During the COVID pandemic we’ve all had to adapt to buying and selling in the online world, and as we reopen no-one knows how 2021 is going to pan out! Some things will remain the same, some things will revert back to how they were…the trouble is none of us have a crystal ball so no-one knows for sure!

The only thing you can control is your own business. You have the choice now whether to stay as you were, or grab every opportunity out there with both hands and make 2021 YOUR BEST YEAR YET!

The world is literally your oyster!

Although your products and services will predominantly remain the same, your customers have been on a journey. They have experienced online buying and the convenience that goes with it. But did they get the unique and personal customer experience that popping into a shop gives them?

As a small business owner, you are in a fantastic position. You can make changes quickly and you can add that sprinkle of customer service within a heart beat.

So let’s grab this opportunity by the balls and go for it!

Get selling your services and products online and create an additional revenue stream for yourself, AND give those customers the best experience they have ever had, so you keep them coming back for more!

To help you adapt, and also future proof your business (because the world has changed significantly over the last 12 months and important that you keep up with those changes), we’ve put together our 5 top tips for helping you sell online.

1.   Make the Most of Your Website

Online customers have a short attention span! Unlike when they visit a shop, they cannot touch or feel products, or easily ask questions. So we need to make sure everything is there for them….on a plate!

• Make sure you have at least 1 great photo of each of your products. Ideally you want all your images to have the same lighting and to be the same size and format too (landscape, portrait or square) so that they look aesthetically pleasing to the eye when your customer is seeing them for the first time.
• If you can add close-ups of key details that the customer might not see from the main photo, eg. lining of a coat, a decorative button or a small detail that shows the uniqueness of the product.
• Add a detailed description of each product. This will not only help your customer decide if your product is for them, but will also help your product be found when they are doing a Google search.
• Add dimensions for each product. Depending on what you’re selling – if it’s furniture, clothing, jewellery, etc giving dimensions will not only help your customer with their decision making, but could also reduce your returns.
• Add a colour description. Different screens show colours in different ways, so what could be a navy blue patterned cushion, could look grey or even green on some screens. Again this also helps with Google searches and could be the difference between your product showing or not!

2.   Link Back To Your Website

When promoting your business on social media, make sure to add a link to your website into your posts. There’s nothing more frustrating than seeing a post that makes you instantly stop and look, then finding that you have to head to their bio to find the website, then scroll through it for 10 minutes to find the thing you want to buy!

If you’re posting about a specific product or a particular service you’re offering, it’s a good idea to include a link to the page where your customers can buy that exact product.

This not only helps your customer, but it also helps your website generate traffic, which in turn helps your Google rankings.

3.   Facebook & Insta ‘Shops’

If you sell individual products, rather than services, it’s definitely a good idea to jump onto Facebook Shops.

This was introduced by Facebook last year and has really taken off, especially within Instagram where you cannot add links to your posts, but you can add a link to your product. The customer can then view your product before heading to your website to BUY!

It’s totally free and makes shopping on social media super easy!

You just set up your products within Facebook’s E-commerce section, link them back to your website and off you go! Within 1 click your social media followers can view your product within Shops, then head over to your website to make the purchase, it’s that easy!

If you don’t have a website why not take a look at Shopify. They were one of the first E-commerce platforms to link up with Facebook Shops, making your online shopping experience seamless.

4.   Make It Easy

I’m sure you know from your own experiences, that in this day and age we are very impatient when it comes to online shopping. It’s super important to make the process of buying from your business as easy as possible to avoid your customers getting bored and shopping elsewhere.

A good rule of thumb is to work towards the 3-click-rule! This means that your customer shouldn’t have to click more than three times before they find what they want on your website and then hit that all important ‘BUY NOW’ button.

5.   Answer Questions ASAP

If your customer was physically in your shop then they could ask you whatever they wanted to know about the product, however it’s not quite as instantaneous online.

To help your customer’s decision to buy from you even easier, it’s a good idea to have a set of FAQ’s and answers. This can also reduce the amount of repetitive enquiries you receive….which can get a little annoying if you’re being asked the same thing day in day out!

Saying that, it’s also really important that you keep a close eye on your email enquiries and social media messages, and reply to them in a friendly and timely manner – within 24 hours is a good standard to set yourself!

I hope that this has given you some inspiration for selling your products and services online, and I’d love to hear from you if you have any questions.

Is your business in need of a boost?

Are you struggling to convert sales on social media?

Why not try one of my Marketing Power Hours – tailored specifically to you and our business!

They’re intense, but we get straight to the nitty gritty and within 1 hour you will have a bespoke Action Plan that you can implement straight away.

Find out more HERE.

FINALLY….Good luck to all the businesses who are reopening after Lockdown…. #YouCanDoThis!

Rachelle x