Back in January we did an article entitled, “The Top 10 Fallacies of Selling Online”. The following is a list of 10 more fallacies that we see as important to understand if you’re selling online or considering selling online. At the end, we invite you to add your comments on what you’ve learned from selling online:

1. I’m so small that I simply can’t afford to accept returns:
You may have noticed that all of the “big boys” (read: Nordstroms, QVC, etc.) offer money back guarantees. Well guess what? They are your competition! So that means that for your business to be successful you need to accept returns under at least come circumstances. The buying public has now come to expect to be able to return an item if they aren’t happy with it. The key is protecting yourself by writing a clear, concise Return Policy that states when an item may be returned and under what timetable. And here’s the biggest fallacy of all – unless your online inventory is not “as described”, your return policy will NOT cost you money, in fact it will make you money. This is because shoppers are more likely to buy from sources that do accept returns. If you don’t accept returns, it will be viewed as too much of a risk to purchase from you, thus – fewer sales.

2. I have to be a professional photographer:
While the better your photos are the more enticing the item is to prospective buyers, with a little practice and a good set-up you can take relatively good pictures that showcase the item well. It’s a good idea to set up a designated space to take your pictures. Choose simple, monochromatic backgrounds that contrast with the item you are photographing. Avoid backgrounds that are busy or that have other items in it that aren’t related to the item Unfortunately we see item pictures that have packing material and even pets in the picture. (No, customers will not buy from you because Fido is so cute!).

3. It’s the Internet: Being online is all the marketing I need to do:
Yes, the Internet has the power to allow millions more viewers from around the world to see your items than would be the case if you just had a brick and mortar location. However you still need to “work it” as much as you can. Consider such marketing as keyword advertising or banner ads, email newsletters, handing out business cards or flyers about your business, including thank you notes in your shipments. These are just a few of the many things you can do to promote your online business.

4. I don’t need to include Favorite links on my site:
One of the qualifiers that the search engines consider when deciding how your site ranks and where it lands in search results, is how many quality, reciprocal links you have on your site. They key words here are “quality” and “reciprocal”. Just putting a bunch of one-way random links on your site will do nothing in this regard.

5. I have to be a web guru to set it up and manage it:
Not so! These days there are many online venues, tools and services that make it relatively easy to set up a an online e-commerce site. Of course Ruby Lane is one of them!

6. I have to have a huge budget to set it up and manage it:
Again not true. Many online services are quite affordable. One caveat: We actually feel that a site/service that is free is a “red flag”. You want to choose tools that are going to be around as long as you need them and if the service is free, that may someday not be the case.

7. It will be too time-consuming to do:
Yes it does take time and effort to maintain. However with good systems and planning up front you can minimize the time it takes to keep it going, and profitable.

8. I don’t need an organized inventory system:
We have heard stories about online sellers who have huge inventories who have no idea where they would find the item in their space once it sells and it is time to retrieve it for shipping. We highly recommend that sellers develop a storage system where items are well-organized. (Hello The Container Store!)

9. I don’t need to insure items that I ship, as it is too expensive and I’m sure nothing will happen:
Having been in business for 10 years now, you can trust us when we tell you that it’s not “if” there will be shipping mishaps, but when. Protect your investment by insuring every item that you ship. It’s just good business.

10. I don’t have to offer excellent customer service:
Yes you do! Just as shoppers expect some sort of Return Policy, they are also used to being pampered by the savvy retailers who go the extra mile with service. Your customer service doesn’t need to be fancy, but it needs to be timely, thorough and professional. It’s a huge help in building loyal, repeat customers.

Do you have a fallacy you want others to know about? Comment here and tell us!

The Editors of Notes from The Lane