Como conseguir a primeira venda online?

According to Marktest's E-Commerce barometer, around 5.2 million Portuguese (60% of national consumers) already shop online, 4.2% more than in 2021.

Faced with this growth in demand for products and services online, the commitment of entrepreneurs in business creation is growing, and many of them are going through the e-commerce.

Despite creating a business in the e-commerce channel being a simpler and more flexible process than in traditional retail, making your first sale online will require you to pay special attention to aspects as varied as the product/service you're going to offer, the platform you've chosen or payment solutions that you will offer your potential clients.

Strategies for making your first online sale

To help you with this task of create your online business and make your first sale, here are some digital strategies that will pave your way to success. Get started!

  • Bet on the right products

Before thinking about how to sell in e-commerceIt's important to think about what you're going to sell, since it's when you choose your niche market that you start to design your first online sale.

If you're in doubt about the product/service you want to sell, here are the seven product categories that achieved the most sales on the online channel last year, according to the Webshoppers report by NielsenIQ Ebit:

  • 1st Home and Decoration (14%)
  • 2nd Perfumery and Cosmetics (12%)
  • 3rd Fashion and Accessories (11%)
  • 4th Household Appliances (10%)
  • 5th Food and Beverages (7%)
  • 6th Sports and Leisure (7%)
  • 7th Health (6%)

  • Choose a platform that meets your needs

There are several ways to sell online.

You can do this, for example, through the creating a professional website/online shopby signing up to a Marketplace or using social media.

To make the right choice, think, among other things, about the budget available, the product/service you're going to sell, your target audience and the expected turnover.

The answer to these questions is not only to choose the most suitable platform, but also to help you define what kind of digital marketing strategies you will have to undertake and which ones you will need. online payment methods which you must make available to your customers.

Bear in mind that an in-house website is generally used by more professional structures that want to have a large volume of sales and will cost more than, for example, a page on a social network or a Marketplace.

  • Invest in payment methods that suit the nature of your business and the needs of your customers

Those who buy online expect speed, simplicity and security, especially when it comes to checkout (finalising the purchase with payment).

Payment methods that are out of step with consumers' habits and needs increase friction and lead to "abandoned carts" when the purchase has almost been completed. To avoid this, we recommend reading the article: 5 ways to avoid abandoned carts in the age of online shopping.

In addition to this extremely important factor, when choosing the online payment solutions that you are going to make available to your customers, try to do so taking into account the platform where you are going to set up your business.

For example, in the case of online payments for businesses that operate mainly on marketplaces and social networks, i.e. sell online without a website, REDUNIQ offers you the REDUNIQ@Payments, a turnkey solution that will allow you to accept, simply and quickly, payntos online by link through by e-mail, SMS, WhatsApp, ATM reference or MB WAY with Visa and Mastercard.

If you opt for a professional online shop, the REDUNIQ E-Commerce is the right solution as it is simple to integrate and will allow you to accept online payments in Portugal with Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards from all over the world with no membership or monthly fees.

  • Increase the visibility of your business with Digital Marketing strategies

The world of e-commerce is as appealing as it is competitive. If the millions of people who buy online open up good business prospects for you, it's no less true that there will be thousands of competing companies vying with you, which will force you to conquer your space. How? Through Digital Marketing.

Among other strategies, look for paid adverts on search engines (Google Ads, for example) or on social networks (Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, etc.) that will allow you to reach your target audience in a targeted way, since these paid adverts are shown during searches for the audience you have selected.

In addition to paid adverts, create content (videos, photos and text) to publish on social media describing your activity and/or a specific product in order to capture people's attention.

  • Offer discounts and promotions

I'm sure you've noticed that when a traditional retail shop, large or small, opens, it's usually accompanied by discounts and promotions in order to attract the attention of consumers.

You can do the same on the online channel. In order to secure your first sales and build customer loyalty, offer discounts and promotions.

This sales strategy has been used since the time of the Incas and Mayans. Discounts and promotions on the items most desired by your competitors' consumers, for example, can trigger an increase in your sales.

At this point, you need to study market trends and understand what your target audience wants, as well as paying attention to the seasons.