Here are some great tips that you must use in order to be a successful seller on eBay. These are very basic techniques but very important to master.
1. Research the item before you list:
- Go to eBay and type in your item in the search box and see if any identical items are listed.
- Next go to the completed listings (bottom left of the page) and see how many items have sold in the last few weeks. This area consists of auctions that have already ended and tells you if it sold (price highlighted green) or if it didn’t sell (price highlighted red).
- If a MINIMUM of 3 of the items sold, then you have a possible item to sell. Average out the prices of the sold items and you will have a general selling price for the item you are considering. Besides finding out how popular your item is, you can see the average starting price, features, and key words that may attract buyers.
2. Use a low starting bid:
- Getting that first bid is extremely important. Buyers are more likely to bid if they see that others have bid on an item.
- A common starting bid is $0.99.
- Be careful about using reserves. There are very few instances when using a reserve is necessary. Reserve pricing turns off many buyers, but if this is the only way to protect a valuable item then it’s worth a try. Instead of a reserve you could just start the bid at a higher amount. A low opening bid with no reserve will usually jumpstart bidding, increase item exposure, and add to the final selling price.
3. Write titles that attract buyers and complete descriptions of the item:
- Buyers search for an item by using key words in the search box so use them.
- Your item title helps bidders find your item(s). eBay gives you 55 characters to compose your title with the buyer in mind. I try to create my titles based on what I would look for if I was looking for that particular item.
- A good description is concise, organized, and easy to read. Keep your description simple; I find that using bullet points works pretty well. I would discourage writing in paragraphs because buyers will most likely skim read it and miss something important. Be sure to include specific facts such as style/type, brand, size, color and condition that your buyer would naturally be interested in. Also feel free to use different fonts and colors to “jazz up” your listing; just don’t go overboard.
4. Always Include Photos:
- A good picture will sell your item and reassure your buyer. If you don’t have a picture of your item in your listing then you might as well be invisible. Would you buy an item without knowing what it looks like? I know I wouldn’t.
- The more photos the better (up to a point). I usually post about 4-6 photos to show all angles of the item. It’s really up to you how many pictures you use, different angles are good but don’t list a bunch of pictures that are practically identical with a very slight variation. That’s over-kill.
- Take clear, well-lit photos that point out the features and any imperfections about the item. If there is a flaw, make sure that you note if it is cosmetic or mechanical. Use good lighting and an uncluttered background to get the most out of your photo. I usually hang up a solid color sheet on the wall will thumbtacks and take my pictures that way. It’s more pleasing to the eye and makes your listing look more professional.
5. End your auctions on a day and time when most buyers are home and online:
- This is usually in the evening around 6pm central time. Most people are getting home from work and will have some free time to surf the web.
- This is not true for all items so when you check the completed listings, make sure to note if there is a common end day and time. For example, merchandise purchased by businesses usually sell better during the business day when people are at work and looking for the items.
- Also ending your listing on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday (Sunday is the best) is always a safe bet because most people are home during the weekends and looking for things to buy.
6. Always provide 5-star customer service:
- Always respond very quickly to any buyer questions. Within 24 hours is a safe bet, but buyers will appreciate an even faster response. Always keep the buyer updated and send them an email telling them when and how you shipped their item. Make them feel like a valued customer as much as you can.
- If they have a problem, even if you think it’s without merit, do your best to try and please them. Offer to refund or replace the item if necessary. Whatever it will take to satisfy them—do it. Sure, some people will take advantage, but the majority won’t and it’s more than worth it for a good DSR and repeat sales.
- Be aware that there are some people who you just can’t seem to please and they will just leave negative feedback and that’s the end of it. Just take it and move on; remember this is a rare occurrence. But no matter what, keep your professionalism. I have had some instances where buyers are completely ridiculous and just rude people. When I received their emails I was tempted to write an email back and be just as rude as they were. Take a break and come back and reply to the email once you’ve calmed down, it will pay off in the end. Again, this does not happen very often but just be aware that you will come across a similar situation at one point or another.
- One way to maybe avoid some of these issues is to be very clear about your refund and exchange policies.
7. Don’t stand in Line at the Post Office:
- The best thing to do is schedule shipment pick-ups in advance with the Post Office. Set up a carrier pickup with USPS online and your mailman will personally come to your door and pick up your package(s). This saves a lot of time and hassle. Or if you are at work or running errands, you can just leave it on your doorstep or back door.
- You can print postage online with eBay shipping, the Pay Pal checkout feature, or by going directly to the Post Office website at www.usps.gov.
8. Save on Shipping Supplies:
- If you use Priority mail, the United States Postal Service offers a variety of FREE shipping supplies, delivered directly to you within a few days. The other source is a local gift shop, kitchen store, house wares store, discount store etc. These places receive shipments every day and usually break up the boxes for recycling. Many of them will gladly give you their boxes, Styrofoam and bubble wrap. I also save bubble wrap and boxes from items I buy from eBay and it really helps you cut on shipping supplies.
9. Don’t Mark Up Shipping:
- Cheating your buyer on the shipping cost is one of the reasons why a buyer might rate you poorly. Always charge the actual rate for shipping. People can easily check the shipping rates online themselves and see if you are trying to up the shipping cost. It is against eBay policy and it’s a good way to get low DSRs or even a suspended account.
- If your shipping may seem high then explain in your listing why the shipping rate is so much. It could be the weight of the item, the packaging that you may have to use for more delicate items, etc.
10. Keep your head up!
- There will be a lot of times (especially starting out) when you may feel like you’re not making any progress and things seem stagnant. Just hang in there and do some research, read some articles, or try selling something different. I know it sounds corny, but if you believe in yourself then you can accomplish anything!
