Tips for Selling Shoes on the Internet

With women’s clothing being one of the top selling categories for online merchandise, selling shoes on the internet seems like a logical next choice. It’s also an area that hasn’t become as flooded with competitors as women’s apparel in general, so if you’re thinking of setting up a shop that focuses on shoes, now is a great time to do it.

Still, you shouldn’t just jump into it. If you want to avoid some headaches and give yourself a better chance at hitting the ground running, try these helpful tips.

Size matters. Hopefully this is obvious for anyone selling any kind of clothing online, but you should always include the size of the shoe. In fact, if you really want to get the most likely buyers to click on your product listing, you should put the size in the title.

Go with “shoes.” When people are looking for footwear, they tend to search for “shoes” – even if what they’re really looking for are sandals or boots. Because of this, it’s often smarter to list your product as “shoes” even if one of those others terms would describe it more accurately.

Measure, measure, measure. The fit of a shoe is so specific that it can be scary for someone thinking of purchasing them online if all they have to go by is the size – after all, it’s not like they can try them on! To alleviate these fears, you should include several important measurements: the length from heel to toe, the height of the heel, and the width where the shoe is at its widest.

Include photos of the actual item. When selling shoes on the internet – or anything, really – it’s all about what the customer can see. This means providing them with an attractive-looking picture of the item that you’re selling so they can see how nice it is.

Practice your descriptive powers. “Seeing” isn’t all about pictures, though. People can also see your words, so you have to make sure you use good ones and tell them the right things. Even though there’s a picture, you still want to describe the shoes’ color as accurately as possible with terms like “charcoal gray” or “electric blue.” Additionally, you should describe the fabric and what the sole is made of. For some more expensive shoes, it can even be smart to include a picture of the sole because the manufacturer will often leave their mark there.

Mention the retail value. A big part of the reason people are looking at your online store for shoes is because they want a bargain. The best way to prove to them that you’re providing this is to include the retail value so that they can see how much they’ll save by going with you.