Best Apps to Sell Shoes Online
Selling shoes whether old or new is a great business. Other than the profit one can make on shoes, you can help people by selling your old shoes. Rather, many sport-specific shoes like those for trekking or rock climbing are very expensive. Thus, trading old ones can be a win-win situation.
Best App For Selling Shoes Online
Importance of selling shoes online
The shoe business is no doubt a great one. However, the online business boom has left offline stores customer-less despite the high investment. Users prefer products delivered to their homes instead of visiting stores. The importance of selling shoes online is as follows:
- An online shoe store can be approached by anyone across the world. A local store targets a local market. This is the main reason smart businessmen open shoe stores. Anyone across the world can buy from their online store vs limited people buying from their offline local store.
- A local shop is expensive. You must buy a physical store, furnish it, market it, stock it, etc. In this case, you will need to consider a higher profit for the overall benefit. This will make your business less competitive. However, with an online store, all you need to do is create a website.
- An online shoe store allows you to sell shoes of all sizes and all brands at the same time. Everything manufactured by the brands you deal in will be in stock. The reason is that you do not have to keep anything in stock while selling it. Products can be shipped directly from the manufacturer’s godown to the buyer when ordered.
- Selling shoes online offers convenience to buyers since they do not need to spend time visiting the store and selecting the shoes of their choice. They simply need to check the pictures on their app, select the size, and order the shoes of their choice.
- It is easier to advertise online stores. Offline advertising is expensive and targets lesser customers. Online advertising is easy, cheap, and targets many more customers.
Best Apps to Sell Shoes Locally in 2023
While you can always create your own online store to sell shoes online, it will need a lot of time to be successful with the concept. In this case, you can try well-established apps to sell your shoes online. Depending on whether you wish to sell your old shoes or new shoes, we will let you know about the apps available in the market.
Usually, people will buy old shoes only if they are specialized ones. Eg. Shoes for climbing very high mountains, or those which would be very expensive if bought new.
The Best Apps to Sell New & Old Shoes Locally :
- Poshmark
- eBay
- Mercari
- Depop
- GOAT
- StockX
- Amazon FBA
- Shopify
- WooCommerce
- BigCommerce
- Magento
- Volusion
1. Poshmark :
As the name states, Poshmark is an excellent app to sell poshwear. Poshwear means expensive clothes and shoes. So, if you have expensive shoes and wish to get rid of them, then you can try selling them on the Poshmark website.
To sell your shoes on Poshmark, go to the website poshmark.com/sell. Click on Start selling and list your shoes. Finally, promote your shoes by advertising and you will be charged a nominal fee for selling your product.
The reason selling shoes through Poshmark is a good idea is because its buyer community is a growing one. This means that your shoes listed online will have great visibility without giving extra effort. Also, the community has an interest in expensive products which is rare elsewhere.
2. eBay :
eBay is one of the most popular websites for selling old goods online. The main reason one should consider selling shoes on eBay is that the website is very popular among online users. eBay has local websites and international ones. Thus, you can sell your shoes across the globe through their courier facility. If you wish to save money on that, you can consider selling your old shoes locally. In this case, you can simply hand over the product to the other person.
The main advantage of eBay is that eBay doesn’t consider expensive shoes only. Buyers with every budget can buy and sell shoes on eBay. The procedure to sell on eBay is as follows:
Go to ebay.com/sl/sell.
Now, create your listing on this page.
When your shoes get sold, eBay will charge a commission of 10-15%.
To better your chances of a sale, we advise you to use high-quality photos of your shoes.
Other than this, using paid promotion will also be helpful.
3. Mercari :
Mercari is an excellent website for selling old shoes to local customers. However, it has a limitation in that it only serves USA, UK, and Japan. However, the main advantage is that the international channel and local channel are all a part of the same website. Even more, the platform is very easy to use. The procedure to sell your shoes through Mercari is as follows:
Go to the webpage mercari.com/us/local.
Now, you will notice two options. The first one is Mercari local. The second one is Local meetup. In the case of the first one, Mercari will ship your product at a nominal courier charge. In the second case, you will have to pay a nominal commission to Mercari. Then, you can hand over your shoes directly.
Usually, you will be paid once the buyer rates you on the app.
4. Depop :
I like Depop over other fashion trading websites for a reason. You will find self-created stuff on the websites. These designs are quite different from the options available on other fashion websites.
When you buy a used product (or used shoes as explained in this example), then you will probably not buy it only for the price difference. The main reason would be that it wouldn’t be available anywhere else. At least not easily. In this case, Depop will offer the variety you require.
If you have a snazzy pair of shoes for which you aren’t getting the right price over other websites, Depop would be a great option.
5. Goat :
Goat is a pretty simple website when it comes to buying and selling apparel. It lists shoes by size, brand, etc. Thus, even while buying old shoes, users will notice the option to choose. While the prices on the website are slightly higher than its rivals, it is actually better for you. You earn more eventually.
However, the negative it that it is not easy to sell your shoes over the Goat platform. Here’s some advice – list your shoes here as well as on other websites. Sell wherever you get the best price.
6. StockX :
StockX is a relatively new website with a decent database. It is easy to sell over StockX. The interface and instructions are clear and concise. To sell your old shoes on StockX, the procedure is as follows:
Go to the website stockx.com/sell.
In the field, choose shoes.
Then, list your product and put it up for sale.
If your shoes are sold, then you will get a certain commission on the sales.
The best apps to sell new shoes are as follows:
7. Amazon FBA :
Amazon is known to everyone. However, if you wish to sell shoes on Amazon, the website and app are different. It comes with the name Fulfillment by Amazon. This is considered the most popular platform for selling new shoes. Once you create an account, you can list your new shoes on Amazon. Since Amazon has a huge user base, your shoes will have a higher chance of getting sold.
If you own a brand of shoes, then Amazon FBA will be the best bet for you.
8. Shopify :
Shopify is the online version of offline stores. It is like creating your own website, but with all the featured pre-packed. You can create your online store on Shopify to sell your brand of shoes. However, unlike the case with Amazon, you will have to promote it yourself.
Interestingly, Shopify provides you with a set of templates to start your store. You won’t need to use your own efforts in designing.
9. WooCommerce :
WooCommerce comes as a website for selling products and as a plugin. The benefit of the WooCommerce plugin is that it provides all the tools required to create a sales platform. While the templates are not complete, this gives you flexibility.
You can link WooCommerce to other affiliates and sales partners.
10. BigCommerce :
BigCommerce comes in 2 modes. The first mode is for large businesses and the second one is for individual sellers. If you are a small seller, you can launch your store at bigcommerce.com/essentials. Simply create the store and pitch for selling your brand of shoes.
BigCommerce offers more flexibility than Shopify and WooCommerce but you would need to be an expert in creation and sales.
11. Magento :
If you are seeking a sales platform created by a recognized brand, you can consider Magento. Magento is a product by Adobe, so you can trust to quality. It allows you to sell your shoes directly to customers as well as to other businesses.
Interestingly, the platform allows you to expand as your business grows. Thus, it offers flexibility.
12. Volusion :
If you want to create your website like you create on WordPress, but need wider access to sales-focused templates, then please consider Volusion. It offers you everything WordPress and WooCommerce would but is relatively easy to use.
Even more, if you were to sell shoes through WordPress or Shopify, there’s a hard chance that you could access templates specific to the niche. But Volusion has the needful.
How to choose the best app to sell shoes for your needs?
We have mentioned a lot of apps above. This can be confusing. So, let me make it easier for you to sort. If you are selling old shoes, you wouldn’t sell them in bulk. To sell a pair or two, it will be advisable to sell through eBay or Poshmark since they have an established base of second-hand product buyers.
But if you own a brand of shoes, then it will be advisable to create your own store on Shopify, WooCommerce, or Volusion. It will give you more flexibility.
How to Optimize Your Sales on Shoe-Selling Apps?
If you own a brand of shoes and wish to sell them online, then you would need to optimize your sales. The reason is that you would be new to the market and competing with a lot of rivals. The procedure to optimize shoe sales is as follows:
1. Create effective product listings:
While bringing traffic to your product page is important, even more, important is to make sure that the viewer buys the product too. This is why creating an effective product listing is important. To create an effective product listing, the following points are important.
Make sure that the image used is relevant. It should not be merely an image of the pair of shoes you are trying to sell, but a pitch good enough to be rejected.
The price quoted should be reasonable enough to be purchased comfortably. Else, it would be a waste promoting the product.
Remember to use CTAs to make it easier for the buyer to purchase the shoes.
2. Pricing strategies:
One might want to know how to price shoes before selling them online. Thus, consider the following:
First of all, calculate the total cost after considering all charges including manufacturing and transportation. Then, increase the price by at least 20% to adjust the profit. You cannot price your product below this figure.
After this, check for your competition. Then increase the price of your shoes to match the competition. Usually, you can increase the prices easily in a monopolistic market. However, much isn’t possible in a market with a lot of competition.
3. Negotiating with buyers:
While selling online, negotiating with buyers has a limited scope in comparison to selling through local shops. The reason is that you don’t interact face to face. In this case, you can negotiate as follows.
Reduce prices if you notice competition. Don’t reduce prices if competition doesn’t exist.
You can consider offering discounts from time to time if needed.
4. Responding to customer inquiries:
Have you ever thought of creating an after-sales support system but found it expensive. Well, if your plan is for a system involving calling, then the procedure is different. If you can do it with an email or chat response (like many small businesses do), then most of the above-mentioned websites have an option for the same.
Using email or chat responses, even a single person can handle after-sales support.
5. Shipping and handling tips:
If you have your own system for shipping and handling, then it is good. Else, you can the shipping options provided by the original seller. If you are selling your own product, then consider Amazon FBA. The reason is that Amazon will handle the shipping in this case. If you use options like your own website or Shopify, then you will have to hire a courier partner. Depending on the country you are dealing in, finding such a service would be easy.
6. Dealing with returns and refunds:
What if a person wishes to return your products? Obviously, you will face losses, but have you considered that while managing costs and profits.
When a buyer returns your shoes, you won’t be even with the finances, but slightly in a loss. The reason is that the shipping charges will have to be paid by you. It is advisable not to charge the customer for shipping since it will impact your reputation.
7. Using social media to boost sales:
If you use Amazon FBA or a similar platform for selling your shoes, then you won’t have to worry about spending on customer reach. However, if you use platforms like Shopify, websites, etc, then the case is different.
In case it is your own store, you will score sales if you find customers by yourself. This can be done by boosting your products using social media. By social media, I mean Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc. Paid advertisements are a good idea. Spend time researching advertisements created by your rivals and try to match them. By as creative as possible with the ads.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
A lot of users would have frequently asked questions. We will answer them here:
What types of shoes sell best online?
If you are selling old shoes, they better be a rare type or very expensive ones. Otherwise, you will find it hard to sell old shoes. In case you own a brand of shoes, then you can sell any kind of shoes if you price them as per market competition.
How do I know if my shoes are worth selling?
Check Amazon or any other leading store in your area. Get an idea of prices of shoes similar in quality and worth and compare them with your shoes. Now, check if you can offer a better price. If not, then your shoes are not worth selling. If yes, then give it a try.
What should I do if I receive negative feedback?
When you sell products online, it is quite possible to receive negative feedback. Before creating an impulsive response to it, wait for a while till the responses become clearer. If the percentage of negative responses is high, then check for them to be in the same line. In case they are, then work on them as suggested.
In some cases, your rivals can also generate negative feedback. If such feedback is public, appeal to get them removed.
How can I avoid scams & fraudulent buyers while selling shoes online?
Mostly, scams and fraudulent buyers are managed by the platform when you sell through Amazon FBA. But if you plan to sell through Shopify or your own store, then you can mitigate the problem by limiting sales to genuine users. Don’t sell shoes to users who return shoes frequently.
If any buyer tried scamming you by returning used shoes and mentioning that boxes were empty, then report the same to the police.
Can I sell shoes internationally?
Depending upon the financials of the shoes you are selling and the law of the jurisdiction you live in, you may or may not be allowed to sell shoes internationally. In case you can, try selling through a reliable courier partner. Also, don’t forget to consider the payment differences, export taxes, courier charges, etc.
Do I need to pay taxes on my shoe sales?
Yes, you need to pay GST or VAT on your shoe sales. However, in many jurisdictions, the sales tax is exempt till a particular amount of sales per year. As for income tax, that is considered on the net profit after the sales.
Hope this helps!
