8 Carousell & Shopee Tips to Guarantee Sales & Keep Lowballers Away - ShopBack
While both Carousell and Shopee are C2C platforms (this means there are no third party companies or corporations between you and the product you want to buy), there are slight differences to how these apps are used.
Sellers on Shopee are more focused and they tend to sell a specific type of items that they’ve sourced from a supplier; sellers on Carousell are a mix of those who are selling off second-hand items as well as “shops” that sell a specific type of items (be it clothes, tech gadgets or toys). With this in mind, you’ll get a better idea of which platform might work better for you, depending on what you would like to sell. Of course, using both is completely fine too!
1. It’s all about the aesthetics
It’s all about first impressions. There may be hundreds of other people selling the same item as you on Carousell or Shopee, and the best way to stand out among them is to have a visually appealing cover picture of your item. Put some effort into presenting your item nicely, and make sure it can be seen clearly in the picture.
Both Carousell and Shopee have an in-app photo editor so you can touch up your photos to adjust the exposure, brightness and colour.
You can even go the extra mile to find and include official pictures (or swatches, for makeup products) that will lend credibility to your shop and products.
2. Give Me The Details!
When listing your items, always remember to be clear and specific in your item description. These details are what will convince potential buyers that your product is legitimate and worth spending money on. Inputting relevant details also ensures that your items are searchable and discoverable based on the buyers’ search terms.
The details that people usually look out for are the condition of the item (is it brand new or has it been used before?), delivery options (meet-ups only, or can it be mailed? What will be the price of mailing be?) and location (this is only for meet-ups). Shopee is more guided with its product description and you can input details such as the weight of the item, how long shipping is expected to take and the amount of stock available.
You can even include #hashtags, that will help users to discover your items when they are searching for certain keywords and products. Only include relevant hashtags though – don’t be that annoying seller who tags #fashion #trendy #asos #forever21 for a WiFi router.
3. Collect Feedback and Ratings
This tip is more for Carousell, since you can’t really compel your Shopee customers to leave a review. Remind your buyers to “Make An Offer” on Carousell so that you will only be able to leave reviews for each other. It’s kind of like building up a portfolio – more (positive) reviews will encourage future buyers to buy from you since you’re a reliable seller. So don’t be shy to request for buyers to leave you feedback, especially if the transaction was a pleasant one!
4. Update Regularly
Having more recent listings on Carousell means those listings are more likely to end up at the top of the page when potential buyers search for them. More listings also means that users are more like to “Follow” your shop , so they’ll be updated whenever you have new products listed. Shopee might also list you as a “Recommended Seller” if you have regular sales and products.
Shopee also states when you were last “Active”, your “Response Rate” and your “Response Time”. Users will be more likely to shop from you if they know that your store is active and that you are responsive. So always check in to both apps regularly and reply any messages as soon as you can!
5. Join Groups
Here’s another Carousell tip! You can join groups to make your shopping experience more tailored – there are groups based on location, school campuses and even anime/K-pop fandoms. Putting your listings in these groups will ensure that the right people will see your items.
6. Instashop Import
This one is for those who are already running an Instashop (i.e. an Instagram account dedicated to selling items). Both Carousell and Shopee offer the Instagram Import function, which allows you to copy the listings on Instagram to the respective platforms. You can still edit the listings after you shift them over, in case you want to make minor adjustments. So useful for reaching a wider audience!
7. Boost Your Listings To Boost Your Sales
Carousell recently introduced a new boost function, which will promote your listing by moving it to the top of the search page for a limited time. This comes with a small fee, so use this only if the payoff will be significantly larger than what you have to fork out.
Shopee allows sellers to boost their items for free. You can boost 5 of your products to the top of the search page every 6 hours at absolutely no cost, so make the most out of this!
8. Drop the price if your products aren’t selling
If you’re listed your item for quite a while but it isn’t selling, you might want to consider holding your own sale! Carousell gives you a free “bump” to your listings if you drop the price and Shopee has many coupon codes that you can offer as well.
Don’t Get Lowballed or Cheated On!
Carousell and Shopee have made online shopping unbelievably convenient, but they don’t go without flaws. There’s hardly any regulation on sellers and the products they sell, which can spell trouble if buyers and sellers don’t exercise caution when shopping. Here are some tips to help you avoid getting cheated on Carousell and Shopee!
1. Money Matters
Always, always use payment methods that you are comfortable with, especially on Carousell as Carousell does not regulate the transfer of money between buyer and seller. Common payment methods on Carousell are bank transfers, cash-on-delivery and Paypal. Avoid using money transfer services like MoneyGram and Western Union, since they’re often used in scams.
Shopee allows credit card payment and bank transfers. The Shopee Guarantee also lowers the risk of getting cheated – even if the buyer has paid for the item, Shopee will hold on to the money until they receive the item. The money is only released to the sellers after buyers have confirmed that they have received the item. This system protects both buyers and sellers from getting cheated on. That being said, always be careful and double check before making a purchase!
2. Read The Reviews
Check the feedback that other users have left on the buyer or seller’s page – that will give you a good gauge of what your experience with the particular buyer/seller will be like. It’s best to know what you’re getting yourself into with every new buyer/seller. If the reviews are dodgy or seem suspicious, steer clear.
3. Fire Away With Questions
Buyers, don’t be afraid to ask loads of questions. If you’re serious about buying the item and are genuinely interested in finding out more before committing to a purchase, don’t shy away from asking for more details or pictures. Do read the item description beforehand though, and make sure you aren’t asking about what the seller has already stated on the listing.
4. Mailing Options
Go for Registered mail as much as possible, especially with expensive items. Paying a few dollars extra ($2.24 to be exact) will be worth it so you can track whether or not your item has been sent out (or even if the buyer is scamming you!)
Always send or request for mailing proof (i.e. a snapshot or video of the product being mailed) even if you opt for Normal postage.
5. Only Deal Within The App
Keep all discussions and negotiations within Carousell/Shopee and avoid bringing the conversation onto SMS or Whatsapp. This not only protects your phone number and hence your privacy, Carousell and Shopee will be able to keep a record of your interactions in case things go sour and they need to step in to resolve the situation. Besides, it’s a lot more convenient to have all the details about your purchase in one place.
For Carousell, always remember to “Make An Offer” and ensure that the offer is accepted. Only then will you be able to make leave feedback for the buyer or seller, which acts as a deterrent should the other party try to do something shady!
And with that, you’re all ready to make the most out of Carousell and Shopee! Remember, everyone is here to have a good experience shopping, so be patient, be pleasant, and build a welcoming community! Now go and have fun selling and shopping!