What Are The Examples Of Online Selling? (Here are 7)

Online selling is a good starting point for any internet-based business. It has a low start-up cost and can be set up in less than a week. In addition, global e-commerce retail sales have been growing steadily for the past decade. It is forecasted to reach $5 trillion by the end of the year; a growth of 256% since 2014. What does this mean? It means online selling is here to stay. People are now becoming more and more comfortable shopping online.

If you have been following this blog, you may already know that I am an advocate of online businesses. Ecommerce allows fathers (and mothers) to have the flexibility to provide for their families and be involved in their lives at the same time. Online selling is one of the subjects that’s dear to me. It’s amongst those that helped me bounce back after I got myself in a deep mess. Story here. Read on as I share with you the different ways to sell online as well as some of their pros and cons.

DIY Product shoot at home
Confession: I take product shots on our dining table.
  1. Sell via an e-commerce website
    An e-commerce website generally means an online store. It is your very own standalone virtual shop where consumers can purchase your products over the internet via a web browser. This option is suitable for experienced online sellers who wish to take their internet business to the next level.

    Pro: Absolute control over your business. You can do whatever you want on your website.
    Con: You have to work on driving your own traffic.

    Top examples:
    – SpreadSimple (See my online store made by SpreadSimple here: Chromebook Store PH)
    – Shopify
    – Magento
    – BigCommerce
    – Ecwid
    – Wix
    – WooCommerce on Bluehost
  1. Sell on online marketplaces and shopping applications
    Online marketplaces and shopping applications are a type of e-commerce website operated by a third-party provider. Selling on these kinds of sites is similar to renting a space inside a shopping mall. This is where most online sellers start their entrepreneurial journey, since it is the easiest and quickest way to market their products.

    When you join an online marketplace, everything you need to make a sale will already be provided by the host. You do not have to worry about technical stuff such as web design, payment gateways, and search engine optimization (SEO). All you need to focus on is making a sale and packing your goods for delivery.

    Pro: Quick and easy to start. Ideal for beginners.
    Con: Lack of control over your business since you have to submit to your provider’s policies and rates. Moreover, the competition within online marketplaces and shopping applications is usually high.

    Top examples:
    – Amazon
    – eBay
    – Alibaba/AliExpress
    – Etsy
    – Rakuten
    – Google Shopping
    – Lazada
    – Shopee
    – Zalora
    – Target
    – Walmart
    – Best Buy
    – Wish
    – ASOS
    – Vinted
    – New egg
    – Overstock
    – Houzz
    – Fruugo
    – Koovs
    – Flipkart
    – Snap Deal
    – Oodle
  1. Social media and classified ads selling
    This is a sales technique where you broadcast your product on free platforms with your contact details. It is like pinning a poster on your school’s bulletin board or setting up a tarpaulin in an event. Your main goal is to basically sprinkle your ad to as many places as possible and wait for people to call you. No website. No selling apps. All transactions are typically made via chat, SMS, or phone call.

    I agree that this is not a very elegant way to sell online. Yet, I do not regret doing it when I was just starting up. Social media and classified ads selling fed my family for 2 years. Most of my sales came from Carousell and Facebook Marketplace.

    Pro: Free and simple way to start an online business.
    Con: Not ideal for long-term sales strategy — as you need to continuously re-post and bump up your ads.

    Top examples:
    – Facebook (personal profile, business page, marketplace, and groups).
    – Google My Business
    – Carousell
    – Craigslist
    – Twitter
    – Instagram
    – TikTok
    – Pinterest
Screenshot of Chromebook Store PH on Google SERP
This is how your online business would look on Google’s SERP (Search Engine Results Page) if you are on Google My Business.
  1. Content selling
    Content creation is the pinnacle of online selling. When done correctly, it will not only give you high-quality organic traffic to your sales channel, but also establish you as an authority in your industry. The aim of content selling is not to make a sale per se. The goal is to provide helpful information that adds value to your audience’s life. Selling your (or other people’s) products is only a by-product of the trust and value you have given.

    Pro: Content creation will establish your business as a brand which results in better conversion rates, and increase your business’ overall reputation.
    Con: Long-term game. It would take at least two years to make a content selling business profitable.

    Top examples:
    – Blogs
    – YouTube videos
    – Podcasts
    – Email newsletters

    If you plan to venture into the content selling business, you must check out Income School. They are the ones who taught me how to turn this blog into an online business. Furthermore, they will also teach you to monetize a YouTube channel.

    For transparency, the following examples are the three online selling methods I have yet to try.
  1. Direct selling
    Direct online selling is basically sending a blast of cold chats or emails to promote your products. You can also do it through SMS. This option isn’t my cup of tea. I find direct selling too aggressive. I don’t like to be sold this way, thus I don’t do it to other people as well. But I know some friends and colleagues who thrived on this kind of selling.

    Pro: I can’t think of any. But they said direct selling is a numbers game. You get 1 sale for every 100 rejections. If we’ll look at it this way, you more or less have control over your sales. You simply need to approach the number of people based on your target. 1,000 prospects to make 10 sales.
    Con: High probability of your accounts being blocked or flagged as a spammer.
  1. Live selling
    Have you ever been hooked by a shopping channel? It is a TV show that showcases different products such as vacuum cleaners, knives, and blenders. It’s where we mostly hear the catchphrase, “But wait, there’s more!” Live selling has a similar setup but done through a live stream on your social media account. This type of online selling has become quite popular these days. It is a high-engagement approach to selling over the internet.

    Pro: High engagement. Customers can ask questions and buy right there and then. It projects a high level of trust and familiarity with your product. This enables shoppers to be more comfortable purchasing over the internet. Live selling has grown 76% since the pandemic.
    Con: Technical and other issues. Anything can happen during a broadcast. Live selling is a skill that needs to be practiced.

    Top platforms for live selling:
    – YouTube
    – Facebook Live
    – Instagram Live
    – Amazon Live
    – TikTok Live
  1. In-game selling
    There are over 2.2 billion mobile gamers. And more than 85% of the total gaming industry revenue (approximately $196 billion) comes from free-to-play games. In-game selling means you will be promoting digital products to enhance the players’ gaming experience. Such products include skins, weapons, items, and special currencies. Another route most free-to-play games take is to serve as affiliate partners to different merchants. They give special bonuses when a player watches their partner’s ad for at least 30 seconds.

    Pro: In-game selling enables you to promote your products to a captured market.
    Con: Developing a game may require a massive amount of investment.

    Top-grossing mobile games:
    – PUBG Mobile
    – Honor of Kings
    – Genshin Impact
    – Roblox
    – Coin Master
    – Pokémon Go
    – Candy Crush Saga
    – Garena Free Fire
    – Rise of Kingdoms
    – Uma Musume Pretty Derby
Chromebook Store PH Lenovo Duet and USI Stylus
Remember the product shot I’m taking earlier? Here’s what it is going to look like on our ads and social media pages.

Closing thoughts

Overall, the examples of online selling listed above do not compete with one another. People on the internet behave differently. Thus, most companies test various online selling methods to see which ones will give them the best results.

If you are a beginner, my recommendation is to start with the free to low-cost options first. This allows you to explore without risking too much capital. Such options include social media, classified ads, online marketplaces, and shopping applications. For seasoned online sellers, you might want to challenge yourself by creating your own e-commerce site, producing helpful content, or broadcasting live product demos. Finally, if you are a YOLO type of seller, why not venture into the gaming industry?

Here is a list of tools that can help you sell better online:

  • SpreadSimple — Create and manage your online store using Google Sheets.
  • Income School — Learn how to build an online business through blogging and YouTube.
  • PCloud — Safely store your product photos in a safe and reliable cloud storage.

See also

Sources

Follow the Journey

This journal is my way of making sense of the lessons from the journey. Get the next full entry delivered straight to your inbox.

How To Make An Online Business Card? (5 Steps)

Online business cards are easy to share, cost-effective, and can be updated regularly. It is also a more sanitary way to exchange contact information with colleagues and potential customers — considering that Covid-19 is still around. Read on to see the step-by-step guide on how to make your own online business card. You may scan the QR code below to have a look at the finished product. Alternatively, you may also click the image to see it.

Jed QR Code
Scan me.

If you are in a rush and want to do it yourself, you may head down to the bottom of this post to check out the tools I used to make my online business card.

Step 1: Go to Carrd

Carrd helps you build one-page sites for pretty much anything. A personal profile, a landing page, or in this case, a digital business card. There are many similar services available online. But out of all I’ve tried, I find Carrd to be the most elegant, most responsive, and most straightforward to operate. You may use my affiliate link to get started quickly. Don’t worry, Carrd is free for up to 3 sites.

Carrd starting point.
A screenshot of Carrd’s starting point. This is where you will land after clicking the affiliate link above.

Step 2: Choose a template

Once you are there, you will be asked to choose a starting point. It simply means picking a design for your page. As much as I like to make my own design, I usually hold the urge to save time. I recommend you to hold yours as well. But if you really want to express your creativity, you can go ahead and choose the blank canvas option. This will enable you to create your online business carrd from scratch (pun intended).

Carrd templates.
Carrd offers a lot of different templates to choose from. Most are free, but you also have the option to pay for premium designs.

Step 3: Add your business information

The two main objectives for handing out business cards are to let people know what you do, and how they can contact you. Listed below are some examples of the usual information you see on a printed business card:

  • Your name and your business’ name.
  • Business address.
  • Company logo. (Check out the recommended tools below if you wish to make one)
  • Designation.
  • Contact information such as email address, mobile number, social media account, or your website.

That’s it. You can only put so much information on a 3.5 by 2.0 inches card stock paper. But for an online business card, you have the advantage of adding more relevant data to your profile. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Nice pictures.
  • Links to your blog, YouTube channel, or online store.
  • Embed a form where people can leave their email addresses. Or a booking page where they can easily schedule an appointment with you.
Carrd navigation instruction.
Here is a screenshot of Carrd’s navigation guide.

Step 4: Choose your address and publish

After you finish uploading your business info, you can now hit the little diskette icon in the upper right corner of your screen. This button will open the option to save and publish your work. It will then ask you to create an account, if you haven’t done so. Lastly, before you can finally publish your site, you must give it a title, a short description, and a unique URL. Congratulations, your online business card is now live!

There is an ancient artifact called diskettes. It is where we save our files before USB flash drives came along. This image is for the benefit of those who have no idea what a diskette looks like. (LOL)

Step 5: Make it shareable

It is rare for anyone to stumble upon your business card online. That is why it is necessary to make it easy to share. There are a variety of ways to do this. But the two most basic methods are via QR code and a short link.

I use QR Code Monkey to generate my QR code. It’s 100% free. As for short links, there are many URL shorteners available online, like bit.ly and rebrand.ly. But since this is for business, I would highly recommend you to eventually upgrade your Carrd plan to Pro. This way, you can connect your page to a custom domain to make it more professional.

Once you have your QR code and short link setup, you can now publicize your online business card. Here are some suggestions:

  • Insert the link in your social media bio and email signatures.
  • Include the QR code on your physical business cards.
  • Print your QR code on leaflets and other marketing merchandise.
  • Save the QR code on your phone’s gallery for easier sharing during meetings.
QR Code Money design page.
A screenshot of QR Code Monkey’s design page.

How much is a digital business card?

Basic digital business cards are free. But if you want more features, you need to upgrade to a pro plan that costs about $19 to $49 a year. While a free plan is enough for most of us, many would find the paid version worth the investment. It gives you access to higher-quality designs, analytics, and more.

Here are my recommended pro features if you want to take your online business card to the next level:

  • Custom domain. Having your own domain name projects trustworthiness. Yourbrand.com looks and sounds more professional than yourbrand.carrd.co.
  • Forms. With this feature, you can now use your digital business card to generate leads. You can ask potential customers to drop their email addresses and other contact information.
  • Embed custom codes and widgets. Selling a product? You can embed a “buy now” button to enable people to purchase directly on your page.
  • Google Analytics. Tracking your traffic is crucial to your online business success. Google Analytics will help you measure your growth, and, at the same time, show useful information about the people interested in your products or services.

What is the use of digital business cards?

As a whole, digital business cards are used to introduce your business to a potential customer. It contains a brief description of the company, the person’s designation, and contact details. But with today’s technology, they can now also serve as a subscription page, a portfolio page, and a mini e-commerce site.

Listed below are some creative uses of online business cards:

  • Contact page. A summary of your online profiles and how people can contact you.
Carrd sample profile page.
  • Product info page. A page where you can showcase your product or service.
Carrd sample product page.
  • Leads capture page. Offer freebies in exchange for email addresses.
Carrd sample form.
  • Portfolio page. Showcase your works.
Carrd sample portfolio page.
  • Booking page. Allow people to make an appointment with you directly from your online business card. You will need a third-party service like Dotcal for this.
Dotcal sample booking page.
Dotcal sample booking page.

Summary

There are many ways to make an online business card. But the method I presented above is the simplest and most cost-effective way I have found thus far. Carrd lets you create a basic one-page site for free, yet gives you the option to upgrade as you grow. Moreover, Carrd is a web-based service. Unlike other digital business card makers, you and your potential customers do not need to download any third-party apps to create or view each other’s business cards.

Below are some of my recommended tools to make your own online business card:

  • Carrd — One-page builder
  • Fiver Logo Maker — Logo maker
  • Dotcal — Booking page (Here is my booking page sample.) You can use the code: TheLearningDadBlog50 to get 50% off on Dotcal Pro features for six months.
  • QR Code Monkey
  • Namecheap — Get your custom domain here

See also

Follow the Journey

This journal is my way of making sense of the lessons from the journey. Get the next full entry delivered straight to your inbox.

How To Enjoy Your Family Life?

I know the feeling. Reality sinks in after the euphoria of getting married and having your first child wears off. Suddenly, the excitement of having a family has become boring, burdensome, or even dreadful. What was once a beautiful dream has now turned into a nightmare. How can we enjoy family life again?

Being proactive is one of the keys to enjoying your family life. It is about embracing the challenges and the responsibilities of your new role rather than lamenting over them. It’s total immersion; getting yourself involved in growing the ideal family you and your spouse have dreamed about.

Two practical ways toward a pleasurable family life are to enjoy the moment and take delight in your position as the head of the household. Continue reading to get some ideas on how to have fun with your family and enjoy your season as a father, based on my experience.

kids playing the seesaw
Joab and Jrue play the seesaw at Kidzoona, an indoor playground.

How to enjoy family time?

Involvement is the bread and butter of a healthy family life. This means we have to be intentional in spending time with our families. Yet, to be brutally honest, not many of us look forward to family time. We deem it to be a chore we would gladly pass up whenever we got the chance. We’d rather hang out with friends or spend more on me-times. If you feel the same way, here are some adjustments you can do to make your family time more fun:

  • Maintain healthy relationships.
    It is impossible to enjoy family time when you have relational issues with your spouse or children. It produces this barrier or negative aura that prevents all of you from having fun. Healthy relationships are often the result of exceptional communication within the family. Any division-causing matters should be addressed. “I am sorry” and “I forgive you” are the two phrases we should practice saying if we want to have a more enjoyable family time.
  • Synergize work and family life.
    There is always tension between family and work. That’s why it is crucial to find a way to make them work together if we want to enjoy both of them. Synergizing work and family life is different from the concept of work-life balance. Synergy means to combine or operate together. Like hitting two birds with one stone, or blending milk and bananas together to make a delicious smoothie.

    I chose to be a work-at-home dad because of this idea. I want to be productive while being involved in the lives of my family at the same time. One way we spend family time is by delivering Chromebooks to my clients. I would bring everyone with me, and we’ll have a snack or stroll around the nearest shopping mall afterward.
  • Start a journal.
    I am not sure if this is just me. But being able to document and look back at the fun moments spent with my family stirs me to create more memories with them. In addition, it also reminds me of how fast time flies. Once, they were just babies sleeping in my arms. Today, they’re toddlers jumping on my back. Who they are today will be so much different one year from now. And there will come a day when we can no longer spend time with them whenever we want.

    The two tools I use when journaling are Google Photos and Diaro.
  • Find common ground.
    Share your interests, and be interested in your family’s interests. Two things I look for every time we go out: good food and good coffee. That’s it. For my wife, it’s shopping. But not necessarily to buy something. She’ll already find joy by simply browsing through her favorite shops/products. My son loves to meet new people. And my daughter has a thing for wide-open spaces where she can run around. Being familiar with what your family wants allows you to plan and agree on the places where everyone will enjoy.

    Based on our interests mentioned above, the usual places we hang out as a family are shopping malls, supermarkets, eco-parks, zoos, and indoor playgrounds.
  • Initiate a family project.
    Here’s to name a few: build a Lego house; put up a kiddie business; start a toy collection; or learn a new skill. Starting a family project will not only make time together fun, but it will also promote discipline and teamwork. As of this writing, our family project is learning a new skill. We’re teaching our son how to roller-skate. If you want more suggestions on family projects, see this post: What To Do With My Child’s Money?
family train ride
Train ride with the family.

How to enjoy fatherhood?

Fathers are among the most influential people in the world. Their role is so vital that almost every major disorder has been linked to their absence, based on research and statistics. Violence, teen pregnancy, suicide, drug use, and alcohol abuse are all more correlated with fatherlessness than any other factors. In a sense, dads affect not only the lives of their children but the entire world.

Re-reading the paragraph I wrote above already makes me feel weary. And that, perhaps, is what many of us generally feel about fatherhood today. More often than not, we find ourselves overwhelmed by the pressures and responsibilities of being a dad. Listed below are a few suggestions to make your life as a father more enjoyable:

  • Appreciate the opportunity to be a father.
    This may sound cheesy, but knowing not all men are blessed with the role of a father makes you appreciate the opportunity to be one. No matter how challenging your life as a dad is today, many people in this world will still be willing to exchange places with you. What you appreciate, appreciates.
  • Simplify your life.
    Better one handful with peace and tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind. This has been one of my mantras ever since I became a dad. It is a verse in Scripture I have bookmarked, so I can be reminded each month. Fatherhood is already weighty enough to add more complexities to life. Be slow to choose what you invite into your life, and be quick to let go of the things that do not add value.

    Here are a few things you need to reconsider owning: pets, several cars, multiple businesses, more than one home, and basically everything that has upkeep. If you are unsure how simple living work, you can check out this post: How Does Simple Living Work?
  • Reward yourself.
    Go ahead, treat yourself to a nice dinner. Buy that gadget. Take some time off. Never feel guilty about rewarding yourself for being a good dad. It is not a selfish act. Fatherhood is a tough job, and you need to find ways to motivate yourself to keep going. To have something to look forward to.

    There is no right or wrong way to do this. As for me, I pay myself a “daddy allowance” of about $20 a month. Then I’ll keep it until it can afford the stuff I want. The last time I spent my daddy’s allowance was on a Bluetooth speaker.
  • Embrace the mess.
    This one has changed my life as a father big time. I like to keep my space in order. Many of the conflicts my wife and I had have been about the mess. I don’t know why, but I am easily triggered whenever I see clutter. I even recall regretting my decision to have kids simply because the house was constantly in disarray. It took me a while to adjust. But thank God, little by little, fatherhood got better when I learned to embrace the mess. That it’s one of the costs of having children. Check out this post if you want to get more ideas on how to make your life easier as a dad.
  • Develop a deep relationship with your children.
    There’s no better way to enjoy fatherhood than to invest in your relationship with your children. This seems to be a no-brainer. But most of us, even myself, tend to enjoy our roles as a businessman or a volunteer more because we spend most of our time there. The parent-child bond is an experience you do not want to miss out on. It’s one of the most precious gifts we will ever receive. When you develop a deep kind of love toward your children, fatherhood will never be the same again.
father and son pancakes
Rewarding ourselves with pancakes after successfully delivering Chromebooks to a client.

Summary

We enjoy family life by being proactive (and not being reactive) to the challenges and responsibilities of fatherhood. We should intentionally make time for our family and fully immerse ourselves in the role of being a father. No one says it is going to be easy. But there are ways to make it fun!

See also

Sources

  •  Rochester Area Fatherhood Network — Research and Statistics

Follow the Journey

This journal is my way of making sense of the lessons from the journey. Get the next full entry delivered straight to your inbox.