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How to Sell on eBay for Beginners: A Guide
eBay is one of the most successful e-commerce corporations in the world. It is an American-based multinational corporation based in California and the focus is facilitating transactions from businesses-to-consumers and also consumers-to-consumers, through the website. Today, we will be discussing how you can start profiting from eBay and using it to your benefit. It is also not difficult at all, so let’s get you started!
Selling on eBay:
Selling on eBay can be a piece of cake if you have the right product and you are ready to put in the hard yards. This is by no means going to be a marketing 101, it is purely tips on how you can use the eBay platform to your benefit.
1) Getting Started:
To use an e-commerce platform for selling your product, it is important to get the hang of how things work. It is also important to see how other similar businesses are doing and what kind of techniques they adopt. Exploration of the website is also key, as it will help you familiarize yourself with things.
Plus, eBay also has tailored websites for many different countries. In the US, the website is www.ebay.com, and, if you are US-based, then, you must have used eBay at least once in your lifetime, to buy something or search for something. Selling things is a lot different. You have to decide on a good catchy name, as you are taught in sales 101, the branding, name, and packaging are quite important. In the e-commerce world, the first impression is always made with the name and with the aesthetic pictures of the product. eBay does help you come with a good name, and make sure you follow their policy regarding usernames.
2) Create an Account on eBay:
This is one of the easier things in the guide. To make an account, you open the landing page, and, then open the sign-in link which will be situated near the top of the page. The sign-up procedure is similar to how you sign-up on any of the other websites on the Internet. You need a valid email address, a strong password that contains a symbol, and a number, and then, you will be asked to select a username.
You will need to confirm your account through a link that eBay sends via the email address, and once you have done that, your account is activated.
If you have an existing business and want to use eBay to promote your product then you should make a business account. You can sign up for that one by opening the registration page and clicking on ‘Start a business account’. You will be required to come up with a catchy name and some additional contact information. This will lead to your preferred payment method and initially to build a reputation you may be asked to buy a few small items.
Tip: Always leave feedback for the purchased items, as others will do the same for you. This helps in the long run.
3) Decide What to Sell:
This is one of the most important rules to abide by. eBay started as a website that sold things to collectors and hobbyists. That is why, it remains one of the best places to buy unique things which you will never find on Amazon, etc. You cannot sell illegal, hazardous and banned items. Reading the eBay policy on banned and restricted items is a must.
There is a limit on how much you can sell, as a new seller can sell around 5 items per month. So, make sure you do not stock up on a lot of items as trends can pass very quickly, you do not want to be stuck with items that nobody wants. Be smart and swift.
4) Creating Listings:
This is your cue for becoming a successful seller like Stylo Culture. You have to decide yourself, how much time you spend on creating listings. This involves taking good pictures of your products, writing their descriptions, and figuring out shipping and payment methods. Everything here needs to be sorted out before your products go live. The best way to go about things is by researching the market you are going to be entering. This gives you a place to start and you can understand the competition you will be coming up against. You can decide when you start and end your auction, and once you list your items, make sure your product and tone does not come off intimidating as you do not want to scare away potential buyers.
5) Completing Transactions:
The final step is completing the transaction. You do this by watching the auction. It gives you an idea of how much interested people are and what kind of adjustments will make your product even more appealing. Once you secure the buyer, and the payment is made, you prepare for the shipping process. Good packaging means a secure package, as well.
6) Promote Listings:
You can also choose to promote your listings by joining eBay groups. This helps you build a reputation on eBay and particularly in the market you are targeting. This is ideal for sellers who are selling homemade art or goods. You can always use social media to promote your listings, as it is one of the best ways of advertising. Another way of making a decent name for yourself is by selling a few inexpensive items which can help your feedback, majorly.
Few Helpful Tips:
On a departing note, we will list some useful tips which you can use to become a successful seller.
1) Spend time writing product descriptions, as it is your main way of talking to the customer.
2) Remember eBay is not a get-rich-quickly scheme. If you are patient, you will benefit in the long run.
3) Keep your eyes peeled for scammers who target new sellers, in particular.
4) Be original, and, do not sell for the sake of selling!
