Welcome... ✋
The million dollar question and many variables. 💣 Exactly how it may feel when searching for hours continuously. I know how it feels, I spent a year doing research on many different avenues. But the truth is, with computers, phones📱, iPod, iPad and many other electronic devices🔌, online shopping🛒🛍 has become the future and the way of ordering products your want or need.
Online presences is HIGHLY recommended for small business, though (if possible) have a location open to the public, whether by appointment only or open for just a few hours. Having visual, physical and talking with the general public, helps keep communities thriving as well.
Now, what's a "small" business, well this is another million question, though my opinion on small is those mom and pop stores, businesses with only 1 location, a business that is a legal entity, but only the owner and one or two employees working from home🏡. These types of small business, work hard to try to thrive in a chain store world🗺. Though the internet has made ordering easier, not all businesses are available online. Honestly, small businesses should make a big presence online, though it takes patience, time, effort, $$ and research, this could very well pay off for you.
There is cost effective way to start and very low cost sites you could get started on.
Now remember, don't go with the first site you see, compare sites, the fees, look at examples. You don't want to list your paintings with a clothes fashion site, or list ballcap hats with drills and tools. Take the time to lookover each site and see the differences with each one before deciding on the first one and then wonder why you're not getting sales.
I am a small business owner, and in the beginning I spent a year researching. I wasn't sure whether to do by appointments only, online or both. My online store opened at the beginning of 2015, and here it is 2019 and now working towards a public location. Big tees printing, did a lot of traveling for shows, events, and more, but after listening to customers, and the whispers, the decision to now do by appointments and soon to open a public location for the local community. Over the years online has been a great mentor (yes, a mentor) which all business can and could use online for mentoring, not just for selling and buying.
Follow Big tees printing blog for Part 2 on thriving online this week.
