When putting your products onto your website, don't sit back and expect the orders to roll in, instead create an online sales strategy to generate interest in your online offering.

Here are some tips to help you promote your products online, and thus increase your online sales.

1. You have made a sale! What next? If your goods are physical, when you are packaging the product to send to your customer, why not add in a brochure or catalogue that features your other products? If you are selling a service or non-tangible items, highlight other offerings in your first exchange with your new customer.

2. Thank your new customers for doing business with you. Send them a “thank you for your order” email. With their permission, add them to your database to send them a customer newsletter every month or so. Each time you send them an email, even the initial one, feature a couple of your products in the email. The key is to try and turn one-off customers into regulars and communication like this helps facilitate further online sales. 

3. Viral marketing (or word of mouth) is a great way to promote your products. Offer customers a referral rewards scheme. Maybe customers that refer three “paying” customers to your website could receive a discount on their next order, movie tickets, or a freebie product.

"The key is to try and turn one-off customers into regulars."

4. Offer gift vouchers on your website. These are a great way to get an initial purchase, with the bonus that the recipient of the voucher may spend more when they visit your website to redeem the voucher.

5. When a customer is on the ordering page, they are in the buying mood. Feature a few other products on your order page, remember they want to buy, so they may be tempted to make more online sales or be reminded of another product they wish to purchase. Possibly offer free shipping on the additional “feature products” listed on the order page.

6. Give your customer a freebie. Make it one that advertises your website, such as a promotional cap, t-shirt, pen or bumper sticker. This way your customer gets something for nothing, plus the item will advertise your website to other potential customers.

7. If you have sold a product that has add-ons, or in the case of a book, you write a follow on book, let customers that purchased the original product, know about these new or add-on products. Email them with the new product details.

Remember as great a marketplace as the Internet is, it doesn’t do it for you. It is up to you to promote your products and your online presence to multiply your online sales.