will begin to offer your site in search results when relevant requests are received. You will have to wait to see the benefits, but it works in the long term. Advertising attracts visitors very quickly. You get a return almost immediately after payment, but it is short-lived.

It is best to combine all of the above methods of promoting a product.

How to sell abroad via the Internet: step-by-step instructions

Any product can be sold online and abroad. Sales will be especially successful in the following cases.

1. High quality or exclusive product interests both compatriots and foreigners. Your product can be exclusive own production, something unusual and original. But if this is not the case, then try to sell goods made by other people.
2. The price is lower than foreign analogues of the same quality. Everyone is looking for profitable business schemes. That is why the product can be ordered abroad if your terms seem profitable to buyers there. Just keep in mind that the profitability of your offer must cover the cost and delivery time from Russia to another country.

Given the current economic situation due to the ruble exchange rate, the cost of your product is already lower competitive prices in other countries, which means it’s worth a try. Let's consider detailed instructions for organizing sales abroad.

Step 1. Study the foreign market

First of all, you need to choose the country in which you would like to sell your product. It is best to start with European countries or the United States, because at the level of local producers, your prices there will seem low, and the quality will be much better than that of Chinese goods. Having decided on a country, thoroughly study its market and economic features.

• Competitors

Find out if anyone is offering what you want to sell online. Take advantage of international trading platforms Ebay.com, Etsy.com. Look for similar products on them. If you find it, compare it with yours. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. If there are no analogues, then your product will probably be in demand.

• Buyers

The foreign audience is significantly different from the Russian one. There people are more willing to leave reviews on websites, they are less scandalous and more friendly. But the most important thing is that they are guided by other criteria when choosing a product. Explore the selection of local stores. What might appeal to Russians will not necessarily attract Americans or Belgians. The main thing is that foreigners really appreciate high quality and originality.

• Prices

Setting the price for a product will not be difficult for you. Find out the average cost for similar products in the country of sale, subtract delivery costs from this figure and get the price of your offer. In some cases, it is very important to provide free shipping to customers, especially in countries where people have historically been accustomed to it (such as the US).

• Legislation

It is very important to thoroughly study the laws of the country in which you plan to sell your products online. Perhaps there are some restrictions on the sale of products of a certain type. These limits can be quantitative, qualitative or otherwise. This is where international trade rules come in handy. By carefully studying them, you can determine whether your business has a future.

Step 2. Preparing the site

If you already have a website, then you just need to adapt it for international trade. If not, then follow the instructions.

• Create an English version of the site

To sell products abroad online, you need to create a website in English, even if you sell to Germany. You can translate it into the national language in the future, but to begin with, it is most practical to make an English version. It is better to place it in the com domain zone, because otherwise you may have difficulties with SEO for English queries.

The English version of the site is very important for buyers: it is understandable to visitors and inspires confidence. Do not leave the slightest words in Russian, this may scare potential clients. Even translate texts in pictures. Try to make your speech literate and natural. Hire a professional translator to check.

For Ecwid store Two localization methods can be proposed.

1. One Ecwid store on two sites.

Ecwid store is very convenient to use. It is worth adding it to the Russian and English versions of the site, so the buttons will be automatically translated into the desired language depending on the browser language of the site visitor. Having created a product card that you are going to sell online, place a description in Russian and English on separate tabs. This can be done using the Tabber application.

Don't forget to change your currency. This can be done using the Currency converter application.

Some important tips:

• Make product names in English. Many Russians love this, and the Cyrillic alphabet can scare off a foreign client.
• The showcase for Russian-speaking and foreign buyers will be the same, despite the fact that they prefer different products.

2. two different Ecwid stores on different websites.

It is much more convenient to create two Ecwids on different sites, so as not to confuse either one or the other visitors. In this case, you can sell products online by setting up different delivery and payment methods. Don't forget to synchronize product balances between stores.

• Enter information about delivery, payment and return of goods

In the return policy section, you must write down in detail and clearly all the information about what actions need to be taken in case of returning the goods. This is very important for potential buyers.

• Check out the brand name

It may happen that when translated into English, your business name will sound awkward, funny or ambiguous. Be sure to rummage through the dictionary of local slang, look for words that are consonant and close in spelling. To reduce your search time, it is better to consult a native speaker.

• Be prepared to communicate in a foreign language

Take into account time zone differences and indicate on your website what time you can respond to your customers.

• Consider international trade rules

The most important of these are set out in the 2002 European Internet Commerce Directive.

Step 3. Arrange delivery

Almost all modern websites offer several methods of delivering goods. Delivery conditions are closely related to the conditions for returning goods. When delivering by Russian Post, you should carefully fill out the postal forms. The Russian Post website contains all the necessary forms and a delivery cost calculator. The same calculator should be in your online store.

Be sure to insure all your shipments.

Choose packaging that will ensure the safety of the goods.

And one more important detail - provide the buyer with a code to track the shipment.

Step 4. Choose a payment method

It is worth considering several types of payment. But we must take into account that for international transfers the most reliable system is PayPal.

Step 5. Connect advertising channels

Foreign buyers are attracted in the same ways as Russian ones.

• Instagram

To sell products online, attract attention to them through Instagram. Unique designer goods are highly valued there. It is extremely important to photograph them beautifully. It is quite acceptable to maintain one account, duplicating entries in Russian and English.

• Facebook

1. Page dedicated to your online store. On it you talk about all the events related to it, promotions, product features, and new sales. You will be able to create posts in Russian and English, setting each of them to be displayed in the corresponding region.
2. ads, which lead directly to an online store or to a Facebook page.

• Google AdWords

Contextual advertising on Google, in particular through the AdWords application, helps sell online. Follow the basic rules for writing ad texts - they should be clear and concise.

Step 6. Use trading platforms

A marketplace or trading platform is a great place to introduce yourself and your offer. Here are several trading platforms where you can offer your products to foreign clients:

• eBay.com

Remember that all buyers of this site pay attention to the seller's rating. It is necessary to have at least a couple of reviews to inspire trust among customers. Therefore, after registering on the site, make several purchases and pay for them very quickly to earn positive feedback. Reputation is a very important element of business, especially on eBay.

• Etsy.com

This site primarily represents those companies that sell homemade items, antiques, vintage goods, tools and materials for arts and crafts. To use the service you need to pay: $0.20 - for posting one product for a period of no more than four months; 3.5% - of the cost of the product upon purchase.

You can sell products online on the Etsy.com site by participating in the affiliate program, which allows you to place the first 40 products for free if you follow a link from a partner company.

On this site, it is important to decide already at the registration stage. You create an account as either a private seller – “Individual Sellers”, or a professional organization – “Professional Sellers”. In the first case, you are exempt from fees, but pay a commission when making a sale.

The site offers a service through which a registered user places a certain amount of goods into the Amazon warehouse. The site takes care of all delivery and packaging concerns.

• Marketplace.asos.com

Those organizations that plan to sell clothing online will find it very convenient to locate on this site. However, you will need to pay £20 per month for registration, and also deduct 20% of the cost of the product if you purchase it. In addition, you cannot post on the site if you have fewer than 15 positions, and you must also comply with all site requirements regarding photo posting.

But if you pass the selection and subsequently develop an excellent reputation, the company may offer you to be featured on its main site asos.com.

Analyzing all of the above, it should be concluded that selling via the Internet is possible only with the help of marketing and product promotion tools. Without advertising and relevant research, it is unlikely that your product will be popular or even known.

It is unlikely that you will be able to do everything you need on your own. When promoting a product, you need to carry out many actions simultaneously, each of which requires experience and a professional approach. Therefore, no matter how you look at it, you will have to involve specialists.

We suggest starting work on promoting the resource from which you plan to make sales, with it. Internet marketing agency specialists "Sales generator" They will conduct a detailed analysis of the operation of your website, identify its main problems and prepare 47+ recommendations for the successful promotion of your products and services on the Internet.

Global e-commerce market revenue in 2017 was $1.468 trillion. At the same time, the leader in the e-commerce market is China with an income of $496.8 billion. The second and third places are occupied by the USA ($421.1 billion) and Japan ($96.7 billion). And only then come European countries: Great Britain ($95.1 billion) and Germany ($63.4 billion). In Russia, this figure amounted to 1 trillion Russian rubles, which is equivalent to $16.59 billion.

According to the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade (MART), In Belarus, income from online trading is $568 million, but in the total retail volume this is only 2,8% . For comparison, in neighboring Ukraine 3% of all goods are purchased online, in Russia – 4%. And in China, the share of online purchases already exceeds 19%.

According to MARCH estimates, at the beginning of 2018 44% of Belarusians buy goods in online stores. At the same time, 21% of buyers order goods from China, 11% from Russia. The remaining 68% of buyers purchase goods only in Belarusian online stores and marketplaces. 83% of consumers choose foreign online stores because they are cheaper; 39% - because there are goods there that are not in Belarus; 17% - because they trust foreign stores more than Belarusian ones.

According to experts, in 2017, turnover in e-commerce in Belarus increased by 25% compared to the previous year. According to experts, in 2018 the e-commerce market will grow by 20% and by the end of the year will exceed 1.3 billion rubles or $681 million, provided that no new legislative restrictions are imposed on the online trading industry this year.

Summary

These studies show that, despite economic crises and a decrease in the purchasing power of the population, the e-commerce market is growing both in Belarus and throughout the world.

Moreover, the growth of the e-commerce market in Belarus (25%) exceeds the growth rate of e-commerce in China (24%), and even more so in developed countries: the USA (13%), Japan (10%), Great Britain (10%) and Germany (eleven%). And this indicates great prospects for the development of e-commerce in Belarus and the need for offline retailers, manufacturers, local businesses, artisans and aspiring entrepreneurs to go online.

If you want to have profitable business in the field of trade or production, then, in the current realities, it will be very difficult to achieve this without online sales. There are many reasons for this.

1. The number of Internet users is constantly growing and will soon approach its limit in all developed countries of the world. Already, as of the beginning of 2018, according to statistics, there are more than 95% of Internet users in Germany, the UK and the USA. In Belarus, currently 67.4% of the country's population are Internet users.
2. The penetration of mobile devices into our lives has influenced the growth of “shopping on the go” from anywhere in the world. People value their time more and more and do not want to waste it waiting in lines at the cash register. They manage to buy necessary things online in a traffic jam, during a lunch break, or in their free time before bed, when all offline sales points have long been closed.

By the way, this is why all modern Internet sites must have a mobile version of the site or a mobile application that provides ease of shopping. In addition, already 10% of Americans buy goods using a voice assistant!

1. Online sales are constantly growing. The growth is due to the creation of new businesses, the access to the Internet of offline players in the b2c and b2b segments, who are also actively starting to sell their goods wholesale and retail via the Internet.
2. Online stores are driving customers away from offline points of sale, gradually winning a share of the income of all retail. With the improvement of service quality, simplification of legislation for online stores and the development of delivery services, this share will actively grow.
3. Different categories of buyers (b2b, b2c and c2c) it is becoming increasingly convenient to search for information about goods and services online. This is due to the growing number of Internet users and the entry of a large number of sellers into the field of e-commerce.
4. Globalization means that distances and languages ​​are no longer barriers to international trade. Online translators and language versions of online stores localize a website page in a second, translating texts, units of measurement and monetary currencies into those familiar to the user, so that it is convenient for a buyer from anywhere in the world to place an order.
5. Today, almost any product can be delivered to any country in the world. The availability of various types of delivery from postal and courier to self-pickup from parcel terminals provides the buyer with a choice of a convenient method of delivering goods. Pickup from parcel terminals is becoming increasingly popular, as it does not force the buyer to communicate with the seller or stand in line at the post office.

Parcel machines arrived in Belarus a little over a year ago. In February 2017, postal machines of RUE "Belpochta" began operating for independent receipt of registered postal items, and in May 2017, a network of pick-up points for orders from Russian PickPoint online stores with their own parcel terminals was opened in Belarus.

1. The Internet provides sellers with a huge number of tools to attract, retain and stimulate potential buyers to sell. inaccessible to offline channels. This includes, retargeting, messengers, on blogging platforms and in in social networks, coupon sites, bonus programs, mobile applications and many other mechanisms that provide continuous contact with potential buyers.

1. For modern shoppers, the ability to order goods online is increasingly the deciding factor when making a purchase. The presence of a brand on the Internet inspires user confidence in the company and helps them make a choice in favor of a particular seller.
2. Having an online presence allows a business to remain competitive in today's market. If you don't have an online presence, your competitors are stealing potential consumers of your products and services.
3. Increasingly, online payments and electronic money are used to pay in online stores. If you cannot provide an online payment option, you are losing a customer, especially for payments from abroad.

Therefore, it is legally established that the website of an online store must have at least one online payment method protected by a secure data transfer algorithm.

1. The profitability of offline points of sale decreases if they do not have an online presence. This could be an online storefront or an account on the marketplace. Moreover, it is important that all points online and offline are connected with each other by a single database of customers and warehouse stocks to ensure coordinated work and quality service.

Summary

Thus, having an online presence will give your business:

1. The opportunity to be found by a huge audience of potential buyers located all over the world.
2. New tools for promoting business, manufactured goods, services and interaction with clients, new sales.

3. Select and buy a domain name

To trade in the territory of the Republic of Belarus, the website of the online store must be located on Belarusian hosting and be in the domain zone .by or .bel.

4. Create an online store or online storefront

The site itself can be rented or developed on the basis.

The legislation of Belarus obliges all entrepreneurs selling goods on the Internet to have an online store website or an online storefront for legitimate online trading. Unlike online store, which is not required to have an offline retail outlet, and can perform all transactions online, Online online storefronts you can view products available offline, but It is impossible to add items to the cart, checkout and pay online. As a rule, on online storefront sites, instead of a shopping cart, there is a feedback form that allows you to submit a request for a subsequent offline retail or wholesale purchase of the product of interest. You can read more about creating an online store website.

5. Register an online store

According to the legislation of the Republic of Belarus, online stores must be registered in the Trade Register of the Republic of Belarus and the State Register of Information Networks, Systems and Resources. In order for an online store not to be denied registration, you need to comply with everything.

It is not necessary to register online storefronts in the Trade Register.

6. Create a product catalog

Based on the chosen niche and the range of products from the found suppliers, you need to create a product catalog for your online store. You will find a guide on our blog.

7. Promote the products offered on marketplaces

To obtain a wider reach of buyers, it is recommended to place goods and services not only on your website, but also on third-party resources: (marketplaces).

8. Set up contextual advertising

9. Engage in search engine promotion of the site and create content useful for potential buyers

High positions in search engines will bring you targeted buyers from search engines, and high-quality content will inspire confidence in the resource and a desire to buy from you.

10. Promote your business, products and services on social networks

Selling your products through social networks is allowed if you have an offline point or online store. Social networks provide online stores with commercial accounts, through which they allow business owners to more easily track visits and orders from social network pages.

11. Set up targeted advertising and retargeting

Social networks and search engines provide marketers with comprehensive information about users, which can be used to find their potential audience and target advertising only to them, so as not to waste their advertising budget.

12. Post information about products on private classifieds websites

Bulletin boards and online auctions on the Internet are extremely popular and can also become a constant and inexpensive source of sales.

13. Build and optimize business processes

And determining whether they will be needed at the very beginning of business development is also very important. After all, no one wants to hire a courier and pay him for downtime in the first month of an online store’s operation.

What do you need to consider when starting to sell online?

The main mistake of beginners in the field of e-commerce is that they spend all resources not on content, advertising and service, but on the expensive development of the design and functionality of the site.

There is no point in investing in a fancy website when:

• No market knowledge;
• There is no sense of niche;
• No experience with online advertising tools;
• No experience or analytics of online sales;
• No skills in working with online audiences;
• There is no understanding of the needs and pains of the target audience.
• Business processes are not built.

With this approach, you will most likely end up wasting time, money and disappointment.

Therefore, at the start you need to invest money and time in studying:

• Presence format and promotion strategy of current and potential competitors;
• Possible options for creating online representations of your business (Internet sites) that are optimally suited to achieving your goals;
• Available tools for online advertising, promotion and online sales that provide quick results and feedback: context in search engines, targeting in social networks, placement on trading platforms;
• Established behavioral stereotypes of potential b2b and b2c buyers;
• The needs of your target audience;
• Planning and building a sales and service scheme;
• Online and offline channels that users use to search for information and order online.

Summary

Useful content solving the problems of the target audience, and quality of service at all stages of interaction in your business - here are the main drivers for attracting customers and successful sales.

If you have high-quality photos, live videos, useful texts and real reviews on your website, then your product will be bought even at an inflated price.

But whether they will return for a second order will depend on the service: the ordering process, communication with the manager, the availability of payment and delivery options, contact with the courier, the condition of the packaging and the quality of the product itself. If you safely guide the buyer through all stages of the purchase, then the grateful buyer will return to you more than once and bring more of his friends.

Useful and necessary information for starting sales has already been collected in groups on social networks.

Explore, open online storefronts or online stores and sell more!

Launching an online store does not imply large expenses at the start - this is largely why this area is in high demand today among novice entrepreneurs. And if we also take into account the high demand for online shopping, it becomes clear that a business can have big success. But don’t rush to start developing a selling resource; first, you should think through a strategy. It is important to decide on the format of the site and choose a product for sale. How to sell through an online store? Are there many organizational issues to be resolved?

The main advantage of the direction is that selling products through an online store can go in many directions. Analyze the market and choose the optimal development strategy.

How to trade through an online store?

Even those entrepreneurs who do not have significant funds can launch a selling website. And it’s important to immediately decide what format of online store you can afford financially.

Selling goods through an online store can proceed according to the following schemes:

• Standard sale. Almost all online stores operate using this “technology”. Resource categories are filled with goods, and the price is indicated on them. The sales organization is based on the order placed by the client, which you then send to the desired address in one way or another. In this case, the client and buyer work directly, which sometimes facilitates cooperation.
• Dropshipping. The best option for those who do not have the opportunity to fill warehouses with stock of goods. The method is less expensive and easier to implement. And how to sell goods through an online store using the dropshipping system? You fill the website catalogs with goods, but you will not have a stock of the products themselves. The customer makes a purchase, and you then send the order to the final supplier, who transfers the purchased product to the consumer. It is according to this scheme that goods from China are most often sold from well-known trading platforms. It turns out that there are 3 parties involved in the transaction. And this may be associated with some problems - for example, in the case of returning a purchase.

If there is such an opportunity, it is better to choose the “classic” - sell products directly to customers, having previously secured inventory.

It’s too early to decide what’s best to sell through an online store - first decide on sales volumes. You can sell goods retail and wholesale. The first option is much simpler - there will be less costs for organizing a business, since you will not have to fill warehouses with large quantities of products. In addition, with wholesale sales you will need to maintain complex accounting, which will require hiring a specialist. Selling a product individually for beginning online businessmen – the best option. Here you don’t have to enter into a sales agreement, maintain documentation, or even register your online store.

If you offer customers to buy in bulk, you can earn much more, since the average customer receipt will be much more impressive. But this niche is more suitable for experienced entrepreneurs who know how to conduct online trading.

You can launch an online store that sells only one product. These are one-page sites. As a rule, they sell products of dubious quality at a fictitious discount. Follow this path if you are 100% sure that the product will be in demand. But in order to increase sales significantly, it is better to sell more than just one product, but to offer customers an impressive catalog with product names - a standard scheme for many online stores.

It will be easier to keep records of sales and deliveries if you open an online store that sells only in a specific region. An entrepreneur can thus incur significantly less startup costs. But this direction will require a thorough analysis of the market - whether the product will be needed by consumers, whether there is high competition in the market. A good option for young sites - in the future you can expand your business opportunities.

If you have already outlined the direction of development in your business plan, it is worth deciding which products are profitable to sell through an online store so that they generate a consistently high income.

Rules for choosing a product for sale in an online store

The online trading market is crowded - there are thousands of trading resources on the Internet. And in order not to fail at the start, carefully approach the choice of the products that you will offer to customers.

When deciding what you can sell through an online store, analyze the market and look for ideas from your direct competitors. It is hardly worth reinventing the wheel here - it is better to offer well-known products to everyone. Despite high competition, offering customers reasonable prices and excellent service, you can easily lure customers to your website.

Selling watches, accessories, equipment, furniture – there are a lot of options. The product you choose must have the following characteristics:

• Demand. You can also sell unique products that are completely unknown to consumers. But there is a high probability that the product will not “take root” on the market. Therefore, for beginners who are short on funds, it is better to follow the path trodden by other online businessmen. The best way find out what the best-selling product is today - look in search engines or statistics systems - Wordstat, Adwords.
• Small dimensions. This does not mean that it is “forbidden” to sell furniture. Large items are simply difficult to pack and ship. In addition, they are not so in demand among buyers - few people want to pay for the expensive shipping of goods.
• Sufficient cost. It makes no sense to sell only cheap goods - taxation is high, and there is no profit! Income will only be noticeable when each customer begins to leave at least 1,000 rubles in the online store. But excessively high prices will scare away customers - here, focus on your competitors.
• Unexpressed seasonality. Many categories of goods are in demand only in certain seasons - this mainly includes the sale of clothing and shoes. When opening such a site, it is worth offering customers different types of clothing, and not just winter clothing, for example - seasonality can “kill” even a stable business. But this problem will not affect the profitability of the business in any way if you have several projects at once - while one is “resting”, another is making a profit.

What product to sell in the online store?

You yourself will be surprised at how different products suppliers offer - all you have to do is choose the appropriate option.

Sale of tea and coffee, gadgets, kitchen utensils, toys for children - choose any direction. It all depends on the previous market analysis and available finances.

• mobile technology,
• mobile accessories,
• women's clothing and shoes,
• children's goods (toys, strollers, clothes),
• bijouterie,
• Perfumes and cosmetics.

It is also possible to sell services through an online store. However, this direction has slightly different specifics and promotion features. But why not, if you know a particular area well.

The sale of mobile phones is at the peak of popularity. No wonder - the profitability is very high. Products can be purchased in China, and sold in Russia with a 100% markup. And these will not be fly-by-night phones, but quite decent devices. It’s the same with clothes – buyers sometimes spend a lot of money to update their wardrobe. Trading things is a classic that will never lose its relevance.

But selling books is not the best idea. This niche is firmly occupied by market giants - it will be almost impossible for a newcomer to break through. In addition, selling books has become more difficult than even a dozen years ago - they are gradually being replaced by their electronic “brothers”. The direction is slowly dying.

Selling spare parts for cars is also not always profitable. It is better to open such an online store to real car services as an “addition” to their business. But selling auto chemicals and car accessories may well be a good option!

If you decide to sell interior items, you should think about an online store that sells them only in a specific region. This way, the sale of furniture will break even, since you won’t have to include the high cost of delivery across Russia into the price of the goods - customers will be more resistant to the low prices for the goods, and the site will be a success.

Selling paintings through an online store is gaining popularity, especially those made with one’s own hands. Analyze the market and evaluate this opportunity.

What's next?

When all organizational issues have been resolved, you can begin to implement the planned plan. There is a lot of work ahead - registering a business by choosing OKVED, developing a website design, filling catalogs with goods, working out payment methods and thinking through delivery options.

Collecting documents to launch an online store is not difficult - you don’t need to invite a professional lawyer. Many entrepreneurs do not even register their business. But if you are serious about developing your activities, it is better to do this.