Checklist: How to make your first sale

You’ve signed up for Ecwid, set up your store, and added your products. Now comes the toughest part — how to make your first sale. It may feel like the most elusive thing. To build trust and generate your first sale, you need to set up a solid foundation and leverage the right strategies, both free and paid. Here’s a guide to help you hit that milestone.

Build a trustworthy store

Before diving into sales strategies, ensure your store appears credible to visitors. Building trust is critical to getting that first sale, as customers are more likely to purchase from a site that feels reliable and professional. 

Professional website

• Simple navigation: Make it easy for visitors to browse and find what they're looking for. Read about effective navigation for ecom stores →
• Clean design: A well-designed site reflects the professionalism of your brand.
• Custom domain: Using a custom domain (e.g., www.yourstore.com) is essential for building trust. A branded domain makes your store look professional and legitimate, compared to a generic or free URL (like my-store.company.site). It also helps with SEO and makes your website easier to remember.
• Business name: Selecting a memorable and relevant business name is equally important. Your business name should reflect your niche, be easy to pronounce, and be unique enough to avoid confusion with other brands. A good name enhances brand recognition and makes your store more credible.
• Proper site performance: Test payment processing, email notifications, checkout process, etc. to ensure everything works seamlessly, providing customers with a smooth, secure experience.

Clear and comprehensive policies

• Return and Refund policy: A transparent and fair return policy can reduce the perceived risk for customers. Read in a blog: How to create a better returns policy for your store →
• Shipping information: Provide clear shipping details, including estimated delivery times and costs.
• Privacy policy: Show customers that their data is protected by providing a privacy policy.

To add policies to your site, go to Settings → Legal in your Ecwid admin. Read more about Legal questions →

Social proof

• Customer reviews: If you don’t have reviews yet, incentivize initial customers to leave feedback. How to collect product reviews →
• Testimonials: Highlight positive feedback on your homepage or product pages to reassure visitors.
  
• Trust badges: Display trust signals such as SSL certificates, payment security badges (like PayPal, Visa, or MasterCard), and other recognizable symbols of security. Read more: Showing that a store is secure →

App Market highlights: Social Proof by Kinvasoft

About us and contact information

• Personal story: Share a genuine story about your business to connect with potential buyers.
• Contact details: Ensure your contact information is easy to find. Offering live chat, email, and phone support enhances credibility.

Read more about adding and managing Ecwid Instant Site pages →

Versatile shipping and payment methods

• Variety of shipping options: Offer customers standard and express shipping to give customers flexibility based on their needs and urgency. Read about shipping strategies →
• Free Shipping: The lack of free shipping is the biggest reason for shopping cart abandonment. It is a particularly thorny issue for new stores. Consider offering free shipping, even as a limited-time promotion or for orders over a certain amount, to incentivize purchases and reduce cart abandonment.
• Multiple Payment Options: Provide a range of payment methods such as credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and even buy-now-pay-later options to cater to diverse customer preferences. Intro to payments →

Free sales channels to use

When you're just starting out, leveraging free channels can help you build momentum without spending heavily.

Social media marketing (SMM)

• Instagram and Facebook: Create business accounts and start posting engaging content related to your niche. Use relevant hashtags to reach a wider audience.
• TikTok: Engage in trending challenges or showcase your products through short, creative videos.
• Run a contest: A contest is a great way to generate buzz, grow your email list, and gain followers. Later, you can promote your products to this engaged audience, increasing the chances of conversion. Use tools like SocialBoost and Gratisfaction from the Ecwid app market to easily manage your contests.
  

Influencer partnerships

• Micro-Influencers: Reach out to smaller influencers in your niche who might be willing to promote your products in exchange for free samples. Micro-influencers often have a more engaged and loyal audience than bigger influencers.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

• On-page SEO: Optimize your product descriptions, titles, and meta tags with relevant keywords. Improving SEO for your Ecwid website and store →
• Google My Business: If applicable, claim and optimize your business on Google My Business to appear in local search results.
• Write more content: Trust comes from authenticity, and showing your business is run by real people can build that trust. A strong "About Us" page, behind-the-scenes photos, and team pictures help customers connect with you on a personal level. Share your story—why you started your store, your journey, and your team's efforts. Be open in your blog and social media, sharing both successes and challenges. Also, provide clear contact information so customers can easily reach out with any questions.

Email marketing

• Build an email list: Offer an incentive, like a discount, in exchange for visitors' email addresses. Collecting customer emails →
• Welcome campaign: Create a series of automated emails to introduce your brand and showcase top products or deals. Sending marketing emails using Mailchimp or Omnisend →

Online communities and forums

• Reddit, Quora, X: Participate in discussions relevant to your niche. Be genuine and offer value—don’t just promote your store.
• Facebook groups: Join niche-related Facebook groups and engage with members. Share your expertise, and when appropriate, mention your products.

Effective paid sales channels to use

When you’re ready to invest a bit of capital, paid channels can accelerate your growth. Paid advertising allows you to target your ideal customer base more precisely and generate sales faster.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising

• Google Ads: Run search ads that appear when potential customers search for relevant keywords. You can also try Google Shopping Ads, which showcase product images and prices directly in search results. Setting up Google Ads with Ecwid →

Paid social media ads

• Facebook & Instagram Ads: Facebook’s powerful ad targeting can help you reach specific audiences based on location, age, gender, interests, and behavior. Running an ad campaign on Facebook →
• TikTok Ads: Tap into TikTok’s younger user base with video ads that showcase your products in action. Advertising on TikTok →

Retargeting Ads

• Facebook pixel: Install a Facebook pixel on your website to track visitors and retarget them with ads after they leave your site. Tracking with pixels →
• Google Display Ads: Retargeting ads can follow visitors across different websites, reminding them about your store and the products they viewed.

Affiliate Marketing

• Affiliate networks: Sign up for affiliate marketing networks where other businesses and influencers promote your products for a commission.
• Partner with bloggers: Identify bloggers in your niche who can review your products and link back to your store, earning a commission for every sale generated through their referral.

Conclusion

Making your first sale is all about laying the groundwork for trust and leveraging both free and paid channels. By optimizing your website for credibility, using free marketing channels to create buzz, and investing in paid ads when you’re ready, you can gain traction and set your e-commerce store up for long-term success.

Once that first sale rolls in, keep the momentum going by consistently refining your strategies and building stronger relationships with customers.