First of all, I would like to talk about the biggest mistakes sellers make when selling on other than ebay sites.

Mistake number 1 : Overcharging on shipping ! That's an ebay thing.

Customers flee ebay because they are tired of these fees and expect to pay less, if the seller is paying less site fees. Overcharging is an ebay thing and it's not accepted elsewhere. Buyers are not stupid and they can calculate. Handling fees are ok, but the lower your shipping fees are, the more chances your items will sell. I often have free shipping sales and customers just love it. They buy more and more so it makes up for those who purchase less an brings me lots of visibility. Also, don't forget international buyers and don't try to dupe them either.

Mistake number 2 : Pricing

You have to think like your customer would. Will I search on an auction site for retail prices or deals? Deals, of course. If you want to sell for retail prices, your best option is selling on your own website. Also, why would I buy a bottle of perfume for 80.00$ if I can get it on ebay for 30.00$? You have to compare your prices with ebay prices and because you pay less or hardly any fees, pass some of that on to the buyer. You will have repeat customers for sure. Like I said, buyers are not stupid and they may feel very insulted if they see that a seller is trying to get more money out of them. I know that as a seller, you are only trying to make profit and not dupe your customers, but they don't necessarily see it this way. I also purchase a lot and I was once very disappointed to see that the seller was selling the same item for less on ebay. I thought to myself, why would I pay more when I can get it for less elsewhere? Also, why would I pay more when the seller is paying less or hardly any fees? The seller could have sold the item for the exact same price but would have made much more profit because the money would have went into his pockets and not into ebays. So, try to take all of this into consideration even if it is tempting to put up your prices, which is only natural. And no bad feelings, I made these same mistakes when I started out.

 

Mistake number 3 : Listing only a few items and leaving them to rot.

Many try this in order to see if they will get sales. The problem is that many listings show buyers that you are an established and serious seller on the site. Also, they have more chances of finding something to purchase while browsing through your listings. Try to keep your items updated and add new ones regularly.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

 

Tip # 1 : Choosing sites to sell on.

There are so many sites, you can easily get lost and you certainly don't want to loose your time. The first thing to look at is the number of listings. This will tell you how many sellers chose the site to list on and buyers usually prefer to purchase on a site if they can find most of what they are looking for.

Next, do a few searches to make sure that the listings are not coming from only a few big sellers. While browsing, check sellers feedback to see if they are making sales. If there is a forum, take a peak to see if there is any action going on. An active forum is a sign of an active community with many members.

A good place to find reviews and sellers opinions about auction sites, take a look at the PowerSellers Unite, which is not only for Powersellers. http://www.powersellersunite.com/

Also, some products sell better on certain sites. Try to find out which sites your items will sell well on. Example, designer items do well on www.ioffer.com and it is also a good place to find wholesale items.

Tip # 2 : Don't put your eggs in one basket.

Choose 2 or 3 sites to concentrate on and and see which one does better for you. Once you have a good site in your hands, it's all up to you. I find that when the site is good, sales come depending on the amount of energy you put into your listings, promoting and getting involved with the community.

Tip # 3 : Build your reputation.

It is even more important on alternative sites because buyers don't trust sites they don't know as well. As usual, they will look at your feedback and if there is a big 0 beside your user id, they won't look twice. Try importing your feedback or using a site like http://www.feedbacksite.com/to show your user reputation on other sites.

This is not enough though. Buyers want to see if you are committed to this particular site and if you care about the feedback that you will receive. Try buying a few items and you will probably be glad you did once you find some deals !

Tip #4 : Go on the boards !

Smaller sites, have small communities where you can find loyal repeat buyers & sellers who are committed to helping you out. Join the activities, make friends and have fun. They won't forget you when they are looking for the items you have in stock. Also, this helps in building trust.

Many more tips to come !

Suggested sites :

Dedicated management : http://www.plunderhere.com Distinguished customers : http://www.ioffer.com Easy sales : http://www.ecrater.com Handmade galore : http://www.etsy.com

Add your store to my shopping directory :

http://www.squidoo.com/shoppingforu

My store :

http://www.plunderhere.com/auction/cgi-bin/Shop/BijouxBoutikJewelry

By Angela Gale - I have been selling on-line for a while now and didn't stay on ebay for long once I realized how much it was costing me for all of the fees compared to what I was making.

Now, I am as successful on other sites and make more profit with each sale compared to what i was making on ebay. I now sell on Plunderhere, ioffer & Ecrater. Because I see so many sellers try to sell on these sites without making sales, I decided to share what I have learned.