By Ed Avis
We have heard from several NCA members over the past week that they need advice on selling their products online. This is suddenly an urgent need, since so many members have been forced to close their stores due to coronavirus.
I started researching the idea and solicited the advice from an online forum. The most common recommendation I received was to use Shopify. Not only is Shopify simple and inexpensive (and they are offering a 90-day free trial), they also just posted a step-by-step guide to setting up Shopify to use with curbside pickup, which is what many costume shops are resorting to now.
"Shopify is, as you probably know, a terrific platform for anyone wanting to sell online," said Anastacia Brice, a business coach who recommends the platform.
So rather than trying to write an article giving advice on setting up an online store, I recommend that if you need a store, use Shopify. Click here to access the Shopify step-by-step guide.
If you disagree with this recommendation, and/or if you have used another shopping platform that's easy to set up and inexpensive, please share that information in the Comments area below. I promise to share it.
Promotion
Regardless of which system you use for online selling, you'll need to promote the fact that this is available. Your best option at this moment seems to be social media, so flood your Facebook and Instagram pages with promos for your new online store. If you have a Constant Contact account with a lot of customer emails, now is the time to use it!
Do You Need More Help?
After you try Shopify, please let me know if you need more help. Several of the people on the forum who suggested Shopify said they could help further, so if I get a couple of requests for more help, I'll set up a webinar on the topic led by one of these experts. If you feel a webinar would be useful, please email me here: executivedirector@costumers.org
Good luck, and good selling!
Other Coronavirus Crisis Articles
How the CARES Act Will Help Your Costume Shop Survive
Join the NCA 1,000 Mask Challenge
Coronavirus Webinar and Other Resources
8 Coronavirus Survival Tips for NCA Members