eBay seller tips:

• Rise to the Top of eBay's Best Match - Powerful Tips!
  

  eBay recently changed its default for results on Best Match. 80% of buyers NEVER change how search results are displayed. You want to be at the top of these search results to catch the "lazy" buyers who aren't going to change the search result order, and get the clicks.

  Watch this 10-minute video about how to optimize your listing in eBay's Best Match Results. A summary:

  1) Your listing's title is much more important than ever - certain words result in more clicks.

  2) Learn how to use eBay Research Labs (FREE) to optimize key words in your title and strategically use all 55 characters in your item title.

  3) Learn how to determine what words "buyers like" when they search for a particular product.

  This video is well worth watching, and only takes 10 minutes.

  
  
  tips 10 Mar 2010
• How to Make Money on eBay Selling Golf Shirts
  

  Golf, or polo style shirts are a men's wardrobe staple. Men wear them to the office, as casual sportswear, around the house for every day wear, and of course, to play golf. Golf shirts have been the core product in my eBay store since 2003 and I've sold over 10,000 of them.

  Check out my new eBook, "The Golf Shirt Bible - How to Profit Selling Golf Shirts on eBay." This 40-page eBook explains all the nuts and bolts of selling men's golf shirts including brand names;, top selling tournament logos, best selling fabrics, colors, and sizes. You'll also learn important details to include in the description and key words to drive more traffic to your auctions.

  With summer right around the corner, now is the perfect time to experiment with selling golf shirts in your eBay store.

   

   

   

   

  
  
  tips 10 Mar 2010
• eBay Policy Change - No More Outgoing Links on About Me Pages?
  

  Corrrect me if my interpretation is wrong. On eBay's Announcement Board on May 19, this statement (along with others not discussed here) was released by John McDonald, Sr. Director of eBay Trust and Safety:

  Updated Links Policy

  Starting in July, an updated Links Policy will take the place of links guidelines that were previously covered in several policy areas. Under the updated policy, only specific types of links are allowed in a seller's listing or other content on eBay, including eBay store pages, About Me pages, eBay Blogs, Reviews and Guides, and forums. Allowed under the new policy are links to:

  1) Any page on eBay or an eBay property including Paypal, StubHub, and Half.com.

  2) Photos of the item for sale, as long as the page displaying the photos does not offer, or link to a site that offers a product of service for sale off eBay.

  3) Embedded videos within a listing, as long as the content and format comply with all eBay policies for videos.

  So, does this mean no more affiliate links on About Me pages? No more links to eBay Membership groups, Big Crumbs, Silent Sales Machine newsletters, or other eBay systems? No more links to your website to try to recruit business directly from your site?

  This one needs clarification. Granted, the About Me page was the one loophole still out there regarding outside links, and many sellers have a presence on eBay specifically for the purpose of directing traffic to their own website to capture the eBay segement of the consumer market. Is this over now, too?

  
  
  tips 10 Mar 2010
• New Feedback Platform - Sellers Not Happy!
  

  May 19 was a big day for eBay sellers. Not necessarily a good one. The new feedback system was implemented - sellers can no longer leave negative or neutral feedback for buyers. I've already been slammed.

  I offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on everything I sell. Granted, sometimes I eat the cost of an item, but that is the cost of doing business. I received an email from a customer who was not happy with her item. I admit, I made an error fulfilling her order. I was wrong, I new I had made a mistake, and I quickly issued a full refund for her items. This refund cost me $40.

  After I refunded her money, she left me a negative that she was disappointed that I didn't refund her money AND give her a free replacement product. She never mentioned that she wanted a replacement - only that she wanted a refund. The kicker here is that she has only been a registered user on eBay for 4 months, and has a FB score of 4. Obviously a newbie.

  As a seller, I feel very vulnerable, powerless, and taken advantage of with this new system. I did my best (and paid $40 out of my pocket) to please this customer, to stand by my 100% satisfaction guarantee, and to make things right for her. She slammed me with a neg, and all I can do at this point is leave a comment under her neg, which I did. My comment, "Refunded customer full amount as soon as aware of error - our apologies for inconvenience."

  How is the new system working for you? What can we do as sellers to deal with unfair negatives like this one? Suggestions? Has this happened to you yet?

  
  
  tips 10 Mar 2010
• Find eBay Inventory for Free by Playing the Drugstore Game
  

  One question I see again and again on my eBay groups and forums is, "How can I get my inventory cheaper to increase my profit?" If you are buying new items to sell, one way to save significantly is to learn to use manufacturer's and store coupons, store discounts, rewards programs combined with clearance sales to get your inventory for practically nothing. Granted, this business model takes some time, effort, and planning, but if you're willing to spend the time crafting your strategy, you can make it work. 

  Here are some excellent sites that explain the various rewards programs and techniques for mastering the Drugstore Game.

  Money Saving Mom - Making CVS Work for You

  Get Rich Slowly - Playing the Drugstore Game

  Mommy Making Money - Why Buy Something You Don't Need?

  Be Centsable - Lists current shopping deals and printable coupons 

  Be Thrifty Like Us - Dedicated to helping you spend your money wisely

  Bottom line: Increasing your profit on eBay isn't necessarily about increasing your sales or selling more. It can also be about paying less for what you are already selling.  

  
  
  tips 10 Mar 2010
• eBay Workshop - Save Time and Money on Shipping
  

  eBay has scheduled a member workshop on June 4 at 1 PM Pacific time. The workshop will provide information regarding techniques for making your shipping process more efficient and cost effective. I plan to attend this one. Sometimes I feel buried in my shipping and that there must be a better way!

  Our host will be Rachael Zimberoff, an active eBay seller and ShipRush manager. The workshop is free for any eBay seller to attend,  will be held on the eBay Workshop Discussion Board and will last approximately one hour. 

  Now if eBay can just figure out a way to keep the USPS rates from going up every six months....

  

   

   

   

  
  
  tips 10 Mar 2010
• Visit Auction Add-Ons for Customized eBay Storefronts
  

  One way to separate yourself from the competition on eBay is to create a brand identity. You can do this by having a custom storefront made specifically for your business.

  Angie and Melanie, the owners of Auction Add-Ons, are both eBay Stores Certified Designers and have been in business since 2004. Angie and Melanie were both template sellers on eBay and stay-at-home moms. Their design business has grown by leaps and bounds over the last 4 years, and Auction Add-Ons is one of the most successful and recognized eBay store design services on the internet.

  Their portfolio includes several styles from whimsical, retro, sleek, mod style, country and primitive, shabby chic, and black and white photography. Storefronts start at $19.99.  

  Auction Add-Ons is celebrating their 4th year in business and offering some great discounts during their Birthday Bash. For an additional 5% off from now through June 30, enter coupon code ebay-coach.

  
  
  tips 10 Mar 2010
• Changes to eBay Picture Hosting
  

  eBay announced today some changes regarding its picture hosting service. The changes will make uploading pictures "easier and more reliable and improve the quality of images on your listings."

  In a nutshell, here is what is new:

  The standard uploader is now the default uploader. If you are using the basic uploader, and notice that your images won't upload, go ahead and switch to the standard uploader. (I encountered this issue yesterday when listing some items.)

  The photo uploader in Turbo Lister is being upgraded to improve how images are compressed and resized.

  Additional picture sizes will be offered.

  A new feature is being added which allows for photos to be uploaded ahead of time from camera phones and other external devices. You can then add these photos to your listings when creating the full listing.

  For all the details on the Picture Hosting upgrades, visit this eBay announcement thread. 

   

  
  
  tips 10 Mar 2010