| E-Commerce Newbie |
| Page: Stores |
If you already have a store then you know just what is involved when dealing with stock, shipping, returns & customers, an Online Store is no different
For a first time internet marketer it might come as a bit of shock. I don't wish to discourage anyone but if you are looking to do this as a second line of income then you must be prepared to return phone calls & emails in your spare time.
Before you go rushing into design & committing your time to a web store you first need to source products to sell - AT A PROFIT - If you cannot make a reasonable margin then there is no point in doing it.
If you already have a brick & mortar store or have items to sell you can skip ahead to How to Build an Online Store, however it never hurts to expand your offerings & capture a larger audience, be careful not to diversify too far but complimentary products are always a good idea.
Dropshipping is by far the easiest & safest way of running an online store. You don't have to buy stock up front so its also the cheapest way.
Drop Ship wholesalers will normally provide both product images & descriptions so all you have to do is add the product to your store as you would any other product.
Some Dropshippers will even provide the website templates & design so research before you build.
So what is Dropshipping?
When a customer buys a product, you then turnaround and purchase the product from the wholesaler this way you are not out of pocket. The wholesaler will package & ship direct to your customers, there may also be an extra charge for the dropshipping service so ensure you read the wholesalers terms of service & keep an eye on their shipping charges.
You may also want to try your hand on Ebay or other auction sites just make sure you set a min to cover your costs, then any bid above min is profit!
Dropship Wholesalers & Directories
One avenue of product sourcing that is very rarely pursued is to check out your local specialty & craft stores, discuss a wholesale discount with the store manager. Store Managers love sales they don't have to work for! Take pictures of the products you intend to market & post online.
This is a great way to get original content, it seems crazy but you would be amazed just how many specialty stores don't sell online.
Turnkey Dropship Stores
Pro Stores is the perfect solution if you don't want the hassle of building your own website.
ProStores offers a complete Turnkey Experience!
Hosting / Storefront / Shopping Cart / Real-time payments / Easy setup and more..
They feature professional full custom designs and other services from their Certified Designers.
A turnkey website will certainly jump start your business & save you an allot of time!
If you Google Dropship Website or Dropship Store you will find a number of wholesalers offering ready built sites.