How to Sell Online - What to Sell Online

"First off, I hope I caught you in time...read What to Sell? first, then come back to this page."

Laura Childs, 9th Oct, 2005

There are so many aspects of running an internet business to learn when you decide to sell products (shippable or digital) or services online. This page aims to fast-track you -  without confusion or information overload - to get you moving in the right direction as quickly as possible.

How to Sell Products Online

The route to sell any product online is to find out what people want and get it in front of them.

I know that sounds simplistic, but in many cases pulling off the 'get your offer in front of the people who are interested' task is not particularly easy - especially when you don't know where to start! We'll talk more about this later, on other web pages...

If you've already determined the product you're selling and defined your target market (and after you've created your website and discovered how to get traffic to your offer), only then do you need to worry about how to actually 'make' or 'process' a sale. Putting the cart in front of the horse by wondering about the mechanics of how to sell products online, will only slow your progress.

You might sell on your own website:

• one product through a mini-site, or
• many products on a content site

You might sell on other sites:

• products on ebay, or
• open your own yahoo store.

Again, I've simplified the variety above, because the knowledge of how to sell online is wrapped up in first understanding your market well enough to write directly to their interests, desires and comprehension ability. Once you've made that first sale, you'll move further into learning - then  testing and applying what you've learned.

Potential Customers Are on My Site, but I'm Not Making Any Sales!

This is a problem for many website owners and the reason why 95% of internet business fails within the first year. If you care for your business and want to make it work, it's time to learn the fastest and surest way to a sale. A style of marketing called 'direct selling'.

Direct selling is a skill that that can be mastered over time, but online it all begins with the way you write your sales letter (as that is the first and most direct contact you'll have with your customer).

Most of direct selling has to do with your sales copy - the printed words you use to 'pitch' your product and convince your reader that your offer is the one they should purchase.

So What's In Direct Selling 'Copy'?

• You'll want to write to your intended reader, in a conversational style that makes them feel you are speaking directly to them.
• In that same sales copy, you'll also have to build their confidence and trust in you. This is no small feat!
• You'll have to overcome your reader's skepticism and find a way to make your product more desirable than other similar products available to them.
• You'll have to be easy on the eyes and a pleasure to read, without being boring or flat.

There's definitely more to online direct selling than sales letter copy (which you can master over time), but to help you understand the process of what it takes to truly excel at selling online I've listed a few books and examples for you. The more you learn about and apply Direct Selling techniques, the more your income will grow.

All the Direct Selling Techniques You Need to Know

Are actually in one book, just released and available on amazon for less than $15. The Irresistible Offer: How to Sell Your Product or Service in 3 Seconds or Less. Written by the 'Godfather of Internet Marketing' - The Irresistible Offer.

Now trust me on this...I could quite easily have recommended you to an info-product here that would cost you hundreds of dollars and make me a fat commission to boot, but instead I'm suggesting you spend much less, get much more valuable information, and get your business moving quicker.

Spending a few days absorbing that book is such a small investment to help you, the new online entrepreneur...

"The good news is that you can earn as you're learning - just promise me - to never stop learning! The more you learn about selling, marketing and working online, the more you will earn. Every month my income goes up - every month I read, learn, digest and test new techniques and skills. You'll do this as well once you realize the value of it..."

For the first year that I worked for myself online I invested over 20% of my earnings back into my business - yes, I bought a new laptop and some other office equipment, but mostly I bought information from other online marketers. Information that I quickly put into practice and the results were fantastic to say the least!

While you're waiting for your new book on direct selling techniques to arrive, have a browse around this website and see if any of the online markets appeal to you - if any of their free courses or products interest you. If they do, sign up to their subscriber lists and watch how they market their products to their readers (there is much to be learned this way).

And, when you have a few dollars left over at the end of the month buy their information - they're busy in the field of marketing all the time to a variety of markets, their battle tested techniques are worth your investment.

And, if you have a marketing question, be sure to hit the interactive blog and post me a "how to sell online" related question. If I can't answer, I've got a few friends around to help you out! Web 2.0 Internet Marketing blog where you can read reviews, ask questions, or search the archives for even more help with making money online.

Other Online Selling Techniques to Know

• You'll have to follow up with your leads (that's why you need a subscriber list).
• You'll have to be prepared to change your marketing strategy or sales copy, if what you're shooting for isn't making the number of sales you'd hoped for.
• You'll have to be diligent in tracking and testing your efforts - to see what works and tweak your copy accordingly.