We’ve already discussed in great length about how beneficial Alibaba can be for your business. Not only is it the world’s largest online B2B marketplace, but it’s also used by thousands of wholesalers, dropshippers and procurement managers all over the globe.
But if you’re new to this advantageous platform, then you’re probably wondering how you can start reaping all the benefits that we’ve been telling you so much about.
Well fear not, we’ve got it all covered in this blog post, and all it takes is 3 simple steps…
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Evaluate your product
Products are at the heart of any business, so the first step that we suggest is to carefully think about what you want to sell, and how you’re going to sell it. Check out some top tips to help you put the right research in:
Explore the marketplace
Check out the marketplace currently to see what’s out there. With everything from apparel, transport, machinery and advertising available, you may even get some new ideas for your e-commerce adventure.
Analyze the competition
There may be high competition for what you want to sell so it’s best to check out your competitors to see how you can beat them. How much product info do they include? How do they pitch it to their consumers? The more you find out about your competitors, the better you can shape your profile for success.
Get to know your audience
Understanding who you are selling to is integral to making the sale. Whatever you are selling, there will be an audience out there who wants to buy. What’s important to understand is how to market it to your demographics.
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Create your company profile
With so many sellers all across the world using Alibaba.com, sometimes it’s hard to build up trust with your audience. That’s why your company profile is an important step in getting started on Alibaba.com.
When people source your product, the listing gives the option to check out your profile. Make sure you’ve included all the usual information that you’d expect to find on your “About Us” page of your company website. The history of your company is always a great place to start, and if you have partnerships with larger companies then this can definitely help to solidify your reputation.
You can include details such as:
- Company name
- Company photo
- Business type
- Product and service
- Registered address
- Number of employees
- Contact information
Remember, the more detailed you are, the more people will trust you as a seller.
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Optimize your product listings
Once you’ve done all the research and created your profile, you need to ensure that whenever you upload a product it’s optimized for success. You can add up to 50 products for free on Alibaba.com, and to attract as many buyers as you can, you need to be thinking about your product specifications…
Use keywords
As with everything else in Internet marketing, it’s important to use keywords so that you can get noticed. Once you begin to set up your product listing you’ll be required to put it in the right category, but there’s still more that you can do to get noticed. Think about popular search terms and place them in the title of your listing.
Be detailed
When it comes to the product description, the more details you add, the better. Think about what the USP’s are, and give people a reason to what to buy, rather than simply adding a few words.
A product listing will give you the option to give quick details such as product type, size, quantity and place of origin. But it will also give you the option to offer more specific details—and that’s your chance to really sell it to the consumer.
Use images
Did you know that people remember 80% of what they see and just 20% of what they read? Using images in your listing will really help to sell your product. Don’t just include one main image either, make sure you upload various images to show off your product in different colors, styles or even from different angles.
Good luck!
So there you have it—our 3 simple steps to getting started with Alibaba.com. We hope you’ve found this useful and we wish you the best of luck for your Alibaba adventure.
Don’t forget, if you want to find out more about how Alibaba.com can help you then download our free e-book Instant Profits with Alibaba.com. It’s written by marketing strategist, Issa Asad and offers plenty of expert tips on how you can use this platform to create a successful business!
About The Author
Issa Asad
Issa Asad is a well-respected entrepreneur, best-selling author and marketing strategist from South Florida. With over 15 years of experience in the telecommunications, technology and marketing industries.
