How selling online can boost my sales
There are a number of different digital channels or platforms that you can use to promote your business and sell your products and services online to a wider audience. These include ecommerce platforms (such as eBay), social media selling (e.g. Facebook) online market-places (e.g. Etsy or Amazon), as well as creating your own business website.’
Selling your products on the internet can:
- help improve efficiency and productivity
- reduce costs
- help you communicate better with customers and suppliers
You can use analytics software to understand how customers use your site to purchase and make improvements based on these insights.
How can I get started?
How can selling through my website benefit my business?
Here are just a few of the advantages of selling online:
- be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- make savings on costs like rent, overheads, and answering pre-sale queries
- receive payments quickly and safely through online transactions
How do I set up?
Depending on your website provider, you may need to upgrade to an ‘ecommerce plan’. This will unlock sales features such and allow you to accept payments through your website.
Visit your website provider to find out more information.
How can selling through an eCommerce platform benefit my business?
An eCommerce platform makes it easy to get up and running without tech skills or a big budget.
E-commerce vs Online Marketplace: What are the benefits for SMBs? - Article, HP
Here are some of the most popular eCommerce platforms:
- Shopify - sell online and create a customised online store
- Amazon - the world’s largest online marketplace
- Ebay - an online marketplace with auction functionality
- Etsy - a creative marketplace
Please note that these platforms are not endorsed by Westminster City Council
How can selling through social media benefit my business?
- make it easy for customers to browse your products through social media
- allow customers to purchase from you more easily
Links:
- Facebook shops - create an online store on Facebook for free
- Instagram shopping - create a shop through your business’s Instagram for free
Please note that these platforms are not endorsed by Westminster City Council
There are many ways to advertise your business and products online.
Here are some online courses that can help you learn how to get started with digital marketing:
- Fundamentals of digital marketing - course, Google Digital Garage
- Promote a business with online advertising - course, Google Digital Garage
- How to build a paid media strategy - course, HubSpot Academy
There are a range of free articles, online courses and webinars you can access to help you improve your digital skills in this subject area.
For webinars:
- you may need to sign up for the free webinar with your email to attend the session
- during the session you’ll hear first hand from expert trainers
- live sessions allow you to ask any questions you may have around the subject
Where can I find courses online?
- Google Digital Garage - free online courses and virtual training
- BT Skills for Tomorrow - free online courses, articles and virtual training
- Make it click - learn how to get your small business online
- Federation of Small Businesses - webinar on demand on the benefits of selling online and how to go about it
How have businesses benefited from selling online?
True Vintage UK
How a start-up increased their revenue by 40% and their returning customer rate by 3% within a year.
Source: Shopify UK
Whistle and Bango
https://www.shopify.co.uk/plus/customers/true-vintage [ADD COPY]
Source: Weebly UK