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!