Learning to Sell Online

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So you want to sell online?

So after some thought you have decided that the world of online selling is something you want to do. Problem is, where do you start? This was the problem that I, myself faced after deciding that eBay was not for me. Just where do you begin, how does this work, is it as simple as finding a webstore or buying a website, stuff you things in there and it will sell. Nope it is not. For many sellers, they just begin to put something together and after some work on their part, they set back and wait for the sales to come their way. This is what I thought after getting an account with Yahoo Auctions {now retired}. But the sales do not come rolling in, and many sellers close up shop, leave the site untouched and allowed to float around in cyberspace, or as with Yahoo Auctions, the site closes. Often without the knowledge that is needed to understand online selling, there are many mistakes that you will make, I believe I have made most of those mistakes at one point in time. Such as not keeping in touch with your customers, not understanding how to work problems out with customers, or not having working links on your site for your customer to purchase the items that you have for sell. We have all learned the hard way what not to do, but you loose customers from your failure to have this knowledge in advance. If you do not want to be like me or one of those other sellers, that have no idea of what to do next, then read on and I will help you find your way.

In the Beginning 

Researching, preparing,learning and doing

Researching, learning and preparing to sell online is the key to the success of your website or webstore. You need much more then a website, product, camera, lighting, shipping boxes, packing materials and postage scales to get started. Now comes the hard part of your business, after you have purchased your domain, found a host, and ready to set up your website/webstore, you need to decided what form of payments that you want to take and the knowledge of shopping carts such as PayPal, Google Checkout, Zen Cart, or one of the many other shopping carts available to you. You also need to know how to use html, css, and rss.

Now that you have completed all of the above step, you must move on to designing your new webstore, now this is going to take some time to get set up, unless you are using the pre-made templates to a webstore from a shopping cart site such as, eCrater, BuyItSellIt, Blujay, Free Vendio Stores or one of the many other ecommerces sites that you can chose from.

If you chose to have your own website, there will be a lot of trial and error before you get it set the way you want. You can purchase a template designed by someone that has the knowledge of getting that just right look you are looking for to say WOW, this is me and this is what I sell.

I am sorry, it does not end there, now it is time for you promote your business, which is a lot more then just submitting it to a few search engines. You need to work with SEO {Search Engine Optimization}, Page Rank, Keywords, meta tags and back links. Promoting your online store must be a top priority for you now that your website is ready to receive sells. You must keep your business name active, or it will become a dead link that will be dropped from those search engines.

A Friendly Learning Forum 

You need to find a friendly business forum filled with other online business owners, willing to help you succeed in your online business. You will find most of these forums are filled with information and links from business people willing to share their knowledge of what they have learned, the mistakes that they have made, and they are always looking for new things to try, all for the end results of learning together to make their businesses a success story.

A forum is filled with helpful information and links on were to find and how to use these items on your website. You will also find help with the Bookmarking such as Del.icio.us, Digg, Technorati and StumbleUpon. Networking such as, Myspace, Xanga, Yahoo360, Blogs, MSN LiveSpaces, Live Journal, and many others.

And let's not forget the inportance of other Social Media such as Squidoo, Twitter, Facebook and Yuwie. Learn how to create your own blogs, Front Page, Google Page Creater, and the list just goes on.

I have become a member of one of these forums and I enjoy the learning experience I have gained as a member.
Selling Lounge - Sellers Helpiing Sellers

Becoming an active posting member of any forum that allows your to put your links to your store and other links to promoting items that you have created for yourself, in the way of your signature, this a great way to help promote your business.

Now down to business 

Now for my part of this lens

So you ask, does this all help with your busines?

Yes, you bet it does, learning the ins and outs of selling online has helped me learn the value of bookmarking, blogs, promoting and the full meaning of becoming a member and posting on a good forum, this aids in the number of visits, sells, and page ranking I have received to my sites.

From all of my mistakes along the way, and I am sure there will be more to come, I have managed to put some of what I have learned into action, so please take the time to visit my webstore:

Heartland Jewelry and Gifts

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by dnjpoorfarmherefords

Hello, I am Dorothy from the land of Kansas. I run an online store. Come along with me while I learn to sell online with my experiences. (more)

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