There are numerous ways to make money online, but one of the most reliable is by becoming an online reseller. Merchandise and products are being made and sold at an incredible rate; and with big-name retailers and online marketplaces constantly offloading their extra inventory and customer-returned inventory skyrocketing since the pandemic, it’s become increasingly easier to find products worth reselling.
It’s expected that by 2026 online reselling will account for nearly $140 billion dollars of US revenue. With online reselling platforms such as eBay offering safe and secure ways to start your online reselling career and profit numbers projected to continually increase, it’s understandable why people would be interested in starting a career as an online reseller.
However, becoming an online reseller takes more than just purchasing products and putting them online for sale. To earn a profit from your as an ecommerce business owner, you need to have knowledge of the industry as a whole, awareness of your niche space and the competitors you may face, and most importantly patience. With that in mind, here are helpful tips that are sure to help you excel within the industry.
Table of Contents
Find Your Niche
Finding your niche is important for any online reseller to truly succeed. Your niche is a specific spot in the market your online reselling company will address and sell to. For instance, maybe you love birdhouses and know a great deal about what makes one better for cardinals than another. Your niche would be reselling the birdhouses suited for cardinals. Your niche will help establish your footprint within the online reselling community.
Work With Reliable Suppliers
Your online reselling business will only be able to succeed if you have products to sell, so ensuring your work with reliable suppliers is of the utmost importance. When searching for suppliers, ask them about their shipping costs and time estimates. Think about working with wholesale suppliers within your niche as well. For example, if you’re thinking about becoming an online reseller of jewelry, you can research top wholesale jewelry suppliers and start reaching out to businesses that you think would be the best match for your endeavor.
Use High-Quality Photos
Using high-quality photos can help guarantee satisfied buyers. Include multiple high-quality photos of your listing to gain the trust of the public. The more photos the better. People want to see what they’re purchasing and if the photos they’re looking at are blurry or unattractive, you’ll lose sales. Also, make sure the pictures accurately depict the items you’re selling. Don’t oversell an item by proclaiming it’s in better condition than it is. This will lead to dissatisfied customers, returns, and negative reviews.
Get A Reseller Certificate
One of the best ways to show that you are a legitimate reseller is by procuring a reseller certificate. This certificate proves that you intend to resell the items you’re purchasing for profit, allowing you to buy these goods through your business without paying the local sales tax at the time of purchase. You would then be responsible for collecting the tax when selling to your customers. A reseller certificate also gives you credibility with the public, they know that you’re actively online reselling products not trying to scam people out of their money.
Make Your Shipping Process As Seamless As Possible
One of the main reasons customers will avoid working with online resellers is because their shipping processes aren’t as easy or updated as other established online sellers such as Amazon. When developing your online reselling business, look into the best form of domestic and international shipping. Highlight your shipping process clearly on your items or website for customers. If you can manage it, try to offer free shipping of some kind. A majority of online shoppers will prefer an option with free shipping versus paid.
Refresh Your Inventory
Stay up to date about what is in demand within your market. If you notice items you don’t have available are selling, start looking into a way to stock that or a similar item within your online reselling profile. It’s also important to refresh the inventory of your items. If you’re selling fast and your business is growing, think about ordering more products than you usually do. You can set up auto-shipping on your most in-demand products to make your restocking process seamless.
There are numerous ways to make money online, but one of the most reliable is by becoming an online reseller. Merchandise and products are being made and sold at an incredible rate; and with big-name retailers and online marketplaces constantly offloading their extra inventory and customer-returned inventory skyrocketing since the pandemic, it’s become increasingly easier to find products worth reselling.
It’s expected that by 2026 online reselling will account for nearly $140 billion dollars of US revenue. With online reselling platforms such as eBay offering safe and secure ways to start your online reselling career and profit numbers projected to continually increase, it’s understandable why people would be interested in starting a career as an online reseller.
However, becoming an online reseller takes more than just purchasing products and putting them online for sale. To earn a profit from your as an ecommerce business owner, you need to have knowledge of the industry as a whole, awareness of your niche space and the competitors you may face, and most importantly patience. With that in mind, here are helpful tips that are sure to help you excel within the industry.
Find Your Niche
Finding your niche is important for any online reseller to truly succeed. Your niche is a specific spot in the market your online reselling company will address and sell to. For instance, maybe you love birdhouses and know a great deal about what makes one better for cardinals than another. Your niche would be reselling the birdhouses suited for cardinals. Your niche will help establish your footprint within the online reselling community.
Work With Reliable Suppliers
Your online reselling business will only be able to succeed if you have products to sell, so ensuring your work with reliable suppliers is of the utmost importance. When searching for suppliers, ask them about their shipping costs and time estimates. Think about working with wholesale suppliers within your niche as well. For example, if you’re thinking about becoming an online reseller of jewelry, you can research top wholesale jewelry suppliers and start reaching out to businesses that you think would be the best match for your endeavor.
Use High-Quality Photos
Using high-quality photos can help guarantee satisfied buyers. Include multiple high-quality photos of your listing to gain the trust of the public. The more photos the better. People want to see what they’re purchasing and if the photos they’re looking at are blurry or unattractive, you’ll lose sales. Also, make sure the pictures accurately depict the items you’re selling. Don’t oversell an item by proclaiming it’s in better condition than it is. This will lead to dissatisfied customers, returns, and negative reviews.
Get A Reseller Certificate
One of the best ways to show that you are a legitimate reseller is by procuring a reseller certificate. This certificate proves that you intend to resell the items you’re purchasing for profit, allowing you to buy these goods through your business without paying the local sales tax at the time of purchase. You would then be responsible for collecting the tax when selling to your customers. A reseller certificate also gives you credibility with the public, they know that you’re actively online reselling products not trying to scam people out of their money.
Make Your Shipping Process As Seamless As Possible
One of the main reasons customers will avoid working with online resellers is because their shipping processes aren’t as easy or updated as other established online sellers such as Amazon. When developing your online reselling business, look into the best form of domestic and international shipping. Highlight your shipping process clearly on your items or website for customers. If you can manage it, try to offer free shipping of some kind. A majority of online shoppers will prefer an option with free shipping versus paid.
Refresh Your Inventory
Stay up to date about what is in demand within your market. If you notice items you don’t have available are selling, start looking into a way to stock that or a similar item within your online reselling profile. It’s also important to refresh the inventory of your items. If you’re selling fast and your business is growing, think about ordering more products than you usually do. You can set up auto-shipping on your most in-demand products to make your restocking process seamless.
