| Do you sell on Ebay? If so, this may your opportunity | | | | Repeat business is the best. It's far more efficient to |
| to take your business to the next level: to increase | | | | sell more products to the same customers than to |
| sales and operate more efficiently. This advice comes | | | | seek out new ones. Even if you have to alter your |
| direct from Ebay PowerSellers, the best in the | | | | business practice to create 'add-on' products |
| business. Avoid their mistakes and adopt these twenty | | | | specifically to sell to your existing customers, then do |
| tips into your Ebay business; you'll be glad you did. | | | | so! No one is more likely to buy from you than your |
| 1. Raise your shipping fee. | | | | existing happy customer. |
| Make sure you don't just charge for the shipping | | | | 13. Offer bulk purchase incentives. |
| postage, but for your 'handling' fees as well. This may | | | | People like getting discounts. In reality, they may be |
| include packaging materials such as labels, envelopes, | | | | paying an arm and a leg but if they 'feel' like they're |
| and bubble wrap, as well as your time to prepare and | | | | saving, then they're happy. And if your customer is |
| drop the package off at the post office. Make sure | | | | happy, then you're happy. By offering price breaks on |
| your minimum shipping & handling is $1 beyond your | | | | lots of items in the same order, it may encourage |
| actual shipping, and hopefully a few bucks more than | | | | people to buy more to 'save more' and increase your |
| that. | | | | sales. You can also offer free shipping or give a free |
| 2. Use stealth postage. | | | | gift after a customer buys a certain number of items. |
| Print your shipping labels without showing any shipping | | | | 14. Never miss a marketing opportunity. |
| costs. Labels printed from PayPal and other services | | | | Every point of contact you have with a customer |
| will do this for you. If a customer ever complains about | | | | should promote your products. If you send an email, for |
| your profits from shipping, simply respond and explain | | | | example, always include your URL to view more |
| your S&H fee includes both shipping AND handling. The | | | | products. When you ship a package, enclose a flier |
| handling includes the cost of packaging materials and | | | | that shows more products and encourages visiting |
| time. If all your Ebay listings have this basic shipping & | | | | your store or website. To make it effective you have |
| handling disclaimer, then you should never get a | | | | to give them a reason to buy. Try enclosing a coupon |
| complaint. | | | | for 25% off their next purchase - expiring in 5 days, |
| 3. Don't waste money on ad embellishments. | | | | for example, to convey a feeling of urgency. People |
| Don't pay extra for featured, bold, or any other flair. | | | | don't like missing opportunities, so if you propose a sale |
| Gallery is the only option that may be useful in some | | | | on additional items, always have a deadline. Try also |
| cases, depending on what items you sell. Most people | | | | stamping your URL on the outside of the packages or |
| find your listings by keyword searches. Embellishments | | | | typing on the shipping label as part of your address. |
| generally do not seem to increase traffic. Remember | | | | You never know- someone who handles the package |
| that the 'add ons' are where most companies make | | | | may be curious to visit your site. Or, the package may |
| their profit. You want to use this strategy when selling | | | | sit in an office and someone may walk by it and later |
| to your customers, but not when buying listings from | | | | choose to visit your URL. There is no restriction for |
| Ebay. | | | | mailing a little 'advertisement' and a lot of hands carry |
| 4. Lower your PayPal rate. | | | | and view that package. |
| If you receive more than $3,000 per month in PayPal | | | | 15. Use flat rate priority shipping from USPS. |
| funds you can qualify for a lower merchant % rate. | | | | Flat rate priority shipping is a pretty good deal for either |
| Rates are subject to change, but it may take you | | | | domestic or flat rate global priority (for international |
| from 3.1% to 2.7%. | | | | orders). The flat rate envelopes (cheap) should not be |
| 5. Set your minimum selling price. | | | | confused with the regular priority envelopes |
| Anything you list on Ebay has a certain overhead and | | | | (expensive). |
| below a certain price, selling is no longer worth it to | | | | 16. Choose a store name that uses keywords. |
| you. This should take everything into consideration- | | | | Your Ebay store pages will get indexed by search |
| your time, utility costs, office equipment, software, ISP | | | | engines and if keyword optimized, you should get |
| fees, workspace rent, and more. Some sellers set a | | | | more search traffic to your store. So, when you |
| general, all-items minimum selling price at $5, $10, or | | | | choose your Ebay username and Ebay Store name, |
| $20. Figure out your minimum price and stick to it. It is | | | | use a keyword or two as a part of your name. Then, |
| also important to calculate your monthly sales break | | | | use the same keyword within an H1 tag, in bold, in italic, |
| even point. You want to make sure your business is | | | | and in your text description. Using the basic SEO |
| worthwhile and meets your basic minimum goals, | | | | principles for your Ebay store pages and about me |
| especially if put a lot of energy into it. | | | | page will help it get more traffic from search engines. |
| 6. Use bundles. | | | | 17. Schedule your listings to end at a peak time. |
| Using low priced items bundled together is an effective | | | | The timing of your listing is important, because in the |
| strategy to pass savings on to a customer, yet | | | | final few hours before its end, it becomes increasingly |
| maintain your minimum selling price. This bundling | | | | more visible and prominent to visitors. This narrow |
| strategy occurs frequently in retail stores - like 8 pairs | | | | window of time is when your item is most likely to sell. |
| of socks - and in grocery stores - 10 hotdogs - and big | | | | It may take some research and experimentation to |
| box stores, like Costco: 2 packs of cereal. Selling these | | | | find the peak time for your auction to end. Tools like |
| items individually would not be worth it. However, | | | | Turbo Lister allow you to easily control when each |
| bundling allows you to sell for a higher price while giving | | | | auction starts and ends. Even though it costs a few |
| a customer a feeling of savings through the bulk | | | | cents extra to schedule (postponing an auction's start), |
| purchase- even though they are probably buying more | | | | having a listing end at a peak time is definitely worth it. |
| than the customer really needs. | | | | To help find an ideal time, we can first eliminate when |
| 7. Save money on packaging supplies. | | | | you don't want your listing to end. Assuming the |
| If you're creative, you can find cheap or free sources | | | | majority of your buyers will be in the U.S., we can first |
| of packaging materials. For instance, packing peanuts | | | | assume you don't want your auction to end anytime |
| can be found for free if you ask around industrial | | | | between 11am or 8am, since the majority of people will |
| places or furniture stores. If you are a UPS member, | | | | be asleep. Further, you might ask yourself if your type |
| you can get free shipping tape. You can often get | | | | of item would be used for work or personal use only. If |
| unmarked boxes for free if you ask around stores in | | | | for personal, it might be worth considering that during a |
| malls or office supply stores. Some Ebay sellers use | | | | lunch break or near the end of a workday (5pm), or |
| the free USPS priority mail boxes and turn them inside | | | | mid-evening may be an appropriate time to list such an |
| out in order to ship via another service. Not only does | | | | item. For professional work-related items, perhaps it |
| this look unprofessional and take extra time, but it's | | | | less likely that someone may search for these items in |
| illegal, according to USPS. Look around and you will find | | | | the evenings, but more during working hours. If you |
| either free or affordable solutions. | | | | have a store, you may also view statistics to see |
| 8. Take good digital photos of your items. | | | | what day of the week and what time of day most |
| You don't have to have an expensive camera to take | | | | people visit your store. Experience as a Powerseller |
| good digital photos, but just a basic knowledge of | | | | has shown that Sunday afternoon through Thursday |
| photography. Do a Google search and you will find a | | | | are the best days. And 11am to 8pm PST tends to be |
| quick list. This usually includes using a tripod, making | | | | the most effective time ranges. Avoid holiday mornings |
| sure the lighting is good (bright and diffused - no harsh | | | | and afternoons, as many people sleep in and usually |
| shadows, such as natural light), and making sure the | | | | go shopping and are away from computers in the |
| background is white or solid- with no distracting objects | | | | afternoon. |
| in the frame. If you photograph small items, you may | | | | 18. Fill your listing title with keywords. |
| consider buying a cheap light box or light tent for $100 | | | | Use all the space allowed with meaningful keywords |
| or less. You can find these on Ebay, of course. | | | | and avoid the use of empty words like 'awesome', |
| 9. Lure people to your Ebay store. | | | | having ALL CAPS, or using too many exclamation |
| Listing fees in your store is a fraction of the cost as a | | | | marks!!! Try adding misspellings in your title. It might |
| regular listing. So, if you place links or banners in your | | | | increase traffic in some cases. |
| regular listings that encourage viewing your store items | | | | 19. Use photos directly from the manufacturer. |
| then that could help increase store sales. | | | | It saves time to copy and use a photo from the |
| 10. Use automated feedback. | | | | manufacturer's website and it looks professional. In |
| Sellers used to spend hours keeping track of | | | | most cases the manufacturer encourages use of their |
| feedback. If you use Selling Manager Pro, you can use | | | | official photos as it helps their products get |
| automated feedback in bulk. After a quick setup, you | | | | represented accurately and professionally. However, |
| may never have to spend time leaving feedback | | | | always be conscious of copyright laws and read any |
| again. It can either be set so you automatically leave | | | | image use agreements posted. Taking images from |
| positive feedback after each auction or only when you | | | | other Ebay sellers is not recommended. |
| receive positive feedback. If you ever get neutral or | | | | 20. Put your website URL in your About Me page. |
| negative feedback, you have an option to deal with it | | | | Ebay rules allow you to link to a website from your |
| manually. | | | | About Me page as a way to provide more product or |
| 11. Automate email messages to customers. | | | | company information to the prospective buyer. Make |
| When a customer makes an order you can have | | | | the URL bold and prominent and you should see a |
| emails automatically sent from you to them. Services | | | | slight increase in traffic to your website. The more you |
| like Ebay's Selling Manager Pro do this. The email can | | | | sell directly from your own website, the better. Even if |
| either be an invoice for them to pay, or, if already paid, | | | | all you have for ecommerce is the free PayPal |
| it can just acknowledge their order and offer additional | | | | checkout buttons, it is still preferred to selling through |
| products, encouraging repeat business. Automating | | | | Ebay. You can save money by selling directly (fewer |
| these emails is a great time saver and an effective | | | | fees) and benefit by establishing a more direct |
| marketing tool. | | | | relationship with the customer. |
| 12. Promote repeat business. | | | | |