No other online auction site beats eBay, when it comes to the number of members. What market would be greater than one hundred million customers? EBay has become the world’s largest market place so the items you put up for sale have the capacity to be viewed or maybe purchased by large number of people online.
One other advantage of selling on eBay is that you can virtually sell anything and everything, from the extra stuff in your garage to the most valuable things that you may have. All these can be sold on eBay. To be even more specific, eBay has localized websites in forty-two countries. A large number of online auction companies have utilized the services of eBay. EBay has become a household name and anyone who thinks of buying anything on auction will first think of eBay because of the reputation that eBay has established over the years.
One of the greatest advantages of buying and selling on eBay is the security of the online transactions. Since its launch in September 1995, eBay has been one of the safest marketplaces that you can shop. Safety is one reason why eBay stands out. Another great advantage is the simple process in which you can sell your items on the site. Registering, listing, uploading your photos the entire process is simple and the instructions on the site are very easy to follow. Anyone who can read can easily follow the instructions and sell on eBay, as the site navigation is not complicated at all.
Selling Tips to Help Maximize Your Profits on EBay
It is very vital that anyone who intends to sell profitably on eBay be aware of some crucial facts; one of the most crucial of which is to always keep in mind is that eBay times are in the Pacific Time zone, which means in whatever part of the world you live in, you must plan your auctions based on that. The auction will close as per the Pacific Time zone, regardless of your schedule or time zone. And the timing alone is not enough. Think of your target audience and when they might be shopping online. For example, if you plan to auction something to the average school going teenagers, keep in mind that most likely you need to end your auction on the weekend or at night. Start your listing with its end time in mind.
Many buyers will be happy with a product and want to purchase, but the cost of shipping itself should not make them hesitate to buy. It is very wise to check out the latest offers that packaging companies may have, as you may even save money in this process by offering to send the item you’re auctioning free of any postage fee. A happy buyer is more than likely to buy from you again. So, stay away from putting outrageous shipping prices on your items.
How you advertise your item will help your sale. If you are taking photos of the item, make sure the picture sells. Don’t use poor quality light. Make sure you display your item not with too many other items in the background to make the original item unseen. Most buyers also search for an item seeing the keyword, so this makes it very important that you carefully choose precise words that will stand out to show the type of item you wish to sell. Looking at the words most people use to buy will help you a lot.
A Great Sales Page: Capture Bidders on EBay
If you too are looking to be a seller on eBay, you will have a lot of competition. You can make your job much easier by writing a great sales page.
A sales page is basically your introduction as well as an invitation to buyers. You have to make sure that your sales page or item description catches the buyers’ attention for all the right reasons. The following are tips you can use to write your own sales page to lure bidders on eBay.
Do your research – browse eBay and search for your item. This will help you to check out the completion and the competitor’s price. You will be able to gauge the interest of bidders in the product by checking out the number of bids for the product. If a product is not getting any bids, try to understand the reason and make sure that your item description addresses that concern. The content of your sales page with the help of research will help you in your pricing and sales.
Choose your category – getting your product listed in the right category is the key to inviting the right bidders. It is necessary to streamline the keywords, so that you only get relevant traffic. You can optimize categories by doing research on them beforehand.
Highlight features and benefits- just like newspapers use headlines to attract readers, you should highlight the main features of your product that you think will attract customers. You can even use bold and highlighted words for an additional fee.
Be truthful in your description- in your quest to create the best sales page, do not over exaggerate features of your product or make false claims or deliberately leave out any obvious functionality flaws that may come with second-hand goods.
Check your grammar- you must be very careful about your grammar and spellings. You want to appear professional and typos will make you appear an amateur.
Develop Repeat Customers on EBay
There are many ways to get repeat buyers on eBay. The first thing that you should do in order to get repeat business on eBay is to start building your brand image. One age old trick of the trade would be to deal mostly in consumable goods like packaging tape, printer cartons, etc. One of the easiest ways to create a brand image is to make a company logo for yourself using Vista Print or any other similar software. Use the logo on your eBay emails, in your store, and on the products you sell. Be sure to include the name of your business and your eBay ID. If the buyer has your company business card, when he wants to buy the product in future, there is a good chance he will remember you and your good service. Building a business of good products and great customer service will help you generate repeat customers and brand you as a leader on eBay. What more could you ask for?
Another thing that you can do to get repeat business on eBay would be starting your mailing list. Always ask your buyers to sign up for your newsletter to keep up to date on featured products and sales. This is quite a clever move on your part, since you can actually keep in touch with potential buyers and past customers. And once they sign up for your mailing lists, you can market to them and even offer special discounts for being a loyal newsletter subscriber. A 5%-10% discount is a great way to develop customer loyalty.
EBay: Your Ultimate Stay at Home Business
More and more people are discovering how profitable it is to sell on eBay. For the staunch believers of eBay business and those people wanting to make money from home, this is the best opportunity there is and the ultimate money making enterprise.
There are many ways to set your auction apart from others and get it noticed. You could include auction music and other features; be sure though that your music is tasteful and not annoying or people will just click away. You should also make sure that your graphics load easily or people will move on before seeing what you are offering. You don’t need fancy gimmicks to start your eBay business; you just need an item to sell and a computer.
There are great automation tools available that will make eBay business easy for you. There are tools for example, that can help you monitor biding online, so that you can bid at the last moment. Other tools help you find out which products are hot and which are not. There are many helpful tools featured in the help center of eBay. Just read the tutorials and apply them to your business.
Do a little research on the products that you are considering selling. Remember there are products that will sell and others that will gather dust in the warehouse. You should know what the customers are buying on the net and try to provide those items. Avoid assumptions; do your homework. You may think a digital camera will sell quickly only to realize that no one is interested in that item anymore. Check out what people buy before you list and you won’t find yourself with items that will never sell.
I think that eBay is the perfect home business. It is ideal for Mom’s (or Dad’s) wanting to make money from home while raising their kids.
Customer Service is King in Any Business
Selling on eBay is not just about making a quick sale. It is like any other business and in order to succeed online you must have the same excellent customer service you would expect from a store on Main Street. EBay has very specific rules that you, as a seller must follow. The first thing you should do when you decide to sell is to read all of the rules so that you will know what you can and can’t do. The feedback system on eBay allows buyers to quickly find out if your customer service is what it should be. Your feedback is your reputation on eBay and maintaining an almost perfect feedback rating is key to your success online.
In order to receive good feedback, good customer service is a must. You should always present the items that you are selling exactly as they are. A product needs no undue adoration if it doesn’t deserve it. A good photo of the product showing it to its best advantage, yet also showing any flaws that it might have gives the buyer the full picture and establishes you as an honest dealer. The description should depict the true condition of the product. It is great to write an appealing description listing all of the products features, but always be honest and direct when describing the item. If the product is damaged, the damage should be well documented. Don’t use ambiguous terms like ‘negligible’. You should describe the extent of the damage, so that the customer knows exactly what he is getting. If the customer receives an item that has damage that he was not expecting; he is disappointed and you are sure to get bad feedback or the customer will demand a refund.
When it comes to pricing your item, you should be realistic. With shipping, I have found it best to always charge exactly what the actual shipping costs. Overcharging on shipping is a quick way to lose customers and you reputation as an honest seller. Shipping can be expensive of course, and sometimes it exceeds the cost of the product. But it should not exceed the cost of the known postage or shipping. The worse thing that could happen is when the customers realize that they are being cheated. You can make your margin on the product itself, but don’t overcharge for postage, since customers can compare. The best way to handle shipping charges is to use eBay’s shipping calculator so that the buyer is sure that he is paying exactly what it costs to ship the item and not a penny more. In the long run, you will make more sales and have many more repeat customers if you don’t overcharge on shipping. You will most likely receive good feedback and repeat customers for your honesty and that equals future purchases.
Sometimes people need more information so that they can be sure of what they are buying. If you receive questions from buyers, you should reply on time and with courtesy. The information you give should again be truthful. If you are contacted on phone, be very courteous and make them appreciate you. Lastly, the best way to keep you customers happy is by delivering on time. Those who shop online are very eager to see and use their products and are equally excited to see what they bought. Good packaging and a timely delivery make for happy customers. A big part of eBay customer service is a great product packaged well and delivered on time and this will ultimately boost your sales.
Positive Feedback IS Your eBay Business
You cannot survive on eBay with negative feedback. Neutral feedback is also going to hurt your business as it is obvious to buyers that your customer wasn’t happy with your service or product, as they didn’t leave positive feedback. As you don’t actually get to show or let the customers feel and see the product you are selling, it is difficult to prove that the items you are selling are good and genuine. However, a good feedback rating will help you stand out, attract numerous customers and earn you a reputation as an honest seller with great products. It you establish your reputation, the money will follow. You should always be concerned with your customer service and feedback first.
Customers love to buy from sellers who have a good name and have been recommended by genuine people. Everyone wants to get the best buy. Customers tend to avoid shopping from a person with negative feedback. Thus it becomes essential you avoid negative feedback that hampers your eBay business. When does a customer give a bad or negative feedback? That happens normally if the customer is not satisfied with the product or feels cheated or does not get proper customer service. If you take care of all these things, you will be sure to satisfy your customers.
By Lee Griffiths of working online blog
