This post is more of a brainstorming session for myself as I try to figure out the pros and cons of creating an online store for the products I promote. Depending on the network marketing company you are a part of, there are probably several products in which you can promote. Personally, there are many that I promote myself that would do well having an online store to sell from. As of now, I promote the products from my main web site under a "products" page. However, having an actual store with a shopping cart would have some advantages.
Pros of Setting Up an Online Store
1. Exposure - Every product that you promote can have complete exposure in an online store. Right now, there are so many products to list that I only list the most popular under my products page. Setting up an actual store would make it easier to post each product under specific categories.
2. More sales - As you advertise the store, eventually you will begin to make more sales from your products. I make sales now from my web site but imagine having a store dedicated just to the products.
3. Professional feel - An online store gives a more professional feel compared to simply listing products on a web site. Many people are accustomed to shopping online so seeing an actual store with a shopping cart gives off a trustworthy vibe.
Cons of Setting Up an Online Store
1. Drop shipping - Essentially, you would be creating another job for yourself by having to fulfill orders through your company rather than customers ordering directly from the company themselves. Of course, you could automate the entire process as much as you could but it would still be another part of the business you would need to look after.
2. Expenses - Running an online store costs money. You can either pay for an online shopping cart service or use free shopping carts like Zen Cart. However, you will need to hire a web developer to handle it all if you aren't comfortable learning and doing it all yourself. You will also need to pay for a merchant account to process credit cards.
3. Customer support - This is another not so fun aspect of running an online store. You will need to deal with refunds, customer complaints, and other issues that may arise. I would recommend outsourcing this area if possible.
4. No discounts - I'm almost certain that network marketing companies will not allow you to sell their products at any other price except the ones they choose. This means that you cannot beat out your competition by offering discounts.
If your company allows you to set up an online store of your own, it is not a bad idea to consider. What it really comes down to is whether you want to invest the time and money in running it.
