How Not to be a Failed eBay Seller
by Carrie Hinkel on February 6th, 2008
There are plenty of success stories and "Powersellers" on eBay, but what about the sellers who failed? What did they do wrong and how can you learn from their mistakes when starting your own eBay business?
The top reasons eBay sellers fail
They don’t accept credit cards or Paypal � Not accepting Paypal is pretty much a death wish for any eBay seller. Paypal is convenient, easy, and most eBay buyers and sellers use it. If you plan on selling on eBay, sign up for free at Paypal.com.
They have low or poor feedback � Buyers are many times hesitant to buy from sellers with a low feedback rating, especially for high-priced items. If you are new to eBay, then you will begin with zero feedback. In order to get your business off the ground, you should purchase some inexpensive items in order to boost your rating. Once you have a positive rating of 10-15, you’ll be ready to start selling!
They don’t include pictures � With so many auctions to choose from, it’s no wonder the ones with no pictures get overlooked. Pictures allow your customers to see exactly what it is they are bidding on (even if they are familiar with the item).
They have poor titles/descriptions � It’s imperative that your auction title contains all the relevant keywords because that is how most eBay buyers will find you � by doing a keyword search through eBay’s auction titles. However, once a potential buyer is on your page, it will be your description that will convince them to either bid or not bid on your auction. Successful eBayers know that a product description should be 1) descriptive and detailed, yet concise and 2) grammatically correct and error free. Reread your auction page before you submit it to eBay.
They list in the wrong category � Many times, eBay buyers will find products by searching product categories. If you listed your product in the wrong category, you might miss out on some buyers! The best way to choose your product’s category is by searching for similar products on eBay and seeing what category those products are listed in. If you think there is more than one relevant category for your product, then you may want to list in multiple categories.
They charge too much for shipping � eBay provides a free shipping calculator, so buyers can quickly see if a seller is overcharging for shipping. You’ll find that most of eBay’s powersellers offer actual shipping costs, with no (or very low) handling charges built in.
They give the wrong pricing options � New sellers on eBay are sometimes hesitant to start an auction at a low price without the reserve option, so they either list a high starting price or a low price with reserve. Both of those options are mistakes. Buyers get hooked into auctions with low starting prices and then end up staying until the end. Seasoned buyers know that the reserve price is basically the same thing as a hidden high starting price, and they may be wary of sellers who use that bid option. Take a look at any of the Powersellers – they are the most successful sellers on eBay and they know what they’re doing; their auctions start low with no reserve.
They don’t respond to questions � A good way to lose a bid is to ignore potential buyers’ questions. You should answer questions as soon as possible in order to keep potential buyers interested and instill their confidence in you.
There is definitely still a wide-open playing field for sellers on eBay, but in order to succeed, you need to avoid the mistakes of those who failed before you and follow the lead of eBay’s Powersellers. Good luck!