by 3 people |
My husband and I started our first eBay store in January 2006. Two months later our store was one of four stores nominated for Best Looking Store on eBay...out of more than 70,000 stores. We were blown away.
I've been designing and coding websites since 1992. So digging my way through xhtml and CSS is no big deal. But the eBay Stores development tools were a new challenge.
Idiot Proof. That is my endearing term for tools like this. And that's not always a bad thing. Idiot Proof tools are great for people just learning, or those who just don't want to know how it works, or how to change it. "JUST MAKE IT WORK....NOW!" But when you want to make changes...improvements, your ability is extremely limited.
UNLESS...
You think outside the text-box.
The eBay Stores interface is nothing more than a bunch of text boxes that you fill in. Usually with plain text. You don't have to be a coder or graphic designer to open an eBay Store. And this is the reason eBay has been so successful; and why so few eBay store owners have become successful.
Yeah, I said it. eBay was not designed as an eRetail site. The shopping experience was an afterthought. Maybe that's just the designer in me but the site was built primarily to make it easy on individuals to sell one or two items at a time. And most people are happy with that. But most people can't retire on one or two sales a week.
So, soon after we opened the store I decided to figure out how to improve the shopping experience for my customers.
And that is what this lens is about.
First Things First
The auction listing - your bread and butter
The most important aspect of any eBay Store is the auction listing. For well over 90% of your visitors, an auction listing will be the first, and maybe the last, interaction they ever have with your store. And if your auction listing is not designed well, most visitors will never know you have a store.
Quiz #1:
1. What does this mean to you?
Did you answer... "oh, that 16x16 pixel red, half-open door obviously means that this seller has many other items that I will certainly be interested in. I must click on that red door to visit the collection that will likely be organized into logical categories that I can browse and that make sense to me. And I better click on that door now because if I don't I will probably not ever be able to find this store again, as I know none of the items in the store are searchable on eBay and finding a store on purpose is nearly impossible."
Did you get my point? You have to tell people about your store and your auction listings are the first opportunity to do that.
sidebar: There are two types of listings if you have an eBay Store. First is the auction and second is store inventory. Auction listings are what you see when you use the search on eBay. Though eBay is working on showing store inventory items in the search, it's not working out well for them. I won't get into my personal opinion about that right now. Later maybe.
Store inventory items differ from auctions in the fees charged and duration. The fee for most store inventory items is $.03 (yes, three cents) per 30 days. Oh yeah, this is MUCH cheaper than an auction listing which can run anywhere from $.30 to $30.00 or more for a 7 day listing.
So, why would you not open a store and put everything you could into inventory and forget about the auctions?
Well, eyeballs. Without eyeballs on your items they won't ever sell. And without auction listings that are getting traffic from the eBay search, you will have a hard time getting eyeballs on your inventory.
So the trick is to find the balance of how many auctions you need to run at any given time to get the optimal amount of eyeballs to your store.
But this still depends on the design of your auction listing. Your auction listing must entice visitors to visit your store. You have to let them know you have many more items they will be interested in.
Quiz #1:
1. What does this mean to you?
Did you answer... "oh, that 16x16 pixel red, half-open door obviously means that this seller has many other items that I will certainly be interested in. I must click on that red door to visit the collection that will likely be organized into logical categories that I can browse and that make sense to me. And I better click on that door now because if I don't I will probably not ever be able to find this store again, as I know none of the items in the store are searchable on eBay and finding a store on purpose is nearly impossible."
Did you get my point? You have to tell people about your store and your auction listings are the first opportunity to do that.
sidebar: There are two types of listings if you have an eBay Store. First is the auction and second is store inventory. Auction listings are what you see when you use the search on eBay. Though eBay is working on showing store inventory items in the search, it's not working out well for them. I won't get into my personal opinion about that right now. Later maybe.
Store inventory items differ from auctions in the fees charged and duration. The fee for most store inventory items is $.03 (yes, three cents) per 30 days. Oh yeah, this is MUCH cheaper than an auction listing which can run anywhere from $.30 to $30.00 or more for a 7 day listing.
So, why would you not open a store and put everything you could into inventory and forget about the auctions?
Well, eyeballs. Without eyeballs on your items they won't ever sell. And without auction listings that are getting traffic from the eBay search, you will have a hard time getting eyeballs on your inventory.
So the trick is to find the balance of how many auctions you need to run at any given time to get the optimal amount of eyeballs to your store.
But this still depends on the design of your auction listing. Your auction listing must entice visitors to visit your store. You have to let them know you have many more items they will be interested in.
eBay Income Possibilities
If you've ever read an article about eBay, you have seen the kinds of incomes people make - it isn't unusual to hear of people making thousands of dollars per month on eBay.
Next time you're on eBay, take a look at how many PowerSellers there are: you'll find quite a few. Now consider that every single one of one of them must be making at least $1,000 per month, as that's eBay's requirement for becoming a PowerSeller. Silver PowerSellers make at least $3,000 each month, while Gold PowerSellers make more than $10,000, and the Platinum level is $25,000. The top ranking is Titanium PowerSeller, and to qualify you must make at least $150,000 in sales every month!
The fact that these people exist gives you some idea of the income possibilities. Most of them never set out to even set up a business on eBay - they simply started selling a few things, and then kept going. There are plenty of people whose full-time job is selling things on eBay, and some of them have been doing it for years now. Can you imagine that? Once they've bought the inventory, everything else is pretty much pure profit for these people - they don't need to pay for any business overhead, staff, or anything else. There are multi-million dollar businesses making less in actual profit than some eBay PowerSellers do.
Even if you don't want to quit your job and really go for it, you can still use eBay to make a significant second income. You can pack up orders during the week and take them down to the post office for delivery each Saturday. There are few other things you could be doing with your spare time that have anywhere near that kind of earning potential.
What's more, eBay doesn't care who you are, where you live, or what you look like: some PowerSellers are very old, some very young. Some live out in the middle of nowhere where selling on eBay is one of the few alternatives to farming or being very poor. eBay tears down the barriers to earning that the real world constantly puts up. There's no job interview and no commuting involved - if you can post things, you can do it.
Put it this way: if you know where to get something reasonably cheap that you could sell, then you can sell it on eBay - and since you can always get discounts for bulk at wholesale, that's not exactly difficult. Buy a wholesale lot of something in-demand cheaply, sell it on eBay, and you're making money already, with no set-up costs.
Next time you're on eBay, take a look at how many PowerSellers there are: you'll find quite a few. Now consider that every single one of one of them must be making at least $1,000 per month, as that's eBay's requirement for becoming a PowerSeller. Silver PowerSellers make at least $3,000 each month, while Gold PowerSellers make more than $10,000, and the Platinum level is $25,000. The top ranking is Titanium PowerSeller, and to qualify you must make at least $150,000 in sales every month!
The fact that these people exist gives you some idea of the income possibilities. Most of them never set out to even set up a business on eBay - they simply started selling a few things, and then kept going. There are plenty of people whose full-time job is selling things on eBay, and some of them have been doing it for years now. Can you imagine that? Once they've bought the inventory, everything else is pretty much pure profit for these people - they don't need to pay for any business overhead, staff, or anything else. There are multi-million dollar businesses making less in actual profit than some eBay PowerSellers do.
Even if you don't want to quit your job and really go for it, you can still use eBay to make a significant second income. You can pack up orders during the week and take them down to the post office for delivery each Saturday. There are few other things you could be doing with your spare time that have anywhere near that kind of earning potential.
What's more, eBay doesn't care who you are, where you live, or what you look like: some PowerSellers are very old, some very young. Some live out in the middle of nowhere where selling on eBay is one of the few alternatives to farming or being very poor. eBay tears down the barriers to earning that the real world constantly puts up. There's no job interview and no commuting involved - if you can post things, you can do it.
Put it this way: if you know where to get something reasonably cheap that you could sell, then you can sell it on eBay - and since you can always get discounts for bulk at wholesale, that's not exactly difficult. Buy a wholesale lot of something in-demand cheaply, sell it on eBay, and you're making money already, with no set-up costs.
Next Steps
If you want to dip your toe in the water before you commit to actually buying anything, then you can just sell things that you've got lying around in the house. Search through that cupboard of stuff you never use, and you'll probably find you've got a few hundred dollars' worth of stuff lying around in there! This is the power of eBay: there is always someone who wants what you're selling, whatever it might be, and since they've come looking for you, you don't even need to do anything to get them to buy it.
So you want to get started on eBay? Well, that's great! There are only a few little things you need to learn to get started.
To make it easy for you, we've put together a guide called "Top 10 eBay Sellers Best Practices".
The KayLee Designs Top 10 eBay Sellers Best Practices Guide has been compiled as a resource to assist you in selling on eBay. Based on our three years of experience selling on eBay and extensive research, we've identified these ten Best Practices as the most critical in expanding your business and improving your operations.
From product sourcing to customer loyalty programs, this guide will give you the information you need to understand what's working and what's not so you can take decisive actions to more effectively sell on eBay.
This guide is a simple to understand blueprint that will lead you to eBay success.
Contents
1. What Product is Right for you?
2. Researching Your Product
3. Writing Winning Descriptions
4. Search Optimization
5. Is the Auction Style Listing Right for you?
6. eBay Stores
7. Organizing Your Operations
8. Customer Correspondence
9. Packaging Your Product
10. Marketing You and Your Products
The guide is only $9.99.
Click Here to Order
So you want to get started on eBay? Well, that's great! There are only a few little things you need to learn to get started.
To make it easy for you, we've put together a guide called "Top 10 eBay Sellers Best Practices".
The KayLee Designs Top 10 eBay Sellers Best Practices Guide has been compiled as a resource to assist you in selling on eBay. Based on our three years of experience selling on eBay and extensive research, we've identified these ten Best Practices as the most critical in expanding your business and improving your operations.
From product sourcing to customer loyalty programs, this guide will give you the information you need to understand what's working and what's not so you can take decisive actions to more effectively sell on eBay.
This guide is a simple to understand blueprint that will lead you to eBay success.
Contents
1. What Product is Right for you?
2. Researching Your Product
3. Writing Winning Descriptions
4. Search Optimization
5. Is the Auction Style Listing Right for you?
6. eBay Stores
7. Organizing Your Operations
8. Customer Correspondence
9. Packaging Your Product
10. Marketing You and Your Products
The guide is only $9.99.
Click Here to Order
eBay Seller Resources
Want to make eBay your full-time job?
Check out these very successful eBay sellers and find out what their tricks are.
- SaleHoo Wholesale / eBay Directory
- Looking for RELIABLE Products suppliers that stock a variety of GENUINE & QUALITY products that you know are from a TRUSTED source?
SaleHoo was designed to give you access to the most legitimate, reliable Product wholesalers, manufacturers, liquidators and drop-shippers, so you can get the results you want FAST. - DropShipping Wholesalers
- More great drop shipper information.
- The Underground Auction Blueprint
- I have been successful online for just over three years now but it took me a long time to actually start making any real money. Why? Because I lacked self-belief, I thought that if everyone was buying the next-big-thing being promoted by everyone, maybe it works, and I excitedly started to implement the strategies. But, half way through a project I would doubt myself, doubt that the work I was doing was ever going to make any money, then the same person I bought the "next-big-thing" product released another "next-big-thing" 1 month later and I had to start all over again. Nothing ever got finished...
- The Silent Sales Machine Hiding on eBay
- Thanks to eBay I quit my corporate job and now work a lot less and earn A LOT more money.
Are you ready for your piece of the $14 Billion pie called eBay? Ready to join the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of people making a full or part time living on eBay? Do you want THE MOST CREATIVE eBay ideas on the planet to help you do it right?
Custom Auction Listings
Tips for Auction Listings:
-Use store navigation in your auction listings.
-Display related items from your store in every auction listing.
-Invite visitors into your store. Don't be shy.
-Place several links to your Store on each listing.
-Optimize titles and descriptions to include words buyers are searching for.
-Expirement, measure, repeat.
And...this is important...
"Get as much help as you can get!"
Find the best auction management software for you. If you are planning to sell on eBay regularly then you need a good auction management system. There are many to choose from. There are web-based systems that you can access from anywhere you can get an Internet connection. You can find downloadable software you load on your computer so you can work on your listings even when you are not connected to the Internet. There are inventory-centric managers and those that give you the ability to sell your items in multiple channels, such as an online store as well as eBay.
I have tested probably 20 different auction managers. All were different. Most had good points and bad. None of them are perfect for me. And you will be lucky (or not trying hard enough) if you find one that is perfect for you.
There are several sites that specialize in end-to-end solutions for sellers. They help you place your auction and make it look good with sophisticated HTML templates. They host your pictures. They track sales and help sellers manage their auctions-even if they have hundreds online at a time.
Vendio - I am currently using Vendio because of it's focus on managing inventory. I have just begun using this tool so I will keep you updated on my experience.
But there are many others.
Andale offers auction tracking, image hosting, automated checkout, galleries, stores, reports and a customer e-mail list management. Some of their services are free, and their pro packages start at $8.95 per month.
Auctiva is one of the top sites, and they offer really good looking auction listings and sophisticated tools. You can get a free trial, and the normal service subscription is $14.95 a month.
AuctionWatch gives you all the features of Auctiva, plus "bulk listing" so you can post many items at once. It starts at $12.95 per month.
-Use store navigation in your auction listings.
-Display related items from your store in every auction listing.
-Invite visitors into your store. Don't be shy.
-Place several links to your Store on each listing.
-Optimize titles and descriptions to include words buyers are searching for.
-Expirement, measure, repeat.
And...this is important...
"Get as much help as you can get!"
Find the best auction management software for you. If you are planning to sell on eBay regularly then you need a good auction management system. There are many to choose from. There are web-based systems that you can access from anywhere you can get an Internet connection. You can find downloadable software you load on your computer so you can work on your listings even when you are not connected to the Internet. There are inventory-centric managers and those that give you the ability to sell your items in multiple channels, such as an online store as well as eBay.
I have tested probably 20 different auction managers. All were different. Most had good points and bad. None of them are perfect for me. And you will be lucky (or not trying hard enough) if you find one that is perfect for you.
There are several sites that specialize in end-to-end solutions for sellers. They help you place your auction and make it look good with sophisticated HTML templates. They host your pictures. They track sales and help sellers manage their auctions-even if they have hundreds online at a time.
Vendio - I am currently using Vendio because of it's focus on managing inventory. I have just begun using this tool so I will keep you updated on my experience.
But there are many others.
Andale offers auction tracking, image hosting, automated checkout, galleries, stores, reports and a customer e-mail list management. Some of their services are free, and their pro packages start at $8.95 per month.
Auctiva is one of the top sites, and they offer really good looking auction listings and sophisticated tools. You can get a free trial, and the normal service subscription is $14.95 a month.
AuctionWatch gives you all the features of Auctiva, plus "bulk listing" so you can post many items at once. It starts at $12.95 per month.
Tools for your On and Off-eBay Stores
Search Engine Optimization Software
Helpful Tips
- Build Your eBay Store - By eBay
- Official eBay Stores userguide.
- Creating Custom Headers to Drive Traffic to eBay Stores
- eBay users have discovered opening an eBay Store requires a proactive marketing campaign. In today's issue, Mark O'Neill discusses one tool to help drive sales to your Store: Custom Headers.
Resources
- Good Things in Store
- Use an eBay store to set up shop in your own little corner of the eBay universe, and watch sales take off.
- eBay Edge : Why Open an eBay Store? - ( Small Business Blog Center )
- It was fall semester, I had exactly $0 to my name, and I was all out of meals for the week. I needed some cash, fast. So I did what millions before have done, I turned to eBay...
- eBay Stores FAQ
- Official FAQ for eBay Stores
- eBay Stores Tested
- At MarketingExperiments.Com, researchers test marketing programs to see if they really work. The site features unbiased data on: pay search engines, free-for-all link programs, ezines, web awards, free classifieds, affiliate programs, banner ads, or web cards, email promo.
- Setting Up an eBay Store
- Is it time to expand your listings and move into a virtual eBay Store? Follow this advice for setting up shop.
- A beginner's guide to eBay: Confessions from an eBay store worker
- It was fall semester, I had exactly $0 to my name, and I was all out of meals for the week. I needed some cash, fast. So I did what millions before have done, I turned to eBay. Before I knew it, I had an eBay store and I was coding templates and doing research. I bought books and totally immersed myself in the eBay experience. I eventually applied to one of those "we'll sell your stuff on eBay stores" and have been working there ever since...
eBay PODCASTS
- The eBay Radio Show
- Tune in and listen to the friendly voice of host Jim Griffith, "Griff", Dean of eBay University, on eBay Radio. Listen with the rest of the eBay community via the Internet to an entertaining show featuring hot topics and news direct from eBay!
- eBay Auction Tips Taskforce
- Jim Kobialko and Scott Paton discuss how to find hot products to list on eBay.
- eBay: Renee Gentry's eBay Journal
- Renée Gentry's eBay Journal is for eBay buyers and sellers. Learn how to get started on eBay...and how to get better. How-to, hints, and help. It's here!
- E-Auction-Air...Everything eBay and More
- E-Auction-Air is the world's leading independent talk radio program covering online auctions and online commerce. Everything eBay and more. Brought to you by Overstock.com Auctions.
- Entrepreneur Magazine Product Sourcing Show
- Valuable information to find products to sell. Online, eBay or as a distributor.
The eBay Radio Show
Tune in and listen to the friendly voice of host Jim Griffith, "Griff", Dean of eBay University, on eBay Radio. Listen with the rest of the eBay community via the Internet to an entertaining show featuring hot topics and news direct from eBay!
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byExample eBay Stores
- z-Diva
- zDiva Jewelry & Handbag Company specializes in trendy, fun fashion jewelry, designer inspired handbags and luggage sets.
- Period Paper: Vintage Ads, Original Advertising and Illustrations, Rare Unique Images
- Buy Vintage Ads and Original Advertising and Illustrations items from Period Paper eBay Store. We also sell Rare Unique Images, Fine Art Prints American Illustrators items on eBay.
- Frenchy Bee: French Soap, French Gourmet Food, French Linens
- Buy French Soap and French Gourmet Food items from Frenchy Bee eBay Store. We also sell French Linens, Quimper Pottery items on eBay.
- Grapevinehill
- Grapevinehill.com purchases footwear from all over the world in bulk and offers it to our customers at great low prices. Our footwear consists most frequently of high-end brand names. Deals are usually one of a kind. We often will have more than one of the same item, but when it's gone, it's usually gone forever.
eBay Stuff on Amazon
eBay For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))
Amazon Price: $16.49 (as of 07/11/2009) 
Usually ships in 24 hours
How and Where to Locate the Merchandise to Sell on eBay: Insider Information You Need to Know from the Experts Who Do It Every Day
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 07/11/2009)
Usually ships in 24 hours
eBay 101: Selling on eBay For Part-time or Full-time Income, Beginner to PowerSeller in 90 Days
Amazon Price: $17.05 (as of 07/11/2009)
Usually ships in 24 hours
Starting an eBay Business For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance))
Amazon Price: $16.49 (as of 07/11/2009)
Usually ships in 24 hours
eBay Business All-in-OneFor Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance))
Amazon Price: $19.79 (as of 07/11/2009)
Usually ships in 24 hours
eBay Lenses
A list of great resources on Squidoo.
- eBay Sellers Resource by Skip McGrath
- This is the place to be if you sell on eBay or want to learn to sell on eBay. We have links to some of the best free and paid resources for eBay and online auction sellers.
- How to Make Money on eBay by Sue Barrett
- If this is your first time using eBay, you'll soon find that it is very easy to use and a fun way to make money.
- Making Money with eBay by Margaret Waples
- Whether you're just looking to clean out your basement or garage and make a little money on the side or you're considering starting one of the fastest growing home businesses in the country, you've surely heard of the eBay revolution.
by zDiva
Welcome to Club Z: the Slumber Party Headquarters. My friends call me Z and I hope that you will too.
I hear that you are about to have a Birthday an...
(more)
