The E-bay Beginners Guide To Instant Profits - Page 2 |
What You Need to Know Before Getting Started.
So you've decided that you want to get started as a seller on eBay.
There are a few things that you really need to know before you go
and throw yourself in at the deep end.
What to Sell.
First off, you need to know what it is you're going to sell: what's
your speciality?
You'll do far better on eBay if you become a great source for
certain kind of products, as people who are interested in those
products will come back to you again and again. You won't get any
loyalty or real reputation if you just sell rubbish at random.
So you've decided that you want to get started as a seller on eBay.
There are a few things that you really need to know before you go
and throw yourself in at the deep end.
What to Sell.
First off, you need to know what it is you're going to sell: what's
your speciality?
You'll do far better on eBay if you become a great source for
certain kind of products, as people who are interested in those
products will come back to you again and again. You won't get any
loyalty or real reputation if you just sell rubbish at random.
When you think about what to sell, there are a few things to consider. The most important of these is to always sell
what you know. If you try to sell something that you just don't know anything about then you'll never write a good
description and sell it for a good price.
You might think you're not especially interested in anything, but if you think about what kind of things you usually
buy and which websites you go to most often, I'm sure you'll discover some kind of interest. If all else fails mention it
to your friends and family: they'll almost certainly say "Oh, well why don't you sell…" and you'll slap your forehead.
Out of the things you know enough about, you should then consider which things you could actually get for a good
enough price to resell, and how suitable they would be for posting. If you can think of something of that you're
knowledgeable about and it's small and light enough for postage to be relatively cheap, then that's great!
Don't worry if you think the thing you're selling is too obscure - it isn't. There's a market for almost everything on
eBay, even things that wouldn't sell once in a year if you stocked them in a shop. You'll probably do even better if
you fill a niche than if you sell something common.
Tax and Legal Matters.
If you earn enough money, you should be aware that you're going to have to start paying tax - this won't be done for
you. If you decide to sell on eBay on a full-time basis, you should probably register as a business.
Prepare Yourself
There are going to be ups and downs when you sell on eBay. Don't pack it in if something goes a little wrong in your
first few sales: the sellers who are successful on eBay are the ones who enjoy it, and stick at it whatever happens.
Anyone can sell on eBay, if they believe in themselves - and if you do decide it's not for you, then the start-up costs
are so low that you won't really have lost anything.
If you're ready to start selling, then the next thing you need to know is the different auction types, so you can decide
which ones you will use to sell your items.
5 Easy Steps to Posting Your First eBay Auction.
It's surprisingly simple to get started posting your very first auction on eBay. Here's what you need to do.
Step 1: Open an eBay seller's account.
If you've bought things on eBay, then you already have an account - just log in with it and click 'Sell' in the toolbar at
the top of the page, then click 'Create a seller's account'. If you've never used eBay before, then you'll need to open
an account first using the 'register' link underneath the toolbar, and then click 'Sell' and 'Create a seller's account'.
The eBay site will then guide you through the process.
For security, this may involve giving card details and bank information.
Step 2: Decide what to sell.
For your first little experiment with eBay, it doesn't really matter what you sell. Take a look around the room you're in
- I'm sure there's something in there that you're not all that attached to and could put in the post. Small books and
CDs are ideal first items.
Step 3: Submit your item.
Click 'Sell', and you're on your way to listing your item.
The first thing you need to do is choose a category - it's best to just type in what the item is and let eBay choose for
you. Next, write a title and description. Include key words you think people will search for in the title box, and all the
information you have about the item in the description box.
Now set a starting price. $0.01 is the best starting price, as it draws people in to bid who otherwise wouldn't, and
items will almost never finish at such a low price. The next thing to set is the duration of the auction: 3, 5, 7 or 10
days. This is up to you: longer sales will usually get more bids, but will also seem to drag on forever.
If you've taken a picture, add it now - items with pictures always sell for more.
Finally, tick the payment methods you will accept (just PayPal is best for now), and where you will post to (limit
yourself to your own country to begin with).
Submit and you're done!
Step 4: Wait for it to sell.
This is just a matter of sitting back and letting eBay do its thing - buyers will find your item and leave bids on it. Some
bidders might email you with questions about the item, and you should do your best to answer these questions as
quickly as you can.
** Remember that if your item doesn't sell, then you can list it again for free. **
Step 5: Collect payment and post it.
eBay will sent your buyer emails guiding them through the process of sending you payment for the item. Make sure
you have the money before you send anything.
Once you've got the payment, all you need to do is pack the item for posting (make sure to use some bubble wrap),
take the buyer's address from the confirmation email eBay sent you, and write it on the parcel. Put some stamps
on, post it, and you're done!
An eBay Seller's Checklist.
Being a seller is a lot of responsibility, and sometimes you might feel like you're not doing everything you should be.
This simple checklist will help you keep on top of things.
Have you found out everything you possibly could about your items?
Try typing their names into a search engine - you might find out something you didn't know. If someone else is
selling the same thing as you, then always try to provide more information about it than they do.
Do you monitor the competition? Always keep an eye on how much other items the same as or similar to yours are
selling, and what prices they're being offered at. There's usually little point in starting a fixed price auction for $100
when someone else is selling the item for $90.
Have you got pictures of the items? It's worth taking the time to photograph your items, especially if you have a
digital camera. If you get serious about eBay but don't have a camera, then you will probably want to invest in one at
some point.
Are you e-mailing your sellers? It's worth sending a brief email when transactions go through: something like a
simple "Thank you for buying my item, please let me know when you have sent the payment".
Follow this up with "Thanks for your payment, I have posted your [item name] today". You will be surprised how many
problems you will avoid just by communicating this way.
Also, are you checking your e-mails? Remember that potential buyers can send you email about anything at any
time, and not answering these e-mails will just make them go somewhere else instead of buying from you.
Do your item description pages have everything that buyers need to know?
If you're planning to offer international delivery, then it's good to make a list of the charges to different counties and
display it on each auction. If you have any special terms and conditions (for example, if you will give a refund on
any item as long as it hasn't been opened), then you should make sure these are displayed too.
Have you been wrapping your items correctly?
Your wrapping should be professional for the best impression: use appropriately sized envelopes or parcels, wrap
the item in bubble wrap to stop it from getting damaged, and print labels instead of hand-writing addresses. Oh, and
always use first class post - don't be cheap.
Do you follow up? It is worth sending out an email a few days after you post an item,
saying "Is everything alright with your purchase? I hope you received it and it was as
you expected." This might sound like giving the customer an opportunity to complain,
but you should be trying to help your customers, not take their money and run.
Being a really good eBay seller, more than anything else, is about providing genuinely
good and honest customer service.
That's the only foolproof way to protect your reputation.
what you know. If you try to sell something that you just don't know anything about then you'll never write a good
description and sell it for a good price.
You might think you're not especially interested in anything, but if you think about what kind of things you usually
buy and which websites you go to most often, I'm sure you'll discover some kind of interest. If all else fails mention it
to your friends and family: they'll almost certainly say "Oh, well why don't you sell…" and you'll slap your forehead.
Out of the things you know enough about, you should then consider which things you could actually get for a good
enough price to resell, and how suitable they would be for posting. If you can think of something of that you're
knowledgeable about and it's small and light enough for postage to be relatively cheap, then that's great!
Don't worry if you think the thing you're selling is too obscure - it isn't. There's a market for almost everything on
eBay, even things that wouldn't sell once in a year if you stocked them in a shop. You'll probably do even better if
you fill a niche than if you sell something common.
Tax and Legal Matters.
If you earn enough money, you should be aware that you're going to have to start paying tax - this won't be done for
you. If you decide to sell on eBay on a full-time basis, you should probably register as a business.
Prepare Yourself
There are going to be ups and downs when you sell on eBay. Don't pack it in if something goes a little wrong in your
first few sales: the sellers who are successful on eBay are the ones who enjoy it, and stick at it whatever happens.
Anyone can sell on eBay, if they believe in themselves - and if you do decide it's not for you, then the start-up costs
are so low that you won't really have lost anything.
If you're ready to start selling, then the next thing you need to know is the different auction types, so you can decide
which ones you will use to sell your items.
5 Easy Steps to Posting Your First eBay Auction.
It's surprisingly simple to get started posting your very first auction on eBay. Here's what you need to do.
Step 1: Open an eBay seller's account.
If you've bought things on eBay, then you already have an account - just log in with it and click 'Sell' in the toolbar at
the top of the page, then click 'Create a seller's account'. If you've never used eBay before, then you'll need to open
an account first using the 'register' link underneath the toolbar, and then click 'Sell' and 'Create a seller's account'.
The eBay site will then guide you through the process.
For security, this may involve giving card details and bank information.
Step 2: Decide what to sell.
For your first little experiment with eBay, it doesn't really matter what you sell. Take a look around the room you're in
- I'm sure there's something in there that you're not all that attached to and could put in the post. Small books and
CDs are ideal first items.
Step 3: Submit your item.
Click 'Sell', and you're on your way to listing your item.
The first thing you need to do is choose a category - it's best to just type in what the item is and let eBay choose for
you. Next, write a title and description. Include key words you think people will search for in the title box, and all the
information you have about the item in the description box.
Now set a starting price. $0.01 is the best starting price, as it draws people in to bid who otherwise wouldn't, and
items will almost never finish at such a low price. The next thing to set is the duration of the auction: 3, 5, 7 or 10
days. This is up to you: longer sales will usually get more bids, but will also seem to drag on forever.
If you've taken a picture, add it now - items with pictures always sell for more.
Finally, tick the payment methods you will accept (just PayPal is best for now), and where you will post to (limit
yourself to your own country to begin with).
Submit and you're done!
Step 4: Wait for it to sell.
This is just a matter of sitting back and letting eBay do its thing - buyers will find your item and leave bids on it. Some
bidders might email you with questions about the item, and you should do your best to answer these questions as
quickly as you can.
** Remember that if your item doesn't sell, then you can list it again for free. **
Step 5: Collect payment and post it.
eBay will sent your buyer emails guiding them through the process of sending you payment for the item. Make sure
you have the money before you send anything.
Once you've got the payment, all you need to do is pack the item for posting (make sure to use some bubble wrap),
take the buyer's address from the confirmation email eBay sent you, and write it on the parcel. Put some stamps
on, post it, and you're done!
An eBay Seller's Checklist.
Being a seller is a lot of responsibility, and sometimes you might feel like you're not doing everything you should be.
This simple checklist will help you keep on top of things.
Have you found out everything you possibly could about your items?
Try typing their names into a search engine - you might find out something you didn't know. If someone else is
selling the same thing as you, then always try to provide more information about it than they do.
Do you monitor the competition? Always keep an eye on how much other items the same as or similar to yours are
selling, and what prices they're being offered at. There's usually little point in starting a fixed price auction for $100
when someone else is selling the item for $90.
Have you got pictures of the items? It's worth taking the time to photograph your items, especially if you have a
digital camera. If you get serious about eBay but don't have a camera, then you will probably want to invest in one at
some point.
Are you e-mailing your sellers? It's worth sending a brief email when transactions go through: something like a
simple "Thank you for buying my item, please let me know when you have sent the payment".
Follow this up with "Thanks for your payment, I have posted your [item name] today". You will be surprised how many
problems you will avoid just by communicating this way.
Also, are you checking your e-mails? Remember that potential buyers can send you email about anything at any
time, and not answering these e-mails will just make them go somewhere else instead of buying from you.
Do your item description pages have everything that buyers need to know?
If you're planning to offer international delivery, then it's good to make a list of the charges to different counties and
display it on each auction. If you have any special terms and conditions (for example, if you will give a refund on
any item as long as it hasn't been opened), then you should make sure these are displayed too.
Have you been wrapping your items correctly?
Your wrapping should be professional for the best impression: use appropriately sized envelopes or parcels, wrap
the item in bubble wrap to stop it from getting damaged, and print labels instead of hand-writing addresses. Oh, and
always use first class post - don't be cheap.
Do you follow up? It is worth sending out an email a few days after you post an item,
saying "Is everything alright with your purchase? I hope you received it and it was as
you expected." This might sound like giving the customer an opportunity to complain,
but you should be trying to help your customers, not take their money and run.
Being a really good eBay seller, more than anything else, is about providing genuinely
good and honest customer service.
That's the only foolproof way to protect your reputation.
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