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| New One Day Listings | November 2003 |
There's a reason marketers use the phrase "limited-time offer." Quite simply, it works. Anything you can do to increase the urgency of your listings will have a positive effect on bidding and final values.
With that in mind, sellers should consider testing the 1-day listing format. This quick listing format can accelerate sales for many types of listings but is particularly suited to moving time-sensitive items.
When should you consider 1-day listings?
- You want to sell items quickly.
- You're selling time-sensitive items such as event tickets, airline tickets, vacation packages, tee times or perishables like food items.
- You're a high volume seller listing a lot of identical items. With 1-day listings, you can offer more listings for identical items per week. Currently eBay allows you to list only 10 identical items simultaneously. If you are a high volume seller, the 1-day listing format lets you offer up to 70 listings for identical items per week, compared to only 20 per week with the 3-day listing format.
- You want to take advantage of event-based marketing such as one-day-only product releases).
- You want to attract more last-minute shoppers during the holiday season -- You can schedule 1-day listings as close to the holiday event as possible. This gives you the advantage of being able to mail sold items to reach your buyers in time for the holiday event.
To participate in 1-day listings, you need feedback rating of 10 or more and be ID Verified.
Related Help topics
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Stocking Up for the Holidays
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October 2003 |
As the holidays approach, it's not unusual for sellers to experience a mild panic attack. With the biggest selling season right around the corner, will you have enough inventory to meet demand?
Throughout the year, obtaining a consistent, adequate supply of product can be difficult-especially if the product is a hot seller. Equally challenging is finding new products so you can broaden your product offering.
Here are some strategies for taking action now -- rather than waiting until you've run out of inventory - for finding and sourcing product so you can grow your business:
- Buy Wholesale Lots -- Many sellers have successfully grown their eBay business by purchasing small lots of products for resale, then increasing the overall purchase amount over time. eBay's Wholesale Lots categories provide small and medium re-sellers with a great new source of inventory for their businesses. At any given time, there are approximately 40,000 listings in 75 categories in Wholesale Lots. And the wholesale business on eBay is growing over 400% annually.
Check out Wholesale Lots by clicking on the "Wholesale" link located at the bottom of the category list on the eBay home page. You can also find Wholesale Lots by going to the specific product category you're looking for (e.g. Clothing, Computers, Toys, etc.) and then selecting the Wholesale Lots sub-category.
- Watch for trends on eBay -- A great starting point for determining new product types is available directly from eBay. Every month, we post information on categories that have shown high growth or a steady increase in demand. Check out our monthly Seller Newsflash and eBay's Seller Central for more information by visiting www.ebay.com/sellercentral.
- Ask the community -- Sourcing product is also a hot topic in the eBay community. There is no better place to find information on sourcing strategies and other innovative ideas than by asking our community of sellers. Visit the eBay community boards and ask for more information. You may be surprised the amount of information other sellers can provide. Visit http://www.ebay.com/community to post your questions and review discussions on sourcing.
- Search Online - If you have sufficient resources, it's possible to source large quantities of inventory from liquidation and distributor services. Try searching online (both on eBay and through search engines) for your desired product type and keywords such as Lot, Pallet or Wholesale.
- Become an eBay Trading Assistant -- When you join the Trading Assistants directory you tell the world that you are willing to sell for others. Selling as a Trading Assistant allows you to leverage your selling expertise without having to find product yourself - clients provide the items and you are compensated for your efforts on terms that you decide. It also gives you a window into how other sellers operate and exposure to new products. Visit www.ebay.com/ta for more information.
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| Ten Tips Every Sports Seller Should Know | September 2003 |
Here they are-ten tips no serious eBay sports seller can live with out.
#1. Guarantee Your Products and Services
Develop a sensible, well-articulated sales policy that covers all the bases and delivers real peace of mind. Then deliver on your promises. The result: you'll become a trusted favorite. Ideally, offer unconditional money-back guarantees. The risk-reward ratio is in your favor: increased business versus a few returns. Also, consider offering shipping rebates on multiple purchases. This incentive works. |
#2. Automate Listing and Shipping
Upgrade to eBay's suite of auction management tools as soon as possible, including Selling Manager, Turbo Lister, and Seller's Assistant. These tools release your potential, enabling you to list, track, and complete your eBay sales more quickly and professionally. List items with ready-made templates, schedule your listings, bulk-upload inventory, automate buyer emails, and more.
Invest in a postage scale and print your postage online or pay for a pickup/delivery service, such as Fed Ex Ground. In short, there's no point wasting time at the post office. Acquire free shipping supplies from USPS (Priority Mail) or via arrangements with local businesses. Fast, professional shipping generates repeat business. |
#3 Develop Discount Supply Relationships
Competition can be fierce in every category. Secure a resale license from your state and make volume purchases from wholesale dealers, suppliers, and manufactures. You'll garner crucial discounts you can pass along to your customers, making you more competitive. For wholesale deals, visit eBay's Wholesale category. Also, increase supply by becoming a Trading Assistant. |
#4 Look Like a Pro: Photos, Listing Template
Don't underestimate the importance of high-quality photos in your listings. For many items, the better the photo, the more likely the sale. Consider building a photo stage and hiring a college student or local amateur, part-time or by the hour, to shoot your items.
Spend time developing a graphical (HTML) listing template, specific to your merchandise. Experiment with different layouts, colors, and text treatments. Look like an expert and a professional, not a lazy amateur. In a competitive marketplace, that makes all the difference. Looking good is easy with eBay's Seller's Assistant and Listing Designer. |
#5 Include Keywords in Your Listing Titles & Descriptions
Most eBay buyers use eBay Search-80%, in fact. To capture these bidders and buyers, include the words they search with in your listing titles and descriptions. Bookmark your category's eBay Seller Newsflash and Hot Item list to keep abreast of popular search terms. |
#6 Properly Positioning & Merchandising Your Listings
Consider your starting prices carefully. This will dramatically affect your item positioning. If possible, start auctions low in relation to their fair-market value. You'll increase bids and there's no better billing than that. Use reserves sparingly. Improperly applied, they can damage your credibility.
Also, discover the optimum times to start and end your auctions to increase bidding. Then, schedule and automate their launch with Seller's Assistant. Consider ten-day listings that cover two weekends. Time auctions to capture bidders in multiple time zones.
Each item you sell deserves the right listing format. Develop a strategy that leverage's eBay entire family of formats: Auction, Buy It Now, Fixed Price, Second Chance Offer, and more. Also, open an eBay Store to brand your eBay business, economically expand your inventory, and cross-merchandise your items.
Take advantage of eBay listing upgrades: Gallery, Bold, Featured Plus, List in 2 Categories, and more. Also, consider advertising on targeted eBay search result pages. If you qualify for eBay's PowerSeller program, take advantage! |
#7 Make PayPal a Payment Option
Enable your customers to pay immediately online with PayPal. Buyers prefer it. Don't risk sales by not offering it. Faster payment also means greater cash flow and operating capital to handle the unforeseen. |
#8 Track the Market with your my eBay Page
Your "my eBay" page is a powerful tool for tracking the market. With the Favorites tab, create Completed Item searches for the items you sell. This will give you a daily read on current prices for your inventory. Also, be sure to follow your category's Hot Items list. |
#9 Make Positive Feedback a Priority
Live up to your promises and ensure positive feedback. This is your ticket to attracting new customers, which handled correctly, become regular customers. To encourage positive feedback, describe your items accurately (including damage), manage expectations, offer online payment (PayPal, preferably), package professionally, and ship ASAP. |
#10. Listen to the Experts-Your eBay Community
Get involved in your eBay community. It'll make you a better eBay seller and citizen. Become active in eBay's discussion boards. You will find the answers you seek. Attend special eBay events, such as eBay Live. Consider attending an eBay University class.
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Stay True to Your School
Will Your College Rank #1?
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August 2003 |
| Every year 90 million college football fans spend billions on sports related apparel and memorabilia. eBay's Stay True to Your School event is designed to establish eBay Sports as the #1 destination for college football fans. Buyers can bid on hot items and enter the Stay True to Your School Sweepstakes to win the Ultimate Fan Experience, including $5,000 and a VIP package for the winner and nine guests to their school's homecoming game.
What is it?
- A special promotion to increase your sales of college related merchandise during the peak buying season.
- A heavily promoted event that will drive traffic to the eBay sports category
- More merchandising by us means more bidders for you!
When is it?
September 1st-30th
Why should I participate?
Fall is the peak season for sales of college-sports related merchandise. And studies show that college football fans are also big fans of the NFL and Major League Baseball. The Stay True to Your School promotion will funnel more buyers to eBay Sports - and that means more customers for you.
What do I need to do?
Increase the volume of your listings in the following categories to coincide with the promotion period:
- College-NCAA
- Baseball-MLB
- Football-NFL
FAQs:
1. How will eBay promote the event?
eBay will launch a major marketing effort with print, radio, pr and on-line advertising to drive traffic to a special splash page-www.ebay.com/collegefootball. The campaign includes:
- National advertising in Sports Illustrated and other weekly and bi-weekly national sports magazines as well as national newspapers.
- National advertising on ESPN Radio
- The eBay Sports Stay True to Your School Sweepstakes
- Banners across the site
- Feature banners on the eBay sports page and home page
- Satellite media tour and audio news release with ESPN's Stuart Scott
- Co-marketing with Internet partners
- Radio promotion in five major markets
- Press release and PR outreach to the media
2. How can my school win the college scholarship?
At the end of the promotion, a contribution will be made to the general scholarship fund of the school category with the largest sales. The school will also be named the eBay 2003 National Champion.
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Must use Buy It Now and PayPal.
