The Countdown to Christmas and the Top 5 Ways to Promote

I had the good fortune last year of starting my online selling venture right smack dab in the middle of the Christmas rush. This was not planned, just lucky. Since then my mission has been to keep up the momentum of Christmas sales by offering more products, and selling in a smarter way.

There seems to be no end to the number of ways to promote. Couple that with some top secret formula when it comes to getting results from promotion, and it's enough to scramble a brain.

That said, here is a:

Top 5 Ways to Promote and Get Some Kind of Results List

1. Run a Blog Contest

Why?

It's fun. If ran properly, it leads to a large number of people visiting. Plus, it helps to raise pank rank.

2. Set up a Feed for Google Base

Why?

It leads to traffic. Once set up it is very easy to use. Plus, it gives an education on the kinds of things Google is looking to see in listings.

3. Occasionally Sell at Local Events

Why?

It educates on how people are responding to what is for sale. The feedback from a facial expression is not something that can be gleaned online. Plus, it gives the opportunity to pass out business cards to large numbers of interested shoppers. Double plus, it gives the opportunity to offload a lot of inventory that might have been piling up.

4. Join Forums and get Involved in the Discussion

Why?

There are two reasons. There is a lot to be learned on selling and product related forums. Plus, it is a way to expose potentially interested shoppers to your url.

5. Most Importantly, Keep Your Love for Ebay

Why?

Because despite doing all of the above things and much more, eBay is still where the traffic is. In a highly competitive market, such as jewellery, it is simply much easier to get exposure on eBay. This is especially true in the early days of one's new online store.

If anyone out there has any tips on favorite ways to promote, I'm all ears!

How to Start Your First Online Store

There are 4 Essential Steps to starting an online store.

Let's look at them one by one shall we?

1. Have a Product

Find something to sell that you can buy, (or make), cheaply and sell for more.

Get ideas by attending auctions, flea markets, and garage sales.

Do searches online to see what kinds of prices different items are fetching.

If you are crafty, search craft forums to get ideas and tips on things to make and how to do it.

Buy something on ebay or Bonanzle and ask yourself, what about this buying process was fun for me? What could I sell to recreate this experience for others?

Importantly, get out a calculator and figure out all of the costs involved, and make sure that what you are looking to sell will be profitable.

2. Start a Website for Free

I started this website for free. When I was ready to make use of the more advanced features, I upgraded to a package that costs $10 a month.

Click here to start your own website for free.

3. Take Pictures

Good quality pictures are obviously important. All the info you need to do this is available with simple Google searches. Here are some tips to get you started:

-If you do not have a lighting system of some kind, natural light is your friend. Go outside.

-If the items you are photographing are small, invest in a closeup lens.

-Try a bunch of different angles and lighting conditions.

4. Figure out Shipping in Advance

Shipping can make or break you. Some items are easy to ship, and others cost a fortune.

Find out ahead of time how much the items you are thinking about selling will cost to ship. This is better than selling an item for $25 and then finding out it will cost $50 to ship it.

I use Canada Post. If you have the patience of a saint, this website will eventually give you an idea of how much it costs to ship things.

If you plan to sell a lot of items, buy shipping supplies in bulk. I use Uline.