listing optimisation: essentials webinar - ebay · pdf file• seo and best match ......

LISTING OPTIMISATION: ESSENTIALS

WEBINAR HANNAH HARDIMAN

3 MARCH 2016

WHO IS THIS WEBINAR FOR?

About You Assumptions

LISTING OPTIMISATION ESSENTIALS Copyright @ 2016 eBay Inc. All rights reserved. 2

Established business sellers

Selling primarily on eBay.co.uk

Want to increase sales and grow

You’ve been using eBay for a while

You know how to list on eBay

You’re open to learning and acting on

what you’ve learned

WHAT WE’RE COVERING TODAY

What we’re not covering

3

• What’s changed in the market

• Search and how it works

• Understanding how buyers search on eBay

• Listing best practices

• Where to focus your attention for the best

return on investment for your time

• Next steps – how to start boosting sales by

investing just one hour of your time

Agenda

• The actual listing process

• Using eBay listing tools

• Category-specific advice

Check out www.ebay.co.uk/growth

to find out what’s covered in our

other webinars and register

The content used in this webinar series is provided for informational purposes only.

Sellers who use any such content do so at their own risk.

LISTING OPTIMISATION ESSENTIALS Copyright @ 2016 eBay Inc. All rights reserved.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/growth

4

MAR APR MAY JUN JUL

Listing

Optimisation:

Essentials

Learn how to optimise for

Best Match and potentially

boost sales:

• mCommerce

• SEO and Best Match

• Search behaviour

Listing

Optimisation:

Advanced

Our experts discuss

advanced listing

optimisation techniques:

• Advice by category

• Listing formats

• Listing tools

Inventory

Sourcing

See what’s selling and

learn how to identify gaps

in the market:

• Seasonal planning

• Finding gaps

• Using tools

• International

opportunities

Branding on

eBay

Our experts explain how

you can build your brand

on eBay:

• eBay Shops

• Listing design and

templates

• Reputation

• After the sale

Pricing 1:

Promotional tools

Learn about the eBay tools

which help you increase

basket size:

• Promotions Manager -

order size discounts

• Markdown Manager

• Sale Events

AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

Pricing 2:

Promotional tools

Dig deeper into eBay tools

to help you increase

basket size:


accessory discount

offers

• Free postage offers/

combining postage

Postage

Options

How to choose the right

service for your business

and your customers:

• Handling times

• Domestic and

international delivery

services

• Late delivery metric

Postage

Innovation

Innovative ways to get

your item from A to B,

safely and on time.

• Click & Collect

• Global Shipping

Programme

• Returns best-practice

Customer

Service

How to build a reputation

for outstanding customer

service:

• What eBay buyers

expect

• Top Rated status

• Listing quality

• International buyer

expectations

Customer

Loyalty

Our experts discuss ways

to keep your customers

coming back for more:


codeless Coupon offers

• Email marketing

• Marketing off-eBay


WHAT’S CHANGED IN THE MARKET

“According to Darwin’s Origin of Species, it is not

the most intellectual of the species that survives;

it is not the strongest that survives; but the

species that survives is the one that is able best

to adapt and adjust to the changing environment

in which it finds itself.”

Leon C. Megginson, 1963

(Often misattributed to Charles Darwin himself)

(and what if means to you)

THE BIGGEST

CHANGE TO

RETAIL/ECOMMERCE

THIS CENTURY

mCOMMERCE


THE BIGGEST

CHANGE TO

RETAIL/ECOMMERCE

THIS CENTURY

mCOMMERCE mCOMMERCE


THE BIGGEST

CHANGE TO

RETAIL/ECOMMERCE

THIS CENTURY

EXPLOSION IN SMARTPHONE ADOPTION

8

1. Penetration of Smartphone ownership. Source: Mobilesquared – Dec 2013 (Mobilesquared is a leading sector intelligence and insights company on the mobile sector).

2. Percentage of UK consumers making purchases on a smartphone. Source: Econsultancy – Mar 2014.

3. Millennial Generation (or Generation Y) are the demographic group that followed Generation X. There are no precise dates when the generation starts and ends but

researchers and commentators use birth years ranging from the early 1980s to the early 2000s.

4. 52% of traffic to retail websites comes from smartphones and tablet consumers. Source: IMRG Capgemini Quarterly Bechmarking Report – Sep 2014.

penetration and rising1

65% use them to shop2

32% The choice of millennials 3

screen size has improved user experience

LARGER 50% Accounts for over

of online traffic4

If you’re not optimised for mobile you’re missing out.

BOTTOM LINE


MOBILE SHOPPERS CHOOSE EBAY

9

Users of eBay that shop on both

mobile and desktop spend 4x

more than users of desktop alone

4x

Over 50% of eBay

purchases are now

‘touched by mobile’ 50%

40% of new eBay users in 2013

came to the site via mobile

eBay is the #1 retail app and neck-and-neck with

Amazon for #1 retail site in the UK – when

shoppers reach for their phones to research or

buy, typically it is on eBay or Amazon.

In the UK over 2.5million

users per day access eBay via

mWeb, Android or iPhone

1

9.2 million listings

currently added via eBay

mobile per week

In the UK, a car is

bought via a mobile

every 2 minutes...

... and a pair of ladies

shoes every 6 seconds

Source: eBay external data – September 2014


61% 60%

49%

42%

33% 32% 30% 30% 29% 28% 27% 27%

21%

Amazon eBay Argos Tesco Asda Sainsbury's M&S Boots Currys Debenhams NEXT John Lewis ASOS

THROUGH MOBILE WEB OR APP, EBAY AND

AMAZON DOMINATE MOBILE RETAIL...

10

Which of the following retailers do you access on your mobile?

Source: Marketing Week/CM – 2014


27% 27% 28% 30% 24% 31% 30% 27% 22% 27% 22% 17% 13%

8% 11% 13% 11% 18% 11% 13% 17% 22% 17% 24% 38% 52%

65% 62% 59% 59% 58% 58% 57% 56% 56% 56% 54% 45%

35%

Boots NEXT Debenhams John Lewis Sainsbury's Currys M&S Asda Tesc ASOS Argos Amazon eBay

BUT EBAY IS THE CLEAR LEADER FOR MOBILE APPS

11

Did you use the mobile app or the mobile website?

Source: Marketing Week/CM – 2014


WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN FOR YOU?

• eBay changes are largely driven by changes in

the market. If we fail to keep up, buyers will

shop elsewhere. And this means eBay sellers

need to keep pace too.

• Examples of eBay changes driven by the

evolution of mcommerce:

– Product identifiers

– Picture standards

– Category changes and updates

– Seller standards and late delivery metric

• And when it comes to search, buyers don’t

want to scroll through hundreds of listings on

their phone – they want to find the item they’re

looking for quickly, at the right price, then buy

and get it delivered fast.

12 LISTING OPTIMISATION ESSENTIALS

Copyright @ 2016 eBay Inc. All rights reserved.

SEARCH AND HOW IT WORKS

RECALL 1 RANKING 2

WHO DO YOU NEED TO WRITE LISTINGS FOR?



OPTIMISING FOR OFF-EBAY SEARCH ENGINES

Optimise listing titles The first thing Google looks at on a

page

• Use the primary keyword

• Avoid incorrect capitalisation,

eBay jargon etc.

Correct categorisation Appears in the search engine’s

results page

• Adds additional context

• Adds keywords to the page

Improve description Supports rank and visibility

• Include brand name, model and

synonyms

• Avoid keyword stuffing



SEO FOR YOUR EBAY SHOP

Use keywords in your Shop name

if possible

Write a compelling and keyword-

rich Shop description

The same guidelines apply to your

meta description

Link to your Shop from everywhere

you can (e.g. Guides)



HOW BUYERS SEARCH ON EBAY

Google Keyword Planner shows

monthly search volume for

individual keywords.

Google Trends shows relative

search volumes over time.

Search Long Tail The more specific the keyword, the lower the search volume

and competition.

A person searching

‘Brown Leather Shoes

size 7’ is ready to buy.

A person searching ‘Shoes’

is probably just browsing. 1 Word Phrases

Shoes

2-3 Word Phrases

Brown Leather Shoes

More Descriptive Phrases

Brown Leather Shoes size 7

PICKING YOUR TARGETS

Identifying the right keywords to target on a page can make a huge

difference in the amount of traffic your eBay presence attracts.



HOW DO PEOPLE SEARCH?



“Encourage sellers to list serial or part numbers

and improve photos”

“I think titles and subtitles of items should be

more clear.”

“Make sure that when a delivery date is stated

that they stick to this.”

“Not everybody is putting item specifications.”

“Making it compulsory for the sellers to complete

all necessary details in full.”

“Too many people are putting item under spurious

categories”

WHAT BUYERS TELL US…

26


HOW TO GET HIGH VISIBILITY IN EBAY SEARCH

27

What gets a listing

demoted by eBay

• Listing best practices, e.g. listed in correct

category and/or sub-category, keywords in

title match the buyer’s search

• Item specifics i.e. brand name, size, etc. –

very important when buyers apply filters

• Sales history

– Does this listing convert well?

– Is it similar to other listings which

convert well?

What the algorithm

looks for

• Keyword spamming

• Listing violations, e.g. duplicate listings,

VeRO, etc.

• Listing converts poorly or has similar

characteristics to other listings which

perform poorly

• Poor seller performance


CATEGORY

28

Helps you list using the most relevant Item Specifics

Helps buyers find your listings

Helps to avoid issues with programmes such as

Global Shipping Programme which has restrictions

placed on certain categories

Choosing the correct

category can help you with

international selling

Choosing the correct category can help you

with international selling

Info is used by buyers to select relevant items, e.g.

Mobile & Smart Phones vs. Mobile Phone Accessories

Important to list in the correct categories:


TITLE

29

Imagine you’re the buyer. What do you want

to know?

Use subtitles beneath your title

to provide more information, e.g.

Free delivery, 2 year warranty,

UK seller

Subtitle (fees apply)

Use up to 80 characters to be as descriptive and

relevant as possible

Include key details – even if they also appear in

your description

State exactly what the item is (even if it repeats the

category name)

Use correct spelling and avoid overusing acronyms


IMAGES

30

Upload up to 12 photos for free

Use a good quality camera –phones don’t always

give a good enough result

Take care not to infringe copyright – just because an

image is on the internet doesn’t mean you can use it

Use close-up shots to show off product details or

imperfections

For multi-variation listings - make sure the main

photo shows buyers there are variations

Low res

preview – I

need to

request

image


PRODUCT IDENTIFIERS & ITEM SPECIFICS

31

Mandatory to add product identifiers to

certain listings

If item appears in the eBay catalogue, don’t

assume all the Item Specifics have been

completed for you

Think like a buyer– focus on the main

characteristics that your buyers will filter their

search on

Make sure the information is accurate –

don’t try to mislead buyers


DETAILS (AKA DESCRIPTION)

32

Make sure it’s mobile-friendly – especially if you use

HTML or templates

Put all important information ‘above the fold’ (this

changes depending on the device)

Writing tips – double check spelling and grammar,

avoid ALL CAPS, break up long paragraphs

Keep it factual - it’s your

responsibility to make sure

your description is clear,

accurate and compliant with

advertising regulations

(see https://www.asa.org.uk/)

!


https://www.asa.org.uk/

OTHER SECTIONS

33

Format – advice on format varies depending on the

category you’re listing in. More details in ‘Listing

Optimisation: Advanced’

Price – future webinars will cover how to adjust

pricing and set up promotions and seasonal sales

Payment – if you’ve set up Business Policies the

information is automatically pulled in

Postage – a future webinar will cover postage

options, Click & Collect and Global Shipping

Programme

Other details (e.g. Returns) – can be automatically

inserted if you’ve set up Business Policies


A FEW MORE TIPS

List long duration, multi-quantity fixed price items

If the item is out of stock, then RELIST it once you

have more stock available

There's no need to raise the price of an item by a

huge amount to keep it live on the site, but not

generating sales

Optimise and update your listing to make sure you

stay competitive



“WHERE DO I START?”

Work out which part of the journey you need to improve on:

35

Recall Look at categories, keywords, title and

item specifics

Ranking

As above, plus look at sales history and

competitor activity

Conversion Review your descriptions, price and

postage options



THE BIGGEST

CHANGE TO

RETAIL/ECOMMERC

E THIS CENTURY

“I’D LOVE TO

DO ALL THIS,

BUT I DON’T

HAVE TIME”

INVEST 1 HOUR AND REAP THE REWARDS

Research – 1 hour

Take a sample of at least 10 listings whose sales have

been steady for the last 2-4 weeks

• Spend 4-6 minutes per listing researching your

competition

• Type in the phrase you think buyers would search for and

see where your listing appears

• Now apply the filters that your buyers are likely to select

• Search for the following using Advanced search:

– Live listings

– Completed listings

– Sold listings

• Write down what you notice. How does your listing

compare with Completed and Sold listings from other

sellers? How do they describe the same item – what

keywords are they using? Which Item Specifics have

they completed? How is it priced? What do you think is

making buyers choose these listings?

37

3

1


INVEST 1 HOUR AND REAP THE REWARDS

Apply what you’ve learned – time depends on amount of changes needed

• Now amend your 10 test listings based on what you’ve found.

38

2 3 Monitor results over the following 2 weeks

– build into your usual reporting

• What happened to sales? If they went up, by what

% and £?

• How much did your hour of research earn you?


PROMOTE YOUR LISTINGS – AD SERVICE

http://sellercentre.ebay.co.uk/promote-your-listings.html








40

PROMOTE YOUR LISTINGS – AD SERVICE


ELIGIBILITY

41

Listings

• Selected eBay Shop subscribers

• Listing in eligible categories

Sellers

• Fixed price, multi-quantity

• Promote up to 30% (or 500, whichever is

greater) of your listings

Categories • Antiques

• Art

• Baby

• Cameras & Photography

• Clothes, Shoes & Accessories

• Coins

• Computers/Tablets & Networking

• Crafts

• Dolls & Bears

• Garden & Patio

• Health & Beauty

• Home Furniture & DIY

• Jewellery & Watches

• Mobile Phones & Communication

• Musical Instruments

• Pet Supplies

• Sound & Vision

• Sporting Goods

• Toys & Games

• Video Games & Consoles


WHAT WE’VE COVERED

42

• What’s changed in the market

• Search and how it works

• Understanding how buyers search on eBay

• Listing best practices

• Where to focus your attention for the best

return on investment for your time

• Next steps – how to start boosting sales by

investing just one hour of your time

Agenda Join the discussion

The eBay Community >

Discussion Boards > Selling on eBay >

eBay Growth Webinar Discussions

Check out www.ebay.co.uk/growth

to find out what’s covered in our

other webinars and register

The content used in this webinar series is provided for informational purposes only.

Sellers who use any such content do so at their own risk.


http://www.ebay.co.uk/growth

QUESTIONS

listing optimisation: essentials webinar - ebay · pdf file• seo and best match ......

Documents