Anyone who has had an eBay store knows better. Competition is very tough. It takes hard work and a lot of marketing to drive traffic to your eBay store.



Then, when people do arrive at your eBay store, what do they see? Do they see the run of the mill, the "me too" look, the amateurish storefront that many, if not most, eBay stores present to the world?

You have only one opportunity to make a first impression. In a second or two, the eBay buyer is going to categorize you into professional or amateur, into trustworthy or dodgy.

Here are five basic things you must do right to give you the best chance of survival.

Number One: Treat Your eBay Store as a Serious Business

So many eBay stores appear to have been hastily bolted together, almost as if it were something that the eBay seller did late one Sunday evening. Nobody wants to buy from somebody who appears to be in it just for the money. An unprofessional eBay storefront gives the impression of an unprofessional eBay seller who simply wants to take people's money and run.

Number Two: Portray Yourself as a Knowledgeable Professional

It is astounding how few eBay sellers make use of the About Me page. That one page has the ability to either establish or destroy your credibility. The page gives the eBay seller the opportunity to tell the eBay buyer why she should buy from him.

Look at it from an eBay buyer's perspective. You would much rather buy an item from somebody who clearly knows something about the item, than from someone who doesn't. More importantly, you would much rather repeatedly buy from someone who is knowledgeable about the particular item or category of item.

You might be a guru. Nobody will know it if you do not tell them.

Number Three: Give all the Necessary Information to Facilitate Buyer Decision

Remember, the eBay buyer is forking out hard-earned cash for your item. You need to give them the required business information to ensure them that: a) they are paying a fair or better price, b) they are getting value for money, c) they won't get any nasty surprises of hidden costs, and d) they can get their money back if they are not satisfied with the purchase.

That's the purpose of eBay Store Policies.

Number Four: Give Special Attention to your eBay Storefront Above the Fold

It's that first impression issue again. What do eBay buyers see when they land on your main storefront page? Do they see a tacky image? "Unprofessional, see ya," hit the back button! Do they see the most expensive items at the top of the list? "Expensive," hit the back button! Of course, YOU would want an eBay buyer to see your most expensive item first. However, is that what the eBay buyer wants to see? Probably not.

Number Five: Make It Easy for the eBay Buyer to Find Items

You are one amongst thousands. Unless you are selling something completely unique, nobody is going to take an hour, or half an hour, or ten minutes, or even one minute, to try and find an item in your eBay store that they could also find somewhere else.

Wisely use the categories and promotion boxes of your eBay store. The categories are like aisles in your eBay store. You do not want to force people to rummage through the entire store if they came for a specific item. Why not? Won't they see other things they might want to buy? The answer is, because they won't. They will just leave and look somewhere else until they easily find what they are looking for.

Conclusion

It might sound very tough, but if your eBay store is failing or is struggling to get off the ground, the reason is probably you. Are you treating your eBay store as a serious business? Are you portraying yourself as a professional and knowledgeable business person? Are you presenting the best image possible and are you making it as easy as possible for the eBay buyer to buy from your eBay store? Think about it.