The various alternatives to selling online can be seen positively by your brand. However, to be successful, you need to know which channels can be most helpful in communicating with the right audience.
In addition to Ecommerce platforms, there are a variety of channels available to promote your products and, according to your needs, even create virtual stores. This article shows you some of these possibilities to sell online satisfactorily.
First of all, have your brand’s buyer personas defined. With this, the chances of spending time and money on a type of communication that does not have the expected return are reduced. Here are some channels that can help you sell online.
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Given this variety of options, we have separated some channels that can be used to qualify your online sales.
1 – Marketplace
The Marketplace is a space where different companies advertise and sell their products. Services like Amazon and Mercado Livre are two of the most famous Marketplace examples.
This is an excellent way to sell online, above all, because it can be used by those looking for greater prominence at less cost. In addition, the Marketplace can also be used as a complement for companies that have other ways to market their products.
Despite the Marketplace benefits, not everyone is willing to adopt this channel. To give you an idea, 45% of online stores do not use marketplaces as an option to sell online.
2 – Google Ads
In addition to being a reference among search engines, Google also provides several channels that can be used for online sales. One of these examples is Google Ads, a service that focuses on creating ads displayed on the search engine itself and sites linked to it.
If most people “Google” to ask questions or look for specific products, there is nothing better than using this space to show that your brand can be the ideal solution for them. According to Stat counter, Google is used by over 97% of users, followed (by far) by services like Yahoo! and Bing.
In Ads, you can create text ads, usually made up of a callout with a link to a specific page and supporting text, making it easier to understand what is being promoted. This type of ad can be made for Google search pages and the Display Network (addresses that have a link with Google).
Google can also help you who do not yet have a website to sell online through paid services such as Google Domains or free options such as Google Sites and Google My Business. Once you’ve created the site, you can use it as a destination for your ads.
3 – Google My Business
Google My Business makes it possible to create a space with the most relevant information about your brand for users who search for it (or something related to the industry it operates) on Google. After registering for this service, people can find information such as an address, opening hours, contact phone number, and website. However, Google My Business goes further than that.
This tool can also be used as a sales channel for your company, regardless of whether you have a website or not. As you saw in the previous topic, Google My Business allows you to create a website to promote your services. And the best: for free.
4 – Google Shopping
Yes, another Google sales channel. Google Shopping can help more people find your brand, but not just that. This service provides consumers with the opportunity to compare products from different brands.
It is important to highlight the most relevant information for each product that you want to include in this channel. Consider that, in addition to your brand, there may be others promoting the same types of products and, therefore, you need to think of ways to show the best in each of your items.
5 – Facebook
Facebook has its Marketplace, which can be adopted by individuals and companies, as one of its sales channels.
To start promoting your company’s products, all you need to do is have a Facebook page. If your brand already has this page, access the “Store” tab and fill in the requested information.
6 – Instagram
With more than 200 million people actively interacting with the most diverse brands, Instagram is one of the most effective channels for creating content and getting closer to potential customers. The best part is that this media, like Facebook, has a space focused on promoting products.
The first step to creating your online storefront on Instagram is to have a business account connected to a Facebook page. You must have at least nine publications for your store to be activated.
7 – WhatsApp
At the beginning of 2018, WhatsApp already understood its importance for the relationship between companies and customers when it launched the Business version. With this version, companies have gained extra resources to manage their relationship with their online audience and, why not, sell more.
To facilitate communication with the public, you can insert automatic responses, such as greeting messages or some more detailed presentation of your company. Therefore, using this feature, you prevent users who contact you at an alternative time to the one you attend from being unanswered and uninformed about your brand.
Also Read: Digital Marketing with Google My Business