Secrets to Online Selling
Posted April 14, 2011 in Getting Started, Marketing
Every day someone wakes up and decides I will make money by selling stuff online. And every day someone quits the process saying that it is just too tough. Many of those who sell goods and services online are freelancers.
The truth is that selling online is just as easy or difficult as selling in the real world. If you are a lousy salesperson in the real world, there is a good chance that you will remain a lousy salesperson in the virtual world.
It is easier to set up a website as compared to setting up a real physical store and that is the only reason that people get deluded into believing that it is easy to sell online. All the other skills that you need to sell in a physical store are still needed even if they are in a somewhat modified form. That is why if you are selling anything you need to have the attitude of a salesman. It does not matter if you are selling online or offline.
Here are some secrets about selling goods and services online for freelancers.
Don’t Give Up Half Way to the Finish Line
It is not rocket science to be sure, but it is not a snap of the fingers either. It is more of hard work and commitment. There is more to being successful online than merely having a good website offering what you think are interesting products and services.
A whole lot of research goes into the generation of sales for a product. You need to do your market research well and address the needs and concerns of your clients if you intend to make repeat sales online. Then you need to keep making some adjustments to the system once it begins to work to keep improving it.
Think of an online business not in terms of a short cut to major money, but as a regular job at which you have to work in order to earn money. Just as you do not expect a fruit to burst forth from a seedling that you planted yesterday, you should not expect a fledgling website to return billions of dollars worth of sales within a week or a month.
It takes time to learn the ropes of selling online such as website promotion and marketing. Then it takes effort to translate what you have learned into profits from an online business. So give it the respect it deserves and work towards making it a success.
Ask Yourself Would You Buy from Your Website?
One of the easiest ways to gain perspective on website sales is to study it from the eyes of a buyer.
Since most of us do not have great programming skills we tend to be influenced by the person who is developing the site for us. However, you do not have to accept all that they say lying down. It is your site and you have the final say. Have your website designers done a good job?
Try and be objective when you visit your own website. I know from personal experience that this can be very difficult to do since you are so close to the project and emotionally attached to it.
Still it is in the best interests of your business for you to try to see it from the eyes of a stranger. Think of yourself as a total stranger who just happens to come across your website from the search engine result page. Do you get the right impression when you reach the site?
Think of what the stranger will be looking for in the first five second scan before he heads out to try another website. Will the first look at your website instill confidence in your product and will the stranger like what he sees enough to make a purchase?
Think Like Your Client and See What Comes to Mind
If you think like a buyer, you will automatically think of what you need to add to the site to sell the product. There are web design companies that claim to know all about website marketing, but do they know the basic psyche of your average customer?
No they don’t. They do some research to see the demographic of the typical client and then base their work on that. You, on the other hand, have had personal experience with selling your product to real people.
You have addressed their concerns and heard their questions. What is more important is that you have the right answers. That is why your input in the website is invaluable. You need to think like the person who buys from you before you can get the right elements on the website. What will that person like to know? What are the usual questions that you get asked? If you can connect with that person and get them to consider the sale, you are on the right track!
Your Turn
These are just a few of the secrets to selling your freelancing services or products through your website.
Can you think of any secrets that you would add? Share those in the comments.
Related posts:
- The Lost Art Of Selling – 10 (almost effortless) Ways To Increase Sales
- Selling Yourself On The Value Of Your Time
- 6 Simple Ways to Promote Your Online Business Offline
- Why Online Reputation Management Is More Important Than Ever
- Online Reputation Management: A Necessary Evil
About the author: Sarika Periwal represents MetaSpring.com, a team of dedicated and creative website designers providing services like hosting, marketing, SEO and affordable website design in Michigan. Making sales from an ecommerce portal needs hard work and commitment, but if you do everything right it can work out just fine.
The Unlimited Freelancer is Now Only $19
Unleash the true potential of your business. Get The Unlimited Freelancer and start transforming your freelance business,
now only $19.
Try searching "Getting Clients" or "Productivity"
Free Report
Sign up for our product discount list to get a free copy of Why Some Freelancers Thrive and Others Barely Survive. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Forum Discussions
Popular Articles
- SEO Techniques All Top Websites Should Use
- When a Client Can't Afford You: Why It's Still Better to Bid High
- How To Stop Scrambling For Clients And Get A Steady Stream Of Paying Gigs
- A Simple Way To Stop Clients From Rejecting Your Proposals
- 3 Reasons Your Rates Are Still Low (And How To Start Raising Them)
22 Comments
Web Design Business Academy
April 14th, 2011 at 9:30 pmAlways give something away for free … an ebook or whitepaper costs you nothing but the perceived value in your prospects mind is priceless. It also build trust and credibility!
MicroSourcing
April 15th, 2011 at 1:57 amJust to add to this post, it’s important for clients to feel that they can trust your website with their credit card details. A shady-looking website without the proper applications for business transactions aren’t likely to make sales.
Sarika Periwal
April 17th, 2011 at 12:40 amIt’s a great idea to give away something of value for free to your visitors. And having a non-trustworthy looking website is just not an option if you wish to succeed!!!
Helaine Kupersmith
May 1st, 2011 at 7:23 pmWould you mind generally if I cite two of your blogposts as long as I provide credit combined with article sources back to your web site? My site is within the exactly the same topic as your site and my targeted traffic would certainly take benefit from several of the information that you present on this website. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if it is okay with you. Many thanks!
chazzkorvex
September 19th, 2011 at 3:39 pmGreat idea – It seems people like my site but getting them there is sometimes the issue :(
John
October 31st, 2011 at 12:44 pmThinking like a client is the KEY TO SUCCESS with online selling. So many people FAIL to do this and it drives me nuts.
virtualjobporta
November 14th, 2011 at 11:31 amHelpful tips! Offering quality products for value is a plus for online selling success too.
Hipolito Thalmann
March 5th, 2012 at 7:29 amThese types of are becoming remarkable for a second time exercises that assists you to take it easy your backbone in addition to sleep suitably without the go through with regards to pressure inside your once.
Imran
March 11th, 2012 at 8:36 pmAwesome
Miles Sagel
April 5th, 2012 at 8:25 amYour overworking of your kidneys will cause ache plus it’s really a severe ailment. Alocohol consumption increased levels of drink brings medical problems along with creates challenges each and every time. Any kidney rock concern together with kidney attacks are usually the easiest aided by the impairment which beer tends to make at the kidneys along with other bodily organs systems, like the lean meats
Friendship Quotes
May 8th, 2012 at 8:13 amSecrets to Online Selling | FreelanceFolder I was recommended this web site by my cousin. I am not sure whether this post is written by him as no one else know such detailed about my trouble. You’re amazing! Thanks! your article about Secrets to Online Selling | FreelanceFolderBest Regards Rolf
gry
August 2nd, 2012 at 8:37 amI wish you good luck in next articles
raspberry ketones
April 1st, 2013 at 7:50 pmmy sister loves that the tv series Ghost Whisperer on the other hand i do get a hold of it a bit distracting sometimes,
reverse phone
May 2nd, 2013 at 6:05 amI must test with you here. Which is absolutely not one thing I usually do!
I enjoy studying a submit that will make people think. Also, thanks for allowing me to
comment!
Trackbacks