In the first year of running an online business selling games in 2003, Mr Stephen Ho counted himself lucky if he could sell a game a week.

Related link: » 11 tips on starting an online business » Cheaper than opening a shop

He pushed on and counted on word of mouth from customers to generate awareness of his business. It took two years before he started drawing a salary.

Instead of trying to upstage retail shops in pricing and product selection, GameShop (http://gameshop.com.sg/) provided free delivery here.

'We were using the bus, MRT and whatever combination we could find,' said the owner who runs the site full-time with his business partner, Mr Aaron Ang, 31. He started the site with Mr Ang and a $1,000 investment. Both also ran a Web-hosting firm and knew how to design the website.

The flipside of having same-day delivery for orders made in the morning is that game-launch days means working past midnight to fulfil all the orders. 'Our customers are understanding. We delivered one game at 3am and the buyer was waiting for us at the gate,' said Mr Ho, 29.

The company has expanded to Malaysia, Indonesia and India. It ties up with distributors there to deliver games directly to customers.

Here are his tips:

• Make sure your online shopping portal looks professional. This will boost visitors' confidence when placing orders.
• Obtain testimonials from customers to put up on your website.
• Look for ways to enhance your services. Aside from free delivery, GameShop provides warranty exchange service for some products. This means that if a product malfunctions during the warranty period, it will be picked up by GameShop and sent to the service centre.
• Do not be discouraged by slow sales at the start. It takes time to build up Web traffic and a reputation. It could take months or even years to reap dividends.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.