How to Sell Car Parts Online

With the power of online marketplaces and ecommerce websites, it’s easy to be a self-starter when it comes to selling car parts. If you want to put yourself in the driver’s seat and build your business, keep reading! Together, we’ll consider some key questions for anyone interested in breaking into auto part sales.

What Will You Sell?

The online car parts market has many different lanes, and it’s helpful to consider which one you might like to occupy. Are you interested in selling used car parts? Do you want to supply repair shops and self-fixers with replacement parts? Maybe you want to beat out your competitors with the best value auto parts? Whatever your answer, identifying your lane will also help you identify your potential customers and decide which method of selling will be most effective.

You should also decide whether you’d like to sell a broad range of car parts, or whether you’re interested in selling a specific type. For example, if you want to sell external parts like bumpers, grills, and hubcaps, you’ll need to be prepared for the logistics of shipping larger items. If your focus will be on internal parts like spark plugs, transmissions, and cylinders, you’ll need to carefully package your items to ensure they arrive undamaged.

It’s always helpful to research current trends when you’re beginning to compile your own inventory. Browse marketplaces like Amazon and eBay and call local garages to see which parts they’re having trouble getting or that are most in-demand. If the market is flooded with a particular type of auto part, consider steering clear and selling parts that most others aren’t. Most importantly, you’ll want to choose parts that make sense for your acquisition, storage, and shipping capabilities.

Where Will You Sell?

There are two main choices when it comes to deciding where to sell car parts online. You can sell your parts in an online marketplace, like Amazon or eBay, or you can use an ecommerce platform to build your own online car parts store.

Marketplaces

Selling on eBay or Amazon comes with the advantage of a large, built-in customer base; however, the flipside to all of those customers is a large number of competitors. Still, that shouldn’t discourage you from using the platforms. eBay makes setting up an account simple, and you can start selling as soon as you create a listing, describe your product, and add quality images.

With Amazon, you’ll need to apply and be approved before you can begin selling. These sites are preferable if you’re focused primarily on selling directly to individuals, rather than mechanics or repair shops. If you’re occupying a niche of car part sales—used car parts or US auto parts—the sites allow users to search and filter to find your specific offerings with ease. That said, Amazon does not allow the sale of used parts, so for those you’ll have to stick to eBay.

Online store

Creating your own auto parts store and selling through an ecommerce website might seem daunting, but this option can ultimately allow for greater freedom and flexibility. If you’d like to sell to other businesses, having your own store and website will help you stand out as professional and dependable. Much like marketplaces, ecommerce websites can simplify the start-up process by providing customizable templates that serve as the basis of your online store.

Once you’ve chosen a template and made any tweaks you’d like, you’ll simply need to upload your inventory, connect a payment method, and begin selling. A major advantage of ecommerce platforms is that they provide the flexibility and connectivity to share your store and car parts across Amazon, eBay, and other social media sites. Ecommerce sites offer the best of both worlds.

How Will You Sell?

Once you’ve decided what types of auto parts you’re interested in selling and where you’d like to sell them, the most important step is getting your parts into customers’ cars and customers’ dollars into your wallet.

Hopefully, in doing your research, you were able to connect with auto shops and mechanics. At this point, it’s time to leverage those connections and let your contacts know that you are open for business. If you haven’t yet made connections, now is the time to start! When building your customer base, consider incentivizing first-time buyers with discounts and be sure to solicit their feedback on any features of your site or selling procedures that can be improved.

Whether you’re selling from your own site or on a marketplace, it also pays to advertise. Both Amazon and eBay have internal features that allow you to boost your listings and advertise your products on their sites. Ecommerce websites offer similar services, but they can also help you advertise on social media channels like Facebook and Instagram. You may also find it worthwhile to create social media profiles that help establish your brand.

Of course, finding customers interested in your products isn’t the sole step for completing a sale. You’ll also need to ship your auto parts to their new owners. Amazon offers a fulfillment service and eBay recently launched their Managed Delivery program, both of which allow sellers to send their products to the companies’ distribution centers for packaging and delivery to customers. These services do come with fees based on the number of products shipped, their sizes, and other factors.

For sellers using ecommerce platforms, you can manage your own shipping or utilize an independent logistics service.

When Should You Start Selling?

The simple answer is right away!

Online sales are booming across the board, and this is particularly true for car parts. Ecommerce revenue for auto parts hit sixteen billion in 2020 and is predicted to climb to twenty-two billion by 2023. While there’s never been more opportunity, setting up your own online auto parts store has also never been easier.

Ecommerce sites like Ecwid are here to empower you to launch your own business. Ecwid lets you set up a free account and keep it as long as you need it. We also include all the features you need—like advertising and marketplace connectivity—to ride in the fast lane of selling car parts online.

Do you want to learn more about selling auto parts online?

• How to Sell Car Parts Online
• What You Need to Know In Order to Start an Online Auto Parts Store