How to Sell Merchandise Online
About 66 percent of Americans have purchased merchandise online and 78 percent believe that it's a more convenient way to shop, Pew Research Center Publications indicates. If you're interested in starting a business to sell products to retail customers, consider selling them online. The cost and time required to setup an online store is often more reasonable than leasing a physical retail store.
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Things You'll Need
- Web host and domain name service
- Shopping cart software
- Merchant account
- Spreadsheet software
- Shipping service
Instructions
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Decide on a web hosting service, domain name registrar and shopping cart software to use to setup your online store. In some cases, the hosting service provides everything you need to create the store. Shopping cart software often includes web templates to help you set up the look and feel of the online store. Establish an Internet merchant account (sometimes called a gateway account) to accept payments from people online.
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Create a spreadsheet which lists all of the merchandise you plan to sell in your online store. Include the product name, ID number (create a unique one for each item), price and a short description.
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Hire a professional to take pictures of the merchandise you want to sell or ask for stock photos from your distributor (if you're purchasing the products from another company).
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Launch your shopping cart software. Select a template for the overall design of the shopping website, including your main home page. Upload your photos, descriptive data and merchant account information from your spreadsheet to your shopping cart software according to the instructions given by the provider (varies depending on the service). Publish each product page and your home page to the Web.
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Sign up for an account with an email newsletter service so that you can send updates to customers about new products. Encourage customers to spread word of mouth and place positive ratings and reviews on your website. According to a poll conducted by Econsultancy, 90 percent of people trust recommendations from people they know when shopping online.
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Establish an account with a shipping service so that you can print mailing labels from your home or office when filling orders. Check for new orders and communications from potential customers on a daily basis. Pack and ship the orders, answer inquiries or forward the order to your distributor if you have a drop shipping arrangement within 24 to 48 hours.
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References
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Comments
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ecommerceexpert
Nov 30, 2010
If your are looking to start an online business ROiQ dot com is the best solution for you. ROiQ is the first and only e-commerce solution that has integrated everything under one roof! - Well Provide you with an easy to design Website Template and URL! - You Dont need a merchant account; you can Instantly Start Accepting Credit Cards! - Our all American Call Center will handle your Customer Service and Sales Calls. - Our Warehouse will Store Your Inventory, Ship your Orders and Receive your Returns. - Our I.B.O Technology Allows you to View everything from Sales, to Shipping Reports to even Marketing Analytics!
