10 Ways to be a Better eBay Seller
Monday, October 22nd, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
If you’ve made it this far, you understand the basics of eBay. There are a few things left, though, that you might not have thought of trying. Some of these tips may not sound typical, but it pays to be different. We’ve talked about standing out, well here are 10 more ways to be a better seller.
1. Keep more records
It might sound time consuming, but you’ll actually find it easier in the long run. It’s less time spent trying to figure out which item that check you got this morning is for.
2. Post without payment
Don’t even wait for payment to clear! That might sound risky, but it’ll mean that the buyers get their items more quickly. For small items, you might find it worth the occasional loss to give such quick service. This will also build your reputation as a reliable seller… more good feedback is always good.
3. Post every day
Once you start shifting a high volume of items, go and post them every day. Again, they’ll get there more quickly, making your customers very happy. This may seem difficult, but once you make it a habit, you’ll enjoy the amount of inventory you move… because you’ll be making more money on eBay.
4. Encourage an auction mentality
Don’t have a Buy it Now price, and make it very clear when it’s the last or only stock you’ll be getting in. Always refer to winning bidders as “winners”.
5. Mention every defect your item has
Now why would you do that, you might ask? The answer is that it builds credibility: the small hit you take from the slight flaws is nothing compared to the big boost in trust you get for admitting it. People bid more when they trust the seller.
6. Say how you got the item
Don’t be afraid to go off on a tangent and give all sorts of fun details of how you got hold of what you’re selling. It gives your auction character and, again, builds trust. This doesn’t mean revealing your wholesale source or anything… just a nostalgic story that will add sentiment to your auctions. If you can relate to your buyer, you’ll make more sales.
7. Accept odd payment methods
Sooner or later you’re going to get a buyer who wants to pay by sending cash in an envelope, or something equally unusual. Why not let them? Be flexible.
8. Don’t be afraid to sell low
Let the occasional item go for a really low price to a good buyer. You might only just break even on the item, but the person who got that bargain will be back again and again.
9. Give free shipping for a certain number of orders, or orders over a certain amount
People might buy something else they don’t want as much, just to get the free shipping. (Amazon uses this strategy to great effect).
10. Ship worldwide
Take the time to investigate the prices, and be nice to international customers. Imagine how much you’re expanding your market. That’s not to mention the effect of people bidding highly for items that are rare in their country.
Another great way to be a better seller is to use some of the many third party eBay tools that are available. There are so many companies out there that offer awesome services that will increase your eBay income and make you an expert at selling on eBay. Practical eBay Selling will be there to let you know which ones will benefit you the most.
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October 27th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Good post. I like the one about selling low.
I used that principal to get people into the initial purchase of my item…but prior to the auction’s end, I’d make sure I had an add-on product to ‘upsell’ to them. Either that, or I’d get their email address and ask them to be on my mailing list, where I could do some affiliate marketing…promoting niche-related websites in exchange for commissions on sales.
Very good post, though.
January 15th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
How many orders do you think would be wise to give free shipping to? Also, I agree a ton about the honesty thing, if people feel that they can trust you, they are more apt to buy from you. Trust helps you in every aspect of life, too.