Need to sell something you no longer need? Here is a step-by-step guide on how to sell your stuff with ease, on Craigslist.
Craigslist is a shopping website that helps people buy and sell stuff at a good bargain. However, many new sellers have the initial hiccups while trying to sell things on Craigslist. If you too are facing a similar problem, then learn the art of doing online business, by going through the following paragraphs.
Selling on Craigslist
Craigslist is an online networking website that consists of various communities. There are a lot of free Internet listings that cover various domains. You can find all that you need, from painters, house sales, pet sales, personal needs, etc. You can even post your queries on any topic related to your needs for other members of the community to help you with. All this and much more for free. You do not need an account, nor do you need to give away your name or phone number. The only thing required is an active e-mail account, and some images of your product(s) online.
Step 1: The first and foremost thing to do is to decide what you want to sell. It can be anything, a table, kitchen appliances, jewelry, clothes, a kid’s bicycle, anything that you wish to sell. Now, you need to type in craigstlist.org/ in the search bar on your browser. The Craigslist website will open, and here you need to click the tab that says ‘US Cities’. Over here, find your state and city in order to post your classified.
Step 2: Now go to the link that you will find in the left side of the page, that says, ‘Post to Classifieds’. Search the appropriate category for your item, before you post it. This will help get your classified get posted in the correct category for advertising. Fill in the posting with some interesting catch line like ‘Comfortable Couches’ or ‘Antique Bronze Vase’. Then you can enter the city you reside in. Remember, do not enter your postal address, only your city.
Step 3: Next, you need to decide on the price you wish to sell your item for. In order to post the correct price, you can go through the list of similar items posted on the site. This will give you an idea to decide on the price for your specific item. Once you decide the price, you need to use the right words to sell your item. Explain your product in an interesting way so that it appeals to prospective buyers. You can add some interesting tag lines like, ‘A wonderful present for a close friend’ or ‘Pet friendly toys’, etc. You can even include other details like, ‘Item sold by a non-smoker’ or whatever else is appropriate for your item to be sold.
Step 4: The most important part is to include ‘CASH ONLY’. You should make it clear you do not welcome buyers who want to pay by check. Make sure the buyer brings along the cash with him/her while coming along to pick up the item.
Step 5: The e-mail provided to Craigslist should be generally used for business purposes. You can make it anonymous, so that the buyers who contact you will not know your identity, initially. You need to be extra careful about revealing your identity and details to just about everyone online.
Once you are done with all the above steps, select the option that says ‘You do not want anyone to contact you for anything other than your own ad’. Make sure you proofread your ad before confirming it. You will need to click on the ‘I Agree’ box related to the terms and conditions for posting your ad.
10 Tips to Attract Buyers
In order to attract maximum buyers, you can follow some simple marketing strategies to help your item get maximum attention from potential buyers.
- You need to create a good post with catchy titles placed under the correct list.
- Post pictures of your item from various angles, so that the buyer gets to have a good look at it.
- Quote a reasonable price by going through other similar items in the same category. This will help you fetch a good bargain without running into a loss, or not attracting buyers because your item is overpriced.
- Give a detailed description of the item you are selling. Be honest about the material, price, measurements, the period you have used the item, as well as a defect, if any. It is very irritating to find the truth later, and the buyers will lose trust in you.
- Make sure you mention your location, that is, area and city. It helps buyers know if you are from the same city or area they are from.
- Give a proper e-mail address so that potential buyers can contact you anonymously before you strike a deal.
- You should remain available for the next 24 to 48 hours, so that a buyer can contact you and make a schedule to pick up the item from your home or a designated meeting place.
- Always be polite to people who contact you with any sort of queries. Do not differentiate in the way you treat people by judging whether they are genuinely interested in your item or not.
- If your article remains unsold for 2 days, it would be a good idea to delete your post and re-list it so that your post comes at the top of the list when a search query is done.
- Lastly, make sure you take down your advert once your article has been sold.
Safe Selling
Once your ad is online, you need to wait patiently for buyers to contact you. They may contact you through e-mail or phone, according to the contact details posted by you. Be ready for any queries that a buyer may have related to the product. Once you narrow down on a prospective buyer, you can decide on a convenient place to meet. Do not give out your home address right away. Make sure you meet in a coffee shop, a parking lot or gas station you are familiar with. It is always better to take a relative or close friend along with you for the meeting. If possible, you can take along the product for sale, and finish off the deal right there and then. Or else you can offer to deliver your item to the buyer’s house for an extra fee, depending on the item and the distance you need to travel. It is always better to complete the transaction some place other than your house, and deal in cash only.
Make sure you use an interesting and eye-catching description, along with a clear and bright image of the item you are selling. All the best!