Set Up an Online Shop and Make Money From Home
By Tips

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Whether you’re a maker, a collector, or enthusiast, you may be curious about how to turn your passion into a viable money-making venture. With the popularity of e-commerce skyrocketing over the past couple decades, there’s no better time than the present to break into the online shop game to share your goods with the world. Selling online connects you with customers from all over the world with a storefront that’s open 24/7. And while it may be a slow and steady climb, most of the online traffic is going to be organic, cutting traditional marketing costs. Though you can also get creative with digital marketing once you get the ball rolling, of course.
 
Starting Your Online Shop
 
Product and Style
Hopefully, you have some idea of what it is exactly you want to sell. If you are a maker or artist, your product may already have the added benefit of being something unique only you can provide the world. If the product you are selling isn’t necessarily unique, you can still attract customers with a fresh style that tells a compelling story. A good story can sell a product better than anything.
 
Setting Up Shop
E-commerce has three main solutions for creating a site: Hosted, licensed, and open-source platforms. Hosted solutions provide both servers and their own web-based software with which you can construct your shop. Licensed solutions are out-of-the-box platforms with which the user has to find their own hosting and security protections. Finally, open-source solutions allow full customization, but they take heavy programming, which means you will need to hire a programmer if you don’t have those skills yourself.
 
For your Average Joe just starting out in the e-commerce game, hosted solutions are the easiest to handle. Plus, they are reliable and provide round-the-clock support for their users. Once you’ve found the e-commerce platform that best suits you, pick a domain name that resonates with your brand. Make it easy to spell, short, and memorable. You can also use keywords to help optimize your site for search engines whenever people look for products like yours. (You can find out more about that process here.)
 
When listing your items, be sure to use high-resolution photos and detailed product descriptions that let people know as much as possible about what they are spending their money on. Use active words, highlight your product’s uses, and keep the language as natural and enjoyable to read as possible. This is the perfect opportunity to tell that story discussed earlier!
 
Mistakes to Avoid

  • Don’t let your online store take over your home. Dedicate a home office area where you separate work from the rest of your life. An office also ensures your productivity and success. Locate the area away from most distractions in a room with natural light that boosts your energy level. Save room and improve your overall health with a standing desk. Set up a lightbox to shoot products in that extra space you save.
  • Don’t get drowned by the costs of packaging. Look for recycled materials that cost less, and be as efficient as possible whenever packing items.
  • Don’t underestimate the power of social media for organic digital marketing. You can reach new customers, interact with your current audience, and use your platform to continue that storytelling that sells your brand.

 

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Selling your wares through e-commerce gives you a 24/7 storefront that attracts customers from around the world. When starting your online shop, it’s not just about the product you’re selling. It’s also about the story you are telling. Look into hosted solutions to build your site, use high-resolution product photos, and craft natural-sounding copy for each listing description.
 
Post by member : Alexis Hall