How to Sell on eBay (and Actually be Successful)

How to Sell on eBay (and Actually be Successful)

1. Build your eBay seller’s profile

2. Pick your niche on eBay

3. Research your listings

4. Write your listing

There are two parts of writing your listing — the title and the description. They’re equally important, but you get more freedom with the description.

For the title, include all relevant words, and only use relevant words. It’s tempting to use words like “epic,” “amazing,” and “best,” but people aren’t searching with those words. They are using relevant words only.

Think about how you would search for a listing. Would your search term be “the most epic cappuccino machine”? Or, “De’Longhi manual cappuccino machine”?

Buyers come to eBay to find deals on things they’ve already researched. They already have ideas on what’s best, and now they’re looking for good prices from reputable sellers.

Now the description. Keep things simple and to the point. If you really want to say this is the “best” of something, do it here, but don’t go overboard. Here are more tips for descriptions that sell:

• Don’t write in large blocks of text — it feels overwhelming and readers will skim over it
• Be honest in your listing
• Make sure you point out any flaws or defects

5. Pick the right time to sell your items

If you are selling things on eBay auction-style, then there are a few important things you need to consider before listing your items.

There are 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10-day auction windows on eBay. But 10-day auctions are typically the best, because more time means more visibility. And when you have more people looking at your auction, the higher your chances of more bids.

But, you need to find the right time for your auction to finish, and the most popular time on eBay is Sunday evening. So list your items 10 days out from then. If you’re not set on Sundays, you do want to avoid your items finishing in the middle of the week, especially during the morning.

Remember, when auctions are about to end, people will come back to eBay to check on bidding. The hope is that they’ll increase their bid if it looks like they aren’t going to win. The vast majority of people aren’t going to be able to focus on an eBay auction while they’re at work… maybe another argument for finding remote work!

M$M eBay tip:

If you want to learn how to sell on eBay successfully, you also need to think about the seasonality of what you’re selling. Timing your auctions is more than just picking the right day of the week to list.

Think about what kind of clothes are going to sell better in the summer, what holidays are coming up, are there big sporting events that would be good for memorabilia or collectibles.

6. Take great photos

Pictures are the best way for online shoppers to get to know a product before they purchase it, and eBay gives you up to 12 pictures — use them well!

Here are tips for taking photos for eBay:

• Make sure your photos are well lit
• They need to be clear, not grainy
• Don’t use filters
• Don’t photoshop anything
• If there are flaws or defects, show them with photos
• Use your own pictures, not ones you’ve found online

The bottom line: The photos you post on eBay should be honest. This will help you build your reputation as a seller, and I’m going to talk a little further down about why this is so important.

7. Set the price

When you are researching your listings, pay attention to the price similar items have sold for. This can help you land on a price for your auction to start at or where you want to set your “Buy It Now” price.

When you are just starting to learn how to sell on eBay, setting prices on the low end (as long as you’re not losing money), will help you gain some sales. This is good for your ratings and can boost future listings.

Low prices also attract more people in an auction, but the flip side is that you run the risk of not selling for what you want. If you feel like you’ve priced an item too high or too low, you can change the price on fixed priced items. You can also change the price of auction items up until the first bid is placed.

M$M eBay tip:

For auction items, you can set something called a “Reserve Price.” It’s the amount an auction needs to reach before you’re willing to actually sell. While it ensures that you make what you want, it costs more and some buyers get annoyed by it.

8. Completing the sale

Even more tips for selling on eBay

You just read some great tips, but here are 13 more tips for selling on eBay that will help you increase your earnings.

Keep your ratings high

Throughout this article, you’ve heard me mention that keeping your ratings high is really freaking important. But it’s more than just showing potential buyers that you’re a reputable seller — eBay rewards sellers with high ratings by listing their items higher in search results.

That’s huge! And if you get really great ratings, eBay may give you a “Top Rated Plus” seal and discount your fees.

Know what the eBay algorithm wants

Just like Google, eBay is a search engine that helps people find exactly what they’re looking for. eBay uses the Best Match algorithm to help buyers sort through their huge marketplace, and here’s what it’s looking for:

• Listings that match search terms
• The popularity of an item
• The price of an item
• Listing quality (photo, description, etc.)
• How complete your listing is
• Services, like free shipping and return policies
• Your history as a seller

Keep all of that in mind if you want to optimize your listings. As long as you follow my tips and steps for how to sell on eBay, you shouldn’t have a problem, though.

One more thing about eBay’s algorithm. People talk a lot about writing for people and not algorithms, but if you look at what eBay wants, it’s exactly what people want! Algorithms, in general, have gotten better at mimicking the human mind… kind of creepy, I know… but it creates a better user experience for everyone.

List items in bulk

Build trust

I’ve talked about this a little bit, but it’s just so important. Trust increases your ratings, which boosts your listings, and helps you earn more money. But also, lying about stuff just isn’t cool.

Here are the best ways to build trust on eBay:

• Use real pictures, like pictures you These do better than the ones you can grab online, and they should show any flaws or defects.
• Consider adding product videos. This is a good way for buyers to get really close and personal with an item.
• Show positive feedback and testimonials in your listings. This is telling potential buyers that you have a good track record.

Buyers love free shipping

With the proliferation of free shipping online, we practically expect free shipping these days. And it changes the way people think about their purchases.

Because eBay knows how much buyers love free shipping, they prioritize sellers who offer it.

Fill in all of the specifics

This is another thing that eBay’s algorithm prioritizes — listings where sellers fill in as much as possible. It also helps buyers who use filters to search for things on eBay. So take the time to fill out all of the specifics.

Be honest in your listings

This is simple. Don’t lie about your listings. Just don’t do it.

Download the eBay app

The eBay app gives sellers a big advantage when they are out hunting for items to sell on eBay. You can use the app to scan barcodes and see what similar items have recently sold for. You’ll learn if something sells well and for how much. The eBay app will help you decide whether or not a product has a high enough resale value and profit margin.

The app can also help you learn how to sell on eBay the easy way because when you scan barcodes, it will autofill relevant information for you. You simply scan the barcode, and scroll down to “Sell one like this.”

Have a return policy

Similar to offering free shipping — eBay prioritizes sellers with more generous return policies. And the reality is that not having one will cause you to lose some potential sales. People want to know there is a safeguard when they buy online.

You can research the return policies of other top sellers in your niche to find what works for you. But whatever you choose, make sure it’s clearly written in your listings.

Copy and paste are your friends

Every single one of your listings should list your policies on payment, shipping, and returns. It’s tedious to type everything out for each item, so that’s where copy and paste come in. Write things out once in Google Docs or a Word doc, then copy and paste in your listings. Then make item-specific changes as needed.

Reply to customers ASAP

Having good customer service is one of the most important things you can learn about how to sell on eBay. That’s because a responsive seller is a good seller.

The point at which someone asks a question means they’re pretty close to bidding or buying an item. Don’t lose them at this crucial moment! When someone sends you a question or concern, get back to them as soon as possible. Also, give them more than a simple “yes” or “no.” You’ll sound more trustworthy if you respond in full sentences.

Lower the reserve price

If you set a reserve price on your auction and it hasn’t been met, lower it about 12 hours out to attract last-minute bidders.

Avoid listing fees

My final word on learning how to sell on eBay

You’ve probably got this by now — there is a lot that goes into selling on eBay. But, that doesn’t mean it should prevent you from giving it a try. There are lots of real people making good money on eBay.

And remember, you can… and should… start small and work your way up. Start selling some things from around your house to make a few extra bucks and see if you like it. If you do, awesome! Follow the tips I’ve listed and let me know how it goes.