eBay tips indexed

February 4, 2008

What with one announcement and another, the end of January was a bit messy. Some of Dan’s superb “eBay Tips 2008″ series I know got buried under fee changes and feedback fury. Here’s a handy index to all the posts in case you missed any…. Read more

Written by Sue Bailey · Filed Under News | Comments Off 

eBay Tips 2008: Classifieds and Comparison Shopping

January 29, 2008

As I’ve written before in this series, there was a time when there was just eBay when it came to individuals selling online. But now the scene is more fragmented. Buyers are changing their habits and willing to buy using different formats and… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 2 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: What about a website?

January 27, 2008

Of all the eBay sellers I’ve met over the years, I’ve never met one who regretted setting up their own website. But almost every single one I’ve spoken to regrets not having done it sooner. I think that every seller dependent on the eBay monster… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 8 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: Pimp your Parcels

January 25, 2008

So far, we’ve only looked at online modes of marketing and branding. But there is one very obvious opportunity to connect with your buyers in a visceral way: by branding your parcels and using them to market. There are two particular advantages… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 16 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: 4 Marketing Must Dos

January 24, 2008

Here’s a washing list of things that I haven’t mentioned so far, that you should be doing. If not, you’re a maniac. About Me Page: Just about nothing is free on eBay and yet this free option isn’t taken up universally. Your About Me page is a… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 6 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: Consistent eBay Marketing and Branding

January 23, 2008

The only really important aspect of your on-eBay branding and marketing is consistency. You don’t have the full gamut of options on the site that most businesses have so making sure that you extract the most from the ones you do have is vital…. Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 6 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: Why Marketing and Branding is Important

January 22, 2008

I’ve read enough books about marketing and branding to know that whole forests have been sacrificed for nought. A lot of crap has been written but not much of it explains much about why it’s important. Or rather they do, using dictionaries of… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 6 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: Stock Discipline

January 21, 2008

In any sort of retail business there is, what in many ways resembles, a gamble at the core. Can you sell the stock you buy at a price, and in sufficient quantities, without having too much leftover, and still turn a profit? You’ll become more expert… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 22 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: Email Efficiency

January 20, 2008

One of the big sinks of time for any seller is dealing with emails from potential buyers and also dealing with the comms from buyers. It seems to me that there isn’t really a way of escaping from these (sometimes peculiar and moronic missives) so… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 9 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: Postage and Packaging Efficiency

January 18, 2008

It’s worth remembering that eBay allows sellers to charge ‘reasonable’ costs for postage and handling. In recent years eBay has become more hawkish in enforcing this policy and cracking down on excessive P&P. Remember too that buyers are… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 3 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: eBay Shops and the Listings Mix

January 15, 2008

It is vital to bear in mind that the content of this post might very well become outdated in the next few weeks when eBay’s fee and other changes are announced later in the month. We don’t yet know the substance of these changes but it’s a fair bet… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 12 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: eBay Shops and Search Engine Optimisation

January 14, 2008

The old order changeth yielding place to new. I can’t recall which poet wrote that (Tennyson?), I’ll Google it when I’m done with this post. But it is something that eBay sellers would do well to remember, especially with reference to how Google is… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 42 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: eBay Shops

January 12, 2008

An eBay Shop is an essential part of a professional seller’s arsenal of tools. And before we look, over the next few days, at the ways an eBay Shop can contribute to your profitability, it’s worth revisiting what your Shop adds to your operations…. Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 19 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: Videos for eBay

January 11, 2008

Firstly, I must declare my interest: I work for vzaar.com, a company that offers a video service for eBay sellers. The reason why? I reckon that video is the next big thing coming eBay’s way. Videos are becoming ubiquitous online and the… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 15 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: Pictures Perfect

January 10, 2008

Having recently moved house, I’m in the market for a lot of new things. As a ‘check eBay first’ kinda guy, I’ve been looking for more than my usual book and CD purchases and spending time in parts of the site I seldom visit, looking at beds, sofas,… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 10 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: Return Policy

January 9, 2008

When it comes to considering a Return Policy for your eBay listings, two things immediately spring to mind. I’ve spoken to countless sellers and it seems to me that the number of returns that most sellers get, compared to the despatches they make,… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 7 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: Customer Focused Listings

January 8, 2008

For many sellers, listings are rather like the human genome. The template code resembles the full DNA sequence. It’s been tweaked and added to over time. A one-off problem occurs, so the seller adds a caveat or note to their listings. In the same… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 19 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: Pimp your Selling

January 7, 2008

Over the next few days I want to focus on ways you can ‘pimp your selling’. I tend to think that eBay buying has four stages from a seller’s point of view. Bring ‘em in: Get a potential buyer’s attention so they’ll view your listing. Convert… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 10 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: Know the Marketplace

January 6, 2008

eBay is the biggest shop in the world and things change with dizzying frequency: it’s hard to keep up. But it’s important to raise your head above the parapet. You probably know your own corner of the Marketplace very well but a broader knowledge of… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 10 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: Know Your Numbers

January 5, 2008

It seems to me that a great many serious sellers on eBay fall into it almost by accident. Perhaps taken surprise by a few good sales and the hope they can change how they work and live, they take the plunge. This is one of the reasons why the eBay… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 13 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: End Times

January 4, 2008

One of the most basic factors that a seller has to make decisions about is the time they choose to end their listings. Equally, as we go ‘Back to Basics’, there is no topic open to greater discussion and speculation. If the question is “When is the… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 5 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: What’s in a Username?

January 3, 2008

Rumour has it that eBay will soon release millions of dormant Usernames. So it could be time to think about whether your Username is doing you justice as we go ‘Back to Basics’. Your Username is the core of your eBay brand. It says something… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 12 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: Review Your Titles

January 2, 2008

The first theme I want to explore in ‘eBay Tips 2008′ is getting the fundamentals right by going ‘Back to Basics’. The most important part of your eBay listing is the title. Why? It’s how buyers find you. To succeed you need to ensure that your… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 27 Comments 

eBay Tips 2008: Are You Ready?

January 1, 2008

Every New Year is a time to take stock, plan and reflect in whatever you do. And for eBay sellers, it looks like 2008 will be a year of change and significant developments in the marketplace. Executives have already indicated that sellers should… Read more

Written by Dan Wilson · Filed Under Featured | 10 Comments