How to Sell on eBay

Start selling on eBay

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Let's take a look at the eBay site a bit. To find the eBay site, simply use your favorite search engine and enter the keyword eBay. The eBay site is designed to be accessible to users in all countries around the world, so make sure you are visiting your country's eBay site. For those living in the US, the website address is www.ebay.com.

Explore eBay's seller information page. These pages introduce eBay's entire selling policy.

Test out eBay's special search features, and peruse some of the sales listings. Understanding how eBay search functions work will help you create product listings properly.

Try changing the search results by changing the options in the "Sort" section.

Pay attention to sales items that appear first in search results and those that appear to be receiving a lot of bidding.

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You should choose a good name for your account. eBay can provide a name for your account, but if you can think of something catchy, your chances of making a sale increase. Avoid names that are offensive or detract from the value of the goods you want to sell. eBay User Account Name Policy:

eBay user account names must be at least two characters and must not contain symbols such as apostrophes, ampersands (&), apostrophes, brackets, or less than/greater than signs, nor spaces. blank or consecutive underscores. eBay user account names also cannot begin with a dash, period, or underscore.

eBay does not allow website names or email addresses as Usernames, nor does it allow names containing the word "eBay" or names with the letter "e" after several numbers. This regulation helps prevent users from pretending to be eBay employees, or redirecting users to less reputable sites through eBay.

Do not use a registered trademark (e.g. a trademark) unless you are its owner.

Names like "iselljunk" or "chickmagnet69" sound unprofessional and can turn off buyers. Names that are hateful or obscene may be blocked by eBay.

Since there are already a lot of users on eBay, take a moment to check to see if the name you want is already taken and find an alternative name if your preferred name is already taken.

You can change your Username; However, you can only change it once every 30 days, and if you change it frequently, you will likely lose old customers.

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Create an eBay account. Visit the eBay home page and find the "Sign in" link near the top of the page. Enter your name and a valid email address and choose a password (must be between 6 and 64 characters and contain at least one letter or one symbol). You will be asked to choose an account name after you fill in the above information.

eBay will send an email to the address you provided. Follow the instructions in the email to confirm your account.

If you are an existing business owner, you can register for a business account. On the registration page, click the "Start a Business Account" link at the top of the page. You will immediately be asked to enter your business name and some other contact information.

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Set up payment methods. eBay offers several payment methods for transactions, but the most popular by far is PayPal. Create your PayPal account using the links at the eBay website, or visit www.paypal.com.

A good strategy is to start using PayPal, then add payment methods as you become familiar with the sales process, or if your buyers request a different payment method.

You will need to fill in your bank account information, so you need to prepare this information in advance.

eBay also accepts payment by ProPay, Skrill, credit/debit cards through the seller's Internet business account, cash on delivery and PayPal Credit.

You may want to research some other methods, and choose the one that works for you. Check eBay's accepted payment policies to see what you're allowed to do.

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Build your reputation by buying some low-value items. One important way that eBay remains a safe place to buy and sell is that it encourages buyers and sellers to leave reviews for each other. Buyers will look at the reviews that sellers have, and buying a few small items is the fastest way to add positive reviews to your listing.

Try buying small items you need or will need, and pay immediately to get good reviews from the seller. Don't bother buying a few items, you can always resell them. The main thing here is that you need to establish yourself as a trustworthy member of the eBay community.

When potential customers see a new seller without reviews, they may think you are an untrustworthy seller, and they may be hesitant to buy from you.

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Set up your personal profile page. It's not necessary to create a detailed profile if you only sell small items, but a profile with a photo and some information can help reassure buyers that you're a serious seller.

To sell more expensive items, adding personal information becomes even more important, especially if you are a new seller.

People will read this information to learn more about you, so this is a good place to demonstrate your credentials, such as being a collector, a retailer, someone knowledgeable about these items. certain items, etc.

Choose what to sell

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You should sell things that you have knowledge about. eBay was originally created to serve hobbyists and collectors, and is still a great place to show off the items you have. If you're good at finding bargains or rare items in a certain category, you should consider focusing on items you know well.

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Know what you cannot sell. Obviously, illegal or toxic items such as human parts, drugs, live animals, and illegal services are not allowed. There are items you can sell that are limited, for example items sold in the 'adults only' category. Check eBay's policy on prohibited and restricted items to avoid having your account suspended or even permanently banned.

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Minimize risk by selling what you already have, or starting small. If you're not sure what to sell, taking stock without testing it first is very risky. Try listing a few small items for sale to see which items sell and find out the delivery issues involved.

You can start by selling items in your home that you no longer use, or try buying a few items that you can return or keep.

Testing before bringing too much goods into the warehouse plays an important role. You may not be able to sell the product at a profitable price, or you may end up with more inventory that is difficult to sell.

If you have inventory from your collection or from your current business, you're ready to start selling! Selling a few initial items can help you figure out the best direction for your eBay business.

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Consider how to source products. Usually, the source of goods will determine what products you sell. Sourcing items to sell on eBay takes time and effort, so it's important to determine a method for finding a supplier that you prefer and feel comfortable with.

eBay itself is also an ideal place to find goods at good prices. Some people look for items that are underpriced, poorly displayed, or have misspelled titles.

If you like thrift stores or second-hand markets, these are also great places to start. Remember that you usually won't be able to return your purchases, so there may be items you can't sell.

Discount stores, warehouses, and off-price stores are places where you can find good prices, and often have return policies. You can take advantage of this policy if the goods you buy cannot be sold.

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Consider the time you will spend listing an item for sale. Remember, you must take photos, write descriptions, and choose shipping methods for each item. This job takes time, so it's more effective to sell similar items, and items that are easy to photograph and describe.

Try to find products in bulk, or products with similar characteristics. This way you can create your own listing, or you can even just create one listing for multiple items.

Look for items that are easy to describe and photograph. Popular items often don't need much description because people already know exactly what the item is when they see it.

Look for items that you can easily ship in the same method, this way you can pack quickly and get a discount when buying packing materials in bulk.

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Consider delivery and storage issues. It may be difficult for you to make a profit on heavy or bulky items because shipping costs can be expensive and they take up a lot of space.

Buyers look at the total cost of an item, including shipping costs, so shipping costs should always be considered when considering whether or not an item is priced right.

The issue of space also plays an important role. Selling from home can reduce costs, but if your goods start taking up space, your life won't be the same. Do you have enough space for all the products and a place to pack and store ordered items?

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Think about how quickly you can sell, and how long you're willing to keep inventory. It is important to note that a trend can pass very quickly, and your product will become out of fashion. With other items, you may have to wait longer until a collector or interested buyer shows up.

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Need to know which items are popular. Obviously, the more popular an item is, the more people will search and bid. This requires a certain knack, and often successful sellers will intuitively know which products sell. However, eBay also has a few tools that show which products are popular.

Check out the 'hot' items page - items that are popular on eBay. The items listed here are usually designer clothes, electronics, gold jewelry, fashion accessories and soccer t-shirts.

View all for sale listings. This tells you how much of a particular item was sold, when it was sold, and at what price it was sold. If you have the eBay app installed on your mobile device, it can be especially useful if you're at a store or second-hand market and you're not sure if there's anything you need to buy.

Type keywords into the eBay search box, then check the "Sold listings" or "Completed listings" box in the "Show only" section of the side menu. left page.

For mobile applications, enter keywords to search, then click "Filter - Refine". Select "Master list" or "Sold items only" under "Search refinement options".

You can use products developed specifically for seller research, but you will have to pay a fee. Popsike.com is a free version for music sellers.

It should be noted that when a product becomes popular, there will be many sellers who are very similar. Selling a saturated category can be difficult because it's easy for customers to get lost in the sea of ​​search results, and prices have become so cheap that making a profit from retail sales is almost impossible.

Create best-selling books

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Research the market. Research on eBay for products similar to what you want to sell, and read product categories, especially entire categories that sell for good prices, or current product categories that are attracting a lot of interested customers. heart.

Take note of information and images you find useful to you as a potential buyer – this type of information will also help your potential customers.

Think about what characteristics a trustworthy seller has and how you can convey a sense of that trustworthiness through your sales pitch and profile.

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Log in and access the "Sell" section in "My eBay" or via the Main Page at the top of the page.

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Enter a title for your listing. The title is the facade that helps your offering be noticed. A catchy title not only provides enough information to potential customers, helping them decide if what you have for sale is of interest, but it also attracts people who are looking for what you have for sale.

Use all relevant words and spell them correctly. A title that does not provide enough information will only attract a low number of potential customers and/or bidders; As a result, such an item will not sell, or you will have to reduce the price a lot to sell it.

Use appropriate words. Don't use exaggerated words like "great" or "excellent". You don't have a lot of space, so you should use words that people are searching for (no one goes on eBay to look for stuff and uses words like "LOOK!" or "AWESOME!!! !").

Use alternative words or phrases if you have space. For example, if you sell iPods, use "MP3 Players" in your title. However, eBay's search engine will automatically search for alternative terms; and sometimes also use the product group name to search in addition to using the offer title. Try searching for the offer title using some specific words and refer to the results.

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Take beautiful photos of the item. Clear illustrations of the item for sale can make for a good sales ad; On the contrary, bad images can upset customers. Find a cheap digital camera or camera phone if you don't already have one. You are required to post at least one photo of the item you want to sell, and having more photos will definitely make buyers trust you more. You can include up to 12 photos for each item listed for sale.

Make good use of lighting. If possible, turn off the flash and use natural light. You can take photos outdoors, or take photos next to the window.

Rotate or crop unnecessary portions of the image to make it look better, and use eBay's image editing software or tools to make it look more appealing.

Take as many pictures as possible according to the customer's needs, and then choose a few. Take pictures of the item from all angles that you think customers will find useful.

Capture unusual features, defects, and other product problems. Because it increases buyer confidence, it's almost always worth doing this (except on the lowest value items). Of course, there are some items that just need a photo; Please evaluate yourself.

Don't use distracting or blurry backgrounds, and remove all surrounding clutter. For a clean, neutral backdrop for small items, all you need is a simple sheet of white paper.

Never copy images from other items listed for sale or from any source on the internet. In addition to being dishonest and fraudulent, this practice also violates copyright; Almost anything on the internet or from anywhere is copyrighted, whether it carries a copyright notice or not.

Check out our free guide to great product photography for more ideas on creating great photos to sell on eBay.

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Please write a description for your item. Provide all and any relevant information. It includes information about the manufacturer, compatibility level (for items used with other items), size, weight, color, condition, etc.

You should be careful about providing too much information. Buyers may skim over information they don't need to know, but are likely to hit the "skip" button if they don't find the information they want. Additional information can also help search engines find your listing.

Place the most important information near the top or at the for sale section.

It's important to keep the design simple, if you feel the need to design a for sale item. Some sellers clutter their listings with extraneous details, making it harder to follow. Let your images and words speak for themselves.

Choose medium-sized, easy-to-read fonts for your listing and don't overdo animations, contrasting colors or distracting details. You need to remember that some customers have poor eyesight and prefer large text. The font size in "large print books" is an example for your reference.

Please clearly describe any damage to the item. Buyers will see this damage anyway, so let them decide for themselves what is a major issue and what isn't. Clearly describing an item's flaws will give buyers confidence and make them more likely to want to buy from you.

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Choose how to sell. You can choose whatever format is convenient for you and best suited to your item

Online Auction. An auction lasts from 1 to 10 days, and can sometimes help you get a higher price, because it encourages buyers to compete with each other, and enjoy the thrill of getting the right price. treat.

This is great when you have an item that people are looking for and are willing to compete for, such as a rare item that recalls a memorable sporting event.

Auctions are also useful when you're not sure what price to sell at, and they can help you determine the price of similar items later.

Buy It Now items are items with a fixed selling price. It allows buyers to place orders and request immediate shipping, instead of having to wait for the auction to end.

This method is suitable for items that customers buy frequently or unintentionally, or for items where supply has exceeded demand, and when you want to sell at a competitive price.

Items that people need immediately often do not attract high bids when sold at auction.

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Set the selling price based on the purchase price, time, eBay fees, and shipping costs you have to pay for the item. Remember, once someone has purchased an item from you or the auction has ended, an agreement to sell has been created, and it will be difficult to let go unless both parties agree to cancel the agreement. See more details about pricing items sold on eBay.

You can change the price at any time if you're selling at a fixed price, or before the first bidder if you're selling at auction.

A low starting price will attract more bidders and interest in your item, and it may sell for a higher price, but if the item does not attract the required level of interest necessary or not eye-catching enough, you may end up selling at a very low price.

There is an option that allows you to choose a "reserve" price for an item when you set a low starting bid, but eBay does charge for this option and some buyers find this practice annoying.

Don't charge too much for shipping and handling. Sometimes increasing your shipping fee can help you lower your asking price, and incorporate handling and delivery costs, but most buyers will shy away from items with clearly high shipping costs.

Keep an eye on the invoices eBay sends you and pay them on time. You will be charged commissions and other fees from the time you post a sale and you will need to pay regularly and in full to be able to continue listing your sale. Fees may surprise you at first, but consider them part of the cost of doing business and you'll quickly remember that these fees need to be separate from your product costs and your time costs.

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Choose when the auction starts and ends. Auctions end 1, 3, 5, 7 or 10 days after they start. The end time and length of the auction can make a difference in the price the item sells for. By setting your auction's end time during peak buying hours, you can often sell at a high price.

Auctions that end on weekends tend to receive higher foot traffic, thus increasing your chances of getting a good price for your item.

Many items are also seasonal, so some times of the year you can sell them for a higher price than others. For example, beachwear will sell better in the summer while snowboards will sell better in the winter.

You can check out eBay's promotional plans for certain categories [pages.ebay.com/sell/resources.html here]. Review and plan your sales when these categories are highlighted.

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Use friendly words . Many sellers seem to want to intimidate potential customers; They seem to think it's necessary to create several pages of warnings (with large fonts and coloring) to report people who bid but don't pay, and other problems. Don't do that! You wouldn't want to buy from a store that looks like a real-life store, with a store owner always watching your every step, or you also wouldn't want to shop at a store with sales staff complaining. about other customers. On the internet it is no different; Treating customers as if they are going to steal something or do something wrong is a form of customer abuse; Please eliminate these practices that show lack of goodwill.

If you need to add information to your sales policy section, make sure it's shorter than the product description.

Please provide a return policy. Not only does this policy help you qualify for discounts on eBay, but it also increases the likelihood that buyers will purchase from you. In reality, very few people return their purchases, so you have the potential to profit more from making buyers feel secure than from losing money on returns.

Answer buyers' questions while the auction is live. Respond promptly, and always be patient, clear, professional and friendly. Buyers don't like to see unanswered questions and it affects your level of professionalism, so don't hesitate to respond.

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Double check everything before saving. Make sure when you've finished everything at the last minute (when you're on the "overview") check back and click the "Submit" button. If you do not press the submit button, the content you enter will not be saved. You will receive an e-mail confirming your product has been listed on eBay.

Need to check spelling. In other words, the typos don't make the post look bad, but it's still bad somehow. Capitalizing and using punctuation in the right places makes your post much easier to read.

Please correct errors if any. You can continue to edit errors in the auction you post until the first bid is placed, after which changes are no longer possible!

exchange completed

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Stay tuned for the auction. You'll know if it's engaging or not by watching how engagement numbers change, and if only a few people are watching, you may need to tweak the content to make it look more engaging. Learn by observing what works, what doesn't, and making changes where necessary.]

Cancel the auction if necessary. You can cancel an auction 12 hours before it expires. However, this option should be used sparingly, as followers may already be excited about bidding and will be disappointed to see frequent auction cancellations. Only cancel the auction when special situations occur such as the item being damaged, lost or stolen. Once you've listed an item for sale, keep it in a safe place.

Please reduce the guaranteed price. Before the last 12 hours of an auction, you can lower your guaranteed price further if you feel that there is a possibility that no bids will be received.

Need to follow the buyer. You can block certain shoppers for certain reasons, for example if the buyer doesn't pay with PayPal, if the buyer is from a country where you can't ship, and if the buyer has low ratings or reviews Good. You can also set up an Approved Buyers list to automatically allow certain buyers to bid.

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Be prepared when an item goes on sale. When you receive notification that an item has been sold, send an invoice to the buyer immediately if you don't receive payment within a few hours.

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Please leave a comment. Leaving a review once the buyer has done their part shows courtesy and is good business practice. Doing a review on delivery day is good for both of you, and if you've done everything right, there's no risk in leaving a review now.

It's okay to politely ask the buyer to leave a review if you have the time and desire to do so. It should only be offered once; don't bother them.

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Pack goods neatly and safely. If the goods are fragile, improper packaging can cause the goods to break and make customers unhappy! On the contrary, careful packaging increases the good impression customers have of you. Factor in shipping costs (boxes, pads, etc.) to set a reasonable selling price or add these costs to shipping and handling fees.

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If you are unhappy with a buyer or seller, contact that person to politely discuss the issue at a reasonable time. Negative comments are the last option if the problem cannot be resolved.

Always try to negotiate first because negative comments are difficult to retract or leave if you make a mistake. Remember that you will never know if the buyer will get into a car accident or be injured and have to go to the hospital instead of paying you, things like this can happen in life.

Be careful when posting comments. You can be sued if you make dishonest statements on a review page, so remember that you are responsible for your own judgments. Make the review honest and professional, and above all, don't make childish or angry comments.

Negative reviews will make buyers doubt you and make sellers think twice about selling to you. Continue to monitor negative reviews based on accurate facts. Don't just judge for the sake of it.

It is necessary to keep the evaluation system honest by only giving honest comments and avoiding "trading" positive comments. Sellers should leave a positive review if the buyer pays promptly. Buyers should leave a positive review if the item they purchased was delivered within a reasonable time and as advertised. Sellers who only wait for buyers to leave positive reviews are essentially exchanging reviews. This action causes the ranking results to become misleading.

Advertise items for sale

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If you sell original works of art or handmade goods of any kind, join eBay groups devoted to your product type. The collectors who join these groups are often artists/artisans and many of them are also buyers. Some people with hobbies can sell their items to have money to buy other items. Read the exchanges, be tactful and friendly, don't get into heated arguments, and compliment things you like. This is a great way to make friends and get involved in this thriving community.

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Use the power of social media to promote your goods. For example, write a blog post about the products you're selling, especially if you're an artist or artisan. Please share the article on Facebook and Twitter.

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Include delivery fees in the total selling price or lowest auction price. Buyers who see cheap products or free shipping may be more likely to buy. If you sell cheap or offer free shipping, make it clear so they know.

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Selling cheap items will help increase your reviews. Your reviews are a highly considered component of your eBay buying and selling transactions. Buyers comparing two sellers of the same or nearly identical product will often choose the seller with the higher review rating. Therefore, increasing your review ratings is extremely important.

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Consider whether you want to become a Power Seller on eBay. You cannot request to be recognized as a Talented Seller, but you are likely to be recognized by eBay if:

You reach a minimum sales volume each month, consistently (see eBay's latest requirements as they may change over time and according to your location).

You maintain minimum sales for at least three consecutive months.

You get good reviews.

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Follow the eBay Sellers Unite blog until you receive this title. The blog's address is: powersellersblog.com. This site offers some great sales tips.

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Consider opening a store on eBay. This type can be attractive if you want people to search through your dedicated search engine link, if you want to group items together in your own custom categories, and if you want to build Create engaging profile content to attract repeat buyers and others.

There are some benefits to this like posting lower, more permanent "fixed price" sales, but these items only show up in your store, not in regular auction listings. .

Additionally, there are monthly fees for owning a store that you need to take into account when making sales. For new sellers, you should look at other stores first and then decide if you need your own store after testing it out.

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End.

Marvin Fry

Update 24 October 2023