by Kathy Terrill | Feb 9, 2018 | eCommerce Tips, Selling on eBay
One area can waste hundreds of dollars for eBay sellers monthly.
This category of spending is something that sellers of all levels make errors in. Can you guess what it is? Is it inventory? Could it storage or travel? No, it’s shipping. That’s right sellers, it is the cost of mailing your packages.
To start, eBay beginner sellers often err by not weighing their items with all the packing materials. Wrapping materials, mailers and or boxes add weight and postage costs. First class shipping in the United States is up to 16 oz. When an item is heavier than that, the costs to the shipper can rise significantly. Here are the current rates as outlined on the Stamps.com blog. So, even when just starting to sell, a shipping scale is an excellent investment. You can purchase a scale that will weigh up to 50 lbs for less than $20. This page has suggestions on two scales.
Experienced entrepreneurs know that shoppers love free shipping.
Shoppers love free shipping!
Marketing Land reports a consumer study where shoppers say their top consideration when buying is free shipping. Free shipping attracts shoppers and sales. With that in mind, eBay sellers need to look carefully at their return rates. So for instance, items that have no little to no returns, free shipping is a very wise choice. However, for inventory with a high return rate, sellers to need to take a close look at profits.
When an item is returned, a full refund is expected, that includes the “free shipping”. You can charge a restocking fee. Realize that when you do so, you may lose customers to sellers who do not charge such fees. Look at your competition. Sellers that get a lot of returns, can build the cost of returns into their listing price and continue with free shipping and full refunds. Top Rated sellers can get a 10% Final Value Fee discount if their items meet the criteria for Top Rated Plus. Keep that in mind when selecting how you ship.
There is an alternative that can increase vendor’s profits. Charge for shipping.
Using this practice, when the item comes back, sellers refund the product price only. For sellers that get dozens of returns a month, this is a significant increase in profits. In addition, for heavy products, a shipping calculator offers a choice where the shipping cost is adjusted to the buyer’s location. Customers save money purchasing from vendors closeby.
This video discusses when to use free shipping and when not to.
In closing, always keep an eye on your sales profits. If you get few returns, free shipping is your perfect choice. However, if you sell in categories that get a lot of returns, charging for shipping can put more cash in your pocket.
Test and see what get you the best sales results!
by Kathy Terrill | Jan 4, 2018 | eCommerce Tips, Selling on eBay
So, it’s January 2018 and the New Year eBay sellers.
What does a seller do now to attract shoppers on eBay?
Here is what to do to make money on eBay right now. First of all, pull out a pen and paper, or your favorite device, and take notes. As outlined in 5 Steps To Move Your Online Business To the Next Level, planning is crucial to sustained success
Look at what sold for you on eBay in November and December of 2017. What were your hot sellers? According to the Washington Post here is a list of some of the most in demand items from Christmas 2017. What were your top sellers? Was it women’s clothing, kid’s toys, sports equipment, housewares or another category? Where did you buy the products that you are sold out of right now?
Can you get more of the products that are sold out?
Can Your Buy More Of What Sold on eBay?
If the exact item is not be available for you to buy, is there something similar? For instance, the 6 inch brown teddy bears sold out for you on eBay. You cannot buy more from your source. However there are 8 inch bears in the same style available from your supplier. Also, you may have purchased items at a local big box retailer. Now that store is sold out of that hot item. Is there another of the same store within a 30 mile radius that has the item? Another place to check for your product is the big box retailer websites. Wholesale liquidators like BULQ can also be source for in demand items.
Popular items may be sold out locally, but are for sale on the internet.
Sellers often neglect the internet as a source for purchasing hot selling inventory.
From your research, you know what was popular for you one Bay in November and December. Many of those items will stay in demand. By restocking quickly you can start 2018 off strong!
Here are some more ideas for product sourcing to start 2018 off with strong sales!
In closing. take notes on what were your popular items from the end of 2017. Plan how to restock them quickly. Don’t overlook using big box retailers locally and online for inventory. List quickly.
Bravo eBay seller, you’re off to a great start for 2018!
by Kathy Terrill | Nov 22, 2017 | eCommerce News, Facebook Business Page Tips, Selling on eBay, Social Media Tips
The Holidays are here. Social media campaigns are in full swing to attract shoppers. eBay sellers turn to me and ask,
“How can I stand out to shoppers on social media this Holiday season?”
The answer is keywords.
Ground your Holiday Planner for 2017 with awesome keywords.
Without good keywords, it’s as if you are taking your items and throwing them in a heap on the floor. You are daring shoppers and search engines to find your products. Keywords enable search engines and customers to discover your listing.
Sellers can forget to think like a buyer. When listing a plush teddy bear toy think, “What words would I be using to find this?” I would search, plush toy, plush teddy bear, teddy bear, small teddy bear, big teddy bear, boy teddy bear, pink teddy bear etc.
Keywords are words that detail and describe your item. They are brands, colors, styles, period and the size of the product. Terms like Nike, Under Armour, Mid Century Modern, lace, 100% cotton and more.
This blog post What Are Keywords from Moz, explains keywords.
Keywords are words that detail and describe your item.
Terapeak’s keyword research tool SEO Pro gives eBay sellers effective choices for their listings and social media.
With my affiliate link HERE, test the awesome results from this professional tool.
This Facebook live I did explains selecting Holiday keywords for your eBay listings and social media.
It pays to think like a buyer when listing and doing social media. Good keywords get you found in search. They get you sales.
Combine Holiday keywords with the tips in my Essential Social Media Cheat Sheet and you’re ready for your best Christmas sales season ever.
by Kathy Terrill | Nov 4, 2017 | eCommerce Tips, Selling on eBay, Social Media Tips
This will the most competitive sales season ever on eBay! There are more eBay sellers and more inventory online than ever before. How can small and medium sellers compete and win in this ferocious online environment?
Smaller sellers can score their share of sales now and all through the Holidays. Here are the top three ways to do it!
#1 – CHECK PRICES ON EBAY AND THE WEB!
First of all, prices change on the internet. Hot products prices change during the shopping season depending on availability. So, if you sell in demand Holiday products, monitor prices carefully. Take advantage of these fluctuations. Small – medium sellers can pivot, changing their prices. Also, small sellers can get often source popular items far faster than larger online retailers. Use the eBay saved search feature to monitor new listings and competition online.
There are numerous hot categories right now.
Trendy clothes, party clothes, electronics, home decor, sporting goods, sports memorabilia, and crafts are all hot categories. For in depth research use Terapeak’s (ad) Hot Product Research. If you’re analyzing seasonal trends nothing beats Terapeak’s (ad)three years of sold data!
#2- REACH YOUR EBAY SHOPPERS WHERE THEY ARE!
81% of Americans have social media profiles.
Statista reports that 81% of Americans have a social media profile! Facebook leads the way in social media with a reported 2 billion monthly users as of July 2017.
Social media is not just for big brands.
Smaller sellers can use social media to their advantage and win! What’s key with social media is to laser focus on your potential customer is. With that in mind, post social content mixed in with products. My Top Ten Social Media Holiday Success Tips shows you clearly how use social media to your advantage. So, you can reach your customers with social media and score sales.
By answering within minutes of getting the query, you the smaller seller will score the sale.
#3- ANSWER CUSTOMER QUESTIONS FAST!
Many large online sellers answer customer service questions with an auto responder. A customer will ask about color or fit and they get a message that the seller will get back to them within one business day. Monitor your customer service and shopper inquiries closely. By answering within minutes of getting the query, you the smaller seller will score the sale.
Shoppers don’t want to wait. They want answers. They want to buy.
YOU, the quick to respond seller scores sales. I’ve gotten numerous messages from happy customers saying ” Thank you for answering my questions. Wow that was fast. I bought from you because your replied so quickly etc” Answering questions promptly works to get you sales during the hectic Holiday period and all year long!
Being a smaller seller can has it advantages! By closely monitoring prices, posting great engaging content on social media and being super responsive to customer service question, you gain the sales edge online!
Here’s to sales coming your way sellers!
by Kathy Terrill | Feb 24, 2017 | eCommerce Tips
Sellers come to almost daily and say, “Kathy my eBay item isn’t showing up well in search, what can I do?”
My answer is simple, “Let’s get to work”
#1 way to get better search results on eBay is write a great title.
Whether your shopper is on mobile or desktop, your eBay item’s title is one of the first thing your potential buyer sees. Your title is important to your buyer and important for good eBay and Google search results. Have you chosen the best keywords for your product? The best keywords clearly identify what you’re selling. The words that matter here are your brand. color, size, distinctive patterns and the like. Take a minute and look at your item. If you wanted to buy this item, what words would you be using in searching the internet to find it? Use those words. This video will show you how to use eBay search to quickly write eBay titles.
#2 way to improve your search results on eBay is fill in the item specifics.
Fill the item specifics in to the best of your ability. Fill in the MPNs, UPCs, brand, color, size , country of manufacture, leading role etc depending on the item you are selling and the category you are selling in. If you have the UPC for your item and you leave it blank or use the drop down menu does not apply, the seller that does fill in the UPC has given eBay search more structured data information than you. Is there a place to chose the color of your item? If yes, chose the best color, blue, pink etc. Again the seller that takes the time to fully fill in item specifics is giving more search data to eBay. Filling in the item specifics gives eBay and Google search vital information to help your item in search.
#3 way to improve your search results on eBay is take clear, crisp pictures.
Your customer cannot hold and touch the item you’re selling. Your pictures literally put your item in your customer’s hand. Show them every angle of your product. Include pictures of any flaws on the item. You do not need to buy expensive photography equipment to take clear pictures that are in focus. Most smartphones have great cameras. Pictures are important now for the shopping experience on eBay and will grow as an essential part of eBay search. eBay‘s CEO Devin Wenig spoke to this in a recent article for CNET. “We’re doing a lot of work on image recognition. Computers are getting really good at recognizing things. We’re not that far away from a future where you’ll just do this. [Wenig picks up his phone and acts out taking photos of a pen in front of him.] You’ll just take a picture of that and we’ll match it through AI to our catalogue, we’ll know exactly what that pen is. And we’ll say, do you wanna sell it? We can get you five bucks right now for that pen.” In short, pictures matter.
#4 way to improve in search is to use eBay’s paid search service Promoted Listings.
eBay offers it’s eBay store owners an effective way to promote qualifying listings through it’s paid Promoted Listings program. Through Promoted Listings sellers create Promoted Listing campaigns and chose the advertising rate they will pay eBay IF the product sells directly through Promoted Listings. A seller ONLY pays eBay the Promotion fee is the item sells from a click through Promoted Listings campaigns. Sellers do not pay for clicks with no sales. Nor do sellers pay for listing impressions. Many sellers note an increase in sales to the overall category in their eBay store that has Promoted Listings, and increased sales store wide. Promoted Listings can have the effect of increasing overall traffic to an eBay‘s sellers store. Currently Promoted Listings are only available to eBay store owners with multi quantity items. There is a Beta test going on for unique one of a kind items. To be considered for this Beta test go to Promoted Listings under the Marketing Tab in your eBay Seller Hub dashboard. You must apply to be considered. To apply go to Promoted Listings in Seller Hub. It’s under your Marketing tab
CLICK it . Find “Give us feedback”.
Give Us Feedback in Promoted Listings Dashboard
It’s all the way to right of the page in Promoted Listings. Click it. Say something like ” Hi I’d like to be in your beta test for one of a kind items.”
According to my eBay contact, ” from the time the seller sends us the request to be considered for the beta group, it may take up to a week to get added to beta. We will confirm via email once they are accepted. They can share this info with their friends/colleague. However, we cannot guarantee that everyone will be accepted.”
#5 way to improve in search is to research.
eBay is a competitive market place. When you first listed your item a month ago or a year ago the prevailing price may have been XXX but now its Z. You can wait and see if prices change, or you can change your listing for the current market and get the sale. eBay’s advanced search can give you short term sales data. For more in depth and detailed information professional sellers look to Terapeak.
Cleaning up your title and/or pictures can get your better search results on eBay. If an item qualifies using eBay‘s Promoted Listings is a great way to get a boost for your listings and your eBay store. Make sure to stay abreast of marketplace changes in prices with Terapeak.
I’ve made a special FREE How To Dominate eBay Search Tip Sheet for you to use. It has powerful eBay search tips you can use with or without an eBay store.Gain instant access by clicking HERE.
NOW is the time for YOU to stand out in eBay search!
