Online Shops: Working from Home Advantage

All businesses and institutions have moved over to the Internet. People no longer go to malls or shopping plazas to get their goods. They merely tap their cellphone and zoom through cyber space until they hit bull’s-eye.

1) Keeping customers happy

• Maintaining customer base: Working from home may seem claustrophobic to some but on the Internet there are infinite places to go and equal huge number of people to meet. You only have to capture that niche in the market where your product gets maximum exposure. Once you begin to get good reviews, you customer list will grow and you achieve success in your business.

• Informing regular customers of discounts: Keep your billboards open – show customers how much discount you offer and convince them that your shop is the best. Once you have regular customers, you can bombard them with huge discounts and offers. Keep posting to their email address about your latest offerings.

• Stocking up special orders for special customers: Some customers will only need something special from your online store. For example, if you are dealing with garments, that person may want a blue tie with stripes. You must ask your suppliers to provide you with two or three samples of a blue tie with stripes. Check with your customer whether he would wait for a day or two. Once you have that item, make the delivery. However, there is no need to run with the cat, it will merely sit on the fence or bask in the sun all day long. If someone wants blue cheese within the day, you can inform them politely that you have a store policy about making deliveries only on the following day.

• Free to work at any time: Best part of this business is your freedom. You can choose when you want to sit your shop and when you want to leave. This gives you plenty of leisure hours. You may even appoint another person to look after the business while you are doing your routine work.

• You have freedom to choose any style: You can change the dimensions of your online store at any time. You can change the colors or the manifestations to suit your working model. Make those entries and exits from your shop stylish and appealing. Or change it around and keep it simple and down to earth.

• You can impose your personal or cultural style: Make your shop your own by installing your icons and banners. Once your identity is established, you will have a better brand movement. This will give you increased sales. You can incorporate special methods of payment and augment style of delivery with personalized touches.

• Automatic billing and inventory: Home advantage reduces your burden, of running around buying goods and stocking up, of paying rent and meeting customers and of taking stock and updating records. Software informs you of all items left in store and this will help you to order before hand, especially those items which are in maximum demand. Since the computer does all billing, you do not have to worry about totaling mistakes or misprints.
• Open 24x7: Since the entire operation works automatically, you do not have to sit up to keep your shop open. You can let your shop software handle all normal business transactions while you have your daily swim or massage. Customers like to shop on their time and sometime this could be in the middle of the night. Since your shop is open 24x7, customers will interact and you will have more sales.
• Inform customers on the go: Connect your online shop with communication software that helps you to call up anyone at any time over the phone. This will help you connect to the business and maintain good customer contact and relationship. Customers too are happier if they do not have to boot their computers every time they want to order something.

Business is spreading love and cheer to all who meet you. The customers have their items and you have your profit. This give-and-take makes everyone happy – a wonderful love story. Your online shop creates a wonderful working atmosphere. By using home advantage, you become more successful in your business