How to Sell Perfume Online

Hey there Sea Changers and welcome back. Today we are going to check out what may be a tricky proposition as we discuss how to sell perfume online. Why tricky? Well because in most cases perfume is all about the scent… and obviously one cannot smell those via an online blog post or sales page so some clever marketing may be required. That said, if you are looking into the top selling perfumes where their fragrances are well-known, then things may become a little easier.

So, if you are at all interested in making money selling perfume online, then let's check it all out…

How do we get started?

I just did some research – did you know that perfume is a USD 31.5 billion dollar (roughly) a year market? However, as we have just discussed the whole ‘can't smell perfume over the internet' thing, we probably first need to know if there is actually an online market for perfume. After all, I would hate to convince anybody to start their own online perfume business and have it fall away due to the fact that none of those 31.5 Billion dollars in sales were transacted online. So to start with, let's see what people are searching for:

What are people looking for?

To start let's just confirm our market numbers:

1. Number of monthly searches

As we are looking to see if there is an interest in the purchase of perfumes online (so we can sell them), let's start by checking for purchase related searches. You will need to find yourself a good keyword tool (I use Jaaxy) and enter in the keywords that best describe your market. In this case, let's start with the basics:

Ok, so we know people look for perfume online – over 39000 of them in fact. – and we can start to get a few niche ideas there with number of searches for particular brands. This is great to know in regards to good post ideas for this nice which we will discuss a little later on. However, are they searching for information or to purchase? Let's break it down a little:

Not as big, but the list goes a long way down for searches around perfume sale. And interestingly people are still interested in brands. This can definitely help us get around our ‘scent' issues as if they are looking for brands then they may already know how they smell anyway. So I did some more research on specific designer brands with the following results:

• Dolce and Gabbana perfume – 7500+ searches per month
• Chanel perfume – 6000+ searches per month
• Dior perfume – 15000+ searches per month
• Hugo Boss aftershave – 4000+ searches per month

So what does this tell us? Well to me it shows two things:

1. A lot of online searches are looking for designer brands.
2. Many of these searches are looking for discounted prices on these products.

I think we can see that there is a definite opportunity here. But let's check if it is sustainable…

2. Search Trends

Another important aspect of online sales and niche selection is to check that interest is maintained over time. To gain an insight into this let's check out how the searches for a few of our perfume related products are trending online.

Ok, so we can see that interest has been maintained fairly well over the past few years with some definite spikes around the end of the year (Black Friday sales and Christmas gifts anybody?). I decided to stick to the designer brands from my searches above for this just to see what it was like. And all in all I think we can see a good level of interest year round with the opportunity for some good sales at the end of year buying season.

Again, I really see a good opportunity here. And keep in mind that as many of them are release by the big designer labels then seasonal or celebrity endorsed products are always going to generate new interest.

What is our niche?

Ok, now the fun part begins – In the statistics and screen dumps above, we can already see that much of the interest in perfumes within the market tend to center on designer brand perfumes. The decision you have now is to determine whether you wish to create your online business covering these brands, perfume in general or concentrate on another specific area or sub niche. There are a good number of different areas you could explore here – and off the top of my head, some examples include:

• Designer brand perfumes
• Perfumes for women
• Perfumes and aftershave of men
• Chemical free perfumes
• Pet perfumes
• Vegan perfumes
• Perfumes for odour control

And that is just a few – all of which can be marketed from the point of view of the writer, or simply as a means of supplying information to those looking to purchase. As you start to think about this, the question to ask yourself is whether the content you are covering is too large to cover effectively.

The risk here is that if you start with a niche that is too broad, you may not be able to cover everything to the level required or to become authority on the subject – which you will need to be if you are going to convince people to purchase from you and not their local store. Don't forget, you can always add a new section to your site as you grow as well.

As you work through narrowing your targeted niche, consider the following:

• Are you able to solve a problem – Most people undertake searches on the internet to solve a problem – see next section.
• Is it a subject that you have an interest, or knowledge in– I am guessing that you are in this post as you know about, or have an interest in perfume/fragrances. If you don't have either of these, maybe consider another market as to be honest, you might struggle to produce solid content if you don't know much about them – or worse, have no interest in perfume at all. Trust me, people will know immediately if your information is not up to scratch or can put their love of a good fragrance at risk.

Let's investigate this a little further by discussing the problem solving elements of niche selection.

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What problem are we solving?

If this is a niche that you are interested in, you may already know what it is that you are trying to sell. If not, then maybe start to look at it from the perspective of solving problems. This, added to your area of interest is a great way to work out exactly what you think you might like to base your online business upon.

Think about your own search behaviors when you are online – I would hazard a guess that most searches you do are in order to solve a problem. Now think of these in a manner in which someone might have problems within the greater perfume related niche such as:

1. You know what you want to buy a new perfume for a night out but don't know which is the ‘best'.
2. You have a problem and need a solution – I.e. “I am allergic to chemical based perfumes so need a good alternative”.

Your goal here is to determine just what problem/s you are trying to solve for your readers. This maybe one problem that spans your site or differ for each post that you write. For example, if you have chosen chemical free perfumes for your niche, then problems might be:

• Matching products to use– They want to know what is the best chemical free aftershave option would be for sensitive skin.
• Which to buy – There are a number of vegan based perfumes on the market – but which is best on a budget?

In these cases, people would be searching for those topics based on having a problem and needing a solution. Your site would outline and review the best options for them.

Alternatively, if your site is about designer label perfumes, then you would be addressing problems such as:

• What ones are ‘best'?
• What is the difference between perfume and Eau De Toilette (or are they the same thing?)
• Should you consider a particular brand?
• Which options are the longest lasting on the skin?
• Which are best for sensitive skin?
• Can you get them on a budget?
• Are any tested on animals?

Again, the thing to keep in mind here is that with all of the problems above, perfume is essentially all about the scent. You will need to address the issues outlined (such as good ones for sensitive skin) all the while outlining its intangibles such as aroma and feel on the skin etc.

Note: You do not need to identify every possible problem that your readers may have straight away. In many cases, the more you write, the more ‘problems’ will present themselves so initially you really just want to make sure that there are some that may need solving as we have found here.

How are you going to convince them to buy?

Now that we know our niche (or are at least working on it) and have an idea of the types of problems that we want to solve, there is one last thing to consider which is the online purchase behavior of your targeted audience.

The first thing you would need to consider is exactly who will be looking at your site. The first group that comes to mind are the those who want to get the best options they can within their price range. Then there are the avid collectors who want the latest release from their favorite designer label no matter the cost. Then you have us poor dudes who have been ‘told' that perfume would make a good anniversary gift… I mean where would we even start? Some examples include:

1. Those that are purchasing for a specific need will want to know exactly what they are getting (again, provide the intangibles). Those purchasing as a gift however might want the same information, but may be looking at some options a little gentler on the back pocket.
2. Avid collectors will want to know all about the latest brands and releases – they will dissect your reviews with a fine toothed comb.
3. If you are dealing with those just looking for a “good aftershave to wear to work”, make it as easy as possible to get a decent bottle for a decent price- give them the information and let them get on with it.

So at the end of the day, even though we do have purchaser behavior on our side, to be successful in selling perfume related products online, consider the following:

• Solve problems without purchase – That's right – write your posts in a way that actually makes it easier for people to do their research and buy elsewhere – by doing this, you are solving problems and helping readers out. If they trust you, they will be more likely to return next time and buy from you then – especially if you follow up with posts on similar or compatible products or accessories that might interest them!
• Provide the intangibles – As we have discussed a number of times within this post, one major disadvantage when it comes to selling anything online is that we can't really know what the products smell and feel like. And the same goes for terminology – after all, even harmless words such as ‘gentle on the skin', ‘long-lasting' or ‘floral aroma' can mean different things to different people. Your posts will need to cover this information in a manner that puts minds at ease and explains some of the intangibles.
• Know your audience – A big mistake many make here is to target the product and not necessarily the buyer. This is especially important when dealing with a budget minded audience. It is very easy for example to get carried away explaining how great a bottle of the latest release perfume is because it is cheap all the while forgetting that those intending to use it want it to last all day. The same goes for high end options… Expensive doesn't always mean longer lasting or with a better aroma. Make sure you do your research on the buying behaviors of those you are targeting before writing your posts.

Tip: Still not sure? Have a look and see what others are doing. It might just help you with some ideas.

How to sell perfume online

And then we come to probably the most important aspect of this whole online selling caper in that we need to consider how we are going to sell the products that we have decided to promote. Depending on the product, there are a number of methods you can use to do this. Let's explore them below:

Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is the process of selling products via programs that are setup directly by companies or marketplace platforms (Amazon, Ebay etc.) that allow you to join and then refer traffic to them through customized affiliate links. In short, this means that you will write about perfumes (in the spirit of solving problems as discussed above) and then refer your readers to a link where they will purchase directly from the vendors. The vendors then pay you a commission for the sale.

Affiliate programs are especially good for those selling perfume online as you can move seamlessly through changes to seasonal products for example without needing to sell out of previous ranges first. This way you can promote/review the latest releases and then refer your readers to the vendor to manage the sale without you having to hold inventory or organize shipping.

Finding affiliate programs is generally not a difficult task either. To locate them, you would normally just type “Affiliate: perfume” into your preferred search engine:

So, as you can see, there are plenty of options in regards to affiliate programs for perfume related niches. As you search through them all, you can check it all out and find programs that:

• Relate to your niche/problems that you are solving.
• Have quality products – your brand can be severely damaged if you promote poor quality or unsafe products.
• Have solid payment and customer service arrangements.
• Pay decent commissions.
• Have good testimonials covering commission payouts and quality of product.
• Whether they have high ticket items you can promote on the side.

In most cases, you will need to apply for the program before you are allowed to promote their products – don’t take this step lightly or you will be rejected. Affiliate programs will generally want to know:

• Your website name.
• Traffic levels.
• Why you want to join – (“so I can make money by selling your aftershave online” is unfortunately not generally a good enough answer).
• How you plan to promote their products.

One thing to be aware of here I guess is to keep in mind the issues we discussed earlier in regards to selling perfume related products online. You need to make sure that the programs you choose can be trusted and that the consumer is comfortable that they have recourse if something goes wrong. For this reason you will need to make sure that your chosen programs are going to resonate with your readers and your niche.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping is something that may be of advantage to you in this niche if you are looking to play with pricing on your products (price can be a big seller in this niche). This process is similar to affiliate marketing in that you are generally promoting the products of others without the need to actually hold any inventory. With affiliate marketing, you are paid a commission on whatever price the vendor sets but do not manage any customer service, sales processes or post sales requirements. The main difference with dropshipping, is that you perform the following (there are a number of variations to this but this is the gist of it):

• Strike a relationship with a wholesaler.
• Promote the product for whatever price you see fit – often via a marketplace site such as Shopify, Amazon or Ebay.
• Manage the sales processes and customer service.
• Send the final order and payment to the wholesaler for packaging and shipping.

The money that you make is effectively the difference between whatever you managed to sell the product for and the wholesale price that you owe the vendor. The other advantages of dropshipping over affiliate marketing is that:

• You own the customer list – which is another means of building an effective email list.
• You control the cost of the product and hence the profit margins.
• You can control when you put things on ‘sale', group them in packages or increase the price for high demand items.

The disadvantages however are the extra workload in handling payment and any ongoing customer service requirements.

To find dropshipping suppliers online, you can enter searches such as “dropship: perfume” into your favourite search engine:

Note: These results will usually be based on your geographical location.

From here you can search through and find programs that:

• Offer dropshipping services – Not all product suppliers offer dropshipping as a service – this may just mean that you need to organise the shipping yourself after it is delivered to you.
• Have experience and are helpful – If they are not helpful and/or appear inexperienced then you can expect the same when you are trying to process sales.
• Have acceptable fees – most dropshipping wholesalers will charge a small fee for the dropshipping service – just make sure it is not so high that it eats into your profit margins.
• Provide fast shipping – One disadvantage with dropshipping when dealing with vendors is that the customer is yours, not theirs hence sometimes shipping priorities are not where they should be – make sure shipping times are acceptable.
• Have quality products – as with affiliate marketing, don't sell rubbish.
• Have a good name – do your research and see what others are saying about them.

Sell your own

If affiliate marketing or dropshipping are not something you are interested in, maybe you could try sourcing and selling your own products. This process (commonly known as ‘white labeling') is especially popular within this niche as it is not difficult to find brand less products to sell. Here you actually purchase your product from a vendor or wholesaler, add your own label and then on-sell them via your website or platforms such as Amazon etc.

This process requires a much higher setup costs as you will need to purchase your products, create and affix your labels and manage orders and shipment. Some wholesalers/vendors however will affix the labels that you send them and then manage the packaging and shipment for you (see dropshipping above). This will cost you less to set up but obviously you will make less on the sale once they take their processing fee.

Again, to find out where to acquire your product, do a search for “white label: perfume”:

Note: These results will usually be based on your geographical location so you may at times need to sort through a few pages.

From here you will need to follow the same processes as with affiliate and dropshipping programs in determining whether they are a good fit for your business plans including:

• Relate to your niche/problems that you are solving.
• Have solid delivery and customer service arrangements.
• Have good testimonials covering service and quality of product.

Alternatively, keep your eye out in your local area for exhibitions and industry shows (look for beauty, cosmetics or fashion shows as well). These are a great way to find and purchase your products at good prices – you never know, you might even find a solid supplier for future sales as well.

Tip: This method can be very effective in driving online traffic and sales via the implementation of more traditional sales methods such as kiosks and market stalls etc. As people get to know you, they can purchase from you there and then be directed to your website for future sales.

What do we need to do?

Once we have all of the above sorted, or at the very least a plan in place, we need to choose and setup the media that we intend to use to sell our product. This can include:

Build a Website

If you are looking to build your online business as an affiliate marketer, drop shipper or supplier, then chances are you will most probably need a website. Websites allow you to solve problems via blog posts and videos that people can view in order to identify the solutions that they need. Usually, this process is fairly straight forward in that you build your website, write posts (on the differences between certain types of designer perfumes for example), then provide links so that your readers can view/purchase the relevant materials from your links.

Promote on Social Media

When it comes to perfume, there is probably no more powerful tool than Social media. It has the power to reach thousands and allows you to target specific segments if you choose the correct platform. In terms of perfume related products online, a good platform to start with is FaceBook where you can discuss items with your audience, display products in use and show videos.

However, if you are looking to set yourself up as an ‘influencer' within the niche, then programs such as Instagram, YouTube or Pinterest will be your go to option. This is great for visuals such as pictures and/or videos showing you ‘experiencing life' whilst wearing a particular perfume as you run, walk, sit, eat, relax and so on.

Remember our intangibles we discussed earlier? Think about how the designer houses promote perfumes in advertising – they rarely mention the scent, rather the experiences to be had whilst wearing it… Social media is a prime candidate to assist with this endeavor. And, if you are able to build a following you may even get noticed and be paid gazillions to wear certain brand within your pics and videos – this takes time, but it does happen…

Join like-minded groups

Anther great tool when it comes to selling products online are social groups. By getting involved with these groups you can really get a great understanding as to what its members are struggling with, what information they seek and what products they are looking to buy. Below is an example of perfume related FaceBook groups:

Note: Many of these groups will not allow you to spruike or promote your sites directly, however if you can interact and demonstrate your knowledge then people will ask you directly for the information. At the very least, as above, it is a great way to get ideas and insight into what people in this area really want to know about and what they are buying online.

Conclusion

And there it is – How to market perfume online. I hope it has been helpful and as usual, please do not hesitate to comment below if you have any questions, need some advice or have any experiences to share.

Do you want further assistance with any of the above or need help to build your own perfume or fragrance related website?

Are you looking for a comprehensive training platform that can give you step by step training, 24/7 support, tools to develop and host your very own website, ongoing assistance with SEO and social media and access to some of the best affiliate marketing minds on the planet, then click on the following link to read more about Wealthy Affiliate.

Until next time

Have fun

Paul

Note: If you make a purchase from this page, there is a very good chance that I make a commission from it – these commissions do not increase your sale price. This may include sales made via Wealthy Affiliate.