How To: Selling Cosmetics + Skincare Online

November 20, 2020 Guest User

How To Sell Cosmetics and Skincare Online

You may have a clear idea about what types of cosmetic or skincare products you want to sell to customers, which is a great beginning. But how will you turn that vision into reality?

One of the easier options is to sell your private label products online. Even better news? You do not have to sell on Amazon or other similar sites. Instead, you can build your own company website in just a few simple steps and cut-out the middleman.

Why not Amazon?

Selling on sites like Amazon can be tempting. They make it really easy to start selling in the blink of an eye, with almost no effort on your part. But be aware of a few glaring disadvantages (source):

Commissions are high and there is a demand for free delivery, both of which will cut into your profits.
Competition is fierce, forcing many sellers to continuously lower their prices.
You will have no control over customer service.
You may have to provide significant testing results or certifications that are not simple/cheap for a small business, in order to sell on Amazon.

Build Your Own Website (in 7 steps)

Before you get started, ask yourself this key question: CBD or no?

Will you be selling cosmetics or skincare products with CBD as an ingredient?

Some website providers and payment processors restrict the sale of CBD products online, so just be aware of the guidelines before you commit. Shopify, Squarespace, and Wix appear to have no restrictions on CBD cosmetics or skincare, but it is still a good idea to verify that yourself before you do anything else.

You will also want to make sure you are buying your CBD products from a reputable wholesale supplier who understands and can provide you with the proper certifications. If you are thinking of getting your products from Genie Supply, you’ve come to the right place.

We deliver a Certificate of Analysis with all our products, and we carefully label each one as either “full spectrum” (CBD with less than 0.3% THC and a full spectrum of terpenes), “broad spectrum” (CBD with 0% THC and some terpenes), or “isolate” (CBD with 0% THC and no terpenes).

For more information on CBD products, please read this informative blog.

If your products DON’T contain CBD, no issues here. Keep moving!

1. Find a domain provider

GoDaddy is the most famous domain provider, and they make the process really simple. But there are other options out there. Not sure what you’re looking for? Here’s a quick checklist on how to make sure you get the right one for you (source):

Check the pricing and registration period. Some providers offer a year of service; others offer two years. The important thing to know here is when your service will expire.
Don’t get caught unaware and allow your service to lapse without renewal, because another company can easily come along take your domain name as soon as it becomes available.
How easy is it to transfer domain names? Some providers will make such a transfer simple and painless, but others might attach additional fees. Be aware of such fees before you commit to a provider.
What kind of add-on services are available? While you might not need such services in the beginning, these might come in handy later, so it is best to know what they are and how much they cost before you choose a provider.
Also: make sure your provider does not automatically add-on any services at checkout.
Check the reviews.
Check for hidden fees. This might take some research on your part, but it will be worth it. Simply put: read the fine print.

2. Find a Website Builder

This will depend solely on your experience level, so be honest with yourself. If you are relatively new to using a website builder, you will probably want to go with a site like Squarespace or Shopify.

On sites like these, all you have to do is pick out a template and begin dragging and dropping your material. Plus, they have a lot of easy-to-follow tutorials to help you understand and manage the entire process.

On the other hand, if you feel like you’re an expert at website building, Weebly or WordPress might be better options. They take a little more effort to use, but the payoffs might be worth it if you think you have what it takes.

3. Take Product Photos

Understandably, this is a crucial step. Consider hiring a local professional photographer in order to present your products properly. You could also take the pictures yourself using a lightbox or backdrops, but we don’t recommend it. It is very important that your customers see your products displayed as professionally as possible.

In fact, selling cosmetics and skincare products is very akin to selling fashion, which is why we also recommend you show your products on live models. This is particularly important if you are selling cosmetics, but even skincare products will sell better if you show real people using them.

4. Develop a Marketing Plan

Be creative, but also be logical. Ask yourself 3 important questions:

What kind of brand voice do I want? Hip? Cool? Sophisticated? Glamourous?
What do I want my brand logo to look like? (Hint: it should match your brand voice).
What is my target audience? Teenagers with part time jobs? Stay-at-home moms? Business executives? Knowing the answer to this will also help you develop a brand voice.

5. Set Up Your Social Media

Will you be using Facebook, Instagram, or other social media sites to help spread the word about your brand? Our number 1 piece of advice is to keep things consistent on all your platforms. Use the same name in your social media as you are using on your website domain.

Additionally, this is also a good time to set up your mailing list. Determine when and how people will sign up for your mailing list so that you have a funnel in place from the very beginning. Sites like GoDaddy will help make sure you have a professional mailbox for your website to make this process even easier.

6. Determine Your Customer Service Process

There are a lot of options for this, and you might want to take advantage of all of them. If you want to set up a toll-free number for your company, Grasshopper.com (or other similar services) can help. You can also provide a customer service email address for your clients, or even set up a live chat on your website.

No matter what option you choose, just be aware that this need is crucial. You will, of course, attempt to answer as many questions as you can on your website. An FAQ page can go a long way in accomplishing that, but – trust us – there will always be questions you can’t possibly anticipate.

Ensuring that your customers have easy access to you is absolutely vital to increasing your profits and your reputation.

Your E-commerce Website Should Be a Total Shopping Experience

It’s not just a place to display and sell your products. It’s a complete environment for showcasing your brand and your message. Map out what you want that experience to look like for your customers before you even begin building the website.

Think of it as an outline. Use bullet points to organize your thoughts. Ask yourself what features you would want in a website if you were the customer. You could even look at some of your favorite websites in order to gain inspiration.

The key is that your website should be as interactive as possible. It shouldn’t just be a website – it should be an adventure.

Have More Questions?

While we might not be experts at website building, we are the experts at providing you with the perfect cosmetics or skincare products to add to your brand.