It seems like everyone is selling online in 2022 — and you can easily join the club with the right approach. There are tons of products and platforms to choose from to make your online business venture a success.
Here’s what you need to know to make it happen:
Why Should You Sell Online?
To some retailers, selling online is an easy decision. To others, it’s more complicated. If you’re struggling to decide if this is the right move for you, here are some reasons why you should consider selling online:
- Low startup costs: Perhaps the largest benefit of selling online comes in the form of low startup costs. Essentially all you need to start selling online is a computer and an Internet connection. While there may be fees involved, they are nothing compared to the rent, equipment, and employees needed for a brick-and-mortar operation.
- Lots of flexibility: Selling online is also extremely flexible. It’s something that you can do whenever you have time rather than on a set schedule. This means that you can keep your day job until your online store takes off. It also means that you can use a variety of different platforms to reach the maximum number of people.
- Marketing capabilities: Selling to online shoppers also comes with built-in marketing capabilities — allowing you to kill two birds with one stone. Many online selling platforms allow you to pay to boost or promote your products to stand out from the competition.
What Should You Sell Online?
You can pretty much sell anything online. But what should you sell? Here are some of the top product categories that you may want to consider when selling online:
- Fashion with an expected spend of $759.5 billion worldwide in 2022 — making up 30.4% of all ecommerce revenue
- Toys, hobbies, and DIY with an expected spend of $590.7 billion
- Electronics and media with an expected spend of $524.4 billion
- Food and personal care with an expected spend of $468.5 billion
- Furniture and appliances with an expected spend of $362.9 billion
Where Should You Sell Online?
Now that you know what you’re going to sell online, you need to figure out where you’re going to sell it. The Internet is a large place with countless selling platforms to choose from.
So here are five ecommerce websites you may want to consider:
1. Shopify
One of the best places to start selling online is Shopify. Shopify allows you to set up your very own online store with a unique web address where customers can easily purchase your items. This platform is easy to use while also being affordable.
You can choose from tons of free templates to create your store, and there are over 3,000 apps and third-party extensions available.
The Basic Shopify plan will cost you $20 per month — perfect for ecommerce sellers just starting out. As your online business grows, you can easily upgrade to the next level, costing you $79 a month. So join 3,000,000 businesses that use the Shopify platform to sell online.
2. Amazon
Another great place to sell online is Amazon. As you probably know, Amazon is the largest ecommerce platform in the United States, with 148.6 million Prime members in the country. On Amazon, you get your own store page where you can list your products. You also have the ability to pay for ads on the platform to boost your visibility, and as a result, your sales.
Amazon has two selling plans to choose from. The Individual Amazon plan will cost you $0.99 for each item you sell. The Professional Amazon plan will cost you $39.99 a month if you plan on selling more than 40 items a month. These are basic rates that don’t take into account other selling and shipping fees.
3. eBay
eBay is the second most popular ecommerce platform after Amazon, with 182 million users worldwide and over one billion active listings. However, eBay takes a different auction-based approach compared to Amazon. That being said, it has started the transition to a fixed-price marketplace with the “Buy It Now” option.
On eBay, you’re able to get 250 listings for free. After that, you will have to pay $0.35 per listing. If an item sells, eBay then keeps a portion of the sale — usually 12.55%. However, if you’re looking to sell a lot of items on eBay as part of your ecommerce business model, there are different subscriptions to choose from that range from $1,000 a month to $100,000 a month.
4. Etsy
If you’re looking to sell handmade or custom items, then you should consider selling on Etsy. Etsy is an online selling platform with more than 80 million active buyers designed for independent artists and crafters. Etsy is great for small to medium-sized operations due to its ease of use and affordability.
Etsy charges you a $0.20 listing fee, a 5% transaction fee, and a 3% + $0.25 payment processing fee.
5. Facebook Marketplace
Finally, your last online selling option is Facebook Marketplace. This online marketplace gives you access to the world’s largest social media platform with 2.89 billion monthly active users all over the world. While Facebook Marketplace can be used for local listings, it can also be used for online listings that need to be shipped rather than picked up.
Individuals are able to sell on Facebook Marketplace for free. However, if you want to register as a merchant to achieve a larger sales volume, then it will cost you a 5% transaction fee with a minimum charge of $0.40 for items priced between $5 and $500.
How to Get Started Selling Online
So how do you get started selling online, and how can you do it successfully? Here’s what you need to know:
- Choose the right products and platform based on the above information. Sell products that you know about on a platform that makes sense for your products and business goals.
- List your products with professional photos and detailed descriptions to give customers all the information they need to make a purchasing decision.
- Work on marketing through a variety of different platforms. First of all, you need to be on social media. Some social media platforms to consider are Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. In addition, you need to get into email marketing and SMS marketing.
- When you start making sales, you need to prioritize customer service to promote repeat purchases. For instance, you may want to consider inserting a “live chat” feature on your website or social media profiles.
- Finally, you need to use your online selling data to your advantage. Keep track of these ecommerce KPIs and set goals for each of them. If any KPI is underperforming at any point, you need to take action to get your online business back on track.
Final Thoughts on Selling Online in 2022
Now that you know everything about selling online in 2022, it’s time to get started. If you run into any issues along the way in terms of marketing or standing out amongst a crowded field of competitors, feel free to reach out to Greg Gillman for advice or check out our online blog with tons of other tips and tricks to help guide you through the process.
Sources:
Why Sell Online? The Importance of eCommerce in Your Sales Strategy | Business2Community
Top Online Shopping Categories | Oberlo
20 Online Selling Sites and Marketplaces to Sell Stuff Online (2022) | Shopify
