Business Marketing & Finance Resources

Having a virtual store or online store gives us the ability to count millions of potential customers, but if nobody knows about our business or not there are sufficient reasons to buy our products, it is unlikely that someone else does.

So to succeed with an online store, not enough to have a good design or sell good products, but we must also ensure a good visitor traffic to our store, and encourage consumers to buy our products. And the way to achieve this is through promotion.

Then see what the main ways to promote an online store:

SEO

Generally, most of the visits to a shop, comes from search engines (especially Google), so that the main way of promoting an online store is to provide a good position in search results these search engines.

Having a high ranking on search results not only gives us the possibility to have more visitor traffic to our store, but appearing at the top of search engines on consumers generates a greater sense of confidence.

Search engine positioning a virtual store or any other web page may take some time, and depends on several factors, including the main ones are external links pointing to the website, and proper use of keywords.

The more external links are located in quality web sites, pointing to our online store, the better our position in search engines. One way to get these links is by submitting articles to sites that post and allow us to put under each article a link to our store.

The other way to achieve a good positioning is making good use of keywords, for example, if our store is found every time someone on the search engines type in the words “Peruvian handicrafts, we must ensure that these words are repeated during all our websites, for example, in titles in texts and, if possible, even in the domain name.

But we must always ensure they are placed in a natural way and does not appear to have been artificially placed to affect search results, it could be penalized by search engines, and instead to increase our position, we could get to decide decrease.

Online advertising

Online advertising is advertising on the internet, which basically consists of placing graphics or text ads on other sites, such as for periodic payments, we can place banner ads on sites related to the theme of our business that offer such opportunity.

An effective way to advertise online is through Google Adwords program, which allows us to put our ad on different sites related to the theme of our business, paying for the clicks that visitors make in our listing.

Another form of advertising is writing articles related to our products (for example, advice on the proper use of it) on sites that allow us to do so, and under each article, we put a little blurb proficient in our online store (avoid also include a link to it).

Offline advertising

Although our online store can be based exclusively on the Internet, we should not dismiss the opportunity to make offline advertising (advertising off-grid).

For example, we could advertise in traditional media such as television, radio and written press, although there are several other lower-cost alternatives such as small posters advertising or posters, distribution of flyers, creating business cards, yellow pages ad , clothing apparel advertising, etc.

Email marketing

Another way to promote our online shop is making use of email marketing, for example, by having an email newsletter or by sending emails to our major customers where they do know, for example, the launch of our new products or promotions.

Sales Promotions

Another way to promote our online shop is using sales promotions such as special offers, discounts, coupons, gifts, sweepstakes, contests, etc.

For example, we give away a free product by purchasing a different product, or send an email to our core customers by offering a discount coupon which can be redeemed when purchasing one of our products.

Good presentation of the product

A good presentation of the product implies that each of our products displayed in our store count on a good image (not too small and that clearly shows the product), an attractive description (which highlight the main features or benefits of the product) and have a good variety of products (have a good stock of products which, in turn, will be constantly updated.)

Promote products on other websites

Another way to promote our online shop is promoting our products on websites such as marketplaces or auction sites such as Mercadolibre or eBay, which allow us to display and sell our products as well as the opportunity to promote our online store, and that Equally, achieving increased visitor traffic to it.

If you got to save some capital and are thinking of investing your money, you can find many investment alternatives in the following link. But if you want to invest with little capital, we present below 3 good options to invest with little money:

1. Home Businesses

An option to invest a little money is invested in creating a home business.

To set up a home business just need to invest in the empowerment of a room that serves as a local or office, for which you may need a desk, chairs, computer, and other things you probably already have at home.

Alternatives to start businesses at home are varied, you could put a children’s nursery, a school dance, a repair shop, a consulting and even open a store in your garage as long as you have one, and your home have a good location.

2. Internet Business

One type of home business where you have not invested much money is an Internet business.

To start an Internet business, you simply need a computer and an Internet connection (things you probably already have), and make minimum payments for the hosting service web page, in case you need one.

Alternatives Internet business are varied, you could create a web page or blog and earn money from advertising, set up a virtual store, sell products on auction sites, subscribe to any affiliate program and promote third party products, writing and selling eBooks , etc.

3. Mutual Funds

Finally, another option to invest with little money to invest in a mutual fund or investment.

Today there are many mutual funds where you can start investing with just $ 100.

To invest in mutual funds just have to go to some fund management company or any bank that offers this product and consult the various types of mutual funds that count.

Internet commerce is increasing at a rapid pace, increasing the number of Internet users, and increasingly increasing purchases via this medium.

As a good business opportunity is to create a virtual store, either to sell the products that we sell in our physical business or company, or to sell new products and start a new business.

Basically, an online store is a website where products are displayed, offering the possibility that visitors can purchase them by paying via credit card. Once payment is made, the product can be downloaded by the client, or is sent to your home.

In a virtual store may sell all kinds of products, but due to security concerns and habits, some fail to be as successful as others. Among the best sellers at online stores are eBooks, software, apparel, music, spirits, crafts, postcards, gifts, etc…

Although a virtual store is designed primarily to sell products via the Internet, also serves to promote the products, the brand or company. It also offers the possibility that the visitor know how to contact us (for example, to request additional information), or know where to find us physically.

Another advantage of having a store is that its creation is generally simple and low cost, operates 24 hours a day for every day of the year and, above all, allows us to reach markets located anywhere in the world.

To create a virtual store, just have some knowledge of web design, and make use of programs such as osCommerce and Zencart OpenCart. But if we do not have expertise in web design, then we must hire the services of a professional designer.

When designing ourselves, or send to design our virtual store, keep in mind the following considerations:

* Professional and appealing design: our online store must have a professional and attractive design, i.e. must have a well-worked design that projects the image of a serious company. And, in turn, must have a design that attracts and encourages the user to purchase.
* Quick and easy navigation: the navigation of the online store should be simple, intuitive and fast, we must ensure that the user can easily locate the products they seek, and always know what section you are. And besides, we must ensure that the store pages load quickly, preventing the end user can expect both bored and decide to leave.
* Trust and security: in the Hispanic market there is still some distrust to shop online, so we must ensure that visitors feel safe when making purchases. To do this, we may use a digital certificate that ensures that customer information will not be intercepted by third parties and is kept confidential.
* Company information: You can also create a sense of confidence and security in the user is making a clear description of our company, which must include our key data such as address and phone.
* Product information: products will exhibit in our online shop as well which should be an attractive image, must also have a good description that highlights the main features or benefits. We must also clearly indicate the product price (including tax and shipping costs), and the delivery terms (forms and deadlines).
* Payment options: our shop has to offer several payment alternatives. There may be customers not to discuss alternatives, decide to seek the product in the competition. As well as providing the possibility to pay by credit card, we also offer other payment alternatives, such as bank deposit, bank transfer, send money through any international agency, etc.

Once we have our online shop is necessary to promote it, the main ways to promote an online store you can find them in the article: how to promote an online store.