Gillian Corban has been in online retail for ten years. Her business, Corban & Blair, sells everything from journals and photo albums, to greeting cards and travel accessories. Gillian likes the ease of selling online as customers receive the benefit of comprehensive product overviews, with photos and content to make for an easy shopping experience. She says that a successful eCommerce website should have great products, gorgeous photos, useful text and, above all, easy navigation and fast and effective delivery. She is currently in the process of creating a new website, which has been a learning curve. Her experience in online retail has taught her that there are many success stories out there, but they have not happened overnight. Gillian’s top five tips for those looking to start selling online are:
- Create products that inspire people to want and need them.
- Brand your product so that it has meaning and can found on the web.
- Communicate to target customers and opinion setters.
- Be fast and do exactly what your promise.
- Be creative and intelligent with a proper plan – take inspiration from big sites like Temple and Webster, and incorporate some of the strategies that you think have worked for them.
