Other than a lack of feedback restricting bids, the most common problem that new eBay businesses have is a lack of promotion. Having great items that are packed and ready to ship does not make people start bidding. If you do not promote your store, no one will know that you (or your items) exist. After all of the time you put into your store, you cannot afford to skip out on marketing your efforts.
Promoting your eBay business does not have to be time consuming or expensive. You can start by adding information and links about your eBay business to all of your online correspondence. You can do this by creating an online signature for your emails (or by simply modifying an existing one). Look for instructions on how to do this from your email account. If you post in any online forums, you can also add a link to your store in your forum signature. These are simple and effective means of getting the word out there about your new eBay venture.
You can also make both digital and hard-copy (print) fliers that you can pass out on websites, marketing forums, or around town in grocery stores or at work. These fliers should include the name of your store and the type of items that you sell. Adding a special discount code to the flier is a good way to incentivize people to look at what you have to offer.
Spruce up your "About Me" page, as well. If people understand what you are selling and why they are more likely to trust you. Include your business policies on this page is also a good idea, because that way your potential bidders have all the information they need before they place their bids in one spot. If you are not HTML savvy (it is very easy to learn and there are guides online), you can also search for eBay templates online. It is possible to find a site that will generate an "About Me" page after you input your information.
Spreading the word about your new eBay store and all of your great products does not have to be difficult, expensive, or time consuming. The more creative you can be, the better, and the more effort you put into your marketing, the more it will pay off in sold items. Just be sure to note that marketing is an on-going effort. Even if you see results, you cannot simply stop letting people know about your store. You need to inspire both new and repeat business, and marketing can always help to accomplish both.
If you care to take the time to look, there is more advice out there on the Internet about how to be successful with your Ebay store than you could ever possibly read in a lifetime. Ebay itself offers plenty of advice for newcomers to the world of online auctions that can be quite useful. But at the end of the day everything will really boil down to just one thing: excellent customer service.
Living and Dying by Reputation
When you are first starting out in any business it is absolutely vital to generate positive feedback from customers. This not only helps you get their business in the future, but it also helps generate word of mouth advertising about your company. An Ebay business is definitely no exception to this rule.
A company offering the absolute cheapest product or service possible will still die if it treats customers poorly. Although you cannot please every single person that uses your Ebay store to buy something, it is definitely possible to keep the vast majority pleased with the services you provide.
Accurate Descriptions
Since the customer cannot physically touch or see the actual item you are trying to sell at your Ebay store, descriptions are absolutely critical. Misrepresenting an item may yield you a few dollars more on the winning bid but the negative feedback can absolutely destroy your reputation and any chances of true success using online auctions to make a living.
Also, you want to write your descriptions so that you anticipate most questions a customer may have about the item. You still have to respond to customer questions as soon as possible but you certainly don't want to be bogged down all day shooting e-mails back to people. Try to think of all the questions a customer might have before writing your description so you can write it so that almost all of these questions are answered in the description itself.
Clear Photos
Never be tempted to use trickery or odd angles to misrepresent your item with a photo. Again, negative feedback kills more Ebay business owners and their dreams than you would ever believe. Look carefully at the picture you plan to post with your listing and ask yourself if it accurately represents what you are selling. If it does not, take another picture that does.
Transactions
It can honestly be intimidating for customers to use the Internet to buy the things they want and Ebay auctions can be even scarier. People want to believe that they are buying from a reputable and honest seller who is professional in every respect. You send this very message by making the transaction as convenient as possible.
All of your terms should be clearly listed up front so that there is no chance for confusion. Inform customers about your shipping charges and consider including the Ebay calculator in your listing so that they can figure them out themselves and cut down on questions that you will have to respond to.
Be certain to include your return and warranty policies so that you did everything possible to inform the customer of precisely what they are getting should they decide to buy from you. You may want to consider making an occasional exception to your policies in the interest of avoiding negative feedback, but that is something you, as owner of your Ebay store, have to decide on a case by case basis.
Include as many payment options as you can reasonably accommodate. Fewer options generally means few bids and less profitable online auctions for your Ebay store.
By following these simple guidelines and being sure to make the customer feel as special as possible, you will build a great reputation on Ebay. In the end, this will help grow your Ebay business and keep your business thriving.
Both Vickie Sayce & Jason James are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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