Many of us are already familiar with eBay, some are using it to purchase various items and some are even earning money on eBay as sellers. Today I’d like to list few tricks that would hopefully allow you to increase your sales / profits on eBay.
Create a trustworthy profile
Your profile is very important on eBay, since it can attract bidders or not. Look to get great deals and feedback and act professionally at any moment. It’s wise to start selling smaller items (since people won’t need to trust you too much for something that’s not costing them their entire year’s salary) and work your way up. Respond to feedback, communicate, answer to your buyers’ questions. It takes time and effort to build trust, but it can surely be done and it will result in better deals for you.
Do your research.
Husband was able to get some terrific deals in the past years, just because he’s very thorough with his research. Whether it was a new stroller for our baby, an old French silver coin or a pair of jeans, he’s always doing his own research properly. The best deals he got were from sellers who didn’t exactly know what they were selling or made mistakes when posting the items.
Any spelling mistake or failure to provide full details about your items will result in less bids (not all people are ‘maniacs’ like my husband), so you’ll get lower prices than what you could earn.
Clean / mend the items
When you are selling a car, you clean and repair it. If you’re looking to get a refinancing deal or sell your home, you are also trying to make it look the best it can. Your eBay items are no different.
Iron the clothing (make sure it’s also clean), take care of any dirt / stains, make some repairs, if the items need this and it would make them sell better. A bit of effort can help you get better prices and more money for the SAME item.
Create an attractive listing that’s also mobile-friendly
I have seen some listings that look as if they’ve been pulled from the 90’s websites. You need to provide a clean and yet attractive listing, while also emphasizing the most important details in your product. It’s also important for it to be easily read on smartphones and tablets.
Proper titles and descriptions
Now that you are doing your research as you should, there are lots of details you could provide about your item. Make sure to properly use the best keywords and give all the information you think can attract potential buyers. A good description will help your listing get better search results and it will also attract more attention, since most of the questions a potential buyer might have are already answered.
Good pics or it didn’t happen
Maybe it’s not worth it to invest time and resources for a very small item, but, if you have something better to sell, make sure the pictures are of GREAT quality. It’s easier to make more money on eBay if your listings, that are already coming with terrific descriptions, also have amazing pictures. Don’t use a ‘standard’ pic for your items (even worse – a small ‘res’ one). Take your time to photograph it properly and show it in more ‘angles’.
This will help your potential buyers see the real qualities of the items you are selling and it will entice them to bid higher.
Invest TIME in your eBay business
If you want to be successful when it comes to earning money, you need to see this as a business. OK, it’s a small side-hustle at first (or maybe forever), but you still need to be a professional about it. Put time into your eBay activity, plan wisely and you’ll reap better results.
A great way to ensure more activity on your items’ bids, is to start them on Thursday. This allows them to end on Sunday, when (at least in theory) most people are at home). Of course, you should avoid events like Christmas or the Super Bowl, if you still want people to be online and ready to bid.
Start your items at low prices
My husband used to start the ‘bids’ at $ 0.99, this would attract more bids. Let’s say that, by smart planning (the proper day and time), great descriptions and really good photos, he was able to get some outstanding results. Some of the items sold at the right price, few at lower prices than what he’d had hoped for, but some were sold for a lot, just because the clients started their own ‘bidding wars’ for the items.
Be nice on your description and terms
Don’t overpower your potential bidders with a lot of ‘no-no’, there are terms of service on eBay anyway, no need to play the policeman there. Set few terms and keep a positive attitude even when it comes to listing the items. Keep it all short and simple, it’s not like they’re leasing a car from you, to have to wade through pages of contract terms.
Free shipping gets more people interested
Of course you might get such low prices that shipping costs you almost as much as you received for the item, but, if you’ve done your ‘homework’ properly, chances are you will get some really good deals. In this case free shipping is not something that would cost you too much and it will actually attract more bids (and probably more money). You can also provide other shipping plans (even if they seem costly – some buyers might want to get the items as soon as possible and are willing to pay for it), so that the buyer can choose from them.
Answer questions
In some cases bidders will want to know more details. Sure, some might have misread the description and some might actually ask some really smart questions. Be active during the listing time and make sure to provide professional and useful answers.
What other tips can you provide to earn more money on eBay? What has worked for you so far? What have you learned from other sellers’ mistakes?
