8 October 2007 No Comment Print This Post  Email This Post

A few months ago I wrote The Top 5 Reasons to Start an Online Business. The bottom line is that e-commerce is relatively inexpensive to get into and it has enormous potential because your business can get worldwide exposure. It’s the absolute best way to build an additional stream of income while keeping your day job. The first step in starting an online business is choosing a product niche. To do this, you have to do some product sourcing. I wrote about finding dropship wholesalers in a previous article. When you find a good wholesaler with products that have the potential to make you some serious money, the next step was to build a website. I also talked about finding the right e-commerce solution for your online business as well. There are many choices, and chances are one of the solutions I mentioned is right for you. After you set up your website, you just sit back and watch the sales pour in right? Doh! I wish it was that simple. The good thing about brick and mortar stores is that usually your physical location will bring some foot traffic and instant sales. With e-commerce, you have to promote and expose your website to get people to come to your site and buy.

E-commerce is a pure numbers game. With the right amount of traffic, you can sell ice to an Eskimo.  The absolute hardest part in website promotion is the initial push. No one knows you, you have no reputation or traffic. This is the part where most people give up after a mediocre attempt, never to return to e-commerce again. Advertising can be very expensive, so you want to focus on grassroots, boot-strapped forms of website promotion before you tackle anything big. The very first thing that a new e-commerce business owner should do to promote their website is to utilize their own personal network and the networks of those people. This group of people are likely to become your first buyers and your very first evangelists, people who promote your business for you. The beauty of this is that they already know you, therefore some may feel inclined to support your business venture because of that established rapport. Treat these people well, offer them discounts and you’re business will gain sales, testimonials, and a prosperous future.

How to use your network to get your first sales

The very first thing you need are business cards. High quality business cards tell potential customers that you are running a serious business, not a hobby out of your bedroom. Business cards are so cheap nowadays it doesn’t make sense not to utilize them. Just one sale generated from the cards will pay for your whole order. I use iPrint to design and order my cards online and get them sent directly to me. They are currently offering 20% off all products. When you have your cards, you’re ready to rock and roll.  Here’s how you can utilize people you already know.

Level 1 : Friends and Family
These are people that are the closest to you. Gather them in a room together or call them and tell them all about your new venture. Get them excited and tell them that they will get discounts for every order and friends that they know will also get discounts. Give them about 20 business cards each and handwrite a discount code on the back, good for free shipping or 10% off then sign it. This will give these friends of friends the “VIP” treatment, likely turning them into buyers down the line.

Level 2:  Colleagues
When I was in high school, I built my first website selling watches and fashion jewelry. Advertising wasn’t even a choice for me at the time. I counted on my fellow classmates to help spread the word. I would estimate that my first 50 or so customers were these people. I even had a couple of wholesale customers. Do the same thing with your colleagues as with your family and friends. Hand them cards and ask them to help you spread the word. Chances are the ones who like you will actually go out and help you and it didn’t cost you more than $1 or so in business cards.

Level 3: Casual Acquaintances
Do you know the guy at your local coffee shop who makes your daily latte? How about the nice lady who does your dry cleaning? Better yet how about your real estate agent! All of these acquaintances can and will help you, especially those who come into contact with many on a daily basis. It’s a scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours environment here. Tell these people that you come into contact with every so often about your new business. Repeat the same business card process, and make them feel special. Don’t just hand them the card, it’ll probably be in the trash soon. Give them a handful and handwrite that discount code. This adds value to the card and even makes the distributor of that card feel special too. They get to look slick in front of others when they tell them they get a special discount code because they know the owner of the website.

Level 4: People you don’t know
You can even utilize this very distant portion of your personal network. These are people you sometimes deal with, but don’t even know. Think about people who open the envelopes when you send bill payments out. Those are real people. Throw a card in there, its only going to cost a few cents. Put your card on the driver’s side window of cars in your neighborhood. Everyone is a potential visitor of your site. Just make sure you give them a reason to keep the card, be it a discount or a freebie.

Remember to work your network constantly. It’s not just a one shot deal. Don’t just hand them the cards and forget about it. This type of networking has the potential to bring you your initial sales as well as a lot of ongoing sales. Every month or so, just casually ask a person who you gave your cards to if they need anymore. Some times people forget about your whole conversation, or they misplace your cards. A friendly reminder that you exist doesn’t hurt anyone. Start promoting your website with your network and please remember to be patient during the beginning of any new venture. Success comes to those who are dedicated, persistent and passionate. Anyone can succeed at anything if they had enough practice. These methods work, don’t give up.