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How to Become an Online Retailer. Becoming an online retailer is easier than you think
-- if you do it right. Sell products from the convenience of your PC or laptop. You
will need An idea Appropriate merchandise Vendors PPC campaigns Search engine optimization
Internet access and a ready-made store. Step 1. Decide what type of store you want. Toss
around your idea with others to make sure it is viable. Step 2. Plan to carry merchandise
you have some experience with but be open to what you will offer. If you sell only products
you like, your business may be too limited to be sustainable. Step 3. Establish good
relationships with vendors. Plan not to carry any inventory at first. When you get an order,
send it to the manufacturer and have them send it directly to the customer. Step 4.
Read up on pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns before you start your store. PPC allows you to start
bringing in instant traffic. Use search engine optimization techniques to ensure your business
pops up in search engine results. In a PPC campaign, you only pay for qualifying clicks
to the destination site based on a prearranged per-click rate. Step 5. Try out a pay-per-click
campaign to assess market demand and advertising competition. Run the campaign for a week,
testing various ads at different times of day. Step 6. Build your site or hire somebody
to do it for you. But be aware that hiring a web developer to build your store can be
expensive. As an alternative, consider purchasing a ready-made store. That way you'll be up
and running before you know it. Did you know In 2009, online sales on Cyber Monday, which
is the Monday after Thanksgiving, totaled $887 million.