You may have had plenty of your friends and family compliment you on your talent and skills, and ask why you have never thought to turn it into a business and sell your product. It could have been a thought you’ve kept in the back of your mind, not having the confidence to act upon it until now. Either way, there is a market out there for everything – especially personalised canvas bags, cross stitch family portraits, and creative bookmarks for the reading lover. If you are just starting out, here are some tips and tricks for creating your own successful online business. 
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Create A Website
The first thing you will need to do is set yourself up a platform to sell from. You will need to create a unique brand that is easily recognisable, and an easy to navigate website to take your orders. It will need to be tried and tested – especially if your product is personalisable – to ensure you are able to get enough information to complete the order successfully. Think about the websites you like to order from – what are the qualities that make it an enjoyable shopping experience? Is it the product layout? The simple checkout options? Make a list of all your preferences and take them into account when designing your own website. If you have little experience, you can always source a website designer to help you create your perfect website.
Market On Social Media
Join an online community for your business where other similar small businesses can support each other and share work. It is important to use being a small business to your advantage – as many potential customers will be people who choose to support smaller businesses, rather than the corporate big bosses, will be inclined to seek out companies like yours. Also, with the power of sharing on social media, your marketing can reach a high number of people overnight without you having to do any of the legwork yourself. Simply ask all of your customers to put up a review and share on social media, or offer a discount for every customer that shares your business on their social media sites – and you’ll start to gain traction quickly.
Set A Competitive Price
It is a good idea to take a look at other competitive small businesses and see what they are charging for a product similar to yours. Customers will always look for a cheaper option, however, you don’t want to be giving your product away for less than it’s worth. Comparing prices of a few businesses will allow you to choose a price that is still appropriate, but potentially a little cheaper to give you an edge when starting out. As well as your product price you may also want to look at courier prices to ensure you are giving your customers the best price for a safe service. For example: if you have already decided on Shiply courier services for your shipping needs, you may find another company that is cheaper when researching. However, if Shiply has more features in place to ensure your item gets to its destination safely, it may be the more cost-effective option. Taking the time to research your prices is an effective way of making you more money in the long run.
If you are starting out, remember that planning is essential to a successful startup of your online business, and marketing is your bread and butter for bringing customers in. Perseverance is a powerful thing, so just keep going and pushing forward, and your hard work is bound to be rewarded.
