How to Sell Sex Toys & Adult Products on Your Website: A Step-by-Step Guide

Selling sex toys and adult products online can be a lucrative business, but it comes with security and payment processing concerns. From selecting the right payment processor to securing your website, here’s a comprehensive guide to setting up your adult products online store.

1. Payment Processing for Adult Products

When it comes to selling adult products, normal payment processors like Stripe will not accept payments through it. You will need to use a high-risk merchant account due to the nature of the industry. Traditional payment processors often avoid high-risk industries, so you’ll need to find specialized services that cater to your needs. Some recommended high-risk merchant account providers include Finix, Authorize.net, and HighRiskPay.

To get started, you’ll need:

• Merchant ID: A unique identifier assigned to you by the payment processor.
• Payment Gateway: A service that processes credit card transactions securely on your website.

Setting up a merchant account and payment gateway is the first critical step to ensure your customers can safely purchase your products.

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2. Choose the Right Website Builder Platform

The platform you choose to build your website on depends largely on the size of your product inventory. Two highly recommended platforms for selling adult products are Shopify and Webflow.

• Shopify: Ideal for businesses of all sizes, Shopify provides an easy-to-use interface with built-in tools for e-commerce, including payment processing and shipping integration.
• Webflow: Perfect for those who need more design flexibility, Webflow allows you to create custom landing pages, catalogs, and product pages without sacrificing ease of use.

Other website builders you may be able to use include:

• Wix: Best for small businesses with little revenue. It has an in-house CRM that allows you to edit and publish your products, as well as manage your clients.
• Wordpress: Most commonly used website builder. Wordpress uses Woocommerce as its ecommerce platform.

During this phase, focus on creating an attractive and user-friendly website that includes a landing page, product catalog, individual product pages, and other essential pages like FAQs and contact information. If you'd like some inspiration, visit our Portfolio page or visit our clients at aoiadult.com!

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3. Set Up Shipping Services

By having an efficient labeling & shipping system you can not only save a lot of time but also money on the cost of shipments. If you are using Shopify as your primary platform, Shopify Shipping is an excellent option that helps you save on shipping labels.

To use the shipping & labeling platforms, you must:

• Weigh Your Products: Accurately weigh all products to ensure you choose the right packaging size.
• Standardize the packaging: By using the same package dimensions, you can predict the cost of shipping.
• Automate Label Creation: Once the product weight is entered, Shopify Shipping can automatically generate the shipping label, simplifying the process.

If you’re not using Shopify, other reliable shipping label services include Shippo and Shipstation. These services also provide easy label creation and management, helping you streamline your shipping process.

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4. Domain Proxy & Protection

The adult industry is often targeted by cybercriminals and scammers. To protect your website and customer data, it’s crucial to set up robust security measures.

Use Domain Proxy and/or Firewall Protection services from companies like CloudFlare or TitanHQ. This way if you are under cyberattack, you have an additional layer of protection for your website and domain.

5. Set Up Purchase Limits

To further protect your business from potential fraud, set purchase limits on your payment processor. This step ensures that a single customer cannot make unusually large or multiple purchases in one transaction, which can be a red flag for fraudulent activity.

By setting purchase limits, you reduce the risk of chargebacks and financial losses from scam purchases.

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6. Clearly Define Your Terms of Service

Creating clear and comprehensive Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Return Policy is essential and can further protect you from bad shoppers or potential scammers.

The following 3 are the most important legal documents you must write for your website:

• Terms of Service: This document outlines the rules and guidelines for using your website. It helps protect your business from potential legal disputes by clearly stating the conditions under which your services and products are provided.
• Privacy Policy: This policy informs your customers about how their personal information is collected, used, and protected. Given the sensitive nature of adult products, it’s crucial to reassure your customers that their privacy will be respected and their data kept secure.
• Return Policy: Establishing a clear return policy is vital, as it sets expectations for customers regarding what can be returned or exchanged. In the adult products industry, where hygiene and safety are top priorities, a well-defined return policy can prevent misunderstandings and protect your business.

6. Run a Test Transaction

Before launching your website, it’s crucial to run a test transaction to ensure everything works as expected. This test will help you identify any issues with your payment gateway, shipping processes, or website functionality before your customers encounter them.

Make sure the entire process—from adding a product to the cart, entering payment information, and completing the purchase—runs smoothly. Once everything is in order, your website will be ready to go live.

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Conclusion

From choosing the right payment processor to securing your domain and running test transactions, each step is essential for building a trustworthy and efficient e-commerce business in the adult industry.

Check out our clients over at aoiadult.com if you are looking for inspiration for your website.

If you need help navigating the process or would like help with the website build, get in touch with us and our design team will be more than happy to help!

Contact us here