FAQs
1. How Can I sell online?
Anyone can start selling online these days. All you need is a passion for e-commerce and strong will to succeed. There are different ways you can start selling even without any technical knowledge.
Read: How To Sell Online in India
2. Which Products should I sell?
This is the toughest question for any online seller. Its quite difficult to identify the hot selling product(s) that can give you high profit levels. You will have to do lots of research to identify killer products.
Check this out: How To Choose Products To Sell Online
3. Should I sell on marketplaces or on own store?
In the beginning, you should sell on marketplaces. Once you have enough experience and gain sufficient knowledge, you should definitely open your own store. Most successful e-tailers sell both on marketplaces and on online store as well.
4. Which are the best marketplaces to sell my products?
There are many great marketplaces where you can list your products and start selling in no time. Amazon and Flipkart are the best ones. You can sell on one or multiple marketplaces. Here’s the complete list:
Best Online Marketplaces in India
5. Which type of online store is best: self-hosted or fully-hosted?
If you are a non-tech, fully hosted solutions are ideal for you but if you want more flexibility you can opt for self hosted solutions. Details are outlined in these posts
How To Launch A Self-Hosted Online Store In India
Top Ecommerce SaaS Platforms In India To Create Online Store
6. How can I sell on multiple marketplaces?
If you are selling on 1 or 2 marketplaces, you can manage on your own but if you want to sell on multiple marketplaces and are generating huge sales volume, it becomes difficult and you need a software that makes your task easier. In India there are good companies that offer services to manage your sale on multiple marketplaces.
How To Sell On Multiple Marketplaces In India
7. Can I sell online without GST ?
All online sellers need GST number for selling taxable items. Rules are strict and you should not sell without it. Penalty is heavy if you’re caught. Moreover, marketplaces won’t allow you to register as sellers without GST number for selling taxable items.
8. What do I need to register as a seller on marketplaces?
Most of the marketplaces require you to submit:
- PAN Card
- ID Proof
- GST No. for selling taxable items
- Brand authorization for selling branded items (selected companies)
Some marketplaces may require one or two additional documents. It’s mostly mentioned on their seller registration page or you can call at their seller support phone number.
9. What are the charges to register as a seller on marketplaces?
There is no fee to register as a seller on marketplaces. You only pay fee/commission on sale of products. You may have to pay nominal listing fee as well like in eBay.
10. What licenses are required to sell online in India?
Generally GST No. is enough but for selling products like food items, cosmetics or surgical goods etc. you need specific licenses from the concerned departments.
11. How can I import from China online?
Alibaba and AliExpress are quite popular and trusted sites to import from China online. But you need to learn quite a lot about using these platforms before you actually start importing. Check this out:
How To Import From China To Sell Online In India For Big Profits
12. How can I buy/sell wholesale online?
While looking for a supplier, your main goal is to find quality products at best rates so you can sell at a profitable price. Do some market research and find a good wholesaler or a manufacturer.
You can also find online suppliers. Here’s the list of marketplaces in India where you can buy or sell online at wholesale rates.
List Of B2B Marketplaces To Buy/Sell Wholesale Products Online In India
13. How can I sell globally?
If you open an online store using solutions like Shopify, you have the ability to sell worldwide by adding international shipping and payment options. There are marketplaces too that allow sellers to ship internationally.
Top Marketplaces To Sell Internationally Online From India-The Beginner’s Guide
14. How can I accept international payments?
If you are selling products or services overseas, Indian payment gateways won’t help you to accept payments. You can use Paypal or Payoneer which are leading international payment gateways that offers services to Indian merchants.
15. Can I use Paypal or Payoneer to accept local payments?
No, at present you can’t accept/make local payments using these gateways. You can only make or receive international payments.
16. What is brand authorization?
For selling branded products, some companies require merchants to get authorization to sell online and that is brand authorization. But, if you have a purchase invoice, you may not require brand authorization.
17. Which payment gateway can I use for my self-hosted store?
There are good gateway service providers in India that enable you to accept local and international payments. You can choose the best one as per your requirements. Here is the list:
List Of Best Payment Gateways In India
18. Should I have A niche site?
With so much competition around and presence of marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart, launching a niche site is a good and a wise idea. You will have great sales volume by offering unique products in a particular niche.
19. How can I increase my sales?
You need to promote your store both offline and online as you can’t wait for customers to come on their own as they may never find your store. Read this:
10 Surefire Ways To Increase Traffic To Your Online Store In India
20. How can I Keep my site secure from hackers?
As an e-commerce entrepreneur, you are more vulnerable to security threats, so you need to be proactive to stay safe online. Here’s what you can do to keep yourself secure:
Stay Safe Online-10 Essential Tips For Marketplace Sellers And Store Owners
21. Do I need IE code for selling internationally online?
Yes, for global selling you need IE code. You can apply online at DGFT.
22. How can I improve my seller ratings on marketplace?
Seller ratings are the most important factor while selling on marketplaces. You must strictly keep following the best practices. You need to take care of different factors like timely & fast delivery, good product quality, no counterfeit selling, proper packaging etc. NEVER miss delivering products after you receive order.
23. How do I ship products selling on marketplaces?
Almost all the marketplaces provide shipping solutions to sellers. You just have to pack the products and keep ready to ship. It will be picked by the courier company assigned by the marketplace.
You can also use fulfillment services like FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) where you send your products to marketplace warehouse and all the packing and fulfillment is done by them.
24. Which are the best free open source e-commerce platforms to create an online store?
Magento, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, OS commerce and Open Cart are the top open source e-commerce software solutions.
Open a Self-Hosted Online Store in India
25. Which are the best hosting companies?
Though there are hundreds of hosting companies out there, you need to select the best one that offers all the features to keep your site running and secure. Bluehost, Siteground, Inmotion and GoDaddy are among the top hosting service providers.
26. Do I need to hire a developer while having own store?
It depends on your business plan and needs. If you have technical knowledge and think you can handle it alone, you don’t need to hire any and vice versa. It’s your choice only. If you use SAAS platform, you won’t need to hire developers.
27. Can I sell without a website?
Yes, you can sell on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Facebook store is quite popular with or without a website. You can also sell on WhatsApp.
Read: How To Sell On Facebook – Fast And Easy
The Fastest, Simplest Way To Sell On WhatsApp In India
28. How much time does it take to get paid after successful sale on marketplaces?
Different marketplaces have their own schedule but normally payment is remitted within 7 to 15 days. Flipkart pays faster to sellers who have good ratings and turnover. This is one area where different marketplaces compete with each other to attract more sellers.
29. How can I sell from my WordPress blog/website?
It’s easy to sell on WordPress blog or website. There are plugins like Shopify, Ecwid and WooCommerce that enable you to have a fully functional shopping cart. Read:
How To Create An eCommerce Website With WordPress In 3 Easy Steps
Have a question or suggestion? Please post in the comments section below. We value your feedback.
Indian online sellers FAQs
