By 2013 we’re all pretty familiar with spending money online. Even the most frugal of fashionistas know how to drop a dollar or two on asos or net-a-porter faster than the blink of an eye. One thing that a lot less of us are doing is making money online.
It’s time to balance the scales.
By Michelle Balogh, Money Maven.
Whilst they might be less obvious than the multitude of shopping opportunities out there, the internet poses lots of opportunities for the average person to sell. Sites such as eBay and Gumtree are open to all and a great way to make some extra cash. Next time you’re saving up for a new outfit, a weekend away or perhaps an indulgent trip to the salon we suggest earning a few extra dollars by selling some of those excess items you have lying around the house. Do a bit of a spring clean, you never know what kinds of money making possibilities you already have in your cupboards.
The world is full of people to whom your trash could be treasure, so consider every avenue before deciding what to sell. If you’ve got an abundance of clothes and shoes that might be the obvious choice, but used electronics, CD’s, books, kitchen appliances and furniture could all be viable products too.
Perhaps your laptop or sound system has fallen into disrepair – you can’t sell something that’s broken, right? Wrong. There are all sorts of techies out there who would love to buy your broken gadgets, take them apart and use the pieces. A smashed screen might seem like the end of the line to you, but is just a minor hindrance to someone with the know-how to bring electronics back from the dead. Scour the house, gather up everything that you no longer want and turn that annoying mess into a fatter wallet.
Our top 3 tips for selling online:
1. Time is of the essence. Consider the best time to sell your items online – If you’re using an auction site such as eBay you want your auctions to end at a time when many people will see them. If you were the one shopping online, when would you be most likely to be looking? Nights from 7-9pm are a popular time and Sunday is your best chance to reach the most customers.
2. Avoid annoying adjectives. ‘Pretty’, ‘Amazing’ and ‘Great’ aren’t useful words to have in your item title. They are overused, don’t tell the customer anything and can prevent search engines from locating your items. Overuse of punctuation (‘Barely used new laptop!!!! Bargain $$$’) can also prevent your items from turning up in search results. Be as specific as possible when naming items. If you know the brand name, model number, fabric or colour, use that detail to help buyers to find you fast.
3. Be open and honest. If the buyer trusts you and feels confident that they know what they are going to get they are more likely to hand over their hard-earned money. Provide as many good-quality photos of the item as possible. If you know there is a flaw, photograph it and explain how it will impact the buyer in the description. Whilst it might seem counter intuitive to tell the customer that there is something wrong with your wares it will help them believe that they’ll get what they see.
Take these tips and turn them into your ticket to saving success. Selling online is so easy, once you’re folding those notes into your wallet you’ll wonder why you didn’t try it sooner.