Selling online can be a very promising source of additional income for anyone. To ensure that you receive a steady stream of profit form this channel, you need to understand the buying process and how you can influence it.

Take free posting in classifieds online, for instance. The buyer usually goes through these steps:

•  Search – buyers are always on the look out for best buys. Whether they get it online or in a local store is purely a matter of personal preference. Some buyers are old-fashioned and like going to the store to see the items for themselves. Others, however, have adapted to the web easily and are now more comfortable with online purchasing.

•  Selection – Today’s stores and different channels for selling are offering buyers the freedom to choose. Aside from selecting the product itself, they can choose form different models, different brands, different colors and different price ranges.

•  Evaluation and Comparison – Once they’ve seen what’s available in the market and where to find it, the next step is to eliminate the products that do not match their needs. This is where you have most influence over the buying process as a seller. You can increase your product’s competitive edge over others by providing more information on unique selling propositions, benefits, customer service guarantees, available warranties and other basic information.

•  Purchase – This is the final step in the process. Even if the customer chooses your product, there is still the danger of bouncing off the purchase page. This is affected by decision points such as shipping cost, return policy, estimated delivery time and even additional costs not reflected in the base price (ie taxes and service charges)

The key to increasing your conversions from ecommerce site visitors or classified ads visitors to actual buyers is in providing the right amount of detail about your product or service. Studies show that forty-two percent of consumers are looking for information online to solve any queries they may have about the product/service. Finding information right away increases the consumer’s satisfaction level and their tendency to convert.

Furthermore, online buyers also appreciate post-purchase communication. As everything is done online and no physical receipt is issued, they rely on system-generated messages confirming reservation. They may also have some questions about shipping and estimated arrival dates. If your online ad buyer ends up having these, you should always attempt to answer in a timely manner.

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