How to sell on eBay?

eBay is the second largest marketplace in the world. Selling on eBay is fun and easy. If you are a starter or if you want to resell your products on eBay, it’s a great place to land on. This page consists of all the details starting from the steps, mistakes to avoid, tips and tricks. It will be a complete guide to start and establish your store on eBay. Let’s get started.

Success on eBay depends on your commitment to:

• Sound business practices
• Dedication to great customer service
• Self-discipline
• Consistency
• Keeping your passion fresh

Getting started on eBay

Before you start to create an account on eBay, you have to explore the site a bit. eBay has tailored with countries all over the world, make sure that you look into your country’s eBay site. Check out the seller’s information and policies. Experiment with eBay search features and try browsing few listings, sort the menu and get to know how eBay search engine works.

Attractive account names can increase the chances of selling. Choose the name wisely by avoiding offensive words, or anything lower than the value of items that you sell. eBay can block names that are obscene or hateful. eBay’s username policies are mentioned on their website to avoid any mistakes while creating the username.

Create an eBay account

You can create your account from eBay’s home page, by clicking on the “Sign up” button. Enter your details such as your name, valid email address and create a strong password. Then you can choose your Username.

A confirmation link will be sent to your email address to confirm your account. You can also sign up for a business account if you have an existing business. You need to provide your business name and contact information to get started.

Once your username is set, you can set up your payment methods. In eBay, two modes of payment are available. One is Online payment with PaisaPay which includes Online bank transfer, Credit card, Debit card, Cash card, Mobile payment (IMPS/Airtel Money) and Wallets.

Offline payment can be done by PaisaPay Cash on Delivery (for PowerShip sellers only).

The next step is to set up your profile page. It is not mandatory to have a very elaborate profile. But you should have a profile picture and some basic information that can help buyers identify you as a genuine seller. As a new seller, if you want to sell more expensive items, it is necessary to add more information about yourself. Your detailed information such as being a collector, a retailer, a person with knowledge of particular items, etc is important. Because buyers research a lot before buying a product, and your detailed information can build a trust among them.

Build your reputation by buying a few small items. eBay encourages the buyers and sellers to leave a feedback about each other to make it as a safe marketplace. Ratings and feedbacks are the things buyers look for on your products. The main thing is to establish your profile as a reliable member of the eBay community.

Choose what to sell

To start selling on eBay, choose the products that you know a lot about and find rare items in a particular category.

Know what you can’t sell on eBay. Selling banned or restricted items on eBay can suspend or permanently ban your profile. Check out eBay’s policies on banned and restricted items to avoid any mishaps. Few items that are prohibited on eBay are:

• Adults only
• Human body parts
• Wildlife
• Drugs
• Currency
• Fundraising

Minimize risk by selling what you already have, or by starting small. There is a selling limit on eBay for small sellers like five items per month. Find a sourcing method that you are comfortable to determine what you want to sell. You can find bargains on eBay through Discount, warehouse and outlet stores, and often have a return policy you can take advantage of, if your items don’t sell.

Consider taking pictures, write a description and figure out the shipping method for every item you sell, which would take some time. It makes it more efficient to sell similar products so that you can pack things quickly and get bulk discounts on shipping materials.

Bulky and heavy items are expensive, occupy more space, and difficult to ship. So consider items to be sold at a reasonable price and think about space as an important issue to make profit.

Consider how quickly you can move your inventory, and how long you are willing to wait as the trends can pass quickly. Knowing which products are popular is a key for successful business. You can even try eBay’s tools to figure out the popular products.

Creating listings that sell

Research your market for items that are similar, current complete listings with good prices and the products that are attracted by many people. Log in and go to “Sell” either in “My eBay” or through the Home Page at the top to create your own list.

Enter a title for your listing with relevant attractive words and spell them correctly. Insufficient information can lag you behind.

Take good clear photographs of your item, and add at least one photo for your listing. Maximum of 12 photos can be included, which will boost your business by increasing buyer’s confidence. Remember, you should not copy any photos from other listings or from the internet.

Enter a detailed informative description for your items like manufacturer, compatibility, size, weight, colour, condition, measurements, warranty and so on. Be honest while giving the description of the item about defects and damages.

Pick a convenient selling method like an online auction or buy it now with a fixed price. Set your price considering how much you paid for the item, your time, eBay fees, and how much it costs to ship. Be conscious about invoices and pay on time.

You can choose when to start and end your auction. Most probably, auctions end after 1, 3, 5,7 or 10 days. Play smart by scheduling your auction at peak buying time to get the high price.

Be prompt, patient, clear, professional and keep a friendly tone with your potential customers to increase your sales. Before you save, double-check everything from the beginning. Fix any mistakes found, this will avoid bad listing.

Completing the transaction

Watch the auction, learn by observing what works and what doesn’t work, and apply changes. Be ready to ship promptly when the item sells and has been paid for. Pack your items neatly and securely. Excellent packing can improve buyer’s impression and bring in more happy customers. Leaving a positive feedback for fast-paying customers is a good business practice.

Promoting your listings

eBay groups is a great platform if you’re selling original art or handmade goods of any kind. Participate in these groups, make friends and get involved in thriving community to read threads, in order to fund their purchases.

Use the power of social networking to promote your listings by sharing them on Facebook and Twitter. People prefer to buy things that are cheap and with free shipping. So, include the shipping price in the total price or minimum bid.

Boosting your feedback is important, sell inexpensive items to build up your feedback and

increase your sales.  After you have become an established seller, consider opening a store or shop on eBay so that people can search via your own distinct URL, and build a really interesting profile for your regular and other buyers.

Mistakes to avoid

• Buying too much and getting overwhelmed
• Listening to naysayers
• Not having the proper supplies
• Not having a routine
• Not being patient with yourself

Tips

• Off load what doesn’t sell
• Optimize your listing for search
• Check your product spelling
• Fill in as many Item Specifics as you can
• Listings must include good photos
• Disclose any flaws or issues
• Give great customer service
• Get acquainted with shipping methods and pricing
• Ship on time
• Offer international shipping
• Ship the correct item
• Excellent customer service will guarantee good feedback
• Have an inventory system
• Know your rights (and the rules!)
• Do your research
• Grow a profitable eBay business

How to use Printrove to sell on eBay

Similar to Amazon, Printrove provides you an option to sell on eBay and to keep track of the orders using SKU (stock keeping unit). The SKU library in Printrove enables you to map your products from your store or eBay to the Printrove system through the SKU.

You do not have to link products individually to Printrove. You can name your products using the product code and design codes and upload them into the SKU library. To list your products in bulk, you can create an excel sheet with all the product’s SKU and upload on eBay. This process maps all products to corresponding product types and design codes.

When you get orders from eBay or from your store, you can mention the SKU for repeat orders. This will save your time and make the complete process easy and quick.

Final Word

eBay’s last year revenue has increased by 7 percent and the last quarter revenue was around $9.6 billion. It is the easiest and simplest way to sell your products online.

A successful eBay seller is a seller whose interests can be integrated into their business.

You can grow big and thrive in the eBay world by learning, researching and treasure hunting.

It is necessary to note that shopping, listing and shipping things that are adventurous and interesting to you have its own rewards.

You must be willing to expand outside your area of expertise, expand your knowledge, sharpen your skills and be motivated to succeed!

Selling on eBay requires work with passion! Happy eBaying!