There’s no doubt that Amazon and eBay can be great places to sell all types of merchandise. However, if you want to expand into new markets and target different consumers, it may be a good idea to look into alternatives to the big two. These following three marketplaces have distinct purposes and will bring different benefits to your business.
Poshmark – As the name suggests, Poshmark is a site for selling clothing, shoes, and accessories from popular brands. It is fast to list each item (the site claims 60 seconds), helping you save time when creating listings for a large amount of apparel. Based around visuals, you’ll need a photo of your product, which you will then be able to edit using the unique Poshmark filters to create a “Covershot.”
There are a few ways this site stands out from other marketplaces. The first: Posh Parties. These take place in the Poshmark app and allow you to invite others to buy and sell with you. You can list items under a theme or group together clothes from a particular designer. As a seller, Posh Parties give you the opportunity to announce listings to past customers, giving them priority on new items they may like to purchase. Beyond increasing your sales, you can use Posh Parties to build loyalty with your clients.
Secondly, Poshmark offers a simplified shipping process. Once you’ve sold an item, you’ll receive a prepaid, pre-addressed label. Simply drop your labeled boxes into a USPS mailbox or arrange pickup from your business.
Bonanza – Since 2012, Bonanza has received a Sellers Choice awards every year — for Ease of Use, Customer Service, Profitability, and, this year, Most Recommended Marketplace, beating both eBay and Amazon.
If you’re not already selling on Bonanza, there are several reasons to consider signing up. For instance, on most online marketplaces, you lose a considerable amount of the sale price — and sometimes you lose money just for listing an item. Bonanza has no listing fees and the site only takes around 3 percent of the sale price. Plus, listings never expire, meaning you never need to waste time reactivating your items. Finally, you can sell just about anything — Bonanza’s slogan is Everything but the ordinary.
If you like Bonanza so much that you want to drop eBay or Amazon, you can save time by importing items from these marketplaces to your Bonanza account. Customers can continue to pay you via PayPal or Checkout by Amazon.
OfferUp – To use OfferUp, you’ll need to download the app and take photos of your merchandise. You can then set prices, assign categories, and write descriptions. Buyers browse to find items for sale near them and send messages to sellers through the app.
With OfferUp, you decide who to sell to through a star-rating system to find the most trustworthy buyers. You then arrange to meet at a public location for the exchange.
Check out the above sites for yourself to discover new ways to grow your business.
