Friday, August 05, 2005
Secrets to Managing Your Time and Increasing Your eBay Profits
| by Janiece Smith Every successful eBay seller has a system that works for them. It can sometimes get crazy trying to manage your listings, collect payments, and ship items. Below are some points to consider when you are trying to make more money and mange your time more wisely. Auction template. A professional-looking auction can do wonders for your final selling price. If you take yourself seriously, buyers will too. If you're not computer savvy enough to create your own template, consider paying someone to create one for you. Not only will it get more buyers interested in what you have to sell, but it will also save you time. Whenever you have a new listing, just change the image URL and write a new description. List smart. Buyers will usually check your other auctions, so make sure to list similar products at the same time. So, if you have a pair of shoes that looks great with the skirt you're listing, list them. This encourages buyers to bid on both auctions because they'll get a deal on combined shipping. Plus, you save time (fewer boxes to pack up) and money (fewer shipping materials needed). Group items. Let's say you have an item that you aren't sure will sell, or even if it does sell, it may not go high enough for it to be worth your time to list. Group this item with a more desirable one and list them together. Buyers will be more apt to bid on your auction than on an auction with only one item listed. Sell based on season. Don't waste your time selling swimsuits in January. To get better prices, take the season into account. But don't wait until eBay is inundated with other sellers selling similar products. If you are selling fall clothing, get it listed in late July or early August, before the rush. Anticipate questions. The more information you provide in your description, the less time you'll spend answering emails from potential bidders. So, if you're listing clothing, include measurements. If you scrimp on your description, a potential bidder may simply turn to another seller because they don't have the time or patience to email you. Remember, you only need two interested bidders to drive up the price of your auction. If you lose one, you might as well give your stuff away. Likewise, make your auction terms and conditions crystal clear--for example, shipping options, combined shipping discounts, payment methods accepted. Include a flat rate for shipping or use the eBay calculator to determine shipping cost based on the buyer's zip code. Build a mailing list. Give your buyers the option of signing up for a mailing list so that you can contact them when you have new items listed. Once a person has bought from you, they are more likely to buy from you again. And it's always much easier to sell to previous buyers than to try to find new ones. Ship smart. The days of driving to the post office and waiting in line are gone. Take advantage of your ability to purchase and print USPS and UPS labels from home. You can use your PayPal funds to pay for postage and either drop off the boxes at the post office or schedule a pick up. This saves you time (buyers are automatically sent an email with their tracking number) and money (delivery confirmation is free for USPS Priority and UPS gives lower-than-counter rates). Guard your feedback rating. Why do some sellers glean higher prices for items identical to yours? The answer is usually simple: their history of satisfied customers. A high feedback rating is the most valuable sales tool you have. There have been times I've refunded money to buyers who've claimed the goods were damaged, even when I didn't entirely believe them. Why? To protect my feedback rating. I just move forward, but not before adding the buyer to my blocked bidder's list. Put these tips into practice and you'll not only increase your profits, you'll have more time to spend doing the things you really want to do--like searching garage sales for that next great find. Your personal eBay coach and partner, ~Janiece Smith PS Check out this Subscriber Recommended Resource: SurveyProfitsOnline.com shows you how you can easily earn an extra $25, $50, $100, even $250 for just voicing your opinion. Visit now and qualify to receive a free 7-part transcript of a never-before-heard e-interview with Jessica B! Jessica reveals her secret tips and tricks she uses to earn cash, points, and prizes--100% free! Click here to see how… http://www.surveyprofitsonline.com PPS You’ve just read “Thoughts From Janiece”, a section of your eBay Profit Pill Newsletter provided by www.expressprofitsonline.com |
