With all the online selling hype and shops like Amazon and eBay out there, you might think that selling online is only for these big players. However, online selling is something that anyone can do. Maybe you already have a brick-and-mortar business, but you see the potential of having an online store. If you don’t, don’t worry. You can start one from scratch, and it doesn’t take a huge investment to get started.
Find a niche
First, you have to choose a profitable niche. Niche is the key factor in finding a profitable product to sell online. There are always profitable niche products. For example, if you are looking for products to sell online, you can find baby products always in demand. New parents are always looking for the best baby products that are available in the market.
Source Products
Now that you’ve picked the niche you want to pursue, it’s time to find your products or services. You can find many sources for this online. If you’re not sure where to begin, try checking out wholesale websites.
These companies deal with business-to-business transactions, but they often sell individually, too. You can sign up for free accounts or paid memberships on these sites and follow their instructions to post your product information and start to sell.
Choosing Online Business Model
If you are planning to sell your products online, you need to decide if you want to have your eCommerce website or use an eCommerce platform like eBay or Amazon.eBay is the best place for people who want to start their own online business on a small scale.
To be successful with eBay, you need to understand the type of customers you are selling to. For example, Craigslist targets college students and professionals in large cities. eBay shoppers are typically middle-class or upper-middle-class people who have extra money to spend on something they don’t need.
When selling on Craigslist, the seller can negotiate prices because there are no fees involved. That said, if you want to compete with other sellers on eBay and other marketplaces, you need to offer the best and most accurate product photos.
You can edit and retouch your product images using this online remover tool. It can remove the background from your photos to create awesome-looking product shots.
Super tip: If you have your own website, you are not limited with the online platforms’ inventory, so it is better if you are planning to start a business that focuses on a variety of products.
If you are looking to build your online store, it is important that you first research the kind of platform that will best suit your needs. You can look into using WordPress, Magento, Shopify, or even Woocommerce. These are just a few of the platforms you can choose from, and it’s up to you to choose which one will work for you.
Get a domain name
Once you have chosen a platform, you need to get a domain name. You can register a domain name for as little as $10-20 per year. Depending on the type of business you plan to create, you can go for a .com, .co, or .net extension (you can also register as many domain names as you like).
It’s recommended to choose names like your business name, your products, or both. You can create other websites for these other extensions and then redirect them to the main website. This way, you will be able to promote other products and services other than what’s on your website and still bring traffic and generate sales through your main website.
Lastly, put together a budget and determine how much money you will need to start your online selling business. Remember, there are many ways to make money online, and you should try multiple methods until you find one that works well for you.