How to Sell on Alibaba
By Corbin HartwickUpdated on March 11, 2022
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In the previous tutorial, we showed you how to buy on Alibaba, but what if you want to sell your goods to other people and companies who use Alibaba?
This tutorial will go through the general steps of what you need to do to register as a supplier on Alibaba.
To sell on Alibaba:
1. Register for an Alibaba seller (or hybrid) account.
Go to www.alibaba.com in your web browser and click on Join Free in the menu across the top of the screen.
On the next screen, click in the box labelled “Email” and type in your email address. Then, where it says “Verification”, click and hold on the white arrow box and slide it all the way to the right. This should open a new box; click in the text box beside the distorted characters and type in the message that you see, and then click Submit. If you do it right, the box beside “Verification” should turn green and say “verified”. Then all you have to do is click Next to continue.
A screen will appear telling you that you need to check your email for a confirmation of your account. Go to your email client, log in, and look for the email from Alibaba.com labelled “Please Verify Your Email Address to Finish Your Account Registration.” Click it to open it, and then click the Complete button inside the email.
You must now set up your account information. Click in each of the boxes highlighted here and type in or select:
- a password for your account
- a copy of the password that you picked
- your role on Alibaba (be sure to select either Seller or Both)
- your first name
- your last name
- your company’s name
- your telephone number
Once you’ve entered all of your information, click Confirm.
2. Create your company’s profile on Alibaba.
Before you start selling on Alibaba, you need to establish your company’s profile. What kind of business are you? Where are you located in the world? What products and/or services do you offer? How big or small is your company? What areas of the globe are you targeting with sales?
Remember, buyers who come to Alibaba are looking for potential trading partners. Making sure that your profile is as complete as possible, and reflects well on your company and what it stands for, will go a long way towards drawing in potential buyers.
For a tutorial on how to create a company profile on Alibaba, click here.
3. Post the products that you are selling on Alibaba.
Once your company profile is complete, you’ll need to start listing the products that you wish to offer for sale on Alibaba. Generally, you’re going to want to post as many products as you can, as it will mean more opportunities for buyers to find them… and, subsequently, your company! However, also make sure that all of your products have complete details, proper categorization, clear pictures, and so on… it’s no good to have your products noticed if their details are so shoddy that nobody buys them anyway!
For a tutorial on how to list products on Alibaba, click here.
For tips on what information, pictures, and other details to include in an Alibaba product listing, click here.
4. Make things easier on buyers by sorting your products into groups.
Having your listed products on Alibaba organized makes it easier for potential buyers to browse them. You can create custom categories, and sort your listed products within those categories. You can even create up to two levels of sub-categories, if you want to get really specific in helping potential buyers narrow down what they’re looking for!
For instructions on how to group your product listings on Alibaba, click here.
5. Manage your communications on Alibaba effectively.
People like it when they’re acknowledged, and when they feel like someone is there if they need to ask a question or request help. You can use your “Messages and Contacts” interface in Alibaba to keep track of buyers and other Alibaba users that you communicate with frequently, and send and receive messages. Everything stays on Alibaba, too, so you won’t have to worry about clogging up your own email inbox. You can also install the TradeManager application to allow other Alibaba users to chat with you instantly… no waiting around for emails!
For more information about messages and contacts on Alibaba, click here.
For instructions on how to use Alibaba’s TradeManager program, click here.
6. Upgrade for even more features.
You may want to consider becoming a Gold Supplier on Alibaba. Though this costs money to do, it can be a sign of commitment in the eyes of potential buyers. It shows that you’re invested in your sales on Alibaba and are probably not a scammer just trying to make a quick buck with a free account, as you would have much more to lose if you got caught. Plus, you get some other cool features, such as unlimited item postings, your own personal miniature website on Alibaba (like you can get on other e-commerce websites such as Etsy), and the ability to “showcase” your products and have them found more frequently in searches.
For more information on paid supplier memberships on Alibaba, click here.
Those are some of the general steps (and our advice on them) for how to sell on Alibaba!