E-bay is one of the world’s most successful electronic store and online market that allows millions of consumers to shop for almost anything. Since 1995 when Pierre Omidyar founded eBay, it has grown to have over 150 million users who bid, buy and sell each day. With such a vast number of consumers, becoming a seller on eBay may be attractive as it can also be a great source of income. However, selling on eBay may not be an easy task especially for new sellers. It is therefore advisable to have some background information on how to successfully start selling on eBay. This article will give a step by step guide on how to start selling on eBay.
1. Carefully choose your preferred marketplace.
This is the first thing you need to decide on before you can sell on eBay. It involves choosing whether you would like to sell your products globally or locally. In making this decision, you need to consider some factors such as shipping fees if you decide to go global. This makes it easier to start selling locally, especially for beginners. If you choose to sell globally, you will use international ebay.com where payments are made in USD unlike when selling locally which has a localized version and payments may be made in local currency. For instance, when only selling in the UK, the as a seller, you will use ebay.co.uk, and you receive payments in UK pounds.
2. Setting up a business account.
To start selling on eBay, you will require to register for an eBay business account. A business account will allow you to enjoy some benefits which include lower taxes, legal protection and additional details on listings among others. Before setting up your business account, you will need to come up with an eye-catching and easy-to-remember business name. You will also include other personal details such as your address, email, phone number, and your PayPal account.
3. Become verified.
When you are a newbie on eBay, you have to prove to the eBay society that you are honest. To do this, you will need to go through the eBay ID verification process successfully. When you become ID verified, you can pass through numerous restrictions enforced on new sellers.
4. Create your eBay store.
An eBay store is a comprehensive e-commerce solution that helps consumers get the best out of the eBay marketplace. When starting to sell on eBay, this store can go a long way in boosting your sales. This is because it allows your products to stand out in a highly competitive marketplace. eBay allows sellers to sell the products as individuals or set up a personalized storefront.
When creating your store, you should consider the following;
Optimizing product titles. This involves briefly describing your products. You should include about one to three keywords to each title. This makes your products rank higher in search results.
Optimizing product description.This is a more detailed description of every item that you are selling. The most important keywords are generally placed at the beginning and the end of every description.
Selecting the right category listing. This allows a seller to list your products in several categories. It’s worth noting that this has an extra fee.
Adding crisp photos. As a seller starting to sell on eBay, you can upload at least two to four irresistibly attractive photos of your products. These will create a great image thereby boost your sales.
5. Do a quick price research.
When doing this research, you need to calculate the total price which includes eBay seller’s fees and shipping charges if necessary. Secondly, you also need to choose your preferred price model. On eBay, as a seller, you have two main ways of selling namely; fixed price model and product auction.
6. List your terms and conditions, policies of shipping, warranty, and guaranty.
For you to successfully start selling on eBay, you will require positive feedback from your customers. One way to achieve this feedback is ensuring that your policies are outlined clearly.
7. Come up with your listing schedule.
As you start selling on eBay, it’s worth listing each product at its best time to sell especially if you’re running an auction.
8. Re-read everything, publish and start marketing your products.
Double-check to ensure everything looks good to avoid typing errors and spelling mistakes and then publish your product. After this, take advantage of the massive traffic on eBay to market your products.
9. Develop a shipping process.
Once you find your first customer on eBay, the next thing you will need to do is to pack and ship the product. To continue selling conveniently on eBay, it is advisable to have the most convenient shipping process. This may include; having competitive shipping costs, having a shipping cost calculator in your listings, and having regular shipping days on and off among others.
10. Running your business.
Finally, after completing the above processes, you’ll be ready to start selling your products on eBay. At this point, the most important thing you will need to do is ensure your customers are happy and encourage them to leave positive reviews.
In conclusion, this article has highlighted and described a step by step process of how to start selling on eBay.