
7 Ways to Make Your First Sale Online
Once you have an eCommerce store up and running, the next step is, of course, to focus on driving sales.
Successful eCommerce retailers don’t just launch and hope everything goes
If you’re a little short on ideas for making your first sale online, we’ve put together a list of seven methods you can test right away. Let’s jump right in.
1. Start an email newsletter
Collecting email addresses for your email newsletter allows you to stay in touch with potential or past customers on an
So how can you start gathering email addresses? Think about:
- Including an
opt-in on your eCommerce site - Asking customers to
opt-in during the checkout process - Using a lead generator (like a 10% off coupon) for those who sign up
- Including an
opt-in link in your email signature
These are just a few ways you can get
2. Create a blog
A blog is a place for you not only to promote new products and to share sale information, but it can help you build a relationship with customers by giving your audience a
Need an example? Online retailer Ugmonk wrote a blog that showed a product being made from start to finish.
3. Assemble a Lookbook
If you have a physical product that is associated with a lifestyle brand (think clothing, accessories, shoes, etc.), a lookbook that showcases your product in an aesthetically pleasing context helps buyers imagine themselves owning and using your products.
It’s a step beyond the standard product shot, and it gives shoppers an opportunity to see your products in action, too. Need an example? Check out L.K. Bennett’s online lookbook.
4. Partner with an Influencer
Think about who your audience looks to for advice about your type of
Not only is this a form of social proof that helps validate your online offerings, but it takes some of the
Bloggers Emma and Elsie at A Beautiful Mess partner with clothing stores to do Sister Style posts, which show them wearing products they’ve been given as part of a paid advertisement. In these posts, they link out to the stores that provided the
5. Test Facebook & Instagram ads
Facebook (which now owns Instagram) makes advertising
Plus, with Facebook’s
Create Facebook ads that speak to your target audience and have a compelling CTA for
6. Become a Source on HARO
HARO, AKA Help a Reporter Out, is a place where journalists and writers go to find sources for their articles. By becoming a source there, you can find opportunities not only to be quoted online and in print, but you can also share your expertise and build up authority as an expert in your field.
HARO sends out queries three times a day to source inboxes, and then you have the opportunity to respond with your best pitch. Over time, your successful responses will help you get your brand in front of new
Need more proof? Browse their success stories.
7. Participate in the Spaces Where Your Customers Spend Time
This last suggestion is a big one, because it’s how you’ll organically build relationships with customers. Find out where your target market spends time (is it a Reddit thread? A Twitter chat?) and participate there without making a sales pitch. Be resourceful, be kind, and strive to make friends in these spaces.
It’s what Gary Vaynerchuk did to grow his online wine
This is a lesson straight out of Dale Carnegie’s book How to Win Friends and Influence People.
Over time, people will come to know who you are and what you
Make Your First Sale Online: Try New Methods
If you’re not already executing some of the strategies outlined here, today is the day to start. In no time, you’ll be well past your first online sale and busy packaging up orders.
If you’re past this point in your business, what are some of the ways you made your first sale?