My earnings have been a little slow as of late and i have been thinking about becoming an eBay seller. And I was wondering if there were any ebay sellers on here who have any tips on how to get the best feedback ratings and on how to garner sales - how to handle adversity and such things? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I've just recently opened an eBay store so I haven't yet to determine which will really work best for me at this time. I just know that you can list as many items as you want and you can also have extra features added to your item lists for a minimal fee. I haven't utilized the extra features yet as I'm only beginning but I think they can help a lot when it comes to your products being included at the top of the list. You also need to provide a good title for your items so that they will easily show up in searches. At least that's all I know for now.
I'm debating whether to sell again on Ebay. My tips as a previous Ebay seller would be the following: Take good clear photos of your items Describe every thing, I mean every thing. Customers don't like unexpected surprises when it comes to the quality of an item. Think of yourself as your customer and what you would expect. Answer inquiries as quickly as possible. This could make a sell or lose one. Pack the item as professional as possible and ship item as soon as possible. When listing always take into account delays that may occur like holidays and Sundays when mail services aren't in operation. I always included tracking on all of my items. Verified addresses is also important when selling. It varies on how to handle adversity because they are never the same. There were two or three times that I had to deal with customers because of a concern - you just have to be prepared. Just because a customer's payment cleared without a problem one shouldn't assume that a good rating is appropriate. I always waited until after the customer gave their rating first. Sometimes you may not get a rating at all but as long as there are no complaints I would give a rating after 30 days or when prompted. I hope these tips help.
Wow. Thank you so much for making such an informative post There are a lot of great tips. The bit about customers not liking unexpected surprises, I guess I should put myself in the customers shoes if I want to be a good seller on Ebay. I never would hav thought about holidays and all of that, and the effect that they could have on my ebay shop.
I sell on eBay all the time, but I do not have a store. One way to get your ratings up would be to buy some small items that are inexpensive and this will give you some ratings. I know personally I do not buy from someone who does not have very many ratings. Selling items is easy as long as you have good pictures. You can list up to 12 free photos now instead of 1 and I would recommend you posting all sides of the item depending on what it is. Be specific with the description such as measurements, color, design, or anything else that relates to your item. Be reasonable with your shipping charges. I use the shipping calculator a lot to see which method is cheaper for the customer. Start your auctions low to entice buyers. I usually start most of mine at $0.99 depending on what it is. A lot of times eBay will have suggestions of what to price your item. Make sure that you specify in your description about your shipping and what payment method you use. I would definitely utilize the eBay community for all your questions.Good luck.
My advice would be to focus on a niche and post lots of items and to keep the store and listings consistently stocked. Customers usually lose interest when the store is barren as it seems unprofessional. Also it's good to pay for premium listing and it does work, at least for us. Fast response is also key. We usually respond to customers within 1 hour of inquiry and we always make sure to answer all questions even if it sounds like the customer won't make a purchase. I'm not an expert but these are the tactics that have been working for us so far. Good luck!
Since shipping costs have increased (at least here in the U.S.), I'd definitely make sure to weigh items ahead of time, so you don't short yourself when you list shipping prices. Take advantage of flat rate shipping if it's available where you are, if you will be shipping heavier items. Be very specific in the description, and take closeup pictures of any issues, so customers aren't surprised, and can't claim that your items aren't as described. If someone asks you a question about your listing, you can choose to post that question and your answer on the listing. Sometimes that can save a lot of time and trouble, or you could always go in and edit your listing (if there are no bids) to include that information. If you do have an issue with a customer, contact eBay customer service. They're more responsive to sellers than they used to be, and might help you resolve the issue. Good luck!
I noticed that some Ebay sellers are open for meet-ups if the buyer is near their area, so you might want to consider that as well, so that the buyer can save on shipping costs.
Very good information provided here. You do want to make sure to calculate your shipping and other costs when calculating your profits. I made the mistake of not cover my expenses when on my first sale and lost money. Customer service is very important also. When you first start selling on Ebay you do not need a store.
Hmmmm. I have never heard of anybody doing this before, but I guess it makes a lot of sense. There is a website called Gumtree - mostly an UK site, I think - and it is based upon meet-ups. I have never liked the idea of meeting someone with a lot of cash on me. They could mug me or do whatever they wanted without even bringing the product.
@DreekLass, I know meeting up with strangers can be risky, but you can avoid potential dangers by meeting in a public place like inside the mall, where there are a lot of security guards. Never meet up in random unsecure areas.
I dont think it is needed to meet with the users in person for selling/buying the things. People now can trust the media, as like ebay here. All info can be available there and the payment system is also secured so nothing to worry here.
