eBay Open Online 2021 Ultimate Guide!

by | Jul 12, 2021 | eCommerce Tips, Selling on eBay

So you’ve RSVP’d and marked your calendar for eBay Open Online 2021.

eBay Open Online 2021 is from August 4–6. And if you haven’t, what are you waiting for? Sign up today! Now it’s time to figure out how to reap the full benefits of this virtual seller conference. With the event just a scant month away, you need to start planning ASAP.

First of all, you don’t have to be an eBay store owner to go to eBay Open Online (although you may want to subscribe to one after you hear eBay Stores VP Tom Pinckney’s presentation on August 5). Sellers of all levels and experience are encouraged to attend.

Next, be aware of the time frame for eBay Open Online 2021.

Once you sign up, the agenda will display each day’s schedule according to your time zone. The first day, August 4, is only 2 hours long: 12pm-2pm Pacific Time (PT). Days 2 and 3 (August 5-6) take up 3 hours and 45 minutes, from 9am-12:45pm PT.

Block off these times on your calendar, either on paper or via a virtual calendar app such as Google, Yahoo, Outlook, or iCal.

Then decide how much of eBay Open Online 2021 you plan to attend. Each day includes an executive keynote along with assorted training or learning sessions and seller panels, interspersed with networking breaks.

At past eBay events, the main presentations have been recorded and later been made available for viewing online. Bear that in mind when you scope out the agenda for eBay Open Online. Furthermore, even though it’s only for a few hours each day, eBay Open Online is a three-day event that runs from Wednesday through Friday.

So pace yourself. Think through how much time you’ll need — and when you’ll need it — to take care of listing, packing and shipping, customer service, and social media for your business on eBay. Then schedule yourself accordingly.

The Agenda page has three tabs: one for each day.

In addition, when you’re signed in, you’ll see a fourth tab labeled My Agenda. As you look through each day’s various offerings, prioritize which sessions are must-sees and which ones are on your B-list.

To add a session to your personal Agenda, click on the little plus-sign-in-a-circle icon (     ) next to the title of the session. The icon will only appear after you have signed in to RSVP. After you add that session to your Agenda, the plus sign will change to an X in a circle. Click on that if you want to remove something from your Agenda.

You can also click the “Add to calendar” hypertext link next to the calendar page icon in the lower right-hand corner of each session’s agenda block. Then just select your type of calendar in the drop-down menu and click to send the time and topic straight to your virtual calendar.

Here’s how the overall event is structured.

Day 1 (Wednesday, August 4) opens with welcoming remarks from Andrea Stairs, eBay’s Chief Marketing Officer and VP of Seller Community for the North America Marketplace. Then the event moves right to the keynote address by eBay CEO Jamie Iannone. Next come training sessions, including one with a VP/Principal Analyst from Forrester, the leading experts on all things retail.

The rest of Day 1 is category breakout sessions led by senior managers and executives from eBay’s various verticals — i.e., Electronics; Fashion; Collectibles, Art, & Toys; Home & Garden; etc. Check out the description of each vertical’s session. What will it cover? Do you have questions related to that? If so, jot them down in case there’s time for Q&A.

Day 2 (Thursday, August 5) features presentations on eBay stores, branding and marketing, seller tools, the buyer experience, and more. Included is a  learning session devoted to shipping best practices.

There will also be networking breaks.

Sellers  are promised that they can connect with each other based on your location, the category in which you sell, and/or other criteria. Keep an ear to the ground for more information about this as we get closer to the event.

On Day 3, seller presenters are front and center, including myself. I’ll be addressing the topic of using social media in your business on eBay. I’ll tell you how to find your customers and what makes them tick, plus I’ll share actionable social media strategies for busy sellers (and aren’t we all?). I’ll also explain how to use social media to save on eBay fees.

Day 3 also features a session with Andrea Zwibelman, General Manager of eBay Deals. Personally, I’m interested to see if it’s made public what sellers qualify for this program and how to apply.

In addition, there will be virtual eBay Booths offered every day of eBay Open Online.

Each booth will showcase key selling topics such as packing and shipping, Government Relations/eBay Main Street, Promoted Listings, and more. If you’ve got questions, eBay Booths are where you can go for answers.

eBay is pulling out all the stops for eBay Open Online.

So take advantage of the opportunities it offers. Treat this virtual conference as you would a live event, minus the need to pack a suitcase and the cost of a hotel room and airfare. Dress comfortably, and keep your beverage(s) of choice (coffee, water, etc.) handy. Have a notebook and pen or note-taking app ready, so that you can take notes during the various sessions.

Grab my freebie tips sheet to help you maximize your eBay Open Online attendance and results!

ebay Open Seller Success Checklist!

Download your free eBay Open Seller Success Checklist!

 

Pick my brain! I’ve attended and presented at many top eBay and eCommerce events over the years. In attending such conferences I always brain storm with successful sellers. How do they prepare to attend online and in person events? What works to extract great takeaways that they can immediately put to use?

 

I put the best tips I know that rev-up attendance at online conferences into my “Seller Success Checklist for eBay Open Online 2021!”

 

This awesome check list is my gift to you. Be sure to get yours HERE.

These three short days will be here before you know it, then fly by. And it just won’t be eBay Open Online without you! Start planning now, so you’ll be ready to make the most of it.

 

Creating Consistent eBay Sales Power!

by | Mar 6, 2021 | eCommerce Tips, Selling on eBay

eBay sellers are on the lookout to create consistent eBay sales power.

Creating consistent eBay sales power!

To begin, strong sales on eBay are always a goal for sellers. Generating consistent eBay sales is essential to running a healthy online business. So, right now a key to steady sales for eBay sellers, is understanding structured data. “But Kathy,” you say, “I’ve heard a lot of buzz about structured data, but what exactly is it, and why should I care?”

Let’s answer those questions in reverse order.

I will start with why you care about structured data. In words of one syllable: more sales! Now keep that in mind while I explain eBay structured data.

Simply put, structured data is what search engines utilize to understand the contents of a web page, such as one of your listings on eBay. It’s a standardized format. It provides information about what’s on a web page, or in this case, in your listing. The item specifics for that listing represent one example of structured data.

Here’s how it works:

Search engines are powered by artificial intelligence (AI). The searches themselves are driven by the engine. The search engine is governed by search algorithms and carried out by search bots known as web crawlers, a.k.a. spiders.

Search algorithms tell these web-crawling bots what to search for. Furthermore structured data provides a trail of breadcrumbs for them to follow. If you don’t fill out your listing’s item specifics, you starve those poor spiders .They will search elsewhere for listings with more nourishing content.

So I have three words of advice for you:

Feed the spiders! But instead of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, think title, item specifics, and description. All three areas of an eBay listing feed Cassini (eBay’s search engine). Your eBay listings requires essential data for its spiders to gobble up. Ditto for Google Search’s spiders.

Let’s start with item specifics. Fill them in, please! What are the default options provided by eBay? What are your choices?

Furthermore, the more item specifics you can fill in, the better.

The terms you use to do so comprise a type of standardized information called attributes: for example, brand, size, color, pattern, etc. They help describe your item not only to potential buyers, but also to the search engines that will surface your listing for that item in search results so that buyers can find it.

Other forms of structured data in your eBay listings include condition, price, item location, and features as well as payment and shipping information.

What makes structured data so crucial to eBay right now is at the heart and root of what eBay CEO Jamie Iannone calls “a tech-led reimagination of eBay” — and that’s not just a catchphrase, it’s a mission statement.

Basically, eBay is trying to find better ways to catalog thousands upon millions of items into four or so best options for sellers.

For buyers, current and future technologies such as voice shopping, augmented reality (AR), and virtual shopping will lean heavily on structured data. Cassini already depends upon it when calculating which listings should be included in search results and how they should be ranked.

So if you want to continue (or start!) succeeding on eBay, get acquainted with structured data.

 

Freebie Guide -eBay Listings That Sell!.

It’s your new best friend. Feed Cassini’s search spiders well for your listings to be ranked higher in search. Rank better in search and be found by more shoppers. More buyers translates into more sales, which in turn will bring you higher profits.

In closing, to learn more about using structured data in your listings on eBay, check out my YouTube video Big Money on eBay for This! Then download your complimentary copy of my free guide eBay Listings That Sell! It features more than 7 pages chock-full of pro tips. Furthermore, the free guide is loaded with proven strategies that will pay off for your business on eBay.

eBay Listings That Sell Free Guide!

 With the pro tips in eBay listings that sell, you’re optimized for more eBay sales!

eBay Holiday Shipping Delay Seller Survival Tips!

by | Dec 18, 2020 | eCommerce Selling Tips, eCommerce Tips, Selling on eBay

eBay Holiday shipping delay seller survival tips!

eBay Holiday shipping delays are a major seller headache right now. What can sellers do to help buyers without losing hundreds of dollars?

I’ve heard from dozens of sellers that many of their packages have one or no scan. Those packages sit for days — even for more than a week — with no further movement. Then when a buyer reports that they have not received their item, eBay is forcing the seller to refund them.

What to do about eBay Holiday shipping delays?

First of all, if this is not happening to your packages, then lucky you! 2020’s holiday shipping snafu is not impacting every seller. Personally, I’ve had only a handful of packages in limbo out of the nearly 100 packages I’ve shipped lately. All of the others arrived in timely fashion. So if you’re not having shipping issues, don’t borrow trouble. Enjoy the Holiday rush and keep shipping!

Currently on the USPS site and in the eBay purchase sequence, buyers are warned of shipping delays.

So, if your holiday selling season is haunted by the Spirit of Christmas Gifts Yet to Arrive, then you’ve got three options:

1. Continue shipping. In all likelihood your packages will reach their destinations eventually.
2. Keep selling and shipping. Extend your handling time to 5 or 10 days. Ship same or next day. Also you can wait X number of days before shipping.
3. Use Time Away (formerly known as Store Vacation). You can block your listings from being viewed and not sell until 2021. Additionally you can sell and start shipping at the end of the year or on whatever date you set.

Here’s the bottom line: It’s your business to run as you see fit.

Right now, eBay does not reimburse sellers for funds lost due to refunds being given for items delayed in transit.

Here are some ideas for you in my video “Stop eBay Holiday Shipping From Costing You Hundreds Of Dollars!”

What can eBay sellers do if their package(s) are stuck in transit and late in arriving to the buyer?

So, there are a couple of things you can do when tracking shows that a package has gotten hung up somewhere enroute to the buyer. Sometimes logging the tracking number
into USPS.com will goose it along.

To do this, click USPS.com.  In “Search or Track Package” field, fill in the USPS delivery confirmation number. Then click “Fill in the form” to send an online service request. This often yields results within 48 hours. You can share with your buyer that you logged an inquiry for them with the USPS. Helpful customer service goes a long way to calm frustrated shoppers looking for their purchase.

Read this eBay Announcement to find out what eBay tells buyers of the current state of holiday shipping. Basically eBay adds protections for sellers’ Top Rated Status with problematic shipping scans and delivery. However, don’t look to eBay to reimburse sellers for delayed or lost packages.

To note, lost packages have always been a sellers responsibility. Furthermore, this is true on most online sites. What’s different now is how many items are stuck in transit. For some sellers it’s hundreds of dollars of products. Even with this increase in stuck and lost packages refunds for lost packages remains at the sellers’ feet.

Seller help for late eBay packages!

In closing, every seller is in unique situation this Holiday season.

Some sellers have little to no problems with packages stuck in transit. Others suffer with dozens of “stuck” parcels. eBay offers seller reputation protections but not financial reimbursement for lost packages. Every seller needs to look at their sales and chose what is best for them.

eBay Promoted Listings: Your Holiday Superpower!

by | Nov 13, 2020 | eCommerce Tips, Selling on eBay

eBay Promoted Listings are your Holiday superpower.

 

eBay Promoted Listings are a sales superpower

 

We’re already 1/3 of the way into Q4, and time is ticking away on the year’s biggest retail moment: Holiday. ‘Tis the season to sell, sell, sell — so let’s get your eBay items SOLD! What can you do to garner more sales? Three words: eBay Promoted Listings. 

Promoting your listings will boost their visibility in search results by as much as 36%.

You don’t need a store to use eBay’s pay-per-purchase advertising tool, either.

In fact, now it’s even available to sellers using eBay’s quick listing tool. The only listings that aren’t eligible for promotion are those that use the auction format.

I’m going to share with you my top three tips for getting the best possible results from eBay Promoted Listings.

But first, a quick refresher course on how Promoted Listings (aka PL) works:

You specify an ad rate somewhere between 1%-20% for each promoted listing. That’s the percentage of the final sale price you’re willing to pay to eBay (in addition to the regular final value fee) if your item sells via Promoted Listings. You’re only charged that rate when a buyer clicks on your promoted listing, then goes on to purchase the item within 30 days.

Promoted listings appear in search results under the word Sponsored, so you can tell them apart from non-promoted listings. Your promoted listing(s) may appear in premium placements within search results on both desktop and mobile devices or in the Related Items module at the bottom of every search results page.

1- For Optimal Results, Optimize your eBay Listings.

Promoting your listing pretty much guarantees you more eyeballs will see it. But — and this is my first tip — you’ve still got to make sure that you optimize your listing for conversion. That means:

a -Making sure you’re following eBay best practices in your title, photos, item specifics, and description.

b- Having customer-friendly terms of sale.

eBay’s Promoted Listings team says that it also pays to double-check that you’ve listed your item in the right category. One quick way to research that is to use eBay’s Advanced Search function to check Sold items.

 

2 – Advice from eBay UpFront

At several eBay UpFront events, PL team members have suggested increasing your PL rate during the holidays. Remember, right now there are more sellers and more listings than usual vying for buyers’ attention! Raise your rate to give yourself a leg up on your competitors.

To help you strike the best possible balance between cost and performance, eBay provides guidance by displaying suggested rates for each item you set out to promote. The suggested rate is  calculated based on a number of factors, including item attributes, seasonality, past performance, and current competition.

Suggested rates typically run between 5%-10% for most categories, but they may be as low as 2% or as high as 18%. To find the sweet spot for your own listings, start low, then increase your rate by 1% at a time until you start to see a difference in sales.

Conversely, if your item is selling very well, you may be able to drop your rate by 1% or more and still keep sales strong. Test, and carefully monitor your PL dashboard to measure the results of your experimentation.

 

3- Know Your Numbers

That brings us to my third top tip for making the most of PL: Check your Promoted Listings Dashboard (located in Seller Hub) at least once a week. Look at your impressions, clicks, and sales. Are you getting a lot of impressions, but few clicks? Then review that listing:

Is your price competitive?

Is your listing optimized for conversion?

Is it keyword rich?

Have you filled out all the relevant item specifics?

Are your pictures click worthy and enticing?

Have you listed this item in the best category?

Just a few minor tweaks can transform a listing from blah to WOW — and get your item sold!

For more terrific tips on skyrocketing your sales with Promoted Listings, claim your complimentary copy of my free guide Winning with eBay Promoted Listings! You can find it at my website, iLoveToBeSelling.com. This downloadable guide features proven, actionable strategies for making PL work its very best for your business on eBay. It’s 15 full pages of PL sales power tips!

 

Win big sales with eBay’s Promoted Listings!

 

Find out how to pay less in fees while making more sales, discover ways to harness Promoted Listings data for higher profits, and much more. I’ve even added some special bonus content: Fast Fix for Stale Campaigns.

The Bottom Line for eBay Holiday Sales

During the holidays, more shoppers than usual are flocking to eBay. However, at this time of year, there is also more competition for buyers (and their dollars). Use Promoted Listings wisely and well to give yourself a competitive edge — and get more sales!

 

You have an eBay Superpower – it’s Promoted Listings!

 

Top Three Tips – eBay Sellers’ Holiday Success!

by | Oct 24, 2020 | eCommerce Tips, Selling on eBay

‘Tis the season for doing these top three tips for eBay sellers’ Holiday Success!

Top three tips for eBay Sellers’ Holiday Success 2020!

 

eBay sellers’ Holiday time is the busiest time of year. And for ecommerce sellers 4th quarter is also traditionally the most profitable time of year. To make the most of this three-month retail moment, you’ve got to plan ahead.

Here are my top three tips for planning your way to a successful eBay sellers’ Holiday 2020 sales season.

Because remember: If you don’t plan it, chances are it won’t get done!  eBay sellers, Holiday plans matter!

1 –  Write it down.

You need to map out daily, weekly, and monthly to-do lists, and you need to put them in writing. Google calendar is a great tool for this, because you can set up reminders to help you keep track of your various tasks and deadlines. It’s free, too.

How detailed does your plan need to be?

That’s up to you. But write it out, and make sure you set concrete goals. Don’t just jot down, “List more”; be specific, or it won’t happen. “List X number of items daily” or “List X number of items by Y date” is much more achievable.

Try to be realistic when you make your plan. In addition, be flexible; if it turns out you’ve bitten off more than you can chew in some aspect of your planning, then revise your plan for that aspect. You can only do so much. Besides, sometimes life just doesn’t go according to plan!

2 – Schedule whatever you can in advance.

Whether it’s listings going live, launching store sales and/or promotions, or posting on social media, if there’s anything that you can set up ahead of time, then by all means do so. Each scheduled item is one less thing you’ll have to remember to do when the time comes.

Furthermore, having certain things kick into gear automatically as Q4 progresses will make you feel super productive and efficient. It will also ensure that those things happen in a timely manner and according to plan. Win-win-win!

eBay tools that allow you to schedule certain events — such as when listings start or sales take place — include the Sell Your Item form and (for eBay Store subscribers) Promotions Manager. For social media, check out HootSuite, which allows you to schedule posts on various social platforms. 

While you’re mapping out your social media content for the Holidays, HERE are some awesome ideas that work.

3 – Start thinking ahead to 2021.

It’s easy to get bogged down during the hectic Holiday season. However, you don’t want to ring in the new year without being prepared to take care of business. Now is the time to plan not just for Q1, but for the next 12 months as a whole. I’m here to help.

I’ve created and published Your 2021 Sales & Social Media Success Planner just for you, busy eBay seller. (The link used is my affiliate link. I’m paid a small commission at no cost to you)

eBay 2021 Sales & Social Media Planner!

Simply and quickly it guides you in mapping out the future of your ecommerce business. It walks you through the planning process step by step, quarter by quarter, and month by month, complete with positive encouragement along the way.

Its 124 pages include plenty of room for writing out to-do lists and defining and setting both short- and long-term goals. It includes tracking where your business is heading.

Whatever your entrepreneurial destination may be Your 2021 Sales & Social Media Success Planner is designed to keep you quickly and easily on task and on target.

Here’s to a profitable Q4 and a prosperous new year!

 

Top three tips for eBay sellers’ Holiday sales success in 2020!

 

PHP Code Snippets Powered By : XYZScripts.com
Exit mobile version