How To Sell on Craigslist? 15 Simple Tips For Beginners
Maybe you just moved and found out how much you have (and don’t need), or maybe you just need money and collect a few items to sell. Craigslist is a great website for selling junk. With a relatively low price, it offers reliable services for those who want to sell almost everything – from antiques to video games. Craigslist has more than 60 million users with an average of 50 million page views per month. With this frequency of use, all your unwanted items will be sold in no time! Whether you’re trying Craigslist for the first time or just looking for directories, here are 15 main tips for selling on Craigslist.
Table of Contents
Research
Before you register your article on Craigslist, you need to do a little research to see what happens for the same or similar articles. You need to determine the prices of new and used goods and then compare the products with the variations that are used for sale. Only a quick Google search will give you an idea of a decent price for new items. Of course, you cannot sell used items at new prices, but this price gives you an upper limit. You can then check how many items you have going to other shopping sites like eBay or Amazon. This gives you an idea of how much other people want or pay for the same or similar goods. Doing your research will give you a better idea of how much you have to pay to sell your goods as soon as possible. That is what you want!
Prices from the top side
After you do your research, you can evaluate your article for sale better. Of course, you want to get the most out of your goods, but too high a price can distract people. If you set a price too low, the buyer will accept that something is wrong. Find out what the price of goods is half of the sale. You need the right price!
With that in mind, you should rank products about ten to thirty percent higher than the lowest price you get. How high that depends on what it is, how bad you want to get rid of it, and how fast. Keep in mind that those who shop on Craigslist are not afraid to make low transactions. So don’t be surprised if that happens to you. However, with high prices, you have room to negotiate if you get less. You can ask for a certain price if you decide that this is what you want to do by saying “hard price” or “final price”, but Craigslist; People hope to negotiate. You have to leave it. You can even ask someone to pay for what you want at any time, but don’t bet on it.
TIP: Don’t be offended if someone offers a very low price. It will just laugh and say no!
Clean your items
Next, make sure your goods are in top condition. If it cannot be cleaned for any purpose, clean, wash, wipe as often as possible to make it look as good as possible. For example, if you are trying to sell your old bicycle, you might want to wash all the dirt (and cobwebs if you haven’t ridden it yet!) To get a better picture. Think of it this way: You want your items to look as attractive as possible to potential buyers. So do your best to make it look better.
Take a picture
When you offer something to sell on Craigslist, you should always add a picture. This not only helps show potential buyers exactly what they are getting, but some will not even consider this release without them. First, check your background before taking a picture. You will be surprised by what ends up on Craigslist images. You also want your position displayed properly. Therefore, if possible, choose a background that will help you highlight your article rather than mixing it. Also make sure there is enough light when taking pictures. You want prospective buyers to see what you have to offer. Make sure you take photos from every angle. Get specific close-ups. The better you show what you are selling, the faster it will be sold.
Turn on all the extras
It’s quite important to have your own number: enter optional parts, parts, batteries and other extras in at least one of the pictures. This can be as important as what you’re asking for. If you are trying to sell a printer and have additional ink, paper and photo paper for it, distribute it to the printer for all-in-one photos, or take photos separately from the printer. In any case, make sure that you include everything that is included in the product that you are selling.
Find the right one
You may have heard a lot about “finding the right”, but you probably never thought it would be a sales pitch. However, this is very important when it comes to selling something on Craigslist. Craigslist is divided into smaller areas, e.g. B. Some of the closest cities or states, including the area closest to where you live. You obviously don’t want to sell to anyone in the county unless you prefer to pay shipping and processing. (Which you can list in various areas on Craigslist in this case.) However, most Craigslist items are the Answer and Pay / Trade types, so you want to reach closer to that place. Where you actually live.
If you’re not sure which area to sell, just open Craiglist.org, click United States, then scroll through the states yourself. When you find your country, check how messy it is. Some only have one Craigslist, others may have several. So be careful when choosing. Then just click on your area and you will be asked to adjust the site.
Create an account
Then you need to create an account. In the upper left corner of the page there is a button labeled “My Account”. Click here to get started. This is important because you might not immediately sell your product, especially if the price is expensive or comes from a limited niche. You don’t need to re-create your list every time it needs to be updated. When you create an account, you can easily republish, add, or edit your ads directly from your own e-mail, even if your add-ons have been deleted. This makes it easier to maintain your ad. In addition, your dashboard tracks all your items for you. You don’t need an account, but it is recommended to make selling your items easier.
After creating an account, click “Send to Ad” in the upper left corner as well. From there, you can choose “sold by owner” or “sold by dealer” and choose one that describes you. You will then receive a list of categories that will help prospective buyers find your items. Choose the category that best fits your item.
TIP: You can post in different categories, but you must write a new post for each of them. You cannot publish the same ad copy in various categories.
Write a clear title
Now is the time to start. When you start selling something, it starts with a clear title. In this way, most potential buyers buy what they are looking for. So include all the important details in the title to clarify what you are selling. If you have updated your phone and want to sell the old one, your title might be “Used Samsung Galaxy S6 in very good condition”. You want to include exactly what the article is in your title. Another example is “Handmade necklaces and matching bracelets”. Clearly define what you sell in your title.
Be descriptive
Start your ad by explaining exactly what your article is and what it contains. Write down everything that is wrong with the item, damage, something missing no matter how little you think. These things can be more important for someone who wants to buy. Honesty is the best policy. This is really true. If you sell electronic devices or Gizmo, you must provide technical data. If you don’t know them, visit the manufacturer’s website. The clearer the information you can add, the better your item will be sold.
Re-enter price / contact information
At the end of your ad, repeat the price you want. This helps prospective buyers to find out the price. There is a separate price range, but it’s still a good idea to put it back in your ad. If you want to accept offers, say so. Examples are $ 100 OBO, OBO, or Best Deals.
You then need to provide your contact information. If you have questions, you can be notified by email about questions and / or offers or your personal cell phone or telephone number list. Be sure to state which contact method you prefer, e.g. B. “Smith’s text at (444)444-4444 for more information”. If you have a specific opening time that you want to contact, please indicate.
Use anonymous email
If you don’t want to use your personal email address, you can use the Craigslist anonymous email feature. You assign a random email address, which then forwards the correspondence to your personal email so that you receive the email without having to publish your personal email. If you don’t want to use a personal cellphone or landline number, use Google Voice and create an account for your Craigslist account. Google Voice has an easy-to-use setting that allows you to block unwanted calls when managing your personal number on your cellphone or landline.
Add your picture
Then add images for your article to your transcript. Remember to choose people whose subjects are focused and clearly visible. Include pictures of every angle and other additional elements. Remember that you are trying to sell this item so that the photos are as good as possible. It is said that a photo is worth a thousand words, and here a photo can make the difference between selling your item and selling your item.
Publish your post
Finally, you must publish your post before it is published publicly. Look again. Make sure all relevant information has been added. Make sure your contact information is correct. Look at the pictures to make sure they match your items. After clicking Publish, you have one last step: review posts by email. Don’t forget this step! Your post will not be fully published until you have completed this last step.
TIP: You can also make changes or republish with your email. So don’t delete them!
Frequent updating
Remember to continue or update your posts regularly. Ads are buried on Craigslist, especially in the more popular categories and in large communities. You want to keep posting above by publishing it again after it expires. This may be less of a problem in smaller communities. However, if you do a review, you will learn how often you need to update your post. Check this by exploring the post categories until you find your posts. If it’s buried under another post, it’s time to post it again. We hope, of course, that your items will sell quickly and this is not a problem, but it is important to consider this. If you have registered several items and accidentally forgot one item and the item has expired, you can restore it again from your account.
Branch
If your item is not for sale, you might want to try branching. The more areas you have on the list, the more likely you are to sell your goods. However, be patient. Maybe your article is something that only interests certain people with certain interests. Maybe your item is more seasonal or sells better in certain seasons. The more people who can access your ad, the faster it will have to sell.