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Anyone Can Sell Online; *Anyone*! |
by:
Steve Nash |
The Internet is an amazing medium for communication, and
entertainment. It can help save you time and money, and provide a
lot of fun too! S-l-o-w-l-y, big businesses are starting to fully
realise the potential of the Internet.
But it is small businesses, and individuals who are truly
exploiting the Internet phenomenon. It is this group - people with
small budgets and forced to research and fully utilise the best high-
value low-cost opportunities - that lead the way.
And whilst it isn't easy, it *is possible* for anyone to sell
online.
When I say anyone, I have to qualify it a little. I mean:
* Anyone who owns... anything!
* Anyone who knows something that others don't
* Anyone who has a passion, and is willing to share that passion
with others
* Anyone who is willing to work hard, and continue to learn
'Anyones' can be educated or un-educated, skilled or un-skilled,
employed or self-employed (or unemployed). You can be a house-wife
(house-husband) or any kind of business professional you can think of
(even a salesman!). You can be... anyone, as long as you have access
to the wonderful world of the web.
And you don't need a website OR a product OR knowledge of HTML
(but all can help)!
Imagine!
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Three types of 'anyone'
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I shall split these 'anyones' into 3 distinct groups. Everyone
belongs to at least one of these groups, but you may well find
ways to sell online in each of them.
1) Anyone with NO WEBSITE and NO PRODUCT
2) Anyone with a WEBSITE but NO PRODUCT
3) Anyone with a WEBSITE and PRODUCT
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1) Anyone with NO WEBSITE and NO PRODUCT
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It sounds good, doesn't it - selling online, with no website and
no product! And, even better, you get to clear out your loft
(attic), cellar (basement) or cupboard (closet) whilst you're at
it! (And it's NOT network marketing, so don't worry!)
I'm not talking about car-boot (or garage) sales either, but you're
almost there!
"Sell - and buy - via online auctions!"
After all, we all own things that we no longer want; items that
others are willing to buy from us! Online auctions allow you to
sell (and buy) those items online.
"Build your own Net auction business."
Ever heard of Ebay? It's an online auction site - one of *the*
MOST VISITED sites on the Net - brim full with people eager to
sell (and buy) goods online! If you know what you're doing on
Ebay (or any auction site) you can quite easily turn your passion
into a very lucrative, even life-enhancing, business!
As with all things Internet, there are many how-to Auction guides
available. One such guide is Sydney Johnstone's excellent "Make
Your Net Auction Sell!" Based on her own experiences, it shows how
she actually *makes a living* using online auctions and details
dozends and dozens of ways you too can sell (or sell more) online!
There are SO MANY good things about selling via online auctions,
but I particularly like the low-risks involved. I like the fact
that:
- Your customers are *already looking for your items*,
especially on the big auction sites like Ebay or Amazon;
- You can sell (almost) anything and it suits anyone (not
just stamp-collectors!);
- You can do market research, at no expense to yourself!
- You can simply use an auction site to promote your website
or affiliate program
Quite simply, online auctions provide the ultimate low-risk, low-
startup-cost business. And Sydney Johnstone's book explains all,
together with a clear guide to using (and selling via) online
auctions. Powerful stuff!
Recommended resources:
* The wonderful world of Ebay
http://www.ebay.com
http://www.ebay.co.uk
* Make Your Net Auctions Sell, by Sydney Johnstone
http://mynas.sitesell.com/shopping101.html
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2) Anyone with a WEBSITE but NO PRODUCT
------------
(a) Are you sure you have no product?
What about your knowledge? They say that there's a book in
everyone, and that includes you! You probably know something that
other people would pay to know. It can be right under your nose too.
You just need to know how to find it! (And then you need to know how
to create and publish it, and how to market and sell it!...)
The thing is, all this how-to information is available NOW, online!
If you think this opportunity might suit you - and think about it
for a moment, before you dismiss it! - then I really suggest you
seize the moment. Visit the recommended resources below, or any
other sites you're aware of! But do something!
And if you think you're not a writer, YOU CAN LEARN! Creating and
selling your very own, proprietary product is the small business
person's best chance to succeed on the Net.
Recommended resources:
* LEARN HOW to sell your knowledge (find 'the infoproduct within')
http://myks.sitesell.com/shopping101.html
* LEARN HOW to make your words sell (discover the power of words)
http://myws.sitesell.com/shopping101.html
(b) OK, OK there's no book inside you (yet!)
Well, ever heard of Amazon? They sell books, right (and CDs
and DVDs...)! They were also responsible for the first ever
associate program on the Net. Their associate (affiliate) program
allows sites to sell Amazon books simply by providing a link to
Amazon. Amazon tracks the link, and pays a commission of between 5
and 15% if the click results in a sale. In effect, Amazon invented
affiliate marketing!
"Sell via affiliate marketing!"
Affiliate marketing is *very* big business. It is thought that by
2002, 25% of online sales will have originated on affiliate sites.
Many online businesses now run affiliate programs. It *is*
possible to make a lot of money every month simply from a link to
an affiliate program.
It is possible, but not that simple!
You need to have a decent amount of traffic to your site; you need
to choose programs that have a good fit with your website; you
need to promote the affiliate program well (sometimes called pre-
selling!); and you need to join an affiliate program:
i) of a site that makes the sale, and
ii) that pays a good rate of commission.
(Ideally, you would want to make a lifetime commission on the
referred customer on all future sales too!)
Amazon definitely makes the sale (it's well-designed, has
excellent customer service, and hence has very high conversion
rates). But it pays a maximum of 15% commission, and you ONLY make
commission on a previously-referred customer IF they click your
affiliate link in the future - no lifetime commission here!
If you're serious about selling via affiliate marketing - and it
really is a great way to supplement your income, whilst improving
site content - then I recommend you sign-up for Ken Evoy's NEW 5-day
Affiliate Masters e-mail course.
The NEW Affiliate Masters course shows you what to look for in an
affiliate program, how to pre-sell the program, AND it includes
excellent sections on site promotion too! Over 100 pages, it's an
invaluable affiliate marketing resource, yet amazingly its free!
Sign-up for Day 1 of The Affiliate Masters course NOW! Simply send
an email to mailto:technobo@technobookstore.com/shopping101.html
About the Author
Steve Nash is webmaster of http://shoptour.co.uk - an easy-to-use
UK shopping directory. "Find shops quickly AND save money." He also
edits a newsletter called Promote! Promote! Promote!. Subscribe
NOW by sending a blank e-mail to mailto:pppromote@shoptour.co.uk |
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