3 Time-Saving eBay Tips to Streamline Your Holiday Selling!

3 Time-Saving eBay Tips to Streamline Your Holiday Selling!

This post is sponsored by Seller Ledger; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

As an eBay seller, the Q4 holiday season is your busiest time of the year.

But it doesn’t have to be overwhelmingly hectic! Here are three time-saving eBay tips to streamline your holiday selling. With these tools in your seasonal toolkit, you’ll be set for successful sales while enjoying more time with loved ones and focusing on what matters most during this profitable quarter.

Time-saving eBay Tip #1: Schedule What Matters Most!

Start by pulling out your calendar, whether it’s digital, paper, or both. Mark down any personal holiday activities that are important to you: caroling, cookie baking, tree-lighting events, taking grandkids to see Santa, or that annual office potluck. Make sure to add alerts so nothing slips through the cracks!

Personally, I prefer a digital calendar like Google, while my husband loves the classic paper kind with big daily squares. I make sure our holiday plans are noted in both, keeping us on the same page. For a little extra convenience, consider sharing your digital calendar with family members. This way, everyone’s in sync, and you can focus on enjoying the festivities!

Time-Saving eBay Tip #2: Use a Virtual Accountant to Save Time!

Give yourself a huge time-saving gift this season by automating your bookkeeping. If you’re still doing manual data entry, now’s the time to streamline! Many online sales platforms, including eBay, Amazon, and Etsy, integrate easily with accounting software like Seller Ledger. This software links directly to your seller account(s), handling sales and expenses for you — and it keeps getting smarter as you use it!

Just link your accounts to Seller Ledger, and let it classify your online sales, bank transactions, and even credit card statements. This software can also complete your IRS Schedule C form, so when tax season arrives, most of the work will already be done. And if you’re behind on your 2024 finances, Seller Ledger’s annual plan (with a two-month discount) can retrieve all your transactions for the year. Use THIS LINK and try it for free for 30 days, no credit card required!

Seller Ledger: Stress Free Bookkeeping for Sellers

Time Saving eBay Tip #3: Track What’s Selling Best Right Now

Check your sales every few days to stay on top of what’s moving fastest. Are Pink Floyd T-shirts trending? Maybe purple Christmas ornaments, kids’ snowsuits, or women’s sequined tops? Adjust your keywords and prices based on recent sold items. Want a free list of Holiday keywords for your listings and social? It’s included in my, “Top eBay Holiday Sales & Social Media Tips!” Click HERE to grab yours now.

Grab your free PDF, “Top eBay Holiday Sales & Social Media Tips!”

Got extra stock that matches these hot sellers? Get those listed quickly! Share links on social media to increase exposure. Maximize your profits by focusing on what’s in demand right now.

With these three easy tips, you’re ready to make the most of your holiday sales season. Here’s to a smoother, more profitable Q4!

 

eBay Open 2024: eBay Seller Conferences Continue!

eBay Open 2024: eBay Seller Conferences Continue!

The long and colorful history of eBay’s seller conferences continues this year with eBay Open 2024!

eBay Open 2024 is the latest in a long and vibrant series of eBay seller conferences. It all began with eBay Live! in Anaheim back in 2002, then moved to Orlando in 2003 with Weird Al Yankovic performing his eBay Song.

eBay Live! was in New Orleans in 2004, and then in San Jose in 2005 for eBay’s 10th birthday. eBay Live! Las Vegas, Chicago, and Boston followed. Highlights over the years included serenades from the E-Notes, clapping tunnels, an actual wedding, and celebrity performances by the B-52s and The Monkees’ Davy Jones.

When eBay ended its big eBay Live! events as of 2008, eBay Radio stepped in and hosted the eBay Radio Party & Conference in Las Vegas from 2009-2015.

Meanwhile, from 2010 through 2012, eBay held a series of smaller regional events called eBay: On Location.

Their tagline was,” You’re in Business.” On Location took place in Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Orlando. In 2010, San Jose was included in honor of eBay’s 15th anniversary. 

In 2015, eBay leadership wisely returned to hosting live seller events.

eBay marked its 20th anniversary in San Jose with “We Are Twenty.” Sellers cheered; live mega-conferences were back! During that seller celebration, eBay founder Pierre Omidyar was regifted with the infamous broken laser pointer. It was the very first item ever sold on eBay, back when it debuted as AuctionWeb.

eBay Open conferences ran from 2015-2019.

Executive keynotes, workshops conducted by various eBay teams, and seller panels and third-party vendors anchored these events. Hundreds of eBay employees were on hand to answer seller questions in the Expo Hall.  eBay Radio broadcasted live from the event, and there was even a clapping tunnel

Then the pandemic shifted these popular seller events online.

With eBay Open now online, the eBay Community and Seller Events team stepped up their game. They took on the challenge of delivering an informative high energy virtual event. And every year, they knock the ball out of the park,, wowing attendees!

This year, eBay Open takes place on Wednesday-Thursday, September 25-26.

For details and to register, go to ebay.com/open. The night before —on Tuesday, September 24— 35 locations across the country will host eBay Open kickoff parties hosted by local seller groups. To see if there’s one near you, go to https://sellerevents.ebay.com/ebay-open-2024-kickoff-parties/.

Think of attending eBay Open as you would any other business conference.

eBay is picking up the tab, so there is no cost to attend eBay Open 2024! And since it’s online, it’s hassle free, no travel delays, no need to even pack a suitcase. In addition,  you don’t have pay for a plane ticket or hotel . To help you get the most out of this online event, I’ve created The eBay Open Seller Success Planner. It’s your road map to optimize your eBay Open experience. Download your complimentary copy HERE.

With the eBay Open Seller Success Planner, you’ll be guided through each day of eBay Open. Stay informed about all the events and options to maximize your experience!

 

Now get ready to have the time of your eBay life!

Three Strategies for Beating the eBay Summer Sales Slowdown!

Three Strategies for Beating the eBay Summer Sales Slowdown!

If you’ve been told that there is an inevitable eBay summer sales slow down, don’t believe everything you hear.

Retail sales were reported as flat in April 2024, which could forecast a slow summer for selling. However, with the information I’ll be sharing, there’s no need for you to experience an eBay summer sales slowdown. Sure, people are on vacation, out of town, or outdoors enjoying summer activities, but they’re still shopping!

Remember, the majority of eBay shoppers are on mobile, and one thing people typically have nearby, no matter where they are, is their phone! Here are three ways to get summer shoppers to purchase from your eBay listings and keep your sales from slumping.

First, eBay seller, think seasonal!

Want to avoid slow eBay summer sales? Christmas in particular sells year round, furthermore Christmas in July is definitely a thing. So, consider this as a reminder to get your Christmas items listed! Got that done, good!

Now, look around you as you’re out and about. Furthermore, go on social media. What are people doing? Are they cooking on the grill, eating on the patio, gardening, traveling? Or are they playing sports, attending family reunions, or hanging out at the pool, lake, or ocean

Now think about what you sell, what you haven’t yet listed, and what you could source that would be useful for people doing those things. Think seasonal clothing, barbecue sets, pet accessories to keep Fido cool, travel goodies, bathing suits, pool toys…you get the drift.

Second, to avoid slow eBay summertime sales, think limited edition and discontinued.

For example, lots of eBay buyers rely on the site to keep them stocked with their favorite shade of lipstick, especially if it’s no longer available in their area. Scented soaps are popular, too. Sometimes they’re offered for a limited time only or sold as a limited edition. Discontinued and/or sold-out health and beauty products live on, thanks to eBay!

Check your unlisted inventory. Do you have any health and beauty items to list? Be sure to take a look at the shelves of your favorite drugstore. Check clearance and sale items. You can look them up easily on your cell phone, now that Product Research is on the eBay app! Just be sure items are new and unopened, and be sure to note the expiration date, if there is one. Some discontinued beauty products sell for a pretty penny. Hint: be sure to check bars of soap.

Third, while you’re thinking seasonal, limited edition, and discontinued, consider your closets, dresser drawers, and kitchen cabinets.

You might just find some in-demand items that have been retired from the retail market. If you’re not using something, now is the perfect time to declutter and list it. Win-win!

More strategies to avoid the dreaded summer sales slump!

Now, grab your complimentary copy of my newly updated, Top 10 Tips to Ignite eBay Summer Sales. It’s your FREE guide to successfully sailing through the dog days of summer. Download it now HERE.  

Top 10 Tips to Ignite eBay Summer Sales

With the information in this blog post and my free tips sheet, Top 10 Tips to Ignite eBay Summer Sales, you are on your way to selling, selling, selling all summer long! And with the eBay app on your phone, enjoy cha-chings wherever summer takes you.

eBay Winter Seller Update 2024: Key Points!

eBay Winter Seller Update 2024: Key Points!

It’s just out! The eBay Winter Seller Update 2024 was announced on February 21, 2024.

Unlike some previous seller updates, the eBay Winter Seller Update of 2024 has nothing in it that will set your hair on fire. The bottom line is that it’s basically all about the bottom line — that is, driving conversion, i.e., sales.

That said, there’s one thing you need to bear in mind while reviewing the initiatives and changes contained in this update: namely, how they’re going to affect YOUR bottom line. eBay only cares about our sales, not about our profits. It’s up to you to keep a sharp eye on your profit margins.

eBay Winter Seller Update 2024: Reach More Buyers!

eBay is rolling out new and improved tools to help you grow your business. For starters, sellers with a Basic or higher eBay Store subscription will now be able to create markdown sale events directly from the Active Listings page in Seller Hub. Previously, this could only be done from the Seller Hub Marketing tab. This functionality is also coming soon to the eBay Mobile app. Want more tips for your eBay store? Grab our valuable eBay Master Store Tips. They’re free!

Also rolling out are new “Sell it faster” recommendations. These data-backed suggestions will appear on your Active Listings page. For example, eBay already shows recommendations to Send Offer to Buyers for eligible listings. Now you’ll be able to automate offers based on considerations such as category, price, and condition. This is where it pays to know your cost of goods sold (COGS), so you don’t undercut yourself and lose money.

Don’t like eBay’s recommendations? Click “Remind me later” to snooze them.

Sell More Efficiently!

Sellers asked, and eBay listened: Drafts will now stay available longer. In the past, a draft would be saved for 75 days after its creation, even if you revised it. Now making revisions will restart the clock; you’ll have 75 days from when changes are made.

You can save up to 250 drafts through the quick listing tool on eBay.com and the eBay Mobile app, and you can save up to 5,000 drafts via the single and bulk business listing tools in Seller Hub.

Protect Your Business!

The Winter Seller Update announced that over the past few months, eBay has taken steps toward reducing unpaid item cases for Buy It Now and Best Offer items by requiring would-be buyers to first provide a payment method before they can send their offer.

Based on favorable feedback, the company is now taking the same tactic with seller-initiated offers. Before potential buyers can accept your offer, they will first be taken directly to checkout to make payment. Only then can they complete their purchase. If they abandon the checkout page, the item will remain available to other buyers.

Delegate More Tasks with MUAA!

eBay has enhanced Multi-User Account Access (MUAA). Now you can authorize someone else to handle My Messages as well as to create, modify, and manage advertising campaigns and promotions. The company also has introduced two-step verification with authenticator apps to maximize account security.

Improvements to Shipping and Listing Management!

eBay Standard Envelope has been expanded into more categories; tracking has been upgraded; and the Free Shipping prompt now appears on your main listing draft, making it easier to offer this option.

Another change: As of this update, when you switch categories while listing, the most relevant item specifics will follow you over to the new category.

Running Your Business on the Go!

Now you can sort orders by Custom SKU or by buyer when using eBay Mobile.

Updates to Fees and Financials!

This is the only bad news in the Winter Seller Update, and it’s not terrible: Starting March 15, 2024, the per-order fee on orders over $10 will increase to $0.40 across all categories. For orders $10 and under, you’ll still be charged the current rate of $0.30.

Despite fee increases, the eBay Winter Seller Update 2024 is mostly good news for sellers!

Despite fee increases, the eBay Winter Seller Update 2024 is mostly good news for sellers!

eBay Winter Seller Update 2024: What’s the Bottom Line?

All in all, there’s not much to worry about in this year’s eBay Winter Seller Update. It’s mostly about eBay helping you to sell more quickly and efficiently — so you can sell more, quickly and efficiently. Be sure you know your numbers, and don’t shortchange yourself when it comes to staying profitable!

 

Women-Owned Businesses Thrive on eBay!

Women-Owned Businesses Thrive on eBay!

By virtually any standard of measurement, women-owned businesses thrive on eBay. In fact the company’s first CEO was a woman, Meg Whitman. She oversaw eBay’s rocket-ride transformation from quirky startup to multi-billion-dollar pioneering ecommerce powerhouse. Along the way, she empowered millions of fledgling businesswomen.

Although subsequent CEOs have been male, 34% of eBay’s global leadership positions are currently filled by women.

Three of the top nine executives on eBayInc.com’s Leaders page are women They’re all senior vice presidents in key positions. They are: Marie Oh Huber, Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel & Secretary; Stefanie Jay, Chief Business and Strategy Officer; and Julie Loeger, Chief Growth Officer.

Who are some of the top female sellers running businesses on eBay?

From 2016-2019, eBay’s seller recognition SHINE Awards celebrated the platform’s small and medium-size businesses. Laurie Ann Wong was the first seller Grand Prize winner. Her Reflections of Trinity was named eBay’s 2016 Small Business of the Year. 

The following year, in 2017, Angie Cardona-Nelson took home the Grand Prize. She was followed by Cori O’Steen in 2018 and Jodie Rosenbaum in 2019 — all woman entrepreneurs.

eBay is attractive to many women starting an online small business because it costs very little or nothing to begin.

Furthermore, sellers can list things they already have on hand. A wide array of items sell well on eBay. Saleable inventory ranges from all kinds of apparel to plush toys to trading cards, TV remotes as well as collectible trading cards. And don’t forget products for pets! In short, by selling on eBay, women can create a business on a shoestring, with minimal start-up costs

By contrast, financial hindrances stymie many women entrepreneurs who want to launch a business of their own. Female billionaire Kendra Scott frequently talks about the gender gap in attracting angel investors for female-owned enterprises.  She says, “Getting funding and getting taken seriously were significant roadblocks.” On eBay, there are no such gender roadblocks.

eBay is a natural fit for women-owned  businesses.

Whether full-time or part-time selling, eBay allows women flexibility, freedom and a low cost way to start a full time or part time hustle.  eBay sellers work at their own pace, control their own schedule, and maintain their preferred work/life balance.

Want to find out how to turn your clutter into cash by selling it on eBay and keeping it out of landfills? You’re on your way with the help of my free guide, ” How to Start Selling on eBay.” Download your complimentary copy HERE.

 

How to Start Selling on eBay!

How to Start Selling on eBay!

 

In eBay Inc.’s 2022 Small Business Report states that women are 13% more likely than men to say that eBay is essential to their business. And they are 7% more likely to say that eBay played a big role in starting their business.

Women in Small Business-eBay Small Business Report! (Photo: Courtesy of eBay)

According to eBay Main Street, “[On eBay,] small businesses owned by women are not just trade equals; as a group, they generally outperform the rate of eBay small businesses overall.” 

Further the study reports, “Women entrepreneurs on eBay are building successful business enterprises for the long haul.

They’re pretty happy about that, too. In fact, a survey by Inc. magazine found that female entrepreneurs in the US rank their happiness three times higher than that of women who are neither entrepreneurs nor business owners.

And with all that happiness, once up and running on eBay, women step right into exporting around the globe.  Here are some of those detailed in eBay Main Street’s 2022 US Women-Owned Small Online Business Export Report:

US Women-Owned Small Online Business Export Report

US Women-Owned Small Online Business Export Report (Photo: Courtesy of eBay)

 

97% of eBay’s female sellers export to an average of 15 countries, compared to 96% of male sellers.

By contrast, less than 1% of small businesses nationwide export, and then only to an average of 4 countries

55% of women-owned small businesses on eBay export to 10 or more countries, vs 51% of small businesses on eBay overall and 8% of businesses in the USA

eBay is reducing everyday barriers that have traditionally locked small businesses, including women-owned small businesses, into their local market,” explains Cathy Foster, VP of eBay Government Relations.

Shoppers across the country and around the world are now available to small women-owned enterprises regardless of where they call home,” she continues. “We are committed to providing women-owned small businesses with the means and opportunities to grow their operations and create wealth in their own communities.”

Kendra Scott shared, “In our world today, there are still so many barriers that women face—whether cultural, financial or self-imposed. My mission as a woman, a founder, and an entrepreneur, is to break down those barriers and clear the path for other female leaders to follow—to empower women to achieve their dreams, whatever that may be, and pass on the wisdom I’ve learned through my own journey.”

eBay welcomes and nurtures its women owned businesses. In short, women owned businesses thrive on eBay!

So, now is the time to get busy listing and selling on eBay!

 

 

eBay Promoted Listings Costs in 2023!

eBay Promoted Listings Costs in 2023!

Do you have to spend money on Promoted Listings to
succeed on eBay?

In short, yes. Here’s why. As eBay CEO Jamie Iannone acknowledged during eBay’s recent Q4 earnings call, eBay’s active buyer base has declined by 9% year over year.
Ecommerce sites across all platforms are in the same buyer-leaking boat. With COVID mostly in the rear view mirror at long last, shoppers are flocking back to newly reopened brick-and-mortar stores.

Meanwhile, Promoted Listings (PL for short) is bringing in big bucks for eBay.

It’s the primary driver among the company’s first-party advertising programs, which collectively brought in an impressive $276 million in revenue during Q4. Most of that is thanks to Promoted Listings Standard (PLS), eBay’s pay- per-sale ad program for eBay sellers. Those numbers tell the story: Nowadays, most sellers promote their listings.

So what does mean for you and your business on eBay?

It boils down to this: Use PLS (if you aren’t already). But be sure you use it wisely and well. Here’s what you need to know in order to do so.

Using eBay’s Promoted Listings costs money, but you need it to stay competitive.

Because you can bet that your competition is promoting their listings! As ecommerce marketing guru Neal Patel states in his excellent article The Keys to Success with Amazon Advertising , “People don’t have the time to search through pages two, three, and four of Amazon’s results. They expect to find the best results at the top of page one, and, if your product isn’t there, then your sales are going to suffer.The same is true on eBay. So how can you get the maximum bang for your PLS buck?

First, create a great listing.

Start by knowing and following eBay best practices for crafting an effective title: eBay gives you 80 characters for your title; use at least 75-80 of them. Make your title keyword rich (don’t waste characters on punctuation, emojis, or unnecessary verbiage) and be sure to front-load “the noun” — i.e., what your item is, be it a shirt, a vase, or a hubcap

eBay’s search engine, Cassini, uses those keywords to rank your listing in search results. Furthermore, your title is what gets buyers to click on your listing; it’s what they see first and foremost, especially in the eBay Mobile app. And more than 80% of all eBay buyers shop via their mobile device!

For more details on optimizing your listings for PLS, read my blog post eBay Promoted Listings: Your Holiday Superpower! 

Second, remember that PLS is PPS (pay per sale), not PPC (pay per click).

Set your ad rate (the percentage of the sale price that you’re willing to pay eBay when your item sells), and then review the data in your Advertising Dashboard. It’s located under the Marketing tab on your Seller Hub Overview page. Starting on March 30, 2023, eBay is changing the way your PLS fees are calculated by expanding their definition of what counts as a sale via PLS. In addition to direct clicks — where the buyer clicks on a promoted listing, then buys that item within 30 days — eBay will now also include what it calls “halo sales”, wherein a buyer clicks on your promoted listing, then buys any of your promoted items within 30 days.

Thanks to this redefinition, you’re probably going to pay more in PLS fees.

So keep a keen eye on your dashboard to keep up with how much PLS is costing you! Bear in mind, too, that eBay’s recommended ad rates for various categories and items go up and down. It pays to be aware of these fluctuations so that you can adjust your own rates accordingly.

What are your Promoted Listings costs adding up to?

Check your sales, then crunch the numbers. Is spending, say, $120 in PL fees (in addition to your FVFs — final values fees) worth $3000 in sales?

How can you pay for PLS and still make money?

My free guide Winning with Promoted Listings spells out the smartest strategies to stay profitable despite these escalating fees. In my free guide, discover a bonus 4 pageaddendum on how best to deal with these upcoming March 2023 changes to PLS.

eBay Promoted Listings

Download your free guide Winning with Promoted Listings!

 

The Bottom Line for You and Your Business

eBay sellers have reached a tipping point with regard to Promoted Listings. They’re no longer just a good idea; they’ve become standard operating procedure. So factor in ad rates as part of your COGS (cost of goods sold) and sell, sell, sell!

 

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