This week, I received a question about selling on more than 1 platform, more specifically, eBay and Poshmark simultaneously. This question was asked because the person was not doing as well on eBay as they were on Poshmark. My take is on this is a pragmatic one.
Note: Since I'm in the business of selling clothes, this post will revolve around clothes.
Let's get something straight...it all comes down competence. If you're not doing well on one platform, it makes no sense jump onto another one until you get good at the first platform. Keyword here is "good" not "great". I'm not asking you to be a top 100 seller on any platform before embarking on the 2nd, 3rd and so on. I'm just asking you to be at least moving 1 item every day consistently first. While this threshold seems low, what's important here is that there's consistency on an everyday basis. You'd be surprised how many people are not selling at least 1 item a day.
Where to Start
When it comes to selling clothes, the easiest place to do business is on Poshmark due to its fair return policy (for both sellers and buyers), commission structure, numbers of potential buyers and ease of listing. Put differently, Poshmark should be the first platform you should sell on due to the high success rate. As long as you have the right fundamentals, e.g. good pictures, good/decent inventory, good descriptions, you should be on your way to your first sale.
Disclaimer: I have nothing to gain from what I've stated above
Let's Answer the Question
Yes, selling on multiple platforms is a good idea ONLY if you're already getting consistent sales on the first platform. While this might sound obvious, you'd be surprised how many people out there are spreading themselves thin by trying to fight on more than 1 front.
But more importantly, NO, selling on multiple platforms is not a good idea if you don't have your fundamentals down. Don't think for one second that just because you're on multiple platforms, the likelihood of you making more sales is going to increase. This is a common misconception that a lot of people spew but they're not mentioning the consistent sales they're already making on the first platform before moving onto the next.
To put things into perspective, I was on Poshmark for 1 year before I decided to jump onto eBay. This is not to say you should wait 1 year yourself, I'm just suggesting for you to make sure you're ready before you jump.