Recommendations for Start-Ups Selling Online

by Christine Jaros | December 9, 2024

Below are general recommendations for start-up clients trying to determine their best way to sell online. I have categorized my suggestions by target customer groups. We know that no two businesses are ever identical, but based on my extensive selling experience, new business owners should consider these options which take into account the critical analysis conducted on their businesses:

Local, State or Federal Government Entities

If this is your target customer, then yes, it is important that you have a branded website presence. Most likely you will not need an e-commerce build-out for this target channel as you will be applying and bidding on contracts (doing the one-on-one outreach) to the entity directly. This is the typical selling process. This customer channel assumes you have a few years of experience under your belt and a revenue stream based on proven success. So, a branded website is essential here for conveying your capabilities, credentials, certifications and competitive advantages. It is also wise to know who your chain of decision makers will be in the purchase/selection process. A procurement manager? Department head? Project team? Your content and message must convey your quality and experience, provide solutions and appeal to the standards of the decision maker.

Private Sector/Commercial Businesses

If your target customer is a professional service provider, business organization, or retailer, you will want to have some branded web presence and like above, you may not need e-commerce buildouts because your website should be focused on presenting your value, your solutions to pain points, your quality products and services, your message. Perhaps you are targeting a related industry with which to co-brand/grow your services, or selling a newly innovated product to a big box retailer like Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Lowes or Nordstrom?  A web page is all about your professional appearance, your brand identity, success factors, and market viability. Competition may be steep here, so breaking into these customers may require all hands-on deck.

In this category, one also often has the opportunity to be a vendor for the targeted customer by applying to their customer’s website/online vendor application. Additionally, while not a selling platform, being listed with appropriate trade associations often benefits your company. Selling this category of customers often requires some sort of in-person contact. Various suppliers, pharmaceuticals, and clothing wholesalers work in this manner to sell by using established relationships with the customer. Using bestselling practices within the industry can overcome sluggish starts.

Business to Consumer (B2C)

According to ’Digital Commerce 360.com’, over 80% of all businesses sell online to consumers. This is why it is one of the most competitive channels in which to establish your brand and sell. Perhaps it is true that here what is most important is the product/service versus the brand. Hence, this is the space that offers the greatest alternatives to branded website selling. So, unlike the two categories above, you don’t need to start up your small biz with an e-commerce website if you are targeting direct to consumers. Through some of the following vehicles, you can gain traction with brand awareness and market share (aka – you can sell!). Here, you need to be very clear about your critical analysis answers, as well as how and where your customers shop. For almost every product and service that exists (whether new, used, or refurbished) there is a site on which you can list or establish a channel or storefront.

• For consumer products:  the most popular include Amazon, E-Bay, Shopify, Etsy, Poshmark and YouTube. There are hundreds more depending on your product type, target demographics, etc. As you would expect, there are pluses and minuses to all, so do your homework before listing.
• For services: selecting a crowd sourced ranking service provider to be listed with is equivalent to being on a selling platform. Since consumers avidly use these sites to review and select service providers, they also present competitive pricing, customer ratings and service details. Angie’s, Porch, Yelp, Thumbtack, Home Advisor, Houzz, Consumer’s Checkbook, and Google maps Data are some of the most popular.
• Social media offers selling opportunities as well. Live selling events on Facebook can boost your sales within your groups, followers, and friends. Using an email invoice with a company logo to document each sell establishes your professionalism. You will also need a secure method for taking payments – like PayPal, Venmo or Zelle. Make sure your terms of sale are well documented.
• SMS or email List: Connecting one on one directly to your consumers via an SMS or email or list can also add to your sales revenues. Using a bar code on an online video/photo, post, marketing flyer, or blog can simplify your customer’s journey from obtaining info to connecting with you and making a payment for their product/service.

Making sales your first years in business is not a passive activity. You can do it! It will take tons of hard work to build that customer pipeline, but once you get the hang of it by sitting in your customer’s seat and going where they are, you will reap the benefits!