Last Minute eBay Holiday Sales Tips!

Now is the time to focus on last minute eBay Holiday sales!

Last Minute Holiday sales Tips For eBay Sellers!

Last Minute Holiday Sales To Do List For eBay Sellers!

I don’t know what the weather’s been like in your part of the country, but winter has definitely arrived in my hometown NYC, the Big Apple. That means two things! I better bundle up and Christmas is here very soon!  And you know what that means. It’s time to start checking items off your last minute eBay Holiday selling to-do list. I’m here to help!

The first to-do on your last-minute eBay Holiday list should be inventory.

Brick-and-mortar stores and online retailers are slashing prices to the bone this time of year. They are trying to get items sold before the end of Q4. Take advantage of last minute  Holiday sales events and stock up now on bargains to list in the new year.

Furthermore, don’t forget that Christmas sells year-round on eBay. This is the time to source products for your store’s Holidays categories! And when you’re scavenging through retail and online stores in search of holiday deals and steals, don’t overlook local drugstores and even dollar stores. You’ll be amazed at what you can find there. Remember eBay is home to an enormous diversity of goods from business & industrial to auto parts, electronics, games, toys, clothes, make up, luggage and more!

In addition, think wholesale sources for your eBay inventory.

Consider reputable wholesalers like BULQ. BULQ offers liquidation goods by the pallet or case. This is extremely advantageous for small sellers. A pallet may be too much for you to handle, especially in terms of storage space. For most sellers a case is very doable. BULQ ’s merchandise includes name brand overstocks and returns from some of the country’s major retailers, including Target and Bed Bath & Beyond. And it’s delivered right to your doorstep — convenient all year round, but a godsend when you’re snowed in!

BULQ reports that they anticipate excellent holiday-themed merchandise arriving daily starting towards the end of December through January.

New listings are posted every day at 11am, 2pm, and 5pm. So bookmark BULQ.com and check back often to catch the best bargains. If you see a lot you like on BULQ, you better purchase it quickly, as each lot is unique and can sell in a matter of minutes!

Now that you’ve taken care of your future inventory, let’s move on to your current inventory!

It’s time to discuss the sold items that I hope are flying off your shelves and out the door. How are your shipping supplies holding up? Even if you think you still have plenty, it’s time to reorder them now.  You want to be sure to have enough on hand for shipping all your last-minute sales! For free USPS supplies, go to https://store.usps.com/store/results/free-shipping-supplies/shipping-supplies/_/N-alnx4jZ7d0v8v

Better yet, order free co-branded eBay-USPS shipping supplies right from ebay.com.

To order go to http://uspssupplies.ebay.com/uspsweb/catalog

These include the popular Priority Mail Shoe Box as well as regular Priority and Priority Flat Rate boxes. Dress up your packed items and packages with eBay-branded tissue paper, stickers, and thank-you cards from eBay Shipping Supplies. (If you’re a store subscriber, be sure to use your quarterly coupon for these.) You’ll also find competitively priced polyvinyl and bubble-padded shipping envelopes there.

All good packaging for eBay Holiday sales isn’t complete without shipping labels!

And speaking of labels, do you have a backup system in place for purchasing and printing shipping labels in case eBay Labels goes kerflooey? Stamps.com has a full-featured free option especially for eBay sellers, so set up an account and have it ready, just in case. Use THIS link to set up a free account for eBay sellers with Stamps.com. You only pay for postage when you need it. There is no monthly maintenance fee.

Don’t Neglect Social Media!

With the frenzy of inventory shopping, and shipping sales, don’t forget to maintain posting schedule for your social media. You want the customer traffic social media brings you. Read eBay Holiday Sales Success 3 Ninja Tips for juicy tips for your eBay social media!

Now you’ve got your last-minute to-do list. Let’s make like Santa and check it twice:

1. Inventory
2. Shipping supplies
3. Plan B for purchasing and printing shipping labels

 

Must Haves For eBay Holiday Last Minute Sales!

One more last-minute holiday reminder: be sure to take time to reflect on your many blessings and enjoy the Holiday season with family and friends. Ho, ho, ho!

eBay Titles Matter More Than Ever!

Great listings starts with great eBay titles.

eBay titles hold the search juice you’re looking for!

Optimized eBay titles helps your listings be found in eBay and Google search results. Titles are key information for shoppers who increasingly buy on mobile. Furthermore, along with your hero image, or first  photo, the title is what’s going to catch buyers’ eyes. Your title can inspire shoppers to click on your listing.

Yet many sellers are not optimizing their eBay titles!

Small wonder, since eBay’s own Seller Center doesn’t even mention titles in its enumeration of listing best practices. And eBay’s Help page about optimizing listings for best match just says, “Write a clear and concise title with correct spelling and no more than 80 characters.” Correct spelling should go without saying. But while “clear and concise” may be concise, it’s not particularly clear!

So just what constitutes an effective title for your eBay listing?

Let’s start with eBay’s stipulation of “no more than 80 characters.” To write an effective title, you should use as many of those characters as possible — at least 75, if not more. And those characters should comprise keywords: the words that buyers use when searching for your item.

Keywords are attributes that describe your item, such as brand, size, color, model, and, of course, “the noun”, meaning what the item is, such as a dress. They are terms that buyers will type into a search engine to help them find an item like yours. In other words, think like a buyer. What words would someone looking for your item, type into the search bar? Use THOSE words.

So it’s important to think like a buyer when composing titles for your listings.

Keyword order is important, too. In general, lead with the item’s brand name. But if there’s no brand name, lead with the keywords that most clearly and concisely tell buyers what the item is. For example, if you’re listing unbranded Thanksgiving place mats featuring a cornucopia design, don’t lead with the keyword “Placemats”. Instead you’d  want to lead with “Thanksgiving cornucopia”, then”Placemats”. Why do this? Because the attribute of most interest to a potential shopper is Thanksgiving or cornucopia, not placemat.

Similarly, if the item is a no- name brand, don’t lead with brand in the title.

Rather lead with what’s of interest. Is it a cell phone case or a dress? Or perhaps the pattern of polka dot or plaid is most appealing. Use eBay search. See what eBay suggests when you type in relevant keywords.

You can actually enlist the help of eBay’s search engine, to help you determine the most important keywords for your item and in what order you should put them. To find out how, check out my YouTube video “How to Write Great Titles for Your eBay Listings Quickly” . This tip will save you time. Let eBay search tell you exactly how buyers search for your item!

Here are some additional tips for optimizing the titles of your listings.

Titles are not sentences; think “Keyword Keyword Keyword”  Never waste valuable characters on words such as “L@@k” or “Wow” or “Beautiful”, because nobody searches for those. Using terms like these are “old school eBay” used in years past. They are not effective now.

Don’t include excessive punctuation such as exclamation points, quotation marks, commas, etc.  It’s not needed and wastes valuable characters. Also avoid special characters, such as stars, hearts, or emojis.  Style your title in conventional title case, capitalizing the first letter of each keyword. Avoid UPPER CASE TITLES and rAnDom UpPeR aNd LoWeR CaSe TitLeS as they are hard to read! Remember most of your shoppers are on mobile. Again, think like a buyer.

If you’ve got listings that have been up for awhile with no sales, try tweaking their titles using the tips in this post and in my YouTube video. HERE is some additional information to move your listings ahead in eBay search results.

Titles aren’t rocket science.

But they can mean the difference between an item that sells and one that doesn’t. Because so many shoppers are on mobile know that your pictures and your titles are what shoppers see first.  Done right, they land you in front on more shoppers and the RIGHT shoppers. Titles are THAT important.

Attention to titles pays off in better eBay and Google search ranking. And that means more sales!

 

When creating your title, it pays to think like your potential eBay buyer!

eBay Sellers Christmas Holiday Sales Alert!

eBay sellers Christmas is less than 90 days away. That is less than 12 weeks. That may seem like a long time to you. It is not.  So, eBay sellers that means it’s time to start preparing for a profitable Q4 right now.

Not sure exactly where to begin for a successful eBay sellers Christmas selling season?

Relax, because I’m here to help you have your best Holiday selling season ever! The first thing to remember is that there’s really no wrong way to tackle Q4, as long as you tackle it. It’s your business; you get to be in charge of how you run it.

So don’t waste time and energy comparing yourself to others.

What works best for another eBay seller may not work for you — and vice-versa. Make the best decisions for your business and your life. It’s your eBay business.

If you’re like most eBay sellers, there are probably 3 things on your eBay sellers Christmas Q4 wish list:

  1. More sales than last year
  2. Get more done in less time
  3. Enjoy the holidays with family and friends

My proven Q4 success strategies can help you achieve all 3 of those goals to have a great eBay sellers Christmas!.

Go to your Active Listings page in Seller Hub, and click on Current Price to sort items by what’s most expensive. Which of your items are new with tags?

You may think an item is not a gift. Remember not everyone has your lifestyle. Your family may not gift power tools, but for someone else, it’s the perfect Chrostmas gift. Think outside the box when it comes to what you think is just right for a gift. Many, many items are giftable! Christmas present are not just dolls, teddy bears and video games!

The perfect Christmas gift is more than toys!

Don’t forget that used items also sell as gifts, especially if they’re vintage and/or collectible.

Next, check your unlisted inventory, and get gift-worthy items listed ASAP.

Make a list or spreadsheet, so you can easily keep track of your Holiday listings. Then cast a critical eye at your active listings. Do any of them need their photos redone? Or maybe put into a different order? Make sure your listings are still optimized for search, too, as item specifics may have changed. This recent video Lost In eBay Search shows you how invaluable correct item specifics are.

By now you should be pretty well organized. Check your holiday inventory at the beginning or end of each week, whichever works best for you:

  • What’s selling or sold?
  • Do you need to run a sale?
  • What needs tweaking?

Create promotional campaigns, and make a note of what works — then do more of it!

Finally, to have the ultimate eBay sellers Christmas, plan to enjoy yourself

In between all of the above tasks, take time to bask in the company of family and friends and participate in holiday events.

Build that time and those events into your Holiday plan. You’ll be making memories while your business is making money!

Break out the wassail, and let’s share a toast: Here’s to your best eBay Christmas Holiday selling season ever!

 

 

eBay Open 2019 Seller Updates Galore!

Good news from eBay Open 2019: Policies and initiatives announced at the conference place sellers front and center! These policies impact sellers at all levels.

First, these new policy updates and initiatives unveiled at eBay Open 2019 are important. Furthermore, there are fine points to them that you might overlook.

For all sellers, with or without stores

  • New photo-editing tool! eBay has launched in beta a new photo-editing tool that whites out the background of your pictures. But please note the following important caveats:
  1. This useful tool is still in beta. That means it’s not yet perfected. It also means that not everyone can use it yet.
  2. Only eBay Open attendees currently have access to the beta. To get it, you had to sign up in the Seller Hub area. If you neglected to do so, reach out to customer service to see what, if anything, can be done to enable you to access the beta.
  3. You can only use the white background photo-editing functionality through eBay Mobile for the iPhone. Once the background is whited out, your listing can be saved as a draft and then completed from your desktop or laptop computer. The new whiteout tool will eventually be available on those devices as well. As of right now, the beta version is in a very early stage.
  • Multi-User Account Access! All sellers — with or without a store — can now utilize eBay’s new Multi-User Access (MUAA). Right now, the only part of your account to which you can apply multi-user access is listing. This means you can give an assistant access to the listing section of your Seller Hub.

eBay will add more areas as Multi-User Account Access rolls out, e.g. shipping and customer relations management. The company plans to include all aspects of selling in future iterations of MUAA. The steps to grant access to your seller account are in my complimentary Exclusive eBay Open Update Guide. 

Complimentary Exclusive eBay Open 2019 Update Guide!

New and better seller protections!

  • The biggest news for sellers is the MASSIVE improvements in seller protections. ALL sellers have new protections.Top Rated Sellers have BIG protections that actually put money in those sellers’ pockets.

Top Rated Sellers who offer 30-Day Returns get TWO financial as well as other protections.

Please note that for the following new protections, you DON’T need to offer free returns. However, you must be TOP RATED to receive these protections:

  1. If you get a false Item Not As Described (INAD) return, eBay will credit your invoice up to $6 to cover the cost of return shipping.
  2. If an item is returned in a different condition than when you shipped it (returned without tags, damaged, etc.), you may issue a partial refund for up to 50% of the item’s price.
  3. Negative feedback, defects and opened cases in Service Metrics connected to false INAD claims will be removed.
  4. Negative feedback and defects for transactions in which you give a partial refund will be removed.
  5. This process will be automated in your Seller Hub.
  6. You’re always welcome to call customer service. However, IF YOU’RE A TOP RATED SELLER, it’s not necessary to do so in order to receive the aforementioned protections.

For small to large sellers with eBay stores

Terapeak Product Research! Terapeak has rolled out to ALL sellers subscribing to a Basic or higher-level store. This justly popular and beloved marketplace research tool offers incredible data that will help you with your listings in a variety of ways. Different sellers are finding Terapeak via different routes, as simple access via Seller Hub seems to be in some kind of gradual roll out:

  1. You may now have a Research tab (replacing the Growth tab) in your Seller  Hub; you’ll find Terapeak in the drop-down menu under the Research tab.
  2. Google Terapeak, then log into Terapeak using your eBay user ID and password. You’ll see prompts for doing so on Terapeak’s website.
  3. Some sellers can log in through My Account > Subscriptions.

For Large Sellers With eBay stores

eBay Managed Delivery! For large sellers looking for an end-to-end fulfillment service, Managed Delivery is now available in beta to select sellers. eBay plans to roll it out site wide starting in the US in 2020. Managed Delivery is intended for very big sellers. My best understanding is that you’d want to have more than 1000 SKUs of inventory to send to the various fulfillment centers to make this option cost effective for you. I know one seller in the beta, and he is very, very happy.

Multi User Accounts are live on eBay!

In closing, Devin Wenig and his team have knocked the ball out of the stadium this time around.

There is excellent news for all levels of sellers!  eBay leadership clearly has been listening to the seller community. At the same time, they also are responding to the needs of shoppers.

Finally, what is a savvy eBay seller to do now?

With my complimentary Exclusive eBay Open Update Guide.  Dig in and study the policy changes.  You’re on the fast track to equip your business for more sales!

 

 

 

 

eBay Open 2019 Essential Attendees Guide!

eBay Open 2019  essential attendees guide is here!

With eBay Open 2019 less than a month away, it means it’s time for sellers to start planning.  So, how will you make the most of your 3 days at this once-a-year opportunity? Get ready to get up close and personal with eBay executives, employees, and fellow eCommerce entrepreneurs!

How much you’ll get out of your time at eBay Open 2019 depends on how much effort you put into planning.

A few minutes spent planning your eBay Open 2019 day, maximizes your results!

Think now about how to best and most wisely utilize your time. Once you’re actually in Vegas, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the event. With the camaraderie of meeting up with old friends and making new ones, it’s so easy to realize on the last day that you’ve missed important workshops. And you haven’t talked with key eBay teams, and/or didn’t spend enough time in the Expo Hall.

Don’t be THAT attendee! Instead, do your planning now, and build in time for fun and spontaneity along the way.

What to bring to Las Vegas in July?

Here are some success strategies to keep in mind at eBay Open 2019, especially if you’re a first-time attendee:

  • Download the eBay Open 2019 App. Typically it’s released a few days before the event. Keep an eye on your emails from eBay Open. The app will have the daily agenda, surprise events and more.
  • Pack plenty of business cards. You’ll want them handy to enter vendor raffles and exchange with fellow sellers.
  • Yes, it’s VERY hot outside but bring a sweater or hoodie as meeting rooms can be chilly.
  • Wear your most comfortable shoes. There is a lot of walking from hotel rooms to the conference.
  • Hydrate! Remember, you’re in the desert, so bring along your favorite reusable water bottle Bonus points  for yo if it’s eBay branded,
  • Take plenty of notes. Many events are taped, but it helps your memory to be a note taker.

Last but not least, have fun!

Back again this year are the super popular  Biz Boosts! Want 1-1 time with an eBay Customer Service representative?! Biz Boost offer you that opportunity. Schedule a Biz Boost appointment to discuss your eBay business in detail. Get recommendations for growing and improving it. You should have received an email from eBay’s Biz Boost Appointment Team about this via (regular email, not through My Messages); click on the link in the email and follow its instructions.

The annual eBay Open Unofficial Meet & Greet is the perfect way to kick off your eBay Open conference experience.

Hosted by the Dallas Meet Up groups’s Stephanie Inge with the help of eBetsy, this year’s opener for Open takes place from 7pm-10pm on Monday, July 22, in the Skyfall Lounge, located in Mandalay Bay’s Delano Tower. No tickets are required. Just show up and enjoy mingling with your fellow eBay sellers. eBay staff  have been known to attend.

Arriving early before eBay Open officially kicks off on July 23? You can register early for the conference: 12pm-5pm Monday or 8am-12pm Tuesday at the eBay Open desk in the lobby of Mandalay Bay. Regular registration starts at 3pm Tuesday. Additionally, the Expo Hall opens from 5pm-7pm for the eBay Open Welcome Registration. This is your chance to scope out the Expo Hall, so be sure to do your homework well in advance:

Go to eBayOpen.com/Sponsors to see who’s going to be there; then click to “Learn more” about each of them.

Make a note of those that interest you most. You can’t cover them all, so it’s important to pick and choose — preferably ahead of time. It’s well worth to walk the sponsor/vendor area. Vendors offer an array of services that are worth knowing about.

Day One on July 23 begins with the opening of The Expo Hall and Reception!

At the Welcome Reception, you can check with vendors regarding special offers for Open attendees or getting a demonstration of their product. Additionally, you can score T-shirts, collector pins, and other nifty swag. Not to be missed:

  • BULQ, purveyors of liquidation goods by the pallet or case, will be offering you a chance to win a $500 BULQ case; just get your eBay Open attendee badge scanned by a BULQ team member and sign up for a BULQ account (if you don’t already have one).
  • StreetPricer will be giving live demos of their eBay repricing tool. Repricing tools give eBay sellers an edge. StreetPricer can keep an eye on your eBay listings. It can move prices up and down maximizing  your sales and profits! I use this tool and love it. I’ll be on hand (Kathy Terrill -I Love to Be Selling)  with the StreetPricer team to give you expert eBay advice.
  • Scotch ™/3M is a first time sponsor at eBay Open 2019. Stop by and learn all about their shipping innovation Scotch™ Flex & Seal Shipping Roll. Here is a recent blog post all about it! My YouTube shows you Scotch™ Flex & Seal Shipping roll in action!

eBay Open 2019 Wednesday and Thursday are chock-full of general sessions, workshops, and seller panels!

Before you head to Vegas, go to to eBayOpen.com/workshops to read up on the various workshops and seller panels to be offered, then prioritize them in order of their importance to you and your business. Note: Some sessions are offered more than once. Take time now to prioritize the session you don’t want to miss. Write down your questions, then check the workshop schedule to see who’s likely to have the answers for you.

Check out the speakers, too, for the general sessions as well as for the workshops and seller panels, at eBayOpen.com/speakers.

Typically the general sessions are headed by senior staff and executives. We’ll hear from eBay CEO Devin Wenig, eBay’s Chief Marking Officer Suzy Deering and more. Often after general session you’ll discover these chief executrices in the halls and reception areas of eBay Open. They are accessible to sellers, so walk up and introduce yourself.

eBay executives and staff love meeting sellers.

Bear in mind as well that in addition to the general sessions and workshops, Open offers pop-up mini-events. They all sound great, but you can only be in so many places at once, so be ruthless about sticking to your priorities: eBay search? Seller Hub? Shipping? Google?

Wednesday gets off to a relatively leisurely start, with breakfast offered from 7:30am-9am. After that it’s full-tilt boogie — with breaks for lunch and a snack — until Happy Hour in the Expo Hall winds down at 6:30pm.  Thursday gives you only an hour for breakfast but one additional snack break, wrapping up after a final General Session from 3pm-4pm. At some point, too, eBay will announce the winners of this year’s SHINE Awards. Voting for eBay’s SHINE award begins July 15. be sure to vote!

Then it will be time to get ready for the closing party, 6pm-10pm at Las Vegas’ House of Blues.

Between those 2 days, you could attend a total of 10 workshops/seller panels altogether: 4 on Wednesday, 6 on Thursday. But remember, you also need to allow time for talking with vendors in the Expo Hall as well as for networking with eBay team members, executives, and customer service reps!

See why you need to start planning NOW for eBay Open 2019?

Scotch™ Flex & Seal Shipping Roll’s Arrival!

I am bursting with excitement because I’ve got some very exciting news to share with you.

I am thrilled to announce that 3M  Scotch™ has selected me to be a Brand Partner with their Scotch ™ Flex & Seal Shipping Roll!!!

Loved being a VIP guest of Scotch™ Brand at 3M Center corporate headquarters

You already know and love the Scotch™ brand. They are a trusted name for shipping supplies and adhesives.

To begin, in April, I enjoyed the privilege of traveling to where innovation happens.

I went to the 3M Center corporate headquarters, in St. Paul, Minnesota, the home of the Scotch ™ brand. It was exciting to be the company’s specially invited guest. There, I spent an entire day learning all about  the newest Scotch ™ shipping innovation: Scotch™ Flex & Seal Shipping Roll. It’s so great, it may in fact be the only packing material you’ll ever need. (I’ll explain why in a minute.)

The team members behind this amazing new product personally demonstrated for me all the features that make Scotch™ Flex & Seal Shipping roll so incredibly useful.

In addition, I got to put their baby through some pretty strenuous hands-on testing. I even threw my wrapped packages across the room to challenge Scotch ™ Flex & Seal’s durability, so I can report from firsthand experience that it passed the Kathy Terrill throw test!

By now you’re no doubt thinking, “Kathy, just what is Scotch™ Flex & Seal Shipping roll?”

Scotch ™ Flex & Seal Shipping roll is a shipping innovation for eBay sellers!

Simply put, it’s the future of shipping. The brand-new Scotch™ Flex & Seal Shipping Roll can replace boxes and polyvinyl or manila mailers. It’s an innovative way to ship relatively small to medium-size non-fragile items. Furthermore, it can save you up to 50% in time, shipping supplies, and storage space for those supplies. It’s recyclable, too! Here’s the skinny: it is a miraculous 3-ply shipping material that comes in 15-inch wide, 10 and 20-foot-long rolls.

The sturdy outer layer is both water and tear resistant.

The middle layer is a built-in cushion to protect your shipped item. Finally, the inner layer utilizes a very cool new adhesive technology that makes it stick securely to itself, but never to your item. Packing and shipping  is literally as easy as 1-2-3. All you need to do it: 1. Cut a piece of Scotch™ Flex & Seal Shipping Roll to the appropriate size. 2. Fold it around your item (think calzone, not gift wrap). 3. Press around the edges to seal it tightly Then just slap on a shipping label, and voilà! Your custom-sized package is good to go, with nary an inch of wasted space. You don’t even need tape. Best of all, it’s recyclable as plastic.

New Scotch™ Flex & Seal Shipping Roll revolutionizes packing and shipping for online sellers.

No more searching for the right box for shipping! Scotch ™ Flex & Seal saves eBay seller’s precious time!

No more searching for a box that’s just the right size, and no need to keep bulky assortments of boxes, envelopes, and filler on hand. Think how much space this will free up in your shipping station! (I already know how much space it’s freed up in mine.) To see new Scotch™ Flex & Seal Shipping roll in action, Check out my YouTube video “eBay Shipping Just Got a Whole Lot Easier”.

HERE is my affiliate link to purchase your own Scotch™ Flex & Seal Shipping Roll. Give it a try for yourself, then let me know what you think of Scotch™ Brand’s newest shipping innovation.

eBay sellers, simply cut, fold & press the Scotch™ Flex & Seal Shipping roll!

As Scotch™ Partner, I look forward to hearing your feedback!

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