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| How to Quickly Move Your Sales Online: 3 Simple Steps. |
If what you offer can be sold online, now is the perfect time to start doing it. Going online might help your business survive during tough times. Here are three easy steps to get started.
1. Set Up Online Payments
Where to Sell?
To kick off online sales, don’t waste time and money building a fancy website. A simple landing page showcasing your products is more than enough. You can use popular builders like Tilda or Wix and have it ready in just one evening.
Add a catalog of your products, contact details, and clear instructions on how to pay and what the delivery process looks like.
To save even more time, you can use ready-made templates that only need your business details inserted.
For an extra sales channel, consider using an Instagram page. It’s a great way to display your products and attract new customers.
Include information about payment and delivery in your posts and stories, and use services like Taplink to direct users to your landing page.
How to Sell?
Don’t shy away from online payments—it's essential for quick sales. Without it, you might push customers toward competitors who offer online transactions. The most important thing you can do for a speedy launch is to set up online payment processing, allowing you to generate payment links directly from your account with a payment service.
You don’t even need a shopping cart on your site. Customers can pay via email or messenger. Here’s how it works: the buyer selects a product, contacts you through the messenger listed on your page, and you send them a payment link.
You also arrange the delivery date. If you offer food delivery, suggest a weekly subscription, so customers can pay for a week’s worth of meals at once. You can create payment links for one-time or recurring payments.
Before connecting to a payment service, check how long it takes for the money to reach your account after payment, and find out how responsive the customer support team is.
Ideally, they should offer 24/7 support because customers won’t wait long if there’s an issue with payment.
If your business requires a fiscal receipt system, consider using a cloud-based cashier system with a fiscal storage feature.
Also, be mindful of the transaction fees. Until September 30, the Bank of Russia has set a reduced transaction fee of 1% for online sales. This applies to businesses selling essential goods like food, clothing, and medicine.
2. Organize Delivery
Of course, make it contactless. You can either hire a courier service or handle it in-house. If you go with an external service, check the average delay time to ensure their couriers are reliable.
Customers might reject orders upon delivery, so find out if partial returns are possible and how long it takes for the product to come back to you.
To avoid frequent refunds, you can set up two-step payments. First, authorize the customer’s card, and once the order is confirmed, the payment is processed.
If the order isn’t confirmed within a certain time (up to seven days, depending on the card type), the amount is automatically refunded.
If you only sell within your city, consider setting up your own delivery service. Your employees who are currently free could earn some extra money.
However, remember that switching roles (like turning waiters into couriers) requires their consent and a written agreement.
Make sure your couriers are equipped with masks, gloves, and sanitizers. Teach them how to handle contactless deliveries: when they arrive, they should call the customer, leave the package by the door, and step back at least three meters. No handshakes or cash payments—only pre-paid orders.
3. Tell Your Customers About You
Use your Instagram page to promote your products. A business account (linked to a Facebook page) allows you to monitor your posts’ performance and see what resonates with your audience.
If you know your target customer, consider using targeted ads. Don’t forget to host contests, offering prize giveaways like gift cards for your store.
Email marketing also helps; regular newsletters can remind your customers to make a purchase.
For loyal customers, suggest new products similar to their previous purchases.
By the way, you can also earn through referral programs. If you use online payment services like CloudPayments, you can join their affiliate program.
Recommend the service to fellow entrepreneurs, gather their applications for connection, send them to your account manager, and receive a well-deserved reward.
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