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It is never late to start an online work-from-home business. There are numerous approaches to it. You can start with blogging, freelancing, or even eCommerce. If you are thinking of eCommerce, then you are like Jennifer my cousin. She started to sell on Poshmark and later started a website of her own..
Jennifer was introduced to Posh by a friend who knows she likes clothing and likes to shop second-hand. Her first experience on the platform was to make a purchase. After seeing the process flow, she decided to sell on Poshmark. She has used Poshmark to transform her finances and turned her business into a six-figure business.
This article will share the exact principle that will help you get started and grow your business on the platform. I will take a comprehensive look at Poshmark, how to get started on the platform and how to sell on Poshmark and increase your sales volume.
Table of Contents
What is Poshmark
Every time I see the name Poshmark, it reminds me of the meaning of the word Posh – Elegant. Posh refers to something beautiful, something everyone wants to have. Definitions.net refers to Poshmark as a fashion marketplace based on social experience and built on the convenience of mobile devices. They leverage the desire of people to integrate, socialize, and sell fashion-based goods to each other. They are usually clothing, shoes, bags, wrist watches; they deal in old and new items.
Users are referred to as Poshers; they offer clothing for sale through a system called “Closet.” The platform charges a 20 per cent commission for each sale on the platform. It will cover shipping and other logistics involved in the process of selling and packaging. If you sell on Poshmark, the platform will make available relevant statistics so that you can see what you have sold, what you currently have listed, and how much it will amount to.
Before we begin to see how to sell on Poshmark, we must see some of the pros and cons of using this platform.
Why you should sell on Poshmark
Below are the advantages of selling on the Poshmark platform.
- Listing on Poshmark is simple: Listing on the platform is simple. It makes it easy to sell on Poshmark. Compared to other platforms like Mercari, the time to list items is short, and the process is straightforward.
- Easy shipping: They make shipping to customers quickly. They eliminate the laborious calculation of weight and shipping for clothes. The shipping label they provide; your input is packaging the item and dropping it off at the post office.
- No listing Fees: There is no initial cost for listing an item on their platform. You can add or list your items and start selling immediately
- Large Market size: They have a large size of ecommerce market. They have come to this point from adverts. They are well known for pushing their products in the market. You can count on their outreach. Your listings will be opened daily by a lot of people.
Why you should not Sell on Poshmark
Although the advantages of selling on this platform are much, it also has its drawbacks. Below are some of the reasons you must adequately consider selling on Poshmark before jumping to it.
- Charges per sale: They charge as much as 20% per sale on your selling price. It is high when compared to Mercari, their close competitor, who charges 10%.
- You need to spend time on the platform: To have your items visible on the website, you need to be active on the website. That means you must be willing to commit your time and effort to work on the platform.
- Restrict to a category of products: It is one of the reasons sellers avoid this site. There is a limitation on the kind of products you can sell. But if you are looking at the fashion industry, then Poshmark is good to go for you.
How to sell on Poshmark
One thing most sellers enjoy on Poshmark is its ease of listing items. The platform has been well designed for you to list items and for buying and selling. With their current integration on desktops, you can conveniently list your items with your desktops.
Let me walk you through how to get started and start selling on Poshmark.
Signup to Sell on Poshmark
If you are new to Poshmark, the first thing is to download the app if you are using a phone. Either it is android or apple, Poshmark got you covered, else if you use a desktop or laptop, you can quickly load the Poshmark page from here and continue with Facebook, email, or Google.
Now it is time to create a password and username. Input your details as shown below; required is your name, email address, and location.
Next is filling in more details about yourself, add your picture. When people shop, they naturally want to meet with you in person. Many folks on Poshmark are here for fairly used items, although they also sell new items. They desire to buy from another individual and not a corporation or search for obsolete items that are no longer in use or not produced again.
As such, additional information about yourself on the bio page or your picture will make them feel more comfortable.
Listing Items to Sell on Poshmark
After filling in your details on the platform, the next thing is listing items to sell on Poshmark. Select clothing, shoes, or kitchen utensils that you do want to sell. Take photos of this item; you can take about twelve different pictures.
When taking pictures, capture the front and back of the item, the label, the size, the material tag, and, if possible, the measurements. Ensure you have enough light; where possible, use natural light. Most importantly is that shoppers should see the items in their actual state. Next is to start uploading the pictures.
Do a Description for your Item.
Next is filling an item title. It is where you should include the brand name of your item, the item name itself, colour, style, size, and declare if the item is old or new. Here you have to be as detailed as possible, do not minimize the use of words.
Be descriptive, include necessary details about the product. Let buyers know its original state, be descriptive about the style, if it is fitted or loose. Take a good description of the colour, the fascinating features on the cloth. It is time to open up on the state, style, and various patterns of the clothing. Do not try to deceive your buyers, be honest about all of your products.
Price and Fees on Poshmark
Entering your price and fees is another step you should attend to consciously. To sell on Poshmark, you must enter the original price of the item, after which you will enter your selling price. If you do not have enough details on the original price of your item, you can put $0 in there.
Poshmark charges 20 per cent of your selling price per sale. Buyers can either pay the price of your goods outrightly or offer you a price below your quoted price. So be ready for the initial negotiation.
Getting Paid and Shipping
Shipping is the next event after you have concluded the deal with the client. Immediately after purchasing your item, Poshmark will send a PDF label to you for the item via email. Print and attach this label to the envelope. Place the item in the envelope, label it appropriately and drop it at your local post office.
Do not forget to secure your label with clear packaging tape or a tape gun.
Once your buyer confirms your goods, they will release your cash to your Poshmark account.
Now that you know what to do and how to create an account on Poshmark
Pro tips for selling on Poshmark and increasing sales
1. Lookout for Items to sell on Poshmark
If you want to take Poshmark as a sustainable business, it is not about selling unused or obsolete items. It would help if you looked out for what is trendy and what folks around you are looking out for.
It may be challenging when you first startup. But as you continue to build your business and create engagement, you should identify what people want, and they will be ready to invest their money into it.
2. Select Neat Items
Take yourself as an eye for your clients. When you collect items, please look at them repeatedly to ascertain they are in good condition before listing them. Things you should look out for includes holes, stains, obvious wear and tear. Ensure they are neat and free from all kinds of odour.
Next is washing, ironing and steaming when necessary. If there is any damage or drawback to the material, note it and be ready to document and declare it when listing.
3. Take Nice Pictures
The sales begin with the picture. After washing and cleaning your item, it is time to take a quality picture before listing Poshmark. Ensure you take this picture where there is enough light.
Your telephone camera is good enough for the pictures; you do not need expensive cameras. But it is important you take it under good lighting and also can edit as appropriate. You will find platforms like canva useful.
The platform allows you to take as many as 12 exposures for each item. It means you can view the object from different angles; below list of features that can guide you.
- Snap the size tag and label
- Show damages and point it out
- Snap the front and back view of the material
- If it is clothing for your sex, you can wear it on and snap with it.
- Do not leave any of the flaws undeclared.
- Use Appropriate keywords in titles and descriptions
Keywords are your winning ticket to help searchers find your item. Most searchers on ecommerce sites use keywords to narrow down their search to what they are looking for.
As such, ensure you carefully select relevant keywords for your items. Avoid emoji, terms or phrases that do not describe the product.
4. Be open with damages
Because there is an error or damage does not mean buyers will not buy. Use your description to disclose any form of damages. It will increase your trust level and sales in the long run.
5. Use Special Offers
Learn to use special offers. Poachers are naturally drawn to some items. A good way to identify this item is via “likes” and “watch”. Leverage on this to send them timely discounts exclusive to them alone. It is different from an open discount to everybody.
Apart from using Special offers, you can also use “closet clear out” to offer a discount on shipping charges if the item is picked within six hours of reducing the prices
6. Customer Services
Last but not the list, ensure you offer quality customer services. You must follow up with your clients and ensure you respond to feedback promptly.
Be prepared to receive both positive and negative feedback from your customers. You should leverage both forms of feedback to build your business. Do not respond harshly or ignore negative feedback.