Introduction to Online Selling

Here's a quick start guide to online selling communities

Online selling communities can prove to be a great boon for retailers: it allows you to reach customers nationwide (or even worldwide) without having to spend on a physical store, on expensive marketing campaigns, on additional staff, or even on site you've chosen, you can put up a profitable home-based virtual office that that virtually runs itself.

WHAT DO YOU SELL?
Keep in mind that buyers go online to look for bargains or for hard-to-find items, so used items, collectibles, antiques, gadgets, and imported goods are very popular on these sites. It's a good idea to spend a few hours browsing the sites to see which items move fairly fast in that particular community. You can look at the site's "Hot Auctions" link, or look at the items offers by well-established sellers with a long selling history or high feedback scores.

Importantly, some of these sites allow you to sell internationally - ebay Philippines, for example, offers it as an option, while on Amazon.com, international exposure is automatic.

To get started, most sites require nothing more than for you to undergo fairly simple registration process. Some sites may require a credit card, to which fees may later be charged. In any case, registration is usually pretty straightforward, even for the most inexperienced new users. The simplest and participate in the process first as a buyer. This way, you get to learn the entire process and forestall any potential problems.

However, what you do need to work on is the item description - it can make or break a sales. Your description should be brief but thorough, and include information on payment and shipping arrangements, warranties or guarantees, and you return policy.

Finally, there are two kinds of online listings: Fixed Price sales, or Auctions. In Fixed Price, you name a price for your item, and sell it to the first person who contacts you for the sales. Auctions, on the other hand, open your item up for competitive bidding for a fixed period of time.

EASY PAYMENT SYSTEM
After you have been contacted by the buyer, the next step is to collect payment and deliver the goods. The easiest method for this is meet-up or COD (cash on delivery). For the sake of convenience, you and your buyer may also agree on delivery after payment. The buyers may deposit the money to your bank account.

As soon as you receive the payment, you can send the item through a courier service like Air21, LBC, DHL, Xend, any of your choice but make sure to pick the popular courier where the people is familiar. Make it clear from the beginning whether you or your buyer are going to shoulder the shipping fees, and that you have a good idea of how much it will be. Some courier service also pick up from your home office, so you don't have to go to their drop-off centers every time you need to send something.

Online selling communities work on a feedback system. Buyers and sellers post their comments about the transaction, which will then from part of your record on the site. As a seller, you need to earn positive feedback from satisfied buyers, as this is the best way to gain credibility in the community.

Likewise, you can protect yourself from so-called fraudulent buyers by checking on their feedbacks scores. You can opt not to sell to customers with negative feedback, as long as you state so on you listing.

The only hurdle you will have to face in the beginning is earning your first feedback points. A new seller with zero feedback is not likely to be trusted immediately, but you can set minds at ease with proper communication. Again, it would be highly recommended that you join the community as a buyer first and learn the etiquette and techniques used on the site. Be active on the forums as well, so other members may get to be familiar with your username.

If you're wondering how sites like eBay became so massively successful in a relatively short period of time, try it out. You'll find that, for the most part, selling online entails minimal risk and potentially high returns for any retailer - plus it's also a lot of fun.

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