There are 2 important dates this week for eBay sellers! May 1 is the first important date for sellers for 2 reasons!
eBay Top Rated sellers that want to maintain Top Rated Plus Status and it’s 20% final value fee discount will need to offer 30 day returns as of May 1.
Offer 30 Returns To Keep Top Rated Plus Discount!
The criteria to be a Top Rated Seller on eBay remains the same and is outlined on eBay HERE.
Newer eBay sellers may not be aware of the fact that you do not need to have an eBay store to be a Top Rated or Top Rated Plus seller.
The criteria for eBay‘s Top Rated Seller is the amount of time the seller has been actively selling on eBay, the seller’s number of transactions and total sales dollars with US buyers and outstanding customer service.
One can be a Top Rated Seller on eBay and NOT Top Rated Plus.
To achieve the Top Rated Plus standing for one’s eBay listings the Top Rated Seller must offer same or 1 business day handling and as of May 1, a 30 day money back guarantee. Top Rated Plus status is a huge plus for seller’s profits on eBay! Every item of a Top Rated Seller’s that meets the criteria for Top Rated Plus receives a 20% final value fee discount on the item when it sells. This Top Rated Plus discount has no ceiling. Sellers can save $30, $50, $100 and more every month by making sure once they achieve Top Rated Seller status that they set up their listings to get the Top Rated Plus seal and discount!
The 2nd reason for eBay sellers to pay special attention to May 1 is that eBay store owners will get more listings for each eBay Store Level!
May 1 Means More Listing For eBay Stores!
All levels of eBay store are getting more listings as of May 1! Basic stores will get an increase of 50 fixed price listings, and increase of 150 auction listings in fashion and collectibles. This will mean Basic store owners will have a monthly allotment of 250 fixed price listings and 250 in auctions, with category restrictions for auctions. eBay Premium store owners increase from 500 to 1000 fixed price listings per month. Premium store owners will also see their monthly allotment of auctions listings in certain categories increase from 100 to 500. Anchor store owners monthly allocation of fixed price listings rise from from 2,500 to 10,000! Anchor stores are also seeing an increase from 100 auctions listings in certain categories to 1,000! All store levels also will receive coupons towards eBay branded shipping supplies. Anchor stores will receive customer service phone support as of July 1.
The 2nd Date for eBay sellers to note in May is May 6.
eBay stores all change prices as of May 6. eBay store sellers will be able to change their store level without penalty until June 4. When a seller switches up or down up until June 4 the seller fees will be prorated by the choice(s) the seller makes.
It is always good to be a Top Rated Seller on eBay. Once a seller achieves Top Rated status to gain the 20% final value fee Top Rated Plus discount make sure you offer same or 1 business day handing and a 30 day or better money back guarantee!
Here’s to wonderful savings and sales coming your way eBay seller!
How are your Mother’s Day sales going online seller?
Are you crushing it on eBay, Etsy and Amazon? If yes, good for you! If like many online sellers you are disappointed with your results so far, I have good news for you!
Often sellers limit their success during Mother’s Day by what they think a Mother’s Day gift item is!
Have you decided that only jewelry, perfume and flowers are Mother’s Day gifts?
To achieve great sales results right now it’s time to reconsider what is a suitable Mother’s Day gift!
How do I Get More Mother’s Day Sales?
Mom’s are a wonderfully diverse bunch with dozens of interests and talents to be celebrated with Mother’s Day Gifts! Think about your own Mom. What did she love? Did Mom love clothing, home decor, her collection(s) or something new for her car or kitchen?
Was Mom an avid tennis player, reader and/ or pet lover?
Moms have dozens if not hundreds of interests! Mother’s Day is the perfect time to help shoppers find the perfect gift for their Mother to celebrate her uniqueness!
Moms love lots of items as gifts!
I’ve worked in brick and mortar retail for over 25 years. I put on my retail thinking cap and I’ve come up with a product list of over 35 items that make excellent Mother’s Day gifts. With my product list in your hand you can re think your product offerings. You’ll see how you can approach Mother’s Day sales and increase the cash flow for your online business!
With my FREE HOT products tips sheet in hand go through your existing inventory! That’s right, with my tip sheet you can sort through your existing items without any additional purchases and find great items for you to feature for Mother’s Day shoppers! Once selected think through how to promote your selections to welcome online customers!
If you’re selling on eBay, this blog post from eBay For Business has tips for you on how to best showcase your eBay items for Mother’s Day shoppers using eBay collections, social media and more!
With the right research, yes it can! I will tell you simple research secrets that will enable you to grow your business from information you already have!
Look at your sales on eBay and or Etsy for the past 6 months.
What categories and items have been your top sellers?
What sells best for you?
What do your eBay and Etsy shoppers like to buy from you? Do you find that your best selling items are men’s clothing, women’s clothing, automotive accessories, kid’s toys, video games or housewares? Within each category that sells well for you dig deeper. Locate within that top selling category the items that are bringing you shoppers.
Make a list of your top sellers.
Make A List!
Be sure and take the time to note the color and sizes of items most in demand. With your list in hand think where you bought the items that sold so well. Can you get more? If the answer is no, are there other places to buy the items? If the item was a closeout look on the internet and see if you can find other sources of the same or similar inventory. I often buy lots off eBay and break the lots down. I list items in smaller product groups and or sell them as single products. Larger bundles can be broken into smaller bundles for a nice profit. I detail this process in my successful class on product bundling Secret Spice for Online Sales.
If you’re items are unique and one of a kind start scouting all your local auctions, thrift shops, consignment shops and Craig’s List. You can advertise for items in local papers. Have you tried joining Facebook groups for people in your area selling items to source products? Always check the rules for buying and selling groups. Look at Instagram. I’m finding lots of sellers there. With the low fees on Instagram and other sites bargains can be found.
The internet is a wide and wonderful place to sell. It’s also a very wide and wonderful place place to buy.
Shop The Internet For Inventory!
Equipped with your list, you are set to use Google search to scour sites for inventory.
Don’t neglect local buying and selling sites to acquire inventory, being mindful of rules.
Daily sellers come to me asking, “Kathy, how do I increase my sales on eBay? Kathy, how do I make more money on Etsy?”
How Do I Increase My Sales?
When I talk with sellers with failing or slow sales often I witness people using strategies with no real idea of why they are doing what they are doing. They read a post, or watch a YouTube describing how someone had success doing XX so the online seller looking to increase their cash flow jumps on the tip looking for instant sales results! I totally understand this predicament. When online sales are slow, out of desperation an entrepreneur will grab at tips often without checking the date and validity of the information!
When implementing sales strategies for eBay and Etsy check the date of the advice. If the post is more than 1-2 years old it’s very likely not up to date with what is currently effective for eBay, Etsy or Google search.
Step 1 to increase your sales on eBay, Etsy is slow down and think.
Take pen and paper or use an app like Evernote and consider what you want to accomplish. Then think through how you plan to do it.
It’s Important To Plan!
Take time and ponder, “How can I increase my sales?”
Do I need to list more? Do I need to carry a great variety of inventory? Do I need to offer a greater variety of price points to my shoppers?
When researching on eBay using eBay’s advanced search can help you get information you need. To get more in depth insights look at the professional eBay research tool Terapeak. Check your item’s price to make sure you are competitive not just on eBay or Etsy but on the worldwide web.For Etsysellers Flipper Tools can help you with product sold price research.
Step 2 to increasing your online sales is to prioritize!
When sales are slow it’s easy to panic and start taking a series of random actions, similar to throwing spaghetti on the wall and seeing what sticks!
Setting your priorities in the steps you want to take to increase your sales on eBay and Etsy will help you make wise choices with your time each day.
Step 3 is do your plan!
How often have you made a plan to increase increase your online inventory and then not done the necessary research, product shopping or listing? Have you gone to list an item and not taken the time to research what are the best choices for you to make on eBay that get you the most money? My hit eBook The Secret to eBay Search For Sellers walks you step by step through your eBay listing giving you the tools to write a winning eBay listing and maximize your sales profits! It’s not just a matter of buying winning inventory to sell! Listing your eBay product in an optimized format gains you the maximum sales results you want!
Step 4 is enjoy the fruits of your labor!
Congratulations! You looked at what it would take to move your eBay or Etsy business to the next level! You took the time to research and made a practical plan to increase your online sales. You then set your priorities and equipped yourself with good information and put your strategy to work! Reward yourself with a special treat! Perhaps it’s time for a luxurious manicure pedicure or you might prefer a delicious meal at your favorite restaurant, or both?! Enjoy the fruits of your labor!
I recently experienced a slow period for my eBay and Etsy sales as I took some family time. During my time with my family I stepped aside from my usual routine as a seller and my sales slowed down to a trickle!
I turned to eBay and Etsy sales basics.
I want to share with you exactly what I did that worked to turn my eBay and Etsy sales from a trickle to a steady stream of sales.
Breathe!
When sales slow down or stop altogether one’s first instinct is to panic!
The number one key to sales success online is take a moment to breathe and calm your thoughts. I know this can be hard when you’re looking at a stack of bills, but taking a deep breath and doing your best to let go of panic and stress is the best beginning.
OK, I’ve completed step one and I’m breathing deeply and relatively calm, now what?
The number two way to get your sales flowing on eBay and Etsy!
List!
The reason listing is key to increase sales is two fold. First when you list you give the eBay or Etsy search spiders new information for them to crawl. This also applies to the search spiders of Google, Yahoo and Bing. The other reason why listing is key to increase your online sales is more inventory means more potential customers. If you have 200 items listed, that’s 200 potential shoppers arriving to look at your online merchandise. If you have 100 listed, that’s 100 etc. I go into great detail explaining this in my new hit eBook The Secret To eBay Search For Sellers.
The basic rule of thumb is more listings means more shoppers!
The third key that reignited my eBay sales was I ran a sale! One of the great benefits of having an eBay store is that you can run a sale just like a brick and mortar retail establishment.
Run A Sale!
A sale in your eBay store accomplishes several things.
When you run a sale on eBay you get slash through pricing. Slash pricing catches the eye of online shoppers. When your price is lowered on eBay it can help your products to get better placement in eBay‘s Best Match search. Best Match is the default search on eBay. There are 3 ways to run a sale on eBay. You can use Markdown Manager, Promotions Manager, and/or the paid app CampaignGO. I like CampaignGO as I find it much faster than Markdown Manager. In addition I like the data it stores for on my sales results. CampaignGo is adding a Repeat Buyer Alert, so I can know when my previous customer(s) return to shop with me! You can create a sale that attracts shoppers on Etsy using coupons!
Breathe, list and run a sale to increase sales online!
When sales are slow you are looking for strategies that bring shoppers to your merchandise. Staying calm, listing and running a sale are proven successful strategies to increase profits on eBay, Etsy and anywhere you sell!
Every day of the year an online seller is facing catastrophic weather. Fire, tornadoes, torrential rain fall, hurricanes and more impact eBay and Etsy sellers regularly!
To successfully deal with the impact of a natural disaster on your online business it’s smart to take some time now to make an emergency business plan. When bad weather comes your way a well thought out emergency business plan alleviates stress on you during a very challenging time.
Take Time Now To Plan!
Make A Business Emergency Plan Now!
1-Where is your inventory? If your inventory is in your home, in a storage unit or warehouse make sure your items are off the ground. Inventory is best stored during bad weather as high as possible off the ground on metal shelves. Metal shelving is sturdier than plastic. Pick shelves that the height of the shelves can be customized for your needs. Consider raising the bottom shelf height when a storm heads your way.
Decide if you are best to hang clothing on a rack
or fold and put items in plastic bins. Plastic bins can help protect your inventory from rain. For most items cardboard boxes are not a wise storage choice. They are easily saturated by rain and offer little to no protection for your inventory,
2- Put Your Store On Vacation.
Be Smart! Put Your Store On Vacation!
If you have an Etsy shop consider putting your shop on vacation. Your shop listings will be blocked from buyers. If you regularly face bad weather, and sell digital downloads, consider having 2 Etsy Shops, 1 for your regular inventory and 1 for your digital products. With 2 shops you can leave your digital shop open for sales and vacation your other. Click here to learn how to put your Etsy Shop on vacation.
eBay sellers without an eBay store think about ending all your listings. With bad weather and potentially no electricity you don’t want to face trying to mail products and answering customer service inquiries. Once the bad weather has passed relist all your products. Investigate the fees involved an eBay store. It can be worth it to open a Basic Store for a short period of time, and use the store vacation setting to block your listings from shoppers. Here’s how to put your eBay store on vacation. http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/placing-store-vacation.html
There are 2 settings for putting an eBay store on vacation. You can block your listings or leave them available for sale. Facing horrible weather blocking your listings may be the best choice. Dealing with a tornado or a hurricane is stressful enough without thinking about shipping inventory. With horrific weather you may be without power for days. Should your inventory be portable and you have a trained co worker or family member not in the path of bad weather, moving your inventory and business to that person’s home may be a viable choice for you. If you are a Top Rated Seller with same or 1 business day handling, an extra precaution for you is to bulk edit your listings and change your handling time to 5 or more days.
3- Should Someone Have Your Passwords?
If you have a trusted friend, family member or employee you may want to give them the passwords to your account(s). If something needs to be done while you are unavailable a trusted family member or co worker can step in for you. Have them check customer messages while you are facing bad weather. If you are a drop shipper you can train someone to run your business for you during a disaster. Also consider using a Password Manager Cloud System like Last Pass where you can store your passwords and access them remotely. Last Pass has a free and premium version.
4- What About Banking And Personal Readiness?
With bad weather coming your way, decide how much cash you need on hand. Make sure your necessary medications are in ample enough supply to last you more than a few days. Put a full tank of gas in all your vehicles.
5- Back Up Your Data.
Back up all your data to a cloud service, so that if you need to log into your information while away from your home office, your information will be current. It can also be useful to back up date on a portable hard drive to take your data with you.
6- Charge all devices and Juice Packs.
Take the time to thoroughly charge all your phones and tablets. I have Mophie Juice Packs on all our business phones. They keep our smart phones fully charged for a long time.
In addition to Mophies I have portable juice packs. With Mophies and portable packs I have power for our phones for many, many hours with no power.
Make a plan that works for you and your online business. With your plan in hand should you face dangerous weather you can focus on you and your family’s personal safety. You can quickly and easily follow your business plan alleviating stress at a very challenging time.
Remember, your personal safety is more important than any sale. I personally faced Hurricaine Sandy here in NYC. My plan saved me hours of precious time that I need to prepare my family. Be prepared. Be safe. When the bad weather passes, you’ll reopen your store and welcome shoppers!
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