by Kathy Terrill | Feb 5, 2019 | eCommerce News, eCommerce Selling Tips, eCommerce Tips, Selling on eBay
Sellers once again its time to listen up about eBay’s structured data initiative.
To begin, eBay CEO Devin Wenig kicked off the structured data conversation at the eBay 20 conference in 2015. Furthermore, he’s been talking about it every year since the eBay Open. It’s also been a crucial part of every Seller Update. Additionally, it is increasingly mandated in categories, as eBay moves toward a product-based shopping experience.
So, what is structured data?
So, what exactly is structured data?
Simply put, structured data is any type of data with predefined attributes. That includes product identifiers such as UPCs, ISBNs, and MPNs. It’s standardized information that enables shoppers to more easily find specific products.
Also, structured data makes it easy to check your competitors’ prices. So if you have SKU-based inventory, it’s time to look at repricing tools. Few eBay sellers use repricing tools. There are lots of Amazon repricing tools, but for eBay, not so many.
Enter the eBay professional repricing tool, StreetPricer.
Founded by Cardy Chung, a top seller on eBay, StreetPricer is a professional repricing tool that can give you a legitimate edge over your competition. You control the repricing; StreetPricer works at your command. Pricing your item right is crucial to boosting sales and profit!
When you shop online, what would you normally do?
You decide what you’re going to buy, and then you shop around for the best price from a seller with a good online reputation. Customers buy on price; we know that. I am amazed by sellers who list their items at unrealistic prices. What are they thinking? Setting the right prices is so easy to do, but so often overlooked.
Simply, competitive pricing equal more sales.
Using StreetPricer to compete, means more sales!
Time and again, you’ve been selling an item…and suddenly, sales slow down or come to a complete stop. Then, you check your competitors’ pricing! Oh no…Once the price is set properly, it starts again, right?
So, consider what is your best business strategy.
Look at your margins. Watch your cash flow. Do regular sales with a sightly lower profit make sense for your business? With StreetPricer you set the parameters for the tool. You are in charge.
I asked Cardy Chung, “Is this a race to the bottom?”
His answer is “absolutely not!” He explained, “We’ve all had the experience of competing with foolish sellers who brought your prices right down to the floor 2 months ago. Then find he’s been out of stock for 3 weeks, and we’re still listing our items at that foolish price! If your competitors move their prices up, you want to be the first one to know about it. StreetPricer lets you do that!”
Cardy explained, “With the vendor data I have seen at conferences, the number of “ups” vs “downs” in repricing is usually 50-50. It’s a matter of constantly responding and optimizing the pricing according to market. ”
There are some repricers out there that claim to do Amazon and eBay.
Keep in mind it’s wise to pick software that’s designed for eBay, not Amazon. Lots of Amazon repricers claim they can reprice on eBay, too, but they struggle to deal with eBay’s unique way of organizing its search, item specifics and catalog data.
In closing, if you have a SKU based inventory and not using a repricing tool, you are losing sales.
Streetpricer is the ideal repricing tool for eBay sellers. It understands and responds to the uniqueness of the eBay marketplace. Don’t race to the bottom, rather maximize sales. Armed with StreetPricer you’re competitive and know when to raise your prices. Now that’s music to a sellers’s ears!
by Kathy Terrill | Jan 26, 2019 | eCommerce News, eCommerce Selling Tips, eCommerce Tips, Selling on eBay
Heads up sellers. This is an eBay jail alert for you.
First, eBay has made a major change to its regulations governing what you can and cannot sell on eBay. Simply, it’s all about how you source and ship your items. Violating this new rule can land you in eBay jail. So here’s an eBay jail alert for you with the straight dope to keep you out of trouble.
Some eBay sellers “scrape” (import) listings from other marketplace sites and list those products on eBay.
There are even third-party tools and applications that help them do so. So, the seller does not own the item or have it in hand, nor are they listing a product from a legitimate drop shipper.
When an item sells, the eBay seller goes to the website from which he or she scraped the listing and buys the product. Then, the item is shipped directly to his or her buyer. In short, the seller is using that other marketplace to fulfill their eBay orders.
THIS IS NO LONGER ALLOWED!!! Here’s what IS allowed…
eBay’s new rules do not affect sellers whose business model includes drop shipping from legitimate wholesale suppliers or manufacturers. In effect, it is totally eBay-legal to sell an item on eBay whose orders you fulfill through a legitimate third-party drop shipper. Drop shipping means you buy the product from a wholesale source, which then ships it to your customer. My complimentary guide, Stay Out Of eBay Jail! lays it all out for you.
Furthermore, it is also eBay-legal to use Amazon’s Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) service.
With MCF, sellers use Amazon as their warehouse and fulfill all orders through their Amazon account. It’s equally eBay-legal to use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). With FBA sellers have Amazon store their inventory, and Amazon ships the stored item from their own warehouse when it sells.
So, it’s eBay-legal as well to use other fulfillment services that ship your stored inventory.
What’s key here is that the inventory belongs to you, the seller.
With eBay’s new drop shipping rules, know what is allowed.
Simply, the inventory does not belong to the owner of the warehouse. You are only storing your own merchandise. So, it’s not the warehouse owner’s products being sold and shipped.
What’s NOT eBay-legal as of this month is the practice of taking a listing from Amazon (or some other retail website) and listing that item on eBay.
When it sells, the seller then buys it on Amazon (or that other retail website) and has it shipped to the buyer. Currently, this business model is banned. So, if you get caught doing this, you are endangering your eBay selling status and could even find yourself suspended! Read the entire policy here.
There are potentially severe consequences if you break the new drop shipping rule. eBay states, ” we may remove your listings from search, display them lower in search results, or remove them completely from the site. We may also limit, restrict or suspend your ability to buy, sell, or use site features on eBay..”
To ensure that you understand the new rules, and for more information, watch my YouTube video “eBay Selling Rules Just Changed!”.
Some sellers who are NOT guilty of this now-illegal practice are being caught by an eBay bot (automated robot scanning the site’s listings).
It flags their account as suspicious and removes their Top Rated Seller status. If you’re caught in this net, reach out to eBay Customer Service right away. If you’re a US or Canadian seller messaging them through eBay for Business’ Facebook page is one quick way to get a US-based CS rep. Otherwise contact customer service through the eBay site.
In closing , consider this your eBay jail alert. eBay’s product sourcing and listing rules have dramatically changed.
If you drop ship, adhere to the new strict criteria, so you don’t end up in jail!
by Kathy Terrill | Jul 20, 2018 | eCommerce Tips, Selling on eBay
Feeling slow summertime eBay sales blues?
Contrary to what the old song says, there IS a cure for any eBay sales summertime blues. I’ll list the ingredients; then it’s up to you to concoct the mixture that works best for your business.
The first step towards stirring up eBay sales is to check prices.
Keep an eye on prices for your listings on eBay!
Market values can change over time…demand for your item may increase or decrease…new competitors may undercut you; there are lots of reasons why it’s important to stay current on pricing.
Check out my “Advanced Search” YouTube video to learn how to quickly research SOLD prices on eBay so that you know what your item is selling for. If necessary, adjust your pricing. Don’t forget to note whether sold items offered free or paid shipping, so you can take that into consideration. In addition, be sure to check the size and condition of sold items to ensure they’re truly comparable to what you’re selling.
Also, consider shipping. If you’re not yet selling internationally, you’re missing out on millions of potential customers.
Open your business up to that world of possibilities by going global. For heavier items, expensive items, and items shipping to countries that do not yet offer USPS First Class International’s Electronic Delivery Confirmation (eDelCon), opt into eBay’s Global Shipping Program at ebay.com/GSP. GSP users have seen their sales increase by up to 15%!
And it’s easy: With GSP, you create a shipping label through eBay as usual to generate a global tracking number. It’s automatically uploaded to your and your buyer’s My eBay page. Then you ship the item to eBay’s Global Shipping Center in Kentucky. eBay does the rest, including filling out customs forms, paying import fees, and providing international shipping to your buyer.
Small and/or lightweight and/or inexpensive items may be shipped directly via USPS First Class International with eDelCon. eBay Labels and third-party providers automatically generate and fill out customs forms. For more details enjoy my blog post International Sales Mean Cash
Selling internationally increases eBay sales!
So you’ve checked your pricing and are shipping worldwide. Now let’s check your listings’ formats.
It’s best to have a mix of fixed price and auction listings because while some shoppers love to bid, others prefer to Buy It Now.
For fixed price listings, add the Best Offer option. Best Offer lets the buyer know that you’re willing to haggle a bit. If you get an unacceptable offer, always counteroffer, with a note thanking the buyer and telling them how much of a discount you’re offering and why your item is worth it. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by how many lowball offers can be turned into sales!
You can also send Private Offers in response to questions received through My Messages.
Just click “Reply with an offer” in the upper right-hand corner of the message. Again, add a note explaining your offer is for $X, which is Y% off.
Promotions Manager is free to eBay Store subscribers; use it to create special offers, discounts, and sale events. Store subscribers and Top Rated Sellers can also use Promoted Listings to boost item visibility by 30%.
Pull ahead in sales with eBay Promotions!
With Promoted Listings, you choose an ad rate: a percentage you’re willing to pay if your item sells from its promoted listing. You only pay if a buyer clicks on your ad AND purchases the item within 30 days. Top Rated Sellers receive a quarterly $30 Promotions Listing credit, while Anchor and Enterprise Store subscribers receive a $25 credit. Top-Rated Anchor and Enterprise Store subscribers receive both.
So go ahead and cure those slow summer sales blues.
Now that you know the ingredients — check pricing; sell internationally; vary your listing formats; use Best Offer and Private Offer; try Promotions Manager and Promoted Listings — you’re sure to be able to cook up a recipe for success!
P.S. For even more summer sales success tips, listen to my recent interview on eBay Radio.
by Kathy Terrill | Jun 12, 2018 | eCommerce Tips, Selling on eBay
Looking for more eBay sales? International sales can increase your business immediately.
So, why say no to more sales?!
To begin, shipping globally on eBay can be accomplished in several ways.
First, sellers can ship themselves. Additionally, businesses can ship international sales with eBay’s Global Shipping Program. For each listing, sellers choose how to handle their non- US sales. It is not an all or nothing proposition. So, sellers can mail product X themselves using eBay shipping labels. Also, shipping product X can be done using products like Stamps.com, Endicia, and ShipStation. Then with product Y they select eBay’s Global Shipping program.
There are several advantages to eBay’s Global Shipping program, commonly called GSP.
First, it takes a lot of stress off the seller. When a GSP item sells, the sellers simply mail to a shipping hub in Kentucky. From there, the item is packed and mailed overseas. The seller is only required to get the item to Kentucky. From Kentucky onwards, it’s eBay’s job. eBay is responsible to have the international shipping product arrive safely in county Q. Should it arrived damaged, eBay refunds the buyer. This keeps more money in the seller’s pockets! Also, eBay screens the GSP listings. If it’s illegal to import your product to country G, it will not be visible to that nation.
Amazon sellers that use FBA to fulfill their eBay orders can use GSP.
Many Amazon eBay sellers are completely unaware of this. eBay’s GSP shipping center is in the US. Savvy FBA sellers opt their eBay inventory into GSP for the sales boost. It’s a fast smart way to make more money.
Listen to international sales tips in my YouTube, Where Did The eBay Customers Go?
http://https://youtu.be/X0joTyMLzwo
Some sellers are nervous to ship overseas. The Global Shipping program reassures sellers with its shipping protections.
That being said, protections are not free. eBay’s Global Shipping program is a premium service. It includes door to door tracking. Customs and import fees are charged up front. The basic rule of thumb for using GSP is this. If an item is under 4lbs, ship it yourself. Should the product be over 4lbs, use the Global Shipping Program. Furthermore, if the product is very valuable and or fragile, consider GSP. You have a built-in insurance policy with GSP.
If your items are light, often shipping yourself is best.
GSP will make lightweight item’s shipping expensive to buyers. You can lose sales. Shipping USPS first class international includes tracking to many countries. Here is the current list of countries with this tracking. It’s called e-Delcon.
It’s wise to edit the custom’s form when shipping to a generic description.
A DKNY dress is a women’s dress. An Under Armour shirt is a men’s shirt. You are not falsifying the document. You’re not changing the price or marking a purchase a gift. You are mailing a dress. You’re shipping a shirt. Using the generic term helps the package not get sidetracked by a handler interested in the contents. Shipping GSP there is no need to do this.
So, still feeling a bit nervous?
It’s fine to start shipping globally in increments. Begin shipping to Canada. Later add UK and Australia. Then consider shipping everywhere. Again, GSP takes any jitters away. But if your items are lightweight, it can make your items expensive. You’ll lose sales to sellers who ship themselves.
Offer GSP and your own shipping.
You must choose one or the other for countries you will ship to. Sellers can ship themselves to some countries that are non-GSP nations. Then use GSP for the eligible countries. HERE is the current list of GSP eligible nations. To do this you would customize shipping under shipping details. You can block countries you don’t want to ship to in your site preferences. If you leave GSP checked in shipping details and include you own shipping for the SAME country, your shipping is shown to buyers. They will not see GSP. For GSP to be offered, it must be the only option to country X.
Almost daily articles speak on the massive increase in online shopping. This recent post by B& T Magazine highlights how Australians are shopping online is just one.
Every day more people everywhere are shopping online!
Online shopping is increasing daily.
No matter the size of your business, you can be an international seller. Shipping everywhere increases your eBay sales. That’s great news in all languages.
Special note – Thanks to Feedspot for recently selecting us as a top blog to read for eBay Seller News!
by Kathy Terrill | Feb 28, 2018 | eCommerce News, eCommerce Selling Tips, eCommerce Tips, Selling on eBay
eBay’s Spring Seller Update 2018 is out. Like all of eBay’s updates, there is terrific news for sellers. And, there is also some very painful information.
To begin, under the leadership of CEO Devin Wenig, eBay continues major upgrades.
As announced in 2015, massive structured data and Artificial Intelligence initiatives are unfolding. Product search is now more intuitive. There is a more fluid shopping experience to capture and please internet shoppers.
Shoppers want fast shipping.
Also, consumers want to easily discover products they want to buy. In addition, they want a frictionless returns. eBay is giving it to them.
Guaranteed Shipping will be rolling out to many sellers in March. It is popular with consumers looking to know exactly when their purchase will arrive. Qualifying seller’s listings are displayed under different arrival date filters. It costs sellers nothing to be included. Consumers love it. It’s a win-win. In addition, there will be a robust shipping area for sellers. Graphics and shipping options will be clearer. This looks to streamline shipping, saving users precious time.
eBay’s Promoted Listings will appear on the homepage!
Promoted Listings appear many places on the eBay site. What’s exciting to sellers is that there will now be a placement on the main eBay landing page. Now more than ever Promoted Listings is essential to qualifying Top Rated sellers and all store owners. Use my complimentary guide, to ignite your sales with Promoted Listings.
The catalog is evolving. This is no surprise to anyone following Devin Wenig’s numerous speeches speaking to upgrades to the shopping experience on the platform. 14 categories are now mandated to use the catalog.
So, with the changes in categories, sellers can look to improved item specifics.
As you see shifts in impacted eBay selling categories, take advantage. If eBay is adding item specifics, it’s because shoppers are using those in search. Fill them in and reap the search benefits,
Look for a makeover in eBay stores. As of May 1, a Starter level store will be offered below the Basic Store. Very large vendors can select an Enterprise store. Sellers can downgrade to a Starter Store with no penalties if they do so during the month of May 2018. Fee increases are planned for Basic stores and sellers with no stores, All store levels are promised a new more mobile friendly look soon. The new look will somewhat mirror the buyer experience on the home page. All of this offers sellers more choices for their businesses. My video breaks it all down for you.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWdRoZjzJUw
Yes, the pain is real.
eBay return policies are updated. Gone are numerous choices for returns. As of May 2018, there are five choices for sellers. Of the five, only two will qualify to receive the Top Rated Plus discount. Those are 30 day free returns and 60 day free returns. The restocking fee option is gone. My complimentary guide Spring Seller Update 2108 breaks all this down for you. I have several solutions for sellers who use restocking fees. Included are Pro Tips to maximize sales with changes the update brings.
Sellers are hit in their wallets.
If they want their Top rated Plus discount, they must pay for returns. So, to minimize the pain, sellers can select different return policies for different items. There is no need to offer free returns on all items. If you have very few returns, offering free returns has no impact. So, why not do it? If you sell products with a high return rate, consider if the discount outweighs the cost to your business. Chose what works for you.
Implement multiple return policies, if that’s the wisest choice for you.
In conclusion, the shopping experience on eBay is more intuitive and mobile friendly. Shipping is having awesome upgrades. Promoted listings get the coveted landing page placement. Stores get a makeover and include new levels. Fees increase. Returns are simplified. With new return policies, sellers make the difficult choice of whether to offer free returns.
eBay’s Spring Seller Update of 2018 is packed with good news of exciting upgrades. It also comes the real pain of free returns. This is an update for businesses to crunch their numbers and test. Use the data my Spring Seller Update Guide offers.
Each seller is wise to watch their sales numbers and returns. Looking at this key data, savvy sellers can have their online sales soar.
