Choosing where to sell your products online is an important decision. If you do not have your own e-Commerce site, there are several easy-to-use and flexible online marketplaces that can help you reach thousands of buyers and make your business profitable. This article shines a spotlight on one such marketplace: Craigslist. Here, we'll give you some valuable tips and tricks to help you be successful on this free and simple website.

Craigslist Profile and Benefits:
	• Traffic: over 50 million unique visitors per year, 20 billion page views per month (source: Craigslist.org) • Features: for sale, community, personals, discussion forums, jobs, housing, and services • Cost to sell most items: $0 • Product/listing review process: none

Craigslist is very straightforward and easy to use. Unlike eBay and Amazon, Craigslist does not have extensive verification processes, nor does it require specific details about shipping or payment to complete your listing.

1. Provide detailed product descriptions and high-quality photographs. Although product descriptions are not required on Craigslist, they can significantly increase the amount of money that buyers are willing to spend on your products. By listing the size, condition, and other characteristics about your item, buyers will feel more comfortable purchasing from you. Also, posting high-quality photographs in your listing will attract more buyers to your products, give them a better understanding of the items you are selling, and increase the chances of them buying from you.

2. Set a reasonable price. Before you create your Craigslist advertisement, you should shop around for similar items to gauge how others are setting their prices. You'll want to offer a competitive price that is attractive and reasonable to buyers and encourages them to purchase from you. If you offer a price that is too low, you'll most likely sell your product but you'll also leave money on the table; offer a price that is too high, and buyers will not respond to your advertisement. Settle on an average price and run with it.

3. Respond quickly to the responses that you get. On Craigslist, you may get many initial responses to your advertisements, but few people will be responsive throughout the negotiating process. For sellers, that can be frustrating. For buyers, it's even more frustrating when the seller of an item they want to purchase does not respond to their questions. Make sure that you respond to any requests you receive within 24 hours to keep your customers happy and sell your products more efficiently. When you supply your contact information, you'll have the option to use anonymous information so that the Craigslist community does not see your true phone number or email address.

4. Do not have more than two active product listings at a time. Craigslist is a community that is policed by its users, and if you have too many active listings at a time, all of your products may get flagged and removed from the site.

5. Use relevant keywords in your listing title. On average, your post will drop from a top page rank within 15 minutes of posting due to the frequency with which products are being added. Therefore, to allow buyers to find your product, use keywords in the listing title that accurately describe what you are selling. Be careful, though – don't insert keywords that are not related to your products. Buyers may then label your listings as spam and you could potentially have your postings removed from the site.

Whether you're just getting started selling online or have been doing so for a while, Craigslist is a great way to easily earn money for your business. The tips in this article will not only help you to make the most out of your Craigslist postings, but will also ensure that your customers have a positive experience and want to buy from you again. Happy listing!

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