When a pandemic strikes like COVID-19 and we are not able to meet face to face, life must go on. Consumers are still buying daily. Being unable to visit brick and mortar stores anymore forces consumers to turn to online shopping. Businesses like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and many others thrive through E-commerce stores. Although it takes a lot of time, money, and effort to become as successful as Amazon, it is easy to start making money selling online products.
Product
Millions of suppliers all over the world sell their products on Alibaba. Through this platform, users can order items in bulk for a discounted price. This is where you can get your product if you don’t have your own to begin selling. The question is always “Tyler, what products do I sell?” and the answer remains, do your research! There are many ways to find trending products. I recommend using Google Trends and testing search results by plugging in products. See if people are searching for what you want to sell in the first place. I wouldn’t aim to sell high ticket items to begin. One example I can think of is fidget spinners. This toy became very popular in 2017-2018 and online stores were able to capitalize on profits by buying these in bulk and selling them online.
Brand
After you’ve found your product or products you need to think about branding. What are you going to call your online store? Make it unique yet memorable. What are your brand colors going to be? If you are not very artistic hire someone to make a logo for you. Yes, it will cost money but the return will be worth the initial costs. The logo gives you credibility and makes your brand more professional which will make consumers more comfortable purchasing from you.
Web design
Lastly, of course, you need an actual website. Again I would recommend hiring a professional it will take less time and will give you the professional look you need. Web design is no easy task, but if you would like to design your own website you should use Shopify. Shopify is easy to use and keeps track of all purchases and transactions made on your website. Other features include the easy organization of orders and printing of labels. Additionally, Shopify allows for marketing assistance to get your website traffic.
Overall if done correctly online business can be a great source of income. As long as you have products available and a functioning site, online businesses can be very low maintenance. Stop being the buyer and start being the seller. The money can be in your pocket.