Previously, when AliExpress was just starting to conquer the niche of marketplaces, it was required to own a Chinese registration (Chinese phone number and address) to sell products legally. To facilitate the procedure, citizens of other countries agreed with partners from China to provide the necessary details.
However, in recent years the situation has changed, and now you can organize trading on one of the most popular marketplaces from almost anywhere on our planet, with a minimum budget, with a minimum set of things. In this article, we’ll cover all the information needed for the start.
Can I Sell on AliExpress
Yes, you can sell on AliExpress: it is a very easy process and it won’t take long to understand how it all works on the platform. First, you need to register for the Alipay business account. Let’s take a look at what exactly you need to be prepared for if you have an intention to sell on AliExpress.
How To Register As a Seller On AliExpress
If you want to sign up as a seller, you need to follow some instructions that will help you to do it a little bit faster. As a zero point, you need to have all the documentation to show the system that you really have permission to sell anything.
- The first point is, creating an account on AliExpress and setting the name. You can change the name of your shop only once in the history of the account, so it’s better to think twice.
- After providing the necessary information you should wait for an approval from the managers: the time of checking all info and docs is about 2-3 working days.
- When you have access to your personal area you can customize your store however you like and set all the photos, prices and descriptions of your products, so your buyers could learn more about the uniqueness of your shop and items you sell.
Before learning how to list and sell your product on Aliexpress, you should remember that in addition, the registrant may be required to indicate the production. In this case, the applicant is more likely to be rejected if:
- The name intersects with an already existing and promoted brand;
- The trademark is presented only in graphic format or of low quality;
- Similar products are already available on the online platform.
In addition, the Chinese marketplace carefully monitors the quality of products supplied by sellers and records negative reviews. Anyone who violates the conditions set by the platform will be denied cooperation.
How to open the Alipay business account?
Unfortunately, if you are an individual, you will not be able to open your online store on Ali. To organize trade, you first have to obtain the status of a legal entity or an individual entrepreneur. When going through the further registration procedure, you will need to provide:
- Copies of permits, indicating the possibility of trading (business licence or government-registered documents); if you want to sell as an agent of a brand which is not yours, you need to present the relevant documentation from the brand;
- Contact information (email address, phone number);
- Copies of personal information recorded in the ID card or passport;
- Individual number value of the taxpayer (TIN);
- Statutory papers (relevant for the company);
- Details of the financial institution (banking).
- Agreement to pay annual technical service fee according to the chosen plan;
How To Start Selling Your Products On AliExpress
When your application is approved and you already want to start selling, you need to design your page in a way to attract your potential buyers.
The online platform allows you to set up duplicate information: seller details, delivery details, a banner, etc. This approach makes it possible to significantly increase sales, since the consumer has access to the most complete information.
Now you should add products directly to the online store. It will be possible to carry out registration of commodity cards in one of the most suitable ways:
- through a personal account on the site;
- through Excel files;
- as well as using XML/YML.
Product cards must be filled out as detailed as possible. They should note all the main characteristics. Otherwise, the buyer may initiate a dispute (if there will be any inconsistencies). An equally good solution would be to add illustrations. The graphic image of products clearly demonstrates the merits of things and helps consumers navigate the catalog. Please note that it is allowed to use only photos from the official resources of manufacturers or your own.
In order to attract customers who want to cooperate with the marketplace as suppliers, it is allowed to provide discounts on goods sold or distribute coupons. This makes it much easier for new sellers to make a name for themselves by selling products at a lower cost.
In addition, network merchants have the opportunity to create promotional programs for commodity items that will be displayed in a separate display block.
What countries AliExpress will allow you to sell in
The AliExpress website automatically adapts to the country and language of the user, but is also available in 18 languages, and you can choose any language/country of residence/currency that suits you best.
Currently, sellers wishing to use AliExpress can select the regions of the world where they wish to distribute their products, as well as from the following countries in the European region: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia.
What you can sell on AliExpress
Items that can be sold on Aliexpress fall into any of the following categories, which do not require additional permissions:
Bags, books, car accessories, clothing, computers and consumer electronics, shoes, furniture, stationery, security and protection tools, sports equipment, telecommunications, toys and more.
The following categories may require special permission:
Beauty and health, jewelry, bijouterie and accessories, food, hair extensions and wigs, watchmaking.
The banned items are:
Explosive chemicals, medical equipment and human organs, military equipment and weapons, tobacco and alcohol, all types of banknotes, pornographic materials.
What is the most sold item on AliExpress
More than 200 million products are already sold on AliExpress, and every day the number of new products in stores on the marketplace is growing. But how do you understand what to sell and what will definitely be bought tomorrow or in a year? Let’s look at 3 most important points that can help you understand how to look for a promising product idea to make a successful business.
Using Facebook to Find Most Sold Item on AliExpress
Log in to Facebook and search “50% off free shipping”, “buy now”, or “get it today” and you will see many different product videos/photos and see the one with the most views in the last few weeks .
After that, search for these and similar products on AliExpress (most likely, you will find something similar, if not, you can search on Google).
It is imperative to check whether the product you have chosen is trendy or not: visit the AliExpress Dropshipping Center. Click on product analysis and paste the product URL.
This will show the popularity of the product. Reliability of logistics is an interesting filter that helps filter out sellers who may not deliver goods on time and shows only the most reliable and responsible sellers.
Using Tools to Find Most Sold Item on AliExpress
Tools such as Dropship Spy and Alitools contain a huge amount of data not only about trending products, using which you can choose the type that suits you, but also about top sellers, discounts for a successful business on AliExpress.
Tool Benefits:
- You don’t waste time researching products;
- You see an exact store selling certain products;
- You increase the return on investment in your product.
Listen to Your Customer for Finding Most Sold Item on AliExpress
Perhaps the information based on direct interaction with customers is always the most resilient decision-making factor, because these are real people who use your product in real life. They definitely have something to say.
Customers love to discuss what they would like to see in their ideal product on social networking sites like Facebook, Pinterest, Wanelo, Ssense and Reddit.
How To Manage Your Products On AliExpress
One of the main steps to get your products sold is to upload information about all the products for your potential buyers.
AliExpress provides templates such as “Product Information template”, “Price Inventory template” and “Item Description template” to make your experience on the platform easier, but if you only copy-paste this info, it will never lead you to successful business, because all the descriptions will look the same: nothing really unique, so customers won’t choose your products, preferring a brighter picture and individual detailed description of the same product.
Let’s look at the most important point to take into consideration when starting a dropshipping business on AliExpress.
Pricing policy and payment systems on AliExpress
Firstly, speaking about the pricing policy on the platform, all prices must necessarily include the VAT number (value-added tax) of the respective country, because you still have to pay tax, and it is logical if you include this percentage in the goods.
AliExpress offers to pay for goods with Verisign SSL protection using a debit or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, American Express, etc.)
The secure payment system is that the buyer pays for the order immediately, but the seller will only receive payment when the buyer confirms the receipt of the goods, the absence of defects and finally takes the goods, so it may take 5 to 7 business days for the deposit to appear.
If you are a seller, the deposit from the buyer is paid to Alipay, your AliExpress account. As soon as there is an available balance (the customer has received your item, everything is in order and the money will be transferred to your seller account), you can send it to your bank account. There is a EUR 1 fee for each money transfer from your AliExpress balance.
How to ship products on AliExpress
You can also use shipping templates to create shipping methods. In doing so, you must use your carrier.
Each seller on AliExpress can choose their preferred shipping method, courier company, and cost so that your buyers can then choose the most suitable one. Most often, sellers create several templates: one with free shipping, one with average shipping, and one with premium.
It is also very important to indicate the terms of the refund and return, as well as the return address.
Information your product pages should include
As we said earlier, you can use a template, but if you take a little more time to describe your product in detail, then this time will definitely pay off for you with more frequent sales.
Let’s look at the most important points to describe:
- Product name: short and direct, containing brand, model, category/subcategory and keywords;
- The most important information you think you would like to know about the product if you were a customer;
- Photos: it is recommended to upload 6 photos with a resolution of 1000 x 1000 pixels in JPEG (white background) or PNG (transparent background) format;
- Minimum unit of measurement (goods are sold individually or in batches): the desired option if it may not be obvious;
- Country of origin of the product: may be important for some people;
- Price (including interest on tax payment) and inventory level – how much of this product is left in stock;
- Logistic data (weight and dimensions) is a very important item, especially when the buyer orders it for the first time and does not know the typical dimensions of this item;
- Delivery time
AliExpress commission fees
The only commission that is deducted from the seller on AliExpress is from 5% to 8% for each transaction, depending on the product category.
Other than that, there are no fixed costs or fees for your organization, and you can close and reopen your store whenever you wish.
Benefits Of Selling On AliExpress
The platform has some outstanding features that you just cannot disagree with:
- Unlimited number of published products on your page;
- Access to sales and purchases around the world;
- Ability to integrate through the Magento, Shopify, PrestaShop and WooCommerce APIs if you already have an online store on any of these platforms;
- The ability to integrate your inventory on AliExpress from other marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay using connectors;
- The ability to set your own return policy so that the buyer can be solely responsible for shipping costs, if you so choose;
- Access to the AliMe Bot chat bot from 9:00 to 17:00, which attracts the attention of the buyer to the seller;
- Access to tutorials on getting started and selling on the platform;
- AliExpress Marketplace service with a lot of additional services for business (plugins for e-commerce and marketing, etc.);
- Service for resolving disputes between the seller and the buyer, if there are disagreements;
- Access to AliExpress promotions and events that increase brand awareness and increase sales.
Some inconveniences of the conditions of selling on AliExpress
- PayPal is not accepted;
- Commission €1 for each iteration of the transfer of funds to your personal or corporate bank account;
- There is no automatic creation of invoices, you need to provide them yourself every month;
- Inability to edit or remove products that are part of the offer until the promotion expires.
Also, AliExpress can unilaterally suspend an account for a period of 7 to 30 days or for any indefinite period for violations of the type:
- Providing the buyer with the wrong tracking number;
- Violations of property rights in relation to products or images published on the page;
- Making purchases by the seller himself or between acquaintances to improve positioning;
- Fraudulent shipments: when the product is partially not as described, the packaging is empty or it is a different product;
- Too low prices that do not correspond to reality, to attract the attention of buyers;
- Offline transactions to bypass the AliExpress commission.
How to Make Money With AliExpress Affiliate Program
An affiliate program is when you advertise a brand by providing your own link to purchase a product, and the brand / site charges you a fixed fee or a percentage of the sale of the product for this.
For each purchase made through an AliExpress affiliate link, you can get from 4% to 10% commission. In order to make a tangible profit, you need to promote this link on your blog, website or social media profile.
It is most convenient if this product is combined with the theme of your blog or hobby, for example: if you are a travel blogger, your native advertising will work well when promoting backpacks, tents, flashlights; If you are a fitness blogger, yoga mats, dumbbells and water bottles are a great solution to promote.
Driving Traffic to Affiliate Products
You can increase the involvement of your readers / viewers in content related to the promotion of a product by creating viral videos on social networks, posting photos of how you personally use this product and writing a personal review about how this product could solve your problem and why you like it.
Account Creation Process For AliExpress Affiliate Program
Let’s go through the whole process of creating an account step by step:
- Follow the link portal.aliexpress.com and register;
- Receive an email with a verification code;
- Enter it in the confirmation code field and click “Next”;
- You will be taken to the AliExpress Partner Services Agreement page. Read the terms and check the boxes to indicate that you agree with the above instructions. Click the “Confirm” button.
Your application for participation in the affiliate program will be under consideration within a few days, and the status can be found by logging into your account.
Conclusion
AliExpress provides a great opportunity to sell your products. With the steps we have outlined in this post, take your first step: start your online store on AliExpress. While at home, you can join tens of thousands of merchants who make millions of people around the world happy every day.
FAQs
Can I add my brand to the products and how?
Yes, you can. When you have your own brand name and logo, you can add it to all your products.
Which countries can sell on AliExpress?
Now 220 countries are available for work on Ali. They include European countries, Turkey, Greece and others.
What payment methods are accepted on AliExpress?
Visa debit/credit cards, MasterCard credit cards, Maestro and American Express debit cards.
Which products am I prohibited from selling on AliExpress?
Explosives, medical equipment, weapons, tobacco, alcohol, banknotes, pornographic materials.
How much does it cost to sell on AliExpress?
You don’t need to pay anything, except for the commission of 5-8% for each transaction, depending on the product category.
Can anyone sell on AliExpress?
Yes, it’s very easy and profitable.
Is it good to sell on AliExpress?
Yes, besides being the most popular platform for selling goods, AliExpress has a lot of benefits for sellers.
How much do AliExpress sellers make?
Depending on the volumes of products you as a seller can make independent earnings from $1 to $1000000 and even more, everything is up to you, your motivation and wishing to achieve the success in this business with AliExpress.
