Want to Sell Consumer Electronics Online? Follow These Suggestions

One of the hottest e-commerce items for sale is consumer electronics. These products are so popular that they are more gadgets than humans on Earth.

The reason behind the popularity of gadgets isn’t hard to understand, though. Tech products, such as mobile phones and computers, enable people to connect with friends and family, get household chores done with just a few taps and stay entertained whenever or wherever you want.

If you love tech gadgets, consider turning your love for electronics into a profitable venture. Here are a few tips you should know when selling these consumer products online:

Consumer electronics covers so many areas. You have people selling the best smartwatches, laptops, drones, TVs, portable music players, digital cameras and more.

Don’t attempt to be the jack-of-all-trades guy and sell every consumer electronic product known to man. Instead, select an area of interest. If you know a lot about laptops and not so much about drone technology, skip the drones and invest your time, money and energy into selling the latest laptop models.

If you’re going to be a reseller or a dropshipper, you’ll need to purchase a sample of the goods you plan to sell. This way, you’ll have an idea of which products to include and which ones to ignore. When testing out a particular gadget, step into the shoes of a consumer and ask yourself these product review questions:

Then, place the answers to these questions in your product description. This shows that you have first-hand knowledge of the products you’re selling.;

Using an e-commerce platform can boost your chances of running a successful online business. By using this platform to sell electronics, you can benefit from business tools, security features and payment processing options that will make your life as a business owner easier. A few of the reliable e-commerce platform providers out there are Shopify, Wix and Weebly.

Pro-tip: Picking a platform is just the first step. You still need to design and optimize your e-commerce website. Reach out to an experienced web design and SEO agency to help you in this area.

If you’re new to the e-commerce world and have no clue where to obtain your electronic products, start by doing a simple Google search for tech distributors in your geographical area. Then, you’ll need to create an account with your chosen distributor and choose the payment terms that suit both parties.

Working out your online store’s fulfillment process is the next step. Some e-commerce business owners choose to forego this process completely. These sellers work with wholesalers or dropshippers who take care of the entire fulfillment process. This way, the business owner can focus more time on improving their product selection and customer service.

Although dropshipping may be an easy way to handle shipping logistics, it’s not your only option. As a matter of fact, this route has its share of drawbacks. This option won’t allow you to check the ordered merchandise for quality. Also, given that you won’t be handling the products yourself, you’re at the mercy of shipping hiccups and supply chain issues.

The other option is to take care of the shipping process by yourself, you’ll need to manage a lot of fulfilment tasks, such as:

The advantage of this option is that you have more control over the overall improvement process. If a process needs improvement, you could make tweaks easily.

Think carefully about these two fulfillment options. Then, pick one that best suits the goals and budget of your business.

There will always be customers who aren’t happy with the product they received. You may find them asking for a return and expecting either a refund or a replacement product.

As an electronics online store business owner, you need a policy that makes product returns simple and hassle-free. An example is to use a platform that will automate your refund and returns management system.

You need to make marketing a priority if you want your electronics online store to get off the ground. You have multiple avenues when marketing your tech merch. An example is to subtly promote your stuff on online communities dedicated to electronics and technology. These are forums where tech geeks discuss their favorite devices.

Another option is to advertise your products on social media. Sites, such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, provide the ability to use paid ads to target the right consumers.

Turn your love for gadgets into a living. These tips, along with a solid business plan, will help you sell electronics to tech enthusiasts with better success, allowing you to earn a decent income from this venture.

Dorian Koci
 

Dr. Dorian Koçi is a historian, Director of National Historical Museum of Albania and lecturer in Tirana State University, Faculty of History and Philology and New York University of Tirana.