You may have read my post on 'things to consider before starting an online business'
This post focuses on the next steps you should consider in order to create a successful brand image & how to advertise your new setup
Create a relevant username
Any site you use will want you to create a username.
Picking a username is hard nowadays.
It can take a long time to come up with something you actually like the sound of; only for you to enter it in and find out that the username has already been taken!
You may want to have a username that links to what you are selling. However, be careful not to limit yourself for the future.
For example, if you are starting off selling womens earrings; but intend to branch out into other items of jewellery; jewellery for men, and/or other types of accessories; you do not want to limit yourself with a name like 'Fashion Earrings UK'.
When people read the username, they will most likely assume that you will only be selling earrings. Some males do wear earrings; but the market is predominantly female orientated. If you ever intend to sell items marketed for men; you do not want to limit yourself with a name that only really calls to one gender.
It's the same with clothing; if you intend to sell womens, mens, kids and baby clothing one day; choosing a name like 'BabyClothingStore' is limiting your audience.
I know that you can definately change your username on ebay and amazon if you need to or want to in the future; but it will break any links you have (by links I mean URL links). Returning customers may also find it difficult to search you again as your name will have changed. Depending on how much you have changed your name; you may also need to change the names of your social media accounts and any logo's etc. Getting the name right first time round will save you from this hassle.
Create a professional looking logo
Whether it be a simple text logo or one with a picture, it's better than having a blank picture next to your username. Having a logo helps to make you identifiable, so get one that you feel will represent you and your products in a positive light.
You can create your own logo but be careful of using images online.
A lot of images are copyrighted and people can get upset if you use their content for business purposes without even contacting them first. Some people can even go as for suing.
You can find many cool fonts out there that are not on MS Word; but people have generally made these as free content for personal use only. One site I like is DaFont.com
When you click on a font you like, there will be instructions on where it is free to use; as well as contact information if you wish to use commercially or for extended license.
You may wish to pay someone to create a logo for you if you do not know how to make one; or you simply do not have the time. You may have a complicated logo in mind but have no access to software like photoshop. It can be cheaper getting someone who already owns the relevant software and has the relevant knowledge to make it rather than you spend money and time playing a guessing game.
There are sites out there like fiverr.com where you can search for specific services you need and browse through all the different freelancers. Some are charging around £8 for a basic logo which is cheaper than a months basic photoshop subscription.
Choose a colour scheme
When you create a logo, you should try and keep the rest of your content a similar colour scheme. For example, if you are using ebay and have a bright pink logo; but then choose your shop colour scheme as black and blue; it is not really going to flow; it's just going to be confusing.
You may end up wanting to create a website one day for your business; so keep in mind that you will want to use a colour palette that is complimentary to the colours used in your logo, which should be displayed on every page on your website.
Advertise using social media
Will you be using social media to advertise?
Creating posts on linkedin, facebook, instagram, twitter etc. are free.
You do have the option to create adverts on these sites but it does cost. The use of hashtags helps those who do not 'follow' you, to see your posts.
Your posts will need to be made public so that anyone can go on the page and see what you have put up; whether you are 'friends' or not. You may want to create a seperate account on all these sites under your business name rather than use your personal profile if you would rather keep your personal life seperate. Your friends may also thank you for this. If you start using your personal profile as a place to start advertising everything every day; they may become a bit frustrated.
Under your personal account on facebook; you may decide to create a page for your business. This way you can still use your personal facebook and share content for only your friends to see; but be able to manage your business page all under one account. It saves having to log in and out, back and forth between accounts. It also saves you having to add customers as friends. They can choose to like and/or follow the page.If someone reacts to a post you have put up on there; you can invite them to like your page.
If you are just starting up; you may not have the money to spare on advertising. Facebook ads can be expensive and it does not guarantee that you will even reach the projected number of potential customers.
I would suggest looking at and trying out the different social media platforms available to see which one suits your needs best.
Instagram is heavily image based; you need to make sure your images are of good quality to stand a chance in getting noticed on there.
If you like to write a lot; twitter may not be your first choice as there is a character limit.
Make use of your platform's promotions
Each selling platform has it's own promotional opportunities.
For example, Ebay has a feature where you can promote your listing; at the expense of a percentage of each sale.
There can be hundreds of listings up for the same product; and products in that category.
Getting your listing to feature on the first few pages of a search is hard work.
It is partially based upon the keywords used in the listing title; how many views your listing has had and how many sales have been made.
Clicking on the 'promote listing' option allows you the chance to have your listing displayed before some others when people search for that product. They also place the advert in other places, so it may appear under 'similar items' at the bottom of the page on someone else's listing.
Ebay boosts the visibility of your listing and you only pay if you make a sale from it.
This is done per percentage you let ebay have when you make a sale on that listing. If you let ebay take 20% of each sale made compared to 5%; they will promote your listing better of course. However, check your profit margin first as you may find you only end up breaking even or end up making a loss per transaction; as all the other normal fees still apply.
Create a website
There are many sites that let you create a website for free.
Some require the use of coding which can be like trying to read a foreign language if you have no knowledge in it. Others let you simply drag content to where you want it and change the colour scheme without having to know the hex colour.
You have to pay for a domain if you want your URL to not feauture the sites name in it. There is normally a seperate fee to pay if you want to have a store. This enables people to purchase your products through your website.
For example, in order to sell on Wix, you must be signed up to a premium plan. It will cost less in fees compared to ebay but the problem is that you need people to actually visit your website. There are so many websites out there; yours will not come up on the top pages in google searches. Ebay has millions of people visiting their site yearly; so you stand more chance of your products getting seen on ebay than you do on your own website to start off with.
I had a website for my ebay business but never subscribed for a shop. I used it more of a way to show that I am legit. Sometimes when I am buying off someone; (depending on the item and its price), I will do a little research into the seller first. I check the feedback left on their profile and I check to see if they have a website. Sometimes you can get a good indication of whether you can trust someone or not based on their site.
I also wanted to test to see if my website could gain any interest and perhaps one day be the place buyers went to purchase my products; instead of through ebay; but alas this never became a success for me.
You will need to advertise your website to get hits. Make sure you link your website to any social media accounts you have and to any platforms. You may decide to set up an ebay and an amazon store. They both let you fill in information in the 'store front' section; which you can use to advertise your website. Facebook, instagram and twitter all let you put in a URL in your profile, so utilise this to advertise your site. You never know, you may end up having a website that successful that there will be no need to keep selling on ebay etc.
Create package inserts
You may want to get some custom business cards made up to put inside the packaging of your orders. You may want to get custom box sleeves or little 'thank you' notes with discounts.
Adding a personalised touch will make you stand out more and may make you more memorable. There are many websites such as vistaprint, who allow you to create custom marketing materials.
How you present your item for the customer to recieve is important and could make or break whether they purchase from you again. Once you have sent an item out; it is up to the delivery courier to get it there safely.
If you were selling beauty products; and sent someone their bottle of foundation and eyeshadow palette in a flimsy grey mailing bag with no bubblewrap; they won't think much of you. One, it shows no care has been given to the products which are fragile. Secondly, they won't remember who it's from.
There is nothing personal nor memorable about it.
They will only remember you if something arrives damaged; and that will be so that they can complain!
Having the items well presented along with custom inserts may make the customer want to purchase from you again. If you are selling 'one time purchase' items such as phones; and someone buys from you; it's not likely that they will buy another phone in the next few months as these are items that are supposed to last a few years.
Paying out for an expensive lot of custom packaging may not be as potentially profitable compared to if you are selling products that people can purchase multiple times.
A good example of this is phone cases. Some people will buy a new phone case every other month as they get bored of their current design and want a change. If you are someone who sells phone cases; whether it be custom printed ones or not; packaging them nicely with a personal touch can help you stand out compared to other sellers.
You can create business cards with vouchers on; such as '15% off your next purchase'. The next time they think 'I need a new phone case!' they will hopefully think of you and look at your store first.
Some companies pay for their own carboard boxes to have personalised text on; displaying their brand name in large text over the lid.
Having 'cool' or 'pretty' packaging can get you a few free advertisement posts online as people love to show off their hauls, but I would not really class it as something essential for a start up; especially if you do not have the funds spare.
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