7 Practical Tips for Running Online Stores

Running online stores during a crisis isn’t an easy task, especially if you’re dealing with remote work. That said, there are some simple ways to make this entire process more manageable, more profitable, and a lot more fun.

• Be mentally and physically healthy: On airplanes, they tell you to put your oxygen mask on before you help others. The same rule applies here. Be sure you’re mentally and physically ready to help other people.
• Keep the products to a minimum: Instead of nine products, try starting with one, two, or even three. Printavo Merch’s purchasing data shows that stores that make more than $10,000 almost always have fewer than nine products, which makes it easier to fulfill and manage orders.
• Use your online store as a “virtual sales floor”: People are desperate for connection right now. Consider leaving a phone number on your store so people can contact you. Then, use the store as a virtual sales floor on the call.
• Keep your designs simple: Simpler designs (i.e., one- or two-color prints) are easy to print and more affordable to produce.
• Keep your deadlines long: Don’t expect to fulfill speedy turnaround promises if your state is still battling with the pandemic. Set reasonable deadlines, given what you know.
• Consider this an investment in the future: While the future is uncertain, Adam from Lucky Prints shared a valuable way to think about this moment, “Don’t be fooled by the optimism, we’re taking a hit. But we’re going to adapt and learn from this. We take the losses now, hoping they’ll be offset by the strengths and skills we develop in the meantime.”
• Tag businesses on social media: When you write social posts, always tag the companies you work with (or hope to work with). This engagement keeps you top-of-mind and reminds them to reach out. We’ve seen several shops grow large followings through aggressive tagging on social media.