With my various eBay advice posts and blogging about the new breed of eBay millionaires, I decided it’s about time that I helped you out a little bit more, and advised you what not to do on eBay.
If you want your business to survive, then it is advisable to never do the following things.
However, if you want to kill your eBay business, there are some simple ways to go about it…
1. Lie
You should never, ever lie when it comes to selling on eBay. Don’t say something is in perfect working condition if it isn’t, or neglect to mention scratches or missing buttons. And never list something as new when it is used!
Lying will only come back to bite you on your bum. Say hello to negative feedback.
Negative feedback can really hurt your eBay business, preventing you from making those all important sales and losing out to competitors. Remember that it takes hundreds of positive feedback to cover the damage from just one negative rating.
2. Mail your items late
Once your customer has paid, you should post their item as soon as you can. Don’t just post it whenever you feel like it – you have a responsibility to send goods to your customers in the time frame promised.
By using a reliable and cheap parcel delivery service, you can ensure your customers are happy with the quick service you have provided, increasing the likelihood that they will buy from you again.
3. Let items end when everyone’s at work or asleep
I recently made this schoolboy error – unforgivable, especially since I have written about it in the past!
I was taking advantage of eBay’s free listings, when I completely forgot about the ending time. One item of clothing I was selling had seven watchers but ended with no bids.
Why? Because it ended at 10am when everyone was at work. Doh!
So it is crucial to end your items at a time when most people will be in (and awake!). Sunday evening is usually the best time to end a listing.
4. Ignore questions from eBayers
Yes, answering questions from members can be annoying and take up some of your time, but remember, these are your potential customers so don’t think “oh it’s ok someone else will buy it”, because maybe they won’t.
eBay businesses need to be continually managed. Don’t become lazy!
5. Refuse to give discounts
You know how much your items cost and you know what you want your profit margin to be, so you’re not going to negotiate.
However, if a customer isn’t 100% per cent happy about something, give a little leeway and offer them a special discount. Don’t be so strict with your rules, and you may instil some customer loyalty.
6. Try hard to make your listing STAND OUT
Use different colours, different fonts, write every other words in CAPITALS and why not throw in some animation while you’re at it?
You may believe that all these things may make your listing stand out from the rest, but in fact, they make your listing look ugly and hard to read.
Keep it simple.
Can you think of any other major blunders when it comes to selling on eBay?