Are you planning to Buy and Sell with Your Local Community? If yes, then you have come to the right page! Nowadays, there are great websites that are perfect for buying as well as selling to your online community. Before the Internet, if you wanted to sell items, you were restricted to flea markets, consignments, etc. However, things have changed now! Now, there is a number of local selling sites where customer sellers can sell the products to buyers.
Simply, local marketing focuses on the customers residing in the same vicinity. Many small businesses overlook this marketing method at times; however, reaching local customers, no doubt, is quite easier as compared to reaching global customers.
Websites for Buying and Selling Locally
Here we have jotted down a few websites for buying and selling locally. Let’s get started with it! Happy Reading!
1. Craigslist- Buy and Sell With Local Community
Craigslist is the best website for buying and selling locally. Buyers can easily look for the listings or can search for specific products. Also, they can specify the area by using the filters given on the site. Once they get the item they are looking for, they can get in touch with the seller.
As a seller, you can easily post the listing on this platform with the required information about the product. After that, you can wait for the buyers to contact you. On the homepage, click on create a posting and fill out the required information.
2. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook users can easily sell and buy items through the Facebook marketplace. If the buyers find something interesting, they can click on it in order to see complete information. They can message the sellers through their Facebook messenger directly regarding the item or for any query.
Sellers need to open the marketplace and click on the ‘create new listing’ option. Then they need to choose the item type they are selling. After that, item details, including category, location, description, photos, and price, need to be filled in.
3. OfferUp- Buy and Sell With Local Community
On OfferUp, buyers can look for something they need to buy. Additional search specifications like newest listings, price, etc., can be adjusted. Once buyers get the item, they can ask questions or make an offer.
Sellers need to create an account for selling an item on the online marketplace website. The seller has to add titles and images, set locations, add a description, and select the category and price before posting.
4. VarageSale- Buy and Sell With Local Community
For buying and selling on this website, one needs to enter the location to join the closest community. Connect with texted code for verifying the identity, which needs to be approved by the administrator for gaining access to this site. Once the administrator approves, you will get permission to sell the product.
Buyers need to browse the listings or need to type the specific product in the search box. After that, they can contact the seller to get information regarding that product.
For selling on this site, you need to post the product photo that you are selling. Submit the listing by entering the title as well as description.
5. eBay- Buy and Sell With Local Community
The foremost step for selling the items on eBay is to register an account, and after that, the verification process needs to be completed.
For creating a listing, click on the tab “sell.” Items that authorities consider illegal can’t be sold on eBay.
eBay has a few pros for selling the stuff locally:
- It’s the trusted website to buy and sell products. Vendors need to go through a strict verification procedure before getting access to an account.
- More than 180 million users are on eBay. This is the reason there is a higher probability of getting the interested buyers for all products you are selling.
Did you ever imagine why local marketing is vital? Since it drives leads, thus generating enough sales. If done in a proper way, it will help users remember the product you sold to them, and they will like to buy the product from you again.
The best thing is that there are endless marketing options that one can choose from. But what will work best for you completely relies on your business type.
Also Read: Best MarketPlace Solutions For Your Online Services
How to Attract Local Customers to Your Business?
Getting local customers, no doubt is important for every business; however, it requires a few steps that one needs to follow. In this fast-paced world of challenging business, you won’t be able to stand ahead of your competitors without attentive clients; it doesn’t matter how excellent are the products and services you are selling.
Let’s see how you can attract local customers to your business.
Also Read: How To Create Local Marketplace On WordPress
1. Set Up Free Listing with Google
The foremost step that you need to follow is to list the business on Google. For instance, whenever you want something and you don’t want to step out of your home, you search on Google; isn’t? Same things take place with local customers. Google business listing can attract local customers.
To list your business, ensure to include the business name, category, address, website link, opening and closing hours, photos, and shop directions properly in Google.
2. Set up Google Alerts
Do you know you can even get an alert whenever a person talks about business or post a review? How? Through Google Alerts! So, whenever any response is made, it becomes easy for you to react to it instantly. This way, you can make connections with customers easily.
Also, if someone posts any negative comment about your business, then you will receive the notification and can act on it accordingly.
If someone posts good about your business, then you can share that post on your website or on different social media platforms. This, as a result, will boost your sales.
3. Free Offers to Attract Local Customers
Who doesn’t want to buy free stuff? Everyone loves getting free stuff in some way! Do you know providing free services can do 3 impressive things for your business?
- Customers will know about your business
- It provides you an opportunity to show your product quality
- Gather future customers
Let’s try to understand this with the help of a simple example. Suppose you wish to start the juice bar nearby to your area. For that, you need a big advertisement. So, you can offer free juice to a few of your customers. Of course, many people will visit to grab this offer, and after drinking it, they will return to you again if they like the juice taste. Those people will share their experience with other people who will help you in getting a large number of customers.
4. Offer Discounts to Gain Attention
A free offer has the power to attract a number of customers. Similar to that, good deals and discounts will leave a good impression on your business which is an ideal means of attracting local customers.
Don’t you get happy when you see 60% off or a discount on your most loved product? And, many times, you can’t stop yourself from buying that product, isn’t it?
So, you can expect an increase in your sales after giving good discounts. Run Contests to Attract Local Customers
When people see contests, they will like to get involved, which can help you get more clients. Developing your social media audience is the concept behind any type of contest, and this marketing strategy will ultimately turn visitors into a large number of clients.
5. Launch a Website to Represent your Business
Nowadays, the majority of customers make use of smartphones or laptops for browsing. So, if budget is not a constraint for you, then create an insightful website based on WordPress. You might not realize the importance of the website right now, but in the future, you will feel its importance.
Sellers who are planning to build their own marketplace just similar to Amazon or eBay can make it possible with StoreMate Dokan. By using this theme, it’s quite simple to create the marketplace for product types such as physical products, bookable products, downloadable products, and much more. Its popularity is increasing day by day.
6. Be on Social Media to Attracting Customers
Everyone is available on social media these days. If your business page is missing on social media, then you won’t be able to stand ahead of your competitors. So, open your business page on social media platforms too.
7. Improve your Customer Service
Poor customer service can break your entire business. Whenever you post anything regarding your product, ensure to write about the customer service like 24*7 support, on-time delivery of the product, moneyback policy, and much more. This will boost your entire business, and you can expect customers to come back to you again. In short, customer service is the secret weapon of the advertising strategy.
Considerations Before Selling Goods on Online Marketplace
There are numerous online marketplace platforms where you can sell products locally and globally. But before starting with it, ask yourself the below-given questions as it will help you in getting a better idea regarding which platform will suit your requirements well.
1. What type of products did you wish to sell?
Few platforms are quite diverse and cater to everything, whereas few are more niche-based. For instance, Amazon sells all but Etsy and focuses on selling artistic items only.
Do you wish to sell locally or long-distance?
If you want to sell locally, then optimize for good localized platforms like craigslist, eBay ad so on.
How you will hand over the products?
If you sell products to far places, then you will require tape, postal supplies, proper packaging, etc. But if you are selling products locally, then you can either deliver on your own or ask the buyer to pick up the item themselves.
Final Insights of Buy and Sell With Local Community
I hope you enjoyed going through this guide, and it will surely be going to help you. Enrolling the business in online marketplaces will give you greater visibility as well as a huge customer base.
At times, people feel that convincing the local customer is not difficult. But that’s not true! You must know they are aware of the entire locality and can further take steps in case you offer them any wrong product. So, be honest and take proper steps to resolve the client’s issues. Ask yourself 2 important questions; What will make your customers happy? How to become their reliable seller? Most importantly, don’t forget to set up the Google listing.
Interesting Reads:
5 Benefits of Local Community Job Website
One thought on “Online Marketplaces: Buy and Sell with Your Local Community”
In the past, I used to think that online marketplaces was only for distant communities. Because with the local community near each other, it is possible to directly marketplaces without going online