To help our customers, we’ve compiled information on many points that should be taken into consideration, when selling merchandise online. Below are some suggestions, and ideas on how to proceed.
What merchandise should I sell?
Usually businesses that focus on a specific merchandise category develop loyal customers faster than businesses who try to cater to a wide variety of customers, offering many different types of merchandise. Many products like clothing, shoes, handbags, cosmetics and small electronics can be great products to sell online. Defining what type of merchandise to offer is the foundation of a business.
*Click here to take a look at the different merchandise categories we have available.
To make sure a competitive price is being offered, research the different types of products you will feature. You can use sites with research tools such as eBay, to compare pricing for items before you list them.
One way to offer lower prices is by obtaining merchandise at a lower cost, by purchasing it in bulk. By lowering your prices by a few dollars or offer free shipping, you will stand out and eventually drive more customers to your store. If you go to our products page you will notice that we can offer you lower prices when you obtain larger quantities of merchandise from the same category.
Many online sellers are afraid to buy larger quantities of merchandise. Don’t be afraid to buy larger lots, if necessary, offer remaining items at lower prices. The money you will save overall by purchasing larger lots at a time will be worth the investment.
As our customer, we will always encourage you to list our offers and merchandise lots on your site or eBay store. You always have the option of choosing whether you would like us to ship your order to you, so you can ship them to your customers, or we can drop ship them directly to them, saving you time and money in the process. Selling wholesale lots may also give you the opportunity of attaining a larger profit margin, compared to selling items individually.
Where should I sell?
Once you’ve decided what merchandise you plan to offer, the next step when selling merchandise online is to consider where it will be featured, and how will your future customers find you. You can build your own site from scratch, or you also have the option of using established ecommerce sites like eBay and Amazon.
The advantage of building your own site is that you are able to feature all your merchandise together, and build your own customer base. Building a site may be tedious and time consuming, but if your focus is your (independent) business, it is always good to start your own website early.
Many people like to use established sites (like Amazon or eBay), as these sites are well known, have a large customer base, lots of website traffic, and built-in payment methods, that make running a business easier. But, one thing to consider though is that you will always be competing with other vendors, within the same site.
How should I sell it?
Even if every aspect of your business is similar to another online retailer, what will make the difference, and attract or repel customers is in how your business performs. Other sellers online may be carrying similar products, but customers will decide which one to buy from, depending on the quality of service they receive.
Make sure your service is impeccable. If your prices are good but your service is unsatisfactory, customers may be inclined to go to your competition, which may charge a little more but provides better service, faster shipping times, etc. Keep your customers satisfied by replying to inquiries promptly, constantly communicating with your customers, and maintaining good turnaround times.
You can always count with DNC Wholesale as a drop shipper, so you can offer merchandise you wouldn’t normally keep in stock. Drop shipping will allow you to offer products for sale without buying any inventory up front. If you get a sale, you simply place an order with us and we will ship your order directly to your customer.
Other things to consider
Shipping clothing and merchandise to customers will always be part of the process of selling online. You will need to calculate shipping costs for every order, or incorporate the costs into your selling price. Also remember that larger and heavier items will cost more to ship.
*For more information on shipping costs and how we ship our merchandise click here.
Because you are eventually relying on carriers to deliver your merchandise to your customers, plan ahead for possible missing or damaged shipments that may happen occasionally. Shipping items internationally may also be more complicated, and costs are usually higher.
