Selling on line is hard work as far as getting everything set up to begin with. And it doesn't stop there. Although it is not much different selling on line as it is over the counter it will take time getting everything set up, just as it would be setting up a storefront.
The most expensive part of selling on line is setting up your web page and making it secure for buyers.
First things first though. Do you have a product that you would like to sell? Even if it is books, crafts, ceramics, clothes, you have to pick something that will bring people to your site. The best product you could pick to sell on line would be a product that can be packaged and shipped easily and without it getting damaged.
You will have to have several things set in place before opening you site to customers. Fore instance, you will need a bank and merchant account. Make sure that you choose a good website name. Something that will draw their eyes too and make them want to visit it. If you are selling your own products, make sure that you have taken good clear pictures of the product. Describing them clearly so that the customer will no everything about it and there will be no surprises when they receive what they have bought. Make sure that everything is priced with the appropriate picture and the description also. Have your secure check out in place so that customer will not be concerned about using your website. I would also use paypal as a form of payment, as a lot of people use paypal then another form of payment.
If you are not interested in the expense of building your own website there are numerous places that you can go to to sell your product. Such as, Ebay, Craigslist, buy.com, internetretailer.biz is also another place to try, it is not one that I have ever worked with.
Drop shipping is a new way of selling on the web. You have a website selling products for your supplier. Once a product has been picked by a customer through your website you then tell your supplier where to send the items that your customer bought you pay the supplier for the product and you keep the rest. More and more people are buying products on line, 24/7 which means that your website would have to be kept up to date constantly whether it is from your own website and your own products or you are doing it drop shipping style. I am not sure who sets the cost. That is something that you would have to find out for yourself.
Whether you are selling your own product or are doing a drop shipping product you want to, no you need to do a marketing plan. Google is one of the top in using for marketing. You would put in key words (that you pay for on each click), the more keywords and the higher the level that you put it the more visitors you get to your website.
Remember that your customers have access to dozens of places to comparative shop, so don't make your products to expensive that your customer will go some place else to buy.
Selling on line can be a great way to make a living or just to supplement your income. Without the need to quit your job you can run a website in your spare time.
