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Selling Online

Are you contemplating to sell your products online?  Here are some tips from my own notes:
Selling on Amazon
Advantages on selling on Amazon

  1. Access a new sales channel - Sell your products to a massive audience you might not currently be reaching today. Signing up will enable you to sell on our Canadian, U.S., and Mexican marketplaces.
  2. Build brand recognition - Benefit from an established and trusted brand by selling on Amazon, the company that ranks #2 in reputation as determined by a 2015 Nielsen Company survey.
  3. Fulfilment by Amazon - an optional service where we store your products, ship your orders, and manage customer service and returns–all so you can focus on growing your business.

Selling Plans
Selling on Amazon offers two selling plans: Professional and Individual. Consider the features available for each and choose the selling plan that best suits your needs.

  1. Professional account - you’ll benefit from powerful bulk listing and reporting tools at no extra charge, and have the opportunity to improve discoverability of your products with top placement, as well as the ability to sell in more categories - all for a monthly subscription fee and other selling fees. Pricing: CDN $29.99/mo. + other selling fees
  2. Individual account - listing is easy using our online tools, whether you're listing products already available on Amazon.ca or listing unique products. There's no monthly subscription fee, and you only pay selling fees when someone buys your products. Pricing: CDN $1.49/item + other selling fees

Steps to register
  1. Decide what you want to sell - More than 18 product categories are open to all sellers, and at least 10 more are available to Professional Sellers only.
  2. Choose a selling plan - with two selling plans, Amazon offers you the flexibility to sell one or many products.

The Professional plan gives you the opportunity to sell an unlimited number of products for a monthly subscription fee of only CDN$ 29.99. If you sell a lot (more than 20 items a month) this might be the plan for you.

The Individual plan has no monthly subscription fee, but it does include a fee of CDN$ 1.49 per item sold. So if you don't expect to sell more than 20 items in a month, this could be a better opportunity for you.
Both Professionals and Individuals pay other selling fees when an item sells.

Steps to sell
  1. List - List your products one at a time with the easy-to-use Add a Product tool, or list your products all at once by uploading an inventory file in Seller Central or by using Amazon Marketplace Web Services (Amazon MWS) bulk listing tools*.

    *Inventory files and Amazon MWS are only available to Professional accounts.
  2. Sell - after you list your offers, customers can see them on Amazon.ca. With features like 1-Click Order, secure checkout, and our A-to-z Guarantee, Amazon helps customers make quick, easy, and worry-free purchases.
  3. Ship - Amazon will notify you when a customer places an order. Ship the order to the address provided or use Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) and let Amazon do the shipping and handle customer service.
  4. Get Paid - Amazon will deposit payments into your bank account at regular intervals and notify you when your payment has been sent.
Source: amazon.ca
Selling on eBay

Whether you're starting a business or just want to make some extra cash, selling on eBay is a fun way to do it. You can set up a seller account in advance, or when you list your first item.

To create a listing, just click Sell at the top of most eBay pages. But there's a couple of things you might like to do first to help your chances of a sale.

Here's how to get started:

  1. Research your item and the rules of selling - Before you start selling, it's a good idea to do some research, especially about setting a starting price, listing format, and category. This will help you create a good listing and get the best price for your item.

    Compare your item with active and completed listings on eBay based on category, format, and selling price.
  • Selecting a category explains how to search for and select a category.
  • Selecting a selling format tells you more about format choices.
Buyers feel more compelled to bid and buy when they know the postage costs beforehand. Package, weigh, and measure your item so you can work out postage. Visit the eBay Postage Centre to learn more about posting your items.

Learn about eBay policies on prohibited and restricted items, as well as what items are accepted or prohibited when listing and completing the sale at Knowing the rules for sellers.

  1. Set up your Q&A - Buyers often have questions before, during, and after a sale. When they do, they click the Ask a question link in your listing. As a seller, it's important for you to respond quickly and thoroughly. This keeps the buyer interested in your listing, saves you time, and you'll be more likely to get positive Feedback when the transaction is complete.

Your Q&A can be made up of answers generated automatically from your listing, answers you create yourself, and stock answers about eBay policies. Up until the end of the listing, you also have the option of whether buyers can contact you directly.

Learn more about answering buyers' questions. 

  1. Create your listing - When you're ready to sell an item, we help you quickly create your listing with recommendations based on research of similar listings. Our recommendations are designed to help you sell your items faster and at better prices.

Click Sell at the top of most eBay pages to start creating your listing. Depending on your item category and which listing form you use, you'll have a variety of listing options.
If you're selling an item associated with a product that's in our catalogue, you can add product details from our catalogues to your listing.

  1. Create a seller account - To become a seller, you just need to: 
  • Confirm your phone number (on eBay.co.uk) or verify your identity (on eBay.ie)”. If you are residing outside UK, you may use a Non-UK telephone or mobile number as long as you input them without the zero (0). You can follow the format (Dialing Code + Telephone or Mobile Number).
  • Specify an automatic payment method for paying your seller fees and eBay Money Back Guarantee reimbursements.
  • Make sure your Feedback Profile is public.
  • We also recommend you:
  • Select the payment methods you'll accept from buyers.
  • Get PayPal Verified.
  • Set up a seller account now 
  1. Manage your listing - Once you've got your listing up and running, you can check it to see how bidding is going. You do this from the Sell section of My eBay, which comes up when you sign into your eBay account. You can also:
  • Set communication preferences to let eBay know how and when you want to receive alerts or notifications.
  • Set seller preferences about picture hosting, receiving payments, postage, and more.
  • Set member-to-member communication preferences to say how buyers can connect with you.
  • Set general preferences for searches, My eBay preferences, and more.
  • If you want to change anything in your listing, see Changing your listing.
  • Make sure you answer any questions you receive about your listing. This will help you sell your item by establishing good rapport with potential buyers. When buyers give you positive Feedback , you become a stronger seller on eBay.
  • And when your listing ends . . . 
  1. Wrap up with your buyer - Here too, how you handle these last steps will go a long way toward your personal satisfaction and getting great Feedback from your buyer.
  • Communicate with your buyer - When your buyer completes checkout, you’ll be notified by email. If you don't specify postage and payment details in your listing, the buyer can request this information during checkout. If you have disabled checkout, you can contact the buyer directly by email or phone.

    Important: Contact your buyer directly if you haven't heard from your buyer within 3 days of your listing's end.
  • Receive payment - Be sure you receive payment before you post your item. Make sure that the credit card or electronic payment has been accepted and credited to your account before sending the item. If you listed in one of the categories that allows you to accept cheques, make sure the cheque has cleared the bank before delivering the item.
  • Post the item to the buyer - Pack it well! Use bubble wrap or crumpled up newspaper to protect the item from transit damage. Make sure any fragile parts of the item are well padded and located toward the centre of the box if possible. Read more tips for packaging your item.
  • Leave the buyer Feedback - Our Feedback system helps create a trustworthy community for everyone. Your Feedback about your buyer is important information for other sellers.
Source: eBay

Creating a Listing in eBay

Creating your listing
  1. Get started - Click the Sell tab at the top of most eBay pages. You may be asked to sign in.
  2. Choose a category - Select a category by searching or browsing. Choose the category most relevant to your item, so that it's easy for buyers to find your listing.
  3. Choose a listing form - You may be asked to choose a listing form and, if relevant, to use the product details from our catalogue.

    Choose the quick listing form to create your listing quickly using the most popular options. The Advanced sell form gives you more selling formats, listing layouts and other options. To switch forms as you're creating a listing, click Switch to form with more choices.
  4. Complete the form - Depending on which listing form and category you've chosen, you have different options. Here are some guidelines to follow:
  • Write a good title and description: A title that's clear, complete and descriptive helps buyersto find your listing. State exactly what the item is (even if it repeats the category name). Include details such as the brand, product name, size or artist. Consider adding a subtitle for more description that'll be seen in searches.
  • Provide item specifics: For some categories, you have the option of selecting item specifics. Providing additional item details makes it easier for buyers to find your item. An example of an item specific is the condition of the item. These specifics may also be included in your Q&A.
  • Specify the condition of the item: Item conditions vary by category. Accurately describing your item gives buyers confidence that they'll get the item they want.
  • Include product details from our catalogue: Many items, including certain books, golf clubs, CDs, video game systems and cell phones are associated with products in our growing catalogue. If your item is one of these, you'll be offered product details and a stock photo from the catalogue once you've chosen your category. If you select product details, they'll appear on your listing form. Using product details can save you time and help attract more buyers to your listing. When selling used, refurbished or flawed items, we recommend you also include pictures of the actual item for sale, in addition to a stock photo.
  • Add pictures to your listing: Including high-quality, evenly lit pictures of your item can help to sell your item. You can add and enhance pictures using our picture services.
  • Select a selling format: Choose from auction-style, fixed price, Classified Ad, and Shop inventory formats.
  • Donate to your favourite cause: You can contribute a percentage of your sale, or all of it, through eBay for Charity. In the Choose how you'd like to sell your item section, click Add or remove options. Under Donate percentage of sale, choose Give a percentage of the final sale price to a non-profit organisation, and then follow the instructions on the form.
  • Choose a starting price: This includes deciding on a price and pricing options such as reserve price and Buy It Now to help you get the price you want for your item.
  • Select a listing duration: Most auction listings last 7 days. Durations of more than 7 days can incur a fee and change some upgrade and insertion fees. Your listing fee subtotal appears in the Your fees so far section at the bottom of the Create your listing form and again under Review your listing.
  • Select the payment methods you'll accept: For community safety, PayPal, credit cards or debit cards are required in most categories. These methods make it easy for your buyer to pay you right away so you can post your item faster.
  • Specify delivery services: Specify the locations you'll post to and the postage charge, or offer free postage & packaging to attract more potential buyers. Use the eBay Postage Estimator to help you determine postage costs .
  • Specify your return policy: Buyers are more comfortable shopping from sellers who offer return policies.
  • Promote your item with listing upgrades: Listing upgrades, like using a bold font, can help make your listing stand out.
  1. Preview your listing - If you need to change something, click the Edit listing link. If you'd like to create a template from your listing so you can use it later to sell similar items, select Save this listing as a template.
  2. List your item - When you're ready, click the List your item button to post your listing on eBay.


Selling on Shopify

The website to do to is shopify.ca.  There are advantages to use Shopify to sell your products.  You can:

  1. Build your online store - Start by choosing from over a hundred stunning ecommerce website templates in our Theme Store. Fully customizable, you can then shape and form your chosen template to suit your business by adding your logo, changing colors, selecting beautiful fonts and so much more!  With secure hosting and a streamlined backend admin area, we make the setup and operation of your ecommerce website fast and easy. Plus you have full control over the appearance of your site, along with all HTML and CSS coding.
  2. Sell any products online - Shopify can be used to sell just about anything! From physical items such as clothes or furniture, to services and digital products including educational courses and software applications, our platform can handle it all. In your backend admin, you can create product catalogues, organize SKUs, post blogs and manage all of the content on your site.
  3. Accept credit cards - In the world of ecommerce, properly accepting credit cards and processing payments can be tricky. But when you choose Shopify, we make credit card payments simple and integrate with over 100 payment gateways including PayPal. Your website is fully hosted by Shopify and we equip your online retail business with an SSL certificate and PCI compliancy. When we say end-to-end solution, we mean it!
  4. Awesome features for your online retail business
  • Content management - Add new web pages, create blog posts and manage your content through Shopify’s built-in CMS.
  • Mobile commerce - Cutting edge mobile commerce features are built in to Shopify’s platform including mobile storefronts and iPhone apps.
  • Seamless ordering - Keep track of every order and charge customer credit cards safely and securely.
  • Powerful analytics - Discover all there is to know about your web visitors by using Shopify’s ecommerce analytics and by integrating with Google Analytics.
  • Personal coaching - Get in touch with our live support team around the clock and learn how to successfully sell online.
  • Marketing - Improve the way you market your online retail business with the help of our built-in coupon codes, A/B testing and SEO.
  1. Shopify sets it all up - When you choose Shopify, you don’t have to worry about the complex backend techy details. Just focus on doing what you do best: running your retail business and selling your products online.
  • Automated backups - Enjoy peace of mind with regular, automatic backups.
  • Top security - 128-bit SSL encryption ensures your critical data is always secure.
  • Quick servers - We offer ecommerce hosting that’s fast and PCI compliant.
  • Free updates - We’re constantly adding new free features you can take advantage of to help you sell online.
  • Cost is Just $1 a day - Yes, that’s it to start your online retail business.
  • Any domain - Use any domain name you like for your online store.
  • Use an existing site - You don’t need to create new. Integrate Shopify with your current website or blog.
  • Beautiful store - Make your online retail store stand out with over 100 ecommerce templates to choose from.
  • Full customization - Make it your own by uploading your logo, changing fonts and personalizing color schemes.

Source: Shopify tours

For a quick glance:

Setting Up Your Online Store
  1. Determine your products and add them to your store. 
  2. Customize your design as you see fit. You may want to add a custom design to your Shopify store by choosing a theme available in shopify website.
  3. Set up your domain name or use existing domain name
  4. Determine and set up shipping and tax rates. 
  5. Set up payments
  6. Customize your settings. 
  7. Open your store to the world.

You can also visit The Beginner's Guide to Shopify - MonetizePros for useful tips

Posting an Ad at Kijiji

Posting an ad on Kijiji is quick and hassle-free! Before you create your ad, ensure you have signed into your registered Kijiji account by selecting Sign In. If you are an unregistered Kijiji user, you can register an account easily prior to posting. Click here to register:

After logging in, select the closest, most appropriate Kijiji location to you in the search bar.

To post an ad:

  1.  Select the Post Ad button found at the top of Kijiji.
  2. Type in the title you’d like to use for your ad and click Next.
  3. Depending on your title, we may suggest a category that would be appropriate for your ad. You can select one of the suggestions or choose a main category and sub-category (if required) from the list below.
  4. If you’re posting an ad in Services, Real Estate, Jobs, Used Cars & Trucks or Vacation Rentals, you’ll have the opportunity to choose a Visibility Package. You can simply post your ad as you normally would, or you can choose a plan which includes features, to maximize your ad’s exposure in the listings.
  5. After selecting your category, you will be directed to the Post Your Ad page where you can enter your ad’s details including price, description, images & video and choose additional features for increased exposure.
  6. To post a Wanted ad: select I Want under Ad Type.
  7. To post as Free or Swap/ Trade: select a price of Free or Swap / Trade. Please note: only items that are being offered for free, with no additional stipulations, are permitted to be posted in this manner.
  8. Once you’ve filled in all relevant details, click Post Your Ad at the bottom of the page.

Source: Kijiji

Promoting an Ads

Want more eyes on your ad? Here’s how to make it happen!

  1. Select Sign In to log into your My Kijiji account. 
  2. Select My Ads from the My Kijiji drop down menu to access your active ads. Read about what each feature offers, review pricing and purchase your desired feature by selecting Get More Views and Check Out.

Please note: Some features can be purchased for 3, 7 or 30 days. Once selected, the price will update accordingly.  You must now register your account in order to manage and delete your ad. Learn more about registration.

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