SELLING ONLINE WITH EBAY, MERCARI, POSHMARK AND OTHER PLATFORMS

Internet shopping is at an all-time high. People are buying from online platforms today more than any period in history. As a matter of fact, this upward trajectory is unlikely to slow down even after COVID-19 is over. Thus, if you are thinking of selling your products on any of the available online platforms like eBay, Mercari, Poshmark, Etsy, Amazon and so on, the time to get in is now.

This post will help you start the process of getting your products on these platforms without stress. Here are steps involved:

1. Decide What You Want To Sell

This is perhaps the most important part of the whole process. Knowing what to sell can take a while to figure out. You need to do some research and know what is in demand and where it is appropriate to sell the product. You could decide on the product or niche based on an audience segment or based on the platform. Whatever you do, make sure your eventual product is perfect for the platform you want to sell on. For example, books are better sold on Amazon, artwork or homemade decor on Etsy, toys on eBay and Mercari, clothing on Poshmark. When you make a decision on what you want to sell, you can then proceed to the next step.

2. Identify Your Target Market And Your Competition

This next step is certainly just as important as the first. Your target market is key to a number of things that are essential to the success of your venture. If you are selling shoes, you will need to understand what gender, age group and even ethnicity is important to your sales. In the same vein, a thorough understanding of your competition is a central part of the process. A comprehensive study of your target market and competition will help you figure out your product pricing, marketing strategy, web design and internet properties. All of these aspects are essential to the success of the business. You might want to use your understanding of the competition’s methods to draw up a customer avatar for your own store.

3. Choose The Right Platform

The right platform will be key to whether your online store gets the right audience and how soon it will gain traction with that audience. Your audience research will help you improve your positioning. Who is the audience that you hope to attract? Where is your audience likely to go when looking for what you sell? How competitive is the platform and what are its strongest points?

As you seek the answers to these questions, you will find yourself understanding which platform will be best as the permanent home to your goods. Remember, the right product for the right platform makes the successful online seller.

4. Register With The Platform

The process of getting your products on your selected platform differ from platform to platform. But they are relatively easy to carry out. Ensure you read the terms of the platform carefully before you move forward.

Once your registration is done, you need to describe your products with adequate information for SEO purposes. A detailed description of your products will help you get traction from regular Google or Bing traffic, since your products will show up in the “Google shopping” page. Also, you need great, high quality product pictures for your store. Humans are audio-visual beings and a picture tells a thousand stories, as the popular phrase goes.

5. Market Your Store

Your marketing efforts can’t be left out. A store is just as important as the people who visit it. While you must optimize your page to make sure it appears on the platform’s search results page, you must not neglect driving traffic from other sources.

You can self-promote through social media, blogging, affiliate marketing, referral campaigns, pay per-click and direct marketing. The more you can get conversions, the more ratings your page will get and the more organic traffic the platform will generate for you as one of their best sellers.