how to make money on ebay - australia
TRANSCRIPT
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how tomakemoneyon
todd alexanderAustralias leading eBay expert
t fci pc gui ausi ss
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how to
makemoneyon
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how tomakemoneyon
todd alexander
t ffici pc guif ausi ss
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Todd Alexander is an employee of eBay but wrote this book independently of his
employment. While recognising this book as The Official Guide . . ., eBay takes no
responsibility for i ts content and readers are advised that using the content of this
book does not necessarily mean that the reader will have success buying and sell ing
on eBay. The contents of this book contain the views of the author only and do not
necessarily reflect the views of eBay.
eBay International AG is the exclusive owner of all r ights in the title to, interests andgood will in the eBay identif ication and use of the above in this book is by permission.
First published in 2010
Copyright Todd Alexander 2010
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording or by any information storage
and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the
publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a
maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of this book, whichever
is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for
its educational purposes provided that the educational institution
(or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to
Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act.
Arena Books, an imprint of
Allen & Unwin
83 Alexander Street
Crows Nest NSW 2065
Australia
Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100
Fax: (61 2) 9906 2218
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.allenandunwin.com
Cataloguing-in-Publication details are available
from the National Library of Australia
www.librariesaustralia.nla.gov.au
ISBN 978 1 74237 036 1
Set in 11/13 pt ITC Berkeley Oldstyle Std by Bookhouse, Sydney
Printed in Australia by McPhersons Printing Group
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
mailto:[email protected]://www.allenandunwin.com/http://www.librariesaustralia.nla.gov.au/http://www.librariesaustralia.nla.gov.au/http://www.allenandunwin.com/mailto:[email protected] -
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Contents
Introduction vii
Chapter 1 Safe trading tips for eBay sellers 1
Chapter 2 Becoming an eBay seller 7
Chapter 3 Sourcing products to sell 12
Chapter 4 Preparing and creating listings 23
Chapter 5 Save time with Turbo Lister 32
Chapter 6 Providing outstanding customer service 58
Chapter 7 Managing your inventory with
Selling Manager Pro 69
Chapter 8 Branding and marketing 90
Chapter 9 Optimising your success 120
Chapter 10 Tax, legal and eBay policy considerations 129
Summary 137
Appendix: eBay fees 140
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vii
Introduction
No doubt the majority of Australians have heard ofeBay as a place to buy a wide selection of items, usuallyat great prices. Compared to international markets,
Australia has been slow to adopt e-commerce, withfew of the major retail stores offering a comprehensiveonline offering. Over the years, eBay has becomethe primary destination for the majority of onlineshoppers. Here are some statistics that will help youto decide whether selling on eBay could provide you
with additional incomewhether that is personal,or supplementary to your business: eBayhasaglobalpresencein39markets.Your
items do not have to be offered for sale in everymarket, but you can add them selectively for noadditional fee.
eBayhasapproximately88.4millionactivemembersworldwide.InAustraliaalone,5.35million unique visitors went to eBay.com.au inDecember2008(Nielsen//NetRatingsNetview).
OnanaveragedayforeBayAustralia,ababyitemissoldevery24seconds;aDVD
issoldevery18seconds;atoyissoldevery
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How to Make Money on eBayviii
18seconds;andapieceofwomensclothingsells every 6 seconds.
eBayusersworldwidetradeUS$2000worthofgoods every second.
But the figures alone only tell part of the story.The simple fact about eBay is that it grants you andyour business instant access to one of the busiest
shoppingplatformsontheplanet.Youritemscanbeavailableforsale24hoursaday,sevendaysaweek(regardlessofwhetheryouintendtoworkthosehoursornot).BuyersloveeBaybecausetheycanshopfromthe comfort and safety of their own home at a timethatisconvenienttothem,andtheydonthaveto
fight over parking spaces or with trolleys that leadthem in the opposite direction.
The other thing eBay offers is transparency. At anygiven time, you can see what items are for sale, whois selling them, how much they sell for, and howfrequently they sell. This is the kind of information
most businesses would pay a lot of money for to findout about their competitors or potential markets fortheir products. This does mean your own sales areopen to inspection, of course, but smart businesseswork to streamline their business models so they cancontinually stay one step ahead of the competition.
And so it is that very year, hundreds of thousandsof people clean out their garages and cupboards andsellthingstheynolongerneed.Sometrawlthroughgarage sales and markets looking for those rare orunique items that might fetch a great price on eBay,makingalittlebitofprofitalongtheway.Sellingon
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Introduction ix
eBay is open to just about everyonebut how dosome people turn it into a money-making venture?
There are countless books, courses, e-guides andthe like that promise to teach you how to makemillions of dollars on eBay in your first year . . . allfromthecomfortofyourownhome.Someevensuggest that you can do this working as little as onehour a day. While these things might conceivably be
possible, the reality of the situation is that makingmoney on eBay requires a serious business approach,aswellasathoroughexaminationoftheoptionsavailable to you, and a lot of trial and error.InAustralia,themostsuccessfuleBaysellers(and
someofthemdosellmorethan$1millionworth
ofitemseachyear)arethosewithlargewarehouses,multiple staff members and various supply channelsof stock, a lot of it from overseas. While not everyonewillneedtostartthatbig,knowingeBaysadvancedselling techniques at the outset will help ensure youget the finer details right from the very beginning.
SuccessfuleBaybusinesseshavedisplayedfantasticgrowth rates, but they require careful planning and athoroughknowledgeofeBayssystemsandprocesses.Likeanything,makingalotofprofitdoesnttendtohappen easilyotherwise everyone would be sellingoneBayandwedallbemillionaires.
This book is an advanced selling guide for peopleand businesses who want to use eBay to either estab-lishanonlinechanneltocomplementanexistingbusiness,expandtheironlinepresence,orforthosewanting to start a business from scratch using eBayas their primary channel. Before you get into this
book, it is advisable to read How to Use eBay/How
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How to Make Money on eBayx
to Use PayPalbyToddAlexander(HachetteLivreAustralia,2008)itcoversallofthebasicsofbuying
and selling on eBay Australia and using PayPal, theonline payment mechanism widely used on eBay.There are also chapters on online safety, which area must for anyone buying or selling online.
Each chapter of this book is designed, in thesimplest way possible, to help ensure you are aware of,
and are using, the multitude of selling tools availableto streamline an eBay business. Making a profit isnot only about securing the right products at theright price and being able to sell them successfully,itsalsoaboutensuringyouhaveagreatreputationand lots of repeat customers. More importantly, profit
is also about minimising your other business costs,and when it comes to selling on eBay, one of the mostexpensiveisthetimeitcantaketosellhundredsorthousands of items. Not every tool covered in thesechapters will be necessary for your eBay sales. Theyare provided here as options, and after reading the
book you should choose those that are most suitableto your skills, your products, and how much timeand resources you have to invest in selling on eBay.Establishing the right business systems upfront isthe only way to help optimise your performance oneBay, and beyond.
Each month, more than 5 million people visit eBayAustralia (Nielsen//NetRatings Netview), and thereisntasinglebusinessinthecountrythatwouldturn down traffic like that! According to June 2006
AC Nielsen research, 52,700 Australians make theirfull- or part-time living on eBay, and for more than
17,500 it is their primary or only source of income.
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Introduction xi
Why not add your name to the list? Like any wayof making profit, nothing is guaranteed, but arming
yourself with the right knowledge is key.Before we begin, there are four basic rules to
makingmoneyoneBay.Observethese,andyoullbewellonyourwaytorealisingmaximumprofit.1 Sourcetherightproductsfortherightprice.2 Provide the kind of service that separates you
from your competitors.3 Market your products better than any of your
competitors.4 Continually look for ways to improve your busi-
ness model.
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1
Chater 1
Safe trading tips for
eBay sellers
Much has been written about the dangers of trading
online. In actual fact, selling on eBay or your ownwebsite generates no greater security threat thanstarting your own retail or wholesale business. Whenselling online, remaining safe can be achieved byusing simple commonsense.
Passwords
As your eBay sales grow, you may need more thanone person to access your eBay and PayPal accounts.RememberthatanyonewithyoureBaypasswordhasthe ability to alter business-critical functions, and
even has the ability to purchase items on the site.Keeparecordofallemployees/colleagueswhoknowyour eBay password, but never put the password inwriting or circulate it via email. The password shouldbe a combination of letters and numerals, and amixtureofupperandlowercase.Foraddedsecurity,
consider changing your passwords on the first of
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How to Make Money on eBay2
every month. This means that only those employeeswho need to gain access to eBay on a daily basis will
know it, and past employees, or those who havechanged roles, will not be able to maintain access.
In order to sell on eBay, all sellers must offer PayPal(theeBay-ownedonline-paymentmechanism).YourPayPal password should be guarded more carefully.Only those who are empowered to make financial
decisions for your company should be granted accessto your PayPal account as, once logged in, they cantransfer funds or pay for items bought online, andthey may also be able to gain access to your bankaccount and credit card information.
Financial accounts
In order to limit the threat of loss, it is advisable toopen a bank account and a PayPal account and havea credit card all of which are only used for businesspurposes. Limit the amount of funds available in
each so that if their security should be breached,yourlossislimitedtoalowamount.Somebanksnow offer mobile phone password protection whentransferring money to new accounts, while yourcredit cardsTCVnumber(locatedon theback ofthecard)meansapersonmusthavethecardintheir
possession in order to use it.Stayontopofyourfinancialrecords.Alwaysdouble-check your financial statements and query anyunfamiliar amounts with your bank immediately.
For PayPal, you can limit the type of accessyour employees can gain if you open a business
account. In doing so, different passwords allow
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Safe trading tips for eBay sellers 3
different employees access to the areas of the siteyou specify. Again, if you see any activity on your
PayPal account that looks questionable, contactPayPal immediately.
Spoof mail
Spoofisanunfortunaterealityoftheonlineworld.
Spoofemailsarecreatedbycriminalstotrytotrapyou into entering sensitive or financial informationonline. Once gained, your information can then beusedforfraudulenttransactions.Recentdevelopmentshave made it easier for law-enforcement professionalsto track down online fraudsters, but the best way to
avoid being the victim of online fraud is to useprotection. Makesureallthecomputersyouuseforyour
eBay sales are enabled with security software. Neverenteryourpersonalorfinancial
information into a website with which you are
unfamiliar. Ifanofferorrewardsoundstoogoodtobetrue, it probably is.
IfyoureceiveanemailpurportingtobefromeBay, PayPal or your financial institution, andit asks you to enter your password via email,
reportitasspoof([email protected], [email protected], or check yourbanksspoofmailforwardingaddress).
Whenmakinganonlinepayment,makesurethe site uses a verified security gateway.
Toavoidreceivingspoofaltogether,createan
emailaddressthatisdifficulttoguess.For
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How to Make Money on eBay4
example,ifyoureBayuserIDisabc123,dontmake your email address [email protected]
or your contact email [email protected] fraudsters have sophisticated softwareto help them guess your contact information,leaving you open to unsolicited email thatcan be a nuisance or a threat to running yourbusiness.
PayPal seller protection on eBay
PayPal offers sellers on eBay protection on qualifyingtransactions in the event that the sale should be thesubject of a credit card chargeback, or when a buyer
claimismadethroughPayPalsonlinedisputeprocessfor items not received or significantly different towhatwasdescribedbytheseller.Sellerprotectionisprovidedatnoextracharge.Inordertomakeaclaim, a seller must: sellanitemoneBayandacceptpaymentinto
theirAustralianPayPalaccount(theitemmustbe a tangible good, not digital or a service, forexample);
sendtheitemviaanapprovedpostalservicetothebuyersaddress,asstipulatedonthePayPaltransactionpage(approvedpostalservices
include those that can provide proof of ship-ment, an official acceptance by the shipper anddocumentationshowingtherecipientsaddress).
Note that where a seller cannot provide the neces-sary documentation, and the buyer is able to prove
their item was not received or was different to as
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Safe trading tips for eBay sellers 5
described, the seller will have to finance the costof providing the buyer with the refund. This is the
same as usually occurs for retail stores.
T i p : Check with your supplier in instances where a
product is broken or faulty, as they may also provide you
with a refund that you can pass on to your buyer.
ThefulllistofeligibilitycriteriaforPayPalsseller protection on eBay can be found at: https://www.paypal.com/au/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/ua/ua-outside#spp-policy.
Budgeting for loss
Operating any business successfully means preparingforsomelosses.Sensiblebusinessplanswillcalculatean anticipated percentage of loss and include this intheir budget and performance targets.Forstock,thisiscommonlyknownasshrinkage.
Shrinkageoccurswhenaproductisdamagedorlostintransit(fromthesuppliertoyou,orfromyoutoyourcustomer),fromtheftorfromanaccountingerror(incorrectquantitiesreceivedorsent).Asensiblepercentage to plan for is around 510 per cent,depending on the type and quantity of products you
plan to sell. If your business cannot sustain writingoffthatlevelofshrinkage,youshouldrevisityourprofit margins to decide whether there is an adequatemarket for your products.
Other losses than can commonly occur in businessare unpaid items that may have inadvertently been
sent to the buyer before payment was received, items
https://www.paypal.com/au/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/ua/ua-outside#spp-policyhttps://www.paypal.com/au/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/ua/ua-outside#spp-policyhttps://www.paypal.com/au/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/ua/ua-outside#spp-policyhttps://www.paypal.com/au/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/ua/ua-outside#spp-policyhttps://www.paypal.com/au/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/ua/ua-outside#spp-policyhttps://www.paypal.com/au/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/ua/ua-outside#spp-policy -
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How to Make Money on eBay6
that were paid for with a stolen credit card or via anaccounttakeover(whenacriminalgainsaccesstoa
bankorfinancialaccount),or,insomecircumstances,where a payment is reversed by the buyer via theirfinancial provider.
While somebanks and insurance agencies (andPayPalseeabove)providecoverageandsupportforshrinkage, not budgeting for it at all will mean your
projected profit margins are unlikely to be reached.SeeChapter10formoreinformationregardinginsurance for your business.
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7
Chater 2
Becoming an
eBay seller
Business registration
If you have not done so already, register as a businesson eBay. This may not seem an important or obviousstep but, increasingly, eBay is looking for ways toidentify which of its sellers consider themselves
businesses. In the future, businesses may be subjectto special promotional offers and specific marketingsupport from eBay.
To register as a business: ClicktheRegistertextlinkattheverybottom
of any eBay page.
Next,clickthelinkatthetopoftheregistrationpage that says: Want to open an account foryourcompany?
Fillintherelevantinformationforyourbusi-ness, and accept the terms and conditions at thebottomofthepage.ClickContinue.
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How to Make Money on eBay8
ChooseyourUserID.RemembertochooseanIDthatreflectsyourbusinessnameand/orthe
productsyousell.YouruserIDishowpeoplewill come to remember you, so choose carefully.
Createapassword.ClickContinue. Nowcheckyouremailandfollowthestepsto
confirm your business registration.
If you are already registered on eBay and you wouldlike to change your account to become a businessaccount, here are the steps involved: ClicktheMyeBaylinkatthetopofanyeBay
page. Signintothesite(ifnotalreadysignedin).
Ontheleft-handnavigationofMyeBay,undertheMyaccountheading,clickonpersonalinformation.
Onthenextpage,ontheAccounttypeline,clickontheEditlinkontheright-handside.
Signinagaintoconfirmyouridentity.
Next,typeinyourbusinessnameandselectyour business type. ClicktheChangetobusinessaccountbutton.
PayPal tips for businesses
PayPal is the eBay-owned online payment systemwidely used by buyers on eBay, and online in general.As covered in Chapter 6, it is advisable to offer achoice of payment options to your buyers, and someeBay sites include a minimum requirement that youmust accept PayPal, or process credit card payments
through PayPal.
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Becoming an eBay seller 9
Before you sign up to PayPal, you should be awareof some of the key features that PayPal offers busi-
nesses. There are three account types to choose fromwhen signing up to PayPal:1 personal;2 premier;or3 business.
It might sound obvious, but businesses should signup for a business account because it comes with thefollowing advantages: unlimitedcreditanddebitcardpaymentacceptance;
abilitytoacceptsubscriptionsandrecurring
payments; abilitytoacceptmasspayments(frommultiplebuyersatonce);
multi-useraccess(seepage2);and abilitytobrandyourPayPalaccountwithyour
business name.
PayPal charges a low fee per local transaction(currently30cents)andapercentagefeeofthetotalpayment(includingpostage).Thepercentageyoupay depends on your PayPal account and the totalamount of payments you have received into your
PayPal account in the previous month. Additionally,you need to apply to have merchant rates assigned toyour accountit is a one-time application, and youwill automatically receive discounted rates as long asyou meet the minimum criteria of payments receivedand have your account in good standing. These are
the fees applied to your total monthly payments:
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How to Make Money on eBay10
Under$5000=2.4percent $5000.01to$15,000=2.0percent
$15,000.01to$150,000=1.5percent Above$150,000=1.1percent
To apply for merchant rates you will only be ableto see the application form within your account onceyouhaveachievedmorethan$5000inpayments.
PayPal also offers a special rate for accounts thatsellalargevolumeoflow-valueitems.Youneedtoapply for micropayments and be aware that the ratewill apply to all of the items you accept payment for,regardless of their value. The rate is 5 per cent plus 5cents per transaction. To find out more information
and to apply, go to: https://micropayments.paypal-labs.com/.
Selling internationally
One of the most powerful advantages that eBay brings
to sellers is the opportunity to list your item for saleglobally.Fewothermarketplaceshavethepower,and the sheer buyer numbers, to match thatproposition. The even better part is that you do notneed to pay additional fees to have your item seenby buyers in any part of the world.
Before you decide whether to list your item forinternational sale, there are a few things you shouldconsider: Ifyouspeakanotherlanguage,mentionthisin
your listings or even have parts of your listingsin the foreign language.
https://micropayments.paypal-labs.com/https://micropayments.paypal-labs.com/https://micropayments.paypal-labs.com/https://micropayments.paypal-labs.com/https://micropayments.paypal-labs.com/ -
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Becoming an eBay seller 11
Thinkcarefullyaboutthecurrencyyouwishtolist your item in. If you list on eBay.com.au and
make your item available to another country,your product will generally appear in Australiandollars. However, if you go directly to therelevantsite(afulllistisavailableontheeBay.com.auhomepage),youritemwillappearinthelocal currency of the site you have chosen.
SomesellersestablishmultipleuserIDs,eachone specialising in the sale of products to aparticular eBay market.
Makesureyouarefullyawareoftheimportinglaws and regulations in each marketdo yourresearch thoroughly as otherwise you may be
inadvertently breaking the law. Researchwhattariffsmaybepayableonreceipt
of the goods. Make sure your buyers are alsoaware of these charges and who will need topay for these.
RefertotheAustralianGovernmentwebsiteto
ensure you have all the relevant information, at:http://www.daff.gov.au/aqis/export. TheAustralianTradeCommissionisanAustralianGovernmentbodythatassistssmallbusinesseswithexporting.Findoutifyouqualifyforassistancebyvisiting:http://www.
austrade.gov.au/.
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12
Chater 3
Sourcing products
to sell
Here is the plain and simple truthevery tip and
instruction in this book will not make you a successwithout you sourcing the right product to sell oneBay.Sellingproductswithaprovenmarket,attheright price, and the right amount of supply are amongthe key ingredients to ensuring your eBay success.
By success, the inference here is size of turnover
andamountofprofit.Youcouldspecialiseinsellinga small quantity of high-priced items, each with agoodmargin.Takerefrigerators,forexample.Sellingfivetoteneachweekat$2000peritemmakesyoua pretty sizable business, and if your profit marginis10percentoneachitemyoucanseethatyoure
well on the way. But you can also sell 1000 CDs eachweekfor$10each.Aturnoverof$10,000aweeksounds like a lot, but by the time you subtract allyour overheads . . . in actual fact your business maynot be sustainable in the long term.
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Sourcing products to sell 13
T i p : When weighing up your businesss potential for
success, you should get professional advice from an
accountant or financial adviser.
Net profit is the amount remaining after all yourexpenseshavebeensubtracted.Herearesomeofthebusiness costs you need to consider, all of which eataway your gross profit to deliver your net profit:
costofpurchasingeachitem; costofhavingtheitemdeliveredtoyoubythesupplier,unlessitsfree;
phonecalls,lettersandtraveltoyouractualandpotentialsuppliers;
eBayfees;
PayPalfees; bankandcreditcardfees; postageandpackagingcostsnotpaidforbyyourbuyers;
costofprintingflyers,invoices,thank-younotes,etc.,andthecostofthepapertheyreprintedon;
othermarketingcosts(suchasGoogleads,letterboxdrops,printadvertising,etc.); electricitycostsofrunningacomputerandprinter,andthelightsoveryourhead;
costofthepetrolittakestodeliveryourproducts to the post office, and the cost of
maintainingyourcartodoso; costofyourcomputerandprinter,andanyother equipment you use to make your businessprofessionalthetelephone,fax,filingcabinets,software,etc.;
thehourlyrateyoupayanyonetohelpyou(youmay have friends or family who help out for
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How to Make Money on eBay14
free, but the bigger your business gets the lessyoucanrelyonfreelabour);
costofstorage/warehousing(thisincludesspaceinyourhouseifyoucantuseittodo anything other than run your business, itbecomesanadditionalcost);
costofitemsthatarelost,stolenordamaged(althoughsomemaybecoveredbyinsurance
seeChapter10);and accounting,legalandotherprofessionalfees.
...andthisisntbyanystretchoftheimaginationanexhaustivelistofoverheads.Allofasuddenyour$10,000turnoveraweekfor
sellingCDsturnsinto$200netprofit,andforthe65 hours it takes you to sell and send up to 150 CDseveryday,yourepayingyourselfthegrandamountof$3.08perhour!Dontforgettopayyourtaxes.
Being online, eBay is a transparent marketplace,which means everyone can always see what products
you are selling and at what price. They can even seetheonesyoure not selling.Thismeans thateverymove you make can be scrutinised, and copied, bynewandexistingcompetitors.Thisiswhyanonlinebusiness needs to continually evolve and always beon the lookout for new directions.
Completed-items search
It may sound obvious, but the best place to startyour research for finding the right products to sellon eBay is by conducting a completed-items search
on the site. Here, you will see a list of recently
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Sourcing products to sell 15
sold and unsold items, their price, the seller, thedescription, the postage costs . . . everything you
need to gauge why an item was or was not successful.Moreimportantly,youllalsogettoseehowmanyiems were listed.
You should at least start with a rough idea ofwhattypeofproductyouwouldliketosell.Ifyourecompletely new to this, start with a product that
youreapassionateuserofitwillmakeyourjobofmarketing easier, not to mention answering questionsfromyourcustomers.Youcanbrowseanentirecategoryspastsalestotrytofindcluesthatwillhelp identify inventory gaps on eBay. If you lookhardenough,theycertainlydoexist.
To conduct a completed-items search, clickAdvancedsearchatthetopofanyeBaypage,typein your product keywords or choose a category fromthedrop-downlist,checktheCompletedlistingsboxandthenclicktheblueSearchbox.Itemsthatsold will show the amount in green, unsold items
in red, and multiple-quantity items that did not sellout completely will be in black.Here are some questions to ask when browsing
through completed items. They will help you findwhether there is a possible inventory gap that youritems could fill.
Whatisthecheapestsaleprice?Doyouhaveenough gross margin to compete on price? Ofalltheproductslisted,howmanysell?(Be
sure to include all the items within a multiple-quantitylisting.)Ifyousourcethatproduct,how quickly do you need to sell it? How often
doesaproductselloneBay?(Thisisknown
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How to Make Money on eBay16
assalesvelocityyoudontwanthundredsorthousands of products sitting there not selling,
becausethelongertheydontsellthelesscashfrom sales you will have to purchase moreproducts.)
Whoistheseller?AretheylocatedinAustraliaor overseas? Is their feedback better than yours?
Whatistheitemtitleanddescriptionlike?
Could you do a better job marketing the item toprospectivebuyers?Goodenoughtohavethembuy the item from you and nobody else?
Howmuchpostagedoesasuccessfulsellercharge, and can you compete?
Where you cannot find any history of the item youwanttosell,thisdoesnotnecessarilymeanyouregoing to make a fortune by flooding the site withthousandsofproducts.Searchforsimilaritems,tryalternative keywords and spellings, and perhaps evencheck an international eBay site or conduct a search
onGoogle to see if someonehas alreadycorneredthe market in that item.
Networking to find products to sell
When I tell people I work at eBay, I am still amazed
bythenumberwhosayIvealwayswantedtoselloneBay,andofthese,thehighproportionthatare business people who want to use eBay as anadditionalchanneltotheirexistingsales.Ifyouarecontinually looking for new product opportunities,as all successful business minds should be, always
carry your eBay business card with you. Take every
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Sourcing products to sell 17
opportunitytoexplaintopeoplethatyouruna
businesssellingotherpeoplesproductsoneBayand
are always on the lookout for new lines.Meeting possible leads is only part of the equation,
however.Youshouldhaveonstandbyapresentation
ready to email or print and send to potential suppliers
thatexplainsyourbusinessmodel,highlightssomeof
your previous successes and outlines the opportunity
for sales on eBay.Communications with potential suppliers should
always be professional. If your eBay business looks
as though it is run out of a backyard garage, why
wouldasupplierchooseyoutoextendtheirsales
when they could just as easily do it themselves?
Wholesalers and manufacturers
Onceyouvediscoveredwhat typeofproduct you
want to sell, make a target list of manufacturers and
wholesalers you want to approach to provide you
with products. This will be a long, slow process, so
get ready to invest some hard yards.
A lot of companies you contact out of the blue will
not even return your callsyou need to be intelligent
aboutwhoyouapproachwithinthebusiness.Start
withasalesand/ormarketingdirector.Aquick
internet search can often unearth the name and
contact details of relevant personnel within most
companies.Berealisticaboutwhereyoustart;if
you have zero feedback and have never sold on eBaybefore,itsunlikelyyoullgetamultimillion-dollar
company to sell directly to you. Aim for a business
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that has enough product, but not too many products,for you to manage as a re-seller.
Here are some basic concepts you should addressin your pitch to a prospective supplier: Whoareyouandwhatisyourworkhistory? WhatiseBay?Alotofbusinesseshavestillnotexploreditfully,sothinklikeabusinessand relay some of the more compelling propo-
sitions eBay has to offer, such as the number ofmembers,qualityofthesearchexperience,thefeedback system, etc.
WhyisyoureBaybusinessagoodchoiceforre-selling this type of product?
Whatisthepotentialsizeofthemarketforthis
type of product on eBay? HowcansellingtheproductoneBaybeconsideredcomplementarytotheexistingbusinessand not in conflict with their ownsales channels, or their other re-sellers?
Whattermsandconditionswouldyouexpect
under a proposed agreement? What would theycharge at wholesale, and what would you sellfor on eBay?
WhataresomeexamplesofyoureBaybranding?Remember,youhavetosellyourself!
Internet searches
If you are patient, the right combination of keywordsin an internet search can reveal a host of local andinternational websites that feature wholesalers andtheirproducts.Someareopenmarketplaces,others
give you the opportunity to advertise your own
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Sourcing products to sell 19
business with an outline of the services you offer.We could provide you with a list of ten great sites,
but finding supply is one of the best-kept secrets oneBay and if every reader of this book flooded aparticularsite,well,therewouldntbeanycompetitiveadvantage anymore, would there? Be patient andcreative with your searches and you will find someopportunities.
T i p : Remember to be safe online! If an offer looks too
good to be true, it probably is. Merely having a website
does not mean that a business is legitimate. Before you
part with your money, consider using an escrow service
that will hold your payment in trust and only release
it once you have indicated you have received, and aresatisfied with, the products.
Importing
Overtheyears,Ivespentalotoftimeworkingwith
someofeBaysmostsuccessfulsellers.Aconsider-able number of them import items from overseas.Importing brings with it a distinct set of opportunitiesandchallenges.StartbyreferringtotheAustralianGovernmentsCustomswebsitehttp://www.customs.gov.au for important information regarding your
obligations as an importer. There are a number ofdocuments, fees and rules you need to be aware ofbefore beginning an import business. It is best toseek professional legal and accounting advice on theimplications of importing items from overseas.Yournextstepshouldbetosearchoninternational
eBay sites. Chances are, other sellers have checked
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How to Make Money on eBay20
these sites to see what is available, and for how much.What you really need to do is look for a gap in the
marketsomething that is not readily available oneBay anywhere in the world.
Throughout the year, a number of organisationsholdimportingconferencesandexhibitionsdesignedto help Australians establish contacts with inter-nationalbusinesses.Youcanalsomakecontact
with various embassies that will refer you to tradeorganisations within their country.Theexperienceofmostothersellersistheneed
to establish face-to-face communications and rela-tionships with foreign businesses to help ensurea smooth working relationship. By working with
foreigngovernmentagencies,youremorelikelytobe assured quality leads than you are if you attemptto establish contacts once you arrive.
Become an eBay trading assistant
Trading assistants are people who sell products oneBay on behalf of other people or businesses. eBayhas a directory of all trading assistants, and althoughthe volumes can be relatively modest, it is a goodwaytofindsomeextraproductstosell.Whilemostof the clients you provide this service to tend to be
people with several unique items left after clearingout their houses, there is nothing to stop you frompromoting yourself as an eBay trading assistant tobusinesses with high volumes of inventory.
Trading assistants enter into individual agreementswith clients and can set their own terms of trade.
Sometakeapercentageofthefinalpriceoftheitem,
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Features of eBay file exchange
The tool allows businesses to upload listings via
aCSV(comma-separatedvalues)ortab-delimitedfile.TheexchangepopulatesparticulareBaylistinginformation such as item specifics, but presumes aminimum knowledge of using spreadsheet programssuchasExcelorAccessandwillrequiresomefamiliaritywitheBayssellingfields,suchasformat,
duration, etc.FormoreinformationoneBayfileexchange go
to:http://pages.ebay.com.au/file_exchange/.Formoreinformation regarding uploading products to eBay,refer to chapters 5 and 7, and the solutions directoryfeaturedinChapter9.
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23
Chater 4
Preparing and
creating listings
Item photo
The first thing buyers are generally attracted to whenthey look for an item on eBay is the picture thatappears in search results. Buyers skip over listingsthat do not have a picture and, similarly, avoid photos
of items that are blurry or too small.If you have a professional catalogue of the itemsyou want to sell on eBay, you do have the option ofuploading images from your own website by usingtheexistingURL.However,themajorityofneweBaybusinesses will need to invest the time to create
eye-catching, competitive product images that piqueyourpotentialbuyersinterestimmediately.
T i p : Copying images and/or descriptions from other
websites or other eBay sellers may be infringing copyright
law and should be avoided.
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When taking a photo of your items, here are somebasic things to consider:
Canyouseeenoughdetailoftheproduct?Movethecameratowardstheimage,dontusezoom.
Havetheproductsetagainstaplain(preferablywhite)background.
Useatripodtoavoidshakyhandsandblurryphotos.
Avoidusingflashes;usenaturallightwhereavailable.
Placetheproductinsitu.Forexample,forclothing,itsadvisabletoinvestinamannequinor have a friend model them for you rather thanlaying them flat.
Item price
Letsputthisasbluntlyaspossible:youcouldhavethe best product and the best service in the world,butifyoudontcompeteonpriceyouwillmissout
onsales. InChapter 3,we covered theconcept ofprofit margin. To be successful on eBay you need toensure there is a market for your product that willsell at the price that will make you a sustainable netprofit. Do your research thoroughlyon eBay, onother e-commerce sites and even offlineto ensure
that you will be able to sell your products at a highlycompetitive price.It is true that some sellers will gain competitive
advantage by having the best reputations, the bestdesigned listing and by providing the best service,but, especially in this economic environment, it is
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Preparing and creating listings 25
the bargain that is going to attract the most buyerattention.RemembermostpeopleshoponeBay
because of the perception that it has the biggestrange at the best value.SmarteBaybusinessesalsoneedtobeagile.You
may start with one or even no competitors, but duetohowtransparentthemarketplaceis,itwonttakelong before someone starts selling the same product
as you, and usually at a cheaper price. Make sureyou have some ability to discount if the situationrequires it.
Providing the best value for any specific productwillalsoassistyourrankingineBayssearchresults.Seebelow.
Item title
The third thing buyers pay attention to is the title.You only have 55 characters for your item title,and you should use that space to the absolute best
of your ability to promote the product on sale. Notonlyaresuperfluoustermssuchascool,l@@kandw0wrarelysearchedforbybuyers,butyourealso wasting the potential to have your item appearhigher in search results.
Your item title shouldbe a simple list ofhighly
relevant product keywords that buyers will searchfor.RefertoChapter8fortipsonfindingthemostrelevanttermsforyourproduct.Forexample,NewApple iPod Touch 32GBMP3 2ndGencontainsmore popular search terms than Look New iPodTouchCoolforKids.
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T ip : Remember to include the obvious! Browse through
the DVD category and youll begin to appreciate how
many listings do not contain the term DVD, or listingswithout the word book in the Books category.
Item description
Now that your photo, price and item title have
broughtyourpotentialbuyertoyourlistingsViewitempage,youneedtokeeptheirattentionandlurethem into a sale. At the top of the page, feature eithera larger, clear picture of the item, or immediately listcritical product details. Be factual and avoid floweryoroverlyexpressivelanguage,unlessyouritemisa
one-of-a-kind and buyers will find the backgroundstory relevant and appealing.Onceyouvedescribedtheitemasfactually,thor-
oughly and professionally as possible, clearly listyour payment and postage details. Include as manyoptions as possible and do not discourage or favour
anyparticularoptions.Thisisthebuyerschoice,and if they favour a particular method they shouldnot be discouraged from using it.Avoidexcessivedesign,colouring,fontsizesand
styles. It creates an impression that the seller isunprofessional and in some cases can make it harder
forthebuyertoreadwhatyoureselling.Finally, avoid terse, threatening or lengthymessaging around your trading terms. There arecountless sellers out there who go to great painstowarnyouagainstbuyingtheirproduct.Itsfairto outline your general terms of trade, as any goodretailer will do, but 200 lines of bold, capped red
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Preparing and creating listings 27
textyellingatbuyerstobewarewillonlyturnmoreof your prospective customers away. No business
can afford to do so and remain sustainable for thelong term.
Item categorisation
It is imperative that you categorise your item as
accurately as possible when you list it on eBay. Notonly will buyers be able to find it more easily, buteBayssearchalgorithmrewardslistingsofmorerelevant categorisation by promoting them higherin search results.
Category is the most obvious and important tool
ofclassification.WithintheDVDscategory,forexample,sellersarepresentedwitharoundeighteensub-categoryoptions.IfyoulistyourDVDinacategorywiththewordotherinit(suchasOtherDVDgenres)thenyouwillloseallbuyerswhobrowseforthattitlewithinComedy.Similarly,
miscategorisation may lead to your account beinglimitedbyeBay(refertoChapter10).Many categories also include item specifics.
These are important product attributes relevant tothe category, such as region, format and conditionwithinDVDs.eBayrecentlyintroducedanewsearch
functionality that allows buyers to select multipleproduct attributes to refine their searches. If youdo not specify item specifics, your listings may begroupedwithotherlistingsinthenonspecifiedcategoryhardly appealing for buyers!
Finally, somecategories include pre-filled item
information,alsoknownascatalogues.Thesewill
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How to Make Money on eBay28
pre-fill certain product features within your listing.Wherever these are available they should be used,
as they help provide more relevant information forbuyersearches,andwhatsmoretheycanreducethetime it takes you to complete a listing.
Choosing the right format
Gettingtherightpicture,descriptionandcategoris-ation for your item is only part of the equation inattracting more buyers to your listings. Anothercrucial element is ensuring you list your particularproduct in the right format. On eBay, there are anumberofformats/optionstochoosefrom.Belowis
a list and a brief outline of what types of productsmay be best suited to each. Auction:rare,high-demand,highlycollectable
items of uncertain value. AuctionwithBuyItNow:uniqueitemswitha
recognised general value.
Fixedprice(BuyItNow):commonproductswith a widely known value. Fixedprice(BuyItNow)withbestoffer:
common products that are often subjected tohaggling, such as appliances.
Classifieds(onlyavailableinselectedcategories):
vehicles, services, real estate. Second-chanceoffers(availableonallauctionandfixed-pricelistings):allowsyoutomakeasecond offer to buyers who have not actuallywon your item.
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Preparing and creating listings 29
Also bear in mind that eBay has different pricingfordifferentformats.RefertotheAppendix.
Best match: eBays search algorithm
On most eBay sites around the world, and in mostcategories, the search default is to an algorithmcalledMostrelevantorBestmatch.eBaydoesnot
reveal what the precise algorithm equation is, and itdoes vary from site to site and, in some cases, fromcategory to category. As an eBay seller, improvingyour search ranking can make the difference betweenbeing a successful seller and one who struggles tocompete with others in their category.
Best match was designed to encourage healthycompetition among sellers by rewarding those whooffer the best service and value with the top positionin search results, rather than defaulting the positionon a time-ending basis.
Below are eight tips for helping to improve your
rankingineBayssearch.Nonearesurefiresolutionsto success, but being aware of, and attempting tooptimise your performance in, each of them willassist your ranking considerably.1 Value:eBaystrivestodrivevalueforitsbuyers.Ifyouarethemostexpensiveseller,ortheone
whooffersthemostexpensivepostageoptions,the search algorithm is more likely to demoteyour listings.
2 Relevance:makesureyouritemtitleisasrelevant as possible to the product you arelisting and, simultaneously, is highly relevant to
the name of the category you have listed your
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How to Make Money on eBay30
itemin.Forexample,listingaDVDcleanerintheRomanceDVDscategorywillmostlikely
result in your listing being demoted.3 Popularity:forfixed-pricelistings,yourchances
of ranking higher are improved if your listinghas multiple items and has a recent history ofsales.Forexample,ifyoulisttenidenticalshirtsin one listing and you sell three of the ten, your
ranking is likely to be higher than if you sellfive of the same shirt as five individual listings.Soinordertofurtherboostyoursuccess,themore of the same item you can sell within onelistingthebetter.Youthereforeneedtocompeteon price, service, photo, title, description and
so on to attract as many buyers as possible toimprove your sales of that item.
4 Service:asellersdetailedsellerratings(seeChapter6)arecriticaltoyourrankinginsearchresults. Make sure you offer great service to allyour buyers so they rank you highly on item
description accuracy, your communication, yourpostage costs and how long it takes them toreceive the item.
5 Changes: if you change any detail in your listingit is likely to impact your ranking in a search.Forexample,changingthepriceofyouritemis
likelytore-setyourlistingasnew,losinganyprevious sales data you have gathered so thatyour popularity ranking will effectively be lost.
6 Policy violations: if you are a seller with a poortrack record in eBay policies, you will mostlikely be demoted in search rankings. It is
thereforevitalthatyouunderstandallofeBays
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32
Chater 5
Save time with
Turbo Lister
What is Turbo Lister?
TurboListeriseBaysfast,freeandeasylistingtool.It allows you to create professional looking listingsquicklyandedittheminbulk.Youcanduplicatelistings to save time, and create templates for similar
products so that all standard information remains thesame and all you need to do is add product-specificdetails.Itsmuchfasterandmoreconvenientthanlisting directly on eBay, especially for businesseswith deep product ranges.Settingupyourtemplateistheonlytime-consuming
part.Oncethatsdoneitcanbecopiedthousandsof times, with editing product-specific information asimple function away. Turbo Lister enables you to: edityourlistingquicklyandeasily; customiseyouroptionstocreateandeditnewlistings; addphotosandpreviewyourlistingswithout
beingconnectedtotheinternet;
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Save time with Turbo Lister 33
automaticallyinsertpaymentterms,postageandanymessagesyouwishtoinclude;
setuptemplatessoyouonlyhavetoenterthisinformationonce;
scheduleyourlistingstostartwheneveryouwish;and
uploadupto3000listingstoeBaywithasingleclick.
Who should use Turbo Lister?
Turbo Lister is primarily aimed at those listinganything from a few hundred to a few thousandlistings at a time. It is not recommended for businesseswith their own listing tools or inventory systems, as
in this instance a third party listing or inventorytoolmaybemoresuitable.Forinformation,seeSolutionsDirectoryonpage127.
How do I download Turbo Lister?
Before you download Turbo Lister, first check tosee if you have the following computer systemrequirements: WindowsVista,Windows2000orWindowsXP(WindowsXPrecommended).
450MHzorfasterprocessor(PentiumIIIor
higherrecommended). 256MBRAM. Atleast250MBfreeharddiskspaceis
required, but 500 MB is recommended. Internetconnection. InternetExplorer5.5orlater.
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TodownloadTurboLister,gotohttp://pages.ebay.com.au/help/sell/turbo-lister-install.html and
click on the Download the Turbo Lister programherelink.
T i p : Because Turbo Lister is not an online tool, it
needs to be sent online to eBay to check for relevant
updated information. Before starting a large amount
of work creating or editing your listings, you shouldalways check for updates to important information like
category numbers and fees. To check for updates, click
on Tools, then Check for program updates in the top
navigation menu.
Finding your way around Turbo Lister
Most of the actions you need to perform in TurboLister are done via the top navigation menu andthe sub-navigation menu. When referring to thetopnavigationmenu,wemeanFile,Edit,View,
ToolsandHelp,justbelowtheTurboListerlogo.The sub-navigation menu will not always be active,but includes the pictorial buttons on the second line,fromNewthroughtoHelp.
Fgure 5.1: Navigation menus
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Save time with Turbo Lister 35
T i p : When you first open Turbo Lister, tips will appear
in a pop-up box. Its worth leaving this enabled to check
for important updates and to learn handy hints. It can beclosed each time by clicking on the Close button in the
bottom right-hand corner. To disable the tips, unselect
the Show tips at startup box in the bottom left-hand
corner. To see these tips at any time, choose Help, then
Turbo Lister tips from the top navigation menu.
Fgure 5.2: Tips pop-up box
Importing listings into Turbo Lister
Thefirstthingyouneedtodoisimportyourexisting
listings(ifyouhaveany)fromeBaysoyoucanstoreand edit them within Turbo Lister. To do this clickFile,thenImportitems,FromeBaylistings,fromthetopnavigationmenu.Next,choosewhichofyoureBay listings you would like to import by checkingtherelevantboxes.ThenclickImport.
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Fgure 5.3: Importing existing listings
Depending on where your listings were locatedwithinMyeBayorSellingManagerPro,yourlistingswillnowappearwithinTurboListersInventoryorListingactivityfieldsintheleft-handnavigation.The left-hand navigation is a group of your folders,
andeachcanbeexpandedbyclickingononeofthesmall arrows to the right.
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Save time with Turbo Lister 37
Fgure 5.4: Locating imported files
Note that you can also import listings from a fileon your computer. To do this, on the top navigationclickFile,thenImportitems,thenFromfile.
Creating a new listing/new template
Letsstartbycreatinganewlistingfromscratch.RefertoChapter4formoretipsoncreatingagreatitemlisting. It is best to create a new listing by going to
theinventoryandopeningtheMyitemsfolder.Onceinthefolder,clickNew,thenCreatenewlisting,orNew,then Createnewtemplate.Youwillnowbetaken to the fields you need to complete in order tocreate a listing from scratch. However, note that youcansimplycopyanexistinglistingandchangethe
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How to Make Money on eBay38
fieldsit is very simple to do so and instructionsarelistedonpage49.
Title
1 Complete the item title. Be sure to only usehighlyrelevantsearchablekeywords.Youhave55 characters, so do not waste any space on
pointlesstermssuchasl@@korcool.Ifcreating a template you may wish to leave thisblankorputinagenericlabelsuchasDVDR4newsoyoucanaddindividualproductdetailslater.
2 Complete the listing subtitle if you need to
add more information and have it appear belowthe title in the search results list. Note thatthis incurs an additional fee. Leave blank fortemplates unless you have a standard subtitleyou want applied to all similar products,such as Australian seller, 100% feedback, free
postage.
Fgure 5.5: Inserting title
ChecktheABCboxtoconductaquickspell check.Atthetopofthefield,the?willtakeyoutoTurbo
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Save time with Turbo Lister 39
Lister Help,andthe+allowsyoutocustomise thefieldswellcovertheseonpage55.
Category
Next,choose themostappropriate category infor-mation for your item. If creating a template, you maywish to leave this blank to add individual product
details later, or alternatively you can create a templatefor each product that will share the same category(e.g.ComedyDVDs,DramaDVDs,etc.).1 Choose a previously used category by clicking
the drop-down arrow, or alternatively clickSelecttoseeacompletelistofeBayscurrent
category structure.2 Note that some categories are enabled with item
specifics, which prompt you to choose froma list of product descriptors applicable to youritem. Always use these where available as theycanhelpincreasetheexposureofyouritems.
ClickSelecttoadditemspecifics,orEdittochange them. If you choose a category that haspre-filled information catalogues attached toit, you will be prompted to add brand, producttype or model to match your product with theinformationeBayhasstoredonitsservers.For
more information, see Creating multiple itemswithpre-filledinformationonpage53.3 Createadditionalexposureforyourcategoryby
advertising it in a second category. Note thatthis incurs an additional fee.
4 If you own an eBay store, choose relevant store
categories.(SeeStorecategories,page100.)
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How to Make Money on eBay40
Fgure 5.6: Inserting category
Pictures
Leave this field blank if creating a template, unlessyou want all products to have the same image. Toadd a picture:1 ClickonClicktoinsertapicture.2 FindthepictureonyourcomputerandclickInsert.
3 Add additional pictures by repeating theprocess. Note that this incurs an additional fee.
Fgure 5.7: Inserting a picture
Your product image appears here.
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Save time with Turbo Lister 41
Item description
Imagine you are a buyer and include all the relevant
information you need to successfully sell your item.Fortemplates,onlyincludeinformationthatwillbeapplied to all products, such as payment and postageinformation.1 Youcantypeyourdescriptionanduse thesimpledesignintheboxprovidedor,alterna-
tively, scroll down and click the Descriptionbuilderbuttontoeditfont,colourandstyle,and add additional design components.
Fgure 5.8: Adding description and design components
Here, you can:a choosetouseoneofeBaysinbuiltlistingdesigns.ThisisfreeforTurboListerusers;
b changethelayoutofthepage;
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How to Make Money on eBay42
c useoneofeBaysphoto-upgradeoptions;d change the font style, size, emphasis, colour
or alignment. Also add bullet or numberedpoints,oruseindents;
e copyorpasteinformationfrom/toanothersource;
f chooseoneofeBaysmarketinginsertssuchasSellersotheritemsforcross-promotion,or
yourstorelogo(ifyouhaveone);g change the size of the page or conduct a spellcheck;
h alternatively, add in your own HTML code tocreateahighlystylisedlisting;
i and finally, preview how your item will look
on eBay.Once finished with your item description, clickSave.2 If you want to add a custom label to the
product that only you can see, to help withordering or classifying your items, do so in the
Inventoryfield.3 ScrolldowntothebottomoftheDesignorHTMLviewtoadd a counter to your listing.This will tell you the number of people whoview your listing while it is live on eBay.
Selling format information
Fortemplates,onlyfillinthesellingformatinformationthat will be the same across all like products.
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Save time with Turbo Lister 43
Fgure 5.9: Adding selling format information
1 Choose whether you want to list your item atafixedprice(BuyItNow)orasanauction.Insome categories you can also choose classified
format.2 Enter your price, or the auction start price.3 Specifyhowmanyofthisitemyouhavefor
sale.4 Selectthedurationofyourlisting.5 Bidder IDs are now anonymous on eBay so
thereisnoneedtocheckthePrivatelistingbox.6 Next,choosewhetheryouwouldliketoaddanyofeBaysListing upgrades to help increasetheexposureofyouritem.
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How to Make Money on eBay44
Fgure 5.10: Optional listing upgrades
7 UnderPostage options, choose the variousservicesyouwilloffertoyourlocaland(ifchosen)internationalbuyers.Therearetwo
postage options to choose from: calculatepostage and flat rate. If you choose to allowbuyers to calculate their postage you can:a Choose calculated postage to allow buyers
to self-calculate postage costs based on theirown postcode.
b Enter in the weight of the item.c Specifyanyadditionalhandlingcosts.d If you know the package size and type,
choose from the options listed and enter thedimensions.
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Save time with Turbo Lister 45
Fgure 5.11: Item specifications for delivery
ORifyouchooseflatratepostage:e Choose flat-rate postage to all buyers.f Specifywhichpostageservicesyouoffer.g Specifythecostperitem,andforeach
additional item.h Specifywhetherbuyerscanpicktheitemup
from you, and if that entails a cost.i Create combined postage discounts: this link
takes you to eBay to set up general rulesaround combined postage for your listings.
j Specifyyourdomestichandlingtime(howlong it will take you to post the item once ithasbeenpaidfor).
k Repeatforinternationaldeliveryifyouarewilling to send your item overseas.
l Make sure your item location is correct.
m Toedit,clickPostageoptions.
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How to Make Money on eBay46
Fgure 5.12: Delivery options
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Save time with Turbo Lister 47
8 Choose which payment methods you willaccept. Note that you must accept PayPal on
someeBaysites,sothisboxmaybeautomati-cally checked for you.
Fgure 5.13: Payment options
9 Finally,specifyany instructions or policiesyour buyers need to be aware of, or specify
whichbuyers(ifany)youwouldliketoblockfrom buying your items.
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Fgure 5.14: Additional instructions or policies
At the bottom of the screen you will see a numberof options. Thearrows(a)willallowyoutomoveintothenextlistinginyourfolder,ifyouhaveone.(b)allowsyoutoapplyyourTurboListerdefaultstothislisting(moreonthatonpage56).(c)showsyouaquickpreviewtoreviewallinformation.(d)allowsyou to create another listing the same as this one,meaning you can easily edit product details withouthaving to change other fields.
Fgure 5.15: Program options
Onceyouarehappywithyourlisting,clickSaveorSaveastemplateinthebottomright-handcornerof the screen.
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Save time with Turbo Lister 49
Copying/editing existing listings
Now that you have created your first listing, everythinggetseasier!Youcancopy(duplicate) and edit yourlistings in bulk. This is especially important if youneed to perform a mass update of your listings basedon changes made to the eBay site. To edit or copymultiplelistings,simplyholddownyourControlbutton and select multiple listings. To select all,highlight any listing, right click your mouse andclick Select all.Letssay youaresellinga total offivedifferentDVDs,allsimilartoThe Piano. In yourMyitemsfolder:1 ClickDuplicatetocreatecopiesofthislisting
and specify the number of copies you want.2 To change the listing format of this listing, clickChangeformat.
3 To upload the listing to eBay, click Add toupload.
4 If you want to edit the listing in the template,clickEdit.
5 ToeditinthislineviewmakesureEditmodeis checked, then simply double-click the edit-ablefieldsineachrow.LeavinginViewmodewill mean you can double-click on any listing toaccess the template to edit.
Inthisexample, The PianoDVDtemplatehasbeen duplicated five times and the seller has gone into edit item titles, categories, item specifics, photosand start prices. All other fields can be left the sameas they areallDVDs,andthere are fivecopies ofeach to sell.
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6 Topreviewhowalistinglooks,clickPreview.7 Toprint,clickPrint.
8 Todelete,clickDelete.9 Synchronize...willupdateyourTurboLister
information with eBay information.10 ViewonlinewilltakeyoutoeBay.
Fgure 5.16: Editing listings
T i p : If there are certain options you do not want to
see when creating or editing a listing, you can turn off
certain features or check boxes. To do this, just click
Customise in the top right-hand corner of the area you
want to streamline. This can help make it even faster to
complete a listing in Turbo Lister.
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Save time with Turbo Lister 51
Bulk editing
To edit multiple listings at once, highlight all listings
youwishtoedit.ChooseEditfromthetopnavigationpanel,thenclickEditmultipleitems.Youwillthenbe taken to a screen that allows you to edit certainfieldsthese edits will be applied to all listingsyou have highlighted. Beware that changing fieldsmarkedMultiplevalueswilloverwriteallexisting
information for that listing.In the description field, anything you write can
be added to the bottom or top of the description, orreplace it altogether.Youcanchangetextthatiscommontoallofyour
listings(bulkedit)usingtheSearchandreplace
feature. Highlight all listings you would like to edit,chooseEditfromthetopnavigationpanel,thenclickSearchandreplace.Thisisespeciallyusefulif you need to change your postage information,returns policy or payment information, if you haveincludedtextabouttheseinyouritemdescription.
Forexample,youcanreplaceWeacceptBankDeposit,Cheque,CashandPayPalwithWeonlyacceptPayPal.
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How to Make Money on eBay52
Fgure 5.17: Search and replace function
Note,youcanchoosetoreplacetextinthelistingtitle, subtitle,yourcustom(inventory) labeland/or
the listing description.Youcanalsomassedityourlistingsbyexporting
them into an Excel(CSV)file. To do so, highlightthelistingsyouneedtoedit,clickFileinthetopnavigation,thenclickExportselecteditems.OnceinExcel,highlightthenecessaryfields,clickEditin
thetopnavigationofExcel,clickReplace,thenfollowthesameprocessasoutlinedabove.Next,youllneedto re-import your listings back into Turbo Lister, soinTurboListerclickFilefromthetopnavigation,thenImportitems,thenFromfiletoretrievethefile from your computer.
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How to Make Money on eBay54
sendalllistingstoSellingManagerPro(thisisan optional tool you need to subscribe to on
eBay;refertoChapter7);or calculatewhatyourlistingfeeswillbe.
Alternatively, choose from one of the uploadbuttons to change the order of the listings, scheduleyour listings to start at a particular time, calculate
fees or upload your listings to eBay.
Fgure 5.18: Upload buttons
T i p : The Activity log folder in the left navigation willbe active once you send listings to eBay. It shows you
the status of your listings, so if you ever forget what
youve done this is a good place to start!
Using Turbo Lister to organise your listings
Youcancreate new folders to organise your listingsinto similar product types, formats, or even whicheBay site you list on. To do so, on the top navigationbarclickFile,New,Folder.Alternatively,clickNewinthesub-navigationmenu,thenclickCreate
newfolder.Anotherwaytodothisistorightclickwhere you want your new folder to be placed in theleftnavigationMyitems,forexamplethenclickNewfolder.Youcanalsomove your listings between folders
by simply dragging them with your mouse.
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Save time with Turbo Lister 55
Youcanchange the order of your listings in anyfolder. Just click on any of the grey column headers
to reorder your listings by the relevant field.
Fgure 5.19: Reordering listings by column headings
To customise the number and order of columnsyouwouldliketoseewithinanyfolder,clickView,thenCustomisecolumnsinthetopnavigation.Thenchecktheboxnexttothecolumnyouwanttosee,
or change the order of the columns by moving themupordown.ClickOKtosaveyourpreferences.Youwill need to do this for each group of sub-foldersyou create.
If you have a lot of listings and want to findonequickly,youcanuseTurboListersSearching
for items function in the top right-hand corner ofthe sub-navigation menu. This will search for thekeyword(s)inallofthelistingswithinthehighlightedfolder. Click on the magnifying glass to narrow yoursearch to item title, or description, etc.
Setting your Turbo Lister options andpreferences
InthetopnavigationclickTools,thenOptions.Each subheading here can be very useful for settingstandards across all your Turbo Lister listings.
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Personal information allows you to connect yourTurboListerwithaneBayUserIDandalsoaPayPal
email address for using payment.Seller options allows you to choose which eBay
sites you would like to list on, access your eBay store(ifyouhaveone),changethedefaultCreatenewsetting within Turbo Lister, and default to one eBaysite and one selling format for each new listing you
create in Turbo Lister.Defaults canbechosenforauction,fixed-price
(BuyItNow)andclassified-formatlistings.Here,youcancreatedefaulttexttoappearonallyourlistings(suchaspaymentmethods,salespolicies,etc.)soevery time you create a new listing this information
will automatically appear. Choose default informationfor description, price, quantity, postage, etc.
Advanced options can change the way TurboLister works when updating and synchronisingyourinformation.Youcanalsoset a Turbo Listerpassword within Turbo Lister options to make it
more secure.Once you have set your new preferences andoptions,remembertoclickApplyorOKtosaveyour changes.
Turbo Lister Help
More information about using Turbo Lister can befoundbyclickingHelpinthetopnavigationmenu.IntheHelpsectionofTurboListeryoucanbrowsehelp topics or search for particular keywords. TherearealsolinkstoeBayHelppagesandanonline
tutorial.
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58
Chater 6
Providing outstanding
customer service
eBays Feedback system
Most people who have ever heard of eBay wouldbe aware of its online reputation system, known asFeedback.Feedbackisatransparentcustomerrating,there for all potential buyers to seeand it captures
what percentage of your sales have resulted in a buyergiving you a positive, neutral or negative rating.And while sellers receive a rating, there is also the
opportunity for sellers to provide feedback to buyerstoo. However, eBay recently removed the option forsellers to leave buyers anything other than positive
feedback. This decision was made after a numberof buyers told eBay that receiving what they feltwas undeserved negative feedback drove them toeventually leave the site for good. And, when youthinkaboutretailgenerally,thereisntanobviousexample ofwherea retailer has an opportunity to
grade buyers on their performance. The obligation on
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Providing outstanding customer service 59
buyers is to pay for an item if they have completedcheck-out. Once this is done, a professional seller will
automatically leave positive feedback for the buyer.Theoldadageofyoucantpleaseeveryoneis
trueeveninbusiness.Youcanofferonecustomeralevelofservicetheythinkisexcellentandofferthe same service to another customer who rates itaspoor.Ratingisasubjectiveprocess.Itismoreor
less inevitable that, the more you sell on eBay, youwilleventuallyreceiveanegativeFeedbackrating.This is the nature of business, and the key is to learnfromtheexperienceandtakeanynecessarystepsyou can to prevent it from happening again.
eBays detailed seller ratings (DSRs)
Buyers also have the opportunity to rate sellers onfour components of their performance:1 the accuracy of the item description, andwhethertheitemwasreceivedasdescribed;
2 communication;3 timetakentoreceivetheitem;and4 costofpostage/delivery.
KnownasdetailedsellerratingsorDSRs,thesescores pit you against every other eBay seller on the
site and can heavily influence your ranking in searchresults.Youshouldmonitoryourratingsregularly,and if you see a downward trend take every stepto understand why it is happening and rectify thesituation. Here are some reasons why you might begiven a poor rating:
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How to Make Money on eBay60
Youhaventpassedonpostagesavingsorarenot competitive on postage.
Youhavenotuseditemspecificsortheitemdescription to specify the condition of your itemaccurately enough.
Yourproductphotographsarenotaccurate. Youhavenotclearlyconveyedtherightinfor-
mation to your buyers.
Itisthereforecrucialtosettherightexpectationsinyourbuyersmindbeforetheychoosetopurchasefrom you.
Setting the buyers expectations
AscoveredinChapter4,asurefirewayofdeterringpotential buyers is to list paragraph after paragraphof complicated terms of trade. Even the tone ofyour listing can deter buyers, or the fact that youhaveusedcappedtextwhichonlineisinterpreted
asyelling.Putyourselfinthebuyersshoesandread your terms of trade as subjectively as possible.Would you buy from someone whose item descriptionincluded threats to buyers if they do not pay withina specified time period?
The more successful sellers on eBay are those
who convey concise and clear terms of trade thatare reasonable, and are presented in a tone that isboth professional and friendly. Here are some tipsforclearlysettingtherightbuyerexpectations: Describeyouriteminasmuchdetailas
possible. This not only includes the condition
of the item, but the various product attributes
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Providing outstanding customer service 61
that may result in your buyer being satisfiedordisappointedifnotconveyedcorrectly.For
example,ifyousayredvasebutyoureallyshouldhavesaidmaroon,orifyourelistingan electronic accessory and you fail to mentionthe type of voltage or outlet required. Buyers arepurchasing an item they have never seen beforesobeasexplicitaspossibleinallaspectsof
your description. Indicatehowlongitwilltakeyoutorespondtoyourbuyersquestions.Fewsellerswillbeonline every minute of every day, so in yourlisting outline your operating hours, includingthoseofyourcustomersupportdepartment.
Letyourbuyersknowhowoftenyougotothepostofficetosendyouritems(everysingleday?)and/orgivethemaclearestimateofhowlongitwill take to receive their item.
Letbuyersknowyourstandardpracticeforleavingfeedback(assoonasthebuyerhas
paid?). Ifyougoonholidays,useHolidayhold(seeChapter8)orendallofyourlistings,becauseifyourenotaroundtoansweremailsorsendtheitemeven if only for three daysyour buyersneed to know this.
Ifyoudliketogetpaidsooner,addamessageto your listing along the lines of we ship ouritems directly to you as soon as payment iscleared, so faster payment methods such asPayPal mean you get your item faster. Weappreciate payment within two days of the item
beingbought.
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Providing outstanding customer service 63
automatically add the question and answer tothe bottom of the live listing.
At all times, keep your tone polite and professional.Like any business, you will one day come across abuyerwhoisrudeand/orunreasonable...welcometo customer service! The mere fact that you are sellingon eBay means you should be aware of customer
service principles and ensure you uphold them atall times. The better service you offer, the morechances you will have to retain your buyers andincrease your sales.
Payment options
Whenyougotoastore,isntitannoyingwhentheydontacceptthepaymenttypeyouprefertouse?Sure,youmight followthroughwiththepurchaseregardless, but you generally think twice aboutreturning to the store again. The same is true of
eBay sellersthe more choices you give a buyer, themore potential you have to complete a saleandhave them return as loyal customers.Thoughyouarewithinyourrightstoexpressa
preferred option, it is unwise to state violent objec-tionstoaparticularpaymentmethodand,whats
more,thismayinfactbeagainsteBaypolicy(refertoChapter10).
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Credit cards
Credit card payments can be processed on eBay via
PayPal. Alternatively, you may already have creditcard facilities in your business, in which case youcanacceptthebuyerscreditcarddetailsoverthephone or online.
T i p : Sellers need to be aware of the fact that they
cannot actively discourage the use of PayPal on eBay,
and cannot charge additional fees for accepting a
particular form of payment.
Delivery options
Leave it up to your buyer to decide what they wouldprefer. Carefully consider your pricing and offer thefollowing options: overnightorexpresspost(somebuyersarepreparedtopayapremium);
standardpostage;
courier; insuranceorregisteredpost(foranextracost); extrapaddingforanadditionalcost; dismantlingofyourproductsusethisoption
selectively, but in the case of something assimpleasCDsorDVDs,forexample,some
sellers offer to send only the disc and the insert,whichmeanstheitemcanbesentfornexttonothing;and
pick-upsomebuyerslovecomingtopickuptheir items.
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Providing outstanding customer service 67
Free postage
In recent years, e-commerce companies have begun
to appreciate that postage was impacting theirability to compete with offline retail. There has beena trend to increasingly offer free postage to competewith those stores that bombard television, radio andprint with news that they are on sale. One of thebenefits to operating an online business is fewer
overheads;oneofthedisadvantagesisthegrowingneed to absorb postage costs.
eBayisnoexceptiontothistrend.Increasingly,sellers are being encouraged, and rewarded, foroffering free postage. More importantly, buyershavecometoexpectitinmostcases.Itistherefore
advisable to consider utilising free postage as one ofyourbusinesstactics.Youcanusuallyabsorbmostof the costs in the overall price of your products.
Australia Post
Most people and some businesses assume thatAustralia Post operates using a one size fits allmentality. It is not the case. The more volume yousend,thebetterthepriceyoureceive.Somesellershave an account, which means their items arecollectedbyAustraliaPost;othersgetaccesstoa
priorityqueue.Youneedtocheckwithyourlocalpostofficeabouttheservicestheyoffer,butdontfallintothe trap of checking with only one branchnot alloutletsofferthesameservices,soitswisetoconductathoroughresearch.AnddontrelyontheAustraliaPost website to give the best information because it
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is rarely tailored to your specific needs. Just like youshould get to know your bank manager, get to know
your postmaster, and your local postie too!
T i p : Dont assume you know the most cost-effectiveway of sending items. Ask many questions, and ask
many people. Some products can pass as letters rather
than parcels; others are calculated differently depending
on cubic size or weight. Experiment with your packagingto ensure you are paying the lowest possible amount
per item.
Couriers
Most couriers offer fast delivery with reliable tracking,which means you will know where your productis at all times. Choose a courier company that isprofessional, one that will enhance your reputation.Somecouriersofferdiscountssimplybecauseyouarean eBay seller. Others quote standard price options
over the phone but are willing to negotiate once theyknow what sort of volumes you could potentially besending their way.
T ip : When you call a courier company for the first time
to get quotes, dont speak to the person who answers
the phone; ask to speak to someone who managesnew business accounts.
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69
Chater 7
Managing your
inventory withSelling Manager Pro
What is Selling Manager Pro?
Imagine a program that automates most of theprocesses on eBay. It re-lists items for you when
thelistingends,ittellsyouwhenyourerunningout of stock, it automatically emails your buyers foryou and even leaves them feedbackall withoutyou having to press a single button. It might soundtoo goodto be true,but it isnt. ItscalledSellingManagerPro(SMP),anditseBayssalesandinventory
managementtool.Realistically,itwilltakeyouaboutan hour or two to dive in and learn how to use itproperly, and a few hours to set up all your listingrules,butonceyouvedonethattheamountoftimeyou spend performing basic post-sales processes isgreatly reduced.
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FeaturesofSellingManagerProinclude: adisplayofalllistingswiththeircurrentstatus
(live,bids,sold,paid,feedback,etc.); bulkre-listoptions; automaticre-listoptions; invoicesandpackinglabels; emailandfeedbackdefaulttemplates; bulkfeedback;and
trackingofanyunpaiditems.
Who should use Selling Manager Pro?
SMPisreallyaimedathigh-volumesellersoneBaywho do not have their own listing or inventory
management tools, although some sellers who douseexternalsoftwarestillusesomeelementsofSMP,such as the automated feedback function.
How do I subscribe to Selling Manager Pro?
SellingManagerProcanbeusedonanyoperatingsystem. The only other computer system requirementsare an internet connection and one of these browsers:MicrosoftInternetExplorer6orlater,MozillaFirefox1.5orlater,AppleSafari2orlater.Youdonotneedtodownloadanyspecialsoftware
touseSMP;itisallavailablefromwithineBay.Onceyou subscribe, all of your selling links within MyeBaywillbereplacedwithSMPfunctionality.Tosubscribe, go tohttp://pages.ebay.com.au/help/sell/selling-manager-subscription.html#subscribing.
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Managing your inventory with Selling Manager Pro 71
eBayhasabasicversionofthetool(SellingManager)available for free, but it lacks the advanced inventory
management featuresofSMP.SellingManager Prois$9.95permonth,butisfreefora30-daytrialperiod.Ifyousubscribetoastore(seeChapter8),SellingManagerProisfree.
Selling Manager Pro summary
OnceyouhavesubscribedtoSMP,withinMyeBay,clickontheSellingManagerProlinkintheleft-handnavigation.YourSMPsummaryisaone-pagesnapshot showing you all your listings, recent salesand outstanding actions, such as listings awaiting
paymentandpostage.Fromhereeverylinktakesyou directly to the relevant listings, so you willnot need to scroll through your entire inventory tosee just those listings that currently have bids, forexample.
Seller dashboard
ThesellerdashboardisalsovisibleintheSMPsummary.eBayssellerdashboardgivesyouguid-ance to your performance as a seller, and highlightspossibleareasforimprovement.Giventhatyourseller
performance can impact your ability to remain onthe site, and also the position your listings appearin within a search result, it is imperative to ensureyour performance is acceptable.
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Sellerdashboardfeaturesinclude: Detailedsellerratings:here,yourDSRsare
comparedwithothereBaysellersovera30-dayor twelve-month period.
PowerSellerstatus:youcanchecktoseewhetheryoucanqualifyasaneBayPowerSeller.
Policycompliance:checkheretoseeifyouhavecommitted any policy violations.
Buyersatisfaction:yourcustomerserviceratingis listed here.
Accountstatus:eBaywillalertyouheretoyouraccount payment status.
It is advisable to check your seller dashboard
on a regular basis to ensure you are not in dangerof being suspended from the site, or having youraccount restricted.
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Managing your inventory with Selling Manager Pro 73
Fgure 7.1: The seller dashboard
Creating products in the inventory
WithinSMP,youcancreateproductswithmultiple-listingtemplates.Forexample,youcancreateaproductforasingleDVD,butassigntothatDVDalisting that is auction, a listing that is Buy It Now,andalistingthatdisplaysontheUKeBaysite.Foreach product you create, you can also input critical
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How to Make Money on eBay74
informationsuchasamountinstock,costprice(tohelpcalculateyourprofit),andyoucanmanageyour
products within folders.Tocreateanewproduct,clickonInventory
beneaththeSellingManagerProlinkfromtheMyeBayviewsoptionsintheleft-handnavigation.ScrolldowntothebottomofthepageandclickontheCreateproductbutton.
Fgure 7.2: Create a new product listing
All of this information is for your reference onlyand cannot be viewed by your buyers. To create a
new product, complete the following steps:1 Enter in the name of your product. If you donot need multiple listings per unique product,you may wish to group similar productstogether,suchasbooksorDVDs,forexample.
2 Enter in your custom label.
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Managing your inventory with Selling Manager Pro 77
here, but you can add more information to eachdescription.ClickContinue.
Next,reviewyourtemplates,thenclickSave.
Managing SMP folders
Fromtheproductinventory,youcanmanageyourproduct folders in a number of ways:
1 Usethedrop-downboxtoviewonlyproductsin that folder.
2 ClicktheManagefolderslinktoadd,edit,move, copy or delete product folders.
3 Usetheinventorysearchfieldtolocateitemsbytitle, product name or custom label.
4 ClicktheStorecategorydrop-downboxtoseeproducts listed in particular store categories.
5 ChecktheStatusfieldtoseeproductsthatareeither low on stock or out of stock.
6 Click on the relevant links in this row to sortlistings alphabetically, or by quantity in stock,
success ratio, selling price, custom label or datesubmitted to eBay for sale.
Fgure 7.4: Managing product inventory folders
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Creating listings quickly in Excel
IfyouprefernottouseeBaysSellyouritemformtocreate listings, with some basic knowledge you cancreate thousands of listings quickly and efficientlyusingExcel.
The first step is to select which type of listingtemplate you want to complete. Within My eBay,scrolldownthepageuntilyoucometoSellertoolsintheleft-handnavigation.ClickFilemanagementcentre.Onceinthefilemanagementcentre,beneathUploadclickSelecttemplateintheleft-handnaviga-tion. There are several templates to choose from, bothinCSVandExcelformat. Productinventorytemplate,liketheonecoveredonpage73.
Itemspecificstemplatechooseacategoryyouwi