Kevin's Selling Tips

Kevin’s Tips & Strategies for eBay Sellers!

Tip 1)  First, Conduct Your Research.

eBay sellers list any and all types of items. No one can be an expert on every item or category. Therefore, the purpose for a seller to conduct research on eBay is to understand how the top sellers of the item you are about to list, sell their items. If you study how they list their items, you will have a much better idea how to list your item and will have greatly increased your chance for a successful auction.

Click here to learn How to Conduct Your Research on eBay.

Tip 2)  Keywords are the Most Important Part of your Listing. So Think Like a Buyer.

Did you know that “keywords” are how 80% of eBay buyers will find your listing? Think about it for a moment. When you are looking for items on eBay (or the Internet for that matter) would you say that about 80% of the time your searches involve keywords? Exactly. That is how the majority of your customers will find your listings as well.

You may have the best product, best price, best shipping and outstanding customer service. But if few buyers can find your listing it will end in disappointment.

Spend a lot of time researching (Tip #1) what the top sellers are using as keywords, then narrow and decide on the right keywords for your listing. You only have 55 characters (letters, numbers or spaces) to work with, so use them wisely.

Remember that you are not writing ad copy, you are providing words that buyers will search for. Don’t waste your most valued space on eBay with useless keywords such as “L@@k!” or “Best value on eBay!” No buyer is ever going to type L@@k, value, best or eBay when they are entering their keywords.

Don’t waste space with punctuation as each one counts as a character. Simply enter one space between each of your keywords. The keywords do not have to be grammatically correct and it is not important what order they are in. You are not writing a sentence, you are entering keywords that buyers may use to find your listing.

Use both singular and plural if you have space. For example if you are selling a book use the keyword book as well as the keyword books. You are not sure if your buyer will be typing John Grisham “book” or “books.” So use both.

What if you still have left over characters? If your product is new and you have space, by all means enter the word NEW as the first keyword. No matter the product, many buyers will search for the word new.

Here is a Power Seller Secret:  Purposely use misspelled keywords in your listings. What? Are you serious Kevin? You bet I am! How well do you spell? Even if you won the spelling bee, wouldn’t you agree there are many eBay buyers that are poor spellers? If you list items that are commonly misspelled then list the correct spelling as well as the incorrect spelling, you capture both types of buyers!

Tip 3)  Always Display a Gallery Photo.

Browsing categories is how the other 20% of your customers find you. Therefore, buyers are looking at three things: 1) Price, 2. shipping cost, and 3) the gallery photo. If you do not include a photo of your item, buyers will skip over you and go on to your competitor's listing.

Tip 4)  List Your Item in the Proper Category.

Since browsing categories is how 20% of your customers find you, does it not make sense to be sure and list your item in the best category on eBay that will bring the highest price for your item? How do you know what categories will bring the highest price? You discovered this while conducting your research in Tip #1. Whatever categories the top sellers are selling the item in is also the best bet for your category as well.

Tip 5)  Start Slow with Inexpensive Items at First.

If you are new to eBay selling you are bound to make a few mistakes in your first few listings. Therefore, for your first 5-10 listings I suggest you sell simple, inexpensive and easy to pack and ship items such as a book. I suggest this simply as a learning exercise.

Make your mistakes on those items and then after you learn the listing process and have made a few mistakes, move on to more valuable items. By all means don’t do what one of my students did. For his first item, he sold a book. It went pretty well, so for his second listing, he listed his car!

Tip 6)  Double Check Your Listings for Mistakes.

This is especially true when you first start your eBay selling. How many times have you written an email, reviewed it a few times then sent it on only to reread it after it was sent and see a glaring mistake? If you do that on eBay it could cost you money.

So especially for your first few listings on eBay, as soon as you list them, use keywords to find your listings and then click to open them. Review everything carefully including your price and shipping costs. If there are any mistakes you can correct them, as long as there have been no bids. The fastest I ever sold an item on eBay was three minutes after it was listed. So check your listings quickly. To correct them, simply click on the “Revise Your Listing” link located near the top left of the auction’s page.

Tip 7)  Separate Yourself from Your Competition.

Good advice for stock market investing is to be the Contrarian. Whatever the crowd is doing, you do the opposite. I use the same strategy in dealing with my competition on eBay.

Have you ever browsed through a category on eBay and noticed that nearly every Gallery Photo was the same stock photo from the manufacturer’s web site? Sometimes I think eBay sellers make sheep look like independent thinkers.

While it is true that 80% of you customers will find your listing with keywords, they will also find your competition’s listings. You all are displayed together as a result of the buyers keyword search. You need to get creative to set yourself apart from your competition.

While scanning the listings page, guess what listing your buyer’s eyes will be attracted to? The one that has a different photo from all the rest. Make it yours!

Study your competitor’s listings and then mix it up a bit. If other sellers are displaying the same picture of the unit, take a picture of the box. Use subtitles to get an important message across such as “Free Shipping for Buy it Now” or “We Ship Worldwide!”

If you are selling a popular product where there is a lot of competition, throw in a freebie that costs you little but gives added value to the product. Combine it with other valuable products to create a new “package deal” and offer it at a slightly lower price than if sold individually and maybe throw in FREE or discounted shipping as well. This is also a good strategy to use on products that are moving slowly. Combine them with more popular products and offer a package deal.

Now keep an eye on your competition. They are watching you. When they realize what you are doing, and see the success you are having, they will begin to do the same. When they do, go back to the original method.

Many times I have created successful “product packages” that sold very well for a period of time. Once my competition caught on to what I was doing they started doing the same thing. As soon as they did, I went back to selling the items individually. Buyers who were interested only in a particular individual product were buying from me.

So again, be the contrarian and do just enough to set yourself apart from your competition whether it is with photos, subtitles, shipping, product packaging, or some other method. Customers will be attracted to your listings because they are different.

Tip 8)  Learn How to Take Professional Looking Photos.

I cannot make this any simpler or clearer. If you want to bring top dollar for your items you need professional looking photos. This is especially true if you sell in the jewelry, collectible or antique categories.

The best way to grab a potential buyer’s attention is with a professional looking gallery photo. This will initially attract them to your listing. Once the buyer is viewing your listing, if the layout, description and photos look professional, you look professional. With all other things equal (price, shipping, description, etc.) between you and your competitor, if you have the professional looking photos, your item is the one they will want.

You need to spend some time experimenting with and learning how to properly use your camera, obtain professional yet affordable equipment and learn some photography methods, tips and tricks from the professionals. If eBay is your business, then photography is a big part of your job. You need to learn how to do it right.

Click here to learn more about Photography Tips.

Tip 9)  Expand your Business Immediately by Selling Internationally.

Selling internationally on eBay is certainly rewarding. The emails that I receive first thing in the morning are usually from my international buyers who purchased items from me while I slept. Not long ago, I opened my emails one morning and noticed there were several purchases or email questions from buyers that I promptly answered. As I was pouring my second cup of coffee, I realized that in only 20 minutes I had just communicated with, or sold items to, my customers in Austria, France, the UK, Greece, Australia and Hong Kong. What a fun business indeed!

Depending on the season and the items that I list, about 20-30% of my sales are international. In fact, some of my best and friendliest repeat customers live in France, Greece, Italy, the UK and Australia. Once you have a few sales under your belt, I encourage you to sell internationally as well. But let’s do it wisely.

Click here to learn the proper and safe way for International Selling & Shipping.

Tip 10)  Don’t Fear your Competition, Learn from Them.

Do you sell in categories that have a lot of competition? Are some of them large competitors who list hundreds of items? I would bet you are a bit intimidated by them. I certainly was when I first started. I was that is, until I learned to use them to my advantage.

Competition is a fact of eBay business life. You can be assured that your competition is watching you. So you need to keep an eye on them as well. Watch them for new selling methods, strategies and most of all, new products. Wouldn’t you like to know as soon as your competitor offers a new product? Sign up for your competitor’s newsletter or ask to be placed on their email list.

Don’t limit your competitive searches to only eBay. Stay on top of the new products in the categories and niches where you sell by subscribing to magazines, newsletters, visit related websites and read blogs. Always be on the lookout for products that solve a problem. Those products generally have the highest demand on the Internet and on eBay.

As much as possible, avoid price wars. It can be the quickest way to eBay ruin. It is aggravating when a new and amateur seller begins a price war. I could never figure out how they could sell new products (not refurbished or liquidation products, but new products) for less than I can get them wholesale. Then I realized, they couldn’t. They are simply complete amateurs who have no idea how to run a business and are losing money.

The good news is that they are not around very long. But while they are around they can affect your sales. So keep an eye out for new amateur sellers. If they begin a price war on a particular product you are selling, let them fight it out with your other competitors while you sit on the sidelines. This is a great reason to sell multiple products in multiple categories and niches and also not go too deep into inventory on a particular product. This way, one amateur seller starting a price war would have minimal affect on your business.

Tip 11)  Save Money and Use FREE Shipping Boxes.

Have you checked the price of boxes at your local office supply store lately? Even if you ship small items, a small box from an office supply store will probably cost around $2.50. If you ship 10 items a day, that is $750 a month! That is why I love the United States Postal Service (USPS)!

For the vast majority of the items I sell, I ship them by USPS Priority Mail. Even though I live in Seattle, my items shipped by Priority Mail can usually be delivered coast to coast in only 2-3 days. Wow!  Priority Mail costs just a bit more than First Class or Parcel Post and has lightning fast delivery in comparison.

Best of all, FREE boxes for shipping items by USPS Priority Mail are available from the USPS website. The site is http://ebaysupplies.usps.com.  The boxes even have the following message stamped on them “A Preferred Shipping Service on eBay.” 

My customers promptly receive their items in professionally packaged USPS Priority Mail boxes only 2-3 days after they place their order. My customers love this and give me the highest praise and comments in their feedback about me. All of this is because I ship by Priority Mail using the free USPS boxes. Thank you USPS!

Tip 12)  Use Cheap or FREE Shipping Supplies.

Packing material such as bubble wrap and Styrofoam peanuts can be very expensive. Likewise, most customers do not like to receive the clingy Styrofoam peanuts. I only use them when I am shipping extremely delicate and breakable items. Otherwise I use inexpensive standard newspaper that I have softly crumpled. If the ink can come off on the item I am packing (such as a clothing), I place the item in a plastic bag first before using the newspaper.

If the items you sell require bubble wrap, save your money and get your supply free from stores that receive their products bubble wrapped. Those would include furniture stores, or those who sell dishes, collectibles and trinkets. They would all be very happy for you to haul away their bubble wrap.

Tip 13)  Package Your Items Professionally and Ship Quickly.

Do you want Fantastic Feedback and Return Customers? Imagine if you were the buyer and received a professionally packed item with lightning fast shipment. What type of feedback would you leave for the seller?

Use the FREE USPS eBay stamped boxes, the FREE Priority Mail labels with your return address printed on it, pack the item properly as described in Tip # 12, and ship the item by Priority Mail within one business day of payment.

You could not write better feedback than you will now receive. Many of those customers will come back for more items and/or refer their friends to you.

Tip 14)  Never Gouge for Shipping.

You are in the online retail business. A few years ago before the Internet, the business was called mail order. Customers understand that mail order and online businesses add a small handling charge to their shipping costs. After all, you are not a retailer where they take the item off the shelf. You have to pay someone to pack and ship their item. It is understood that you can charge a reasonable fee for this service.

I never charge more than $2-3 dollars handling no matter what I am shipping. One of the fastest ways to have potential buyers run from your listings is to gouge for shipping. Don’t try to make your money on shipping. You look unprofessional and dishonest. Charge the proper price for shipping and add $2-3 for handling. In your description be sure to say that your price is for Shipping and Handling.

Tip 15)  Avoid Mass-Market Items. Find and Sell in Niche Markets.

Mass-markets are where the action and competition is on eBay. Niche markets are where the profit is.

With mass-market items, your competition is so large and the margins so small that there is little profit. Generally speaking, it is not a good business model to plan on selling mass-market items (such as consumer electronics) on eBay. Instead focus on smaller niche market items with less competition.

So how do you find a niche market? There are two ways I recommend. One is to start with a hobby, area of interest or expertise that you have. Now search the categories on eBay and use the method in Tip # 1 to narrow the products to a real specialty and discover the products that are selling. Sell only the products that are proven profitable. If you can’t find items that are profitable you have not found a good niche. Keep looking.

The second method is what I recommend if you have no particular niche in mind. In that case forget about particular products and instead, focus on finding a market with a need, then find the products that fill that need.

Go to a local bookstore that has a huge magazine selection. Pick up about a dozen or more magazines on hobbies or topics you have never been interested in before. Sit down with a cup of coffee and flip through them. Products and ideas will start jumping out at you. Write them down. Many times, the manufacturer will be listed along with their website. Sometimes, if it is a small business you will see in the ads the words “dealer inquiries welcome.” Perfect! Write it all down. Now go back to Tip # 1 to find the products that are profitable and sell only those products.

Tip 16)  Get Organized, Get Help and Get Seller Tools!

Imagine for a minute that you have a decent part-time eBay business selling an average of 10 items per day. This means you need to list 10 items a day, sell 10 items a day, pack 10 items per day and ship 10 items per day. Whew, that is a lot of effort if you have a full time job as well. In order to help you run a part time business with this volume you need to get Organized, get Help and get Seller Tools.

Get Organized

Do you have a room that you can dedicate to your eBay business? Can it also be your packing and photography room? Can you close the door to keep interruptions to a minimum?

Now organize your office and eBay processes for maximum efficiency. Talk to your CPA and create systems for your bookkeeping. Take your pictures one day a week, do your listings on another day. Ship every day if possible or at least every other day. Keep up with emails from your customers daily.

Get Help

Can someone in your household help you? Everyone has his or her skills, strengths and weaknesses. Maybe you should do the product sourcing, ordering and computer work. Your spouse or teenagers can do the packing and shipping (going to the post office). Just remember, whoever helps you can have an impact on your business. A teenager who does sloppy work packing an item will have an affect on the feedback you will receive from your customers. Can you truly place your valued feedback in your teenager’s hands?

Get Seller Tools

I see eBay sellers struggling needlessly with manual processes and systems. Why spend time creating and recreating your eBay listings online with “Sell Your Item Form” when you can use eBay’s FREE listing tool Turbo Lister and keep your listings on your computer’s hard drive as long as you want?

Why spend hours conducting manual research on eBay for new products when Terapeak can do it in 10 seconds?

Click here to learn more about Kevin’s Gold Star Recommended eBay Tools.

Tip 17)  Turn on Your “eBay Radar.”

Simply stated, I want you as an eBay seller to always be looking for new products, tools, hints and tips to help you in your eBay business. Specifically, I want you to be on the lookout for new products that may be a success on eBay.

When you shop at the stores that you frequent, most likely, you go down the same aisles picking up the same products. What I want you to do the next time you shop is to stroll the aisles and departments that you do not frequent. Review everything on the shelves looking for products that you did not know even existed or had ever thought about selling.

Do the same thing when scanning magazines and especially the Sunday paper. Don’t skip over the ads, study them. What new products have you found? Then conduct your research on eBay (Tip #1) to see how they are selling. Can you make a profit? Contact the manufacturer to find your distributor. That is turning on your “eBay Radar!”

Tip 18)  Remember that You are the Third Side to the “eBay Success Triangle.”

It takes three sides to complete the eBay Success triangle; Information, Tools and Action. My goal with TrainingU4auctions, is to provide you with the required Information and Tools. However, the third side of the success triangle is the most important – Action. That means You!

As with any business, you will get out of your eBay business what you put into it. Don’t let the required time, effort, mistakes or road bumps hinder you on your road to success. No one can stop you now but you. You must first take action and then continue moving forward. Learn from your mistakes and don’t repeat them again. You need to continue to find new products and weed out your slow moving products. You must continue to learn new techniques to compete and earn the top dollars for your listings. This is the eBay business cycle and it never ends.

Remind yourself from time to time, “I can do it, but I have to do it!”

Sincere best wishes for your eBay Success!

Kevin W. Boyd

 

Master the 18 tips above and you will shift your eBay selling from first gear to third gear immediately. Is there more to know? There certainly is.  This is only a portion of the information you need to guide you safely through and avoid the pitfalls on your road to eBay Success. You need to continually strengthen the two other triangle sides with new information and tools.

Ready to learn more? Click here to see Kevin’s Gold Star Recommended eBay Books or Seller Tools.

 

Copyright 2008 Kevin W. Boyd at www.trainingu4auctions.com