Learning everything about how to sell online has become a necessity for businesses looking to expand their growth . The e-commerce industry in the country is strengthening and this trend is also observed in Latin America and the world.

This means that it is no longer enough to have a single sales channel: today’s consumer demands the presence of brands in the online world , that space where they spend several hours a day and where they search, on a daily basis, for the products they want to buy.

What are internet sales?

Online sales or internet sales are the commercial actions of buying and selling products or services in digital form. This practice is known as e-commerce or electronic commerce .

Transactions involving online sales can occur through an online store, social networks or marketplaces , among others.

💡 Tip teacher! If you are thinking about what items you can market to start your business, we invite you to try products to resell . It is a simple business modality to take the first steps, some financial costs are reduced and you do not need to manufacture your stock from scratch.

How to sell online in 2023?

To sell online you need:

• Comply with certain legal and tax requirements.
• Have an online sales channel.
• Attract visits to said channel.
• Apply visitor conversion strategies.

We will explain each of these steps in detail throughout this guide.

Selling online not only gives your brand a greater online presence and makes it more recognizable among your potential customers, but also:

• Your business is open 24 hours . This means that you can sell all day, every day of the year.
• You can target audiences from different cities and provinces since there are no geographical limits that stop your sales.
• Compared to a physical location or showroom , the fixed costs of an online business are lower since they do not require a space to offer the products.

The options to sell online are varied and in this guide we will tell you which are the most professional. But be careful, the key is not to offer your products in all these sales channels, but to choose the ones that are most in line with your business and group them into a single strategy: omnichannel  (omnichannel).
Applying this omnichannel strategy will not only give your brand image more consistency, but it will also help you simplify the internal processes of each sale , even if you have an offline channel.
So if you want to learn how to successfully sell online and get all your channels (and your business) in harmony, keep reading this exclusive guide.

Phases of online sales

To sell online and increasingly increase the turnover of your business, it is recommended that you implement what in the world of e-commerce we call a funnel or sales funnel .

The sales funnel indicates the steps that a potential client has to go through from the first moment they contact your brand, until the sale is made. In other words, this funnel guides you through different phases so that you effectively become a customer.

So, as a business owner, what you have to do is design that funnel , those phases of the sale, to achieve your main objective: to sell more. In general terms, we could say that the sales funnel is divided into:

• Phase 1: Attract visitors.
• Phase 2: Convert into sales.
• Phase 3: Retain customers.

As you can see, each phase has a different objective that we are going to explain throughout this section.

The important thing about the funnel or sales funnel is that it helps businesses understand what the relationship cycle with the user is like and, in this way, detect what adjustments would be necessary to nurture that relationship (and make them become customers).

For example, if the potential customer arrives at the online store , visits a product page but does not add it to their cart, perhaps the problem is in the description of the item or in the quality of the photographs . Let’s analyze then, each of the phases of the internet sales funnel .

The first step to achieve the success of an online business is to attract visitors .

Just as it happens in a store or showroom , where people have to enter to eventually get a sale, the same thing happens in the online world: without visits, without people interested in your product, there are no sales .
Therefore, generating traffic in your online sales channel is key to the growth of your business.
But we are not talking about any type of traffic, but about qualified traffic . That is, people who are actually interested in your product and may become customers. In this way, you will ensure that they continue to travel through the sales funnel.

But in order to reach that qualified traffic, it is essential that you know who these people are, those potential customers who may become interested in your brand, that audience that is waiting for you to find it.

Knowing it will help you better plan your visitor attraction strategy and achieve faster and more effective results in your business.

target audience

So that you can discover who this target audience is, what their interests, their aspirations are, and you can also better define the type of message that you are going to communicate to them , we share 2 essential tips to carry out this search:

A) Determine its quantitative characteristics : these characteristics refer to hard variables of your target audience such as gender, age, location where they live or marital status.

Some of them you can infer from your product (for example, if you sell women’s clothing, you can already know the gender and, perhaps, have an idea of ​​the age of this audience) and others you can discover from different online tools. that we share with you in this post: 3 steps to follow to meet your target audience .

B) Detail its qualitative aspects : in addition to the hard variables of your target audience, it is important that you also know other more “intimate” characteristics of it. Do you know what motivates your potential customers? Do you know what their problems, needs or aspirations are?

Discovering this super valuable information will help you empathize with them and focus your message on what your audience is looking for. It is worth clarifying that accessing this “soft” information requires more in-depth research work than hard variables, since they are data that are not as visible and require further analysis, but it is worth it!

As we said above, this bidirectional analysis will allow you to create better messages (where your audience feels identified) and thus communicate effectively (and humanely) with them.

Strategies to attract visitors

Once your target audience is defined, it is time to think about how to take it to your online sales channel to sell online . There are different ways to do it and the choice will depend on the objectives of your business and your budget.

The 5 most relevant attraction strategies that usually give the best results.

1) The strength of content marketing

Content marketing consists of creating and sharing valuable content for your audience in order to increase the presence of your brand. Its main objective is to ensure that your potential clients see you as a reference in your field, and not just as a brand that seeks to sell and sell.

When we talk about “valuable content” we mean that content that interests your audience because it helps, informs, educates or entertains them.

It is, in other words, content that does not directly sell advertising (trying to get the attention of online consumers), but offers interesting content so that those people feel attracted to your brand and that, later, this process drive them towards a “more natural” sale as a result of the value you are providing.

Do you need inspiration to create this content?

2) Two must-haves: Instagram and Facebook

Did you know that Canada is in the top 5 countries whose inhabitants spent the most time on social networks during 2021? This is reported by a study carried out by the Spanish company.

Social networks have become the means par excellence to disseminate your content and can help you bring more potential customers to your online sales channel.

The fundamental thing is to propose a strategy for each network because each one specializes in a particular content. For example, Instagram is a social network where the visual is the order of the day, it feeds mainly on images and videos. Instead, Facebook balances the image and the word much more.

Another strategy that can help you bring quality traffic to your site and sell online is online advertising . Whether through Instagram, Facebook or influencers , these types of ads only work if they are well targeted, that is, if they are aimed at the audience you want to reach.

• Advertising on Instagram

If you want to advertise your brand using Instagram, you can do it with Instagram Ads . This tool is used through the Facebook Ads Manager, which offers targeting filters that help you divide your audience based on their demographics, interests, behaviors, etc.

The plus of Instagram Ads is its exclusive ad format: Instagram Stories , which invite your potential client to live a unique and different ad experience from others.

• Facebook Advertising

In the case of Facebook, the platform has a tool called Facebook Ads that allows you to create paid advertising within the network to promote your business .

Facebook Ads uses the same Ads Manager as Instagram. This means that from the same account you can manage the advertising of both social networks. In addition, Facebook Ads offers a wide variety of advertising formats for you to choose from. For example, image, carousel (several images in a single ad) or video, among others.

• Influencers

More and more brands choose to be close to their online consumers in a more humane way. This allows them to generate more interaction with their audience and achieve identification with them.
To carry out this task, many of these brands make alliances with personalities called influencers . But what is an influencer ? She is a person who leads the opinion on a specific topic and, due to her presence and influence on social networks, she can get other people to follow her .
Based on an agreement on what their task will be (presentation of a product, dissemination of content, etc.), businesses agree with the chosen influencer on a form of payment , which can be economic remuneration or through exchanges.

The most important thing when hiring an influencer is to make sure that they reflect the values ​​and spirit of your brand , and that their figure and what they say is relevant to your target audience.

4) What is SEO?

Its acronym in English means Search Engine Optimization which, translated into Spanish, would be search engine optimization .

This concept encompasses everything you can do to make your online sales channel appear in the first organic results of search engines (the main one being Google).

The SEO strategy is essential at this stage of the sales funnel (“Attract customers”) since being well positioned on the results page can help you receive more visits to your online channel and, thus, increase your chances of generating sales .

Unlike the internet advertising that we saw in the previous point, the SEO strategy has no cost and only requires (no more and no less) to comply with a series of recommendations to achieve success.

5) How to do email marketing

Email marketing is a powerful strategy to attract visitors to your online sales channel, but its effectiveness will depend on how you use it.

To achieve good results, it is essential that you look for opportunities and reasons that allow you to approach your potential clients without invading their time , without bothering them with purely promotional emails.

Think about what these good times would be to send them an email with valuable content, with information that may generate interest and, in this way, they get closer to you.

For example, if you have a blog for your brand, you can take advantage of special dates (Mother’s Day or Christmas, for example) to share an article by email with gift ideas for those events.

The objective is that you take advantage of this contact to add some promotion of your business (such as a discount on the next purchase or free shipping) but always in a non-invasive way (it can be a small banner at the bottom of the email).

Thus, you will be able to send them content of interest with the possibility that they visit your online sales channel, and buy from you!

Channels to attract visitors

In this section we are going to share the 3 main channels to attract visitors to your online business .

Before detailing them, it is important that you know that, in order to boost your efforts and reach more qualified traffic, the ideal is to choose those that go best with your brand and complement each other . This will help reinforce your image in each of them.

1) Online store

The online store is a unique place for your business because it contains all your identity and essence , and this makes your potential customer recognize you faster, and differentiates you from the competition.
It is a perfect space to attract visitors since it is designed exclusively for that: receiving consumers online, giving them the best experience (this includes an attractive and intuitive design, various payment and shipping options, among other features) and getting them to make a purchase.
Within the online store you have different sections that can serve as tools to attract customers . One of the most used is the blog : an informal page where you can share news about your product or trends in your industry.

You can also take advantage of the About us section , which is where you tell your consumers how the story of your brand began and that they tend to like it a lot! Later we will talk in detail about this online sales channel .

2) Social networks

Social networks are an excellent option to bring visits to your business on the internet. By applying different attraction strategies, such as publications that invite potential customers to interact with your brand, you can show them your products in an attractive way so that they buy from you.

Instagram Shopping and the Facebook store are your best allies to achieve this goal. Let’s see what each one is about.

Instagram Shopping  is a free Instagram feature that allows you to tag products in bothfeedand stories.

Thus, potential customers who click on the label, in addition to seeing the price of the item, are redirected to the online store so that they can complete the purchase. In this way, Instagram Shopping becomes a great channel to bring visitors to your business.

If you want to know more about this tool and train yourself as an expert, be sure to read this exclusive guide .

Facebook Shop  is another free option offered by this social network to show your products to consumers online. Unlike Instagram Shopping, the Facebook store is managed with a product catalog. This means that you will be able to upload a large number of articles to your Facebook company page atonce.

If a potential customer is interested in buying a product from that catalog, they just have to click on the “Buy on the website” button that is next to the photo and, automatically, the Facebook store will redirect them to your online store. This is another effective way to attract visitors to your online business.

3) WhatsApp Business

WhatsApp Business , or WhatsApp for Business, is an application that allows brands to manage all the queries they receive from their customers or potential customers in an organized and automated way .

In this way, WhatsApp Business becomes a mobile service channel , dynamic and in constant contact with its consumers which, in turn, allows visitors to visit the business online .

How is this? For example, if a potential customer writes to ask you about the stock of a product, in addition to responding, you can send him the link of the direct article on WhatsApp so that he can make the purchase immediately.

Once you have implemented the strategies to attract qualified visits to your online sales channel, you will see how the traffic of your business begins to increase. From here, we move on to the next phase of the funnel : convert those visits into sales .

Surely it took you a lot of work to get potential customers to visit you, that’s why we don’t want them to leave without buying!

The importance of design in your online business

One of the secrets to selling successfully online is to offer your products to consumers in the most attractive and complete way possible . As soon as your potential client visits your online channel, it is key to hook them visually to get their attention, to generate interest in your brand.

But that’s just the beginning. It is also necessary to add a series of elements that can help you convert that visit into a sale. We are going to tell you the most important ones:

– Main page and product category

To keep criteria with the visual communication of your brand, check that the design you choose in your online sales channel represents its identity and its essence.

This includes paying attention to the colors selected so that they convey the message you want. This way you will give a more professional and coherent image of your business. Look at the example of the Elida Rosa cloudstore :

 

You can also take advantage of the main page of your online sales channel to communicate promotions for Mother’s Day , for example, or news that you offer through interactive banners.

If you need help designing these banners, you can hire a freelance graphic designer .

On the other hand, and to guide your potential customer towards the purchase, it is essential that you add a product page to the main menu.

What is this page about? It shows your consumer all the items you have for sale , but not in any way but organized into categories and subcategories.

For example, if you sell women’s footwear, your categories could be sandals, boots, boots, and your subcategories, low-heeled boots, high-heeled boots, rain boots, etc. In this way, you help your visit to find what they are looking for faster, and to convert it into a sale faster!

Do you want to know more about independent work?

– Photographs and descriptions of the articles

Images and product descriptions are the showcase of every online business . They are, without a doubt, extremely necessary tools because, without them, the customer could never be defined by the purchase.

That’s why images and product descriptions require your full attention and creativity!

Not having physical access to the item they want to buy, the online consumer needs clear and complete information about what they are looking at, what are its measurements, what material is it made of and, why not, how they could use it (this is going to depend on the product you sell).

Here is an example of a good description:

 

Regarding product photos , the main thing (and not negotiable) is that they are of excellent quality since nobody likes to see a pixelated product photo or a shaky capture, for example. It is also important that you can show the article from different angles .

For example, if you sell sneakers, a good idea would be to show them from the front, from the side, from the back and from the bottom (the sole is essential for many athletes). Another option is that you present your product in context , that is, in use and in action. In this way, you will not only show more creativity in your images, but you will also give your potential client ideas on how to use the product.

See how the Alegra cloudstore does it :

– Size chart

Many times the lack of information about the product is one of the reasons why potential customers give up buying, thus increasing the number of abandoned carts in an online business.

For this reason, and as we said in the previous section, you have to minimize this risk and inform your consumers of all the specifications of the item , without forgetting the size chart.

This table is essential to remove all kinds of doubts about what size or number is ideal for each person, and it can make the sale faster.

Your potential client visited your online sales channel, chose the product they want to buy, added it to their cart, and now they are about to complete the purchase!

Well, at this moment it is important to see what are the payment and shipping methods that you are going to offer to guarantee a complete shopping experience (and make the visit become a sale). Depending on your business, you can offer shipments:

• Through courier companies (with door-to-door services )
• Through a private courier service ( such as motorcycles, for example).

If you have a store or showroom , you can also offer it as a physical point to pick up the product. Regarding the means of payment, it is also key that you provide various forms so that the client can choose the one that suits them best.

One of the most conventional options are payment gateways such as Pago Nube ,  Mercado Pago or PayU Latam , which offer the possibility of paying with a debit card, credit card and even in installments.

In addition, you can have the option of personalized means of payment , such as payment at the premises or through a manual coupon.

In this way, you will be providing your potential customers with different options to pay and receive their order that can help them in their purchase decision.

Are you interested in knowing more about this topic?

6 keys to inspire confidence in your business and make more sales

Another essential factor in this stage of the sales funnel, and that can help your potential client to define himself by the purchase, is the trust that your online business generates in him.

Let’s give a practical example: in a physical store, your consumer can talk to the sellers to clear up all the doubts they have about the product they want to buy, they can also confirm their quality and even try them on (such as shoes or clothing).

This generates confidence because you know what you are buying, from whom and where, leading you, in the best of cases, to purchase the item.
In order to achieve that same confidence in your online business and get your potential customer to believe in your brand, in your product and buy it, you need to work on certain aspects of your e-commerce.
We share with you the 6 most important ones that will help you build trust in your online business and thus increase your sales and avoid the ROPO effect .

Learn more about our platform!

1) “About us” page

This is one of the most relevant pages of an e-commerce because it brings the brand closer to its potential customers . Imagine that a person searches for a product on Google and, in the search results, your online business appears.

If he enters and does not know your brand, it is very likely that he will go to the “About us” page to find out a little more about you, your story, etc. seeking that this inspires confidence and peace of mind to buy in your online sales channel .

We share a series of recommendations for you to apply on this page according to the identity of your business:

• Brand Story – People like to hear about the beginnings or important milestones of a business, and especially the small details that make a great story . So, as young as they may seem, don’t leave them out! This will help you generate more empathy with your client, especially in the case of creating a personal brand .
• Team : introduce the great team behind your brand! Ideally you can do it with the name, a photo, their position and the tasks within the business. Remember that everything has to keep criteria with the communication you already have with your brand.
• Important information about your product : here you can tell about its strengths, such as the materials you use for its production, what is the differential of your items, that is, everything you think can positively influence your purchase decision .

Here are some examples of the “About Us” page (also often called “About Us”, “About Us”, or “Story”):

As you can see, the “Who we are” page allows you to further humanize your business by giving it names, faces, a story and a reason for being. There are different versions depending on the brand and what you want to tell.

All of this generates for your potential client a feeling of closeness and trust towards you because now they know who you are, what your career is and what you sell. And, most importantly, this trust is what can make you complete your purchase.

2) Social networks and followers

Looking at each social network where you are present, the number of followers you have and the comments you receive is a very common practice for people who shop online.

Why? Because social networks talk about your brand as a business, its strength and, to your potential customers, that generates more or less confidence when buying on your online channel.

This means that they are based on what the networking community is saying about you . Let’s go to a concrete example: suppose someone wants to buy your product and looks for your Instagram profile.

The first thing they are going to do is read the comments left by other people who have already purchased your product to find out how their shopping experience with your brand was and also to find out their level of satisfaction.
If the experience was good and they even recommend you, the level of trust in your potential client will increase a lot and it is very likely that they will buy from you.
It will also look at your quality of service (for example, if you answer user comments and queries, and in how long). Therefore, it is important to answer as quickly as possible and provide efficient customer service in each social network where you are present.

3) Contact channels

If you want to focus on how to sell online , providing clear contact channels is essential to inspire confidence in your potential client. Online businesses usually offer different channels of communication with their public so that each one can choose the one they prefer, such as:

• Whatsapp
• Social networks (this is related to what we told you in the previous point)
• Chat online
• E-mail
• telephone
• Address (if you have a store on the street or showroom )

Why are these contact options so important? Because, in this way, your client knows that in the event of a setback he has the exact information to turn to to solve his problem.

For example, if the product does not arrive in a timely manner or you have to make a size change. In other words, your different communication channels will give you the peace of mind and security you need to define yourself through the purchase.

4) “Frequently Asked Questions” Page (or FAQ)

To boost the confidence that your consumer needs to buy online, it is also important that you create a “Frequently Asked Questions” page where you can resolve their most recurring queries and, thus, direct them faster towards the purchase.

Do the exercise of thinking about the concerns that are most repeated and put together a page that clears up all doubts in a “question-answer” format. The most common are usually related to the means of payment, shipping methods, exchange or return of the product.

The Unibow cloudstore put together its “Frequently Asked Questions” with the identity of its brand:

 

5) Exchange and return policies

As we said above, taking into account that your client does not have physical access to the product they want to buy (they cannot try it on or check the quality of the raw material, for example) it is necessary that you have an exchange and return policy. .

This policy makes it clear what are the steps to follow in case the customer wants to change or return the product . This is very important both for your client and for you: for your client, because it will give them the peace of mind they need in their online purchase, since they have a backup in case of any setback.

For you, because this policy will generate more trust in your online business and that not only sets the rules clear and transparent with your buyers, but it can also translate into many sales.

This means that the exchange and return policy can influence your client’s purchase decision , so how can you not take advantage of it!

Your customers are your best advertisement. Therefore, to transmit more security to those people who are thinking of buying your product, it is important that you have the stories of those who have already purchased it.

In addition to positioning yourself as an authority within the field, this story is important because different studies show that people adopt behaviors from others that generate trust .

In this case, showing real customers who have already used your article and who tell their true and sincere experiences can positively influence those who want to buy it. Ideally, these testimonials should:

• Tell about the experience of using your product.
• Share the uncertainties prior to the purchase (and that, for example, were resolved through the FAQ).
• Recommend you.

All these elements help (and a lot) to create more trust between your brand and your online consumer , leading them towards a safe purchase. Applying these keys, you will sell more online.

Do you want to know more tools to generate credibility in your potential client? Discover them in this article:

Did your potential customer complete the purchase? Fine! That means that all your work done on the sales funnel was focused on the main objective: to sell more!
But the work does not end here. Now is the time to retain these new customers , to get them to buy from you again and, why not, to aim for them to become, over time, what in marketing is called “promoters of your brand” .
There are both customer service and marketing strategies that can help you complete this last phase of the sales funnel.

Strategies for customer service and post-sales marketing

Once your consumer has completed the purchase, the post-sale stage begins . At this stage you have to make sure that you have fulfilled what was promised both at the product level and in delivery times. That is, you have to know the experience that the user had in your online sales channel .

To do this, a good strategy is to send him a message asking him if:

• You are satisfied with the item.
• The order arrived in a timely manner.
• You have any questions about the use of the product, how to maintain it, or any other technical query.

This feedback will help you understand what you are doing well and what you need to improve, as well as surprise your client with your interest in him .

Once you have this information, you can continue moving up the sales funnel to the last stage: customer retention . This stage is characterized by the relationship that you have to nurture with him so that, from now on, he always has your brand in mind and you manage to retain him .

Customer loyalty is a key concept in this phase, since that is where its main objective lies: for the consumer to buy from you again and, aiming even higher, to recommend you to their family and friends .

We share 2 ideas of customer retention strategies that usually give good results:

• In addition to what we mentioned in the post-sale stage, a good idea is to send him a message with a promotion for his next purchase , be it a significant discount or free shipping. If he was satisfied with your service, he will surely take advantage of it!
• If you want to go a little further and personalize this loyalty promotion, you can offer your customer complementary products to the ones they initially purchased . In this way, you are showing him that you know what he needs (or what would be good for him).

The main thing about the actions you take after each sale is to keep in mind the objective that we mentioned before and that can be translated into the famous phrase: ” The important thing is not that they come, but that they come back .”

How to sell online with your online store

Above we tell you what are the channel options so you can sell your products online , and we also share some tricks to get the most out of them.

In this section, we are going to focus on one of those sales channels and tell you why it is the best option for the success of your business: the online store .

Having your own online store means having a professional online sales channel that allows you to:

• Create a solid brand identity for your business, with a unique and exclusive space for you on the web ( own domain ).
• Present yourself with greater professionalism to your potential clients, and that they recognize you as such.
• Decide what content appears in the store and how it is structured, thus strengthening your brand image and showing the most strategic products for your business.
• Give your potential client the possibility to choose a product, pay for it in the way they prefer and define how to receive it , all from the same place!

There are different ways to have your own online store, some are more traditional than others. Here we share 3 options that can serve you:

1) Cloud platforms

A cloud platform is a system that allows you to create your online store in a few steps , taking care of all the technical part (operation of the platform, hosting , etc.) and leaving only business management on your side (loading products, photos, etc.).

Just as you can have an Instagram profile or an email account in a matter of minutes, you can also have an online store in the same time using these types of platforms. The great advantages of this solution to sell online are:

• As we just said, your online store can be up and running in minutes , it’s as simple as signing up and getting started.
• You pay an accessible monthly value for the use of the platform (in general, different types of plans are offered according to the size of the business).
• It does not require prior investment or development waiting time (you take advantage of a robust development already used by many merchants).
• They are easy to use as they aim to offer a simple yet professional solution, for non-technical people.
• Some of these platforms have integrations with other tools , which expands the functionality available within the stores.
• You can create an online store for free before choosing and finding the option that best suits your needs.

On the other hand, this solution has some aspects to take into account. For example, there are functionalities that cannot be modified and, if you want to change and apply some customizations within the online store, you need to hire a programmer .

2) Open source platforms ( Open Source )

Open source platforms allow you to download all the code of a working online store to your computer and upload it to the hosting server  (place where a website is hosted) that you want.

In this way, you will have a virtual store that will allow you to sell online without membership or transaction costs (you only have to pay the cost of hosting ).

To move forward with this solution, you need to have technical knowledge or hire the services of an agency or freelancer who can help you with the implementation.

3) Custom developments

A custom development is a very common solution to sell online . It consists of looking for a designer, developer or an agency to build your online store . Keep in mind that, in this case, the production process of the online store is long .

In general, it takes a lot of meetings just to start development, and then it takes a lot of time to design and go live. It is normal for these processes to last from 2 to 6 months (or even more). In addition, it is usually the most expensive solution.

In addition to having a simple interface and a wide variety of designs adaptable to all types of items, it offers integrations with the most used payment and shipping methods on the market in order to operate efficiently .

Its main features are:

• It has a robust structure , from which you can  create your online store from scratch without requiring technical knowledge .
• It has its own payment platform, Pago Nube , which allows entrepreneurs to sell online without paying the cost per transaction .
• It makes constant updates to its platform with the aim of improving its product more and more.
• It offers an excellent customer service that, in addition to providing technical support, shares ideas and advice so that businesses can sell more.

To start using it, you just have to register. From there you can choose the design of your store , put your products on sale and even integrate your business with the Facebook or Instagram Shopping store free of charge. You start selling online right away and you have a 30-day free trial !

Learn more about our platform:

As we anticipated in previous sections, you can charge for your internet sales through:

• Payment gateways.
• Personalized means of payment.

Payment gateways are platforms that allow a monetary transaction between two people over the internet. To operate with them you only need a registration email and a bank account where you can withdraw the money.

The money is credited into the virtual account of said gateway, and then you will be able to request a transfer to your savings account or checking account.

 

We recommend you check what the commission of each of these alternatives is to choose the one that best suits your business.

In addition to offering this form of payment, you can provide personalized means of payment , which are used to charge for your sales in the way you prefer and without intermediaries .

You can configure different options, for example: bank transfer , deposit, cash when the product is delivered to your home, cash when picking up at the store or showroom , or check.

 

About Cloud Payment

In addition, the solution has highly competitive rates that fit every pocket and cloud stores that use Pago Nube will no longer have to pay the cost per transaction that until now they paid according to the plan they have previously chosen.

Among the advantages of Cloud Payment we can mention:

• Cost per transaction bonus
• centralized management
• Checkout transparente
• Security
• Better conditions with all forms of payment

We already gave you an advance, but now we are going to see in detail how to send the products that you sell online. Like the means of payment, you can choose between 2 shipping methods:

• Through the mail.
• Through personalized shipping methods .

 

In this way, you avoid having to manually upload your price list and your customer will be able to find out the shipping cost by choosing the product they want to buy and entering their zip code.

If you need more flexibility for your shipments, we recommend setting up a custom shipping method . Thus, your customers will have a greater number of options to receive or withdraw their order.

Usually custom shipping is used:

• If you want to offer free shipping.
• If you prefer to use a shipping service that does not have integration with your store (such as a courier service).
• When the weight or size of the order you want to send is greater than that allowed by the courier companies integrated into your store.
• When you sell products that these companies do not allow for shipping, such as groceries.

Keys to a successful online business

In this section we are going to share the best tips so that you know how to sell more online and thus achieve success in your business.

Because in addition to the customer attraction, conversion and retention strategies that we told you about above, there are other factors that can help you increase your sales , and their effectiveness depends 100% on the focus you put on each one of them. Shall we start?

In the last time , sales through mobile devices reached 69% of the total and visits, 82% . These numbers are likely to continue to rise.
This means that the current consumer prefers to search and buy products from their cell phone.

For this reason, one of the keys to selling more online is to have an online store optimized to receive the large number of potential customers who browse on these mobile devices.

We share a checklist for you to apply to your business and achieve mobile success :

• Your logo has to be legible in small size .
• Texts should be as short as possible . This includes, for example, product and category names.

 

• Navigation should be easy . The fewer items your menu has, the better.
• Avoid unnecessary images , such as in product descriptions.
• Do not use condensed (tight) or fine stick (finite) typefaces that are poorly legible at small sizes and with high contrasts

Focusing on customer service is essential to think about a long-term business . As we said in previous sections, “the important thing is not that it comes, but that it comes back”.

And that retention will depend, to a large extent, on the quality of service that you provide to your online consumer, whether it is resolving any doubt or query in a timely manner or having nice and unexpected details with him, for example.

Therefore, for you to plan this important area of ​​your business, we recommend:

• Respond to each message as quickly as possible : in the age of immediacy, the longer you take to respond, the more affected your business results will be.
• Personalize the answers : that the answers are immediate does not mean that they lose quality. The key is that each personalized response includes the name of the potential client, a warm greeting or an emoticon (if it is consistent with your brand communication).
• Go the extra mile : Exceed customer expectations with unique details. For example, call one of them to find out what they thought of the product they bought, add a thank you card to the delivery package or make a personal delivery to a customer who lives near you, nothing better than meeting them!

These tips can help you achieve a unique and special customer service experience that the consumer will remember and want to share with other people.

At various times of the year, we see all physical stores decorated with a particular theme, be it Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas or other occasions that serve to boost sales.

Can you imagine walking into a mall in the middle of December and there being no decorations or Christmas promotions? It would be a bit strange, wouldn’t it? Well, the same thing happens in the online world.

Special dates are a great sales opportunity for both physical and virtual businesses , which is why it is important that you prepare for each of them, simply because your potential client is waiting for it! So, the first thing you have to do is find out what are those dates that will increase your online sales .

In addition to the classic ones that we mentioned above, there are 3 key dates within the e-commerce industry where sales really explode. They are:

• Hot Sale
• Black Friday
• CyberMonday

To give you an idea, in the 2021 edition of Hot Sale, and as reported by the Intl Chamber of Electronic Commerce (CACE), the total sales of Australia e-commerce reached 25 billion dollars.

While CyberMonday exceeded 37 billion. That is why it is important that your brand is present at these events!

We invite you to download your 2023 business calendar for free!

In addition to knowing what these special dates are, we recommend you plan other actions in your business during those days of many sales:

• Create a differentiated visual experience for your visitors : change the banners on your main page and the cover photo of your social networks. Surely this will get their attention and their interest in your brand.
• Include a sense of urgency in your offers to sell more before and during these events – this strategy often works very well as people have little time to make a purchase and tend to do so on impulse.
• Put together a logistics strategy for the days with the highest online sales: this will give your client greater security and confidence, and more peace of mind for your business.

Another of the keys to sell more online and achieve a successful online business is to propose a solid brand strategy ( branding ).
Having a clear and defined vision of what your brand represents to the public will give you your own identity. And that will be reflected in your online store when a visitor discovers your products for the first time or when a customer who already knows you buys from you again.
At this point, it is important to note that branding helps to carry out the omnichannel strategy, which we will talk about later.

Why? Because it allows all sales channels to be unified with the same message , thus giving more strength and coherence to the brand.

Below we will tell you in detail why this strategy is so important in the development of your business.

What is a brand strategy?

It is a long-term plan for the development of a strong brand in order to achieve specific objectives. This strategy consists of a set of actions designed to define and maintain a meaning associated with a business or a product in the minds of people (your future customers) over time.

That is why it is so important to work on a strategy that allows you to define yourself and distinguish yourself from the rest. This way you will give your business its own personality.

Remember: your brand is what they talk about you when you are not present . So, to understand who your brand is, you need to ask yourself certain questions that range from what impression you want to give to what emotions you want to convey to your audience.

Once you have answered those questions, you will have a much clearer and more detailed vision of where and how you want to position your brand in the market.

Keep in mind that the advantages of having a branding strategy are worth the time and effort. Some of the most relevant are:

• Highlight the values ​​of your business because the consumer will identify the products in your store with the values ​​that your brand transmits.
• It generates trust and provides credibility , two key components so that your target audience is safe and determined when making the purchase.
• It allows you to differentiate yourself from the competition since when making a decision between several options, branding helps your client choose you as the best option.

It is normal for e-commerce companies to constantly compete to sell more online and focus on customer acquisition strategies purely online, but have you thought about what is happening in the meantime in the offline world that can help you increase your sales?

We share 3 tips for you to take advantage of it!

1.- Approach the public that frequents the fairs

The possibility of interacting with people who are interested in your market or buying products similar to yours can help you understand the behavior of your target audience (what they want, what they are looking for, etc.).

In addition, you can take the opportunity to spread your own brand, either by engaging in personal conversations or by handing out flyers with discounts on some of your online products . Thus, you will be able to gain publicity among the public of the fair and tempt them to visit your e-commerce.

2.- Organize a showroom with a brand of complementary products

The idea is that you look for a store that sells complementary products to those of your brand (and that ideally already has a longer history than your business in the online world) and organize a showroom together.

Make the most of this space to make your brand known to all visitors and, if they buy from you, offer them an exclusive discount on their next online purchase.

3.- Lose my shame and encourage networking

Networking is a common practice in the business world and consists of creating and interacting with a good network of contacts to create business opportunities.

It is very effective when making a brand known in the offline world, and the advantages directly impact the online world. For example:

• You gain recommendations for your products , which is similar to word-of-mouth advertising.
• By telling new contacts about your brand and the products you sell in your store, you have the possibility of increasing your sales .
• In turn, you can learn new dissemination strategies for your brand by listening to the experience of other people and other businesses.

The combination of these diffusion and sales channels, always based on the same brand positioning, make up what is known as an omnichannel strategy .
Omnichannel, then, is the fusion of all the channels through which a potential client can contact a business. Its main function is to generate paths that are interrelated so that a customer who initiated a contact through one channel can continue it through another without perceiving any difference .
For example, if a person found out about your brand through Instagram and saw a product that they liked, they can go to your e-commerce to see more details (price, size, etc.) and buy it quickly.

Today’s customers are looking for an excellent online shopping experience. By applying these tips you will be able to differentiate yourself in this area and learn everything about how to sell more online .

Requirements to sell online

The first are related to the legal figure that you are going to take before the Federal Administration of Public Revenues (AFIP), unlike the tax requirements, which are linked to the taxes that you are going to pay according to that legal figure. Let’s look at each one in detail.

The legal requirements to sell online are 2:

1) Registration with the AFIP

This procedure is carried out in the offices of said body and a legal figure is chosen to carry out the business: (Simplified Regime) or registered responsible (General Regime) .

The choice of one figure or another will depend, mainly, on the level of annual turnover of the business.

It is worth clarifying that within the monotribute there are 11 possible categories whose choice will also depend on other variables such as the number of employees that the company has, total energy consumption and possible rent payment.

2) Demonstration of Form 960/D

This is an interactive form made up of a QR code (see image below) that allows you to know the tax data of a business . By law, it must be placed in a visible place on the main page of the online store:

 

Depending on the legal figure you choose to sell online in Europe, you will have to pay certain taxes to the State . In the case of the monotribute, these taxes are:

• A fixed monthly amount whose amount varies depending on the category of the monotribute . This amount includes Value Added Tax (VAT), Income Tax and a pension charge (retirement).
• Tax on Gross Income (II. BB.) . It is the only tax for which you have to register and settle separately (the procedure is carried out through the AFIP).

Tip: if you are domiciled in the City of Buenos Aires, there is an important exemption from this tax for professionals with careers whose study plans are longer than 4 years.

On the other hand, the taxes for people registered in the General Regime are:

• VAT , with its monthly presentation of Affidavit.
• Income tax, with its annual presentation of the Affidavit.
• Gross Income .
• If it is a natural person, you must also pay monthly Self -Employed (contribution to the Pension System – SIPA -) according to the activities you develop.

Ideally, you can outsource the tax management of your business, which is what an accountant does , to  fully focus on the performance of your brand .

In addition to telling you what the legal requirements are to sell with your online store, we want to share 2 tips that can help you take your business to the next level.

Own domain

On the one hand, the possibility of having your own domain . Although it is not exclusive to sell online, a URL with the name of your store can give a more professional image of your brand.

Trade mark

On the other hand, we recommend that you register your brand name and logo with the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI). Also, if the design of your products has a unique feature, you can also register it in this same institute.
This will protect you in case someone wants to copy the matrix of your articles, for example, or wants to use your business name for theirs.
To find out how to carry out this procedure, read our guide on how to register a trademark in US.

How to sell clothes online: Special fashion stores

Due to the importance of the clothing industry within electronic commerce in US, we decided to create a special section with key tips for businesses to know how to sell clothing online .

1) What differentiates a fashion e-commerce from other types of e-commerce?

Fashion e-commerce are the most challenging because they belong to a very competitive industry, and users compare products a lot between different stores before making their purchase decision. Therefore, to differentiate yourself within the niche, it is very important to help potential fashion customers to imagine how the garment will fit .

2) What is the information that an online fashion store does or does have to provide?

In an online fashion store you cannot miss a complete description of the product that helps people understand what they are buying.
Very few customers consider the change as an option when they buy online, so the description is the ideal space to reduce fears and give the customer full security and confidence to make the purchase.
It is essential to have a detailed size chart , clearly describe the manufacturing materials of the product and, mainly, detail the exchange and return policies.

3) What is the importance of product photography in a fashion e-commerce?

In a fashion e-commerce, photography is everything . It is the reason why people decide whether to buy or not, and then rely on the description we just talked about, the price and the shipping to confirm their decision.

It is the only way that a potential client has to imagine what the product, the finishes and the details are like.

4) What type of template is the most recommended for a fashion e-commerce and why?

The most recommended templates for online fashion stores are Idea since offer large product images. They are ideal for highlighting outfits and models wearing the garments.

On the one hand, the Idea template allows you to add products to the cart from the grid without having to enter each one, and this allows buyers to make faster purchase decisions.

Both templates can be customized, meaning that completely different designs can be achieved with the same template.

5) In terms of design, what advice could you give to fashion stores that want to adapt their business to mobile ?

Every owner of a fashion e-commerce has to know that it is more important that their store looks good on mobile devices than on the computer . There are more and more people who buy through their cell phones and, with the help of social networks like Instagram, users know or find out about virtual stores through mobile devices. This is very important so that the site loads fast but well (for example, that the photos are not pixelated).

Since there are many distractions on mobile phones, it is necessary to provide potential customers with information that is easy to incorporate: lots of images and short, clear descriptions.

With all these tips from our specialist, you are ready to optimize your fashion e-commerce and sell clothes online like a professional .

Sustainable fashion is a concept that has been emerging for some years in US and is gaining more and more strength and followers.

It seems that this concept is not exactly a fashion, but a lifestyle that is here to stay . It is a way of creating garments that respects the environment that surrounds it and the society in which it lives, thus contributing to a sustainable economy.

Sustainable fashion contemplates the entire production chain : from the extraction of the raw material to the final disposal of the product.

It is, then, a highly valued and appreciated niche by ecofriendly customers that allows the brand to differentiate itself from the competition and to sell more online.

Are you already thinking about how to bet on sustainable fashion in your business?

I made your business grow

As we said at the beginning of this guide, understanding how to sell online in UK is the challenge facing brands that seek to transcend time, guided by the new and changing practices of online consumers.

To guarantee the health of your business, it is essential to respond to all these demands regardless of where the sale may begin or take place, but rather by focusing on providing a complete, memorable and quality shopping experience . This is what the omnichannel strategy responds to.

Selling online means growing without limits and it is the trend that is definitely here to stay. Have you joined yet?

Here you will find:

• What are internet sales?
• How to sell online in 2023?
• Phases of online sales
• How to sell online with your online store
• Keys to a successful online business
• Requirements to sell online
• How to sell clothes online: Special fashion stores
• I made your business grow