| But it's not just about the pretty packaging to Cathy. She also takes full advantage of other eBay Stores features, especially when it comes to marketing her Store. Each week, Cathy uses Email Marketing to notify her customer base about new products. Cathy has also become a more skilled eBay Stores merchant through business intelligence tools that help her discern repeat buyers, track which merchandise is moving, and more. "Traffic Reports keep me focused on which direction my customers are moving," says Cathy. "I can also figure out my busiest days, hours, and seasons with eBay Stores tools.
"I love the benefits of my Premium Store, especially the extra Custom Pages," she says. "I use them to customize my Store to the categories I sell in and provide size information. This makes it easier for my customers to find the products they want and saves me time answering questions. Now that I've seen the benefits of a Premium Store, I don't think I could ever go back to a Basic Store."
The results of hard work
In the three years since she opened her eBay Store, Cathy has experienced unprecedented sales and |
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worldwide growth. "I'm so overwhelmed by the response," says Cathy, who divides her time between the online store and the brick-and-mortar shop. "I just can't believe it."
Before opening her eBay Store, Cathy was content to sell products in the greater Chicagoland area, but because of eBay's worldwide reach, she's opened up her market. "I realized that the dollar was weak abroad," notes Cathy, "and that if I drew traffic to my Store from the UK, people there would buy more product. And they do! I say, 'God Save the Queen!'" She sells items to buyers all over Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and North America. Today, 60% of her business is international. "In addition to my domestic listings, I also list directly on eBay.com.uk and eBay.com.au. With so many international customers, it pays to go direct to the source."
Cathy is now selling about 250 items per month on her eBay Store, many to repeat customers and referrals. Overall, Cathy says that although she'll never give up her brick-and-mortar store, her eBay Store is more successful. She's selling more items-and much more quickly. "Dollar for dollar, eBay Stores is still the best value out there."
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Cathy's tips for success |
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As she prepared to lead a dive trip to Turks and Caicos, Cathy offered words of advice to future eBay Store owners: "If you're serious about your business, open an eBay Store. The cost is so low that you can't go wrong, plus it's a powerful tool. And if you don't take advantage of it, your competition may."
• Use everything. All of the business and marketing tools eBay offers Stores owners are there for a reason. They all work together. And the good news is that most of the tools are absolutely free. |
• Upgrade to a Premium Store You can get your feet wet with a Basic Store, but with a Premium Store you get extra tools and even more control over the look of your site. |
• Make your eBay Store shine. Pay attention to what your competition is doing-then do it better. Make your Store look as professional as possible, and buyers will trust you. |
• Use Auction-style listings to increase Store traffic. "I average about 50 Auction-style listings a day to draw people into my Store. Buyers may purchase multiple items, or I may upsell them when they see upgrades available on the listing." |
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Must use Buy It Now and PayPal.
