Top Ten Tips for Selling on eBay
by Gbolahan Laniyan
1. Start Small If you're anything like me, once you have a good idea you want to put it
into action immediately! Although you probably know in theory that any business takes
12-18 months to become established, somehow you still hope that you can get there in too!
But, one mistake entrepreneurs consistently make is to throw their life's savings into
buying case loads of stock - before they even know how eBay works. It's easy to be lulled
into a false sense of security on eBay after buying just one or two items. For buyers,
eBay is meant to be user friendly. For sellers, things are a little more complicated. All
powersellers agree that there are new things to be learned all the time and you'll be
surprised at how much more you know after several months selling small, inexpensive items.
Be prepared to spend the first couple of months buying and selling a variety of
inexpensive items you can purchase with your loose change. Keep track of what sells best
and work on narrowing down the possibilities to a few strong products. By this stage you
will also have experienced the best and worst situations eBay has to offer, so you will be
much better prepared to crank things up a notch.
2. Respond to questions as quickly as possible Most people use the Internet because it
provides what they need instantaneously: information, contacts, gifts, advice, and so on.
Therefore I can't emphasize enough the importance of checking your emails as often as you
can and replying to queries as quickly as possible.
3. Organize your time and keep to a schedule If you are holding down a full-time job
and working after hours to get your ebay business in motion, then it's vital to have a
list of what you need to get done and stick to it so you make the most of the precious
time available. Once you are working on eBay fulltime, this becomes even more important!
It's all too easy to reach the end of another day and find that you have got hardly
anything done. So keep a planner or diary and make a timetable of what needs to be done
and when.
4. Do take professional photographs from the beginning The old saying remains as true
as ever: A picture speaks a thousand words. A bad picture can look unappealing and
unprofessional. Plus, if the buyer can't really see the item properly, they may be put off
bidding because they can't tell if it is what they really want. So right from the
beginning, work on creating the most professional pictures you can, even if it means
spending money on a photo tent and better lighting.
5. Don't put all your eggs in one basket - use other ways of selling apart from eBay
eBay is not the be all and end all of selling online - although it is one of the best ways
to start. As soon as you can though, try thinking of other ways you can increase your web
presence. Perhaps you could place a classified ad in Yahoo or write about your auctions in
a MySpace blog. There are plenty of cheap and easy ways to build up your profile.
6. Do keep a constant look out for other products to sell, while also monitoring
carefully what you are already selling. Don't become complacent! Even if your items appear
to be stock standard - such as chairs for instance - make sure you keep looking at what
other sellers are doing, emerging trends, magazine articles, home decor programs, and
more. There may be another related product opportunity just waiting to happen that you
completely overlook if you keep your blinkers on.
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