Your typical blogger isn't rich by any means. Trust me, I should know! Besides from the occasional sponsored post, I get zero income from blogging. However, there are other ways to make some money online. Many bloggers have a wide variety side business, such as designing blogs & websites, selling used books, running an eBay store, and even selling Funko POP!s. Since I've increased my social media presences on Instagram this year, I've noticed many Funko collectors have started their own businesses by selling POP!s and other collectable toys online. I think this is a great idea.
After doing a bit of research on starting an online store, I thought I would share with you three simple tips that will hopefully help someone who is dreaming of starting their own store.
Stock Up on Merchandise
For starters, you need to figure out what you are going to sell in your store. Once you make that decision, then you need to stock up on merchandise. There are different ways of going about this, all depending on what you're wanting to sell. If you want to sell used books, then I would recommend buying books from thrift stores and garage sales at a cheap price. Or if you're wanting to sell Funko POP!s or other toys, I would recommend starting out by buying a few that are on clearance at department stores, such as Walmart and Target. You can also seek out manufacturers and wholesalers, but if you go this route, make sure to do your research, so you can get the best deals.
And you can also take a chance at buying storage units, as sometimes you can find great items in them.
Create a Website
Once you have your merchandise, you need to set up a simple website for your online shop. Don't worry if you don't have a big budget for this, as there are many website builders that are cheap. I'm recommending either www.website.com or www.wix.com. Both of these sites offer "basic" free websites, but if you want more services with them, then you need to get a subscription. Plus, you need to get your very own domain, as it will make your store look more professional. I wouldn't recommend getting a web designer until your store has been up and running for awhile. If your business is successful, then you can seek out a designer. Until, then keep your website's layout simple and easy to use for your customers.
You need to know what your customers want. For example, if you're selling collectable toys, then you need to know what kind of toys your customers want. There are tons of toy brands out there. If you're customers might like toys related to superheroes, horror films, or cartoons. You need to keep track of your products' stats, so you can determine what's selling the best.
How can you accomplish this?
Well, there are softwares that can give you an exact product usage analytics for your business. This way you can learn your customer's experiences with the products and services that your business is providing.
Always remember, a happy customer equals a successful business!
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