Top 7 Tips for Selling on eBay

Ebay seems like a massive intimidating place to sell anything when you are new to it. You can jump in and take a chance and see how it goes, but I would adhere to the following 7 guidelines so that you can get started on the right foot.

1. Don't Think Big in the Beginning

So after you have an idea of what you want to sell, the temptation is to start immediately and put it into action. You don't want to wait the usual 12 - 18 months for a business to become established but want it now.

One mistake is to put your life's savings into buying case loads of stock before you know what you are going to do on eBay or how it even works. If you have ever bought anything on eBay, you feel all warm and fussy because eBay is user friendly when you are a buyer. Things get a little more complicated when you become a seller. You need to start small and learn the ropes and you will continue to learn with time. You will only then experience the best and worst that eBay has to offer and be prepared to kick it up a notch later on.

2. Make your item images as professional as possible

An eBay buyer wants to see pictures, lots of them to get a good feel of the item before they buy. If you have a bad picture or multiple bad pictures then they will move right along to someone else's product. If you do anything, make the pictures as professional as possible. A light touchup with Photoshop could do wonders to clarify what is seen. If you don't know how to use Photoshop then find a simple picture editing software that is easy to use and use it or get a friend to help that knows how.

3. Don't get hung up on one product

Look at what other people are selling. Check out magazines articles, home décor programs, emerging trends, etc for ideas. You just might find another product opportunity just waiting to happen that you may have completely overlooked.

4. People have questions, Get back to them quickly

Pretend you are on the other side of your selling transaction. The buyer wants to pay some of his/her hard earned money for your product but has some questions that need to be answered to make them comfortable in spending that money. Check your emails often on eBay and get back to people as soon as possible. You will have a better chance for a bidder to actually bid on your item.

5. Organize your time and keep to a schedule

If you are selling on eBay part time and are holding down a full time job then it is very important to keep a list of what you need to get done and do it, because time is precious. If you become a full time eBay seller then this becomes even more important. It's so easy to get to the end of a day and find out you hardly got anything accomplished. Keep a planner or diary and make it happen.

6. Communicate regularly with your Wholesale Supplier

You want to make sure there are no surprises about your stock. Backorders that happen all of a sudden can be annoying because now you have to sooth the customer's disappointment that they will have to wait to get what they paid for. All this also costs you money too. Please keep the lines open and communicate frequently to your suppliers, and things will go a lot smoother for you and the customer.

7. Free shipping?

Sounds like the thing to do, doesn't it. It will entice buyers because they believe they are saving money. Before you consider offering free shipping, think carefully about your profit margins, how much your item weighs, and the fact that shipping will vary depending on how far away you are sending it. If you can absorb the cost in your profit margin then offer free shipping but be careful. It can cripple you if you apply it to a variety of items of different shapes and sizes.