Tips for Getting Started as an E-Commerce Merchant
During the retailer forum session at Search Engine Strategies NYC a member of the audience said “I have a store that I just started up. Right now we are in the $0 dollars sales area. What are some tips for getting started with an E-Commerce store?”
A great summary response from the panel covered a majority of the avenues for building from the ground up.
- Build links and SEO – Long term initiative, no shortcuts.
- Advertise on Search Engines (SEM) - Instant results; Testing and basic analytics is important.
- Utilize Available Services in the Shopping Vertical
- List on Google Base / Froogle - Results dependant on product being sold.
- Sell on auction sites, specifically eBay and link back to your e-commerce store in the description – Short term
- Sell on marketplaces like Amazon zShops, or Ebay Express
- Use Yahoo! Merchant Solutions (free setup) to power the site
- Easier/Cheaper to get listed in Yahoo! Shopping search engine
- Datafeed Optimization (DFO) - Be found for more search terms. Shorter term initiative. (See SingleFeed for a good solution).
I’d also suggest that new merchants should try to announce some initial promotions and get free exposure through deal or coupon sites. And don’t forget getting friends and family to help spread the word.
[Entry related to the Retailer Forum session held at Search Engine Strategies 2007 NYC.]
Technorati tags: seo, sem, search engine strategies, affiliate, affiliate program, e-commerce, merchant
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