51ÊÓƵ

First-time sellers often feel overwhelmed researching what itÌýtakes toÌýsell online. Comparing site-builders, building aÌýwebsite, learning SEO… andÌýthat’s just theÌýbeginning! But it’s often enough toÌýdiscourage aspiring online sellers.

The good news is: itÌýdoesn’t have toÌýbeÌýlike that!

Selling online doesn’t always mean building anÌýecommerce website first. Whether you want toÌýtest theÌýwaters andÌýevaluate demand orÌýjust are not ready toÌýinvest inÌýanÌýecommerce site, there are effective ways toÌýsell online without aÌýwebsite.

You can offer your products toÌýonline shoppers via platforms you’re already familiar with. Read ´Ç²ÔÌýtoÌýfind out which ones suit you best andÌýhow toÌýmake itÌýhappen.

Sell ´Ç²ÔÌýFacebook Without aÌýWebsite

Not only isÌýFacebook theÌýbiggest social network inÌýtheÌýworld (), but itÌýcan also beÌýaÌýpowerful tool forÌýselling online. You can even set upÌýaÌýFacebook shop without aÌýwebsite!

´¡ÌýFacebook shop isÌýanÌýonline storefront that lives ´Ç²ÔÌýyour Facebook page. You need aÌýbusiness page toÌýget started. Keep inÌýmind you can only sell physical products ´Ç²ÔÌýFacebook.

Also: How toÌýCreate anÌýOnline Store Without aÌýWebsite

Tips forÌýSelling ´Ç²ÔÌýFacebook

Setting upÌýaÌýway toÌýsell isÌýjust theÌýbeginning. Now you need toÌýfigure out how toÌýsell products ´Ç²ÔÌýFacebook without aÌýwebsite.

Add business info
Even though your online storefront lives ´Ç²ÔÌýsocial media, shoppers expect itÌýtoÌýhave detailed business information, just like when they shop ´Ç²ÔÌýaÌýwebsite. Add aÌýdetailed “About Us” section, business contacts, andÌýup-to-date information ´Ç²ÔÌýpayment andÌýdelivery.

Create collections ofÌýproducts
Quality product pictures andÌýdescriptions are absolutely essential, but you can take itÌýaÌýstep further byÌýcreating collections forÌýyour products. Collections are items grouped byÌýcategory inÌýyour Facebook shop. For example, “Clothes,” “Shoes,” “Accessories.”

Collections make itÌýeasier forÌýcustomers toÌýfind theÌýproducts they are looking forÌýwhen they visit your shop. Here’s how toÌý.

Use Facebook Messenger forÌýcustomer service
Customers often have questions about products, payment, orÌýdelivery, soÌýmake sure toÌýanswer them inÌýaÌýtimely manner. Chatting with customers can allow you toÌýintroduce them toÌýother products that they might like, and/or find out what products they’d like toÌýsee inÌýyour shop inÌýtheÌýfuture.

Try toÌýreply toÌýall messages asÌýquickly asÌýpossible: pages that respond fast andÌýconsistently are marked with aÌý“very responsive toÌýmessages” badge. This shows customers you are ready toÌýhelp them with questions they might have.

When you can’t reply toÌýmessages (say, it’s outside ofÌýyour business hours), set upÌýanÌýautomated away message toÌýlet customers know when you’ll beÌýable toÌýrespond. Learn how toÌý.

Create content relevant toÌýyour target audience
Facebook supports various forms ofÌýcontent you can use toÌýengage your followers. Pay special attention toÌývideo posts andÌýlive videos, asÌýthey often get more engagement than regular posts orÌýstories.

Some examples ofÌýcontent you can post ´Ç²ÔÌýyour page:

• Customer reviews
• Videos that explain how toÌýuse your product
• Stories with you orÌýyour team
• Posts that contain useful information related toÌýyour products.

More: How toÌýGrow aÌýFacebook Business Page forÌýFree

Use boosted posts andÌýFacebook Ads
Regular posts target your current followers only, while boosted posts andÌýFacebook Ads allow you toÌýreach out toÌýaÌýlarger potential audience andÌýattract more customers.

​​But what’s theÌýdifference between aÌýsponsored post andÌýanÌýad?

´¡Ìýboosted post isÌýtheÌýsimplest way toÌýadvertise ´Ç²ÔÌýFacebook. This isÌýaÌýpost that you can pay money for, inÌýorder forÌýitÌýtoÌýbeÌýseen byÌýaÌýspecific audience. Boosted posts are great forÌýgrowing audience engagement andÌýdeveloping brand awareness.

Boosted posts are not created inÌýAds Manager andÌýdon’t have theÌýsame customization features ofÌýFacebook ads. ToÌýboost aÌýpost, find itÌý´Ç²ÔÌýyour page andÌýclick theÌý“Boost Post” button atÌýtheÌýbottom ofÌýtheÌýpost.

Facebook ads are created through Ads Manager andÌýare more customizable, which allows you toÌýreach out toÌýpeople according toÌýspecific business goals andÌýtarget audiences. This option works great forÌýrunning advanced adÌýcampaigns andÌýfinding new customers.

Learn more: Sell ´Ç²ÔÌýFacebook: 4ÌýTools forÌýYour Facebook Sales

Sell ´Ç²ÔÌýInstagram Without aÌýWebsite

follow atÌýleast one business ´Ç²ÔÌýtheÌýplatform, soÌýitÌýmakes sense toÌýconnect with potential shoppers via Intsta, especially ifÌýyour products fall into popular Instagram niches. Examples include fashion, beauty andÌýskincare, lifestyle, food, andÌýartwork.

Make sure you have aÌýbusiness profile, because they come with tools forÌýbetter account management, andÌýaccess toÌýbuilt-in analytics toÌýshow how your content isÌýperforming.

There are different ways toÌýsell ´Ç²ÔÌýInstagram. You can sell through Direct Messages, inÌýyour comments, orÌývia hashtags. We’ve explained them inÌýour blog post about selling ´Ç²ÔÌýInstagram without aÌýwebsite.

These methods require aÌýlot ofÌýmanual work, just like selling ´Ç²ÔÌýFacebook via messaging. However, this might beÌýenough ifÌýyou’re interested inÌýtesting out theÌýplatform orÌýrunning aÌýside hustle andÌýonly planning forÌýaÌýfew sales aÌýmonth.

Tips forÌýSelling ´Ç²ÔÌýInstagram

Even though you don’t need aÌýheavy budget toÌýstart selling ´Ç²ÔÌýInstagram, you doÌýneed aÌýloyal base ofÌýfollowers. SoÌýwe’ve compiled some tips toÌýhelp ensure that.

Write anÌýinformative bio
´¡Ìý150-character description isÌýnot aÌýlot ofÌýspace, but it’s enough toÌýconvey toÌýyour audience what’s unique about your business, andÌýexplain how they can contact you. BeÌýsure toÌýinclude:

• Business details that differentiate you from your competitors. Say, “Designer phone cases made from recycled materials.”
• Keywords relevant toÌýyour products. IfÌýyou sell cakes, your bio might read “Custom cakes forÌýspecial occasions.”
• Contact buttons like “Call” orÌý“Email”
• ´¡Ìýbranded hashtag toÌýencourage followers toÌýpost pictures with your product.

Save important information toÌýHighlights
You can save your Stories that contain important info toÌýspecial foldersÌý— HighlightsÌý— under your profile’s bio. Create different Highlights toÌýanswer theÌýmost common customer questions, such as:

• Payment
• Delivery
• Return policy
• How toÌýuse, store, and/or care forÌýyour product.

The easier itÌýisÌýforÌýyour followers toÌýnavigate your profile, theÌýmore likely they are toÌýfind theÌýinfo they need andÌýbuy from you. Read about other ways toÌýorganize your Instagram profile.

Explore Instagram tools toÌýincrease engagement
Instagram has rich tools forÌýcontent creators andÌýbusiness owners alike. Check out your ability toÌýpost stories andÌýreels, andÌýtoÌýuse IGTV, andÌýlives. Test all ofÌýthem toÌýfind out which types ofÌýcontent your audience likes andÌýengages with theÌýmost.

For example, create longer videos forÌýIGTV toÌýexplain how toÌýuse your complex product. Or, shoot short reels toÌýshow off your fashion brand.

Stories are great forÌýgetting toÌýknow your audience (stickers with polls andÌýquestions), building anticipation forÌýnew products, andÌýsharing behind theÌýscenes clips ofÌýyour store inÌýaction!

Lives are helpful forÌýsharing information ´Ç²ÔÌýtopics relevant toÌýyour brand andÌýinteresting forÌýyour followers. For example, ifÌýyou sell yoga mats, you can shoot aÌýlive video about meditation techniques forÌýbeginners. Just make sure toÌýannounce lives ahead ofÌýtimeÌý— both via stories andÌýregular posts.

Test different types ofÌýads andÌýCTAs
You can use paid promotions toÌýshow your posts andÌýstories toÌýaÌýwider audience ´Ç²ÔÌýInstagram, just like you can boost posts ´Ç²ÔÌýFacebook.

Instagram also allows you toÌýrun various adÌýcampaigns, beÌýitÌýphoto, video, stories, orÌýads inÌýtheÌýExplore page. There are also carousel andÌýcollection ads that can include additional videos orÌýimages.

Test different calls-to-action inÌýyour ads. For instance, “Learn More” makes more sense ifÌýyou’re showing off aÌýproduct toÌýaÌýfirst-time audience. “Shop Now” might work better ifÌýyou’re offering aÌýdeep discount toÌýclose aÌýdeal orÌýclear out old inventory.

Learn more: How toÌýSell ´Ç²ÔÌýInstagram: Complete Guide forÌýBeginners

Sell ´Ç²ÔÌýaÌýMarketplace

IfÌýyou wonder how toÌýsell without aÌýwebsite, you might’ve already thought about selling ´Ç²ÔÌýaÌý³¾²¹°ù°ì±ð³Ù±è±ô²¹³¦±ð—s²¹²â, Amazon, Etsy, orÌýeBay. This might make sense forÌýtwo reasons:

• Marketplaces generate thousands ofÌývisitors aÌýmonth themselves, soÌýyou don’t have toÌýput asÌýmuch effort into marketing asÌýwhen you sell ´Ç²ÔÌýyour website.
• Shoppers come toÌýmarketplaces looking forÌýcertain products, they are already inÌýaÌý“buying mode.”

ToÌýstart selling ´Ç²ÔÌýaÌýmarketplace, you need toÌýcreate aÌýseller’s account ´Ç²ÔÌýtheÌýplatform ofÌýyour choice. Amazon andÌýeBay require you toÌýchoose aÌýselling plan, depending ´Ç²ÔÌýtheÌýsize ofÌýyour business andÌýtheÌýtools you’ll need forÌýselling ´Ç²ÔÌýtheÌýplatform. For example, Amazon’s Professional plan includes special listing features (promotions, gift services) while their Individual plan doesn’t.

Keep inÌýmind that marketplaces charge not only forÌýaÌýselling plan but forÌýeach sale you make through their platform. For instance, Amazon charges aÌý$0.99Ìýper-item fee when anÌýitem sells ´Ç²ÔÌýtheÌýIndividual selling plan.

After you create aÌýseller’s account, you can start creating your product listings. But keep inÌýmind that some products need toÌýbeÌýapproved byÌýtheÌýplatform before customers are allowed toÌýcomplete sales. This isÌýtheÌýcase ifÌýyou plan toÌýsell jewelry, music, videos, orÌýwatches ´Ç²ÔÌýAmazon.

Read theÌýmarketplace’s guidelines toÌýbeÌýaware ofÌýrestrictions forÌýdifferent categories ofÌýproducts. For example: eBay allows you toÌýsell aÌýreproduction ofÌýanÌýartwork (like posters orÌýprints) only ifÌýitÌýdoes not violate anyÌýlaws, copyrights, orÌýtrademarks.

Tips forÌýSelling ´Ç²ÔÌýaÌýMarketplace

Selling ´Ç²ÔÌýaÌýmarketplace has its perks, but itÌýalso has quirks andÌýdrawbacks you need toÌýtake into account.

Choose theÌýright platform
There are lots ofÌýmarketplaces toÌýsell your products on. Apart from theÌýwell-known ones like Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Etsy, andÌýAlibaba, there are niche-oriented marketplaces like Fruugo andÌýFullbeauty, orÌýbargain-focused ones like Tophatter.

ToÌýhelp you choose aÌýplatform, think ofÌýyour target audience. IsÌýyour product targeted atÌýpeople who love handmade jewelry? Then Etsy might beÌýtheÌýright choice forÌýyou. Are you targeting local shoppers? Consider Facebook Marketplace.

Optimize product listings
Your product will compete with other similar items ´Ç²ÔÌýtheÌýmarketplace, soÌýstrive forÌýtop-notch listings.

Make sure your product pops upÌýwhen shoppers search forÌýitÌý´Ç²ÔÌýaÌýmarketplace byÌýincluding relevant keywords inÌýtheÌýtitle andÌýdescription ofÌýyour listing. Don’t hesitate toÌýwrite aÌýlong description with aÌýlot ofÌýdetails about your product. Also, add anyÌýaward badges toÌýtheÌýdescription toÌýshow your product isÌýtrustworthy.

With pictures ´Ç²ÔÌýyour listings, remember that more isÌýmore: show your product from different angles andÌýdemonstrate itÌýinÌýuse. Some platforms allow you toÌýinclude aÌývideo along with theÌýimagesÌý— beÌýsure toÌýuse this format toÌýhighlight theÌýadvantages ofÌýyour product.

Work with reviews
When presented with dozens ofÌýsimilar products, shoppers pay special attention toÌýreviews. It’s asÌýsimple asÌýthat: theÌýmore five-star reviews you have, theÌýmore sales you’re going toÌýget.

Always request reviews from customers, but not immediately after their purchase, asÌýthey need time toÌýreceive andÌýtry out theÌýproduct. ToÌýgive buyers extra incentive toÌýleave aÌýreview, offer aÌýdiscount forÌýtheÌýnext purchase orÌýaÌýsmall gift that appears inÌýtheir inbox aÌýweek orÌýtwo after you’ve made theÌýsale.

IfÌýyou get aÌýnegative review, make sure toÌýreach out toÌýtheÌýcustomer toÌýfix their issue. Negative feedback without aÌýcomment from theÌýseller looks much worse than aÌýnegative review with aÌýreply that shows you’re willing toÌýcommunicate andÌýmake things right.

Become aÌýWholesaler

This option isn’t forÌýall online sellers, but ifÌýyou make your own inventory (like clothes, food, handmade products), becoming aÌýwholesaler can bring you increased revenue.

Say you make shoes andÌýyou’ve been selling them atÌýyour brick-and-mortar store. Why not let stores that have already established anÌýonline presence put your product upÌý´Ç²ÔÌýtheir online storefront?

Another thing toÌýkeep inÌýmind when considering this option isÌýpricing. You need toÌýmake sure you can set upÌýwholesale prices that are both profitable forÌýyou andÌýattractive toÌýretailers. For example, ifÌýyour product isÌývery expensive toÌýmake, itÌýmight not beÌýworth itÌýtoÌýsell atÌýaÌýwholesale price.

IfÌýyou’re satisfied with your price calculations, start researching which online stores source products similar toÌýyours. After you come upÌýwith aÌýlist ofÌýpotential retailers, reach out toÌýthem andÌýoffer toÌýsend them samples ofÌýyour products toÌýestablish aÌýconnection.

When discussing wholesale opportunities with retailers, pay special attention toÌýconditions forÌýpricing, supply, delivery andÌýreturns.

Should You Set UpÌýaÌýWebsite?

You’ve already learned all about how toÌýtake orders without aÌýwebsite, but it’s also important toÌýknow when having anÌýecommerce site isÌývital forÌýgrowing your business.

The Issue with Selling via Messages ´Ç²ÔÌýSocial Media

Accepting orders ´Ç²ÔÌýsocial media through messages requires aÌýlot ofÌýwork, which isÌýfine when you’re just starting out orÌýrunning aÌýside hustle. But asÌýyour business grows, itÌýbecomes harder toÌýmanage orders manually, which might lead toÌýoverselling. Having anÌýecommerce website allows you toÌýavoid that byÌýtracking inventory.

Take forÌýexample Julia Rose Boston, aÌýluxury handbag andÌýaccessory reseller. Once upon aÌýtime she ran anÌýInstagram account forÌýher store, andÌýaccepted orders via DM. ItÌýworked well with aÌýcouple ofÌýorders aÌýweek. But asÌýher business expanded, itÌýbecame harder toÌýtrack orders andÌýinventory, resulting inÌýoverselling andÌýunhappy customers.

Julia knew her business was growing out ofÌýtheÌý“DM forÌýpurchase” stage. After testing 14Ìýplatforms, she set upÌýanÌýecommerce website with 51ÊÓƵ andÌýsynced itÌýwith her Instagram page toÌýsell products there via . Not only did that solve her inventory tracking problem, but itÌýalso allowed her toÌýincrease sales byÌý43%! Learn more about this successful migration inÌýour blog post.

What About Marketplaces?

AsÌýforÌýmarketplaces, they attract sellers with their large customer bases, but they doÌýnothing forÌýbrand awareness. For marketplace shoppers, your product isÌýanÌýitem from Amazon orÌýWalmart, not from your brand, which might lower your chances ofÌýrepeat orders. Moreover, it’s difficult toÌýget customer information forÌýfuture marketing.

Apart from fees, limitations forÌýbrand visibility andÌýmarketing, selling through aÌýthird party means you have little control over how your products are displayed ´Ç²ÔÌýtheÌýplatform.

When You Need aÌýWebsite

Taking theÌýpoints above into account, you might need toÌýset upÌýanÌýecommerce website if:

• You want toÌýhave full control over your prices, theÌýlook ofÌýyour store, andÌýmarketing.
• You don’t want toÌýpay transaction fees forÌýeach sale you make.
• You want toÌýavoid limitations enforced byÌýthird parties.
• You want toÌýstay connected with your customer forÌýfuture promotions andÌýdon’t want toÌýshare their contacts with third parties.
• You want toÌýgrow your brand andÌýmake your business more than aÌýside hustle.

Get theÌýBest ofÌýall Platforms

Now that you know all theÌýadvantages andÌýdisadvantages ofÌýselling online without aÌýwebsite, you might beÌýconsidering creating aÌýsite forÌýyour ²ú³Ü²õ¾±²Ô±ð²õ²õ—b³Ü³Ù have hesitations about giving upÌý´Ç²ÔÌýtheÌýperks ofÌýselling ´Ç²ÔÌýsocial media andÌýmarketplaces.

The good news isÌýthat you don’t have toÌýchoose between aÌýwebsite andÌýother sales channels! 51ÊÓƵ allows you toÌýsell inÌýseveral places atÌýonce, including ´Ç²ÔÌýyour website, social media, andÌýmarketplaces.

51ÊÓƵ allows you toÌýmanage your orders andÌýproducts inÌýaÌýsingle place, andÌýhave everything synchronized with your stores ´Ç²ÔÌýsocial media andÌýmarketplaces. This way, you can reach customers ´Ç²ÔÌýtheir favorite social platforms, andÌýtake advantage ofÌýtheÌýhuge audiences ´Ç²ÔÌýmarketplaces while also growing your brand online.

When you sign upÌýwith 51ÊÓƵ, you get aÌýbeautiful website with aÌýbuilt-in online store that you can design asÌýyou like, even ifÌýyou have zero coding orÌýdesign skills! Check out this blog post forÌýaÌýstep-by-step ´Ç²ÔÌýcreating your ecommerce website without anyÌýhelp from developers andÌýdesigners.

Ìý

• How toÌýSell Online: The Ultimate Guide forÌýBusiness Owners
• How toÌýSell Online Without aÌýWebsite
• 30ÌýWays toÌýMake Your First Sale Online
• 7ÌýMistakes That Prevent You From Making Your First Sale
• How toÌýWork With Focus Groups toÌýTest Your Niche
• How toÌýWrite Product Descriptions That Sell
• Tips toÌýMake Your Products More Attractive
• Top Reasons forÌýReturns andÌýHow toÌýMinimize Them
• Navigating theÌýLuxury Market: How toÌýCreate andÌýSell High-End Products
• How toÌýPay Yourself When You Own aÌýBusiness
• 8ÌýDifferent Shopper Types And How ToÌýMarket ToÌýThem
• Mastering Sales Prospecting: The Ultimate Guide