Perhaps you've heard on the news, or read in a newspaper or on a news website, the recent downward spiral eBay has found itself in. Thousands upon thousands of internet resellers of wholesale goods are retracting their loyalty to the site due to high fees and pay restrictions.

Why you ask? Like any other business that makes such a drastic change to its marketing scheme, they are seeking higher profits, and a larger consumer base.

And with so many spreading inventory; it makes sense for you to do the same.

Why?

So you're not left trying to break into already saturated markets because you missed the boat.

What follows is a short 4-step program to tap into these new markets, and double your profitability with eBay alternatives.

Step 1: Define Your Niche

The first is by far the easiest of the steps. All it takes is a little observation. As an internet resale entrepreneur you undoubtedly have a collection of items from your wholesale supplier for sale at any given time. In order to effectively tap into new market alternatives, you must define what exactly it is that you're selling.

For example, if you have on auction at this moment a Carver Stereo Receiver, a pair of old Sennheiser headphones, a set of Yamaha shelf speakers, and a collection of vinyl records, it's a safe bet that your niche is in the music production market..

Take a quick glance at items available from your wholesale supplier and things in your resale backstock, and decide where you fit.

Then, take your new found niche over to step 2.

Step 2: Explore Your Options

What follows is a list of the most popular resale sites available to you and a short description of each. When you find one (or maybe more than one) that works for you, move on to step 3.

Ebay Alternatives:

Bonanzle: Specializing in homemade and startup goods, bonanzle is the go-to resource for buyer looking for something original.

Etsy: Also a specifically homemade product site, Etsy is a new alternative with a stylish and bohemian consumer base.

Craigslist: The simplest of all the sites mentioned, Craigslist is split up into multiple "City-Sites," making it, by far, the easiest way to sell locally.

BluJay: Started in 1999, this completely free auction-based site makes its money off of ad revenue, which means no buyer/seller fees, and no waiting for your money.

Google Base: Google's first foray into online classifieds is built around the premise that your products will appear in google searches, leading to a huge consumer base all around the world.

Amazon: As simple as it gets. Log on, set your prices, and wait for some one to buy your products. Your items will show up underneath their brand new counterparts, providing an alternative for many to buying in the box items.

There are many more out there with various business plans so it is worth checking out one of the many lists of eBay alternatives on the internet.

Step 3: The Business Side

Now that you have your marketplace chosen its time to get down to business. This step will by far take the longest amount of time and effort on your part, but considering the ease of our program so far, that isn't saying much.

In order to sell your products on many sites, you need to be registered and have some sort of payment option set up.

Take a day to get this side of business out of the way, and move on the final step.

Step 4: Sell Sell Sell

With your new niche market and narrower (or wider, depending on your choice of sites) consumer base, all that's left is advertisement and sourcing from wholesale companies.

And how you do that is up to you. Now go out there and boost your business!