How to sell online with the greatest profit: rules and recommendations. What and how is it better to sell through an online store? What can you sell online?

Selling goods online is an alternative way to sell products. It involves searching for potential buyers on the World Wide Web.

Every year, millions of people around the world successfully sell products online. But there is also the other side of the coin, on which is engraved the same number of sellers whose efforts remained unjustified. Therefore, do not rush to rejoice and dream of millions, even if you do everything correctly and smartly - the chances of successful transactions are reduced due to high competition in this segment of making money on the Internet.

Before writing this article, I looked at many publications from other sites (on this topic), as well as videos. Most often, I came across posts from people who, most likely, had never sold anything, but simply copied texts from other sources (with some modifications to add uniqueness to the text). The remaining authors talked about the speed of generating income from this type of income. But is it?

Let me give you a simple example using potatoes. There is a regular food market where anyone can sell either their own crops or those bought from someone else (previously called "speculation" and now "market economics"). So you took the second path, brought the purchased potatoes early in the morning, laid out the scales and waited for buyers.

Next, your competitors come, who, just like you, bought potatoes from that same supplier. And by 9 o’clock in the morning there are already five to ten people on 50 square meters. Same potatoes, same price (based on costs and the desire for more or less profit, prices may vary, but not on a significant scale).

Why should buyers choose your product? Quality and price? It’s possible, but if you sacrifice price, some buyers may decide that you resorted to such a step because of the low quality of the vegetables. Or competitors will see your price tags and also correct theirs.

Do you think that this situation does not apply to selling goods on the Internet? You are wrong. On the World Wide Web you will face even more competition.

Let's start with choosing a site for implementation. In fact, there are not so many of them. This could be a personal online store (which, by the way, you can create absolutely free to begin with), auctions and message boards, and social networks. Perhaps this is all, there is no point in listing the rest.

1. An online store requires at least minimal knowledge of SEO (fortunately, there is a lot of information about this on the Internet now, but it’s best to start by reading the recommendations from the search engines Yandex and Google), unique photographs of the product and their descriptions. Advertising is an indirect and individual, but very useful weapon in finding buyers.
2. Auctions and bulletin boards require perseverance (you have to work hard), unique photographs of goods and their descriptions (but shorter than for a store).
3. Social networks - requires the seller to have thousands of friends on the page or a “promoted community”, the above-mentioned photos and also descriptions.

Based on the above, you probably already understood that no matter what path you choose, you need to have unique photographs of it and describe it in text form. Unique, and not copied from the Internet, photos will help the buyer understand that you are not a deceiver and you have the product in stock (or was, but already in stock). Unique descriptions perform a similar function.

Unique descriptions do not mean texts that have been checked through various services for “uniqueness,” but those that contain elements not described by the supplier. Completeness of information about the product (sizes, composition, application, etc.) is the key to “selling text” (I hate this expression, but here it is very laconic).

Without these two components for buyers, you are one of thousands of identical sellers from which they can choose anyone. And so at least you will be different from other shushvali.

1. Online store – we study a potential buyer, select an advertising platform for him, set it up and move on.
2. Auctions and bulletin boards are similar advertising, only the services themselves will serve as a platform.
3. Social networks - your friends and subscribers do not need “anti-aging foot cream” and therefore we are looking for buyers either on message boards and auctions, or creating an online store.

Advertising drives sales, it doesn't do it for you. On the Internet, you should resort to it only when you are sure that the money for its implementation will not go down the drain. If you have an interesting product, the page for it is beautifully and competently designed (contact details, price, description are indicated, there is an image or video), then a buyer will be found.

A small example from life

The father of one of my friends decided to sell his old car, which he had previously used for work purposes. Due to its age, the cost of the car was not high. He decided to make the sale through a well-known website created specifically for this purpose (a message board for the sale of used cars).

First steps: compiled a description in which he indicated not only the technical characteristics of the car, but also listed the repair work that was carried out on it (as well as a list of parts that were replaced or restored during the repair). Is this correct if you think that this is how it should be? Have you often seen descriptions of lots with winter boots that indicate that they were made in China and that they are made from very cheap materials? Let's move on.

After the text part, he moved on to photos: more than 10 pictures were taken, which allowed buyers to view the car from all angles. And finally, he made a video in which he showed the interior of the car, the open hood, started the engine, etc. The video gave the potential buyer the opportunity to see his future purchase practically with his own eyes (which is impossible to do through a computer, looking only at photographs).

The lot was posted around 6-7 pm. The next morning the buyer called, and in the evening he drove home by car. Don't ask about re-registration and so on, this is not relevant. I described a situation that I saw firsthand and in which I personally took part.

Afterword

I did not discover America for the majority. Didn’t fully answer the question “how to sell goods via the Internet?”, but whoever caught the trick understood everything. I wish you successful and profitable transactions.

Sales Generator

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Many businessmen engage in Internet sales to one degree or another. This is a very convenient and profitable option for earning money. A person can not leave home and still control his business and earn a good income. To become an Internet businessman, you do not need to receive special education; you just need to master this type of sales. Today we will tell you how to sell online so that the money flows to you.

From this article you will learn:

1. Where to sell online
2. How to sell abroad online

What to sell online to get rich

Many people want to succeed in online trading, but not everyone succeeds. The situation is aggravated by the fact that competition is inexorably growing. In such conditions, it is quite difficult to find and occupy your niche and effectively sell through the Internet those goods that a potential consumer needs. Among the most successful sales objects are the following.

• Navigators, radar detectors, video recorders

There is a very large markup on these products. A common situation is when a product is bought for 500–700 rubles, and sold for 1000–3000 rubles or more. Do you think this is unrealistic? But that's the reality. Chinese radar detectors cost pennies. Their purchase price starts from 200 rubles, but in Russia you won’t find them cheaper than 700 rubles. As you already understand, selling this kind of goods will allow you to get rich very quickly.

• Shoes and clothing

The situation is the same with clothing, which is very inexpensive to purchase directly from the manufacturer, but can be sold online at a large markup.

• Car accessories and car care products

Car enthusiasts are always ready to spend a lot of money to care for their iron horse. Cleaning products, steering wheel and seat covers, numerous useful and decorative accessories for cars are always in demand. Therefore, sellers set fairly high prices for all these paraphernalia. For example, they can sell a snow broom online for 500 rubles, while its true price is five times less.

• Unusual goods

All kinds of unusual gifts, entertaining souvenirs, and funny toys are popular among the Internet audience. Such original items, such as business card holders in the shape of a knife, have a markup of 100%.

• Women's and men's accessories

Through the Internet you can buy various accessories very cheaply in China, which everyone can purchase on their own on the well-known Aliexpress. For example, you buy bracelets, glasses, belts for a minimum price of 100 rubles, and sell these same goods not even for 200, but for at least 500 rubles, as quite worthy branded items.

• Interior items, bed linen, towels

Beautiful home furnishings command a very high markup and are profitable to sell online. So, you can purchase very cheap bed linen from wholesalers and sell it at two or even three times the price. Other decorative items that have an auxiliary purpose (bottle stands, shelves, soap dishes, etc.) are also in demand, so you can make very good money selling these products.

• Phones and tablets

Smartphones, telephones, tablet phones and other means of communication are extremely popular in China. Asian craftsmen have gotten the hang of making them functional at a very low price. For 2,000 rubles you can buy an Android smartphone, and then sell it online for at least 5,000 rubles.

• Small electronic gadgets

Chinese craftsmen produce various gadgets and technological devices in large quantities. A huge selection of universal chargers, players, e-books, adapters and other much-needed equipment in the modern age can be purchased there at extremely low prices and you can really make money selling them in Russia.

• Lighting devices

You can sell various music and lighting equipment for clubs via the Internet with great profit. Laser pointers and light music are very cheap from wholesalers.

• Cases and other accessories for phones

Very popular items! Many people prefer to buy them online because there is a much larger selection and prices are lower than in offline stores. The purchase price for the same covers starts from 100 rubles and even lower, but they can be sold at a price of 500 rubles. And people will buy. Some people make cases with their own hands and sell them at a price cheaper than store-bought ones, which, in general, is also a good way to earn money.

• Handmade

If your hobby is handicrafts, then this hobby can become a source of good income. After all, everything is sold on the Internet. Jewelry, toys, and crafts can find their buyer if the item has its own flavor. Individual and unusual creations are always in demand. If you have “golden hands”, then make your craft a way to constantly earn money through the Internet.

At any time, people will buy food. Food is another hot commodity that can be sold online. People are good at buying baked goods and sweets. But you can only sell products online that you know how to cook yourself and that you can deliver to the recipient.

• Services

The Internet is a place for selling not only goods, but also services. Whatever abilities you have, they will all be in demand. Perhaps you will be able to draw up a custom-made statement of claim or submit financial statements to the tax authority, conduct training on an effective weight loss technique or a master class on origami techniques. The main thing is that you have enough strength and energy to provide enough services to earn a living.

Submit your application

• Collections

Collectors can always make good money selling their treasures. There are things that cost a lot of money: antiques, a collection of rare coins, etc. It is even advisable to organize auctions for such exquisite and expensive things. Rare collectibles will find their buyers. But, I must say, this type of sales is not available to everyone, since this product is piecemeal.

• Graphic arts

As an option for making money online, you can sell copyright photos or videos via the Internet. Selling such a product has its own specifics, but the business of distributing graphics can be profitable if it is properly organized and put on the right track.

• Knowledge

• Cosmetics

How to sell cosmetics online? Typically, buyers agree to purchase cosmetics and household chemicals only from well-known companies. If you have recently started your business, you will have to really try to win the trust of your customers. This is a very difficult field of sales for beginners.

Let's highlight a few rules for successful online business:

1. Main quality. Offering quality items online is very important, only then the audience will quickly reach out to you and expand your customer base. Word of good products spreads quickly.
2. You should always start with a product that is known to the consumer.. You should not offer people something new when they are not yet familiar with your company. Start by selling those things that are in significant demand. Set a decent markup that will allow you to get started.
3. The uniqueness of your product will become a trigger to launch sales. Even if you choose a popular product, make it different from everyone else. Something in your product must be unique: production technology, price, quality - whatever.
4. The more you invest in your business, the greater the head start you will get over your competitors.

Is it possible to sell medicines and alcohol via the Internet?

If you seriously decide to engage in online sales, then you should start by studying the Rules for remote sales, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of September 27, 2007 No. 612. From this document you can learn about what exactly can be sold via the Internet.

Clause 5 of the Rules states that remote sales of alcohol are inadmissible. The same ban applies to tobacco and goods, the free sale of which is prohibited or limited by Russian legislation. You will also not be able to sell medicines and weapons, narcotic and psychotropic substances over the Internet.

For violation of such norms, administrative liability is provided under Article 14.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation:

• for citizens - 1500–2000 rubles with or without confiscation of goods;
• for employees of organizations - 3,000–4,000 rubles with possible confiscation of goods;
• for organizations -30–40 thousand rubles with or without confiscation of goods.

How to sell online correctly

Deciding on how to sell certain products online is not an easy task. This task is of a strategic nature. You need to think through everything thoroughly in order to have maximum income with minimal investment.

• Accounting. In order to save money, you need to abandon a full-time specialist. Think about an alternative way of doing accounting, which could be one of the effective online services, for example, “MoeDelo”. This step will allow you to save a fair amount of money.
• Logistics. It is very important to decide how you will deliver your goods. Perhaps your business allows you to do this yourself. But when it grows, you will have to resort to a delivery service. One of the reliable and affordable companies is the MultiShip service. When sending goods using it, you can always track the shipment.
• Telephony. You shouldn’t skimp on this point either. There are organizations that allow you to create a PBX for a very modest fee. The Mango company will provide you with a virtual PBX with an answering machine for little money. As an option, you can purchase a SIM card from the Megafon operator and buy a landline number for 200 rubles per month.
• Software If you have decided to save on office rent and hiring full-time employees, then you should take care of organizing successful interaction between all members of your team. So, you can use the Google Docs service, which allows you to create diagrams, edit texts, build tables and solve other tasks simultaneously by several people.

Where to sell online

• Virtual bulletin boards

The most active sales site in Russia is Avito - a free bulletin board that involves trading without intermediaries. It’s not very convenient to post information about a product every time, but for one-time transactions the resource is more than suitable. Virtual bulletin boards are always able to attract additional customers.

Social networks are a great help for those who decide to sell online. Social networks currently trap a huge number of people who will find it much more convenient to make purchases without leaving Facebook or Vkontakte. Your task is to correctly compose and place an advertisement, as well as open a bank account or an electronic wallet with which they can pay you for the goods.

One way or another, both Avito and an ad on a social network will lead interested people to your official website. If there is none, then the interest of many will remain unsatisfied, and the purchase will not take place. Therefore, having your own online platform where you can find out everything about your product is very important.

If you sell a single product, especially if we are talking about information business, then a landing page is suitable for you. A sales page works perfectly if your goal is to quickly sell, for example, a tour package in one direction without any alternative offers.

There are many exchanges on the Internet where people offer their services. These are analogues of real-life labor exchanges, but here we are not talking about hired workers who are trying to register with a work book, but about freelancers who want to work remotely and sell their services via the Internet. And this is also a sales option.

Mostly copywriters and designers work on these freelance exchanges. Everything related to the creation, promotion and design of websites is accompanied by certain services that will be in demand as long as the Internet exists. All the applicant needs to do is register on the exchange and indicate his e-wallet. The most famous platforms are Advego, TextSale and eTXT.

How to sell used items online

It happens that people sell things that have been used, and this is noticeable in appearance. This item has scratches, abrasions, etc. Its price will be significantly lower than the purchase price. But, if the item has been used carefully or for a very short period of time, then it has all the characteristics of a new product, although it costs less. Many people prefer to buy items that have already been owned by some owners, precisely because the price for them becomes significantly lower than the store price. But with proper care, thrift and accuracy, the subsequent acquirer will not remember the previous owner of the item.

Sometimes a brand new product is stripped of its label and never used. Of course, this thing can no longer be called new, and it is automatically classified as used. The price of such a product is falling, so finding a buyer for it will not be difficult. The main thing is to determine the thematic platform. Let's look at several options for selling used items online. Let's define the product category:

• Products for children;
• cloth;
• fur;
• furniture.

Each type of product has its own platform where sales will be most effective.

For example, if you decide to sell children's items online, then there are several items on the Internet that deserve attention. sites suitable for these purposes:

• Russian-language website “Yu-Mama”, offering not only goods at reasonable prices, but also a forum with discussions of pressing and pressing topics for current or future parents;
• a website with the self-explanatory name “Children's Flea Market”. It offers not only clothes, but also strollers, toys, textbooks, baths, swimming pools and many other interesting and useful things for the growth and development of children.

Let's reveal some secrets for quick sale of goods:

• Prepare your photos. It’s better to add images, because psychologically people are more interested in those ads where the product can be seen immediately. Don't take someone else's photo from the Internet. If the illustration of the item is much better than the item itself, the buyer will clearly refuse to purchase in the future, wasting his and your time.
• Create a unique selling proposition. It should stand out from all the others. The advantages may be a lower price or some kind of bonus as a gift.
• Don't overprice an item. Evaluate the product realistically. Some people believe that it is better to inflate the price a little, so that later in the bargaining process they will give in. But in fact, the high price puts many people off right away. And no one thinks about how much it will be possible to bargain. Calculate the average cost and sell the item you don’t need a couple of percent cheaper.
• Don't deceive the buyer. Be truthful about the features of the product you are selling. Remember that if a person calls you and asks about an item, it means that he is interested in buying.
• In a relationship seasonal items, determine the optimal time for sale. The demand for them increases precisely during the corresponding season. It is better to sell formal clothes on the eve of the holidays, autumn and winter items - before the cold weather. Focus on time and post ads about a month before the season.
• It is most effective to post information right away at several sites. They will be easy to remove after sale.

How to sell goods through an online store

If you are planning not just a one-time sale, but a real business, then, of course, you need to sell a product that is in demand. The best way to trade on the Internet is to launch a selling website. It doesn’t take much money to create and promote it. It is important to organize and think through everything correctly.

An online store can operate using the following mechanisms:

• Standard sale. A typical story for an online store. The website contains a catalog of products with prices. Once the customer places an order, you ship it to the specified address. This way, the transaction is made directly between you and your buyer.
• Dropshipping. This business model is often used by those sellers who do not have their own warehouses. Here's how it all happens: your website contains information about a product, its characteristics and cost, but in reality you do not have this product. And, as soon as the user places an order, you place an order with the supplier of the product, acting as an intermediary.

You can sell over the Internet goods retail and wholesale. Again, not everyone can afford to store inventory for wholesale sales. In the second case, accounting will be more difficult. Therefore, it is better for beginners in the field of online trading to start with retail.

If you open an online store selling only in a specific region, it will be less expensive for you. It is much more convenient to deliver only within your region. This is the most acceptable option at the start, but then you can cover a wider coverage area.

How to start selling through an online store

Stage No. 1. Choosing a niche

When choosing a niche, you must calculate your chances in advance. Are you able to compete with other suppliers of products similar to those you plan to sell online? Is the chosen type of sales capable of bringing you profit, or is it associated with only losses?

The choice of the product itself, which you will sell, also directly depends on your finances. Start-up capital sets certain limits. Unless you have significant cash flow, you are unlikely to sell jewelry or expensive electronics.

First of all, you should conduct a marketing analysis. This can be done independently or with the assistance of specialists. You will, of course, make the final choice based on your personal feelings and preferences. What causes a storm of emotions in you will probably be liked by the consumer.

But, nevertheless, relegate personal feelings and preferences to the background when the main directions have already been selected on the basis of serious analytics. For example, you decided that your niche will be selling clothes. But now you have to decide, should you start by selling ties or gloves? Trust your intuition.

What should you consider in your choice? The product planned for sale must be:

• in demand;
• competitive (it is desirable that the competition is not too high);
• off-season.

When starting a business, these criteria are of great importance. Knowing how to sell online is not enough. You need to decide what you will sell.

Stage No. 2. Search for suppliers

Information about suppliers of certain goods is now visible and invisible. And finding it is not a problem. We list several ways to find suppliers for an online store.

1. Internet. There are many catalogs that contain information about companies supplying a variety of products. Study information on forums and thematic websites that contain unbiased reviews of suppliers left by their clients and partners. Use this information and compile your list of suppliers, including contact information and business reputation information.
2. Printed publications. A lot of benefit can be gained by studying specialized magazines, newspapers, and brochures. But you need to choose exactly those publications that are related to the theme of your online store.
3. Exhibitions. Events where manufacturers showcase their products are an optimal place to build bridges and learn about a particular market sector. Here you can look at the products with your own eyes and chat with company employees. The only negative is that usually organizations that participate in such exhibitions and conferences are aimed at wholesale sales.
4. Markets. In a small city, this option may also be quite acceptable. At the market you can look at goods and even touch them, collect business cards from suppliers, and negotiate favorable terms of the transaction.
5. Competitors. If you ask the seller for product certificates, you will be able to see information about its supplier. But in order to get the same favorable conditions for working with suppliers as those offered by competitors, you need to work hard, since not everyone can conclude profitable deals.

Stage No. 3. Business registration

When you have acquired partners and created the basis of your business, you need to think about the form in which it is most profitable to organize this business. How to sell online more conveniently? There are two forms for an online store:

• limited liability company (LLC);
• individual entrepreneur (IP).

Registration as an individual entrepreneur is a simpler, low-cost procedure. But broader prospects are opening up for LLCs. However, to register you will need to incur costs in terms of time and finances. For example, the minimum value of the authorized capital for an LLC is 10 thousand rubles. Additionally you must also pay:

• state registration fee;
• fee for notary services for certification of copies of documents and the applicant’s signature;
• fee for issuing a power of attorney, if necessary;
• other expenses;
• fee for opening a current account.

The minimum amount to create a legal entity is 50 thousand rubles. In addition, it is important to have your own legal address, so you will need to think about the premises. Calculate whether all these costs are justified by the planned profit?

If you do open as an individual entrepreneur, then you will have to pay only one state fee in the amount of 800 rubles. An individual entrepreneur may not have a seal or a current account. However, for the purpose of more convenient cooperation, it is still better to create them. Even if you entrust all the necessary documents to a third party, your expenses will amount to no more than 4,000 rubles.

Stage No. 4. Search for an office and warehouse (can be skipped)

What your office will be like and whether you can maintain a warehouse depends on how much money you have at the start. Without calculating the expected profit, it is difficult to make the right decision. If the income is expected to be small and you will have to wait too long for it, it may be better to do without a warehouse and office at first.

If you absolutely need an office and warehouse, then do your research on the cost of renting the appropriate premises. Pay attention to access roads, the territorial location of structures, as well as their technical condition.

Renting an office is often associated with hiring one or more employees. And all this requires additional costs. Therefore, decide whether you should spend the initial capital on renting these premises.

Stage No. 5. Creating an online store

How to sell online if you don't have an online store? Theoretically, this can be done, but it is inconvenient. So, to create an online store you will need a logo and corporate identity. Expect that your image will be your face for many years; think carefully about this moment in organizing your business.

Almost all online store owners develop their logos and landing pages from freelancers. Numerous remote service sites will allow you to find a specialist who will create a high-quality and conceptual logo for you. It will cost about 3–10 thousand rubles, and the design of the web resource itself will cost 10–30 thousand rubles.

No matter what you sell online, you can use branded gifts as incentives for customers. Try to be creative in developing it. Be guided not only by your taste, but also by the opinion of a specialist, as well as the compliance of the chosen style with the general direction of the store’s activities.

For your website, with the help of which you will sell your products online, you need to have three things:

• hosting;
• domain;
• engine.

Hosting – a remote server for storing all store materials. A domain is the address of a store on the Internet. Often both hosting and domain are provided under one contract; their maintenance usually costs from 600 rubles per year.

Engine is a website content management system. Free engines contain a minimum set of functions. If you want to make a more developed and user-friendly website, then you should look for a more expensive option.

Stage No. 6. Filling the online store with content

For an online store website you need to create high-quality content. Moreover, it is advisable to think through every little detail. Start with an attractive greeting and a story about the company, continue with product descriptions (photos, prices, characteristics), end with ease of navigation and a conversion button that encourages purchases. All this is very important and affects profits.

Entrust the drafting of texts to freelancers or carry out this activity yourself. The cost of the finished text is measured in rubles per thousand characters without spaces. The minimum price is 20–30 rubles. If you simply copy other people’s texts, you will be blocked by search engines, and then you can forget about promoting an online store and selling online for a long time.

It is better to have a professional photographer take pictures of the product. His services are not cheap: for each photo you will need to pay 150–200 rubles. In some cases, this amount is close to the actual cost of the product. If this is expensive for you, then at worst the photo can be taken from the supplier’s catalog.

Stage No. 7. Launching an advertising campaign

In order to sell things or services online, it is important not only to create a website, but also to promote it, otherwise no one will ever even know about its existence. Promotion is carried out by special companies that have considerable experience in this matter. You are unlikely to be able to do this on your own.

Freelancers can also do SEO optimization. They will prepare texts for your site that include keywords. It is for them that search engines will begin to offer your site in search results when relevant requests are received. You will have to wait to see the benefits, but it works in the long term. Advertising attracts visitors very quickly. You get a return almost immediately after payment, but it is short-lived.

It is best to combine all of the above methods of promoting a product.

How to sell abroad via the Internet: step-by-step instructions

Any product can be sold online and abroad. Sales will be especially successful in the following cases.

1. High quality or exclusive product interests both compatriots and foreigners. A product of your own production, something unusual and original can be exclusive. But if this is not the case, then try to sell goods made by other people.
2. The price is lower than foreign analogues of the same quality. Everyone is looking for profitable business schemes. That is why the product can be ordered abroad if your terms seem profitable to buyers there. Just keep in mind that the profitability of your offer must cover the cost and delivery time from Russia to another country.

Given the current economic situation due to the ruble exchange rate, the cost of your product is already lower competitive prices in other countries, which means it’s worth a try. Let's consider detailed instructions for organizing sales abroad.

Step 1. Study the foreign market

First of all, you need to choose the country in which you would like to sell your product. It is best to start with European countries or the United States, because at the level of local producers, your prices there will seem low, and the quality will be much better than that of Chinese goods. Having decided on a country, thoroughly study its market and economic features.

• Competitors

Find out if anyone is offering what you want to sell online. Take advantage of international trading platforms Ebay.com, Etsy.com. Look for similar products on them. If you find it, compare it with yours. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. If there are no analogues, then your product will probably be in demand.

• Buyers

The foreign audience is significantly different from the Russian one. There people are more willing to leave reviews on websites, they are less scandalous and more friendly. But the most important thing is that they are guided by other criteria when choosing a product. Explore the selection of local stores. What might appeal to Russians will not necessarily attract Americans or Belgians. The main thing is that foreigners really value high quality and originality.

• Prices

Setting the price for a product will not be difficult for you. Find out the average cost for similar products in the country of sale, subtract delivery costs from this figure and get the price of your offer. In some cases, it is very important to provide free shipping to customers, especially in countries where people have historically been accustomed to it (such as the US).

• Legislation

It is very important to thoroughly study the laws of the country in which you plan to sell your products online. Perhaps there are some restrictions on the sale of products of a certain type. These limits can be quantitative, qualitative or otherwise. This is where international trade rules come in handy. By carefully studying them, you can determine whether your business has a future.

Step 2. Preparing the site

If you already have a website, then you just need to adapt it for international trade. If not, then follow the instructions.

• Create an English version of the site

To sell products abroad online, you need to create a website in English, even if you sell to Germany. You can translate it into the national language in the future, but to begin with, it is most practical to make an English version. It is better to place it in the com domain zone, because otherwise you may have difficulties with SEO for English queries.

The English version of the site is very important for buyers: it is understandable to visitors and inspires confidence. Do not leave the slightest words in Russian, this may scare potential clients. Even translate texts in pictures. Try to make your speech literate and natural. Hire a professional translator to check.

For Ecwid store Two localization methods can be proposed.

1. One Ecwid store on two sites.

Ecwid store is very convenient to use. It is worth adding it to the Russian and English versions of the site, so the buttons will be automatically translated into the desired language depending on the browser language of the site visitor. Having created a product card that you are going to sell online, place a description in Russian and English on separate tabs. This can be done using the Tabber application.

Don't forget to change your currency. This can be done using the Currency converter application.

Some important tips:

• Make product names in English. Many Russians love this, and the Cyrillic alphabet can scare away a foreign client.
• The showcase for Russian-speaking and foreign buyers will be the same, despite the fact that they prefer different products.

2. two different Ecwid stores on different websites.

It is much more convenient to create two Ecwids on different sites, so as not to confuse either one or the other visitors. In this case, you can sell products online by setting up different delivery and payment methods. Don't forget to synchronize product balances between stores.

• Enter information about delivery, payment and return of goods

In the return policy section, you must write down in detail and clearly all the information about what actions need to be taken in case of returning the goods. This is very important for potential buyers.

• Check out the brand name

It may happen that when translated into English, your business name will sound awkward, funny or ambiguous. Be sure to rummage through the dictionary of local slang, look for words that are consonant and close in spelling. To reduce your search time, it is better to consult a native speaker.

• Be prepared to communicate in a foreign language

Take into account time zone differences and indicate on your website what time you can respond to your customers.

• Consider international trade rules

The most important of these are set out in the 2002 European Internet Commerce Directive.

Step 3. Arrange delivery

Almost all modern websites offer several methods of delivering goods. Delivery conditions are closely related to the conditions for returning goods. When delivering by Russian Post, you should carefully fill out the postal forms. The Russian Post website contains all the necessary forms and a delivery cost calculator. The same calculator should be in your online store.

Be sure to insure all your shipments.

Choose packaging that will ensure the safety of the goods.

And one more important detail - provide the buyer with a code to track the shipment.

Step 4. Choose a payment method

It is worth considering several types of payment. But we must take into account that for international transfers the most reliable system is PayPal.

Step 5. Connect advertising channels

Foreign buyers are attracted in the same ways as Russian ones.

• Instagram

To sell products online, attract attention to them through Instagram. Unique designer goods are highly valued there. It is extremely important to photograph them beautifully. It is quite acceptable to maintain one account, duplicating entries in Russian and English.

• Facebook

1. Page dedicated to your online store. On it you talk about all the events related to it, promotions, product features, and new sales. You will be able to create posts in Russian and English, setting each of them to be displayed in the corresponding region.
2. ads, which lead directly to an online store or to a Facebook page.

• Google AdWords

Contextual advertising on Google, in particular through the AdWords application, helps sell online. Follow the basic rules for writing ad texts - they should be clear and concise.

Step 6. Use trading platforms

A marketplace or trading platform is a great place to introduce yourself and your offer. Here are several trading platforms where you can offer your products to foreign clients:

• eBay.com

Remember that all buyers of this site pay attention to the seller's rating. It is necessary to have at least a couple of reviews to inspire trust among customers. Therefore, after registering on the site, make several purchases and pay for them very quickly to earn positive feedback. Reputation is a very important element of business, especially on eBay.

• Etsy.com

This site primarily represents those companies that sell homemade items, antiques, vintage goods, tools and materials for arts and crafts. To use the service you need to pay: $0.20 - for posting one product for a period of no more than four months; 3.5% - of the cost of the product upon purchase.

You can sell products online on the Etsy.com site by participating in the affiliate program, which allows you to place the first 40 products for free if you follow a link from a partner company.

On this site, it is important to decide already at the registration stage. You create an account as either a private seller – “Individual Sellers”, or a professional organization – “Professional Sellers”. In the first case, you are exempt from fees, but pay a commission when making a sale.

The site offers a service through which a registered user places a certain amount of goods in the Amazon warehouse. The site takes care of all delivery and packaging concerns.

• Marketplace.asos.com

Those organizations that plan to sell clothing online will find it very convenient to locate on this site. However, you will need to pay £20 per month for registration, and also deduct 20% of the cost of the product if you purchase it. In addition, you cannot post on the site if you have fewer than 15 positions, and you must also comply with all site requirements regarding photo posting.

But if you pass the selection and subsequently develop an excellent reputation, the company may offer you to be featured on its main site asos.com.

Analyzing all of the above, it should be concluded that selling via the Internet is possible only with the help of marketing and product promotion tools. Without advertising and relevant research, it is unlikely that your product will be popular or even known.

It is unlikely that you will be able to do everything you need on your own. When promoting a product, you need to carry out many actions simultaneously, each of which requires experience and a professional approach. Therefore, no matter how you look at it, you will have to involve specialists.

We suggest starting work on promoting the resource from which you plan to make sales, with it. Internet marketing agency specialists "Sales generator" They will conduct a detailed analysis of the operation of your website, identify its main problems and prepare 47+ recommendations for the successful promotion of your products and services on the Internet.

In this article we will take a closer look at how to competently organize effective sales via the Internet without unnecessary expenses? For which products are sales via the Internet suitable? How to competently organize successful sales through social networks?

What can you sell online?

First, let's look at which products are best suited for online sales. It is important to consider that part of the transaction may be carried out online, and then it will continue through standard means.

Products sold only online. Including products for online advertising, space for banners, banner displays, space for website hosting. These goods are usually complex derivatives of other goods.

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Products that are delivered via the Internet. Including software, files for them, video and audio recordings, local databases.

Simple goods. They are presented by goods whose properties are already known to the buyer, and the combination of such properties is small. Including a chemical reagent or nails of a certain size. In this case, the goods are standardized, with properties that are clear to the buyer. Given the obviousness of the product, its description is often not required - with the possibility of limiting it to only the name or brand.

Information. This category includes the sale of information that does not depend on its medium. For example, it is possible to purchase Prime-TASS news in both paper and electronic versions. Typical information products include news or information from databases.

There are also products for which sales via the Internet are only partially carried out:

– Products for which partial information can be obtained on the Internet. Including furniture, perfumes, shoes, furniture, food products, clothing. These products are united by the fact that they need to be touched, smelled, tasted and tried on before purchasing.

– Products that require complex sales procedures. Including products the selection of which requires specialist advice. Often a similar situation arises with the sale of complex goods, with characteristics that are not obvious to the buyer, or when even the entire list of these characteristics does not provide results due to a lack of buyer competence.

Ways to sell online

Sales through your online store. Personal space to develop your own design and functionality. Operating your online store requires responsibility, regular costs, and updates. But it becomes a serious business with the trust of the target audience.

Through trading platforms. Many enterprising developers create and promote their platforms, and then rent out such a site.

Notice boards. Such sites allow you to sell everything. An undoubted advantage is the ability to publish an ad for free. However, a serious drawback is high competition - for any results, the business must be automated and streamlined;

Internet auctions. There are many reputable and reliable platforms available today that offer functionality to protect both sellers and buyers. Here you can make good money by selling different types of goods, although you should not forget about high competition.

To establish stable and high sales, many businessmen prefer to combine work with all the tools considered.

Sales through your online store

To open your online store you need:

– Dedicated Internet channel – for receiving orders online. It is also necessary to think about user support - using a feedback form, mail, Skype, etc.

• How to make a selling website: a simple and effective way

– Premises for a warehouse or office - a place for storing goods and an address that can be given to the buyer for pickup;

– Personnel – costs of salaries for the administrator, storekeeper, driver, foremen.

– Hosting and domain name for the site.

1. Online store administration

The administrator will have to perform a number of functions:

– Ordering goods, communicating with store dealers;

– Customer support – responding to the contacts indicated on the website;

– Order processing, customer support, the role of an accountant (controlling incoming payments);

– Arrange delivery – independently or by involving a regional carrier.

2. Product delivery

While the store is still in its infancy with a small number of orders, you can independently handle this function. If you don’t want to go on your own, you can hire a driver or assign this function to someone in the office. Typically, small stores have agreements with trusted taxi drivers who, for a fee, can deliver the order and receive money from the client. At the same time, the company manages to achieve savings on the purchase, maintenance, depreciation of the car, and driver’s wages.

• Marketing ploy to attract customers: 8 great ideas for a crisis

This option will be optimal for a small number of orders. In the future, as the number of orders increases, you can attract a permanent driver. The issue with the administrator is resolved in a similar way - with a larger number of orders, the workload on the staff increases.

3. Create an online store

Types of online stores:

- One-pager. The current choice for organizing quick sales. A suitable option when selling knowledge, or when planning to share your experience for a fee. It is also beneficial for organizing sales of one product on the entire site.

– Full website. When working with a wide range of products, you should think about a multi-page website. When running stores with hundreds of items of clothing or household appliances, you need an online store with a convenient catalog.

Where to make a website:

– Web studios. It will take several months to develop the site. Typically, the client’s opinion is not taken into account, since professionals work in the studio and “better” understand what your business needs. The price starts from 2 thousand dollars.

– Studios, freelancers, “boxes”. Much like the studios. In this case, cases of fraud are possible when the contractor takes an advance payment but does not complete the work. The customer also needs to spend time and effort on a text task and a long discussion. Development takes one to two months, with prices starting at $500. However, the result is not always satisfactory.

– Website builders. The best option for those who want to quickly start a business. Here we have selected the necessary functionality for setting up an online business. It is enough to spend a few hours to get acquainted and one or two days to fully adapt the resource to your requirements. Such a resource will cost $5 per month.

A good website has simple and clear navigation

Irina Frodinskaya, General Director of the online gift store “Grandfather Odarim”, Moscow

The volume of sales via the Internet in Russia is growing every year. The list of goods and services that Russians are getting used to buying online is constantly expanding. You can start a new business on the Internet quickly, without being tied to a specific place of residence. For the convenience of entrepreneurs, today there are many available services for starting an online business, which we will discuss below.

What can you sell online?

First, it’s worth listing the main advantages of selling online:

• lower costs for starting a business compared to offline trading;
• business can be managed remotely;
• activities can be largely automated;
• there is the possibility of scaling to significant sizes.

You can sell more than just goods via the Internet. Here are three main groups of what is sold on the RuNet:

• Goods
• Services
• Information products

Let's take a closer look at them.

Goods

When selling goods online, the business is built on purchasing goods at a lower price (often in bulk) and reselling them at a higher price. An entrepreneur is not required to be a specialized specialist in any field; it is more important to navigate the market for a specific product.

If the business takes off, there is a chance to make money on one type of product for a long time. And if the demand for it is wide, then such a business is much easier to scale than retail trade through offline stores. The Internet will allow you to start with much less investment and quickly reach a decent income.

But at the same time, creating an online store requires more funds than selling services or information products through a network. As a rule, a larger website (with a product catalog) is required, as well as funds for purchasing products. In addition, the cost of time and money will be associated with the fact that the goods will need to be stored somewhere, it will be necessary to ensure its delivery and daily calls. It is necessary to take into account the possible presence of defects, as well as the fact that the product may go out of fashion or deteriorate. Paperwork is also still required.

We will return to information about what products are in demand on the RuNet in the statistics section.

Services

If an entrepreneur is a specialist in a certain field, he can sell his services via the Internet and provide them (depending on the type) not only in his local market, but also to remote clients. In addition, it is possible to sell not only your own services, but also those performed by other people. In this case, the business becomes scalable, since it does not depend on the physical capabilities of one person.

Starting a business selling services is less expensive than selling goods. In this case, there is no need to purchase goods, and the site, as a rule, is required to be much less voluminous than when creating an online store. There is no risk of damage to the goods.

To start an Internet business based on services, it makes sense to create a portfolio - some presentation of achievements in the selected segment. There should be positive customer reviews here.

Service providers must constantly improve their skills and knowledge in their field.

For example, the following services are sold via the Internet in Russia:

• Creation of texts
• Website creation and promotion
• Real estate rental and sales services
• Advertising services
• Lawyers' services
• Programming
• Services in the beauty sector (cosmetologists, hairdressers, etc.)

Information products

If you managed to solve a serious problem, you can make an information product about it and sell it to those who face similar difficulties. When your own experience is not enough, you can produce other people's information products.

The costs of starting a business selling information products, as well as selling services, are low. In addition to the costs of the information product itself, as a rule, it requires the creation of a very small website and investment in advertising.

In order for people to trust the information being sold, positive reviews from students and clients are useful. An information business specialist must constantly develop his knowledge and periodically update his products.

In this sector, you may encounter cases of piracy. If possible, you need to monitor the availability of your courses posted online and combat this. But the best way to deal with this would be to provide customer support, which those who simply download a file with course information are deprived of. After all, people master certain skills more successfully if they are included in live communication and can consult with an expert.

Completely different information products are sold on the RuNet, here are some quite popular areas:

• related to financial issues and problems (where to invest, how to resolve debt issues, how to achieve sales growth, etc.);
• related to personal relationships (how to get married, etc.);
• about changing your own body (weight loss, muscle building, etc.).

Statistics: what do Russians buy most online?

The Russian online trading market is very different from the global one. If there is a significant segment in the world for the sale of information (cinema, music, books), then Russians are accustomed to paying several times less for this, and mostly spend money on the purchase of physical goods. Here is the ranking of the best-selling products online in Russia:

1. Electronics and household appliances.
2. Clothes and shoes.
3. Computer technology.
4. Auto parts.
5. Cell phones.
6. Childen's goods.
7. Household products.
8. Furniture.
9. Equipment.
10. Construction materials.

How to choose a profitable property for sale on the RuNet

First, when choosing a niche, you should consider your own interests. Of course, you will not be able to sell something that is interesting only to you and no one else. But for a long time it will also be extremely difficult for you to do something that you are not passionate about. After all, to achieve results you sometimes need to be persistent and overcome difficulties, which is easier when you are really interested in something. It’s good to have some experience and understand the chosen segment (or at least devote enough time to searching for the necessary information).

Secondly, you need to find out what demand there is for the product or service. If the demand is already there, it is much easier to work with it than with promoting a completely new unknown product. To determine demand, there are query statistics services from Yandex and Google - this is a reflection of how often Runet users search for something on the Internet. For example, you choose between two groups of products with which to create an online store. You can select the main queries by which people search for products from these two groups and check how many queries per month there are for one and the other group in Yandex Wordstat. A significant difference in numbers will objectively show that it is in great demand.

Here you can immediately assess the seasonality of the future business. To do this, look at the query history in Wordstat. If you want to trade skis, you will notice that the main surge in demand during the year in this segment occurs from November to February. This will allow you to more clearly plan your activities throughout the year. In addition, you will be able to roughly understand whether the number of requests in a given sector is increasing or decreasing compared to the previous year.

Third, assess the presence of competition. Strange as it may sound, the more competitors there are, the more profitable it may be to run a business in a given niche. If in a certain sector no one is investing in business and advertising, this may indicate that it is quite difficult to make money in this niche. What are some simple tools for assessing competition? Enter the desired search query in Yandex: for example, “cat food.” On the right you will see statistics on the results (how many pages Yandex found on this topic), and under this the words “Advertise” and “Show all”. If you click on the “Show all” link, you can find out how many total advertisements have been placed for this request. A simple example is to change the word “cats” to the word “dogs” and compare the results. You can do the same with the goods or services you are going to sell to compare them.

Fourthly, you need to take into account the profit per sale. Online advertising costs money. And each client you attract will cost you some amount. In this regard, some experts recommend not to get involved with sales in segments where the planned average profit per sale is less than 700 rubles.

Fifth, evaluate upsell opportunities. If you are choosing between two products, and customers need to order one product constantly, and the second one is ordered once in a lifetime, with the same sales margin, the first one is definitely more profitable. To increase the size of the check, you can consider creating sets, offering additional services, gift certificates, and so on.

Sixth, evaluate the cost of personal time running a business. If a business can only become profitable if you spend more time on it than is physically possible, perhaps you should abandon the idea outright. It is also worth taking into account the time spent on document management. In Russia, the situation in this regard is aggravated if the business is conducted in the form of a legal entity (and not an individual entrepreneur), there are employees on employment contracts, as well as in sectors that require additional permits, and the like.

Seventh, think about logistics and storage when it comes to goods. What costs of time and money await you? What delivery services are available to you and what hours do they operate? How long will it take to ship the goods, etc.? How much space will you need to store it?

Eighth, think about how quickly a product or information product will become outdated. If it happens very quickly, it will increase possible business risks.

And ninth, consider opportunities to build momentum. If the business turns out to be profitable, it will be easier to scale it in a growing market and with a sufficient number of potential clients.

When comparing several groups of goods or services, you can evaluate them according to the given criteria and compare which is more profitable for you.

Steps to starting an internet business

In what sequence can you proceed to start a business online?

1. Selecting an object (product, service, information product) according to the steps described in the previous paragraph.
2. Carrying out calculations, drawing up a business plan.
3. Testing a business with this object.
4. Making a decision to continue/terminate sales of an object.
5. If continued, the business will be replicated.

These stages can be completed several times with different products or services until the best option is selected. In addition, the choice of profitable options can be continued even if you have a successful business, because the demand for many things changes, new goods and technologies appear, and seasonal demand for certain goods arises.

We have already considered the choice of a sales object, and we will devote a separate paragraph below to drawing up a business plan.

Therefore, here we will immediately move on to the testing stage.

Let's say you've chosen the service you want to provide, found out that there is a demand for it, and that many people are advertising about it.

Where you should start testing is by determining what promotion methods your competitors use.

You can check the demand for advertising on large platforms: Yandex, Avito, other well-known, as well as specialized resources and other channels that, in your experience, are more often used when searching for clients for this service. If the service is local, it is also worth finding groups in your area on social networks.

You need to find out the cost of advertising across all channels. And then choose the least expensive methods of promotion in order to try them out first. Advertising costs should be considered not only direct, but also those associated with the creation of the site. For example, if you see that you can place an ad from a private person on Avito, perhaps you should take advantage of this first, rather than immediately spending time and significant funds on creating your own resource. To sell a variety of services and individual products, you can use pages on social networks and one-page websites. This will save you money when starting a business.

Some promotion methods may turn out to be very inexpensive, and some may even be free. However, it is worth setting aside some money to test different promotion channels.

Next, it makes sense to make a plan for time, money and methods of promotion when testing the niche, as well as the expected results. And then record all the data (how much money was spent and how many hits there were from each channel).

Prepare for the start of sales without making unnecessary expenses (collect the necessary materials, get separate telephone numbers, if appropriate, set up pages on social networks or the minimum possible websites).

After this, you can launch the first advertisement - starting with the lowest cost one. Often, the result of promotion depends on many factors (drafting an ad, the availability of a portfolio, the effectiveness of the advertising platform, etc.). Therefore, it will obviously be too early to draw a conclusion about the success of sales after one attempt at advertising on one site.

According to statistics, not every contact with a client (viewing your ad) turns into a sale. 100 views from interested customers can result in, for example, one sale. If we are talking about advertising on a non-core resource where visitors were not looking for your services (for example, a city group), then tens of times more views may be required.

During the testing stage, you need to ensure a sufficient number of views of your ads.

If we are talking about advertising in Yandex.Direct or Google Adwords, the number of clicks on your ads should not be 10-20, but approximately 100 for each potential sale. And these should be target clients; do not waste money on too general and non-core requests.

When executing your plan for your first test ad, it makes sense to adjust your advertising campaign based on new data received and customer feedback.

Once you have reached a sufficient number of potential customers, you can estimate the resulting sales of your service (or product) as well as the average cost per sale. And based on this, make a rational decision about whether to continue this activity further or find something more interesting.

Online services for starting an Internet business

New services appear on the Internet all the time; we will list a few of them. You can probably find others to suit your specific needs.

• Yandex Wordstat. We have already described how convenient this service is for determining the demand for a product/service and determining the seasonality of its sales.
• Yandex.Direct and Google Adwords- two main services for placing search advertising.
• Yandex Market- a large Russian platform for selling goods.
• Aliexpress- a large international platform for selling goods.
• Avito- an effective platform for finding buyers of goods and services.
• In contact with- a social network with a large number of formed Russian groups of potential consumers (local groups, interest groups).
• Business plan designers- a range of online services for making calculations.
• Website builders- services that allow you to create your own website for free.
• Insales- service for independent creation of online stores.

Business plan: how to make the necessary calculations

Business plan- it's not just calculations. When prepared for investors, it can be a fairly lengthy document. It is unlikely that when starting a small online business, entrepreneurs will compose it for themselves in detail, but we will nevertheless present the main sections that are usually included in it.

1. Brief description of the project (form of business, required general financing).
2. Description of the product or service (main characteristics and price).
3. Market analysis (competition situation, sales channels).
4. Marketing plan (description of the target buyer, sales geography, main methods of promotion).
5. Production plan (if applicable) and logistics.
6. Personnel planning (how many people will work in the project).
7. Financial plan (cash flow budget).
8. Project implementation schedule (calendar plan).

If you are interested in completing all of these sections, online business plan designers will help you. Such a free service is even available on the Russian government website (on the federal SME portal).

But the most useful thing to do before starting a business is to create a cash flow budget. It can take the form of a table that shows all expenses (one-time and regular), as well as expected revenue and other income. Such a plan is drawn up monthly for a long period, for example, 3 years. At the same time, sales volumes must be planned taking into account seasonality. For example, if you sell skis, your income in winter and summer will obviously be different.

As a result, the planned profit is determined for each period, as well as this indicator on an accrual basis.

Don't forget to include in your expenses:

• business registration costs,
• taxes,
• rent if you plan to rent the premises,
• fare,
• purchase of goods,
• payment for advertising and website promotion,
• hosting costs and domain names,
• employee salaries,
• expenses for accounting support,
• site content, etc.

If you include all the necessary expenses in the table, you may be unpleasantly surprised by the possible result. But it’s better to see the danger at the planning stage and change plans than to spend months, or even years, working at a loss that can no longer be returned.

That is why drawing up calculations is highly recommended when doing business. Next, it is important to keep statistics in order to assess the real, and not the planned, state of affairs and take measures to optimize the situation.

An example of basic calculations for an online store

Each entrepreneur, as a rule, has his own expense items. It depends on the taxation system he chooses, hiring employees, renting a warehouse, transportation costs, and so on.

Without going into such individual details, we will give a schematic example of calculating the profit of an online store.

Such a calculation should be made before starting a business and then adjusted depending on the results obtained. For example, you see that with the planned advertising costs, the number of site visitors is half as much as was planned. Perhaps you should test other advertising methods or add new actual data on advertising costs to the main calculation.

A little about business registration

While you are testing different niches, you may not make a single sale at all. Or do one or two, which in essence is not yet a business. Therefore, there is little point in registering an individual entrepreneur or, especially, a company at this stage.

If the business has taken off, registration can be done quickly and without any problems. In the current legal regime, when registering an LLC, the document flow will be more voluminous than when registering an individual entrepreneur, so is it worth complicating your life?

We highly condemn working without registering a business in the manner prescribed by law, but some do this, taking advantage of the peculiarities of Russian legislation. For example, from the following article of the Code of Administrative Offenses it is clear that an individual in this case bears much less responsibility than a registered legal entity: “Article 14.15. Violation of the rules for the sale of certain types of goods. Violation of the established rules for the sale of certain types of goods - entails a warning or the imposition of an administrative fine on citizens in the amount of three hundred to one thousand five hundred rubles; for officials - from one thousand to three thousand rubles; for legal entities - from ten thousand to thirty thousand rubles.”

Nevertheless, there are a number of liability options for illegal business activities.

Selling things online is not a very complicated process, the success of which depends entirely on preliminary preparation, namely: calculating investment risks and developing a strategy for attracting customers. It is not enough to simply purchase goods and create a sales platform. At the very beginning, it is important to develop a marketing plan, conduct an advertising campaign and begin building a client base.

What you need to sell things online

The choice of a site for selling goods also plays a certain role; there are several options, but it is small. This can be your own online store (at the first stage, which you can create yourself and completely free), message boards and social networks:

• Online store. To create it you will need at least minimal knowledge in the field of SEO, unique texts with descriptions and photographs. Advertising also works effectively to attract customers.
• Notice boards. It requires perseverance, unique content and photographs. A great option to empty your wardrobe and sell used items.
• Social media. You need to have thousands of people as friends or a well-advertised community where selling handmade items online is great, and you also need photographs and descriptions of the goods.

Specifics of creating an online store

How do you sell things online, where to start? Not a single Internet project will make a profit without a high-quality selling website. The resource should not only be visually attractive and convenient, but also “catch” real people, and not search engines. The basis of a selling website is informativeness and unique content. Search engines, which are created to improve sites, help with this, as they require high-quality text, unique photographs and the presence of goods with descriptions. For the convenience of clients, you can add a forum to the site for discussion and the ability to communicate with specialists. As a result, search engines will display the online store on the first page of the search due to the frequent mention of keywords and unique text, and you will get new customers.

Promotion

It happens that the site contains high-quality text, unique photographs of excellent quality, a forum has been created, but buyers do not come. In this case, you need to start promoting the resource on the Internet, and most importantly, find a good specialist. Not many of those who are just exploring a new field called “Selling things online” can boast that they are well versed in promotion and are familiar with its possibilities. Therefore, it is better to contact a specialist who will do everything in the best possible way.

Popular resources for selling things online

Don't know how to sell things online? On the Internet you can find a huge number of platforms for selling goods, each of them has its own characteristics. Let's look at the three most popular:

1. Avito. A free site with excellent tools for selling different categories of goods (you can put up used items for sale), and there is also a large number of online stores. Even unregistered users can view ads, which is undoubtedly a plus. Selling things online on Avito is carried out through your personal account; therefore, you need to go through a simple registration procedure. Ads can be placed for free for 30 days, and there are also paid options for those who want to highlight their ad or raise it in search.
2. Ebay. A global platform designed to sell completely different things, there are both private sellers and large corporations. A clear advantage of the resource is free registration, but you will have to pay for each product displayed, which is an obstacle for some.
3. "Meshok.ru". A platform that provides the opportunity to put goods up for auction completely free of charge. The seller must register on the site, add high-quality photographs and a description of the product. According to the rules of the site, for each successful transaction the user must pay the owners of the resource 2-3% of the price of the goods sold.

Selling products online through social networks

Selling goods through VKontakte is very easy and simple. An online store is created for free; you can quickly create product catalogs and upload photos there. In addition, the owners of the VKontakte website are interested in attracting new users, so the seller has all the conditions for work. It is possible to attract customers for free by sending a friend request and sending personal messages inviting them to visit your online store. You can also conduct advertising campaigns, although in this case you will have to spend a certain amount.

So what do you need to sell things online and how to open a VKontakte store? It's quite simple. Many people create a resource on social media. networks parallel to the site, although at first, if you have a large number of friends, you can limit yourself to the VKontakte platform. For successful sales, you need to pay great attention to SEO promotion, filling the page with content and increasing the number of subscribers. If you doubt your abilities or are not ready to devote a lot of time to social networks, you can hire a freelance administrator.

How to work with the VKontakte service

1. Registration.
2. Creation of an online store.
3. Filling the page with products and content.
4. Conducting an advertising campaign.
5. Working with clients (carrying out promotions, stimulating repeat purchases).

The main attracting factors for buyers are price and assortment. Selling clothes online is a responsible business, but if you try and thoroughly fill out the catalog and offer the client a favorable price, he will undoubtedly prefer to make a purchase from you. To attract the target audience, it is recommended to use hashtags (#sale, #obnova, etc.); many buyers use them to find the right product.

Working with social networks, it is important to start building a base of regular customers from the very beginning, to do everything to ensure that selling clothes via the Internet is profitable, and that customers are satisfied and come back to you again. How to attract a buyer:

• Help in choosing color, size, style, etc.
• Placing in catalogs not only photographs, but also videos for maximum demonstration of the product.
• Using special programs for virtual selection of clothes.
• Possibility of online communication with the seller.

Payment system

The next point is to open an account in a payment system convenient for both the buyer and the seller. When opening an account in a Russian bank, the seller will immediately be faced with the issue of taxes, which will reduce all the advantages of selling online to nothing. An account in a foreign bank will save the seller from paying taxes, but buyers will not transfer funds there. The question arises: what to do? The best option is to pay for orders from an electronic wallet account; the system is not yet controlled by the tax authorities. Of course, not everyone has opened electronic accounts yet, but every day this payment method is gaining popularity.