If you are someone who wants to step into the world of eCommerce, you might have asked yourself how to sell a product online for free? Most budding sellers don’t enter into the world of eCommerce because they think there are a lot of costs involved. In other words, the cost of selling online seems too much to handle. And therefore, a lot of business ideas never breathe life.
However, online selling doesn’t have to be this difficult. Since the eCommerce industry is already experiencing a huge boost, entry barriers are kept to a minimum. This means that regardless of your background or industry, you can start selling online and making money hassle-free.
The question of how to sell a product online for free can be answered with recent developments in digital platforms. While eCommerce giants still charge you a platform fee for selling, there are several other options that you can leverage. The point is selling fee is no longer a barrier to getting started with your eCommerce business.
If you’ve got the idea and a strategy to engage your customers, you can sell online seamlessly. Moreover, we’re here to help you with ideas on how to sell a product online for free! So, read on to find out more-
How Can I Start Selling Online With No Money?
In today’s world, you need to invest a lot of money to sell your products online. In other words, all you need is a platform to get started. And then you need strategies to improve your online business.
Selling online for free means that you do not have to invest any money in setting up a business. Traditionally, when we think about the idea of business, the following factors come into our mind-
- The initial investment to set up a business
- Capital investment that is renting or purchasing a property
- Hiring a full-fledged team for different business departments
- Managing order fulfillment and all other key areas of the business
As a seller, you might not want to get into all these hassles. The best part is that you don’t have to!
When you’re selling online, there is seldom any capital investment. Moreover, if you’re starting small, you don’t need to hire developers, marketing teams etc. that end up taking a lot of expenses. Instead, you can learn about smart tips and tricks that you can perform at your level. Moreover, if you go ahead and hire a 3PL for your online business, a lot of your business woes are sorted out.
A 3PL can help you take your business to new heights. It will simplify your business process as well as help you save time and money. For example, Dash101 is a one-stop logistics platform that is helping businesses ship their products faster and at the lowest costs.
Selling a Product Online for Free
To sell a product online for free you must register on a platform that helps you get started with selling with zero upfront costs. In other words, you need to start by conducting research about this kind of platform. Check out the top practices that will help you sell a product online for free-
Research About a Platform
Start by researching the kind of platform that offers free selling options. If you build your own website from scratch, you will have to invest money and hire a developer who can do the job for you. Alternatively, try to leverage the already existing marketplaces that will help you get started without any costs.
If you want to sell on a premium marketplace like Amazon, be prepared to shell out some selling fee. Amazon charges its sellers a monthly fee for selling more than 40 products a month. Alternatively, if you are selling less than 40 items, you can register as an individual seller. But, that is not free and you will have to give a cut from your order to Amazon.
But, don’t worry, if it’s difficult for you to find the right platform. Check out some of the options below-
Shop101
Shop101 is an online selling platform that helps you earn money online without any additional costs. You can sell your products for free without getting into the hassles of anything. Moreover, there are multiple manufacturers and wholesalers already registered on the platform.
All you have to do is pick a product that you think will sell and forward it to your customers on social media platforms. Remember to add your margin as you share a product with your customer. It is one of the easiest ways to earn money online and sell a product online for free.
Shopify
Shopify is yet another reputed platform in the market that helps you ship hassle-free. If you want to create your store but don’t want to invest in technicalities, Shopify can help you. It takes your idea and turns it into a full-fledged business.
Shopify has various subscription plans, but if you want a basic store, you can get started for free. Once you sign up on the platform, you can start adding your products and create a catalog. Then you can edit the pricing and add discounts and offers as per your likings.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a popular online website building tool. It can help you build a fantastic website from scratch. It is a great alternative to Shopify. Once you purchase your domain and hosting, you can create your website in minutes. All you have to do is pick a template and start building on it. The best part is that you don’t even need any technical skills to do this job. YOu can simply drag and drop the features you like.
Once you have your store in place, start adding your products. Make sure that your product images are of high quality. Similarly, make sure that your product description is clear, crisp, and engaging. After all, the decision to make a purchase depends immensely on these two factors.
WooCommerce also allows you marketing features so that you can enhance your selling. While some of these are free, some are paid. You might want to upgrade to one of the plans depending upon your requirements.
Pay Attention to the Logistics
You want to sell a product online for free, but the question is how is shipping related to this action? The answer is simple, logistics is responsible for a majority of your business costs. So, if you truly have to sell a product online for free, you can’t ignore the aspect of shipping. Here’s what you can do-
Look for the Lowest Rates
Look for the lowest shipping rates in a courier company. In other words, you want to increase your business profits and provide an exceptional delivery experience to your customers. To have the best of both worlds, you will have to provide free shipping to your customers. Now you can do two things in this case
- Create a minimum order threshold for free shipping. This way when you’re bearing the cost of shipping, your profits on the average order value is much greater than the shipping costs.
- Bear shipping costs all by yourself, keeping in mind the competition’s pricing.
In either of the cases, you will have to opt for a logistics platform that offers the lowest shipping rates.
Maximize Your Business Reach
If you truly want to sell a product online for free, you have to grow your business. When you grow your business, you start making huge profits. This means all your minor expenses seem nothing in front of those profits. To do this, you must maximize your reach to your customers. Opt for a courier partner that helps you ship to 26000+ pin codes in India. This way you can make money online as well as reach out to customers from all parts of the nation.
Reduce Your Risk of Undelivered Orders
Reduce the risk of any undelivered orders. Undelivered orders can cause unnecessary hassle in the business and lead to return orders. This can raise your business costs. When trying to sell a product online for free, pay attention to your undelivered orders. Opt for a courier partner that offers real-time tracking information.
Minimize eCommerce Returns
Focus on reducing your return orders. You can do this by researching and partnering with a reputed courier company. Reduce your return orders can make you reduce your overall business costs and thus help you sell a product online for free. If left unchecked, return orders can become a huge burden for your business. Make sure you understand their root cause and do everything to reduce them.
Conclusion
Selling online can be a huge source of making money. But, only if you do it the right way. If you want to sell a product online for free, make sure you opt for a third party logistic provider like Dash101. Dash101 can help you ship for as low as Rs 23/500 gms to over 26000 pin codes in India. Reach out to your audience without worrying about shipping woes!
