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Virtual Stores

A Easy Way to Test The Internet Market

Virtual Stores

A virtual store is one that only exists in the bits and bytes of the Internet. But the products you sell are very real.

This is an ideal solution for the home business crafter who has a line of products to sell or for the "bricks & mortar" store who want to try out the Internet waters.

eBay was one of the first and is probably the biggest host of virtual stores.

The basic store is inexpensive, with the first 30 days free. eBay claims that store owners see a 25% increase in sales after opening a store. Listing fees are lower for store owners; and marketing help is given. Open an eBay Store

Finally, if you want your own web address and store with a shopping cart, click on the ProStores link below.

ProStores is an award-winning ecommerce solution that enables small and medium sized businesses to sell products and services online through a fully customized Web store.

They have made creating a Web store easy for customers to subscribe to and use, with built-in, step-by-step wizards that help you design the look of their store, upload products, and set up shipping and sales tax information.

Pro Stores Feature

• Domain registration and hosting
• Shopping cart
• Secure, SSL-encrypted credit card processing
• Integration with eBay and PayPal
• Marketing and Merchandising Tools
• Product catalog

Plus you get a One Month Free Trial from ProStores - an eBay Company.

You can open virtual stores on other sites, such as Amazon. However stick with the known established hosts if you want to go this route. A lot of smaller virtual store hosts or malls have suddenly gone out of business, leaving the store owners in the lurch.

Marketing Again

I will repeat again there’s an awful lot of competition out there. You can surely benefit from the extra exposure the Internet and eBay and Yahoo and other online auction sites can provide, but only if you can attract the customers to your auction, virtual store or website. This can be done using various tools, both online and off.

Just opening a virtual store or listing an item for sale doesn’t necessarily guarantee that those millions of visitors drawn to eBay or other online auction sites will pay you any mind. Marketing, be it of your individual craft, virtual store or website is key.

Online Marketing Resources

If you want to be successful in any business, you have to market.

The bible on Internet marketing or any marketing for that matter is Make My Site Sell 2002. Some of the information is dated, but on the whole, this book offers valuable insights for sellers online and off, especially since it is now a free gift from the owners of Sitesell, another company that offers an attractive web hosting and building package.

It covers all the steps you have to follow to attract receptive customers to your store, be it real or virtual. It is not expensive and will pay for itself many times over.

The other book – actually a course – I recommend is the late Corey Rudl’s Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet, a classic that has helped thousands of webmasters get traffic to their sites.

Mr. Rudl died in a race car accident in his early thirties. His staff has kept on and this book is up to date on the latest internet marketing tactics. It is expensive, but worth it.

Without traffic, your craft will never be noticed or your website will wither and die.

Your Guide to Selling on the Internet

• Are Free Websites Worth It?
  I do not believe so. I think the little extra time, cost and effort will pay for itself over the long run.
• Build Your Own Website?
  While not for everyone, your own website, if done right, can set you on the road to success.
• Do I Need a Website?
  Should a crafter market her crafts on a co-op website?
• eBay Selling Tips
  How to maximize your profits when selling crafts on eBay.
• Four Mistakes Online Sellers Make Every Day
  Maximize your profits by avoiding these common errors.
• Marketing Your Website
  Some tips on getting visitors to your website or virtual store.
• Online Auctions
  What better way to get involved selling online than using these resources. Learn how to get started.
• Simple Steps to Promote Your Crafts Website
  Simple steps you can take to promote your craft website, to draw more visitors and to increase your sales.
• Site Build It
  Why you should choose Site Build It as your website development program.

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