Hello, and Welcome to my LilacsNDreams Blog at WordPress! Below you are going to see a topic about Selling Online, it’s hard work, different than the brick and mortar stores, and some things involved with it. Sharing an opinion, and others are welcome to comment, and share too. Also, what you read below has pretty much been copied over from my other LilacsNDreams Blog, but wanted to share it here too. Hope you enjoy it.
Today I am going to discuss a subject that many of us deal with as sellers online. Please remember this is in my opinion. There is no right, or wrong. You are welcome to comment, or share with us here too. When searching, or doing a listing with any of the venues I sell with I try to put things into perspective as if I were the buyer is generally how I work with most of my listings, and things I do for Online Sales.
I believe that Selling Online is hard work, and could be even more if I did everything I read and seen mentioned to do. It is very time consuming, and much harder to do than selling in person in my opinion. I feel it to be harder as the buyer is not able to touch what is being sold. Therefore have to work more with our descriptions to help the buyer feel the product, and also make the search engines happy with words we use. Along with this are pictures so that the prospective buyer can also better see with our descriptions what is being offered. As some of us know, pictures can also be time consuming with lighting, finding the right angles, amount of pictures, etc.
Another issue is that there is no two way conversation between the seller, and buyer to see the buyer’s eyes. Seeing someone’s eyes helps get a feel about the upcoming purchase. Helps you to better assist with addressing things right on the spot. Conversation is always helpful. I myself sometimes get too winded when describing things in my listings. I am trying to get the buyer to see what I see, feel what I can feel, and hopefully answer questions without wasted time between us contacting each other through emails.
Time is spent with shipping costs, finding the best one to offer for the item being sold, and the best way to ship from past experiences too. Unless the items I offer can be put to something smaller like an envelope, I generally send items USPS Priority Mail with insurance included. Reason for that is generally the shipping rates are a bit better, customers get their items within 2-3 days, and the insurance is always included for a more secure delivery. That comes from past dealings with the postal service. If a customer contacts me, and wishes to have it sent another way, I will work with them to do so as requested. I work with my customers the best possible way that I can.
Another thing as a seller to keep in mind is the venues we choose to sell with. Some of the venues do not cater to the same type of buyers, and sellers. I have found that sometimes what can work for one seller does not always work for another seller. There are many venues out there to choose from, some have higher fees to sell with than others, some advertise for their members, some work well with their members by having an operational site with support that can always be contacted too. It all depends what works for you, and where you find to feel comfortable with. It is important for you to pick the right selling venue for You.
Some have their own websites. That is more cost to some with hosting fees, domain fees, shopping carts, and with your own website you also have to work harder to get yourself seen within search engines for the prospective buyer to find you. For me I have my blogs, my website, all having domains directed to them, and find this to be a smaller cost for me. With my blogs, and websites I offer the links for the venues I sell at, instead of a shopping cart I use the Artfire Rapid Cart, Ecrater Widget, and the RSS Feeds for the sites including Addoway. If any questions I can be contacted with no problem as I do read my emails through out the day. Also, if a seller would like to purchase directly from me I am more than welcome to invoice them through paypal.
So, what do you think? How has it been for you selling online, and have you found what can work for you? If so, please share with us here. Thoughts, comments, and opinions are always welcome at LilacsNDreams. I only ask everyone to be civil, and remember that we all have our own opinions to things with no right, or wrong answer.
Thanks so much for visiting with LilacsNDreams today! I enjoy the visits, the comments, the sharing, and hope to see you again. Take care till the next time Everyone. Remember to visit with my stores with the links provided on this blog page. Thank You!
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