WHAT CAN YOU SELL ONLINE:

You can sell almost anything online from a comic book to a care, however as with anything in life there are boundaries. It is important that you remain aware of the legislation that applies to your country in terms of the limitations that may apply. Online auction sites may have some of their own restrictions that are applied for very valid reasons. Some of the items that you may not be able to list are stolen or illegally imported goods, banned, pirated or counterfeit goods of any nature, including software, movies, music, clothing, replica watches or any item that would infringe on copyright or trademark laws and goods and services that are by natured deemed to be harmful or dangerous, to persons or property either directly or indirectly are not allowed to be listed for sale on bidorbuy.

SETTING UP SHOP:

Here are some basic guidelines that you can follow in preparation before "opening your shop doors" (virtually speaking of course).

1. Find your niche market: Make a list of the areas that you are familiar with (consider for instance if you have some knowledge and interest in precious stones or a hobby in stamp collecting). Prepare a list of a few items in these niche markets that you have identified, that you believe could make a good profit selling online. You can of course make some money selling everyday goods online however you will increase your chances of success if you focus on a particular niche market.

2. Identify what sells: Visit the complete sales or winners sections to see what types of items are being sold successfully online within your niche market or category. Similarly, take a look at the list of most popular items to see what sort of items receive the most visits and interest.

3. You have a winner: After you have considered all of the above you should have a clear indication of one or two products that stand out as potential money spinners. If this is the case then you have found your niche and are ready to start selling. If after doing all the research and you still don't feel that there is anything on your list that will generate much profit for you, then go back to step one and consider an alternative niche.

4. Add your price tag: You will certainly agree that the price is an important factor for any buyer's decision to buy your item. Keep the following in mind when determining your price: Set an appropriate price, not one which you would not pay for the item; Do your research. Compare prices of your itmes to other products that are being advertised online; Refer to the completed sales section to see what other sellers have sold similar items for. Ensure that you have considered all the costs related to the sale in advance. Consider the ease of acquiring those products. Are they hard to find? Do you have to import them? Are there shipping costs that should be factored in? What would it cost you to get your hands on it before you can sell it? Now place a 'cost price' next to the item. Only once you have considered all the costs involved, then you can decide what the price of the item would be and if it would be market related.

5. List your items: Once you have been registered as a seller you can start listing your items for sale. The way in which you list your items can either make or break your business. Your product should be a valuable solution to a problem that is troubling your customers. Yes, you are selling benefits and features which you should avidly and honestly describe, but when broken into smaller parts your product provides an answer to your customer's question. Sell your product in the light of the solutions in which it provides. Your item description is more than just a description. Follow some basic guidelines such as a title that clearly describes your offering, but that is smart, to the point and appealing. Describe your offering accurately and in as much detail as possible by including information such as dimensions, weight, standard and additional features, condition, warranties, guarantees and all other strong selling points. When taking photos of your items take care of the simple details; pay attention to the background, size and quality. Be transparent about the costs to ship the items and be clear about the payment options available.

6. Expand your business: If you were fortunate enough to have established a niche and you start to see some profits coming in, then you should look at ways in which you can expand your business by selling other related products or services. Remember to cross-reference your other related items on your auction listings.

Now that you have a better understanding of what is involved in selling online you have probably recognised that it is much easier than you may have thought it would be to sell online.