A Helpful Sell Your Item on eBay Checklist

CHOOSE CATEGORY

• Search for similar items on eBay to see which categories they are listed in

• You can list in two categories for even more buyer exposure

CHOOSE A LISTING OPTION

A List the standard way

B Item Specifics and Pre-filled Item Information available for relevant categories

• Where relevant, input UPC or ISBN number.

• Item specifics and a stock photo will be added to your listing automatically!

LISTING TITLE (55 CHARACTERS)

• Use descriptive keywords, no punctuation

• Include brand names, color, size etc.

• Use the entire 55 characters for more detail!

ITEM DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY

History of item: (examples of information) origination, age, year or time period the item was manufactured

Characteristics which make this unique – “only a handful manufactured in xxxx year,” “signed by the author” or “hand crafted”

Color, size, type or design

Brand name or item label

Details: handmade, custom embroidered, real gold etc.

Other

CONDITION

Is there any condition not shown in photos? For example: “slightly worn” or “color faded in some parts.”

Is this item new?

Are the tags attached?

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Are there specifications that you should include? (computers, hard drives or audio equipment)

Return policy

Shipping

Payment information

Other

PRICING

Starting Price –

Setting it low will encourage the most bidding activity (auction style listings)

Buy It Now –

close the listing immediately.

add the option to your Auction-style listing so that members can buy your item directly at the set priceand

Fixed Price Format –

Buyers click to buy at the price you have set with no bidding. Some requirements apply.

PREPARE YOUR PHOTOS

eBay Picture Services (http://pages.ebay.com/sell/pictureservices/) The easiest and fastest way to include pictures in your listings.

Make sure your pictures have been saved as either a .gif or .jpg format

PAYMENT METHODS

Consider accepting PayPal (link to www.PayPal.com). PayPal allows you to accept credit card or bank account payments for purchases.

It’s safe and easy for buyers to pay you – and for you to get paid!

PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS

By providing clear payment and shipping information, when your buyers click on the Pay Now button, they will be told how much to pay

(including payment and shipping) and where to send payment. You in turn receive an email with the buyer’s address and selected

payment method.

SHIPPING DETAILS

• Provide shipping costs up-front to reduce email exchanges with potential buyers

• Specify international shipping to increase your audience of potential buyers

• Speed up the time it takes to finalize the sale

Terapeak Part 2 : Deciding What To Sell Next

Terapeak’s Hot Research Tools:

1. Hot Categories

   This report highlights eBay categories that have displayed steeply rising demand over the past 30 days. Browse the results to find potential niche areas where demand is not being met.

2. Hot Media

   Just like charts in magazines, this report provides lists of the top-selling eBay products each calendar month in the following categories: Books, DVDs, Games, and Music.

3. Hot Searches

   This report references the most popular keywords according to eBay’s search engine. Find potential niche markets by surveying missed opportunities in buyer demand. You can view hundreds of results and pair them with other terms, or dig down into specific categories.

4. Hot Titles

   This report ranks identical listings by the number of times they’ve been listed on eBay. Determine which titles are listed most, and which products have accumulated the most revenue.

5. Value Track

   A useful tool for anyone who conducts the same search more than once per week, Value Track is an automated reporting service that allows you to load your inventory once and receive weekly updates on average prices, total listings, and success rate. Think of it like a stock chart for your particular eBay interests.

6. Hot Products

   This report finds groups of listings, which share similar titles and have a success rate between 50 and 100%.  The titles are then distilled to 3-5 keywords, and results are sorted by success rate.  Use this list to find hot products ideas, or use it to research the most sucfcessful keywords.
   Hot Research is a collection of tools that will help you find popular products and categories where demand is high — and in a marketplace like eBay, demand means everything. Use Hot Research to make sourcing decisions, and to tap into new markets.

With Hot Research by Terapeak, you’ll never be short of new sales ideas.

eBay sellers with Terapeak make more money than you.

Terapeak’s Product Research Tools:

1. Report

   The bread and butter of Terapeak’s product research, this report uses keywords to search millions of eBay listing titles. Detailed charts and tables will give you metrics, including average price and sell-through rate, as well as how and when to list your product.

2. Item Browse

   This is a simplified list of relevant closed listings, which you can review individually and sort by Start Price, End Price, and Bids.

3. Trend

   Presented as a timeline graph, this report shows the sales performance of a search over a period of up to 90 days. You can base trends on several different metrics to get an idea where sales are headed.

4. Top Sellers

   This report shows you a list of all eBay sellers who have listed within your search, and is ranked by various performance indicators. Use Top Sellers to see who your competition is and to study their tactics.

5. Title Builder

   One of Terapeak’s most popular tools, Title Builder uses active eBay listing titles to generate clickable keyword suggestions for your listing. See which keywords are the most valuable, and watch as Terapeak calculates the value of your listing as you build it.

6. International Report

   Available to International subscribers, this report searches the international eBay sites Terapeak supports - at once. Compare pricing data and sell-through rates from the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Australia, to find the best selling region for your product.

Terapeak allows you to search up to 365 days of closed eBay listings to find statistics about your item and its sales history. Use this information to build the best listings possible, and to maximize sales potential.

With Terapeak for eBay, you’ve got everything you need to build a profitable listing and sell smarter.

Terapeak’s Category Research Tools:

1. Item Browse

   Once you’ve selected a category or sub-category, this report will generate a list of every closed listing that pertains to your chosen category, with links to each of those listings. Use this report to find out which products are commonly listened in a particular category.

2. Trend

   Another of Terapeak’s most popular features, Category Trends, compares the performance of all eBay listings in a category over a period of up to two years. This can be extremely useful when trying to determine seasonality. Trends can be weighed by total sales, average price, sell-through rate, and more.

3. Top Sellers

   This report finds all sellers who have listed goods in a particular category and ranks them according to various performance indicators. This is a great way to determine who your competition is.

4. Top Titles

   This report groups similar listings in a particular category and ranks them according to the criteria of your choice. This is the way to find the best-selling products in a category.

5. Find the Best Time to Sell

   The most extensive of Terapeak’s market data tools, Category Research mines an astonishing two years of closed eBay listings, so you can track seasonality on a year-to-year basis. See the peaks and valleys of thousands of category sales, and use those trends to decide when to list.

With Terapeak Category Research, you’ll always know the best time to sell

Purchase Insurance for Your Packages at The Post Office

     Insurance on your package is a big benefit to you and your customers.  A minimum amount of insurance is included in the price of Priority Mail.  You can purchase additional insurance up to the full value of the item.  The cost is usually no more than $10.00 for a $1,000.00 value and costing you not much more than $1.00 for a $100.00 value.  If a package is lost the Post Office will reimburse the full value.  This process can take 2 months or longer and several pages of paperwork.  The good news is when the Post Office has money on the line, the package is usually found.

Set Buyers Expectations for Christmas Delivery Times

The Post Office and other delivery companies are still up and running at their normal pace.  Between now and Christmas they will gradually and then abruptly slow down.  It is very important for you as an eBay Seller to set your customers expectations accordingly.

It may seem obvious that customers should place their Christmas Presents orders early enough for delivery by Christmas.  Sometimes this is the case and when it is not you can end up with some angry customers opening up eBay and Paypal Disputes.  These disputes tie up your money and can result in additional restrictions placed on your account by both eBay and Paypal.  Not to mention the potential negative feedback you may receive from these customers.

The best thing you can do is be proactive at this time of year. 

1. Place accurate handling times on each listing.  If you are not able to ship the product for 5 days then make sure your handleing time does not say 1 day.

2.  Add the faster shipping options to your listings.  Sending a package by 1st Class Mail should be fine at the beginning of December and way too risky on December 20th.  Make sure to offer Priority Mail or Overnight as an option.  As it gets closer to Christmas you may want to delete the 1st Class Mail and other simularly slow methods all together.

3.  Ship out each order as soon as possible.  Definitely with in 24 hours after December 10th. 

4.  Add the Post Office or UPS Delivery Times Schedule to each of your listings.  These schedules are already up in your local Post Office.

5.  Finally make mention to your customers that you can not guarantee the shipping times the Post Office quotes because extremely bad weather can slow them down even more than expected.  Ask your customers to allow a few extra days for delivery and to place their orders accordingly.

Welcome To The Official Start of the eBay Holiday Season!

Today is Black Friday and Everyone Knows it is Time to Begin the Christmas Shopping Season!   Today the Malls are Packed with Bargain Hunters.  The eBay Stores are also packed with Online Shoppers and this is the busiest time of the year for eBay Sales.

You may want to add a Christmas, Hanukkah or Seasonal Theme to your listings.  Anything that puts potential buyers into the shopping spirit will work.  Adding a Wreath, a Christmas Tree or even using Red and Green Writing will work.  You can also use specialty templates if you want to go all out.

Consider offering some free temptations in your listings, everyone is looking to get a good deal or something for free these days.  You may consider offering free shipping or a free shipping upgrade.  I used to buy unbreakable Christmas Ornaments in Bulk and place one inside each package I mailed.  Free batteries are a nice option for any toys or gifts that need them.  Offering a Free Cookbook along with Cookware is also a nice thought.

You may want to offer to Gift Wrap and/or a Card for each purchase.  You can add this in for free or for a small charge.  Just use your creativity and thoughtfulness.

For More Detailed Information about eBay Selling You can get the Highly Rated 201 Secrets For Unlimited Success in Selling on eBay  at http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Unlimited-Success-Selling-ebook/dp/B00612RGBW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322255511&sr=8-1

Grouping Products Together For Higher Profit and Time Savings

Consider grouping together simular or like items on a listings.  Doing this can accomplish a several good things.  Selling several products in one listing saves time. 

1.  You only need to place one listing instead of 2, 3 or 4. 
2.  Shipping is all sent to one place to save time and money on postage. 
3.  Any customer service that may arise is involving only one customer. 
4.  The combination of all of the items together is more eye catching and attractive to buyers who also want to save time.  Especially if they are looking to purchase a gift.
5.  The actual selling price may be higher with the combination of items than if they were each sold separately.

Some examples of what I am talking about is a Gift Basket.  You could but together high quality bath towels, scented soaps and bath gel.

A game consule, a game, batteries and a book on being a gaming expert.

Selling women's shoes can be combined with a matching evening bag and a perfume sample.

The ideas are really endless.  Feel free to send us some of your suggestions.  Have a great weekend!

Get Ready For Black Friday on eBay

Black Friday isn't just for the Malls and Department Stores anymore.  eBay shoppers are ready to buy from you as well as go out in person.  In fact every year more and more Holiday Shoppers choose to go online rather than stand in line.

This means you should start a lot of 7 day listings beginning tomorrow, Friday November 18th.  Try to start early and scatter your listings throughout the day.  You can start your listings after Friday as long as you shorten the number of days to have your listings end on Friday. 

You may want to consider adding some of the options eBay offers you like a Bold Listing Title or selecting the Gift Wrap Option.  You could also add a Christmas Theme on your listings Template or even just use Red and Green colors for your text.  Make sure you are available to answer your customers questions.  Potential buyers tend to be impatient on this day and may want an answer is just a few minutes.

Make sure you also take advantage of the Holiday Sales for yourself.  With all of the sales and specials around you can get inventory to sell at much less expensive rates.  Black Friday is a day to make sure you get up early.   Maybe even get a start the night before.  Good Luck!

Some Ideas About What To Sell On eBay

An important tip to consider in deciding what products to sell, think about how easily the product is to ship.  The shipping cost raises with weight and dimensions on the package.
Also keep in mind how much time and packing supplies will be required.  So basically ceramic decorations need to be at a high enough value to be worth your time.  Selling Books, C.D.’s and Stuffed Animals are a breeze.

The More The Merrier eBay Sweepstakes

VIRTUAL GIFTS CAN BECOME REAL ONES WITH OUR “THE MORE THE MERRIER SWEEPSTAKES” FOR FACEBOOK

It’s time to get generous, Facebook fans! With our The More The Merrier Sweepstakes, you can send virtual gifts to 10 of your Facebook friends and be entered to win a $100 eBay Gift Card for yourself. Every friend that accepts your virtual gift is entered to win the REAL thing, too! The more people who play within your circle of friends, the greater everyone’s chances of winning. This sweepstakes ends December 16, so start giving today.

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words, On eBay Pictures Are Worth Thousands of Dollars

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words, On eBay Pictures Are Worth Thousands of Dollars!

When potential buyers do a search on eBay they may be given several pages of listings to look at.  This large quantity can be overwhelming for them.  Usually buyers scroll down the pages and quickly look at the pictures and only stop when something catches their eye.  Those are the listings they will look at.

This may seem like an obvious fact but if a listing does not get looked at then the listing will not sell.  Even if it a better quality product, from a more experienced seller and is less expensive than the competition.

Some simple photography strategies will make a big difference.  The main picture submitted should be a close up of the product and fill out most of the picture frame.  Your product will be easier to see and more appealing from the listings pages.  Color photos are a must.  For most listings professional grade photogrraphy is warranted.  That doesn't mean you have to hire someone, just make sure your photos are high quality.

Once a potentail ebay Buyer has clicked on to your listing, showing them a few more pictures is usually a good idea.  Items like Art Work, Clothing, Furniture and Guitars are enhanced with several pictures.  Items like a stapler or a car battery can do fine with only one.

How To Get A Higher Feedback Score on eBay

Whenever possible make your purchases on eBay.  I try to even make small purchases like Hand Lotion or Tape from an eBay Seller.  Each purchase you make can add 1 more positive Feedback Rating to your Score.   These can really add up, especially if you make 10 or more purchases a month.

The Feedback Percentage Score is almost as important as the number.  Getting as close to 100% as possible is the goal.  Focusing of great customer service, accurate and detailed listing descriptions and photos and fast shipping are what makes a Happy eBay Customer.  Do all these and answer your emails quickly.  The positive feedbacks are sure to follow.

By offering free shipping you automatically are given a five star rating in the shiping category.  Leaving positive feedback for customers 1st is a good way to remind them.  You can also send each eBay Customer a follow up email about a week after their purchase is delivered.  Ask them if they are satisfied with their purchase and to please leave positive feedback for you.

How Many Days Should eBay Auctions Last?

When setting up a new eBay Listing you get to choose the Auction Listing Length.  The most common length is for 7 days.   You have the options of 1 Day, 3 Days, 5 Days, 7 Days and 10 Days Listings.  The cost for the 1st 4 Options is the same and .10 additional for a 10 day Listing.
A reason to choose a 10 day listing may be for Items that are Slow Sellers.  The extra days give your listing time to attract Buyer Attention.  If the Listing is more expensive and has a higher listing fee, then this is also a more economical choice.

As the Holidays approach us you may want to choose shorter length listings to meet certain deadlines.  If you are listing Housewares,  Cookware, Thanksgiving Themed Tables Cloths and so on, delivery dates prior to Thanksiving are necessary.  You can still list these items on the Thursday before Thanksgiving and have them delivered in time.  Just choose a 1 day listing or a 3 day listing with express shipping.

This is especially important when counting down the Days until Christmas.  No one wants a Christmas gift that is delivered late or even cutting it too close for comfort such as a December 24th Delivery.  With the Postal System getting busier and busier as Christmas approaches, it is best to allow a few extra cushion days for delivery!  During the Holidays eBay usually offers temporary specials on listing fees for shorter auction times.

A 1, 3 or 5 day listing is also a good option for listings you want to sell fast and usually get buyer attention right after being listed.   Also good for temporarily reduced prices.

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How to Avoid Non Paying eBayer Buyers

It is a great feeling when you make a sale.  Even if you sell 20 or more listings per day on eBay.  It would be an even better feeling if all of your Buyers Paid For The Purchase when they were supposed to.  As soon as a sale is made, eBay sends the buyer an automatic notice that they won the listing and how to pay for it.

After a sale is made I also send the buyer an invoice.  On the invoice I give them the shipping options if any,  thank them for their purchase and let them know that payment id due within 2 business days.  If payment is not received after 2 days I sent them a 2nd invoice.  A third invoice is sent to them 3 days later with a friendly note saying their payment is now overdue and I ask them if they still want this product.

If payment is not received and especially if the buyer has not even responded to you, then you can open up an unpaid case with eBay.  The buyer then has one week to make payment or eBay will give them an unpaid strike on their eBay account.  If a buyer receives enough strikes their eBay account may be closed down.  Many eBay sellers mark their buyer acceptance options to not allow anyone who has more than 2 unpaid strikes within the past six months.  This is protection for the seller and another incentive for the buyer to pay.

eBay allow you to open up unpaid cases individually.  An easier method is to opt in for the unpaid assistant option.  eBay will automatically take care of the process for you.  Once you have choosen to have the unpaid assistant work on your behalf, you can also add buyers who do not pay to your Block Buyers List.  This prevents the same buyer from causing you this same problem again.  You can add anyone to your Block Buyers List you want, including very difficult buyers and people who have left you negative feedback.

As an ebay Seller you have a few options here.  If a buyer sends you an email asking you to cancel the purchase, you may choose to honor their request and check that both the buyer and seller mutually agreed to cancel the purchase.  The buyer does not get an unpaid strike and you still receive your listing fee credit back.  You can do this whenever you feel it is warranted.  However, if you really want the buyer to go through with the sale, then you will probably choose the unpaid case route.

Product Videos on your eBay Listings and eBay About ME Page

We now find ourselves in the age of Videos.  eBay allows you to add Videos to your listings now.  Imagine how much more impressive a Video of someone playing a Guitar you are selling is that just looking at a few photos. 

Adding Video Links to your eBay Listings  is fine according to eBay Policy.  Having Videos on your ebay listings helps to sell that particular product.  But it also does a lot more.  You will be thought of as a "Real" Business, Professional, Tech Saavy and Detail Oriented.  These things add up to potential buyers trusting you and choosing to come back to your listings again and again.

Making Videos may be a lot less expensive than you think.  Decent Video Equipment can be purchased for less than $500.00.  You can also hire someone or ask a friend that already owns this. 

Selling Internationally on eBay

On the eBay listing template you can select if you will sell and ship to people in other Countries.  Most eBay Sellers in the U.S. choose not to.  This means you will have a lot less competition on eBay International Sites.

eBays Shipping Calculator makes charging the right shipping cost easy.  Select calculate shipping cost by location. Then put in the weight and package dimensions.  You can add a small handleing charge per transaction.  This helps to compensate you for the extra 5 to 10 minutes you will spend on an International Sale. 

When someone looks at your listing, the shipping charge for their location will automatically show on the listing.  After the listing sells, the correct shipping charge is Auto Populated into the Invoice.  Now that is almost as easy as it gets.

For more detailed information on International eBay Selling go to http://www.barbrascommunicationconsulting.com/

Save Money On Shipping Costs

It is less expensive to print mailing labels and postage online.  You can do this right from eBay and then the tracking number is automatically put on the listing.  Then an automatic email with this information is sent to the customer.  It is also much easier for you to keep track of shipping information this way.

Offering a Return Policy on Your eBay Listings

eBay is so well known and most buyers have a certain comfort level with making eBay purchases.  When placing a listing bid with an unknown seller they look at several different factors.  Today we will discuss The Return Policy.

Towards the end of the page where you are setting up each listing , is the return policy section.  eBay now makes it mandatory to fill in this section.  Your policy shows up rather predominantly on each of your listings.

You can opt for accepting No Returns.  This may be the best for you when selling something like Bathing Suits, which can not be resold after someone else wears it.  Or an expensive product that may be used for a special occasion, like an expensive TV that is returned right after the Super Bowl!

Generally more and more listings accept some form of returns.  This gives buyers a sense of security.  You may specify how long the buyer has to return this item, if you give a cash refund or just an exchange or replacement.  You also need to specify if the buyer pays for the return shipping charges.  Some discretion is necessary in the case that a genuinely defective or incorrect product was sent out.

A buyer always has the option of opening up a case with eBay or Paypal.  More often than not both eBay and Paypal will take the side of the buyer.  Safeguards are set up to protect you from buyers who are just trying to take advantage of you.  eBay will always suggest a buyer try to work out a solution directly with the seller first.

Gift Cards are Big Sellers on eBay

As of 2 minutes ago, there are almost 12,000 listings for Gift Cards on eBay.  Even though that number may be small compared to other types of listings, it is significant.  What is most impressive about this category is that almost all of them sell.

What many people do not realize is that more than half of Gift Cards sell for MORE than the listed value!   You would think someone buying a $50.00 Gift Card would most likely go directly to that Store or vender.  People would place bids on eBay only if they could get a D E A L.  The reality is that many of the popular Gift Cards like those to Department Stores, Online Sites, Restaurants and Grocery Stores sell for 5, 10 or 15% higher than the Cards value.

A good place to start is by selling any unused and unwanted Gift Cards you and your Family have laying around the house.  Then you can look for places on the Internet where you can buy other peoples Gift Cards at a discount.  Often Silent Auctions have bidding on Gift Cards and Certificates that go for much less than the actual value.   These can be one more easy source of profit for you to make on eBay.

BIN Listings

People usually think of eBay as an auction website.  Auctions certainly are a large portion of the site.  Buy It Now BIN listings are also very popular.  There are different reasons both buyers and sellers enjoy both.

eBay auctions are really good to test out the market and get as much money as possible for a listing.  A unique item is a good choice for this.  Auctions are also common for starting out with a low listing price to attract activity.  Just make sure you are willing to sell at the beginning listing price. Many buyers are on the lookout for potential steals.

BIN listings are great for when you want to make a sale now.  Also good for products where you have already tested the market for price and demand.

You may have a lot of a particular product and not have to wait until individual listings end.  If you already know your profit margins then this is a good way to go.

1 More Way To Increase Your SEO

eBay recently added a new Designated Field to each listing.  You can now enter the products UPC or ISBN number.  These numbers will show in eBay Searches as well as Google and Yahoo.  Anything that brings more potential buyers to your listing for Free is a good thing to do!