Many online sellers are very busy during the end of the 4th quarter with sales exploding in November and December. Many eBay sellers report sales staying strong in the month of January!
Some sellers note a small slump in sales in February.
Can a sales slump be avoided?
A fast and easy way to increase your sales is to ship international.
If you are not shipping internationally on eBay, many sellers see an increase of up to 30% of sales in a short time once they offer their products to a global marketplace.
Did you know that according to Jordan Sweetham eBay‘s Sr. VP of Seller Experience 97% of small to medium sellers on eBay are already shipping globally!
Jordan noted in a recent blog post for eBay for business that when he addressed an audience at the January National Retail Federation only a handful of the mostly brick and mortar retailers were shipping products globally to shoppers!
Wow! This means that small – medium size online sellers are ahead of the game right now in global sales compared to large brick and mortar retailers.
As an eBay seller, what can I do with this information?! I put on my thinking cap and find ways to maximize my international sales now!
Looking at global sales eBay sellers will fall into 3 categories.
What Category Are You In Global sales?
- Sellers that only ship to their country.
- Sellers that ship to a limited number of countries.
- Sellers that ship everywhere.
If fear if keeping you only shipping to the USA consider that the USPS now offers delivery confirmation to many nations around the world including Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Belgium, Croatia, Estonia and more.
Here is the complete list from the USPS.
Ship around the world and increase sales!
Selling on eBay you can ship globally yourself or use eBay’s Global Shipping Program.
Using eBay’s Global Shipping Program the seller ships to a central hub in the US in Kentucky. The hub packs and ships the item to the global destination assuming all liability for the item arriving safely. The buyer pays all the shipping fees, and customs/import fees are paid by the buyer in advance.
Some sellers use GSP for items that are heavier and over 4 lbs and/or fragile and expensive, finding the GSP rates competitive and like the seller coverage the program offers.
Other sellers use eBay‘s GSP for everything they sell globally and some sellers opt to ship all their sold products internationally themselves. The eBay for Business blog covered essential tips for successful global shipping in their excellent recent blog post “How To Attract International Buyers To Your Listings.”
I encourage you to take a good look at your international sales and think, “What can I do to increase them?” Consider opening your shipping to all countries.
If a country is not included in eBay‘s GSP program or USPS eDelcon eligible countries list if it’s a low cost item consider shipping it without tracking using the USPS. For added peace of mind some sellers use are shipping insurance services like Shipsaver.
Items of high value can be shipped with USPS Global Express and other such carriers.
I recently have started started shipping to all nations and noted an almost immediate increase in sales. We all have different businesses and make the best choices for our businesses. Not everything can be shipped everywhere so check the USPS website for shipping restrictions.
Don’t forget when you ship globally you can offer more than means of shipping. Consider if you offer global customers USPS 1st class shipping, adding USPS Priority, and USPS Priority Express etc. If a customer needs something right away, you want them to shop with you!
Finally offer your international shoppers a personal touch. When you package their item include a hand written thank you in their own language.
Delight your global buyers with great products, expert packaging and a variety of shipping choices. A hand written thank you in their language will wow your global buyers with your professionalism and care and is a nice white glove customer service touch.
Watch your sales increase! You will be welcoming your return customers from around the world!
Create Repeat Buyers With A Thank You!
