Tips for Creating an Online Store

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Grow Your Store with Twitter

Monday, October 18th, 2010

Get on Twitter


Twitter is all the rage. While it’s debatable if it’ll last, one thing is certain, you should use it to grow your online store.

It was hard for me to take it seriously at first, after all doesn’t it serve the same function as Facebook’s status updates. But micro-blogging, or tweets, has taken over the mainstream. Whether you’re products are solely online or you’re operating brick-and-mortar, being savvy to web trends is one of the best ways to succeed.

And it’s never too late to jump on the bandwagon, just don’t be like everyone else. Flying Cart offers a built in feature for one-click tweet’ing of your products, but you can’t stop there. People who use Twitter for relentless self-promotion are like constant commercials. No one wants that, so give something back to your Twitter followers. Entice them to pay attention.

3 Creative Ways to Use Twitter:

1. Encourage Micro-Product Reviews
If someone buys your product, reach out with a thank you and encourage them to write a 140-character review of your product on their Twitter. Reward them with a coupon for a percentage off their next purchase, or any other incentive you have to offer. And be sure to retweet their micro-review on your Twitter.

2. Product Development Micro-Blogging
If you’re working up a new product, let people know about it. Describe the process, show some behind the scenes pictures, and ask for feedback. Even though it’s only a tweet, so much can be said for making people feel connected with your product.

3. Contests or Giveaways via Twitter
You obviously started your online store to make money. But offering a small amount of product for free is a great way to stir a frenzy, or at least attract some eyes. Tweet a product and automatically enter anyone who retweets it to win one of that product for free. Go a step further and offer a coupon to all the others who retweeted but didn’t win.

The ways to use Twitter could go on and on. Just get creative. But don’t forget the basic steps as well:

Every time you add a product – tweet that product!
Every time you have a happy customer – tweet what they say!
Every time you have a sale – tweet the coupon code!

You can also use Twitter Search to find people talking about products you sell. If you find someone mentioning your product, jump in the conversation!