Augusto is an artist who wants to sell his art. Leo recommends looking into Etsy. You can create your own store and sell just about anything on it, and people who visit the site are looking for what you're making. Another option is SquareSpace or WordPress. Both have online store options. But Etsy has the driven traffic.
Zappos Founder Tony Hsieh has passed away at the age of 46. Having created Link Exchange and Zappos in his 20s, Hsieh transformed e-commerce and made millions with sales to Microsoft and Amazon respectively. Gone too soon.
Ken is starting a new business from his truck (he's a truck driver). Leo says it's amazing that he can make that kind of transition and do it from the road so easily. All he really needs to have is an idea and the gumption to make it a reality. There's no better time to do it. But Ken is worried about how consistent the internet access will be on the road since he'll need to access his data in the cloud. And what laptop and modem to buy for it?
Jake wants to start his own online business. He wants to get into drop shipping, but also use his webcam to make a living. Leo says it's a great opportunity now due to the quarantine, and people are going to discover new ways to get the things they need. If you have the luxury of time right now, there's no time like the present and technology is at the eye of the storm.
Jeff has an eCommerce site with Squarespace and they have an abandonment cart feature. Is it worth the money? is there another way to see that without paying the price for it? Leo says that it may be worth it if sales are brisk. According to studies, up to 70% of sales are abandoned before the sale is completed, so having those analytics could be beneficial. Leo recommends calling SquareSpace and ask for a free trial.
Done works for a small publisher and has eCommerce on their website, but they're not satisfied with their web host. What does Leo recommend? Leo says that Squarespace, who is a sponsor, is great. They're very secure and have excellent service and support. You can even do a two-week trial to see if you like it. There's also Soft Layer and WordPress.com.
Leo also uses Drupal for TechGuyLabs.com, and he recommends BlackMesh, Heroku, and Contegix for managing your Drupal systems.
Vinny wants to create an eCommerce site. He was thinking of using SquareSpace, but he's also looking at Wordpress and Wix.
Russ is having trouble buying things online. The site he's using won't take his payments. Leo says that's likely due to the browser Russ is using that doesn't support the current SSL encryption standards. Leo recommends using another browser like Chrome. Since Russ is using Vista, Chrome doesn't support it either. It may be time to get a new computer if he wants to shop online.
Gary's wife wants to buy something online, but she can't put items in the cart. Leo says it could be a browser issue. Most carts use Javascript and if it becomes corrupt or if it can't save a cookie, then it won't be able to do that. Gary should try a different browser like Chrome and see if that works. He could also try resetting the browser.
Brett makes jewelry and sells it online. She needs a good camera to take pictures of her products. Leo says that any point and shoot would work, even a modern camera phone. There are guides on how to photograph an object that will improve her sales. It should be shot with a photo softbox using lights and a diffuser. Leo likes the Canon ELPH for a camera though.
Check out Brett's website at Petsadelic.com.
