If you wanted to sell any product or start a business before the emergence of the internet and e-commerce, you would have to limit yourself to one location, one supplier, and so on. You would have to wait a long time and work extra hard to expand your business.
But now, with the evolution of the e-commerce industry, you have a wide variety of options from shopify to eBay that allow you to begin selling your products without much thought.
There are a wide array of websites, apps, online marketplaces that allow you to sell your products at very low investment rates. With more and more options turning up, most businesses set up an online presence to make the best use of the internet. Now there are reseller tools like Seller Aider alternative, that are giving excellent results to users.
Every online platform works with a different format and understanding your needs will allow you to best choose a platform. In this article, it is elaborated on how you can optimally use a few of the best selling platforms in India.
What Kind Of Products Can Be Sold Online?
No matter what industry you are a part of, there are essentially two products you can sell: commoditized products and niche products.
Commoditized products are those which have high demand, are essential, or are very popular. These can be either digital or physical products and services, those which nearly everybody needs and uses. These products make up a majority of all online sales.
Niche products are goods and services that serve a specific, targeted audience and product category. These are unique products like hand-made goods, customized goods, and so on. They are often made in small batches or made only on demand.
Many store owners tend to sell a combination of these two products to increase their profit margin and make their shops available to all customers.
By offering both, they can serve customers better and also stand a chance against bigger competition. Premium brands might only sell niche products for high prices and make a lot of profit as well.
Choose How You Want To Sell Online
Understanding how to sell online might seem overwhelming, given the sheer number of choices. But working this out is the second step to starting your online store. Here are the most popular ways to sell online:
- E-commerce store builders like Shopify for which there are Best Shopify Developer Auckland available to help.
- WordPress with the WooCommerce Extension.
- Marketplaces like Shopify to eBay.
- Social media sites like Instagram.
You don’t particularly have to choose only one platform and can sell your product across different channels. eCommerce store builders generally provide apps that allow you to integrate your online selling with these different channels. Linking your online store to social media sites can be done easily as well.
Where to Start selling:
1. Your brand’s website: Selling your products on your own website puts all your products, content, and reviews in one place. When you sell your products online through your own website, you have complete authority over the design of your site, over how you run it, and how you interact with your customers. You can put out your own discount codes, sales, and more.
You also won’t have to pay the platform any selling fees, though these fees are usually very cost-effective. However, selling on your own website might not give you the most reach, especially if you’re starting out.
You would also have to invest in setting up the website. But if you have the funds, you can broaden your reach with digital marketing.
2. eBay: eBay is a very popular marketplace that allows the sale of both commodities and niche products. It is a platform that can help you reach a big market from the start.
You can easily sell to customers from anywhere in the world and you can practically sell anything in eBay’s open market. Though it is a super competitive platform, with the right marketing and product placement strategy, you can set up a flourishing business.
3. Facebook: Facebook marketplace allows you to harness the platform’s global reach, making it a very shiny platform for sellers. The platform is effective for start-ups and big companies. It also allows you to choose between selling to your local communities and expanding your reach.
It also doesn’t charge for listing and allows members of the local communities to see the product first. However, the platform doesn’t offer great protection for buyers or sellers and most of the work falls on your lap. It is more of a venue for selling rather than a platform that allows you to define your brand.
If you’re considering starting your online store, consider what stage your business is at, and assess your needs. Finding a healthy mix of using different channels to sell your products online will leave room for maximum stability and profits. You can pick any of the popular selling platforms in India to start with and plan for optimum results by using the platform.
