Our top 10 tips for selling on eBay!

eBay is an online marketplace where anyone can make some extra money. Whether you have taken the advice of Marie Kondo and have decluttered your home leaving you with a stack of DVDs and books to flog or a whole range of your own products, anyone can become an eBay seller. However, there are a few things to bear in mind if you want to be a successful seller!

Here at Masons Self Storage, some of our most successful business customers are eBay sellers. We had a chat with them to see if they had any advice for selling on eBay and created a handy list of 10 top tips below!

Know the Costs of Selling On eBay

Before you start selling on eBay, it’s a good idea to understand the costs involved and the fees that eBay will take from your profits.

Costs of selling on eBay:

• eBay take 10% of the final selling fee (including delivery) of any product.
• You’re allowed to list up 20 items per month free of charge on your account. You will be charged 35p ‘insertion fee’ per item after that.
• There is an additional charge of 20p per transaction for those made through Paypal and they will take an additional 3.4% of total sale price.
• You can add additional features to your listing for a small cost such as a subtitle for £2, list in an extra category for 35p and a Buy It Now price for 50P.
• Take into account the cost of posting the item with Royal Mail when you are listing delivery charges. We recommend Signed For delivery and always getting proof of postage.

To find out more about the costs involved with selling on eBay, click here.

1. First Impressions Count

You probably wouldn’t buy from a high street shop that didn’t have a shop front, would you? It’s the same on eBay. Choose an account name that is professional sounding along with a good quality header image and profile image.

2. Always Have Accurate Descriptions

For many of us, shopping online has become part of everyday life, however some people are still cautious about entering their card details online. You are asking people to part with their hard-earned cash for an item they haven’t held in their hands yet, so convince them with honest and thorough descriptions. Upload lots of photos and make sure they are clear with the product being shown off from all angles. Make sure you also show any marks from use or damage. Provide as much detail as you can about size, appearance and all functionalities. The more detail you can give people the better, as it reassures them about the item they are buying online.

It also reduces the chance of receiving returns. And you want to avoid returns if possible, they will cost you time and money!

3. Timing Is Everything

If you are using auction mode when selling on eBay, make sure you time the end of your auction at a peak time. The most popular time for people to browse and buy on eBay is on Sundays from mid-afternoon to the evening, so aim to have your auction end in this time period to have most exposure for people being online. 7-10 days is a good period to run your auction for, it gives potential buyers enough time to make their bid and then increase it if necessary.

4. The Price Is Right

This one seems obvious, but many first-time sellers don’t do enough research! Look for your item on eBay and see what other sellers are charging for similar items.

5. Confirm Their Order

Once you have made a sale, the work isn’t over! In fact, the after-sale process is crucial. eBay sellers rely on their reputation and having positive feedback! So once the auction is over, contact the buyer to thank them for their purchase, confirming the order and cost, as well as when it is expected to arrive. Be realistic with the estimated delivery so you don’t set expectations too high and disappoint. In this message you can also let them know about returns policy in advance should they need it and let them know the best way to get in touch if they have any questions.

6. Think of the Whole Package

When packing your items to send out to your customers, make sure you take care in the presentation. Don’t scrimp on bubble wrap and packing materials as you will pay the price in the end if the item arrives damaged.

If you’re looking for high-quality packaging materials to ensure your items reach your buyers safely, take a look in the Masons Self Storage Packaging Store!

7. Track So You Don’t Get Tricked

Proof of postage and tracking is vital. Unfortunately, there are some dishonest eBay buyers out there ready to take advantage of naive sellers who don’t have proof of delivery for their items. You should know where the parcel is at all times, so you can keep the customer informed.

8. You Need That Feedback

Feedback is very important when selling on eBay. eBay buyers are very swayed by how much positive and negative feedback a seller has. Sadly, those who have had a bad experience are more likely to leave feedback than those who had a good experience. Therefore, you need to do all you can to encourage positive feedback when it is deserved. Give your buyers positive feedback if they paid on time, and they will hopefully return the favour!

9. Think About Where to Store Your Items

Even if your eBay business is selling small items such as books, these can still take up a lot of space before they are shipped. If you end up leaving these all over the place it could affect the quality of the items which will affect your reputation and might cause arguments at home too. So, make sure you have a secure, dedicated storage space for your stock.

At Masons Self Storage, we store lots of our customers additional stock who are eBay sellers or have online stores. Our state-of-the-art facility is based just ten minutes from Cardiff Bay, Barry and Penarth and is accessible 24/7, 365 days a year. Take a look at our interviews with Business Customers: Alicja and Michelle and find out more what it’s like to store your additional stock with Masons.

10. Resolve any Issues Quickly

Hopefully, if you follow the above 9 steps there won’t be any issues. But sometimes things happen and as long as you’re honest and upfront with your customers, it will be fine. With eBay, communication is key, reassure your customer that you understand their concerns and are dealing with it as quickly as you can. Establish trust early on and there is more chance you will get patience and less chance that the customer will rush to give you negative feedback before you’ve had the chance to resolve it.

Now you’re ready to get started…

Anyone can become an eBay seller with the right stock and a little bit of dedication, hopefully our top 10 tips will help you get started!

Whether you’re a business looking for some space to store your additional stock or looking to free up some space at home, why not see if Masons Self Storage can help? With units in a variety of sizes, 24/7 access all year round and based just 10 minutes from Penarth and Cardiff Bay, Masons are here to help. If you are in need of domestic or business storage, get in touch with the team by emailing: [email protected] or calling: 0800 533 5708.