Finding products to sell online can be fairly easy. There are countless vendors out there that are looking for people to sell their goods. Problem is that unless you find some way to differentiate yourself, odds are your website is going to get lost amongst thousands of others.
Chances are there are lots of people selling something similar to what you’re selling. Because (and let’s be honest here), if no one else is offering what you’re selling… you either have something totally unique or you may be offering something that there isn’t a demand for (not good). Competition is good. It means that people already know that they either need or want what you’re selling.
So, how do you stand out from the competition? – You fill a niche. Plain and simple – offer something that will make your customers want to buy from you. (Keep in mind that you don’t want to compete on price.) What can you offer that will make your website the place to go for your particular product? Do you offer bundled products where they get something free? Does your site offer valuable information or funny/witty stories that drive traffic to your website? What value do you bring?
One of the most common (and probably most annoying) ways to earn money online is to run Google AdSense ads. This is where you agree to run pay-per-click ads based on the content of your website. We’ve all been to websites where the content has all sorts of links selling all types of (often unrelated) stuff. These ads may have worked at one time but nowadays they’re generally perceived as a big turnoff. Personally, I get so distracted by all the links and pop-ups trying to sell me stuff that I get aggravated and leave. It’s very rare that I stay on a site like that long enough to find what I was looking for.
Another way to sell OPS (other people’s stuff) is through affiliate marketing programs. Most people find these ads more acceptable than AdSense ads because they’re usually carefully selected and they relate to the content of the site that you’re on. For example, no one in their right mind decides to join an affiliate program to promote baby products if their website is geared to fishermen. (I have a few affiliate programs on this site that represent a few hand-picked vendors that I believe in.)
To sum it up, in real estate they always say location… location… location. And in business, it’s differentiation… differentiation…. differentiation. Look for ways to stand out from the crowd.
About Sherryl PerryWelcome! If you're looking for help building an Internet presence that fits your needs and works for you, you're in the right place. I blog common sense articles about WordPress, social media and SEO. My goal is to help small business owners and entrepreneurs understand their core business. Together, we can develop and implement business strategies that make sense to you.
Hey Sherryl – Do you have any personally recommended strategies for monetization? How did you find the products you promote?
I love iDev, by the way.
Hi Tia,
Thanks for asking. So far, I’m only promoting products that I’ve personally used and believe in. My intention is to begin offering my services as a way to monetize my blog. My roots go back to teaching and consulting and I believe that is where I can bring the most value to my readers. I’d be interested in hearing how you (and others) monetize your blog.
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