7 Of The Best Ways to Sell Stuff Online

Are you looking to start a small ecommerce business to sell your products in the United States and around the world? If you answered to the affirmative, you can use several options. First, you can create your own website and start selling the products. Second, you can embrace technology and use the existing ecommerce platforms and marketplaces to sell the products. In this article, we will look at some of the best websites and apps to sell your stuff online.

Etsy

Etsy

Etsy is one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the United States. The company, which went public in 2015, has a market valuation of more than $6 billion. The website is usually a good place for you to sell products that you have made yourself. These products range from clothing, jewelry, toys, collectibles, shoes, and wedding gifts among others. The company says that it sells products you can’t find in any other place. As a seller, you will be charged $0.20 for each item that you list. After this, the company will charge you a transaction fee of 5% when you make a sale on its platform. You can also opt to pay $10 a month to be a member of Etsy Plus, which gives you added tools to help you stand out. Further, you can pay $15 per month to use Etsy Pattern, which helps you create a customized website.

Here are Tips to Make Money on Etsy

  • Have great products.
  • Use Etsy marketing tools to stand out.
  • Ask customers to review your products.
  • Price the items well.

Amazon

Amazon is one of the biggest company in the world with a market valuation of more than $800 billion. What many people don’t realize is that anyone can sell their products on Amazon through its marketplace. What most people don’t realize is that when they buy products on Amazon, they are actually buying from ordinary sellers. To list your products on Amazon, all you need to do is to sign up as a seller, list your product, and market it. Amazon charges an account fee that ranges between $0 to $40 a month and a product fee that ranges between 6% and 20% of the selling price. You can also advertise your products on Amazon for a fee.

Here are the tips to sell more on Amazon

  • Have great products.
  • Describe your products well using text, video, and pictures.
  • Market your products well.
  • Ask for reviews from your customers.
  • Partner with affiliate marketers to boost your sales.
  • Use social media to market your products.

eBay

eBay

eBay is another large e-commerce company in the United States. The company is valued at more than $40 billion and is one of the best-known brands in the country. If you are an entrepreneur, establishing your brand on eBay is relatively easy. As with Amazon, all you need to do is to create a seller account, list your products, and wait for the buyers. To sell with eBay, you will need to pay a listing fee of between $0 to $2. The company also charges you a commission of up to 15% on all products that you sell. The company also charges a Good till cancelled fee that goes to all items that you have listed. There will also be a transaction fee.

Tips for selling on eBay

  • Have great products
  • Price your products well
  • Describe them well.
  • Have multiple pictures and videos.
  • Market them well.

Social Media Platforms

Instagram

Instagram, and other social media platforms like Facebook and Snapchat are other great places for you to sell your stuff. Indeed, there are many people who have created their own million-dollar companies by focusing on social media. These places work well because of the number of users who are in the platforms. They also work because the various social media companies have added a buy button that makes it easy for one to checkout.

Here are the best tips to sell stuff on social media

  • Have great products.
  • Have a separate website with your products.
  • Describe your products well.
  • Encourage the buyers to sell their products.

Groupon

Groupon

Groupon is another popular websites where you can sell your stuff. Unlike the other methods listed here, Groupon focuses on local selling, which means that it targets companies that sell their products locally. It also uses the discount method of selling. Therefore, you need to be ready to discount your products. To use Groupon, you just need to set up a merchant account, list your product, discuss with Groupon on how you can use the deal builder, and then go live.

Here are the best tips to sell stuff online using Groupon

  • Have a great product.
  • Always respond to users comments.
  • Use other online platforms like Instagram to advertise your products.
  • Describe them well.

Poshmark

Poshmark is a large startup that helps buyers and sellers of fashion stuff connect. The platform helps sellers like you create their stores and reach millions of customers. With the platform, you can sell all types of new and used fashion items. Poshmark charges $2.95 for every item that sells for under $15. It also charges 20% for all items that sell for more than $15. It also charges a $6.49 shipping fee. Alternatives to Poshmark are:

  • Tradesy
  • ThredUp
  • The RealReal
  • Worthy.

Shopify

Shopify

Shopify is also an excellent platform to help you sell online. However, unlike the other websites, Shopify is not a marketplace. Instead, the company, which is currently valued at more than $40 billion, provides a platform that helps you create your e-commerce store. With it, you don’t need to hire a website designer. Instead, you can create your store by dropping and dragging the items.

Here are tips to sell online using Shopify

  • Describe your products well.
  • Combine Shopify with other marketplaces like Amazon.
  • Optimize the website for search engines.

Summary on How to Sell your Stuff Online

This article has highlighted some of the best platforms you can use when you want to sell stuff. Obviously, there are other websites and apps that you can use. As we have described, the secret for succeeding on all platforms is to have great products, describing them well, marketing them well, and to ask for reviews from your customers.

Crispus (BSc and MBA) is a finance professional with more than a decade experience as a financial analyst, writer, researcher, and trader. Crispus has written in-depth articles on leading platforms like CCN, Marketwatch, Investing Cube and Seeking Alpha. He also runs a forex education firm. Follow him on Twitter: @crispusnyaga and read more about us.