Selling on eBay: Digital commerce is going digital-er this Christmas. With more shopping taking place on mobile devices and the rise of chatbots, eCommerce experiences are changing. So what does that mean for you?
If you’re selling on eBay, that means getting your products listed there in time for Santa to deliver it in time for customers who are most likely to shop from their phones.
With over 220 million registered users and 400 million monthly visitors, eBay is one of the largest marketplaces online, meaning it’s a great place to sell your products this holiday season.
After all, with so many people looking to spend less money this year and get more bang for their buck; they’re willing to buy used or refurbished goods if they’re cheaper than new ones.
Did you know that the peak selling season for most retailers is from November to January? It’s no wonder why online marketplaces like eBay are humming with activity during this time of year.
Whether you have your own store, a website, or sell on another platform such as Etsy, there is a growing opportunity to sell your products to eager customers during the holidays. Selling on eBay is a great way to reach a new audience while also taking advantage of their peak selling season.
However, if you’re new to selling on eBay and other similar marketplaces, you might be nervous about getting started. Don’t let that stop you! Here are eighteen tips to help you succeed at selling on eBay this Christmas.
1. Know your audience and sell to them
When you’re selling on eBay, it’s important to understand your audience. What do they want to buy? What are their needs and desires? What kind of products are they interested in? One way to learn more about your audience is to conduct some research.
For example, you could look at similar products that are already selling well on eBay to figure out what’s successful. You can then use this information to develop an idea of what your audience might want.
If you’re selling for a charity, you’ll want to focus on selling the benefits of your products. For example, if you’re selling wrapping paper, you should focus on the idea that it’s Christmas themed, and will make great gifts that people can enjoy using throughout the holiday season.
2. Set up your store beforehand
One of the best ways to set yourself up for success is to set up your store beforehand. Some people try to go live on eBay or another platform right away and sell what they have in their garage or closet.
While it’s possible to make a quick sale or two, it’s likely that you’ll get lost in the shuffle. Also, it’s not a very professional way to start selling on these marketplaces. When you set up your store, you can take your time to curate your product selection and really make your store shine.
You can create a theme or mood for your store, upload photos of your products, and even write descriptions of your products that will help you sell more.
3. Select the right categories for your products
After you’ve selected the products you want to sell, you’ll need to determine which categories they belong in. This will help you to get found by potential customers and drive traffic to your store. You’ll want to pay attention to which categories are the most popular and have the most traffic.
That way, you’ll have a better chance of your products being noticed. Some categories might be better than others for your products, depending on what they are. If your products are seasonal, you might want to consider selling them in the gift categories. This will help shoppers find you and make it easy for them to purchase your products.
4. Use high-quality product photos
One of the most important aspects of marketing your products on eBay is presenting them in the best way possible. Many people will visit your store and/or product pages to decide if they want to buy your products or not.
If your photos aren’t up to par, they might not buy from you, no matter how great your products or prices are. To make sure your photos are up to par, make sure you have excellent lighting and a clean background.
If you don’t have a studio or fancy equipment, you can always use your natural lighting or a nearby window. If you need to, you can also use editing software like Photoshop or other programs to spruce up your photos.
5. Write a catchy item title and description
Your product title and description are extremely important when it comes to selling on eBay. This is because many people will search for the items that they want to buy with keywords in the title and description fields.
If someone types in “Christmas wrapping paper” in the search bar, it will show how many people are looking for wrapping paper during the holidays. However, if someone types in “red Christmas wrapping paper” or “red wrapping paper for Christmas”, it’s unclear if they’re looking for wrapping paper or something else entirely.
This is where you come in. Your job is to use keywords like “Christmas”, “red”, and “wrapping paper” in your title and description so that people can find your products when they type in the keywords they’re looking for. Your product title and description should also be clear, detailed, and intriguing enough so that people click on your listing.
6. Don’t skimp on shipping and fulfillment
While it might be tempting to cut corners, don’t skim on shipping and fulfillment. Customers will notice if you don’t package your products properly or if they arrive damaged or broken. You also don’t want to offer slow shipping times (if you do offer shipping at all). This will hurt your business and sales, and even lead to negative reviews.
For shipping, you can use eBay’s shipping calculator to determine how much you’ll need to charge for your shipping. While this won’t cover all potential costs, it’s a good place to start.
You can also reach out to a shipping company like Endicia to help you with your shipping needs. Be sure to mark your items as “gifts” or “fragile” so that they don’t get inspected at the post office. This will save you time, money, and headaches.
7. Research your audience
It’s important to research your audience before you start marketing to them. You can do this by looking at who is currently shopping on eBay, who they are, and what they like to buy. Some ways to do this include:
- Looking at the most popular products on eBay
- Reading product reviews to see what people like and dislike about certain products
- Finding out what your competitors are doing
- Surveying your friends and family to see what they want to buy
- By researching your audience, you’ll be better able to create products and marketing campaigns that will appeal to them. You can even use this information to create a target audience persona to help you stay focused.
8. Decide on your selling strategies
There are many selling strategies you can use to help boost your sales on eBay. Here are a few strategies you can use to help boost your sales:
- Offer free shipping
- Host a sale
- Offer free gift wrapping
- Offer a bundle of related products together
- Offer a gift with purchase
- Offer a special deal at a certain time of year
- Offer a certain number of products for a certain price
- Create an online deal or sale on social media
- You can also offer other incentives such as a coupon code, a shout-out on social media, or even a free product or service. You might also want to host a contest or giveaway with a special prize.
9. Write your ad copy
Once you’ve selected your products, chosen your categories, and edited your photos, you’ll need to write your ad copy. Your ad copy is what will entice people to click on your ad and buy from your store.
Your ad copy should be clear, short, and direct with a focus on what your customers will receive when they buy from you. You can also use your ad copy to create a sense of urgency by telling customers that they need to buy your products now or they might be gone soon.
10. Decide on your shipping strategy
Once you’ve chosen your products and written your ad copy, you’ll need to decide on your shipping strategy. There are many strategies you can use, but the most important thing is that you stick to what you say. When you promise three-day shipping or next-day shipping, don’t break the promise!
It’s easy to fall behind on shipping, but if you do, it will reflect poorly on your business. If you don’t have the resources to handle a high volume of shipping, you can always hire a shipping company to help you out.
11. Make sure your product photos are top-notch
Product photos are the first thing that customers will see when they visit your listing. They’ll also be the main factor in determining whether or not your product will sell during this busy season. If your photos are blurry, low-quality, or don’t show off your products in the best light, you could lose a great deal of sales.
For many products, you’ll want to hire a professional photographer to create high-quality images that stand out. However, if your products are small and can be photographed in your home, you might be able to get away with taking your own photos.
For example, if you make jewelry, you can set up a simple photo shoot in your kitchen or dining room. Be sure to play with different angles, get close-ups of major details, and avoid backgrounds that are overly distracting.
12. Don’t forget about shipping and handling
Most online shoppers will happily pay a little bit more for a product if it means that they don’t have to wait for it. Offering shipping and handling (S&H) is another great way to bring in more sales during the holidays.
For example, let’s say that you sell Christmas ornaments. You might offer free shipping to all customers within the United States. This will help you stand out from other sellers, while also taking some of the financial pressure off of you.
Or, you can offer free S&H with a purchase of a certain amount. For example, you might offer free S&H with a purchase of $50 or more. This can help to increase your average order value, which will help you to make more sales overall.
13. Utilize eBay’s built-in marketing tools
eBay provides several easy-to-use tools that can help you to increase your visibility during the holiday season. By leveraging these tools, you’ll be able to reach new customers who might not have otherwise heard about your products.
You can use the Promoted Items tool to promote your top-selling items. If you’re not sure what your top sellers are, you can use the Best Sellers tool to find out. You can even promote your entire inventory if you want to be extra visible to customers.
For example, you might want to promote one of your most popular Christmas ornaments. By promoting your best-selling items, you can ensure that they get in front of as many customers as possible. This can help to increase your conversion rates and overall sales.
14. Create a great ad and listing title
Your ad and listing title are the two most important parts of your listing. This is where you have the opportunity to really stand out from the crowd. Let’s say that you sell fun Christmas socks for kids. Your ad and listing title might look something like this: “12-Pair Pack of Christmas Socks for Kids – Red, Green, & White”.
For the ad, you want to keep it short and sweet. Include your main product details, a price, and a link to your listing. For the listing title, you might include the item name and any other relevant keywords.
By keeping your title short and sweet like the ad, you’ll have a better chance of showing up in relevant searches. This can help to increase your visibility and drive more sales.
15. Don’t forget the nuances of selling on eBay
eBay is a massive marketplace with a lot of rules and nuances that aren’t always obvious to new sellers. If you want to be successful, you’ll want to make sure that you’re following the rules and best practices for selling on the marketplace.
By complying with the rules, you’ll also have an easier time getting your products approved. This can help to remove some of the stress and pressure that comes with selling on eBay.
Once your items are approved, make sure that you’re optimizing your listings for maximum visibility and sales. Always include a clear title and description, along with high-quality photos.
16. Set a realistic budget and determine your ROI
eBay can be a great place to make money. However, if you’re hoping to make a lot of money quickly, you may want to set your expectations a little bit lower. By selling a variety of products during the holidays, you can increase your chances of earning a healthy profit. However, you’ll want to set a realistic budget for the season.
Depending on the products that you sell, you might need to spend a little bit of money on supplies. You might also have some other expenses from hosting online sales events and promoting your products.
17. Don’t forget about Amazon and Google Shopping
Amazon and Google Shopping are two other great places to sell during the holidays. These platforms have millions of customers who are ready to buy during the holiday season. If you’re already selling on eBay, you might be wondering where you’ll have time to sell on other platforms as well.
Thankfully, you can use a multi-channel fulfillment service to help you to sell on multiple marketplaces. By selling on Amazon and Google Shopping, you’ll reach a whole new set of customers.
You’ll also be able to take advantage of their advanced selling features. For example, you can use Amazon’s FBA program to ship your products directly to Amazon’s warehouses. Once they’re in Amazon’s system, they’ll be listed and sold for you.
18. Create top-notch listings with great photos
eBay is a marketplace, which means that you’ll be competing against other sellers for your products. If you want to stand out from the crowd, you’ll need to create listings that are better than the others.
Creating great listings will help you to drive more sales and earn more profits during the holidays. It will also help you to stand out from the crowd, which will help you to attract more customers and increase your sales.
By following these seven tips, you’ll be well on your way to success on eBay. This is the perfect opportunity to reach a new audience and make the most of the holiday season. By creating great listings and promoting your products, you can ensure that your business is booming during this busy time of year.
