Work from home, blogging & online income

Year: 2022

  • 3 Tips To Grow Your eCommerce Store

    3 Tips To Grow Your eCommerce Store

    Running an eCommerce store is an increasingly popular idea. It’s a relatively easy business to establish, and there’s significant income potential.

    That’ll only be the case if you know how to grow your eCommerce store, however. If you don’t, you could find that your business will plateau.

    Sales and revenues will eventually start to stall and reduce. You’ll need to avoid that from happening. Should it go on for long enough, you risk losing your eCommerce store.

    If you want to grow your eCommerce business sustainably, you’ll need to keep a few things in mind.

    A woman working on her eCommerce business

    How To Grow Your eCommerce Store Sustainably

    Ramp Up Customer Service

    When many people start an eCommerce store, they don’t focus on customer service. Since everything takes place online, they believe that it isn’t a priority.

    It is. The better your customer service is, the more likely customers are to come back. The opposite of this is also true. Nobody buys from a company they’ve had a bad experience with.

    Implementing chat software and email support, alongside similar strategies, can be more than helpful for this. When you’re adding these, put the customer first.

    Spend time considering what could improve their experience with you. The better this is, the more likely they are to become a customer. They’ll also be more likely to become repeat customers.

    Have The Right Tools

    Nobody can do their job properly unless they have the right tools. You’ll need to make sure that you’re properly equipped to run your eCommerce store.

    There are quite a few tools that you’ll need to have. That’s especially true when it comes to the sales platform that you’ll use.

    Some of these can be relatively expensive, so you might want to consider a Bitnami Woocommerce alternative and similar tools. By doing so, you should get high-quality tools without spending too much.

    Taking the time to compare options is vital to this.

    Try EKM, you can get a 28-day trial today and start setting up your online shop straight away!

    Harness Social Media

    Social media is crucial to any business, although it’s even more so for an eCommerce company. You’ll need to harness it as much as possible.

    Much of this is focused on brand visibility and customer engagement. By focusing on both, you can create a relationship with your customers.

    The better this relationship is, the more likely they will be to buy from you. That’s especially true with repeat customers.

    You’ll need to research the best social media platforms for your business. Focusing on where your target market is a priority. Doing this well will help your business significantly.

    How To Grow Your eCommerce Store: Wrapping Up

    If you don’t know how to grow your eCommerce store, you mightn’t get it to where you want it to be. When you’re launching your online shop, you’ll want to generate a significant income.

    That’ll once be possible once you’ve hit a certain amount of sales and revenue. Sustainable growth is the best way of achieving this.

    Not only will it mean generating an attractive income from the business, but you’ll do so long-term. While you’ll have to put the effort in, it’ll be more than worth it.

    The income alone should be more than enough of a reason to put the effort in.

  • 12 Reasons Why You Should Start A Business In Your Garage

    12 Reasons Why You Should Start A Business In Your Garage

    Starting a business in your garage is one the most rewarding experiences you can have. The rush you get from being your own boss, seeing money come through the door every day, and spending time creating something new are all good reasons to start a business. Your garage is a great place to start your own business because you will need the space, and it’s relatively inexpensive.

    Garage

    Here are 12 reasons why you should start a business in your garage:

    1. Lower overhead costs compared to other spaces

    If you are thinking about starting a small business, one of the first decisions you will need to make is where to start. Your garage can be an excellent place to get started because it has several advantages that will save you money.

    1. A comfortable environment for customers

    People are more likely to buy from you if they feel comfortable, and starting a business in your garage will make them feel at home.

    1. You can easily scale up

    Your garage is a great starting point for a business because it gives you the opportunity to grow rapidly when you want to expand so that you can become a full-service business. Appoint an SEO agency to optimise your website as you grow your business.

    1. There are no expensive leases or long term commitments involved

    Unlike other commercial spaces, you can start up a business in your garage with no money down. You pay for space as you go.

    1. A low-risk environment gives you the opportunity to experiment and make mistakes

    You can try different things and take risks without worrying about losing your investment. If your idea doesn’t work out, you haven’t lost much money.

    1. Make the most out of what you already have

    Garages are not as common as they used to be because many people now use their garages to park their cars. If you are lucky enough to have one, use it as additional space to start your business.

    1. There is plenty of room for inventory and storage

    Garages are excellent locations for storing items that can be used in your business because they usually have large expanses for keeping inventory. You can use the garage space to store items that you purchase and then sell.

    1. Have a plan for what happens when one of your kids needs to borrow the car

    The best way to avoid conflicts with family members about using the garage is to plan ahead.

    1. Be careful about the smell of your business seeping into the house

    You might want to buy an air freshener or deodorizer for use when customers are in your store. The smell of chemical cleaners and paint fumes can carry easily through your home.

    1. Think about the perception of your neighbours

    If you are running a business out of your garage, it is important to be considerate of the people who live around you. Try to avoid making too much noise or leaving trash lying around.

    1. Make sure there are no safety hazards

    It is very important to check to make sure your garage is safe before you start using it. Make sure there are no exposed wires, support beams, or sharp objects that someone might trip over.

    1. Learn about local ordinances

    You should always check with the local zoning division to make sure that you are following the ordinances. This is especially important if you plan on having employees.

    To Conclude

    Your garage is a great place to start a small business because you can experiment with different things, it’s relatively inexpensive, and there are no expensive leases or long term commitments involved.

    Shop for business supplies by creating a Free Amazon Business Account. Customise your business account to suit your business needs. (Must be a registered business). Create an Amazon Business Account Here (US). If you’re in the UK, set up your Amazon Business Account Here.

    Looking for an e-commerce platform? Try EKM, you can get a 28-day trial today and start setting up your online shop straight away!

    Your garage is a great place to start your own business because you will need the space, and it's relatively inexpensive.
  • 5 Fabulous KDP Low Content Book Interiors Ready to Upload

    5 Fabulous KDP Low Content Book Interiors Ready to Upload

    I’ve put together 5 fabulous KDP low-content interiors ready to upload to Amazon. These are useful for anyone starting out who wants professional-looking interiors and needs to save time.

    Blank Page Selection

    This set of blank page templates is a great place to start. They’re essential for making dot grid (bullet journals), lined and grid notebooks.

    Note that when making a dot grid notebook, it must not be named bullet journal because it is a registered trademark.

    Created by DiBrush

    The set contains 18 completed Amazon KDP book interior templates in 3 sizes, with bleed and without bleed.

    Each book contains 120 pages. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about regarding bleed, please read my post that explains what it means here: Bleed or No Bleed – What Does It Mean?

    View Blank Page Templates

    KDP Interior Editable with Canva

    This is a blank KDP interior sized at 6 x 9 inches, no bleed. It’s ready to upload or edit in Canva. If you don’t have a Canva account I highly recommend that you open one because I guarantee you will use it all the time when designing KDP books.

    Designed by KermeliaDigiDesigns

    The first page has a “This book belongs to… box and the blank pages start from page 2.

    Note: Amazon does not usually allow you to upload a book with totally blank pages, the way around this is to number the pages or put a thin border around them.

    A margin guide is included with this book, making it particularly useful for anyone new to KDP who wants to get creating as soon as possible in the shortest amount of time.

    View Editable Interior

    100 Day Goal Planner

    This is a lovely interior for making your first planner. It’s sized at 6 x 9 inches and contains 120 pages with bleed. See the features here:

    • Welcome page
    • Goal setting page
    • Page for strategies
    • 100 daily pages
    • Reflection page, after 100 days
    • 120 pages in total
    • KDP tested
    View 100 Day Goal Planner

    Niches and Topics – Designs for Low Content Books

    This is a big bundle of niches and topics with over 120 KDP Interior templates.

    This set has templates for almost every niche, so there’s plenty here to give you ideas for your books.

    Niches include; 15 Outdoor Activities Templates, 15 Sports & Nutrition Templates, 15 Music & Art Templates, 15 Medical Check-Up Templates, 15 Business & Finance Templates, 15 Hobby and Passion Templates, 15 Tasting and Cooking Templates and 15 Sports Field Templates.

    View the Bundle

    Gardening Log

    This Gardening Log template can be used for personal use or commercially. There are ready-to-use PDF and PowerPoint Templates with this download.

    By 8StudioDesign

    With the template being editable, you can make it original. Gardening notebooks/planners tend to sell very well on Amazon. The first gardening planner cover I created was made using Bookbolt. It is one of my best sellers!

    You may wish to read this post on How to Create Low Content Books With Bookbolt.

    KDP interior templates can also be purchased from Creative Fabrica, along with fonts and graphics. The suggestions above are all from Etsy.

    View Gardening Log

    Resources

    Canva – I use this daily for banners on my blog, creating pins for Pinterest, logos and book covers, interiors and more. In fact, I couldn’t do without it!

    Book Bolt – Create KDP covers and interiors with ease. Get 20% off at checkout with my code: suefoster

    Creative Fabrica – The best place for graphics and fonts for your books.

    I've put together 5 fabulous KDP low content interiors ready to upload to Amazon. These are useful for anyone starting out who wants professional-looking interiors and wants to save time.

  • Making Money as a Lifestyle Blogger: What Can You Do?

    Making Money as a Lifestyle Blogger: What Can You Do?

    Lifestyle bloggers are everywhere, from fashion blogs to cooking blogs, travel blogs, or even lifestyle finance blogs. Some even dub it as the new social media. It’s a way to share your discoveries with others and make an income simultaneously.

    If you’re passionate about what you do and want to communicate it with an audience, perhaps lifestyle blogging is for you. But how can you make this endeavour a success?

    A female blogger using a laptop

    All About Lifestyle Blogging

    So you want to be a lifestyle blogger. But what does it exactly mean? A lifestyle blogger shares their interests in various topics such as food, fashion, beauty, or personal finance on their blog.

    The lifestyle blogger is often more focused on building their brand, credibility, and audience through their content. Today, many lifestyle bloggers have built up large audiences by posting content regularly over many channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. But many of them are also looking to make money from their efforts.

    Monetizing Your Blog

    Making money from blogging takes time, effort, and patience. You cannot expect immediate results when you decide to monetize your blog. But once you have a sizable audience, there are different ways for monetization that you can try.

    Affiliate Marketing

    Becoming an affiliate is one of the easiest and most popular ways to earn money from your blog today. To do this, sign up as an affiliate with a company offering affiliate campaigns and promote their products on your site. If a visitor to your site clicks on the link and makes a purchase, you will get a percentage of that sale.

    Some affiliate marketers use Adsense to monetize their sites. You can place ads from Google on your website and then get paid when people click on the ads.

    Sponsored Posts or Guest Posts

    A lifestyle blog often has a community of readers who feel more like friends than a mere audience. The lifestyle blogger usually writes in a personal and humble way that makes readers connect with them.

    Having that kind of relationship with your audience is great for monetizing your blog, especially if you’re good at writing sponsored posts or guest posts. Many companies will hire lifestyle bloggers to write about their products in exchange for payment.

    Sell Your Products or Services

    If you’re good at something, perhaps you can sell your product and services to market it through your blog. For example, if you’re a food blogger with talent in cooking up delicious meals, why not package some of them and sell them online?

    Today, many lifestyle websites make good money by selling digital products such as e-books, online videos courses, and even downloadable software. Those who are good at cooking up recipes can also sell their books or e-cookbook with some basic layout design.

    How Much Can You Earn?

    If you’re thinking of monetizing your blog, there’s no definite answer on how much you can make. It all depends on how popular your site is, how well you create viral content, and even your ability to market yourself.

    However, if you’re starting on monetizing your blog, there’s a chance that your figures might not be as high as long-time content creators.

    Becoming a Lifestyle Blogger

    Blogging is a great way to share your thoughts and ideas with the world, and it can also be a great way to earn an income. If you’re interested in becoming a lifestyle blogger, here are a few tips to help you get started:

    Improve Your Credentials

    If you want to be taken seriously as a lifestyle blogger, improving your credentials is crucial. One way to do this is by earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology or any related field. This degree will give you the skills to understand human behaviour and analyze data.

    Other ways to improve your credentials include taking social media marketing, copywriting, and web development courses. These courses will help you learn the skills you need to create successful blogs.

    Choose a Niche

    When starting a blog, it’s essential to choose a niche you’re interested in and knowledgeable about. Doing so will help you attract readers interested in the same topics as you.

    Create High-quality Content

    It’s essential to create high-quality content to attract readers and keep them coming back for more. Post regularly and always aim to provide valuable information and insights.

    The Internet is a powerful place, and you can use it to make money in many ways. Lifestyle bloggers are one example of how you can leverage the power of your skills for your gains. Nonetheless, you’ll need to invest time into honing your skills before achieving success as a blogger who earns an income from their site.

    Are you interested in becoming a blogger for a living? It's best to know some strategies that have been proven successful by other lifestyle bloggers today.
  • How to Set Up Amazon Sponsored Brand Ads for KDP

    How to Set Up Amazon Sponsored Brand Ads for KDP

    Following on from my post getting started with amazon ads for KDP, this post will discuss how you can use another type of Amazon ad that will help to sell more of your books. Try this when you have published a range of books that can be grouped together.

    A woman working on her laptop

    Normally, I run sponsored ads using manual or automatic targeting. The ads I’m going to be talking about today are called Sponsored Brand Ads and when you use these ads, you choose to target either keywords or products, there is no automatic targeting.

    They are particularly good for advertising a group of similar books under your brand name (Pen Name). You will need to have at least 3 books under the same pen name to be able to do this, although Amazon does recommend 5 or more books.

    With Sponsored Brand Ads, Amazon provides you with a landing page for your brand and showcases the books you choose. This gives the potential customer more choice when they click your ad because they are directed to the page displaying all of your selected books. Rather than seeing just one book, the customer sees a range of similar books they might be interested in, so there is more chance of generating sales.

    How to set up Amazon sponsored brand ads

    Just follow the steps below and you’ll have your ads set up in no time at all!

    • Go to your bookshelf and choose a book, then click Promote and Advertise.
    • Select a marketplace from the drop down box.
    • Click on Create and ad Campaign.
    • Choose Sponsored Brands.
    • Give your campaign a name.
    • Portfolio – I don’t have a portfolio, this option may show here if you have one.
    • Enter a start and finish date if required. (You can pause ads anytime).
    • Enter a daily budget. (I usually start with a low budget, between $2-$5, then increase if needed).
    • Choose the author – select one of your author/pen names here if you have more than one.
    • Select all the books that you’d like to advertise together.
    • You’ll then see a preview of your ad displaying all your books. You can edit your author profile picture if needed.
    • Add a headline for your books.
    • Choose between Keyword Targeting or Product Targeting. (I use keyword targeting).
    • Choose between Suggested Bid or Custom Bid. I choose custom and enter a lower bid because the suggested bids are quite high to start with. Start off low, you can always increase this later. I start with around $0.20.
    • *Choose match type, broad, phrase, exact or all three.
    • Amazon will give you keyword suggestions. Select the ones you wish to use and add your own if required.
    • Negative keywords. Leave this for now, negative keywords can be added at a later date.
    • Click Submit for Review.

    *Match types allow you to fine-tune which customer search terms trigger your ads.
    Broad: Contains all the keywords in any order and includes plurals, variations and related keywords.
    Phrase: Contains the exact phrase or sequence of keywords.
    Exact: Exactly matches the keyword or sequence of keywords.

    And that’s it! Amazon will send you an email when your ad is live. As you can see it’s very easy to set up sponsored brand ads.

    Remember to monitor your ads every day to see how they are performing.

    Useful Tools and Resources

    Canva – I use this daily for banners on my blog, creating pins for Pinterest, logos and book covers, interiors and more. In fact, I couldn’t do without it!

    Book Bolt – Create KDP covers and interiors with ease. Get 20% off at checkout with my code: suefoster

    Creative Fabrica – The best place for graphics and fonts for your books.

    This post will discuss how you can use another type of Amazon ad that will help to sell more of your books.