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Sell sewing or knitting online

By Bobby Buys

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 05Mar2009
Word count: 462
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The best way to sell the items you have knitted, crocheted or sewn on the Internet is by joining an existing online marketplace.

Choose the marketplace that has a decent number of registered users, a strong community and a reasonably good customer support. You will want to make sure that the site (together with your items on it) is promoted well. You will also want to make sure that both the site's customer support staff and the site's forum can be relied on to help you.

Once you are satisfied with the site on which you intend to sell, search it thoroughly. That will give you a good idea about what will sell, and what will not. Then browse through other web sites that sell items similar to the ones you make. A very good source of information and inspiration are magazines: sewing magazines, fashion magazines, as well as home décor magazines. And whenever you go shopping, be on the lookout for merchandise that resembles the items that you make - or could make.

When you decide what to make for sale, take a look at what your competition is doing. If you have decided to knit and sell baby boots, caps and vests, check whether similar items are selling well online - and at what price. If they are selling well, note down the prices. Then make a sample of each and add up your costs and time. People usually double their costs when they set a price. Compare your pricing with the prices your competitors are selling at. If you think you can make a true profit while remaining competitive, proceed with your business plan.

You need to take into account some special considerations when selling items of clothing online. Hand-make clothes for women might be your speciality. However, you may be better off if you save the fitted skirts for real life. Such items need to be tried on and observed in front of a three-way mirror. As for your online offer, it might be wiser to specialise in wrap-round skirts or draw string pants, items that practically guaranteed to fit without having to be tried on.

A good piece of advice is to offer a money-back guarantee to your buyers. Rarely anyone bothers to actually return an item purchased on an online marketplace, especially since there are the shipping fees repercussions for the customer. However, the very fact that the seller offers this guarantee goes a long way towards reassuring the customers and noticeably increases the chances of your item being bought.

Start with a small selection of items, and then keep adding new ones, varying your design often. That is the best way to give the customers a reason to purchase from you again and again.

bidorbuy.co.za is South Africa's largest online marketplace. Buyers and sellers come to bidorbuy to buy and sell virtually anything in auction format or at fixed prices. Contact details: bidorbuy Marketing Department; email promotion@bidorbuy.co.za, web site www.bidorbuy.co.za

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