For the trading business you can now have the best of e commerce options. You can have the smartest options available there.
The first online sales are the most important when starting an e-Commerce activity. These are the ones that will give you the most happiness and especially those are those that will allow you to refine your marketing strategy. Naturally, the first online sales are also those that are the most difficult to obtain.
Send an e-mail to your list of pre-registered
Creating a craze for launching your business is the first step. Use MailChimp to record the e-mail addresses of your future customers. Creating a pre-launch list is also a good way to test your idea before actually investing in your entrepreneurial adventure.
This pre-registered list will be the basis of your first marketing campaign. It must group all the prospects you have identified, all those who have expressed an interest in your activity.
Sell to your personal network
Your family and friends is the people who trust you most. They will also be the easiest to ‘convert’. This does not mean that you have to harass everyone in your family, but it will allow you to practice your commercial speech and test the images and texts that work best to take the plunge. Do not hesitate to confront the members of your network to your website to see how they navigate. For Trading business this is a very important matter.
Organize a contest and samples
Promotions or free samples are always good ways to attract undecided prospects. Although it should not be abused at the risk of reducing its margin drastically, it is a good technique to start sales online and increase the virility of your offer. Promotions will allow you to increase traffic to your website and your product pages.
Sell to your friends via social networks
You already have your first sales and it is now time to target the ‘influencers’, the most active people on social networks.
Step one: review the connections in your first circle and identify people who are interested in your industry. For this you can use the search bar of Facebook (social graph search) and carry out a search Google way on the keywords and phrases that interest you.
Once ‘influencers’ have been identified, contact them personally to ask for their opinion on your product. Offer them a discount in exchange for sharing your product page.
Sites for linking and classified ads
As an e-commerce entrepreneur, you have to try all the distribution channels. This includes sites that enjoy a high volume of traffic. It is sometimes possible to add the URL link of your product pages on these sites to improve their SEO.
How to succeed in retail
Successful retailers are passionate about the field. They spend a lot of energy to beat their competitors and give their 110% to their employers and careers. Their companies are ahead of the competition in offering better products, exceeding the sales figures of the previous year and since their sales teams are meeting and exceeding sales targets. That’s probably where they find their motivation.
In the competitive world of the retail industry, it’s becoming increasingly important for those who care about it to know the competitor’s products (as well as their own products) and technology. Here are some tips to ensure you a successful career in retail.
Make your own promotion
In the retail industry, a promotion can happen very quickly and is usually related to performance. Follow these tips to get your next promotion:
- Set and achieve goals to acquire new skills and knowledge and seize opportunities to grow and take on additional responsibilities.
- Demonstrate to management that you are very motivated by your current job.
- Meet or exceed the expectations of your current position.
- Be a team player and be flexible.
- Find solutions to problems take care of your customers and demonstrate your sense of initiative and creativity and a good code of ethics.
- Familiarize yourself with the corporate culture
Some workplaces in the retail industry are jacket / tie environments. Others are casual and informal. Most are in between. Find the environment that’s right for you. Here are your options.
Entrepreneurial culture: Emphasizes risk taking and independence. Evolve quickly to always exceed the competition. Ensures products and services are on the cutting edge of technology. Often uses a commission system for the compensation of his sales team.
Small business culture (although not all businesses of this type are small and not all small businesses adopt this culture): Ready to take risks, but that are usually based on more than just brainstorming and about more only in the case of instinctive management. Promote cooperation and profit sharing.
Corporate culture: Hierarchical organization. Most of the time, there are several levels of supervision. Salaries and benefits are generally stratified and formalized. Often has more rules than other cultures.
If you want to climb the ladder quickly, a company that tends towards the entrepreneurial culture may be more suitable for you. If you do not like competing with your co-workers, maybe you should choose a small business. But if you prefer stable and predictable schedules and have a clear idea of organizational boundaries, corporate culture might be a pleasure.
Find a mentor
A mentor can teach you things about retail that are not learned at school or reading a book. Experts advise retail professionals to find someone from a higher level who has been working in the field and in this business for a long time. Choose someone with whom you can speak confidentially and who can guide you.
How do retail professionals manage time constraints? Here are some tips:
Take your work to heart. Make sure you know what you have to do and what your boss wants from you on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. Openly discuss issues that may arise in the performance of your duties and responsibilities as they arise.
Set priorities and organize your time with the help of your supervisor if necessary. All those who pursue a career in retail trade juggle with several tasks at once; its part of the pleasure of the job. But be sure to invest time and energy in the right places. Avoid procrastination, distractions and time-wasting activities.
