It's only September but a slice of American consumers already have an eye on holiday shopping this year. A survey by RetailMeNot.com found that 10 percent of consumers interviewed said they were starting their holiday shopping before November. If you run a home-based eBay business or are thinking about starting one, now is the time to get a jump on the holiday shopping season.
Look Like a Business
EBay is a competitive landscape with thousands of others selling online just like you. Whether you're selling a few items or managing a large inventory (more on that later), you want an image that looks professional. Most of this starts at your auction template - essentially the design behind your online store. EBay gives a tutorial on creating and managing auction templates or third-party companies like Page Mage will create and manage templates for roughly $5 per month.
Inventory and Shipping
You should have a scope on your inventory before listing that first item. Listing a low amount of items (30 or fewer) is manageable without the help of extra software or auction management companies, but anything more than 50 might get overwhelming. Companies like Auctiva manage an unlimited number of listings for about $15 per month, a necessary opportunity cost if you want to sell big for the holiday season.
Shipping expenses could be one of your biggest financial downfalls if not properly handled. Miscalculating shipping costs can add up to a small amount per auction, but combined that loss can be devastating. Services like USPS will send you free boxes for shipping so long you use their priority service. Enterprise address software can help manage large-inventory shipments and cut down on shipping times, which is crucial for positive feedback and seller ratings since timeliness is a touchy subject around the holiday season.
Use 'Buy It Now'
Driving up an auction price is a great way to earn the most on each listing, but most shoppers want the same convenience they'd find on a retail site like Amazon. "Buy It Now" gives shoppers the ability to click once and be done with it, and it's an instant payment in your account. Every item you list should have a "Buy It Now" price that competes with the market price in other online stores.
Create a Social Presence
Don't just rely on shoppers to stumble upon your listings - create a brand for yourself. Social media is a power tool when it comes to marketing and turning a small business into a brand. Leverage a few of these networks to complete the social circle and draw more customers to your listings.
Start Today
A lot of your competition is still riding the wave from summer sales. Take advantage by starting your holiday sales while the rest are wrapping up for Halloween.
Did you find this article helpful? Please let me know by leaving me your valued comments in the comments section below.
Related articles:
Using A Blog To Promote Your eBay Store
For more business tips plus helpful articles on marketing your business on social media, use the following links:
http://www.derekjones.co/search/label/Business%20Tips
http://www.derekjones.co/search/label/Social%20Media%20Marketing
If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.
As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog
You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
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https://plus.google.com/104849975941505117776
Until my next post tomorrow on what to consider when setting up a home business, enjoy the rest of your day! See you back here tomorrow!
© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.
Look Like a Business
EBay is a competitive landscape with thousands of others selling online just like you. Whether you're selling a few items or managing a large inventory (more on that later), you want an image that looks professional. Most of this starts at your auction template - essentially the design behind your online store. EBay gives a tutorial on creating and managing auction templates or third-party companies like Page Mage will create and manage templates for roughly $5 per month.
Inventory and Shipping
You should have a scope on your inventory before listing that first item. Listing a low amount of items (30 or fewer) is manageable without the help of extra software or auction management companies, but anything more than 50 might get overwhelming. Companies like Auctiva manage an unlimited number of listings for about $15 per month, a necessary opportunity cost if you want to sell big for the holiday season.
Shipping expenses could be one of your biggest financial downfalls if not properly handled. Miscalculating shipping costs can add up to a small amount per auction, but combined that loss can be devastating. Services like USPS will send you free boxes for shipping so long you use their priority service. Enterprise address software can help manage large-inventory shipments and cut down on shipping times, which is crucial for positive feedback and seller ratings since timeliness is a touchy subject around the holiday season.
Use 'Buy It Now'
Driving up an auction price is a great way to earn the most on each listing, but most shoppers want the same convenience they'd find on a retail site like Amazon. "Buy It Now" gives shoppers the ability to click once and be done with it, and it's an instant payment in your account. Every item you list should have a "Buy It Now" price that competes with the market price in other online stores.
Create a Social Presence
Don't just rely on shoppers to stumble upon your listings - create a brand for yourself. Social media is a power tool when it comes to marketing and turning a small business into a brand. Leverage a few of these networks to complete the social circle and draw more customers to your listings.
- Create a Pinterest account and "pin" images of your products as they go on sale.
- Use Twitter to connect with others and share stories behind the items you sell - start a conversation.
- Create a Facebook page to post listings and invite others to comment and share feedback.
- Join a Google+ community that relates to the type of items you typically sell. Most communities allow for some self-promotion.
Start Today
A lot of your competition is still riding the wave from summer sales. Take advantage by starting your holiday sales while the rest are wrapping up for Halloween.
Did you find this article helpful? Please let me know by leaving me your valued comments in the comments section below.
Related articles:
Using A Blog To Promote Your eBay Store
For more business tips plus helpful articles on marketing your business on social media, use the following links:
http://www.derekjones.co/search/label/Business%20Tips
http://www.derekjones.co/search/label/Social%20Media%20Marketing
If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.
As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog
You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/djones1509
https://plus.google.com/104849975941505117776
Until my next post tomorrow on what to consider when setting up a home business, enjoy the rest of your day! See you back here tomorrow!
© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.
I started my own eBay business almost a year ago now and although it wasn't easy at first, it is now reaping the benefits through my hard work.
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