By Diane Crosby

If you have, perhaps, lived in a cave for the past decade, you may not know there is a big new world of selling opportunities online. More likely, if you haven’t begun selling via the Internet yet, it may be for lack of knowledge, time or staffing. All of that is understandable. The process of selling products online can be daunting to the uninitiated.

Prior to beginning any online sales, your store must be prepared to handle shipping. If you already have a process in place for shipping products to customers who call in, you should be fine to start. If internet sales ever get brisk, though, you may need help. As far as supplies go, you can reuse boxes and save packing materials (bubble wrap, etc.) that come your way from vendors. The postal service offers free boxes of many sizes if you are willing to ship priority. As sales increase, using a shipping website such as stamps.com can assist with weighing and tracking packages. Any service that picks up in your store saves time!

Many retailers dabble in online sales by going through an already-established entity, such as eBay. Once upon a time, eBay was an auction site only. Today, it is just as much a platform for sellers to showcase firmly priced products. It can be a good place to start. The website has instruction pages for sellers, which you may be able to follow on your own. Photos are a must, so a good phone camera can make the process streamlined.

The COVID pandemic created an even broader population of online buyers. Those wanting to stay isolated ordered from home. Shortages that continue to plague stores caused buyers to seek products on the Internet. The time has never been more essential than now to have a website. The next big step is a large one. It is quite common for even small stores to have their own websites for sales. Still, many owners do not know how to make this happen.

The question is will you have to hire someone to help with this huge task? The answer is probably yes. You may choose to employ an individual or service to build the basic website and teach you how to use and maintain it. It may be wise to hire someone to work in your store and also manage the website. There is time involved. Some of the tasks involving online sales may be split up among your staff. One person checks the email for orders. Another rings up the transaction. Yet another packs and ships the products. On the other hand, one person could do it all, if that works best for you. If staffing is a problem, there are several website services that will build and run your site. You simply fulfill and ship.

Resist the temptation to put lots of products on your new website at the beginning. Start slowly with your best sellers, making sure you can order enough of these items. In the current supply chain climate, you have your own issues to deal with. Don’t put items on the website that have been hard for you to find! Non-seasonal, proven products are great ones to launch at first.

Selling sized items online is another creature. Anytime you sell a sized item, you will have to manage returns and exchanges. As you know, brand sizing is not consistent. Also, some customers seem unaware of what sizes fit them. If you want to sell sized items online, have a plan in place for exchanges.

Adding or removing products from your website is another ongoing task. Whoever is charged with this job should be someone with good writing skills. You can take your own photos in house, but you can also often get great stock photos from your vendors. These can be ready-to-use and very professional. If you do your own photography, a light box or mini studio in your store can produce excellent work, whether using a regular camera or a high-quality phone.

Do you regularly pay attention to cost increases from your vendors that require changing the retail price in your store? Remember also to change the price on any online items affected by the adjustment. The prices online should match the prices in your store.

Customers have become accustomed to large online retailers who do not charge shipping. In fact, some do require a membership to get such “free” shipping or restrict free freight to certain purchasing thresholds. Charge what you must for shipping. You can also put a postal calculator on your website, so your customer can know the cost ahead of time. It is, therefore, best not to compete with online behemoths on general products. Make your website specific and special. Carry items that a general seller would not, staying in your wheelhouse.

Taking your online sales one step further includes marketing. Create your own side page on Facebook or other social media. Collect emails from customers and send out blasts with a link to your website. Put your website address on bags, cards, pens, magnets, everywhere! It is possible to develop a following of regular online customers, just as you have in the store. Do not be surprised if you eventually sell items around the country. Be aware, though, of scammers who order massive amounts, perhaps from out of country. They may be using stolen credit cards, leaving you holding the bag. If an order looks suspicious, it might be.

Setting up online sales can require help, taking time and effort. Is it worth the trouble? Most store owners would say yes. A broader customer base can substantially increase your sales. It may be time to take the plunge!