advanced selling strategies
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Advanced Selling Strategies
Matt LedwithDirector Top Seller Development
© 2007 eBay Inc. All rights reserved.
No part of these materials may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior permission of eBay Inc.
eBay, eBay Live!, and the eBay logo are registered trademarks of eBay Inc. PayPal and the PayPal logo are registered trademarks of PayPal Inc.
Other trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.
Please do not take our picture or record the class without asking permission.
Important Information
Agenda
• Structuring Your Business on eBay• Marketing and Merchandising—Thinking Like
Your Buyer• Scaling and Growing Your Business• Summary• Q&A
Structuring Your Business on eBay
• A business on eBay is like any other business…– Find the right items to sell– Manage your inventory and determine where and
how to sell– Observe and outperform your competitors– Provide world-class customer support
• You need to experiment, measure and repeat• There’s not one “best practice” that works
for all products all of the time
www.ebay.com/optinwww.ebay.com/sellercentral
Understanding the eBay Marketplace
• eBay’s Seller Central and seller communications
– Top buyers searches by category
– Hot, in-demand items– New releases and promotions
• PowerUp– Off-line Newsletter
sharing best practices
eBay Sales Reports Plus
• Free tool for all sellers
• Understand the main drivers of your business
– Measure results against goals
– Identify areas of opportunity/ improvement
Tip: eBay Accounting Assistant saves valuable time by exporting eBay and PayPal transaction and fee data to QuickBooks®
Stores Traffic Reports & Marketplace Research
• eBay Stores Traffic Reports – Understand which items buyers
visit and are searching for– Optimize your listing titles
and pages– Cross-promote your most
popular listings
• eBay Marketplace Research– Make data-based sourcing
and selling decisions– Reports sales trends for
products– Includes Average Sold Price,
Items Sold, Items Listed
www.ebay.com/storefronts/traffic-reports.htmlwww.ebay.com/marketplace_research
Third-Party Marketplace Data Providers
• eBay data providers – Terapeak (www.terapeak.com)– Mpire Researcher
(www.mpire.com)– Andale (www.andale.com)– Hammertap
(www.hammertap.com)
• Available data includes: – Closed listings pricing info– Category-specific data– Sales trends– Hot-selling products
and categories
Finding Merchandise to Sell
Reseller Marketplace• A B2B marketplace for
PowerSellers to source for resale
• Sellers: manufacturers, liquidators, wholesalers
• Benefits:– Great values– Buy in lots for resale– No long-term or volume
minimums
www.ebay.com/reseller
Additional Sources of Supply
• Trade shows—find a trade show in your industrywww.Tsnn.com
• Resell used goods—estate saleswww.ustreas.gov/auctions/customs
• Buy directly—find a distributor and buy directwww.thomasnet.com
• Find wholesale suppliers www.WorldwideBrands.com/Importing
• Trading Assistants—sell on behalf of otherswww.ebay.com/tradingassistants
Structuring Your Business on eBay
• Use the resources on eBay to understand which products are in high demand
• Investigate third-party market research tools• Let your research drive the products,
categories and prices at which you sell• Experiment, measure and repeat!• Get the right product, in the right place
at the right time!
Marketing & MerchandisingThinking like your buyer
Thinking Like Your Buyer
• Drive buyers to your items– Develop effective eBay listings – Price your items to attract buyers – Promote your eBay store– Use eBay Express
• Keep buyers satisfied—and make them repeat customers
– Customer support– Cross-promotion and up-selling– Clear and fair shipping prices
Listing Titles
• Use all 55 characters• Use words people most often
use when searching– Brands and model– Condition, color, style, size
• Use browse words– NR or No Reserve– Free Shipping
• Offer several points of entry– “Shawl” and “wrap”– “Notebook” and “laptop”
• Utilize Subtitles where appropriate
Item Description is the most valuable tool for creating search engine-friendly listings!
Item Descriptions
• Provide all data that buyers need to make a decision in one place
– Repeat item title– Include complete product info– Use item specifics when
available– Provide clear payment info – Clearly state shipping costs
and time frames– Include links to your eBay Store
Effective Photos
• Clear images• Photo at top of listing• Multidimensional views• Use Picture Manager to save $• Own pictures or get permission
Tip: Use Gallery feature to display your item picture with search and browse results
eBay Shipping Center:www.ebay.com/shippingcenter
Shipping
• Clearly state policies—returns, feedback, sales tax, etc.
• Include shipping costs—flat rate, calculated or at no cost
• Set buyers’ expectations about when you ship your items (e.g., "within 24 hours of payment”)
• Offer shipping discounts for multiple purchases
eBay Formats
• Auction-style• Fixed Price
– Buy it Now (BIN)– Fixed Priced
• Stores Inventory (SIF)– Fixed Price
www.ebay.com/sellercentral/formats.html
Best Practice:• Use Reserve sparingly—Reserve
deters bids• Best Offer—Receive price-based
offers for Fixed Price listings• Store Referral Credit—save 75%
on Final Value Fees on qualified transactions
www.ebay.com/storefronts/seller-landing.html
Promoting Your eBay Store
• Promote your eBay Store and Store Inventory in every listing
• Utilize cross-selling functionality• Include search keywords in
your Store name, description and categories
• Promote your Store both on and off eBay using:
– Listing feeds – Email marketing– Promotional flyers– Listing frames
Acquire Buyers—eBay Express
• Double your exposure for Fixed Price and eBay Store Inventory listings!
– Qualified listings show up automatically with no additional work
– Buyers pay upfront via Shopping Cart and Checkout
– No changes to your selling experience
www.ebayexpress.com
Delivering a Superior Buyer Experience
• Clear and fair shipping prices• Address customer questions promptly
to establish trust and rapport• Over-deliver on expectations
Buyer Retention & Managing Sold Items
• Reduce Unpaid Items: – Utilize Seller
Preference in My eBay to restrict undesirable buyers
– Communicate with buyers early and often
– Utilize Immediate Payment through PayPal on Fixed Price Listings
Marketing & Merchandising
• To attract and retain buyers you need to:– Think like a buyer
• How do buyers find your items?• How do buyers like to be treated?
– Use your buyers’ behavior to drive your business strategy
Scaling & Growing Your Business
http://pages.ebay.com/sell/tools.htmlwww.solutions.ebay.com
Tools to Help You Scale Your Business
• eBay Listing Tools– Turbo Lister: desktop tool with reusable listing templates– File Exchange: create listings by sending a flat file to eBay
• eBay Listing Management Tools– Selling Manager/Selling Manager Pro: Web-based sales
management tools designed to help sellers manage sales more efficiently
– eBay Blackthorne: desktop listing and sales management tools designed to save time
• Third-party Tools – eBay Solutions Directory provides information about third-party
software tools and services to improve your productivity on eBay
www.ebay.com/internationaltrading/sellertips.html
Grow Your Business Globally
• More than 50% of all eBay users live outside the US
• Listing your products internationally ensures maximum global exposure and incremental sales volume
• PayPal Seller Protection available for qualified US shipments to Canada and the UK
• Utilize a shipping partner to help overcome import/export issues
Grow Your Business Off-eBay
• Expand your business to be Multi-Channel
– Develop your own Web site– Tap into a new and
incremental customer base– Lower your cost of sales
for servicing existing customers
– Capture growing use of search for finding products
Adding a Sales Channel
• Ideal for existing eBay sellers with a regular customer base to grow their online sales
• Fully integrated to allow direct listings to eBay and payments with PayPal
• ProStores is one-stop shopping—with a shopping cart, hosting, reporting and more!
PayPal Benefits Advanced Sellers
• Easily receive money electronically from around the world (16 different currencies)
• Automate and become more efficient– Instant payment information– Multi-user access– Company name on customers’ credit card statements– Automatic monthly eBay fees payment
• Tailor online payment options to your eBay or Web site business
Scaling & Growing Your Business
• Use listing and e-commerce management tools to save time and boost productivity
• Open your business to international customers• Maintain an online storefront off eBay to
attract more online shoppers• Practice safe selling
7 Steps to Scalability
• FREE one-on-one consultations with eBay specialists to improve your listings
• 7 Steps Live—learn from other sellers’ best practices and share your insights
• Visit the Seller Scalability Center at the Solutions Center (booth #551)
Summary
• Improve the structure of your business on eBay by:– Understanding your marketplace– Using multiple sources to buy your product at the
right price
• Identify tactics and strategies to turn shoppers into repeat buyers
• Define ways to grow your business– In the US and abroad– On and off eBay
Questions?To learn more, visitwww.ebay.com/education to see the eBay University calendar, online tours, tutorials, and more.
Thank you!