How to sell books online

Selling books online has become an increasingly common practice. Whether you're an author looking for an audience or a traditional retailer wanting to expand your business, online sales enable you to reach a wide range of potential customers around the world.

To create and manage an e-commerce website for selling books, Framework360 is the ideal solution. The platform offers numerous intuitive tools to customize your e-commerce site and manage it independently. After creating your personal environment by registering through this link, you can easily install a dedicated e-commerce plugin.

In this article, we will explore some of the features offered by Framework360 to set up and manage your online book sales business. We will see how to list items for sale, how to use campaigns with automations to retain customers, and much more.

Continue reading to discover how to successfully sell books online!

Choosing an online sales platform

Choosing the online sales platform is a crucial step for those wanting to sell books on the internet. There are several options available, but it's important to choose one that best fits your needs. Below, some of the most common options will be presented.

Marketplaces

Marketplaces are websites that allow merchants to sell their products through their platform. Amazon and eBay are the most well-known marketplaces in the world, but there are many others like Etsy or Rakuten. This option is particularly suitable for those who have just started selling online and do not want to invest too much time and resources into creating an e-commerce site. Marketplaces indeed provide good visibility to their sellers and handle many of the technical issues related to online selling (for example, payment and product delivery).

Social commerce sites

Social commerce sites are similar to marketplaces, but focus on promoting and selling products through social networks. Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest are some of the most used social networks for social commerce. Here too, the technical management of the sale is often handled by the site itself.

Self-hosted e-commerce platforms

Self-hosted e-commerce platforms are software solutions that allow users to create their own e-commerce site. Magento, Prestashop, and OpenCart are some of the more well-known self-hosted platforms. This option requires more technical knowledge compared to marketplaces or social commerce sites but also offers greater flexibility in customizing the site.

Hosted e-commerce services

Hosted e-commerce services are solutions that provide both hosting for the site and the necessary software to create an e-commerce site. Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce are some of the best-known e-commerce services. This option is particularly suitable for those who want to create an e-commerce site without having extensive technical knowledge but still wish to customize their site.

Ultimately, the choice of platform depends on the user's needs. If you want to sell a few books with little customization, a marketplace or a social commerce site might be the best choices. However, if you wish to create a customized website with advanced features, a self-hosted platform or a hosted e-commerce service may be more suitable.

Creating a seller profile

Before starting to sell books online, it is necessary to create a seller profile on Framework360. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Login to your Framework360 account or register for free at the following link: https://www.framework360.com/try-free/.
2. After logging in, select the "Websites" section from the main menu.
3. Click on the "Create website" button and choose the "E-commerce" option.
4. Enter the name of your online store and select a template from those available. You can customize the design of your site at a later time.

Now you are ready to set up the settings of your online store, such as accepted payment methods and shipping options.

Lastly, add your products to the Framework360 platform, as described in the previous section of the article.

Remember that it is important to provide detailed information about your books, such as title, author, publisher, year of publication, and condition of the book. This way customers will have a clear and precise view of the products you are offering.

Additionally, Framework360 also offers the possibility to create discount coupons and promote your deals through email marketing campaigns, as described in the "Campaigns with Automations" section of the article.

Once you have set up your online store on Framework360, you will be able to easily manage sales, monitor orders, and provide a smooth shopping experience for your customers.

Product entry and detailed description

After creating an account on Framework360 and registering your environment, you have the option to install a dedicated plugin for e-commerce among the many offered by the platform, and begin to personalize and manage the preferences of your site in a simple and intuitive way thanks to the navigation menu on the left.

To list items for sale, simply access the dedicated section available in the navigation menu. On the left side of the screen, you will indeed be able to find this section as shown in the image, where products can be added using the appropriate button.

• To insert a new product, click on the "Add new product" button.
• In the following page, you will have several fields to fill out:
• Title: enter the name of the book you want to sell.
• Category: select the category your book belongs to (for example: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Thriller).
• Price: indicates the selling price of the book.
• Description: write a detailed description of the book (author, publishing house, year of publication, number of pages, plot).
• Image: upload an image of the book to make it more visible to users.
• Availability: indicate whether the book is available in stock or not.

In addition, Framework360 offers you the possibility to add other useful information such as:

• Promotions: you can choose to apply a discount to the product or include it in a special promotion.
• Variants: if your book has different editions, you can create specific variants and indicate their respective prices and available quantities. For example, if you have both a paperback and a digital edition, you can create two variants with different prices.
• Tags: insert keywords that describe your product to facilitate its search by users.

Once you have completed all the product information, save the changes and you're done! Your book is now available in your online storefront.

Remember that a detailed and accurate description of the product can make a difference in convincing users to purchase it. Try to provide all the necessary information and use high-quality photos to best present your books.

Professional photography for books on sale

An image is worth more than a thousand words, especially when it comes to selling online. The pictures of your books should be clear, detailed, and professional to capture the attention of potential buyers.

No matter how good your descriptive text is, if the photos are not high quality, many customers may simply ignore your offer. Here are some tips for taking excellent photographs of your books:

Use good lighting

Choose a well-lit area and place the books near a source of natural light. If possible, avoid artificial light or use only soft lights to prevent unwanted reflections.

Choose a neutral background

A clean and neutral background highlights the book without distractions. You can use a table or a white sheet as a background. Avoid overly colorful or complex backgrounds that can divert attention from the book.

Capture all important details

Include images of the book cover, spine, internal pages, and any other significant features. Ensure that the images are sharp and clearly show all the details.

Showcase the book's condition

If the book is used, include images that display any signs of wear or damage. This way customers can see exactly what they are purchasing and there will be no surprises once they receive the product.

Add more photos

Including multiple photos from different angles increases the transparency of the offer and reduces the likelihood of customer dissatisfaction. For example, you can take a picture of the front and back cover, a picture of the inner pages, a picture of the sides, and one of the spine.

Retouch your photos if necessary

If you need to improve the quality of your photos, you can use photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop or GIMP. However, be careful not to alter the image too much so as to accurately represent the product.

By following these tips, you can capture appealing images of your books and increase the chances of online sales. Remember that professional photography is an important factor for the success of your online sales.

Determining the right price

Pricing is one of the most important aspects in selling books online. A price set too high could discourage potential buyers, while a price set too low could result in a loss of money.

Here are some tips to help you determine the right price for your books:

• Market Research: Conduct market research to find out the average selling price of books similar to yours. You can use websites like Amazon or eBay to find the average selling price.
• Book Condition: The price should reflect the condition of the book. If the book is in excellent condition, then it can be sold at a higher price compared to one that shows clear signs of wear.
• Rarity of the Book: If your book is rare or out-of-print, you may increase the price. Keep in mind that even if you have a rare book, this doesn't mean people are willing to pay an exorbitant price.
• Hardcover or Softcover: Books with hardcovers usually cost more than those with softcovers. Consider this factor when deciding on your selling price.
• Discounts and Promotions: Offering discounts or promotions can attract more buyers, but be careful not to offer too high discounts that could result in losing money.

Always remember to keep track of your costs, such as the purchase price of the book, shipping expenses, and the commissions of the online selling platform. By doing so, you can determine a fair price that allows you to earn an adequate profit.

Order management and shipping

Once your e-commerce site is up and running and the items are listed, it's important to keep track of the orders received from customers and manage shipments efficiently. Thanks to Framework360, order and shipping management will be simple and intuitive.

Viewing orders

In the navigation menu on the left, you will find a section dedicated to viewing orders. Here you can access the complete list of orders received, with detailed information on each one, such as the customer's name, the shipping address, and the order number.

Furthermore, you will be able to filter orders by status (for example "processing", "shipped", or "delivered") to keep track of the progress of each order.

Shipping management

After receiving a new order, you will need to prepare the shipment. With Framework360, the shipping management process will be simple and efficient.

You can easily print out labels for packages directly from your control panel. In addition, you will have the option to integrate your Framework360 account with external shipping services like Poste Italiane or UPS to further automate the shipping process.

Communication with customers

Communication with customers is a fundamental aspect of the online selling process. With Framework360, you can easily send personalized emails to your customers to keep them updated on the status of their orders.

Moreover, you can integrate your Framework360 account with customer relationship management (CRM) tools such as Mailchimp or Salesforce to further improve communication with your customers.

Practical example

Imagine that a customer has just placed an order on your e-commerce website. You will receive a notification via email and you can view the order in the dedicated section within your control panel on Framework360.

After preparing the package, you can generate the label directly from the control panel and ship the package to the customer.

Finally, you can send a personalized email to the customer to inform them about the shipping status and possibly provide them with a tracking code to monitor the delivery.

Promotion on social media and other online marketing channels

Once your e-commerce site is up and running, you need to start promoting it to reach as many potential customers as possible. One of the most effective ways to do this is through social media.

Social media marketing

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are very powerful tools for promoting your e-commerce website. You can create a business page on each platform and use them to advertise your products, offer exclusive discounts to followers or simply share interesting content related to your business.

Moreover, you can leverage social media advertising to reach an even wider audience. For example, you can create sponsored ads on Facebook that will appear in the news section of users who match your target demographic.

But don't limit yourself to social media only! There are many other online marketing channels that can be used to promote your e-commerce site:

• Email Marketing: Send regular newsletters to your customers to inform them about your latest news, new products, or special offers.
• SEO: Optimize your website for search engines so as to rank among the top results when users search for products similar to yours.
• Google AdWords: Use paid advertising on Google to appear at the top of search results when users search for keywords relevant to your business.
• Influencer Marketing: Collaborate with industry influencers who will promote your products to their followers.

Practical example

Let's imagine we have an e-commerce site specialized in selling books. We could create a Facebook and Instagram page and start posting appealing photos of our products, reviews from satisfied customers, or even famous quotes from the books we sell.

We could also offer an exclusive discount to our page followers or organize a contest where participants have to tag a friend in the comments for a chance to win a free book.

Furthermore, we could use email marketing to send monthly newsletters to our customers with the latest news about the books for sale on our site and special offers exclusive to them.

Overall, there is no magic formula for success in online marketing. It's about experimenting with different strategies, observing the data and adapting accordingly to reach as many potential customers as possible and increase your online sales.

Selling books online can be a very lucrative activity, especially if you choose the right platform to do it. Framework360 is a complete digital marketing solution that allows you to create and manage your own e-commerce site easily and intuitively.

After creating your own e-commerce environment on the platform, you will be able to install the dedicated plugin for e-commerce and start customizing the site preferences. Adding items for sale will be very simple thanks to the dedicated section present in the navigation menu on the left.

Furthermore, Framework360 offers numerous useful features for setting up your online selling activity in the best way. Among these, campaigns with automations are particularly useful for customer loyalty.

Creating a custom newsletter or scheduling personalized email sends based on user actions can make a difference in the growth of your online sales business. Indeed, by continually improving the structure of your e-commerce, you will enhance the shopping experience for your customers.

In conclusion, selling books online can be an interesting opportunity for those looking to start a new venture or expand their existing one. With Framework360, it's possible to do so easily and effectively, leveraging all the platform's capabilities to create a perfectly customized e-commerce site to your needs.

Sign up for Framework360 to create your e-commerce site with just a few clicks and take advantage of all its features to grow your online business. Start your free trial today!