Building and Growing Your Online Shop

If you Google, "ways to make money online", or other similar things, on many lists, you will find details about creating your own online shop. You will likely also notice the methods of how to do such things, as there are various ways. For example, you can dropship, sell your own handmade products on Etsy, or perhaps sell other branded products on your own website - the list goes on.

While all of these options are legitimate, and you can start selling your products almost immediately, many lists don't describe the amount of work involved. This can cause enthusiasm to wain and frustration or disappointment to set in when a person finds out. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. 

Most of the work is needed at the beginning. Once the online shop is created and the listings posted, you can start marketing the products you are offering. If you are making the items, simply keep the listings updated and create the products as required.

Setting up a shop on Etsy only takes a few minutes but posting all of your listings may take hours each week. The good news is, if you are producing the same line of products all of the time, you can keep those same listings. The bulk of the work is already done. Also, if you tend to create very similar products, you can copy a listing and simply adjust them. 

Setting up a website is a different story. Depending on the platform, some are more user-friendly than others. There are some platforms that take hours to set up, while others are easier. However, you need to look at the pros and cons concerning each host, as those that are more complex may have better features. In either case, once you have the website set up and your items on offer, you can rest for a bit and focus on marketing and producing if that is applicable.

Marketing is a fairly constant thing. You don't want to spam people, but you can use numerous methods to spread the word. The key is to find and use the ones that work best for attracting your target market. This type of work does take hours if you want any level of success but with your shop or website already set up, the longest part is done. Now you just need to keep everything updated and maintained, marketed, and orders fulfilled.

To create a great customer base with new and repeat clients, ensure you fulfill your orders as well and as quickly as possible. If you are dropshipping, it's recommended to only sell products from reputable companies. If they don't perform well, you will lose customers. On the other side of things, if they do well, you will too if you put the effort into your tasks.

It makes the work a lot easier if you love the products you represent. Knowing why you want to succeed also helps. When you are considering what type of shop or website you will create, consider your product choices and how much you enjoy them. Then, think about why you want to succeed - to make enough money for your child's college, to be able to afford a vacation, or otherwise. It needs to be something that will motivate you to work when the times are tough or discouraging. This "why" will help you to carry on.

If you aren't sure what route is best for you, do some research and don't be afraid to ask questions from others with experience. Most people are more than happy to offer some insight into what has worked for them.

Extra tips:

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