Selling online has become a popular way to earn money, and with good reason. It’s free to start, and many platforms provide you with an easy way to make money online without ever having to create a product yourself. You’ll simply need to have a knack for persuading strangers to buy your services, along with a little bit of marketing know-how.
We’ve put together a guide to assist you in making the most of this new found digital marketing opportunity, and to convince people to buy your services rather than those of your competitors.
The Basics Of Online Selling
It’s important to note the basics of online selling before you dive in. Established in 1997, eBay is one of the world’s largest online marketplaces. In 2020 alone, the company handled a record-breaking 1.9 trillion global transactions across its platforms.
eBay is a massive place. Whether you’re selling your baby’s baby clothes, vintage vinyl records, or vintage cameras, you’ll find millions of potential customers on eBay. To sell on eBay, you’ll need to create a seller account. Once you have an account, you can start listing your items. You can also use the platform to discover products that interest you, and discover new sellers who are currently marketing similar products.
The Ultimate List Of Digital Marketing And Sales Platforms
Selling online has grown in popularity over the past few years, and with good reason. There are several excellent digital marketing and sales platforms available, all of which are completely free. To help you decide which one to use, we’ve put together an ultimate list of digital marketing and sales platforms, along with a brief description of each.
Surprisingly, many of these platforms offer a combination of services, allowing you to build a brand name for yourself while marketing and selling your products online. Whether you’re a professional marketer or entrepreneur who wants to gain some digital marketing experience, or even if you simply want to earn some extra cash, these platforms are a great place to start.
Paypal
PayPal is the world’s most popular digital wallet service, enabling you to securely store and spend money online. While you can use the platform to purchase just about anything, it was originally designed for e-commerce – enabling online shoppers to pay with their phones. Withdrawing funds from PayPal is incredibly easy, as you’ll just need to provide the account’s email.
Square Cash
Square Cash is a similarly popular digital wallet service, enabling users to store and spend money online. You’ll need to have a Square Cash account in order to use the service, and can link your bank account to it. You can then accept payments made through Square Cash, as well as link your credit card to it as well. If you opt to use Square Cash for online payments, you’ll gain the ability to track your spending, and receive alerts when your spending reaches certain limits. Square Cash also provides users with the ability to earn interest on their money, by linking their accounts to a bank.
Venmo
Venmo is a money transfer service that’s rapidly expanding around the world. In 2020 alone, the platform grew its user base by 25% in the United States.
The growth of the platform is even more impressive when you consider that Venmo is a fairly new entrant to the financial services marketplace. That being said, the service is still limited to only the United States at the moment. To get started, you’ll need to create a Venmo account, as well as link your bank account to it. You can then send and receive money across platforms – including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Shopify
Shopify is a global commerce platform for online businesses. Similar to WooCommerce, Shopify provides users with the ability to set up an online store in minutes, without needing any previous e-commerce experience. In addition to enabling users to set up an online store, Shopify provides them with marketing and sales tools, allowing them to manage online storefronts from one dashboard. Finally, Shopify enables users to accept payments via Stripe, PayPal, or bank transfer.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is one of the world’s most popular e-commerce platforms, powering over a million websites across the globe. Similar to Shopify, WooCommerce provides users with the ability to set up an online store in minutes, without needing any previous e-commerce experience. The service also offers users a variety of add-ons, such as shipping widgets, recurring payments, stock control, and more.
Overall, WooCommerce is a great choice for experienced e-commerce merchants who want to build an online store. If you’re looking for a simple solution to launch your product catalog, or want to build a brand name for yourself, you might want to check out WooCommerce.
Crowdcube
Crowdcube is a micro-lending platform that enables small businesses to get loans for anything from property purchase to web designers. Just like most of the other platforms on this list, Crowdcube provides you with the option of accepting payments via PayPal, bank transfer, or credit card. In addition to loans, Crowdcube also provides small businesses with a variety of entrepreneurial services, such as marketing plans and legal support.
LendingClub
LendingClub is a micro-lending platform that specializes in online lending. Similar to Crowdcube, you’ll be able to accept payments via PayPal, bank transfer, or credit card. In addition to online lending, the company provides users with valuable investing information, in the form of research-backed guides on the best stocks to buy, and the most effective investment strategies.
Considering the massive role that online shopping plays in our everyday lives, it’s not surprising that so many online marketplaces have sprung up, enabling individuals to purchase just about anything they desire. As a result, online selling is a multi-billion dollar industry, and continues to grow every year.
In summary, these are just a few of the most popular digital marketing and sales platforms available. While some of these services are specific to e-commerce, many others have adapted their services for use by marketers and business owners who want to engage with potential customers via the internet.