Anyone Can Sell Online; *Anyone*! =================================
No website or product required (but one or both can help!)
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Introduction
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The Internet is an amazing medium for communication, and entertainment. It can help save you time and money, and provide a lot of fun too! S-l-o-w-l-y, big businesses are starting to fully realise the potential of the Internet.
But it is small businesses, and individuals who are truly exploiting the Internet phenomenon. It is this group - people with small budgets and forced to research and fully utilise the best high- value low-cost opportunities - that lead the way.
And whilst it isn't easy, it *is possible* for anyone to sell online.
When I say anyone, I have to qualify it a little. I mean:
* Anyone who owns... anything! * Anyone who knows something that others don't * Anyone who has a passion, and is willing to share that passion with others
* Anyone who is willing to work hard, and continue to learn
'Anyones' can be educated or un-educated, skilled or un-skilled, employed or self-employed (or unemployed). You can be a house-wife (house-husband) or any kind of business professional you can think of (even a salesman!). You can be... anyone, as long as you have access to the wonderful world of the web.
And you don't need a website OR a product OR knowledge of HTML (but all can help)!
Imagine!
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Three types of 'anyone'
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I shall split these 'anyones' into 3 distinct groups. Everyone belongs to at least one of these groups, but you may well find ways to sell online in each of them.
1) Anyone with NO WEBSITE and NO PRODUCT
2) Anyone with a WEBSITE but NO PRODUCT
3) Anyone with a WEBSITE and PRODUCT
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1) Anyone with NO WEBSITE and NO PRODUCT ------------
It sounds good, doesn't it - selling online, with no website and no product! And, even better, you get to clear out your loft (attic), cellar (basement) or cupboard (closet) whilst you're at it! (And it's NOT network marketing, so don't worry!)
I'm not talking about car-boot (or garage) sales either, but you're almost there!
"Sell - and buy - via online auctions!"
After all, we all own things that we no longer want; items that others are willing to buy from us! Online auctions allow you to sell (and buy) those items online.
"Build your own Net auction business."
Ever heard of Ebay? It's an online auction site - one of *the* MOST VISITED sites on the Net - brim full with people eager to sell (and buy) goods online! If you know what you're doing on Ebay (or any auction site) you can quite easily turn your passion into a very lucrative, even life-enhancing, business!
As with all things Internet, there are many how-to Auction guides available. One such guide is Sydney Johnstone's excellent "Make Your Net Auction Sell!" Based on her own experiences, it shows how she actually *makes a living* using online auctions and details dozends and dozens of ways you too can sell (or sell more) online!
There are SO MANY good things about selling via online auctions, but I particularly like the low-risks involved. I like the fact that:
- Your customers are *already looking for your items*, especially on the big auction sites like Ebay or Amazon;
- You can sell (almost) anything and it suits anyone (not just stamp-collectors!);
- You can do market research, at no expense to yourself!
- You can simply use an auction site to promote your website or affiliate program
Quite simply, online auctions provide the ultimate low-risk, low- startup-cost business. And Sydney Johnstone's book explains all, together with a clear guide to using (and selling via) online auctions. Powerful stuff!
Recommended resources:
* The wonderful world of Ebay http://www.ebay.com
http://www.ebay.co.uk
* Make Your Net Auctions Sell, by Sydney Johnstone http://mynas.sitesell.com/shopping101.html
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2) Anyone with a WEBSITE but NO PRODUCT ------------
(a) Are you sure you have no product?
What about your knowledge? They say that there's a book in everyone, and that includes you! You probably know something that other people would pay to know. It can be right under your nose too. You just need to know how to find it! (And then you need to know how to create and publish it, and how to market and sell it!...) The thing is, all this how-to information is available NOW, online!
If you think this opportunity might suit you - and think about it for a moment, before you dismiss it! - then I really suggest you seize the moment. Visit the recommended resources below, or any other sites you're aware of! But do something!
And if you think you're not a writer, YOU CAN LEARN! Creating and selling your very own, proprietary product is the small business person's best chance to succeed on the Net.
Recommended resources:
* LEARN HOW to sell your knowledge (find 'the infoproduct within') http://myks.sitesell.com/shopping101.html
* LEARN HOW to make your words sell (discover the power of words) http://myws.sitesell.com/shopping101.html
(b) OK, OK there's no book inside you (yet!)
Well, ever heard of Amazon? They sell books, right (and CDs and DVDs...)! They were also responsible for the first ever associate program on the Net. Their associate (affiliate) program allows sites to sell Amazon books simply by providing a link to Amazon. Amazon tracks the link, and pays a commission of between 5 and 15% if the click results in a sale. In effect, Amazon invented affiliate marketing!
"Sell via affiliate marketing!"
Affiliate marketing is *very* big business. It is thought that by 2002, 25% of online sales will have originated on affiliate sites. Many online businesses now run affiliate programs. It *is* possible to make a lot of money every month simply from a link to an affiliate program.
It is possible, but not that simple!
You need to have a decent amount of traffic to your site; you need to choose programs that have a good fit with your website; you need to promote the affiliate program well (sometimes called pre- selling!); and you need to join an affiliate program:
i) of a site that makes the sale, and ii) that pays a good rate of commission.
(Ideally, you would want to make a lifetime commission on the referred customer on all future sales too!)
Amazon definitely makes the sale (it's well-designed, has excellent customer service, and hence has very high conversion rates). But it pays a maximum of 15% commission, and you ONLY make commission on a previously-referred customer IF they click your affiliate link in the future - no lifetime commission here!
If you're serious about selling via affiliate marketing - and it really is a great way to supplement your income, whilst improving site content - then I recommend you sign-up for Ken Evoy's NEW 5-day Affiliate Masters e-mail course.
The NEW Affiliate Masters course shows you what to look for in an affiliate program, how to pre-sell the program, AND it includes excellent sections on site promotion too! Over 100 pages, it's an invaluable affiliate marketing resource, yet amazingly its free!
Sign-up for Day 1 of The Affiliate Masters course NOW! Simply send an email to mailto:tamsshopping101@sitesell.com
Recommended resources:
* 5 Pillar Program - voted the best affiliate program on the net http://www.sitesell.com/shopping101.html
* Guide to UK/worldwide affiliate programs http://www.shoptour.co.uk/webmaster-profit/
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3) Anyone with a WEBSITE and a PRODUCT ------------
Congratulations! You're already selling online. Not sure why you're still reading this then!
Maybe you're not making as many sales as you'd imagined!
Selling online for you, is all about selling a great product, at the right price, and getting enough traffic to your site. Am I right? So, have you mastered the so-called Big 3 of product, site- selling and traffic building?
"Learn how to make your site sell!"
If you haven't can I politely suggest you check out the following best-of-breed products below that WILL make your site sell (at the right price)! And, you might also like to consider the possibilities offered by affiliate marketing and online auctions detailed above!
Recommended resources:
* Make Your Site Sell - "The bible of Net selling" http://myss.sitesell.com/shopping101.html
* MYPS - Hire a $15,000 pricing consultant for almost nothing! http://myps.sitesell.com/shopping101.html
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As I have just shown, anyone can sell online. You can either:
o Sell your own product, or o Sell someone else's product
And you can do this via your own website, or via an online auction site. Excellent tools exist that show you how to:
o Sell what you know
o Sell what you have, via auction sites or your own website o Sell what others have, via affiliate programs
You probably won't get rich online - give it a while, eh? ;) - but you WILL be able to improve your income, and enjoy yourself at the same time!
Just visit these resources:
o Ebay
http://www.ebay.com
o Make Your Net Auctions Sell http://mynas.sitesell.com/shopping101.html
o Make Your Knowledge Sell http://myks.sitesell.com/shopping101.html
o Make Your Words Sell http://myws.sitesell.com/shopping101.html
o Make Your Price Sell http://myps.sitesell.com/shopping101.html
o Make Your Site Sell http://myss.sitesell.com/shopping101.html
o Guide to affiliate programs http://www.shoptour.co.uk/webmaster-profit/
And remember, if you too want to sell online, you can! Just choose the best option for you, *and take action!*
Happy selling,
Steve Nash
Webmaster, Shop Tour UK
PS Do be careful before you *speculate to accumulate!* All of the resources mentioned in this article offer outstanding value and an absolutely no questions asked money-back guarantee!
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o Why not check out Site Build It! for yourself! http://buildit.sitesell.com/shopping101.html
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=================================================================== Steve Nash is webmaster of http://shoptour.co.uk - an easy-to-use UK shopping directory. "Find shops quickly AND save money." He also edits a newsletter called Promote! Promote! Promote!. Subscribe NOW by sending a blank e-mail to mailto:pppromote@shoptour.co.uk