The biggest hurdle many independent e-commerce retailers face is making their first sale. Whether you’re selling $10 phone cases or $100 handbags, getting the first sale is a big milestone in your e-commerce journey. In this guide, we’ll look at 50 different ways you can generate your first sale on Shopify.

Social Media

1. Post on Instagram – Shopify offers an integration with Instagram that allows you to tag products in posts on your Instagram business page. Try enabling this sales channel to reach your social media followers in a more direct way.
2. Grow a Twitter Page – Twitter is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. It’s great for sharing photos and videos, reaching new prospects, and increasing your brand presence. Create a Twitter profile and start targeting your audience.
3. Join Facebook Groups – There’s a likely chance that your niche has multiple Facebook groups containing thousands of members interested in your niche/products. Join these groups and contribute regularly to become an active member. Then, share a special discount or offering to members and convert them to customers.
4. Post on subreddits – Similar to Facebook groups, subreddits are communities focused on a specific topic in the Reddit community. Find one related to your products or industry and offer free samples, special promotions, or simply share your story with other redditors.

PR

1. Get Product Reviews – Having positive product reviews is a great way to build trust and convert website visitors into customers. Consider sending out samples of your product to friends, family, or influencers. Then ask for an honest review you can use on your website.
2. Influencer Marketing – Is there a popular influencer in your niche? Try contacting them and ask them to promote your product to their followers. Some will offer an unbiased promotion is you offer a free product, and others may ask you to pay for the post. Be sure to research the influencer you choose to ensure their following is legitimate.
3. Write a Press Release – Press Releases are great for introducing new products, announcing new campaigns, or introducing your brand to the public. Take time to draft a press release that stands out and grabs the attention of reporters and media.
4. Offer a Unique Value Proposition – One of the quickest ways to get free press is to offer something no one else is, or put a new spin on an already existing product/service. Does your product meet either of those standards? If so, consider reaching out to media outlets for exposure.

Paid Advertising

1. Advertise on Facebook – Promote posts, create ads, and reach your target audience on Facebook with the Facebook Ad Manager.
2. Advertise on Reddit – Is your niche active on Reddit? Target them by interest, location, and subreddit through Reddit’s ad platform. They recently released mobile ads on the platform as well.
3. Promoted Tweets on Twitter – You can also promote tweets on Twitter to reach your customers. Explore Twitter’s ad platform and test out different tweets and creatives to drive traffic and sales.

Offline

1. Ask Friends and Family – The closest people to you will often be your most supportive customers. Share your Shopify store with friends and family and see if they would be interested in making a purchase. This can provide great insight into your website design, product imaging, and checkout process. Be sure to ask for feedback after they’ve made a purchase.
2. Door-to-Door Sales – Do you have your product in hand? Take it out into your community and offer it to neighbors and other residents. Explain the benefits, tell your story, and maybe even offer a discount.
3. Sell at a Flea Market – Local thrift stores and flea markets can be great starting points for your business. If you aspire to own a brick & mortar location in the future, selling at flea markets & thrift stores will generate sales and increase exposure.

Content Marketing

1. Start Blogging – Starting your own blog is both a cheap and effective way to bring visitors to your website. Commit to a consistent posting schedule and polish up your writing skills when you begin posting to your blog.
2. Grow an Email List – Email marketing is still one of the most effective marketing tactics. Invest in growing your list with quality subscribers through pop-ups, giveaways, etc. It won’t take long to see the ROI.
3. Write a Guest Post – Find popular websites and blogs in your niche that you can offer a guest post to. This can help you gain more visibility and serve as a low-cost promotional tool for your store.

Sales Channels

1. Pinterest – You can use the Pinterest sales channel to enable Pins with links to your Shopify products to be turned into Buyable Pins by Pinterest. Customers can buy your approved products from Buyable Pins directly on Pinterest, and Pinterest orders will be created in your Shopify admin.
2. eBay – Shopify’s eBay sales channel allows you to connect with 270 million shoppers. List your products on eBay and manage orders, without ever leaving Shopify.
3. Buzzfeed – BuzzFeed’s irresistible stories, lists, and news are seen by millions of people daily. Using its unique storytelling power, BuzzFeed can easily sell products to its highly engaged audience. With Shopify channels, BuzzFeed invites you to share your products with its team of editors and be considered for marketing campaigns.