Once you know what you plan to sell, have a plan that's viable, and know that your products generally can sell on eBay for the pricing you need to get to turn a profit, then you're ready for us! If you are looking to invest in creating or improving your online sales, brand and identity, efficiency of operations, or marketing, As Was is a match to your needs. In case you're not there yet, or you're not sure, let's go over some of the basics.
There are plenty of books, infomercials, and seminars that want to tell you that selling on eBay is like having a money-making machine in your spare room. Yet nearly one-third of the people who make that first call to us are surprised when we tell them what selling on eBay is really like! Let's make sure that you're right for eBay and eBay is right for you.
"Everything sells on eBay."
- Not necessarily! First you need to check the rules to make sure that your items are not prohibited or restricted by eBay's rules.
- Is your product very unique or a new invention? Those sometimes don't sell well on eBay. With over 80% of eBay sales coming from search results, most people on eBay know what they want, and they're looking for who has the best deal, reputation, presentation, and policies. If people are not likely to specifically look for your product, it might not be right for eBay.
- eBay is also very much about supply and demand. iPod cases sell well, but does that mean yours will sell? You could be one seller in a flooded market with new sellers joining in every week. How will you stand out? How often will your item sell and what kind of pricing can you expect to get? We'll cover that answer in a moment.
"I'm just going to open an eBay Store and put everything in there."
- This is a popular idea in certain books, seminars, and infomercials, but it implies a real lack of knowledge about eBay. Items that are only listed in your Store will have lower fees to get them in your Store, but have higher fees when they sell. Also, Store items are less likely to show up in search results; this is the trade-off for having that lower fee. So if over 80% of sales are made from search results and you're not showing up in search results, you are less likely to make that sale.
- That's what having an eBay strategy is all about. You can't slap things up there and just assume that little knowledge of how the marketplace works will get you far.
"I'm just going to get one of those selling systems or drop shippers, sit back, and do basically nothing."
- You and thousands of other people every day are thinking that. That means that you may have tens, maybe hundreds of new direct competitors each week from other people who saw the same system or drop shipper. If supply and demand are the rule of the eBay marketplace, how will you fit in with all that supply.
- Know a lot of people who run successful businesses by doing no work and no research? There's a reason for that!
"How can I know if my items are likely to sell and what kind of pricing I might get?"
- The best way to research this is with Terapeak. For one monthly fee, you can do unlimited research on what is going on on eBay.com. Put in keywords and see what's working (and what's not!). Put in the ID of a seller you're eyeing, and see how he or she is really doing. See what kind of market is there.
Once you're confident that there is a good market for the items you want to sell at the prices you need to get to make money, then we can help with branding, identity, presentation, design, strategies, and more. We just can't help where this may be little/no demand or where you can't compete with the established sellers' pricing.
You may also want to check out our ebook called, "The EverySeller's Guide to eBay: Where Every eBay Seller Should Start."
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