How to sell online?

How to sell online? There are several more or less advanced systems for selling your products online. This post was born from the need to share the experiences of many of our customers who, during the difficult period of the lockdown caused by the coronavirus, found themselves having to manage sales in some way, even though their companies were closed. The recurring question was: “ I have a shop and I want to sell online: how can I start selling via the internet? ".

Our response has always been the same: first of all we have provided our customers with advice to try to exploit this period, transforming it , if possible, into a constructive opportunity . In this article you can read our tips.

We then tried to explain to them that the time has come when all companies organize themselves to create an e-commerce site . The internet sales channel must operate in parallel with traditional sales channels: they must complement each other in a synergistic and harmonious manner.

The market is now mature and forced quarantine has broken down the last barriers of distrust towards online shopping: this opportunity must be exploited, even by small commercial realities.

With this guide we want to share our advice with you too, starting from concrete cases.

Ok, but how do I sell online without an e-commerce? The problem is just this: selling your products online requires organization, long-term strategy, marketing actions and a certain budget to invest. Our advice, especially for smaller businesses or otherwise not equipped for online sales, is to approach this new sales channel gradually .

There is no magic recipe : therefore, even if you do not yet have a structured e-commerce, we advise you to experiment gradually and proportionate to your economic possibilities, always measuring them and evaluating them objectively, to allow your company to gradually adapt to the new dynamics related to online sales . Try, test, straighten the bar. The advantage of smaller companies is linked to greater flexibility. Imagination, combined with that touch of healthy entrepreneurial madness, can also be the key to success for your business.

P make our advice as a starting point, which you will then have to customize and develop according to the specificity of your business and your experience. Each action requires different budgets and times: evaluate and implement in the most useful way for your company. But do it strategically on the basis of a medium-long time horizon, so that nothing goes to waste.

Now let's see how to start selling online in a very short time and, if possible, with little budget . At the bottom of the article we also explain how to manage deliveries.

1 - Sell by phone

Collecting orders over the phone is the oldest technique , certainly not very modern, but always effective. If you have a good relationship with your customers, let them know that they can call you and that you can collect orders over the phone. It's free and, if you chat verbally, you will see that you will be able to consolidate the relationship with them more.

How to let your customers know they can order over the phone?

Communicate it on your site . If you have a consolidated community in your social channels, communicate it there too.

If you have a mailing list, send an informative newsletter to all your customers , always in compliance with the legislation on privacy, I recommend (if you do not have a well organized and possibly segmented mailing list, the time has come to build it: IMMEDIATELY!). Once the mechanism has run in, wait for the first orders: when they arrive it will be a beautiful surprise.

Ah, a little detail: it's free!

2 - Sell by email

Let's take a small step forward and start using technology.

Notify your customers that you can make home deliveries and regulars to send you an email with the order . It is a small step forward compared to the previous point, but much more comfortable for you, because you avoid wasting time on the phone: the phone call interrupts the activity you are carrying out at that moment, while you can organize yourself to manage emails in certain time slots. The conversation is asynchronous, with all the advantages that come with it.

Again, it's free.

3 - Sell with Whatsapp

Let's take another step forward. We all have Whatsapp and use it. Just everyone.

Why not sell with Whatsapp and use it as an order collection system? It is simple, immediate, intuitive. Whatsapp is also very useful for strengthening relationships with your customers, by communicating with them directly. If you have not yet used Whatsapp to build a relationship with your customers, the time has come to start doing it: NOW!

News are always welcome. You will see what a pleasant surprise to find that your loyal customers have missed your products and that they are very happy to order from you, even with this new method.

Again the good news is that it's free!

How to let your customers know they can order via Whatsapp

If you have one or more groups on Whatsapp in which you have inserted your customers or, better still, specific groups of customers, use this tool to communicate to them that they can send you orders via Whatsapp. If you don't have active groups, communicate this new opportunity to your customers, through the channels we have seen previously.

How to integrate Whatsapp into your website

We give you an extra idea, which requires a little programming intervention.

Why don't you integrate Whatsapp into your site to use the site as a connection tool between you and your customers via mobile phone? in this way the chat started by the user on the site arrives directly on your Whatsapp account.

If your site was created with WordPress, it's very easy : there are plug-ins that deal with integration. In most cases they are free and the configuration is very simple. Here are some.

If you are not familiar with plug-ins and the cost for your agency is too high, look for a consultant on freelance platforms such as Fiverr for a few euros. At this link you can find some example results .

Integrate Whatsapp into social channels

It is possible to integrate Whastapp with Facebook and Messenger, so that users can automatically connect via a button with your Whatsapp account. It can be a useful tool, it certainly deserves to be evaluated.

Whatsapp Business

Whatsapp Business is a free app designed for small business owners . Facilitates customer relationship management thanks to some additional features that make it unique and useful.

In fact, it is possible to enter the company's website, as well as allowing the management of automatic replies, the analysis of usage data, broadcasting lists and groups. The app can also be activated on a landline number.

Whatsapp Business also allows the creation of a catalog, a sort of virtual showcase through which to show products and services. For each product you can enter photos, description, price and code.

Here the indications to create the catalog .

4 - Orders via Messenger

You can also use Messenger to collect orders with your customers . The same considerations that we made in the previous point with respect to Whatsapp apply.

Messenger is very popular because it is integrated with Facebook (and like Whatsapp is owned by Facebook), so it is an excellent tool for collecting orders.

Like Whatsapp, Messenger can also be easily integrated into your site .

5 - Live chat systems on your site

If your site is well done, it works, it has good traffic, your customers are used to using it and maybe it has a good SEO services optimization , you can consider integrating a web chat system on the site.

These are systems of direct dialogue with customers very similar to those seen in the previous points.

There are many technical solutions. We must evaluate the pros and cons in advance, we must be sure that they are stable and with a good user experience: if they are poorly designed, they are not fluid and they get stuck, customers get nervous and we do not do a good service.

The technologically most reliable solutions are not free.

Here are some examples of WordPress solutions.

6 - Sale by video call

Imagine that your customers have already been informed that you are available for remote sale. Let's imagine that you have already activated one of the communication channels seen in the previous points. Now let's try to imagine a more personalized and sensory sales experience .

We will tell you about the case of a friend of ours. He is the owner, together with his brother, of a wine shop.

They do not have an active e-commerce on the site, but they did not get caught up in the discomfort of the moment during the lockdown for the Coronavirus. They communicated to all customers the willingness to collect orders remotely and invented Drink @ Home, the sale with video call. By making an appointment with the customer, through video call they welcome the customer into the shop, talk to him as if he were physically close to them, accompany him on the shelves, tell him about the characteristics of the wines and make him live a new sensorial experience.

The operation was successful beyond expectations and have been mentioned in the newspapers.

Why don't you try to imagine something similar for your shop?

7 - Facebook showcase

You can sell your products directly through Facebook , which is perfect from this point of view.

There are two ways to sell products through Facebook: you can sell them in the marketplace or you can create a virtual shop through a showcase on your Facebook page .

Obviously you must have a company page.

8 - Sell with Instagram

Instagram is increasingly popular. It is visual and perfect for selling online.

The platform is growing a lot from this point of view and new features have recently been introduced aimed at promoting products and selling directly via Instagram.

These options are valid if you already have an e-commerce developed. Instagram integrates with Shopify and BigCommerce. You can read this guide for Instagram.

To activate shopping on Instagram you must have an active showcase on Facebook and many fans.

As we have seen for Facebook, Instagram also becomes an important sales tool if combined with sponsored campaigns on specific targets.

Read also: Are you looking for free question and answer sites..

But that's not what we wanted to talk to you about here: imagining that you don't have an e-commerce already active and fully functional, you can take advantage of Instagram to promote your products through posts and stories and collect orders not via e-commerce, but via message, which you will manage with the methods seen above.

We can tell you the example of Serendipity Aesthetics , also from Turin. Maria Laura is not only a dear friend, but a great professional, who impeccably manages Instagram and uses it regularly to collect orders and dispense her "Serendipitine" with advice and useful information.

Here is his page: