“How can I start a successful online store on eBay?”
That is perhaps the first thought for anyone who decides to sell on eBay. Their next idea, most likely, is to google selling tips for beginners on eBay.
Not surprising at all!
eBay is the world’s largest online auction platform for new, used, and unique products. It offers businesses and entrepreneurs an opportunity to increase their eCommerce revenue. With nearly 25 million sellers competing for 182 million active online buyers, it is, without a doubt, a fantastic marketplace for sellers.
However, finding the right balance of elements to turn your eBay store into a success can be tricky, especially for first-timers. So, allow us to share a few tips for beginners selling on eBay.
First and Foremost, Don’t Sell Something That Nobody Wants
Want the best eBay selling tip?
Before doing anything, ask yourself- “Do people really want what I’m trying to sell?”
Study market insights to find out if people are willing to spend money on what you’re offering. Take note of the prices, trends, & sell-through rates. Simply put, you should have enough proof to establish that consumers are interested in the product category that you intend to sell.
Gather conclusive proof that people want what you intend to sell before going all in.
It is important to note that most popular & successful eBay sellers usually specialize in a particular type of product. Finding a niche and demonstrating yourself as an expert in it can help you gain an audience, and hence conversions.
eBay Selling Tip Numero Dos- Build a Store Worth Visiting
Good store designs can highlight your product’s best features and enhance the user’s shopping experience. Bad ones can discourage potential customers. So, to start with, you need a store page that makes sense and has a good look & feel.
However, building a store page is one of the biggest stumbling blocks for new eBay sellers. There are templates to assist you. But, if you aren’t sure about doing it yourself, hire a third party vendor for store design and eBay product listing services. That way, you’ll be free to focus on other aspects of running an online store.
Anyhow, first you need to set up your official eBay account.
- Decide if you want to use international eBay.com (payments in USD) or the localized version (payments in your national currency.) It matters because you’ll be covering the shipping costs.
- Think of a catchy store name.
- Set up the business account, provide necessary details.
- Add your PayPal account.
- Complete the eBay ID verification process.
Done? Now, let’s build your store page.
Quick Note: eBay lets you create a storefront as well as sell items as an individual seller. There’s no need to build a store if you don’t plan on using eBay for a lot of business.
Having said that, here are the most significant elements that define a good eBay store.
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Product Titles
eBay allows up to 80 characters for the product title. However, data suggests that longer item titles positively influence sales & ranking. Including relevant & more searched keywords, item features, & the purpose of use in the title can lead to more successful sales figures. Removing eBay acronyms (NWT, OEM, MIB, etc.) from the title also helps the page rank.
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Product Descriptions
When writing eBay product descriptions, listing services is never enough. While you have to mention the item specifications, details, & features, the content must also be well-written, nicely presented, short, and straightforward. Focus on what a potential customer might be looking for. Highlight the best features in bullets to attract the reader’s attention. Use the most relevant keywords at the beginning and end. And, in general, avoid writing any negatives.
Also, it’s better to stay within 800 characters. If you exceed that limit, eBay mobile users will only be able to see the first 250 characters. They will need to click through to the entire description. But, descriptions smaller than 800 characters will be fully displayed on mobile devices.
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Category Listing
Use descriptive keywords to search for the right categories and pick the one that best describes your product. You may also choose a second category for a fee. It will help you reach more buyers. However, it is a little complicated, but you can always outsource eBay product listing services if need be.
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Good Photos
You can upload at least 12 product photos for free. Use high-quality snaps. You may also use eBay image editing services to highlight the best features of your product. Prefer real shots to stock photos. Use a plain background to isolate and highlight the product.
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Accurate Pricing
Search eBay for your product keyword. Sort by price & shipping. Do a quick analysis of the results and the top-selling items to fix a fair price for your product. Display this figure on your product page along with the estimated shipping cost and packaging surcharge, if any.
Almost There!
List your selling, shipping, packaging, & business policies to avoid any misunderstanding with the customer. This clarity will save you from negative feedback. Do a bit of research on the days and times when products similar to yours sell best. Post your product listings accordingly. Re-read the page to spot typos or design mistakes.
Once all is done, hit publish.
Devise a Strategy to Help Buyers Discover Your eBay Store
eBay has a presence in over 100 countries and nearly 1.1 billion product listings. Clearly, penetrating that market will take a lot of work.
That’s where a good marketing strategy will come in handy.
1. Showcase Your USPs
Now, more than ever, many businesses are going after the same audience with a somewhat similar product. How will you stand apart in that crowd?
Well, learn how a buyer thinks.
Tell them what differentiates your product & services from the rest before they have a chance to ask. Through buyer questions, discover what’s unclear or missing from your page & fix that. Display screenshots of happy customers to encourage potential buyers. Highlight the quality and authenticity of your products and use 360-degree photos. Add an ‘About Me’ page to connect with prospects. Include a ‘Contact Seller’ option on your page (can be easily done with JavaScript) and follow it up with timely replies.
2. Monitor Your Competition
Competitor analysis is a handy selling tip for eBay. Follow other sellers in your niche who are performing better. Study their strategies & products. You can pick up many things from a competitor.
- Popular keywords
- Promotional schemes
- Best performing price
- Product popularity in any region
- Buyer motivation
- Your listing’s performance
It helps you gauge the market landscape, set a benchmark, or make your product listing accordingly competitive.
3. Manage Buyer Expectations
One of the essential tips for beginners selling on eBay is to get good ratings and positive feedback. Keep the buyers happy. Get glowing reviews. The result- your store will rank higher in search results. I.e. more visitors, more chances of conversions, better sales.
So, how do you get good reviews? Set reasonable expectations for potential buyers.
- Measure your items correctly.
- List the exact specifications.
- Always mention what’s included in the box, especially for used products.
- Clarify the acceptable payment methods & if something’s broken or missing.
- Provide multiple options to contact you.
Some eBay sellers also suggest offering the potential buyers a view of the product through Skype, if they want, to establish a sense of credibility.
Simply put, answer all possible questions quickly to avoid post-purchase confusion.
4. Establish Reasonable Shipping Processes
For every item you sell, there will be packaging, shipping, and customer service to take care of. Start with just a few listings, so you have enough time to build a process that works for you as well as the buyers.
Be upfront about the cancellation and return policies. Include a shipping cost calculator so the buyers can determine the shipping charges for their address. Specify the seller packaging surcharge and dates.
The Most Important eBay Selling Tip- Don’t Give up
Getting started is not much of a hassle, especially if you’ve handed over your eBay product listing & image editing services to another party for better optimization. But, it will take you a while to understand the process, build a routine, and get the hang of things, in general.
So, keep going. Dedicate all your efforts at increasing your store’s visibility and building yourself as a reliable merchant. Keep adding value to your chosen eBay niche. Soon enough, you’ll get the success you started out looking for.
Still a Bit Worried about Where to Start?
Let the experts at Data4eCom help you. Avail our eBay product listing, description writing, & image editing services and spend your resources and precious time on other core operations. Just write to us at [email protected] to get started.
