Build and Promote Your Own Brand by Customizing Your eBay Store
by Katie Sween
eBay Stores Marketing

Your eBay Store is your very own customizable destination on eBay. With an eBay Store you have your own professional-looking online shopping site where you can display all your eBay items and give your buyers a place they can come back to again and again.

We provide all the tools you need to design and customize your store to suit your business and build your brand. It's easy and flexible! There is no technical expertise required, and you can put in as much, or as little, time as you like to create a unique shopping experience for your buyers.

Why Customize Your eBay Store?
There are two reasons why every eBay Store seller should customize their store: 1) increased credibility with buyers, and 2) better merchandising of your items. Both these strategies can lead to increased sales.

Increased credibility with buyers
A professional looking store creates an instant impression of credibility in the eyes of your buyers. You'll have an established “we're here to stay” look that makes buyers feel more comfortable. Plus, your customized store helps you tell buyers more about your business and your items, distinguishing you from other sellers on eBay.

Better merchandising of your items
Customizing your store allows you to display items the way you choose – the way you know best. You can feature specific items or categories within your store or make custom pages to highlight specials or deals. By displaying your items in a way that complements your buyers' shopping patterns, you can help them find what they are looking for more easily, leading to increased sales.

What customization features are available in eBay Stores?
There are several features in eBay Stores that can help you have a more customized store in minutes – with no technical know-how! Here are few of the options you have:

• Custom Categories - You can create categories in your store to help buyers easily browse through your items.
• Custom Pages - You can set up additional pages in your store to feature items or give more background on you and your business.
• Custom Store Header – You can customize the top portion of every page of your store to tell buyers more about the items you sell or current promotions.
• Custom Listing Header – You can create a header that automatically displays at the top of all your auction listing descriptions on eBay. This makes buyers aware that you have a store. You can even link to specific categories in your store.

Also watch for Promotion Boxes coming soon! These are areas in your store where you can feature items, promote specials or provide more details about your store.

How can you customize your store?
All of Stores Customization features are accessible via the Manage My Store page. Once you're on the Manage My Store page, you'll see all Customization features in the Store Editing/Branding section. Check out a step-by-step guide full of tips on customizing your eBay Store.

Next month: Marketing to Repeat Buyers. Learn how the features in Stores can help you build your repeat buyer base.