Local businesses in northern Michigan are starting to feel the financial crunch from coronavirus restrictions. Business owners and employees have taken refuge during the pandemic by staying at home and working at home.
That also means we’re avoiding unnecessary shopping trips and have turned to online shopping for products.
If your non-essential business had to close your doors to the public, have you thought of new ways to succeed in today’s online shopping trend?
What can you sell online?
For retail stores that relied only on in-person browsing, it’s time to consider selling products on your website. Now is the time to add an e-commerce feature to your website so you can catch customer dollars during this crisis.
If you operate a restaurant, this would be a good time to sell gift cards or gift certificates on your website. This will help you bring in revenue now.
Our community wants to help our local businesses stay in business! I’ve seen people asking businesses how they can buy gift cards now to help with sales during the closure.
Right now is the perfect time for your local business to find ways to create a temporary revenue stream through online sales.
So, what can you sell online?
What will I need on my website for online sales?
If you have a WordPress website, there are lots of shop plugins to add. You add your product and description with enticing photos and competitive prices. You will need a way to process credit card payments securely. PayPal is a well known processor and charges minimal fees. You need to determine how you will be shipping your products – USPS or UPS – and then charge the right shipping fees to cover those costs.
