{"id":215936,"date":"2019-11-20T12:10:05","date_gmt":"2019-11-20T17:10:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/how-to-sell-stuff-on-craigslist-successfully-craigslist-selling-tips-youll-use"},"modified":"2019-11-20T12:10:21","modified_gmt":"2019-11-20T17:10:21","slug":"how-to-sell-stuff-on-craigslist-successfully-craigslist-selling-tips-youll-use","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/how-to-sell-stuff-on-craigslist-successfully-craigslist-selling-tips-youll-use","title":{"rendered":"How to Sell Stuff on Craigslist Successfully (Craigslist Selling Tips You\u2019ll Use!)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<p>We cover everything from how to price what you\u2019re selling to how to create a headline that\u2019s sure to grab people\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n<p>Basically, we guide you through the whole process of selling on the platform.<\/p>\n<p>Whatever it is, you need to know how much to price your item for.<\/p>\n<p>Set the price too high, and you\u2019ll put potential customers off buying it.<\/p>\n<p>But set the price too low and selling won\u2019t be worth your time.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s all about finding the right price, somewhere in-between too much and too little.<\/p>\n<p>Decide whether you want to list your item for sale for a fixed price, or for a \u201cbest offer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There are pros and cons to both.<\/p>\n<p>When you set a fixed price, you get the amount you want for the item, but you\u2019ll need to attract the right customer. You can garner more interest from potential customers if you run a \u201cbest offer\u201d ad, but you might not get as much money as you wanted.<\/p>\n<p>Keep in mind that pricing slightly higher gives you room to negotiate. People like to feel as though they\u2019ve saved themselves some money.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why it can be a good idea to set your price a little higher. Not so high that you\u2019re going to put off potential buyers, but high enough so that you can offer the customer a deal.<\/p>\n<p>So, let\u2019s say you have a coffee table to sell.<\/p>\n<div readability=\"251.582831536\">\n<div class=\"custom-ad\" readability=\"7.94413407821\">\n<b>Earn $5 Over &amp; Over!<\/b><br \/>\n<span class=\"title-divider\"\/><br \/>\nInstall the free SavvyConnect app on your phone, tablet &amp; desktop and earn $5 per device each month! It can not get any easier than that!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"custom-button\" href=\"https:\/\/moneypantry.com\/go\/JoinSavvyConnect\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Join SavvyConnect Now<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>You want $100 for it.<\/p>\n<p>List it for $120, and then if the customer wants to haggle for it, you can offer it to them for $100.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019ll have seemingly saved $20, and you\u2019ll still get the price you wanted for it!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13810 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/moneypantry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/take-good-photos.jpeg\" alt=\"take good pictures\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\"\/><\/p>\n<h3>3. Take some great photos<\/h3>\n<p>Okay, so now you know the price you\u2019re going to sell your stuff for, the next step is to take a photo of what you\u2019re going to sell.<\/p>\n<p>Now, photos are so important when selling stuff.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ve heard that old adage that a picture is worth a 1,000 words.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s true when selling on CL.<\/p>\n<p>People want to know what they\u2019re buying, so they expect to see photos, lots of them, and good ones too.<\/p>\n<h4>Tips for taking good photos for CL:<\/h4>\n<p>Here are some tips to keep in mind when taking photos of the stuff you want to sell:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Clean up the item your selling. It should go without saying, but if you\u2019re selling something, you want to make sure it\u2019s clean not just for when the potential buyer sees it in person, but also for the photos. A mud-covered bike, for example, won\u2019t look as good in photos, as a clean, shiny one will.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Photograph the item in a room where there\u2019s lots of natural lighting. This will ensure your photos are clear, and that potential customers will be able to see the item properly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>If you\u2019re selling items like clothing, or a phone, place it on a flat surface before taking the photograph. Make sure that the background is plain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>If you\u2019re selling bigger items, like a sofa or a table, for example, again plain, tidy, fuss-free backgrounds are best. Clutter in the background of the photo will detract from what it is you\u2019re selling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Photograph the item from every angle. This ensures that customers get a clear view of what you\u2019re selling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Be sure to photograph any damage to the item. This might seem counterintuitive \u2013 you want to sell this item, so shouldn\u2019t you show it in its best light? Not necessarily. Customers like honest posts. If a person comes to view your coffee table, only to see that there\u2019s a scratch on it that wasn\u2019t photographed, they likely won\u2019t be pleased. So photograph any scuffs, scratches or other damage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Make sure the photos are clear. Photos that are grainy or blurry are a no-go. Take the time to focus your phone\u2019s camera to get a nice, clear, non-blurry photo. Taking the photo in a bright room, as we mentioned above, will prevent grainy photos.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Also, make sure that the photos you take show the item in detail. If you\u2019re selling a necklace, for example, take some close-up photos. For larger items, such as sofas, refrigerators, and tables, a good, wide shot photo where you can see the item in full, as well as some close-up photos, is a great idea.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Speaking of item size, it\u2019s a good idea to give potential customers an idea of an item\u2019s scale. If what you\u2019re selling is particularly big or small, then put a well-known item, like a coin or a pen next to it so that potential buyers can get a better sense of its scale.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These tips will help set your listing apart from the others on the platform. Customers want to know what they\u2019re buying, so giving them clear photos will help your stuff to sell fast!<\/p>\n<h3>4. Create an attention-grabbing headline<\/h3>\n<p>There are hundreds of listings on CL, so you need to do everything you can to get potential customers to click on yours.<\/p>\n<p>A good way to do this is by creating a great headline.<\/p>\n<p>The headline is what customers will see first. If a customer is scrolling through listings, it doesn\u2019t matter how great your description is (learn how to write an awesome description below!), if the customer never sees it.<\/p>\n<p>Not only is your headline the first thing people see on your ad, but it\u2019s also how buyers search for the items they want.<\/p>\n<p>They type in certain keywords, and then listings that include those terms in the headline appear.<\/p>\n<p>So, put some time into creating a great headline.<\/p>\n<h4>Tips for writing a good headline<\/h4>\n<p>Here are some useful tips for writing an awesome Craigslist headline:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use searchable terms. You want to use good keywords so that your listing will appear to customers searching for the item you\u2019re selling. Searchable titles are effective.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Don\u2019t overstuff the headline with keywords.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Don\u2019t be vague. Sure, using the keyword \u201cshoes\u201d when you\u2019re selling shoes is great, but the headline <em>\u201cshoes for sale\u201d<\/em> is not only generic, but it\u2019s bland too.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>This doesn\u2019t mean you need to be overly verbose in your heading either. Be specific. <em>\u201cNavy blue shoes for sale\u201d<\/em> is better, and <em>\u201cSize 7, navy blue, high heel Michael Kors shoes for sale\u201d<\/em> is even better than that.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>When you list specific details in your headline, more people will click through your listing. And, it\u2019s more likely to appear when the customer searches for keywords, such as navy blue shoes for example. You basically filter your own listing!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Include a few of the item\u2019s best features in your headline. Don\u2019t try to cram too much into your title. Instead, choose some of its best features. For example, <em>\u201cBarely worn, size 7, navy blue, high heel Michael Kors shoes for sale.\u201d <\/em>Including the name of the item, the condition of it, and the brand is a good start.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A good title should be specific, searchable, and highlight a few of the item\u2019s best features.<\/p>\n<p>Remember that the details are best saved for the description, so keep your headline informative, but succinct.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13811 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/moneypantry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/write-good-description.jpeg\" alt=\"write good titles and descriptions for your listings\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\"\/><\/p>\n<h3>5. Write a great description<\/h3>\n<p>Now, you\u2019ve taken some awesome photos, and created a headline that\u2019ll draw customers to your listing, it\u2019s time to create a great description.<\/p>\n<p>A good description should tell the customer everything they need to know about the item you\u2019re selling, without being overly long or boring.<\/p>\n<p>Basically, you want to tell the potential buyer all of the details about your item in a succinct, interesting way.<\/p>\n<h4>Tips on writing a good description<\/h4>\n<p>In this section, we\u2019re going to tell you how to write a Craigslist description that will sell your item fast.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Start your ad by explaining what the item is that you\u2019re selling. Keep it to the point.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Tell the customer why you\u2019re selling the item. This is an especially good idea for tech items and appliances. For example, if you\u2019re selling a dining table, you could say, <em>\u201cOnly selling this one, because it\u2019s not big enough for our expanding family.\u201d<\/em> Or if you were selling your Samsung phone, you could say, <em>\u201cOnly selling the Samsung Galaxy S8, because I\u2019ve just upgraded to a Samsung Galaxy S10.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Be upfront with the customer about the item\u2019s condition. Tell the customer about any damage to the item, even if it\u2019s just a small scratch. Like we said in the photo tips section above, customers don\u2019t want to be surprised to see damage to an item.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Include technical specs if you\u2019re selling an electronic\/tech item. Get the technical specs from the manufacturer\u2019s website.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Include measurements for furniture and appliances. People want to know if something is going to fit in their home. So, if you\u2019re selling a sofa, for example, measure it, and list those measurements in the description.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>If you want to ship the item, rather than offering it for collection, then include the postage costs in your listing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>List your price again near the end of the ad. Although it\u2019s included in another section, you want to make sure you include the price of the item in the description as well to ensure potential buyers are aware of the price. You should also say whether that price is fixed or \u201cbest offer.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>At the end of the description, you should include your contact information. This can be an email address or phone number. Now, there are some privacy concerns with this. In the safety section below, we\u2019ll give you some tips on how to get in touch with customers, without you having to give out your personal email address or phone number.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>If you have specific times that you want potential buyers to get in touch, then include that too.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>6. Post your listing<\/h3>\n<p>Now that you have everything you need to create your listing, it\u2019s time to post it.<\/p>\n<p><b>Here\u2019s how to do post your listing on Craigslist:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>As you probably know, CL has different sections for cities across the country. You can type in \u201cCraigslist\u201d followed by the name of your city or nearest city and your local CL page should appear.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Or, you can just visit the the official website <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.craigslist.org\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>\u00a0and browse until you find your city.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Once you\u2019ve found your city, you\u2019ll see lots of different sections, from services to discussion forums.<\/li>\n<li>You\u2019ll also see \u201cCreate a Posting\u201d on this page. This link can be found in the top left corner of the page. Click on that.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Now, you\u2019ll just need to follow some simple instructions, such as entering your location, and choosing the section where you want your listing to appear.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Then, you\u2019ll need to choose a category to post your listing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>There are lots of different categories available, such as jewelry, appliances, furniture, and electronics. Choose the one that best suits your item type.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Once you\u2019ve chosen a category, you\u2019ll just need to enter all those details that we mentioned above, such as your title, price, and contact information.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That\u2019s pretty much it. Now just wait for offers to come in!<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re willing to ship the item, then you might want to post your listing in a few different cities<\/p>\n<h3>7. Communicate with potential buyers<\/h3>\n<p>Make sure to check your emails or phone frequently for messages from customers.<\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t want to let a paying customer slip by because you missed their message. Customers can be fickle. So if you don\u2019t respond to them quickly enough, they\u2019ll likely move onto another listing.<\/p>\n<p>If a customer agrees to buy your item, arrange a meetup or shipping for the item, as soon as you can. Again, don\u2019t keep the customer waiting.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Sell on Craigslist Safely<\/h2>\n<p>CL is a great place to sell stuff, whether that\u2019s your used sofa or your unwanted clothing because it\u2019s easy, it\u2019s free, and you can <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/moneypantry.com\/apps-to-sell-stuff-locally\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sell to people nearby<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>While it is a great site to sell through, some people have safety concerns.<\/p>\n<p>A lot of people ask, <em>\u201chow do I sell something on Craigslist safely?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>It is a well-warranted concern. There are countless stories of people being scammed on Craigslist or worse, being physically harmed by crazy lunatics.<\/p>\n<p>In this section, we\u2019re going to cover a few safety tips for selling on this popular classified site. So you can ensure that selling on the site isn\u2019t just a profitable endeavor, but a safe one too!<\/p>\n<p>Here are some safety tips to follow when you sell on CL.<\/p>\n<h3>Remove geotags from photos<\/h3>\n<p>If you took your CL photos using your phone, then make sure that you remove geotags from your photos before you post them to CL.<\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t want potential buyers to know your location.<\/p>\n<p>You can disable mobile geotagging altogether \u2013 learn how to do it <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/how-to\/how-to-disable-mobile-geotagging\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>. Or you can remove geotags from your photos on your desktop computer \u2013 read <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/how-to\/how-to-remove-personal-information-from-photos-in-windows-10\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this guide<\/a> to learn how to do it.<\/p>\n<h3>Do not include your home address in your listing<\/h3>\n<p>Sure, you want the customer to know that what they\u2019re going to purchase is nearby if the item is going to be picked up, rather than shipped.<\/p>\n<p>But, you never want to give out your home address.<\/p>\n<p>CL has different sections for different cities anyway, meaning that it\u2019s redundant to list your home\u2019s location.<\/p>\n<p>Stay safe, and don\u2019t disclose your home address.<\/p>\n<h3>Use the anonymous email feature<\/h3>\n<p>While it might not be as much of a safety concern as choosing where to meet up with the buyer, many people, myself included, like to ensure that they don\u2019t share their personal email address publicly. Some people are just private and we totally get that.<\/p>\n<p>So, what can you do if you want customers to get in touch, but don\u2019t want to share your email address?<\/p>\n<p>Rather than giving out your email address to strangers, take advantage of Craigslist\u2019s anonymous email feature.<\/p>\n<p>CL will set up a random email address that will forward any contact from potential buyers to your personal email. This allows you to receive emails without having to share your personal email address in public.<\/p>\n<h3>Protect your phone number<\/h3>\n<p>If you don\u2019t mind getting calls, then share your phone number by all means. Some people don\u2019t want to put their personal phone number on their CL listing though.<\/p>\n<p>A safer alternative is to use a tool like <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/voice.google.com\/u\/0\/about\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Google Voice<\/a>. With Google Voice, you can get a free phone number for calls, text messages, and voicemail.<\/p>\n<h3>Avoid offers that seem too good to be true<\/h3>\n<p>Being offered more money than you asked for seems like a sweet deal.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s anything but though, sadly.<\/p>\n<p>Most of the time, if someone offers you more money for something, it\u2019s a scam.<\/p>\n<p>Scammers will send you a check for a larger amount, and then ask you to wire the difference back to them.<\/p>\n<p>So avoid these offers! You can learn more about financial scams <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/moneypantry.com\/money-scams\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>Meet the buyer in a public place<\/h3>\n<p>This can be hard for larger items, but inviting strangers to your home just isn\u2019t safe.\u00a0 Outside of large stores, like Walmart or Costco, or even your local police station all make for good local meeting points.<\/p>\n<h3>Take somebody with you to the meeting<\/h3>\n<p>Don\u2019t meet with a stranger alone, even if it is in a public place. Take somebody else with you to the meetup.<\/p>\n<h3>Tell someone where you\u2019re going<\/h3>\n<p>Let someone else, other than the person who\u2019s attending the meet up with you, know about the meetup.<\/p>\n<p>Tell them where you\u2019re meeting, the name of the buyer, and the time you\u2019re meeting. Also, provide them with whatever contact information it is that you\u2019ve been using to communicate with the buyer, whether that\u2019s their phone number or email address.<\/p>\n<h2>How Much Does it Cost to Sell on Craigslist?<\/h2>\n<p>Most of the time, it\u2019s totally free to post an item for sale on Craigslist, but there are a few exceptions.<\/p>\n<p>For example, cars\/trucks, RVs, and motorcycles posted for sale by the owner in the US cost $5.<\/p>\n<p>You can learn about posting fees on CL <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.craigslist.org\/about\/help\/posting_fees\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>Selling on CL really is a great option. It\u2019s so easy. It\u2019s free. And the site has millions of users, meaning you can often sell your stuff fast.<\/p>\n<p>Do you have any tips on how to sell stuff on Craigslist?<\/p>\n<p>Let us know in the comments section below!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/moneypantry.com\/craigslist-selling-tips\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We cover everything from how to price what you\u2019re selling to how to create a headline that\u2019s sure to grab people\u2019s attention. Basically, we guide [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-215936","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215936","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215936"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215936\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215936"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215936"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215936"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}