12 Tips For eBay Success

eBay is hugely popular, and provides a great starting point for many people who wish to make money outside the confines of a regular job. It's certainly a great introduction to online selling, as you don't need your own website, and very little technical knowledge is required, other than basic PC skills. It's also a good platform for those who are already in business, who wish to reach a wider market.

On a jewellery-making forum where I sometimes post, a new member asked for advice on how to sell jewellery on eBay. As I have been selling my own jewellery (and other items) successfully on eBay for some time now, I posted some of the following tips in response. As they're focused on selling jewellery, not all of these points will apply to everyone who sells on eBay, and some issues that are important in other markets might have been missed, but these 'basics' are relevant to most areas.

• Name your pieces (for art/craft items)

  I read somewhere that items with names tend to outsell those that don't. I don't know how true that is, but it makes sense. A named piece seems a bit more special, and less like the mass produced stuff many designers are trying to distance themselves from.

• Open a shop/store

  If you sell regularly, and have more than just a few items for sale, a shop is extremely helpful. You can benefit from lower listing fees, and organise your items into appropriate categories. You can also customeise your shopfront to your requirements. Personally, almost all of my sales are shop inventory items, and the rest are fixed price listings. I almost never run auctions, as I'm not happy to let my items go for less than I think they're worth. I find that many of the jewellery sellers who complain that they can't make money on eBay are depending on auction sales. It's better, IMO, to set the price you want at the outset and stay in control, and maybe just run occasional auctions for lower value items to gain exposure. Shop listings will also get better general search engine rankings (so make sure you include appropriate keywords in your listings), although this may take time.

• Offer a wide selection items with a range of prices

  I like doing simple pieces like thong necklaces as well as more complex, pricier items. I often find that someone will buy a simple piece item only costs a few pounds, then come back later to buy something that is more expensive. The same principle applies in many other areas where there is a range of merchandise of differing value.

• Provide good descriptions

  I always write a full description of each piece, not just a list of components. I also give details about my terms and conditions in my listings, and include a link to my shop. I'm careful to proofread all my listings for typos & grammatical errors, and try to make them look as professional as possible (this alone will make your listing stand out, as many eBay sellers don't seem to bother!)

• Ship internationally

  Some of my biggest spending customers have been outside the UK! It also helps to cover yourself by stating in your listing that the buyer may be liable to pay import duties on their purchase, and that it's their responsibility to be aware of these before buying.

• Accept that not everything will sell straight away

  Don't be disheartened if a listing ends without a sale. Just relist it, and if it still doesn't sell, put it in your shop inventory for a while. A lot of my sales have come on the second or third relist. And some items sit in my shop for a few months before selling, but they do sell eventually!

• Cultivate repeat customers

  You can get lots of sales from repeat buyers. This takes time, but it's great when you find someone who loves your work and keeps coming back for more!

• Build a mailing list

  eBay offers this facility for free if you have a shop. You can then email people to let them know about new ranges, special offers etc.

• Provide good photos

  You don't have to be a brilliant photographer to take clear photos. I use a basic digital camera and scanner, and always clean photos up with editing software before using them. For pricier items I include more than one photo, including at least one close up. Good photos will definitely give you an edge, as the majority of people selling on eBay seem to have images that are mediocre at best!

• Charge appropriately & don't try to compete on price

  eBay isn't the best marketplace for all items (in my case it's not the best outlet for my relatively expensive jewellery), but buyers who are willing to pay for quality DO exist. I always charge a fair price for my items (fair to the buyer and to myself), and don't underprice to compete with those who are practically giving their stuff away. Rather than competing on price, stress the excellence of your products and service; remember the old saying 'you can have any two of price, quality or service'! I'd rather make fewer sales for the price I want than lots of sales of underpriced items. (In fact, I don't actually see myself as being in competition with anyone - here's why!)

• Make effective use of keywords in the title

  Don't worry about making your titles grammatically correct. You don't get many characters to use, so just use the keywords that people will use to search for an item like yours.

• Don't depend on eBay too much

  eBay can be a great online outlet for your wares, but it's never a good idea to have all of your eggs in one basket. Fee increases, unpredictable site availability and other issues can potentially affect your sales, so it's a good idea to also have your own website or other arenas to keep your sales on a stable footing.

Above all, just jump in and have a go, if you haven't already. You'll make mistakes, but learn from them, and you'll find eBay can be a very profitable place, whatever the scale of your activities!