Hosting a garage sale would be one of the first options one would consider when trying to sell his unwanted stuff. Nevertheless, if you’re here with me, it means you don’t have a garage and you’re better off selling your things online.
Quite frankly, promoting your stuff online is simple since you can do it in many different ways. What is hard is figuring out how to start, knowing that you’ll lose money on every mistake you make.
Everything can be sold online – kitchen tools, PCs, smartphones, old clothes, antiquities, baby toys – anything that you can ever imagine has been already sold on the internet.
In today’s post, I’m sharing some insightful tips to sell your stuff online fast and easy. Pay attention and apply!
Establish the Price Boundaries of Your Items
Each and every item you want to sell needs to be priced accordingly. For that, you’ll need to dedicate some time and focus on studying the current marketplace prices. You can leverage price comparison websites to identify the cheapest price of the products that are sold by more merchants.
Deciding the price boundaries of your items means establishing the minimum and the maximum price you’ll ask for every item. The n, you’ll be able to start high and drop the price in case you don’t find success. Knowing the actual price of the products you’re trying to sell (or having an estimation) is a big must.
Find The Best Platforms to Promote Each Item
The internet is an ocean, and your product is a particle of sand that’s trying to get out to the surface. To sell your stuff online fast, you need to figure out the potential customer that will be interested enough to buy it. The n, you need to find a way to advertise your stuff in those places.
Classified ads websites like Craigslist are one option. Then you have specific marketplaces for specific items – if you sell cars, you have cars marketplace sites. If you sell real-estate, seek The Best real-estate classified ads places.
You should also use Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, or any other social network depending on your needs. For further information, here’s a big list of marketplaces that can help you sell your unwanted stuff online.
Don’t Be Greedy
Online selling is a value of exchange between a buyer (potential customer) and a seller (you). For the transaction to be successful, each peer needs to feel that he has made a good deal, so the situation is win-win. If you’re greedy, you’ll have a really hard time selling goods, selling websites, selling ideas, selling anything, especially “stuff” that you no longer need.
A better way to earn money is to work a part-time freelance job at Edu Birdie and provide some of your time for financial value. Or, you can try any other activity that helps you produce money rather than consume it.
Write Interesting and Specific Titles and Descriptions
Gone are the days of commemorative tags and marketing. Nowadays, to sell your stuff online effectively, you must bring in a simple and clear value proposition that your customers can immediately recognize and evaluate.
Rather than telling people “this product will change your life forever, the features are this, that, and that”, simply tell people how this product will impact their happiness and let them make up their own mind without pushing your offer aggressively.
Take Professional Pictures and/or Videos
Professional photos and videos help your products draw attention. Since business is often a numbers game (more visitors, more potential customers), you’ll always want to improve the quality of your pictures.
If you sell anything that would require a demonstration, take a video shot. If you sell high-priced items, hire a professional to do it. The price you’ll have to invest will be irrelevant compared to the potential gain after the sale. Do not be afraid to invest in your visual imagery’s standards of quality.
Make Sure You Always Include the Right Contact Information
This is a no-brainer. Everywhere you post online, make sure you always leave your contact information. Also, ensure it is spelled properly and that your potential customers can always reach you if needed.
Be Honest About the Products You Sell
As the last suggestion, you should always try to be as genuine as possible in your online transactions. If your products have scratches or defects, make certain that your photos show it. If the phone you’re selling has a broken battery, make sure you mention it.
Selling broken stuff online is often something that you want to avoid. If not for keeping your integrity, then for the risk of witnessing unpleasant situations with angry sellers.
Final Words
Theory is theory. Now that you’ve gained the knowledge, it’s time to implement it. Try not closing this window and forgetting about what you’ve read here – apply it instead.
If you take action and test more channels, write better descriptions, sound more genuine, and provide better pictures (alongside the rest of the tips), selling your stuff online will become a piece of cake.
BIO: Frank Thompson is an independent marketer, psychologist, and academic writing editor who’s currently engaged in a lot of nonprofit activities. While studying the human brain, Frank is researching the learning performances of orphan children to identify and fix negative personality patterns and disempowering behaviors.
