Newbie asks

• Find out what product people like, need and want.
• Don't just sell wooden products because you think they are nice. I see people make this mistake all the time selling watches. There are millions of options and it's a ridiculously tough sell. Look at what else is selling in the marketing (Etsy, Amazon, Ebay) and read the reviews.
• The negative reviews are the best source of feedback because they tell you what people don't like. This then gives you the chance to create something better.

• Don't just say anyone because this is not going to work.
• You need to create a profile of who this person is, their age, beliefs, interests, addictions, other brands they are interested in, etc.
• Draw a mind map of who they are
• Learn about their lifestyle and what motivates them to buy
• Don't worry about location or income if you do not have a luxury product.

• Why are you different? What is unique about your products or your brand?
• Why should people spend their hard-earned money on your products than somebody else's?
• What is your branding?
• What's your tone-of-voice and personality like?

• How are you going to get in front of them?
• What marketing channels are most appropriate for your customer?
• Where do they hang out? Don't just blast every social channel going because you'll be wasting your time.
• Do you have paid budget? If so, you need to learn to spend it wisely on a targeting campaign.

• I always say to keep it simple. There are many options out there but I think Shopify is probably the easiest to get up and running with. It works well, it's fast, secure and most of the themes are mobile-friendly. It's not the cheapest but it's up there with the best for newbies.

• Make your proposition clear on your homepage
• Don't use your homepage to sell - this is just a hook / conversation-starter
• Create unique product photography that creates desire
• Write interesting product descriptions that really sell the product
• Make it interesting and create an experience to get people to come back.
• Use your blog to tell stories about you, your business, your products and your customers
• Collect data - give someone a reason to sign up to your newsletter. Your email list is where you will drive your easiest revenue from.
• Loyalty - Think about why someone would come back to buy again? Incentivise people to buy more.
• Referrals - Use a refer-a-friend app to get your customers to tell others.

Yula said:

I am a new one to your community! But I know that I can find the right answer here.
So now, I am planning to start an online store. And my products will be wood acessories (rings, key chains,bags, etc). As you understand I am holding my own products.
So I have a plan, but I’m stuck between the choice of platform, that will bring me sucess or failure. To choose the right one is so important now. So can you share with your experience or advices how to do that right?

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