How to Sell Furniture Online and Be Profitable
Entrepreneurs or furniture enthusiasts who want to sell furniture online may be looking for ways to help their business turn a profit. The good news is that online businesses have a wide range of outlets to reach new customers and make their business a success.
Whether you’re looking to set up a side hustle or dedicate yourself to a full-time online furniture business, having everything in place to make a profit is an important first step. This includes finding a sales platform and having a payment processing system set up that allows you to accept international payments and process different payment methods.
How to Start a Profitable Online Furniture Store
There are several steps involved in setting up a successful online furniture store.
1. Find a Reliable Supplier or Wholesaler
It’s simply not possible for most furniture sellers to manufacture their own furniture. If you wish to sell your products nationally or internationally, finding a wholesaler or a supplier who can drop-ship your products is a must. Most stores will use an external wholesaler or supplier for their products because:
- They can manufacture and store the items you sell online. It’s not practical to store your entire inventory in your home! A wholesaler or supplier will be able to store, pack and ship your products.
- You can deal with more than one wholesaler to get the inventory you love. Dealing with wholesalers takes a lot of groundwork on your part. Working with different wholesalers means you can pick and choose the products that best fit your brand.
2. Set Up Your Website
This is when you need to decide if you want your own dedicated website or if you prefer to sell on third-party websites like eBay or Amazon. Though there are relatively easy ways to set up websites without coding knowledge, many businesses choose to hire a web developer who can create a website exactly as you want it.
Knowing how to add e-commerce to your website will help you sell your products all over the world. Platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce provide hosting, different themes, marketing features and easy-to-use design tools that are ideal for entrepreneurs. Research the options carefully before choosing an e-commerce platform as it will become the centre of all your operations.
3. Set Up Your Payment Processor
Setting up credit card processing for home office equipment and furniture in general is another key step that will help you become profitable. Choosing a payment processor that understands your sector and knows how to support you as you grow will put your business in a good position to become profitable as quickly as possible.
A dedicated merchant services account brings your business many benefits. As well as providing an integrated payment gateway, a merchant services account gives you greater control over your transactions and sales, protects you against fraud and chargebacks and provides you with a central dashboard to keep up to date with all your dealings wherever you are.
4. Keep Up to Date With the Furniture Industry
A furniture business owner should always keep on top of what’s fashionable, what their competitors are doing and how the furniture industry is evolving. Embracing different ideas like eco-friendly or budget furniture may also open up your business to new markets.
To become an authority in the furniture vertical, many businesses establish a niche. This should respond to trends in the market and can help you focus your marketing campaigns on Google and social media. Possible niches include:
Work-from-Home Furniture
The trend of working from home took off during the COVID-19 pandemic but has remained a strong tendency in Europe. Around 10.2% of workers in the EU regularly worked from home in 2022. In some countries, this was significantly more, with 24.2% of German workers working remotely. This trend creates an opportunity for businesses selling furniture pieces online as “home office” furniture.
Vintage Furniture
Many families like to source unique or antique pieces to add personality to their homes. Though this may be a fun niche to focus on, business owners would need to consider their sourcing methods if they wish to stock antique or vintage pieces. Reproductions can be a good option for providing an antique or vintage feel without needing to source originals for every purchase.
Used Furniture
Selling upcycled old furniture or unwanted furniture is a trend that more creative entrepreneurs can become a part of. Reselling used but functional furniture could be a viable option in low-income areas and cities with a high number of students on the hunt for the best deals.
Furniture for Small Spaces
More and more people are living in flats with limited living space. When considering what types of furniture may appeal to younger people, take into account that they probably don’t have space for overly large pieces.
5. Decide on Shipping Methods
It’s your responsibility as a business owner to find ways to deliver products to your customers. There are several considerations to keep in mind:
- Furniture must arrive in perfect condition. Choose a reliable carrier that can transport large and heavy items using proper packaging methods.
- Shipping should be quick. You must think through how you can get your customers their orders as quickly as possible.
- Think carefully about the costs of shipping. Will you pass the costs on to the customer or subsidise the costs with free or cheap shipping?
Shipping is one of the most vital steps to becoming a profitable business. Finding a way to keep your customers satisfied in terms of price and speed of delivery as well as delivering the furniture in perfect condition is very important.
6. Maintain a Strong Digital Marketing Campaign
Increasing online sales is only possible with a strong digital marketing strategy. Use a range of different services like social media platforms, ads and email marketing campaigns to drive traffic to your online store and encourage more sales.
Other Considerations to Take into Account
There are many steps towards becoming profitable as a new business. Keep the following in mind when you’re making your business plan and taking your first steps:
Side Hustle or Full-Time Business?
One of the most important things to decide when you start a business is how much time you wish to dedicate to it. With so many different platforms for online shops, side hustles are becoming a popular way of boosting your main income. In fact, 81% of successful small businesses in a LuisaZhou study started as side hustles.
If you wish to set up a lucrative side hustle, there are many sales channels to choose from. Beginners can do well selling furniture online on the following platforms:
Facebook Marketplace
Facebook is an easy and cheap platform for selling furniture online. The main advantages of Meta Marketplace are that it’s free to list products, its ease of use and the fact that it allows you to connect with local buyers.
Focusing your efforts on potential buyers from your area will save you a significant amount on shipping fees and allow you to set your own prices. Because Facebook Marketplace doesn’t provide any seller protection, it’s advisable to meet with customers in a public place and preferably take someone with you.
Etsy
It’s quick and easy to set up a shop on Etsy and join a huge community of buyers and sellers. While this means that there’s a lot of competition (and your account is subject to fees), Etsy is the go-to site for many consumers looking for items from different categories. Etsy also has an international customer base, meaning your business could open itself up to customers from all around the world.
If you wish to start selling to international customers, setting up a global payment gateway is an essential step. This allows you to receive secure payments from abroad in different currencies.
Shopify
Shopify offers entrepreneurs the chance to set up their own website with many features including a blog for a monthly fee. Many businesses like this platform as it doesn’t require any coding skills.
Other Online Marketplaces
Depending on where you are located, you can sell furniture on a range of other online marketplaces. Craigslist, Gumtree and Milanuncios are just three examples of the many websites out there for selling items online around Europe.
An online marketplace works in a similar way to Facebook Marketplace in that people local to you can search for items close to them and find new or second-hand items for a fair price. This is advantageous because you’ll be able to deliver furniture to your customers quicker and more cost-effectively.
Listing Products Online
There are many other sites all over Europe for selling furniture online. Research which one works best in your area or even try using more than one. No matter which sales channel you choose to use in your business, there are some basics that you must follow to set up a reputable and profitable online business:
- Include a detailed and accurate description of all your products. This includes information about any flaws or damage the item has, dimensions, age, materials and the product’s history. Be honest about the item’s condition.
- Use quality photos. Invest in a good camera and learn how to take professional-looking photos of your furniture. Your photos will attract potential buyers and a slick look will help you build trust.
- Include information about shipping or pick-up details. One of the main causes of checkout abandonment is shipping fees. Think carefully about your shipping policy and how it could affect your sales.
Opening Online vs Brick-and-Mortar Furniture Stores
You may be set on starting up your furniture business, but unsure about whether to set up online, in-person or both. Starting an online furniture shop offers several advantages over a normal, high-street shop that can contribute to the profitability of your business:
No Limit to the Scope of Your Customer Base
Though local furniture shops can be successful, realistically they’re limited to a customer base within driving distance of the shop. With online businesses, you can scale your business accordingly as it grows, opening up to regional, national or even international customers. Appealing to international customers with an effective digital marketing strategy could be successful with people looking for unique pieces for their homes.
For businesses that wish to open themselves up to the international market, a global payment gateway is a necessary part of your logistics. A payment gateway processes payments from around the world, even if the customer wishes to pay in their own currency. Additionally, it gives your business the capability of accepting different payment methods that may be preferred in different parts of the world.
Profitability
Online stores tend to have fewer overheads so they often enjoy higher profit margins.
Customer Data
Online stores can gather useful information about their customers’ habits by using analytic tools. Finding out your most (and least) visited pages can help you optimise your offerings and pricing structure. It’s also easier to reach out to customers via an app or e-mail if you have an online shop.
Simplicity
Owners can outsource as much as they wish to simplify their processes. For example, third-party companies can take care of storage and shipping.
Lower Starting Costs
Buying or renting a physical store can get expensive. Buying a web address is less expensive and less risky in comparison.
Embrace As Many Sales Channels As Possible
Selling furniture is no longer limited to dusty antique shops and yard sales. With customers on the lookout for unique, vintage and upcycled pieces, furniture sellers simply need the right online platform to reach their customers.
Selling your furniture to make a profit, however, requires investment both in time and money. Investing in a solid website with e-commerce, partnering with a payment processor, and devoting time to your digital marketing strategy will put you in good stead to make a healthy profit from your furniture business.