Tips for Creating an Online Store

Blendtec blenders can blend anything!  How do I know that?  They put up videos of them blending magents, glow sticks, lighters, and much more.  Their YouTube Channel has 128,000 subscribers and some of their videos have over 5 Million views.

This is a great example of viral marketing.  Think about videos you can possibly post to show how your products are way better than the competition.  Don’t be intimidated by the professionalism of Blendtec’s videos, there are plenty of low quality videos that do just as well.  Just put something out there!

Check out their most popular video where they blend an iPhone:

I love Gmail!  I think it is the best email service.  I go through at least 300 or so emails a week and Gmail makes my life easier.  Ok… I am done with my Gmail plug.

If you own your own domain, you can use Gmail technology to use your own email address (like [email protected]) with Google Apps – best of all it’s free for the standard edition!  All you need to do is sign up for the Google Apps Standard Edition and follow their steps.

FYI: The standard edition is all you need if you have less than 20 people in your company and you don’t mind the unobtrusive advertisements.  Feel free to checkout the premium edition if you need it.

Every few days I get an email from a concerned customer.  They ask me if a certain store is legit and they want a little proof before they buy.  You are definitely loosing sales by not making your store look trustworthy.

Here are a few things you can easily do:

#1 List your email address on your contact us page or on your homepage.  Put your name in the email address.  For example [email protected] sounds way more trustworthy than [email protected].

#2 Accept Google Checkout and/or PayPal.  When an online store says they only accept money orders or western union I automatically think “This man is a scammer!”.

#3 Post a picture of yourself.  A real picture.

#4 Answer your emails.  When a customer asks a question all you need to do is simply answer it.

#5 Post a few customer testimonials.

#6 If your prices are too good to be true.  State the reasons why in your product description.

What are some things you do to make your store gain trust?  Would love to hear some of your ideas.

With the Holidays coming up.  I wanted to share my thoughts on ways to greet your customers.

THE WORST

Nothing makes me want to hit the “Delete Email” button faster when I get an email from a company that sends a massive impersonal email with an image attached (usually something like a tree with snow falling for Christmas, or pumpkins for Thanksgiving, or candles for Diwali)

I get these a lot and think its completely pointless.  If you are going to send a massive email:

- At least make it a newsletter and show off some of your products

- At least include a picture with you and your family in it (isn’t that what the holidays are for?)

THE BEST

I love it when I get a personal email.  With my name and something personal about me.  For example a customer yesterday emailed me this:

“A very special Happy Diwali Greetings to you and flying cart staff members. Let the Joy of flight bring bright future with your wonderful simple, easy to create and use stores brings more shop online stores for common man to get benefited.”

I was really touched!

EXAMPLE EMAIL

Here is an example email that I just came up with that might work for you:

Hey [Customer Name],

I wanted to wish you a very merry Christmas.  I hope you have a chance to wear that scarf you bought from me last month

Attached is a picture of me and my family celebrating!

Have a great holiday!

[Your Name]

[Your Website URL]

Over the weekend I was getting my car tuned up at a local shop.  In the waiting room I saw a brochure for jewelery.  Surprisingly – I actually looked through it because I was super bored.

This made me think of a quick idea (just an idea)- why not make really simple product brochures with pictures of your items and your store information and place them where people are bored.

A jewelery brochure might be great at a nail salon

A clothing brochure might be fun at a laundramat

Just try to think of places that have waiting rooms (doctor/dentist offices, car service locations, laundromats, massage parlors, diners, restaurants, etc.)

It might be a good idea to tell the owner of the shop what you are doing AND even give them a cut.