Sellers of all levels ask the same critical question. “What’s a money maker on eBay?”
No matter if you thrift, do retail arbitrage or buy wholesale, eBay sellers want to know, ” What will sell and make me good money now?” Immediately after discovering popular products, the next question is “How do I get some?” Offering in-demand inventory is important to selling success. Equally vital is having a relationship with good inventory sources. Sellers shop thrift shops, yard sales, traditional brick and mortar stores and buy wholesale. Having more than one source of inventory is wise.
To start, successful sellers discover and then sell in-demand items. They stay on top of the trends, watching pop culture, social media, and retail trends. Most online entrepreneurs develop expertise in several areas. So, sellers become adept at men’s, women’s and kid’s clothing, sporting goods, toys, video games and much much more.
According to DMR, there are over 25 million eBay sellers with over a billion items listed.
There are millions of sellers on eBay!
With the millions of vendors and a vast array of products on eBay, often entrepreneurs will stick to one or two tested inventory categories. While it’s important to develop areas of expertise, to remain successful, it’s good to stretch. Find and test new product lines constantly.
Oftentimes, it’s smart to add categories that relate to listings that are good money makers for you.
For instance, if women’s clothing does well for you, add women’s hats. Are your car accessories popular? If yes, then include motorcycle accessories etc.
Even experienced sellers can walk by unfamiliar hot products. Don’t make the mistake I describe in this video.
In closing, spend time on social media to be aware of popular trends. Develop relationships with reliable sources of inventory. Having more than one source of goods is smart.
Be alert, to new opportunities for product lines you may not have considered.
As much as it’s good business to develop an expertise, don’t neglect to consider all product lines you come across. A few minutes of research can reveal an overlooked gold mine.
Be alert to new product lines that can be big sellers on eBay!
One area can waste hundreds of dollars for eBay sellers monthly.
This category of spending is something that sellers of all levels make errors in. Can you guess what it is? Is it inventory? Could it storage or travel? No, it’s shipping. That’s right sellers, it is the cost of mailing your packages.
To start, eBay beginner sellers often err by not weighing their items with all the packing materials. Wrapping materials, mailers and or boxes add weight and postage costs. First class shipping in the United States is up to 16 oz. When an item is heavier than that, the costs to the shipper can rise significantly.Hereare the current rates as outlined on the Stamps.com blog. So, even when just starting to sell, a shipping scale is an excellent investment. You can purchase a scale that will weigh up to 50 lbs for less than $20. This page has suggestions on two scales.
Experienced entrepreneurs know that shoppers love free shipping.
Shoppers love free shipping!
Marketing Landreports a consumer study where shoppers say their top consideration when buying is free shipping. Free shipping attracts shoppers and sales. With that in mind, eBay sellers need to look carefully at their return rates. So for instance, items that have no little to no returns, free shipping is a very wise choice. However, for inventory with a high return rate, sellers to need to take a close look at profits.
When an item is returned, a full refund is expected, that includes the “free shipping”. You can charge a restocking fee. Realize that when you do so, you may lose customers to sellers who do not charge such fees. Look at your competition. Sellers that get a lot of returns, can build the cost of returns into their listing price and continue with free shipping and full refunds. Top Rated sellers can get a 10% Final Value Fee discount if their items meet the criteria for Top Rated Plus. Keep that in mind when selecting how you ship.
There is an alternative that can increase vendor’s profits. Charge for shipping.
Using this practice, when the item comes back, sellers refund the product price only. For sellers that get dozens of returns a month, this is a significant increase in profits. In addition, for heavy products, a shipping calculator offers a choice where the shipping cost is adjusted to the buyer’s location. Customers save money purchasing from vendors closeby.
This video discusses when to use free shipping and when not to.
In closing, always keep an eye on your sales profits. If you get few returns, free shipping is your perfect choice. However, if you sell in categories that get a lot of returns, charging for shipping can put more cash in your pocket.
eBay sellers and online marketers listened intently to Mark Zuckerberg announce recent changes to the Facebook news feed. Friends and family posts have enormous priority in the user’s newsfeeds over businesses posted content.
To start, small and medium-sized businesses need to be seen by shoppers despite these constraints. So the question arises, how to do this without a huge advertising budget? Simply, if items aren’t visible to customers browsing online, they aren’t sold.
So, what does an eBay seller do to get noticed by the millions Facebook users without paying huge ad fees?
How To Reach Millions of eBay Shoppers for FREE!
There is a solution for the online sellers. Furthermore, it doesn’t cost a dime. I wrote in #1 Genius Hack To More Sales on eBaysellers can post up to five products daily on eBay’s corporate Facebook page. Many sellers don’t know about this lucrative social media opportunity. This popular page has over 10 million followers! Sharing items to this well-followed page, gives sellers access to millions of social media users for free!
At times the corporate page is blocked to online sellers posting from their computer. This is due to constant site changes on Facebook. So, when you can’t share your listings from your computer, report it. I am assured by the page’s customer service team that they very much welcome product posts from sellers. In addition, after communicating with the page, alert Facebook customer service to the glitch.
No need to despair. if you can’t share your items from your computer.
There is a workaround.
With your smartphone or tablet, post products using IOS and Android apps. In my video included below, learn what to do. I explain step by step how to effectively list to the corporate page using a smartphone or tablet.
As outlined in my video, take time when sharing on social media to write something about your product. Furthermore, consider who would use your item, and address your post to them. Think like your buyer.
Daily posting to eBay’s Facebook page of 10 million fans is time well spent. Bring on the shoppers and for free!
There is a costly error that both new and experienced eBay sellers make. They grab a pile of inventory and start listing without researching what the items currently sell for. Sellers will glance at what similar items are currently listed for. They overlook checking what the product actually sells for. To start, if a new seller lists an item that is new with tags, they will list using the price tag on the item. If the tag is $80, they list the product for the same price. So, they are thinking that since the tag is $80, the item should sell for $80. What the tag price is and how much money it will sell for are often quite different. Research is key to seller success.
To list without eBay price research costs you money.
Without research you’re guessing on the listing price. Guessing costs you sales. Research can reveal an item is in demand. Therefore, you can price it higher than what you would guess looking at it. Correct pricing gets your listings sold as quickly as possible for maximum profits. Sellers can use eBay’s Advanced search to check what products sell for. This video explains utilizing eBay’s Advanced search for doing item price research.
Many successful sellers restock items that did well for them. In Sell It On eBay Now I explore this sales plan. Some entrepreneurs sold products six months ago, get more inventory and list without checking what the current selling price is.
Internet prices are like the stock market.
Prices go up and they go down. A few minutes using Advanced Search lets you know what the item will sell for now. If you are selling what looks to be a highly collectible or rare item, then more thorough research is advised. Terapeak is a professional eBay research tool. It has sold data going back three years. Here is my affiliate link for a free trial of Terapeak.
Price your eBay items to sell now!
To sell successfully on eBay, it’s wise to check prices on the worldwide web. FinancialMailspeaks to shoppers looking on many websites for prices before they buy. Pricing competitively increases your sales. In closing, research will get your eBay items sold for the best value, in the shortest amount of time. Price research keeps your cash flowing.
A few minutes spent researching prices on eBay and the web pays big dividends. Set a price that attract shoppers wanting to buy!
Yes, your Facebook Business page can be an eBay sales magnet.
Sellers make three sales killing mistakes with their Facebook Business pages.
Halt these errors. Then, watch your business page explode, attracting customers!
#1 Mistake Sellers Make On Facebook
Use A Business Page!
To start, many sellers sell from their personal profile and not their business page. A business page is free. It takes minutes to set up. Facebook want businesses to sell from a business page, not a personal profile. Actually, it’s against their terms of service to sell from your personal profile. Look here at number four, section four. You don’t want to lose your account. So, take the time now to set up a business page. The instructions to do it are here.
#2 Mistake Sellers Make
Don’t sell non-stop if you want to attract customers.
Sellers sell way too hard on Facebook.
Many seller’s business pages are an endless streams of for sale posts. Who likes to be sold to every minute of every day? To be effective, a Business page needs to offer lots of social content. So, thinking along these lines, food and recipes are very engaging. My popular blog post, Get Likes And Followers On Facebook Immediately shows how to attract shoppers to your page with food posts.
#3 Mistake Sellers Make
Sellers forget to be social on social media.
It is SOCIAL media not selling media. Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has consistently spoken of Facebook’s focus on human relationships. On Jan 11,2018 he reaffirmed this, speaking of what is prioritized in the news feed. Mark Zuckerberg spoke to helping users find relevant and engaging content. So, translated for sellers, that means, it’s time to talk and listen to your customers. I give you killer tips on doing this in my live stream What’s Going On With Facebook And My Business Page?
In closing, use your Business page to create wonderful social and sales content.
Focus on creating and maintaining relationships and conversations.
The more your business page is social, the more followers you’ll attract. This means that when you post your items for sale, they reach more potential customers. Can you hear the cha chings?
So, it’s January 2018 and the New Year eBay sellers.
What does a seller do now to attract shoppers on eBay?
Here is what to do to make money on eBay right now. First of all, pull out a pen and paper, or your favorite device, and take notes. As outlined in 5 Steps To Move Your Online Business To the Next Level, planning is crucial to sustained success
Look at what sold for you on eBay in November and December of 2017. What were your hot sellers? According to the Washington Post here is a list of some of the most in demand items from Christmas 2017. What were your top sellers? Was it women’s clothing, kid’s toys, sports equipment, housewares or another category? Where did you buy the products that you are sold out of right now?
Can you get more of the products that are sold out?
Can Your Buy More Of What Sold on eBay?
If the exact item is not be available for you to buy, is there something similar? For instance, the 6 inch brown teddy bears sold out for you on eBay. You cannot buy more from your source. However there are 8 inch bears in the same style available from your supplier. Also, you may have purchased items at a local big box retailer. Now that store is sold out of that hot item. Is there another of the same store within a 30 mile radius that has the item? Another place to check for your product is the big box retailer websites. Wholesale liquidators like BULQcan also be source for in demand items.
Popular items may be sold out locally, but are for sale on the internet.
Sellers often neglect the internet as a source for purchasing hot selling inventory.
From your research, you know what was popular for you one Bay in November and December. Many of those items will stay in demand. By restocking quickly you can start 2018 off strong!
Here are some more ideas for product sourcing to start 2018 off with strong sales!
In closing. take notes on what were your popular items from the end of 2017. Plan how to restock them quickly. Don’t overlook using big box retailers locally and online for inventory. List quickly.
Bravo eBay seller, you’re off to a great start for 2018!
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