If you are looking for ways to make money from home, try selling products on the internet. Whether the sale is occasional (for example when cleaning a wardrobe), or you make handicrafts or other products to sell, the internet provides a convenient and profitable means of selling. Learn how to sell products on an established site, such as eBay, Etsy or Tokopedia, or create a personal website with a storefront that showcases the products you sell. Look for creative ways to promote your products, and set up a dedicated account for your store.
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Method 1 of 4: Selling Products on eBay
Step 1. Choose a product to sell
The most popular items on eBay are electronics, clothing, and accessories and collectibles. Sell used items in your home, or new items to make a profit.
- Electronic goods that are often purchased include portable computers (laptops), game consoles, televisions, and cell phones. Sell new, used, or refurbished products.
- Branded clothes, shoes and bags are also sold. Wedding dresses are quite popular with buyers.
- Popular collectibles include radio-controlled cars, American Girls dolls, new and used Lego sets and action figures, stamps and collectible cards.
Step 2. Create a seller account on eBay
Select the desired name and keywords. Confirm the contact information you provided to eBay. Select the type of payment you want, such as Paypal, credit card, or cash at the time of delivery. Although not required, we recommend that your Paypal account be verified.
- Pay the entry fee when entering the goods for sale. The amount depends on the item category and the sales format selected. You are required to pay this fee even if the merchandise does not sell.
- Pay a final value fee when merchandise is sold. These items are calculated as a percentage of the total sales amount.
- Obtaining a verified Paypal account] means that you have complied with the Paypal account verification process to determine your identity. This process will increase the security of your account
Step 3. List your merchandise
Write a description on the list. Upload a picture of the product. You can upload 12 images for free. Put a price on your product. Determine the amount of shipping costs.
- Follow eBay's advice when writing a description of your listing based on similar products that are selling well. or, write your original description. Explain the goods being sold in direct language. Connect products with potential customers by listing the most relevant categories and keywords.
- Take several photos of your items from different angles.
- Do some research on an active and complete list of similar products to determine a reasonable selling price. Ebay also provides selling price recommendations.
Step 4. Promote your item
Write a blog message to announce your selling items. Post it on Facebook and Twitter so others know you're selling items on eBay. Drive more traffic to your eBay store with promotional boxes, which are image displays that advertise items and discounts that are currently on offer. You can also use the wizard settings from eBay to create a promotional box, or create your own design.
Step 5. Organize your list
Check the “Sell” section of the “My eBay” dashboard to see how many visitors came, bid, or bought what you were selling. Change your list if necessary. Answer questions from customers. Cultivating trust with customers will increase their loyalty.
Step 6. Complete the sale
Provide good customer service to receive great feedback. Communicate about shipping goods with customers. Please make sure you receive the payment before shipping the goods. Pack your things well. create shipping labels and packing slips on eBay.
Shipping labels can be created on eBay for free and conveniently. Just print and paste it on your package. Tracking and shipping confirmation information is uploaded on eBay so you and your customer can monitor package delivery
Method 2 of 4: Selling Items on Etsy
Step 1. Sell handicrafts, antiques, or homemade items on Etsy. Etsy stands out as a unique selling place. They are committed to selling things that can't be bought anywhere else. familiarize yourself with the terms of sale before signing up on Etsy.
- Handmade items must be made or designed by yourself. Manufacturers of handmade goods must comply with Etsy's ethical manufacturing rules.
- Antiques must be at least 20 years old.
- Assemblies sold must include tools or materials for making handicrafts.
- You can't sell things that other people have made.
- Charity events must be approved by Etsy.
Step 2. Sign up and create a shop on Etsy
Registration to become a member and create a shop is free of charge. Choose a store name that is original, attractive, and easy for customers to remember. Use a name that reflects your style and the products you sell. Announce your store opening on social media. Post it on your Facebook, Twitter and Blog to drive traffic to your store.
Step 3. Add listings
Log into your account and go to Your shop > Quick links > Add a listing. Click the “add photo” icon to add a photo to your listing. The first image added will be your thumbnail. Provide descriptive titles and easy-to-find terms. Use the drop-down menu to select the item type and category. Write a thorough description of the item you are selling. Put the product price. Determine shipping costs.
Step 4. Pay the seller's fees
Each item costs 0.2 dollars (around Rp. 3,600). This listing continues to be active for four months or until the item is sold. The transaction fee rate is 3.5% of the final selling price. Fees are usually accrued to the seller's account on a monthly basis. You need a credit card to pay seller fees.
Step 5. Accept payment
Etsy provides direct payment gateway services. Customers from all over the world can pay in their country's currency. Funds are sent to your account in local currency. You can also accept payments by Paypal, check or money order.
Step 6. Market your store
Use social media to promote your store for free. Use Facebook, Tumblr and Pinterest to advertise your store. Sign up for the Etsy team. This group has members who help each other to grow their business. Use Promoted Listing, a tool on the Etsy site to advertise your store and products.
Method 3 of 4: Building Your Storefront
Step 1. Create a website that sells your products professionally
If you believe your business can have its own branch, develop a website that serves as a storefront to sell your products. Learn the ins and outs of designing and hosting a website. Set up your site to guide visitors through your product categories. Write content that promotes your product. Accept payments via credit payment accounts and merchant credit cards.
Step 2. Register your site's domain name. This will be your website address. Look for names that haven't been picked up. Most registrars will be charged for owning a domain name. You will need a credit card or Paypal account to pay the fee. Domain name registration sites include GoDaddy, Namecheap, 1&1 Internet and Dotster.
Step 3. Choose a shopping cart host software if you are not sure you can manage this technology
The software will manage the hosting, security, and coding of the site if you can't do it yourself. This software usually has a user-friendly and non-technical interface. You can upload your products, process payments, and start selling quickly. However, the functions that this device provides cannot be changed flexibly. You will receive technical assistance from support staff. Examples of this software include Shopify, Bigcommerce, Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace.
Step 4. Opt for self hosted and open source shopping cart software if you can manage your own online store hosting, coding and security
This program is standalone and requires you to install it on your own host. You can design the operation as you wish. Choose some advanced features that will uniquely your customer's shopping experience. You will have to manage all the technical aspects yourself or hire someone else to do it. Examples of this software include Magento, Word Press with WooCommerce and Open Cart.
Step 5. Choose your website host if you are using open source self-hosted shopping cart software
A website host will give you space on the internet and support the construction of your ecommerce site. You are required to pay site maintenance, search registration, and site building fees.
- There are web hosts that are free, but have many drawbacks. Some of these include the presence of ads on your pages, limited website space (usually under 5 MB), and file size and type limitations. In addition, these sites are usually unreliable and slow so there is a risk of losing customers.
- On the other hand, a commercial web host has several advantages, including a faster, more reliable site, and the bandwidth you can buy to increase so that you can transfer more data to your customers, such as music and videos. You can also buy more space and this site has technical assistance. Also, you can have an email address at your own domain.
- Choose a web host that will allow you to set up a secure SSL server. This way, your site will start with "https:" instead of https://. You will be charged an additional fee, but you will need this feature if you plan to receive payments via credit card.
Step 6. Choose a template for your site
Software may offer hundreds or even thousands of different display examples. Choose the background and visual image that best suits your needs. You can even image that refers to the product being sold. Many display samples are available for free, but consider the premium display samples to find the backgrounds and images that best suit your business.
Step 7. Choose advanced tools to develop your site
These tools are provided with your software. If your business is still small, the shipping and bookkeeping process can still be done manually. However, as your business grows, some functions should be automated. Thus, you are freed from administrative and operational problems in the business you run. Shopify and Bigcommerce offer applications that can enhance their software capabilities.
Step 8. Set up your website
Think about how you want your site to look and how your customers use it. Determine the location and size of the store logo and other visual displays. Create a selection menu that will guide customers through the product pages of your online store. Start at the home page, and choose from the menu options and other submenus that organize the information on your website. Decide what information you want to appear on each page. Your software will give you the option to set up storefronts in various formats and styles.
Step 9. Develop your site's content
Content from e-commerce results in a better shopping experience for customers. Part of the site's content is in the form of unique product descriptions and product reviews from customers. However, content may also include buyer's guides, videos, photos, or product comparison tools. Do keyword research to find terms that customers are looking for frequently and use them to create your site's content. Make sure the benefits and relevance of the content created are balanced. Do not let you fill the site with too much information. Give customers a satisfying experience so that their loyalty increases.
Step 10. Get a merchant account from the bank
That way, you can process credit cards. Go to a bank that you already have a good relationship with. If you have a credit card and a business account at the bank, you will likely be allowed to have a merchant account because you already have a long-term relationship. If you are not allowed to create a merchant account, switch to another local bank. Offer to move all of your business accounts to persuade the bank to grant you merchant status.
Step 11. Choose a credit payment account (payment gateway account)
This account is a tool for processing credit card payments from buyers. This tool processes verification and transfer requests, and communicates with the buyer's bank to authorize credit cards in real time. If you don't have a merchant account, the bank offers to open a merchant account as well as accept credit payments. Some of the most popular of these service providers are Paypal, Authorize.net, Cybersource and Verisign. You are required to pay a processing fee according to the number of transactions per month. In addition, you are also charged about 3-5 percent per transaction.
Method 4 of 4: Drive Traffic to Your Website
Step 1. Use contextual marketing
Step 2. Use user generated content (UGC)
On ecommerce sites, this is usually found in the form of customer reviews. Shoppers trust consumer reviews more than traditional marketing and advertising. They believe that reviews from genuine customers are more authentic and reliable. Display customer reviews prominently on your website. It's been proven that good reviews will increase sales.
Step 3. Develop a customer loyalty program
Encourage customers to leave reviews by creating badges, leaderboards and user profiles. This will not only increase the number of reviews, but also the quality of the reviews because customers have an incentive to write long and detailed reviews. They may also include a photo or video in their review. These various reviews will make customers buy the products being sold because they trust customer reviews more than other content.
Step 4. Provide shopping facilities in the customer's native language
Visitors usually choose stores that use their primary language when shopping. If your main market is customers who are in Indonesia, of course you need to create a website in this language. However, you should provide other language options, especially English to facilitate customers who are outside Indonesia. Customers will be more satisfied shopping in stores that use their native language and store sales can increase.
Step 5. Perform the A/B test
Testing is the process of comparing two versions of a website to see which performs better. Show him variations of your site's elements to several similar visitors at the same time to determine which one leads to better sales. For example, test two “Add to Cart” button designs for your site. Option A is the current button, and option B is the design I want to try. Direct current site traffic to both options. Decide which option gets the most clicks. Other elements that can be tested are layout, pricing, promotions and images.
Step 6. Start a mailing list
One of the most effective online marketing methods is also one of the oldest techniques in digital time standards: email. When a customer signs up for a store mailing list, you build a pool of potential buyers who are already interested enough to communicate with you. With a mailing list, you can share new products, discounts, deadlines, and so on to those who are really interested and are likely to buy. According to a survey from Marketing Sherpa, reported ROI of 119% from email campaigns. This method will help increase your sales.
Step 7. Share your expertise on the blog
Buyers will find it easier to buy products if the seller can be trusted. One way to get customers to trust you is to start writing. It's hard to calculate ROI from blogging or other forms of social media, but you can attract potential customers and increase brand awareness by seeing your expertise in your field, and as a result they may trust your product more if they need something you need. sell. You just need to rack your brain a little.
For example, if you primarily sell gardening supplies on the internet, don't fill your blog with ads for your products, but write about home gardening tips, industry trends, and share any great gardens you find with visitors. The main idea is to show that your business is an expert in gardening
- In the end, the best way to sell products on the internet is to acquire suitable leads at all costs. Sales will increase if your shop is visited by the right people.