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Build online business: Successfully selling online as a retailer
How long does it take to get started with online trading? Especially in times of the Corona crisis, the question comes up again and again: How do I manage to sell ONLINE? What do you need to get your online store up and running? In this video, Mohamed Ali Oukassi, Marvin Zimmermann and Malik Arrouj go through the key points from A to Z that you need to consider if you want to sell online as an OFFLINE DEALER.
First steps towards e-commerce
We are all experiencing uncertain times right now. If you could be sure of something not long ago, today you have to rethink everything. And this also affects entire work sectors. If you own a brick-and-mortar store and sell offline, it’s certainly difficult to generate the right sales at the moment. Have you ever thought about exploring e-commerce? Establish a second foothold with online trade? You may be thinking that this process will be too lengthy and also take up too much budget. But with a few valuable tips and the right strategy, you too can successfully make the switch to online sales.
Be online with just a few clicks
For example, with the e-commerce software Shopify, you can set up your own online store with just a few clicks. If you also use a standard template and upload your first items, you can start selling right away. As a payment method you can specify bank transfer, then you do not have to deal with the payment services. This is because the verification process usually takes a few days. First and foremost, you would have taken the first step towards e-commerce with this process. But how do you attract visitors to your online store? Surely everyone knows that good marketing is crucial to reach potential customers and generate a lot of sales in the end.
Marketing is crucial
Currently, you will find many advertisements that want to encourage you to sell online. What often falls into the background is what strategy you should follow. Do you already have a lot of range with your stationary store? Then the switch to online retail is a little easier, because you’ve already reached customers and made a name for yourself with your brand. Do you have a rather smaller brick-and-mortar store and now want to expand your offerings online? Then it is important to place associated advertising. For example, you can start with Facebook ads to make the first prospective customers aware of you there. Or even with Google Ads. However, it is difficult to grow organically on Google, especially in the beginning. To generate a lot of reach, relevant keywords are crucial. And you usually have to fight hard for them.
Pursuing a multichannel strategy
You need to distinguish between an online store strategy and a multichannel strategy. Of course, everyone wants their own well-built online store. And as we have already learned, it is also possible to build one with just a few clicks. However, if you don’t want to spend a ton of money on the right marketing, it’s beneficial to look into a multichannel strategy first. Multichannel means that you sell on multiple marketplaces at the same time. Marketplaces such as real.de, idealo or check24. For this, it is necessary to share your data with the marketplaces and also pay commission in the end. But if you compare the costs with the costs you have to spend on suitable advertising to present your online store, the multichannel strategy definitely pays off.
An own online store needs time and investment
If you get involved with different marketplaces, you will benefit from the wide reach. In addition, especially big names like real.de are professionally positioned and also offer you a lot of support. Having your own online store certainly achieves conversion. But to make it truly profitable, it takes some time. Time you need to invest in SEO, marketing, the right strategy and advertising. All this is important to deliver a good user experience to your customers. And to ensure this, an online store must be well programmed and professionally designed. But how can you ultimately place your brand? In the past, this process was made a little easier, you could achieve reach with external links and other methods on eBay, for example.
Ensure good service
These days, it’s a little harder to stand out, especially in a marketplace. This is ultimately due to the fact that marketplaces want to guarantee good service and thus rules for traders have been tightened somewhat. Thus, a customer who buys something on a marketplace knows that a certain level of performance is given. If you want to show customers on your own online store that you can also guarantee good service, this usually happens with a seal of approval like Trusted Shops. However, you will get this only after you have already made some sales. This means that, once again, you have to invest more time to achieve the same result with an online store as you would with the help of a marketplace. So if you want to sell quickly online, you will only be successful with a multichannel strategy in the first place.
Which marketplace is the right one?
In summary, this means: If you want everything to go a little faster, that’s exactly what you’ll achieve with multichannel. Nevertheless, one strategy does not exclude the other. If you bring enough time and also capital, you will also become successful with an online store in the long run. So if you start looking for a suitable marketplace, you will quickly notice how large the selection has become. Each marketplace has its own advantages and disadvantages. At real.de, for example, listings are primarily price-driven. For you, this means that as a new retailer, you will probably be listed lower for items of the same value. In the beginning, it can help you to exchange ideas with other traders in forums and get valuable tips. In general, you should accept help when you get it. In the end, experience always helps best to learn from already existing mistakes and to do it better yourself.
It pays to stick with it
With a marketplace, all you have to do is register and issues like payment are taken care of. This takes a lot of work off your plate, especially when it comes to complicated legal issues. Nevertheless, it is always an advantage to have a good tax advisor on your side. Especially if you also want to sell on international marketplaces. Check out the right instances, many of which are even free. Once you’ve found the right people to talk to and are realistic about it, you have a good chance of getting off to a successful start in online retailing. For example, if you choose a good interface that allows you to connect multiple marketplaces, the technical process will also go well. It’s important to think about what strategy you want to pursue up front – and then stick with it.
You want to sell online?
You have more questions about the topic and want to get additional tips? We can guide you on your journey from offline retailer to successful online retailer. Just get in touch with us without any obligation.
Haben Sie Fragen oder brauchen ein individuelles Angebot? Zögern Sie nicht, uns zu kontaktieren.
