How to Sell Online: 5 Selling Ideas

Competition in the online marketplace is growing fiercer by the day. Yet, this does not mean that your online business has zero potential. If you know how this playground works, you can sell nearly any product and service. Our ideas will help you promote your store in Nigeria.

1. Keep an Eye on the Trends

Unique online selling ideas do not always take off in the e-commerce world. To get revenue, you need a robust demand for what you offer. This is why you should piggy bank on trends. Listen to what consumers are saying to understand how to address their pain points better than competitors. Gain insights from best-selling lists, trend reports, and product curation lists.

To research the market, cast a wide net at first. Consider new and expected trends on large marketplaces like Amazon. What are the top picks for this month? What products are the biggest favourites? Can you see any patterns like the same colours, fabrics, etc.? This will give you a rough idea of what you could sell.

Next, look for ways to get these products from suppliers. One of the best ways to do this is through dropshipping. In this model, you don’t even have to arrange a warehouse and keep track of inventory. The supplier will handle the delivery, too, while you will gain a commission from each sale. 

2. Learn from Winners

Study the strategies used by your rivals. You can use their best ideas to kickstart your own online store. There is nothing bad about borrowing successful techniques as long as they are not patented. 

In any industry, beginners learn from their more experienced peers. Even if you make money through commodity trading online, it never hurts to consult forex trading professionals. All brands, including Forextime, monitor their competition closely.

3. Use Famous Marketplaces

Selling products through existing marketplaces like eBay has pros and cons. On the one hand, you can use the power of well-established platforms with a large international audience. For complete beginners in e-commerce, this is a big advantage. 

You can tap into a massive pool of potential customers that you would not reach otherwise. Another upside is that you can test the demand for your products and get a better sense of what is popular.

However, big marketplaces charge sellers a commission for every sale, and you won’t have an opportunity to build a personal relationship with their audience. This means you won’t have access to their email addresses, and you cannot involve them in subsequent campaigns. Finally, the marketplace can shut down your store for a variety of reasons.

4. Engage Social Media

You can get your products in front of prospective buyers on Facebook or Instagram. If you set up a shop on Facebook, your inventory will be showcased to Facebook users, so they can buy it directly. This platform connects billions of people around the world, so the profit potential is undeniable. 

Finally, you could sell independently on your business page and set up a Facebook group. In any case, having a separate website with smooth navigation and attractive design will boost credibility.

Another important advantage of social media is the opportunity to promote your store through influencers. You can send samples of your products to users with a large following in return for shoutouts. Find influencers in a relevant niche. 

5. Create Your Own Website

Finally, you do not have to invest a fortune to build your own fully functional e-commerce site. The market of ready-made solutions is showing no signs of slowing down. 

Thanks to platforms like Wix and Shopify, launching a unique store is easier than ever. You won’t have to build a site from scratch — just customize one of the templates to your store identity. You can change nearly everything from the size of the font to images to navigation patterns. This way, setting up a website is a matter of a few days! 

These platforms are also highly scalable, so they will support business growth. It will be able to run your company from anywhere in the world using proven tools and get excellent support whenever you need it. No need to think about hosting or domain registration — just get a full package for a reasonable monthly fee.