Retail is hard, regardless of whether you have a brick and mortar store or an online-only business. Online only businesses have extra challenges, thanks to increased chargeback risks and the uncertainty of operating exclusively online. Marketing can also be tough, and while your online retail merchant account can guide you, some ideas of marketing are truly off the cuff.
First off, utilize social media. While you may already do so, you need to hit your targeted areas. Watch who views, shares, and likes your postings, as well as which type of postings garner the most attention. Also, if you purchase social media ads, be sure to choose the demographics you want to target. If you do not do this, the ads will be visible to everyone, which can end up costing you valuable views.
Yelp is also a great source for all businesses – even online-only businesses. Instead of listing an actual address (if you are home-based), list your city and state, as well as your email and website. Post pictures of your offerings, and pricing (if available). Be sure to ask your customers at checkout to review their purchase on Yelp. It also doesn’t hurt to include a reminder on your receipt when you ship their purchase.
Meetup.com is a great way to meet local entrepreneurs. Most of their events are free or low-cost, and the mingling can bring you valuable local business allies as well as new customers. If you have a sign printing business, you can gain a lot of business from local brick and mortar merchants. With the low cost of these events, what do you have to lose?
SuddenlySenior.com is also another great online avenue for marketing. If your goods can benefit senior citizens, post away! Senior citizens are internet savvy, and more and more are choosing to shop online, versus shopping in store. You can gain a very valuable customer base when you hit it off with the senior crowd.
Marketing is hard, but there are ways to improve your online business. While the above ideas have worked for many, do what works best for you and your business. You know your demographics, and there are many low cost ways to target your customers online and in-person.
