by Kathy Terrill | Mar 2, 2020 | eCommerce Selling Tips, Selling on eBay
The eBay Spring Seller Update of 2020 is here!
eBay released its Spring Seller Update of 2020!
You should have received email about the eBay Spring Seller Update via My Messages in your eBay account. You also should have noticed eBay’s announcement of it. And here’s another “should” for you: By now, you should have read the entire update. If you haven’t done so yet, what are you waiting for?
As is typical of eBay’s updates, there is some fuzzy language. But there are also sizeable chunks of good stuff for sellers; it’s just that you practically need a road map in order to find them. That’s why I created my free downloadable guide Spring Seller Update 2020: Tips to Win the Scavenger Hunt.
Once again, listing optimization and sell-through rate are eBay’s primary concern in the eBay Spring Seller Update. That should give you some insight into what’s on the mind of eBay execs! There also are some interesting changes to Returns as well as to Seller Protections.
The biggest thing for you to check out is category changes, which also mean item specific changes. The latter are a work in progress, and they can be problematic. However, item specifics have an tremendous impact on your listings — and on how they rank in search results.
A Full Bucket of Changes, Mostly For the Better
The Spring Seller Update’s category changes will take effect in May 2020 in the following categories:
- Business & Industrial
- Jewelry & Watches
- Home & Garden
- Sporting Goods
If you have listings in any of those categories, revise them to have a full complement of their new item specifics! Tedious? Yes, especially if you’ve added custom item specifics. But oh, so necessary!
My YouTube eBay Spring Seller Update 2020 Find The Gold! has all the details for you!
Other new initiatives contained in the eBay Spring Seller Update include:
- Expanded functionality for Terapeak (included free with all Store subscriptions from Basic on up.)
- Multi-User Account Access (MUAA) also is expanding to offer read-only shipping data.
- Volume Pricing — available to all sellers with multi-quantity items, not just to eBay Store subscribers; it’s extremely popular with buyers, which means it’s good for your sell-through rate. Give it a try!
- New photo-editing tool turns your pictures’ background white; it’s only available in your smartphone’s eBay Mobile app, but a desktop version is in the works.
- eBay International Shipping, a cheaper (albeit currently slower) option for sending packages to overseas customers.
- Expansions to Send Offer to Buyers — now you can send up to 40 at once. This highly successful tool from eBay is a sales maker!
- New Seller Help, accessible right from your Seller Hub’s Overview page; sellers in the beta group for this are reportedly loving it!
In closing, For details and clarifications regarding eBay’s 2020 Spring Seller Update, download my free tip sheet. There is treasure in eBay’s newest seller update, but it takes a bit of digging to find it all.
But dig in, because I don’t miss out on all the goodies in this eBay scavenger hunt!
by Kathy Terrill | Jan 5, 2020 | eCommerce Selling Tips, eCommerce Tips, Selling on eBay
eBay 2020 has arrived.
eBay 2020 is here!
The new decade is here. We’re celebrating the beginning of not just a new year, but a new decade! As a seller, what are your top resolutions for eBay 2020? Reorganize your office/workspace or inventory? Finally get those death piles listed? Attend eBay Open in July?
Those worthwhile goals for eBay 2020 are all fine and dandy, but without consistent sales, you won’t have a business to organize. Healthy cash flow is the lifeblood of any commercial enterprise, especially your business on eBay.
In the hit reality series Shark Tank, what’s one of the first questions the sharks ask each would-be entrepreneur?
They ask the business owner,” What are your sales?” Now I’m asking you the same question, and you’d better know the answer. If you don’t, you’ve got some homework to do. Because as a seller, it’s essential that you know your numbers — including not only how much you’re selling, but also how fast you’re selling it (sales velocity). In other words, how long are items listed before they sell?
The answer to this question will vary by category and even by item.
For example, cell phone accessories have a different sell-through rate than Mid-Century Modern candleholders. Furthermore, MCM candleholders may have a different sell-through rate than Art Deco candlesticks.
Once you have some idea of your sales history, consider this: If a certain type of product typically takes four months to sell, what would it mean for your bottom line if it sold in three months? Or two? It could mean the difference between a business that stagnates (or even fails) and a business that flourishes.
Here’s why.
“Sell-through rate” (how fast your items sell) is also known as “conversion rate”, because it represents the process of turning an item into cash — i.e., converting it to dollars and cents. The faster you can recoup your initial investment, reap your profit, and get that money into your bank account, the better. Many sellers get into trouble because they have too much cash tied up in inventory that isn’t selling.
Don’t be that seller in eBay 2020!
I can help you to get cash flowing (and/or flowing faster). What you need — what every eBay seller needs — is to accelerate sales. And I’ve got some proven tips for doing that. You can grab them right here. eBay Sales Accelerator tips are my gift to you when you add yourself to the wait list for my exclusive membership group Social Media Insider.
Now, when evaluating your business look at what IS selling. It’s important to note your best selling products and categories. While doing this be sure to do the following.
First, check prices! The value of an item will fluctuate over time. You may be asking too much, or you may be leaving cash on the table by asking too little. Use Advanced Search to check sold prices on eBay. My YouTube Watch This Before You List On eBay!, will show you how to use eBay’s Advanced search feature.
If you have an eBay Store subscription, check Terapeak as well (under the Research Tab in Seller Hub).
Second, include 4 or more pictures in each listing. You can have up to 12, so take photos of all the sides of each item as well as closeups of details and/or any flaws. Showcase each item to its best advantage, because shoppers make their purchase decision based on your photos and description. Show them what they’re getting, preferably on a plain white background! More pictures can add up to more as well as faster sales plus a boost in eBay search.
Third, offer a robust return policy. Most customers want what they’re buying. But they’ll feel a lot more comfortable about buying from you if they know they can return an item that doesn’t work out.
Think like a buyer in eBay 2020!
It pays to think like your buyer!
Let’s say a buyer needs a widget. Two identical sellers have widgets listed at the same price with free shipping. One seller offers no returns, while the other offers 30-day returns. Which widget would you buy?
Look at your competitors’ return policies. How can you make yours better than theirs? If they offer 30-day returns, maybe you could offer 60-day returns. Or free returns. Or both! Check the number of returns you get in any given category to know what’s best for your business.
To score a free copy of my eBay Sales Accelerator with even more tips, add yourself to the waiting list for Social Media Insider, my VIP sellers group.
Here’s to a new year full of more eBay sales than ever, faster than ever!
by Kathy Terrill | Dec 22, 2019 | eCommerce Tips, Selling on eBay
Time for sellers to look for their eBay New Year’s super sales power, with Holiday shopping winding down.
eBay New Year’s Super Sales Power Tips!
Using your eBay super sales power, with 2020 arriving, there is no reason for sellers to see declining online sales. Now that customers have finished their holiday shopping, they’re ready to start buying for themselves. January is famous in retail circles as the season for self-gifting. Folks have received holiday bonuses, gift cards, and/or cash gifts; now they’re eager to spend that money. Let’s get them to spend it with you!
What can you do to attract shoppers to your eBay items and exercise your eBay New Year’s super sales power??
Two words: Promoted Listings. It’s not enough to simply list your items and wait for buyers to find them; you need to promote your listings as well. If you’re not already using Promoted Listings, then this is the perfect time to start. And if you are, then it’s time to fine-tune your campaign(s).
Promoted Listings is eBay’s pay-per-sale advertising tool.
It’s available to all sellers in good standing for use with fixed price listings. Here’s how it works.
Promoted Listings helps boost your item’s visibility by showing your listing in prominent places on eBay, including search results and product detail pages. It puts your merchandise in front of more buyers when they’re actively searching and shopping on eBay, thus helping to improve the likelihood of a sale.
I have a special freebie guide for you, Winning With Promoted Listings. Use its killer tips to super charge your sales results with Promoted Listings
The sales power of eBay Promoted Listings!
What fees are involved with Promoted Listings?
That’s the beauty of Promoted Listings: How much you pay is up to you — and you only pay when a buyer clicks on your promoted listing, then buys the item within 30 days. You set the ad rate at whatever percentage of the item’s final selling price (minus shipping and taxes) you’re willing to pay.
Furthermore, if you’re Top Rated and/or subscribe to an Anchor or Enterprise Store, you automatically receive a quarterly Promoted Listings credit. Top Rated Sellers receive a $30 credit; Anchor and Enterprise Store subscribers receive a $25 credit; and sellers meeting both criteria receive a total PL credit of $55 per quarter. Don’t let your credit go to waste!
eBay provides guidance for creating Promoted Listings campaigns.
In Seller Hub and as you list you see the trending rate for that category. Setting rates can be tricky, though, so test — test — test. HERE is the list of Ad Rate Trends on eBay.
Some sellers set their ad rate at ½% across the board and swear by it, while others are equally fervent about setting their rates at or just above or below the trending rate. Listen to other sellers, but always test for yourself.
Your cost to use this program should never be higher than the rate of sales. But if setting your rate at or near the trending rate dramatically increases your sales, then it’s well worth the cost.
Watch your sales results from Promoted Listings.
Use your Promoted Listings dashboard. If you have high numbers for impressions and clicks with little or no sales, it’s time to examine your listing’s desirability. Use the tips in eBay Titles Matter Than Ever to upgrade your listing.
In closing, use the sales juice of eBay’s Promoted Listings to be your New Year’s eBay sales power. Watch your results and adjust as needed. Every eBay seller’s business is unique. Look at your results and make choices best for your business.
Enjoy a New Year full of sales!
by Kathy Terrill | Aug 17, 2019 | eCommerce Tips, Selling on eBay
eBay Back To School shoppers are here sellers!
It may feel as if Summer will never end, but it’s already time for eBay’s Back to School (BTS) retail moment. That’s right: The eBay Back to School selling season is NOW. And it’s going to be HUGE on eBay.
Just how big is eBay Back To School you ask?
So, how big is eBay Back To School Shopping?
For starters, the National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts record spending this year: Families with children in elementary through high school will shell out an average of $697 (up from $685 in 2018), while families with college students are expected to ante up an average of $977 (up from 2018’s $942).
Best of all, those families plan to do roughly half of their shopping online. That includes eBay Back To School shoppers!
Furthermore, 85%-90% of those planning to shop online intend to take advantage of free shipping. (There’s a word to the wise!)
But the potential for profit doesn’t stop there.
Back to School encompasses everything from pre-kindergarten to graduate school. It includes children, teenagers, and adults. It’s kids and teachers, but it’s also parents, who shop for themselves while shopping for their offspring.
How can you attract these eager eBay Back To School customers?
If you think you have nothing to offer Back to School buyers, think again! BTS items go way beyond school supplies like pencils, notebooks, and backpacks. They run the gamut from electronics to apparel to accessories.
My complimentary downloadable Ultimate Guide to Back to School Products will help you discover coveted BTS goodies that you already have on hand — and maybe even already have listed!
You’ll be surprised to find out how much of your available inventory is popular with Back to School shoppers.
Once you’ve got a handle on your best BTS items, if you have an eBay store, now is the time to promote those items.
This is one retail moment during which every major retailer offers deals and savings. You can, too! So get smart, seller: Google some of those major retailers for inspiration. Then use eBay’s Promotions Manager to create deals of your own.
For example, you might offer a percentage or dollar-amount discount for buyers who spend more than $X with you.
Create a Promotion with Promotions Manager. Group you Back To School items together. That way, when your shopper lands on one of your products, they’ll be encouraged to buy more from you. Here are more possibilities that might pay off.
Put certain Back To School items on sale, and make a sale event for them.
Consider bundling products together to attract even more shoppers. Feature those special bundles on your social media. You might even want to make a dedicated store category for Back to School Deals and use eBay’s bulk-editing tool to stock it with selected items from your current listings.
In short, offer savings to get sales!
The Back to School selling season runs through mid-September, but the time to take advantage of this retail moment is NOW. Download your free copy of my Ultimate Guide to Back to School Products today to jump-start your BTS selling and cash in on Back to School!
Here’s How To Attract eBay Back To School Shoppers!
by Kathy Terrill | Apr 12, 2019 | eCommerce Tips, Pinterest Tips for online sellers!, Social Media Tips
eBay sellers turn to Pinterest for it’s sales power.
It is a fruitful and profitable social media platform for eBay sellers. That is because your Pinterest pins live on for a very long time. This means that the time and effort you spend posting there will pay sales dividends for weeks, months, even years to come. Your pins done correctly will continue to direct buyers to your online products for a long, long time. So, your time spent pinning what you sell, is time well spent.
According to digital marketing agency Omnicore , there are more than 250 million Pinterest users worldwide.
There are 250 million pinners worldwide!
Half of them live in the USA, and 2 million of them save shopping pins every day. So, that’s a lot of prospective buyers!
But there’s recently been a big change in how pins work.
Seller used to be able to edit the address (URL) of their pins to direct traffic to a category in their eBay store, or to a search within their eBay store, once a one-off item sold. This was very helpful for sellers of unique items.
But that’s no longer the case.
When you pin to Pinterest with either Pinterest’s browser extension or eBay’s Share button, the address leading to the exact item is displayed to shoppers. That’s great if you’re selling multiple quantities of something, but not so great for sellers who have only one of an item. Here’s why: Once your item sells out, if a Pinterest user clicks on your pin, eBay will redirect them to similar items. For example, if your pin was for a red shirt, eBay shows them other red shirts.
But eBay doesn’t necessarily redirect the Pinterest user to your items; they direct them where eBay thinks best for eBay!
I explain how this works in my video, “What Happened To Pinterest?”
You’ve done the work, but you don’t reap the sales ad traffic benefits.
So what to do? First, build a pin . It takes about 5-10 minutes to learn how to do so; once you get the hang of it, it’s a snap. Basically, you upload your photo, then write a title and description. But for the URL, instead of the listing’s web address, put your nearest eBay store category’s URL or the link to a search in your store. If you don’t have an eBay store, then your best bet is to use the URL for your seller ID.
I give all the details and show you how to do this in my above YouTube video “What Happened to Pinterest? HUGE Impact for Sellers!”
Sellers, you deserve the sales from your social media work. Check out my YouTube, so you don’t lose sales because of this new change to Pinterest. Then get busy pinning!
