How to sell online for a small business

Even if you have a brick-and-mortar store, you should also consider setting up a small business online store. Online retail allows you to reach customers near and far. Some online sales strategies can be applied directly to your business’s website, and you can use some sales strategies on other digital platforms as well. Learn how you can increase your customer base and online sales.

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Conduct keyword research

Before you start selling your small business’s goods or services online, you’ll need to know how consumers are searching for your products. Conducting keyword research can help you uncover the words and phrases people are searching online that are related to your business’s goods and services. There are keyword planner tools that can show you what terms people are using to search and approximately how many people search them each month. Once you know which keywords to use, implement them on your small business’s website.

Write blog content using the keywords

There’s more than one way to use keywords on your small business’s website. Incorporate them on the homepage, product description pages, and your business’s “about” page. Writing online blog posts can also expand how much you use your targeted keywords on your business’s website. The more your website includes the keywords, the more its rank can increase when it appears on the search engine results page.

Publish blog content on your website that’s focused on topics related to your goods or services. If you own a carpet cleaning business, write blog posts that focus on relevant topics, such as “how to clean marker stains out of your carpet” or “how to extend your carpet’s lifespan.” Blog content helps leverage the benefits of your business’s goods or services.

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Highlight customer reviews

Consumers like seeing feedback and reviews from people like them. They want assurance that others have tried a good or service and enjoyed it before they decide to purchase it. Include reviews from real customers on your small business’s website and on search engine review pages. Allow them to attach photos to their reviews as well, so that potential buyers can see how other people have used your good or service. Reviews can be used to build trust with potential customers and increase your sales for the products that have positive reviews.

Use High-Quality Photos And Videos

It’s important to use high-quality photos and videos on your website when showcasing a good or service that you sell. Shopping online is different from shopping in physical stores because consumers can’t see, touch, or feel the product before they buy it. Take photos and record videos that show the color, size, texture, and other features of the products you sell online. Use different angles and a white background to depict the product as

true-to-image as possible. High-quality visual aids can help the customer feel confident that the product is what they’re looking for, and the photos can reduce how many returns, refunds, and customer complaints your small business receives.

Sell Products On Markets Outside Of The Business Website

Some consumers don’t trust ordering products from websites they’re unfamiliar with because of all the spoof websites on the internet. However, you can still reach these cautious consumers. Connect with new audiences by selling your products via online marketplaces in addition to selling them directly through your small business website. Some of the larger, more familiar online marketplaces offer customers faster shipping options. Because these marketplaces typically have a bigger marketing budget, they also tend to have a larger customer base and higher visibility on the search engine results page. Take advantage of these features by selling your products in more than one place online.

Go Live On Social Media

Interact with consumers all over the world by using live streams on your small business’s social media pages. Using live videos is a free method your business can use to promote a good or service. This marketing tool allows your small business to build rapport with current and potential customers by giving you the chance to respond to their questions and comments in real-time. Your business’s live videos don’t have to be basic Q&A sessions either. Take viewers behind the scenes to see how products are made, how products can be used, and how a service works. Use live videos to highlight the quality of your goods or services.

Focus on customer service

Stellar customer service is one of the most important strategies your small business can use to increase its sales. A good customer service strategy doesn’t only include responding to complaints, but it should also include daily interaction. Respond to questions and comments left on your social media profiles. Add an FAQ section to your business’s website to answer some of the customer’s potential questions ahead of time. Create and manage more than one way for them to contact your small business because not everyone uses social media. Improving your customer service procedures will leave a positive, lasting impression on customers and encourage them to buy from your business again.

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Use Email Marketing

Social media is just one way to connect with consumers. There are people who check their emails just as much as they check their social media feeds. Place an email subscription banner on your website and include it as an option customers can sign up for when completing a purchase. Use email marketing to promote new sales, alert customers when products are restocked, and remind them when they’ve left items in their shopping carts.

Follow The Trends

Stay ahead of what your target audience wants by following consumer trends. Continuously research trends that are relevant to your goods or services. These trends might influence new products that your business wants to create. You can also discuss the trends in your blog posts even if your small business doesn’t make any new products related to them. Conduct keyword research to find out how consumers are searching for the trends. Use the keywords where appropriate on your website and social media pages.

Increase Online Sales For Your Small Business Using Microsoft Advertising

Selling goods and services via online marketplaces, using social media, sending emails to customers, writing blog content, and conducting keyword research are just a few online sales strategies to help your small business increase its sales and grow its customer base. Microsoft Advertising can help you reach larger audiences, connect with customers, and manage advertising campaigns. Start selling your goods and services online today with Microsoft Advertising.