Craigslist is an excellent way to advertise your earrings on the Internet.  Unlike recommended websites like Ebay and Ecrater, Craigslist is free.  However, it acts like a classified ad so you have no platform for doing transactions.  On the other hand, you can use your Craigslist ad to link to your online store if you have one.  Or you could have your customers pay through a PayPal account if you have one. As mentioned in Part I, you can set up an online store on websites like Ebay, Ecrater, Ruby Lane and Etsy.  But a way that you can create additional traffic to your online store is through Craigslist.  Craigslist actually has an entire section devoted to jewelry.  This would be a great place to advertise your earrings. In fact, if you go on Craigslist and search under the For Sale section and click the jewelry link, you will find thousands of ads for all types of jewelry.

And it is so simple to post an ad.  Simply click the Post to Classifieds link near the top left corner and you will go to a screen that acts for a category.  Choose the For Sale category and you will go to the next page which has jewelry as one of the categories.  Click the jewelry category and then choose a location.  If you have an actual store where people can walk through the doors, the location aspect is very important.  On the other hand, if you only have an online store, the location is not as important since anyone from anywhere can buy from you.  Once you choose a location you will be taken to the advertising template where you put in a title and then a description of your earrings.  It is crucial that you provide quality photos.  Craigslist will upload four photos for you.  If you choose to advertise silver earrings, for example, it is wise to think about the background color scheme of your ad so that the photos show nicely.

But I would recommend using Craigslist mainly as a way to link to your website or online store.  If you go to the jewelry section of Craigslist, you will see that most people post a small ad and then place a link to their website.  You may see categories for pearl earrings or diamond earrings.  On the other hand, given its huge popularity, you could actually sell your earrings on Craigslist without a website or an online store.  Simply provide a good title, detailed description, and nice photos.   If you are selling silver earrings, for example, you want to make sure that the photos are very sharp.  And make sure you provide your customers with a way to contact you for payment.  Again, I would recommend PayPal since most Craigslist users are familiar with it and you don’t have to deal with checks or money orders.

Take a deep breath!  You don’t need to limit yourself to a target market.  Let your market come to you. The reason I suggest that you not limit yourself to a target market is because there are several excellent sites that will allow categorize your earrings so that people can find them.  Target marketing is crucial to develop an advertising campaign if you plan to build your own website.  However, if you are just starting out, I would not recommend paying tons of money to advertise your drop earrings or diamond earrings website.  It is very likely that your budget will run dry before very long and you will get discouraged and quit.  Keep in mind, the most expensive part of owning and operating your own retail website is the advertising and the infrastructure.  If you are an experienced web designer and have been around the block then I would not want to hold you back.  However, for the majority of us, there are established websites like Ruby Lane, Ecrater, Etsy, and Ebay.  And since these sites are already established, you do not need to advertise because the buyers will come to these sites looking for the specific earrings you are selling.  You can create an online store within minutes.  And if you want to sell pearl earrings or silver earrings, the sky is the limit!

Make sure you have descriptive photographs of your earrings.  Quality photographs give you credibility with a buyer. If you are not talented with photography, you may want to hire a professional or seek help from a friend who is good with a lens…especially with earrings.  Remember that your viewer will not stay on your website very long if the photography is not quality enough to catch their eye.  You also need an articulate description of the earrings you are selling.  You would be amazed at how well your earrings will be received with a few quality photos and a good item description.  And if you are selling silver earrings, it is important that the earrings have a shine.

If you already know how to buy earrings on the Internet, it should be a breeze for you to set up an online store.  The following sites (listed below) will walk you through the process of setting up an online venue to sell your earrings.  And the best part about these sites is that they each have a built-in merchant account so you don’t have to purchase one.

Established in 1998, Ruby Lane has an excellent track record of buyers and seller from around the world.  The items within your web store are sold at set prices rather than in an auction format. However, their website has special software that can automatically accept, counter or reject offers for you.

Ecrater allows you to easily create your online store in minutes. You will receive free website hosting, a free subdomain, and a powerful administration tool to manage your online stores.  All products are posted to Google Product Search as well.

When you sign up to be a seller, Etsy will give you an easy-to-use online shop. You can customize it the way you want.  Etsy sellers can also participate in a feature on their site that allows buyers to post requests for custom made items and allows sellers to bid on the buyer’s requests.

I am certain that you are no stranger to Ebay. With more than 88 million active users globally, eBay is considered the largest online marketplace in the world.  They are always improving their features and I believe they have come a long way since they were founded in 1995.  They provide easy-to-follow steps for you to get your items on the web in minutes.