eBay Selling Coach

Need an expert to evaluate your listings?

2007-04-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

eBay can be confusing and overwhelming for even experienced users. There are so many options and features, sometimes it is hard to know if you have done everything possible to make your store and your listings appealing to buyers. Remember, if shoppers don't click on your listings, they won't enter your store, and you could be missing sales. I can do a professional eBay seller critique. I will review your storefront homepage, listing pages, and your About Me page and make suggestions regarding:

Item title and use of key words
Store description
Photographs
Item Descriptions
Return policy
Shipping fees
Store category set up
About Me page
Stores policy page

As your free gift, you will also receive either my Powerseller's Guide to eBay Selling, or my Stay At Home Mom's Guide to Successful eBay selling, your choice! Just let me know which one you would like when sending your Paypal payment. Suggestions and tips will be emailed back to you within 48 hours of receipt of your payment.

Happy selling!
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Outstanding Customer Service

2007-04-19T08:47:00.000-07:00

This is more of a vent than a blog, but it's mine, so I guess that's ok.

I was on the eBay Blog recently talking about customer service with other bloggers. I was shocked and saddened by what some of the sellers were saying. The issue was about correcting seller mistakes, refunds, returns, etc. These are some direct quotes:

"NO RETURNS, NO REFUNDS. NO EXCEPTIONS. TRAIN YOUR BUYERS EARLY."

"ALL SALES FINAL. DON'T LIKE IT, DON'T SHOP HERE."

"BUYERS BEWARE. NO REFUNDS. READ LISTING BEFORE BIDDING. SHOP AT YOUR OWN RISK."

I am absolutely amazed that sellers can survive with this attitude, and with policies written in this manner. As a buyer, I wouldn't shop at these stores because the seller appears hostile and outright rude. Some of these sellers were actually powersellers and were getting positive feedback, although I don't know how. I can't see how sellers with these attitudes can last on eBay, or anywhere for that matter.

Granted, we all run across the occasional difficult customer who cannot be satisfied. But, should we set up our policies to treat all customers as if they are out to be a problem? My philosophy is to treat customers the way you would want to be treated as a customer.

Would love your input here on how you think customers should be treated.

Happy selling!

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Use WANT IT NOW to find buyers for your items

2007-04-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

Want It Now lets buyers post requests for hard-to-find items and allows sellers to respond to those requests with eBay listings. As a seller, you can expand your market, and find pmore buyers more buyers for your items. You can gauge demand by seeing what people are looking for. Most importantly, you can sell more items. You can save searches and check posts daily. The quicker you respond to a post, the more likely you are to get a sale. The early bird gets the worm!

Just be careful not to use WANT IT NOW inappropriately. Only reply to those posts where you have an item to offer - you don't want to send out a bunch of spam to buyers, that is not good for business.

Check out WANT IT NOW:
http://pages.ebay.com/wantitnow/

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Tips on Avoiding Unpaid Items

2007-04-12T04:43:00.000-07:00

We have all had it happen (and if you haven't, you will). The buyer doesn't pay. Then you have to eat the listing fees and start over. But, there are steps you can take to minimize unpaid items. (From eBay HELP center.)

Creating and managing your listing

Represent the items you are selling fairly and accurately.

Clearly state your return policy in your listing.

Respond promptly to buyer questions.

Review your buyer's feedback.

Use extra caution with unknown or new buyers and unusual bidding activity

Avoid Nigerian bidders - they have become famous for "schemes"

Avoiding Unpaid Items

eBay's research has shown that following a few simple tips can significantly reduce the rate of unpaid item

Make it easy for your buyers to pay by offering PayPal. (80% of eBay users have a Paypal account.)

Include detailed shipping and handling information in the item description as well as the shipping details area.

Use eBay's Checkout feature to make it simple for buyers to pay you.

Use Immediate Payments for fixed price listings and listings using the "Buy It Now" option.

After the listing ends

Ship with a tracking number and insurance. This can help resolve disputes in cases where a buyer claims to have never received an item or received a broken item.

Maintain records of shipping receipts as proof that the item was shipped.

Keep copies of any proof of your item's authenticity.

Verify payment before shipping items (including holding checks until the checks clear).

Learn to recognize counterfeit cashier’s schemes.

Only ship items to the verified billing address on the buyer's credit card account (if applicable).

Be proactive in preventing unpaid items, and you will reduce them. Be sure to leave negative feedback for non-payers. If all the sellers do this, we can quickly eliminate non-payers from eBay before they have too many opportunities to inconvenience other sellers.

Happy selling!

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Just for Stay-At-Home Moms

2007-04-08T15:31:00.000-07:00

If you are a stay-at-home mom who wants to sell on eBay but aren’t sure how to get started, or you want to earn extra cash selling your kids outgrown clothes and toys, but are unfamiliar with eBay, my book is just for you. You'll learn:

How to make thousands of dollars a month using eBay
What to sell
Where to find items to sell
How to use eBay to its fullest potential
How to photograph your items
How to fit eBay into your busy, stay at home mom schedule
All about shipping
How to get started today, with no financial investment

Whether you want to sell 10 or 1,000 items a month, this book will provide valuable information to help you become a successful eBay seller from the comfort of your home, and on a schedule that works for you and your family. I did it, and so can you.

eBay has 220 million users worldwide and millions of dollars worth of merchandise is sold on eBay every day. There is room for you on eBay, too!

Happy selling!

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Watchers and no bids?

2007-04-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

When I am doing eBay seller reviews, sellers often ask, "why do I have watchers but no bids?" Here is why:

1) They may not be ready to buy the item yet, so they are just watching the auction to learn about the process.

2) They are afraid to make a commitment and bid. They might be new to eBay and are hesitant to place a bid yet. They just want to see how it works.

3) They are watching several auctions for the same thing and are waiting to decide which one to bid on. They don't want to bid on several of the same thing at once - because they don't want to end up winning several auctions for the same thing. Kind of like price shopping.

4) They are using an auction sniper program and not placing their bid until the last minute - literally.

5) They are just curious to see how high the price will go. Maybe they are thinking of selling a similar item.

6) They are thinking about buying the product and want to add it to their watch list to check on it again later. Like bookmarking something on the internet.

Don't get frustrated or be impatient - watchers are good. They have saved your listing in their watch list. Maybe they will come back and buy the item, or visit your listing again for something else.

Happy selling!

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Improper Use of Key Words

2007-04-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

Keyword spamming occurs when members place brand names or other inappropriate keywords in a title or description for the purpose of gaining attention or diverting members to a listing. Keyword spamming in listings is not permitted on eBay. The searchable text sellers place in listings must be directly relevant to the item being sold. (From eBay help center.)

When doing store critiques, I have seen this tactic used many times. For example, one customer was selling handmade beaded earrings. Her title read:

"iPod Nano Wii Playstation 3 earrings LOOK"

This is a waste of your time and the customer's time. Not only is she driving customers to her listings who aren't even interested in earrings, but she isn't even targeting customers who might actually be interested in buying her product. eBay gives you 55 characters for your title - use them wisely to attract potential buyers to your listings. What good does it do you to have hundreds of page views, if the customers are searching for a product that you don't even offer?

Another example is using inappropriate brand names to describe your item. I see this one often:

"Homemade candle pillar like Yankee Candle gardenia"

This seller is using an established brand name to drive traffic to his counterfeit item. There is nothing wrong with selling homemade candles, but a seller cannot claim they are "like" an established brand name - that description is subjective and the seller's personal opinion. Stick with factual information only. You don't want to manipulate your buyer into purchasing something, and then be dissatisfied and leave you negative feedback.

Abuse of key words can lead to:

Listing cancellation
Limits on account privileges
Account suspension
Forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings
Loss of PowerSeller status
Spend a few minutes taking eBay's tutorial on Search and Browse Manipulation

Happy selling!

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How do I start on eBay?

2007-03-31T18:53:00.000-07:00

One question I get from alot of people is, "How do I even start on eBay?"

First of all, start small. Set up an eBay account and buy a few things to learn the process and get a feel for how eBay works. eBay and working at home is not for everyone. And it is ok if it isn’t right for you. Sell some of your own things before you invest any money in other products to sell. Understand that eBay is more than taking pictures and working on the computer – you need to be familiar with how to edit photos, shipping, customer service, and Paypal. Take your time and learn about these things before you jump in and go for it full-time.

Once you are comfortable with the whole process, don’t be afraid to take a risk every now and then. I am often asked, “But what if you buy an item and it doesn’t sell?” Well, that’s ok. I can always relist it. I can mark it down and sell it for what I paid for it and move on. You don’t want to buy a truckload of 1,000 items without having tested them out first, but you do want to experiment with different products – you may find something profitable to sell on a regular basis.

Make small investments and try new products to test them out and see what kind of results you’ll get. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new products and try new things. eBay is constantly evolving and no trend will last forever. Experience is the best teacher.

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FREE Marketing Techniques

2007-03-29T05:36:00.001-07:00

Here is a FREE creative way to drive bidders to your auction:

Always use your store name when leaving feedback for others. For example, one of our automated feedback responses is, “Fast payment, easy transaction. Thanks from Atlanta Golf Shop.” Why should you do this? It is another way to get your store name in front of a potential customer. Let’s say a shopper is scanning through another member’s feedback. She may see the store name on the feedback and think, “Wow, that sounds interesting. I wonder what this place is.” Out of curiosity she clicks over to your store, and maybe she buys something, or adds you to her FAVORITES and visits you later when she has more time. See how that works?

Also, when sending any email to any person for any reason, cutomers or non-customers, put a link to your eBay store or seller page under your name. You can usually add the link to your signature on your email program under OPTIONS. I can't tell you how many customers I have gotten because my child's teacher clicked the link, the PTA president clicked the link, people who I have bought from on eBay clicked the link, etc. Don't waste an opportunity to promote your store!

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What's your refund policy?

2007-03-25T07:37:00.000-07:00

You will not even exist as an eBay seller without customers. Everything you do needs to revolve around outstanding customer service. Offering a fair, generous refund policy shows potential buyers that you are an honest seller and will stand by your products. Customers may never even use the refund policy, but you are giving your customers options just in case they don’t like the item for whatever reason. You are empowering them. If you look at large retailers, they will allow returns on any item for just about any reason.

I see a lot of eBay sellers that have return policies like, “store credit only,” or “returns only allowed if item is grossly misrepresented.” I’ll say as a customer, I don’t buy from these sellers (on or off eBay). As a customer, I want options. I want to know that if clothing doesn’t fit, I can return it. Or if an item doesn’t match my home décor, I can return it. I don’t want to feel stuck with a purchase that can’t be returned. I don’t want to waste my money on a product that may not work for me once I have it in my hands.

My refund policy allows returns within 30 days, for any product, for any reason. I even offer a refund for my eBooks if the customer isn’t happy. Having a fair, generous refund policy will attract more customers to your store and you will make more sales. Even if a customer returns an item and you issue a refund, that customer will know that you are a seller with integrity and they will return to your store. You can always relist the item and sell it again once it is returned.

I sell about 300 items a month, and less than 1% of the items are ever returned. You know how it is, you intend to return an item but never get around to it, or it sits in your car for 2 months waiting to be taken to the post office, and you forget about it. Having a generous refund policy is a powerful marketing tool that any seller can use, and it is totally free.

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Build Your Feeback Score - Fast!

2007-03-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

You will want to build up your feedback score to gain the trust of potential buyers. An easy way to do this is to buy items on eBay. You can buy inexpensive items that you’ll actually use such as party gifts, children’s clothes, kitchen gadgets, office supplies, and your shipping materials. I make it a habit to buy 2-3 items a month on eBay so that I can check on the competition. I can see how items are packaged, how quickly they are shipped, how professional the seller is, and I even get new ideas for my own store by being a customer in someone else’s store.

Pay attention to shipping charges, even on small items. Some dishonest sellers will post items for 1 cent, or 99 cents, but add exorbitant shipping fees. This is a deceptive practice and is frowned upon on eBay. Just be sure you review the shipping fee, and all details, before making your purchase.

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Handling Negative Feedback

2007-03-21T03:41:00.000-07:00

You have done everything right. You found a great item, taken a nice photo of it, written an accurate detailed description, sent professional emails to the buyer, and shipped the item promptly and securely. Then, you log on to check your eBay account, and BOOM! There it is. Someone has left you undeserved negative feedback. You are heartbroken. Now what?

First of all, this is not the end of the world. With negative feedback, it isn’t a matter of IF, it is a matter of WHEN. It probably isn’t your fault. The buyer may have had a bad day, lost his job, or had a fight with his wife. You have no idea what happened in his life that day. He impulsively takes it out on you because you are accessible and you can’t fight back. He takes out his aggressions on the computer, and you are the recipient.

Don’t rush right out and leave negative feedback for the buyer that says, “WHAT A JERK –AVOID THIS BUYER.” This will only make you look bad. If you choose to leave negative feedback for him, keep it unemotional and professional. You can say, “Disappointed that this buyer didn’t contact us first – we always refund!” Shoppers will look at your feedback and wonder what the negatives are all about. Make it clear that you are the bigger person and you will always handle problems professionally and be fair if given the opportunity. Don’t be impulsive and slap a negative feedback on someone without thinking about how it will affect your reputation. Be careful what you say!

When you do get a negative feedback, be sure to leave a reply below it on your feedback profile giving your side of the story. For example, we usually say, “Customer did not contact us regarding problem. We always refund!” Shoppers will see that you were blindsided with this remark and that you are willing do whatever it takes to make the customer happy.

You must be proactive in taking steps to prevent negative feedback. Add a sentence to your listings, your About Me page, all email correspondence, and your packing slip stating, “If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us prior to leaving feedback and we will issue a refund.” You want to imply that if negative feedback is left without giving you the opportunity to correct the problem, that the buyer is not eligible for a refund. Furthermore, you want to satisfy your customer so that he is eager to leave positive feedback for you.

Maybe you did make a mistake. Maybe you sent the wrong size or missed a flaw on the item. In all fairness, a buyer should give you a chance to correct the issue before slamming you with negative feedback. We are all human, we all make mistakes. Unfortunately, a small percentage of eBay members are too quick to leave negative feedback at your expense. This is part of doing business. Be sure to block that member from bidding on any more of your items. You probably don’t want to work with someone who isn’t willing to let you correct a mistake.

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Use Buy It Now - Sell More Items!

2007-03-20T07:05:00.000-07:00

eBay sellers have mixed opinions on Buy It Now. Some never use it because they like the exposure to potential buyers for the full length of the listing. I have a different approach, but you have to do your homework to get the most out of a Buy It Now listing.

Once you have been selling similar products over a period of time, you get a feel for how much they will sell for. If you don’t know how much an item will sell for, do a search for the item on eBay under COMPLETED LISTINGS. This will give you any items matching your key words that have sold over the last 30 days. This is an excellent way to find starting price, buy it now price, and to find out if there is a demand for the item. Remember, an item’s value is determined by how much someone will pay for it, not how much you think it is worth.

Searching COMPLETED LISTINGS is a valuable tool that will help you gain insight on how much an item can sell for. I offer Buy It Now (BIN) on most of my items for several reasons. First, it is only 10 cents per listing to offer BIN. One item sold on BIN can pay for all the BIN fees for the whole month. Second, someone may need the item to give as a gift and time is running short. They need it now, so they want to buy it now. Third, people may be buying items for trips, vacations, weddings, parties, or holidays and they simply do not want to wait for an auction to end. Finally, some people are just impatient and in a hurry. They see it, they want it, and so I give them the chance to buy it immediately. I would rather see one of my auctions end early and get the sale, than to have the customer buy a similar item from another seller, just because he is in a rush.

You can capitalize on those procrastinators by offering BIN on your auction items. BIN is great to use around holiday time – Christmas, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Valentine’s Day. You can use BIN on 3 and 5 day listings as the holiday gets closer. Just be sure to factor in shipping time so that your customer will receive his item in plenty of time.

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Using BEST OFFER on inventory listings

2007-03-20T04:46:00.000-07:00

When you move items into your store inventory, you have the option to ACCEPT OFFERS FROM BUYERS. This is a terrific feature. BEST OFFER gives shoppers the power to bargain with you, and it gives you the opportunity to sell more items. Let’s say that you have a child’s coat in store inventory at a fixed price of $10. It has been sitting there for a while. A shopper comes along and offers $8 for it. Certainly, you would accept their offer and take the $8. You have made another sale, will receive another positive feedback, and have created a relationship with another customer. The customer is happy because you accepted her offer. You have empowered that customer and made a sale at the same time. Everyone is happy.

The idea is to get more sales, and keep people coming back to your store. I see this happen all the time, the shopper may not spend much on the first item, but the next time around they will spend more. Once the customer experiences your great customer service, polite emails, and fast shipping, they will be back.

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Find Products to Sell on eBay at Member's Clubs

2007-03-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about some more sources to find products to sell on eBay. I often consider myself a professional scavenger - finding re-sellable items where ever I go.

Recently, I posted some Izod shorts for sale in my eBay store. Another eBay member sent me an email that said, “You can get these shorts at Sam’s for $16.” My response to that comment was:

Not everyone has a membership to Sam's
Not everyone wants a membership to Sam's
Not all Sam's have the same merchandise
Not everyone has access to a Sam’s
Not everyone likes to shop
Not everyone is physically able to shop (Moms who have small children, senior citizens,
physically challenged folks)
International customers don’t have access to Sam’s

That eBay member definitely made me think. His statement could be true of any item sold on eBay. Sure, this item is available at Sam’s, but have you ever been in a Sam’s on a Saturday? It is mayhem, especially if you have to take the kids with you. Many shoppers would rather sit at home in their pajamas with a nice, hot cup of coffee and check out deals on eBay rather than drag their 3 uncooperative kids down to Sam’s just to buy a pair of shorts. (I am one of those people.)

I didn’t even know that the product I was selling was available at Sam’s, so that was another source for my purchasing my inventory. (Thanks for the tip, anonymous eBayer!) Remember, eBay buyers are not only paying you for the item, they are also paying for your time and effort in finding the item and making it available to them.

Check for items at Sam’s, BJ’s, and Costco. They often offer quality goods for a lower price than retail. Your profit margin may not be as high as when you find items at garage sales, but you can still offer a quality item and build your customer base and feedback in the process. Most people won't even care where you found the item. Concentrate on customer service and a quality product, and that customer will come back for more.

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Information products

2007-03-14T06:56:00.000-07:00

I spend alot of time on eBay every day. I am posting new items, checking my listings, and answering questions. Here's an interesting observation.

Do you ever see listings for eBay information products like:

How to sell on eBay and make $500 a day! or

We quit our jobs and make $8,000 on eBay a month!

The majority of these information products are being sold by eBay members with less than a few month's experience, and very few feedbacks. Isn't it obvious what they are doing? They are trying to sell you some information that someone sold them....probably written by someone who has never even been on eBay. You can see a common denominator on these types of information products- a picture of a happy couple on a tropical vacation; a photo of their mansion with them by the pool sipping on fruit drinks while they work on their laptop; or a photo of their extravagant new car.

Please don't fall for these scams. If you think you have found a good information product, please ask the seller some questions before buying it. You might ask how they can be an expert if they only have 20 feedbacks and have only been on eBay for 2 weeks. If you don't get an answer, which I normally don't, you'll know they are not for real. Look for information from real sellers, with real experience, and current feedbacks from current sales. These are the sellers who are out there in the trenches with you every day and know how to use eBay.

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