Whatever it is you sell, you are a vendor. From cars to coin purses, jewelry to jerseys, you are a vendor of your inventory. Being an e-commerce business can be tricky at times, and becoming the best vendor you can possibly be can seem like a daunting task. However, there are some tricks that will help you provide excellent service and be a vendor that others will refer their friends and affiliates to over and over. Below are ten tricks to becoming the best possible e-commerce vendor and sales person you can be.
- Have a Great Display – You may not be a physical table at a craft fair or a storefront on Main Street, but you are a presence and you should display your website and all online advertising as though it were your storefront — because it is!
- Car Salesmen and Kittens – Don’t take this the wrong way, there are some wonderful used car salesmen that are very nice to work with. However, in a stereotypical sense, used car salesmen are seen is pushy, loud and very obnoxious. Don’t be a kitten, either; being backwards and super shy won’t sell anything. While you aren’t physically in front of your customers, your website and online presence should express a balanced personality. Be a confident and savvy salesperson, but be a person, too.
- Stay Current – Just like you would change your display in your brick and mortar store to match seasons, holidays, sales, and so on, you should do the same with your online business and website.
- Be Fresh! – You want to make sure that your inventory is constantly changing. Keeping the same inventory in the same spot gives a stale impression of your site. Stay fresh and keep new items there all the time; people who visit your site often will learn to purchase an item before it’s not available anymore!
- Be Customer Conscientious – Know what your customers want and plan your inventory and customer service accordingly. Using tools like surveys and analytics reports can help you do this.
- Be Reasonable – Price your items reasonably. The handmade world is particularly known for overpricing. Now there’s nothing wrong with pricing for what an item is worth, but you should consider that you want a quantity of customers. Don’t undersell, but don’t make it so that your customers can only buy one item a year, either.
- Learn From The Best – Other small businesses that are successful are certainly your competition; however, they are your silent mentors, as well. They have obviously done something right to get to the position they’re in, and picking up their best practices and watching how they run their business is beneficial to you.
- Benefit from Rainy Days – When it rains, people usually don’t go outside to do shopping, they shop online. It may seem far-fetched, but many online sellers target their advertising to areas where there is predictable bad weather, or offer rainy day sales. Getting creative is half the battle, so it may work for you, as well.
- Be A Know-It-All About Your Product – Become an absolute expert in your product. One mistake that sellers make is to introduce too many products too quickly. When you position yourself as an expert in one niche market, you will be the go-to person for all of your customers, and word travels fast about knowledgeable merchants.
- Be A Social Butterfly – Be all over social media. It’s basically free advertising, and everyone is on their phones these days, so you are literally in the palm of their hand. Since your entire business is online, this is a great opportunity to market to them, where they are, and draw them into your website where they can shop and purchase.
Regardless of your market, if you utilize the above tips, you will be well on your way to becoming the best vendor of your chosen product. Be it handmade or purchased inventory, you can make your place in the e-commerce world by following these and other best practices you discover along your way. The e-commerce business is a wonderful opportunity, but it certainly takes some skills set and know-how. Master your business and become an outstanding vendor, and you will experience much success!