6 ways to sell in a down economy (Small Business E-commerce Link Digest – August 21, 2009)

Whether or not you believe the recession is over, you’ve still got bills to pay, right? And to do that, you need revenue. So this week, we’re going to take a look at ways people are driving revenue even in down a economy.

• First up, Mashable offers 6 steps for selling in any economy. Money quote: “‘Sell To Survive’ author Grant Cardone says, ‘While the economy may be problematic it is never the reason a person fails.’” Too true.
• Of course, many of us make our living selling not face-to-face, but online. And your site’s home page can go a long way to making a sale – or not. So Six Revisions essential tips for designing an effective home page are well worth a read.
• Customers often bypass your home page, first interacting with your business through other means, such as specialized landing pages or your corporate blog. Which is why Smashing Magazine’s look at corporate blog trends is so welcome. Don’t have a blog? Take a look at our series on how to set up your first business blog.
• Now, before you can sell to customers, you’ve got to get them to your site. If search engine marketing plays a large role in driving traffic, Rimm-Kaufman’s mantra “there are no bad keywords” should play a large role in your approach.
• Whether customers come to your site or your blog, diversifying your sales channels online can help ensure your success. So, it’s particularly interesting that Facebook is launching a payment system for real transactions. This looks to me like the first step in a true social commerce system.
• Finally, if these tips aren’t enough, check out my responses to the “Turning Traffic into Sales” chat I participated in on Twitter the other night for more good stuff. John Sternal, Karma Martell and the whole participating group offered tons of great tips. So, take a look at theirs, too.

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