Curious about starting your own online business?
Its easy to set up and start selling through an eBay store.
Heres how to start an eBay store and build it into a successful business.
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How Much Can You Make Selling on eBay?
Michelle Henry, an eBay shopkeeper, starts her day at her local thrift shop.
Probably not as good as youd like.
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Satisfied with her haul, she rings out and heads home, where its time for photoshoots and uploading.
I dont have employees or a lease, Walsh said.
I dont have to pay for utilities or phone costs on a separate space.
I can just work from home, which I love.
Ready to learn how to start and run a successful eBay store?
Here are the steps you oughta take.
Decide What Youre Selling
Having an eBay storefront is not like holding a perpetual garage sale.
Because of the way each store shares its entire inventory in one place, you must be focused.
grab the pop in of merchandise you want to sell through your store, and stick to it.
Dont look at this decision as a limiting factor.
it’s possible for you to sell myriad items in any given category, so use your imagination.
Or if youre sellingPokemon cards, you may want to get intoselling Legostoo.
And sell what you like your audience will be able to tell if youre passionate about your products.
This is simple to do, and theres a quick tour on how to get started running your store.
Theres no charge for registering as a seller on eBay.
You also need to choose what types of payments youre willing to accept from customers.
Youll need to choose aneBay store subscriptionbased on your projected sales volume.
In addition to your monthly store fee, youre also charged afinal value feeon every item you sell.
(This is eBays cut.)
The fee is a percentage of the total sales amount plus 30 cents per order.
Fees range between 3% and 15%, depending on the item category.
Once youve selected a package, its time todesign your eBay storefront.
double-check you optimize your store name and all item descriptions for search engines.
If youre selling action figures, for example, dont name your store Bills Fantasyland.
A name like Best Action Figures, Period will drive more traffic to your store.
List Items Correctly and Appealingly
Ready to start adding items to your store?
Listing your items on eBay is a crucial step in attracting customers.
eBay has several tools to help you quickly list your items.
you’re free to then add missing details, like the condition, price and shipping information.
If the item doesnt have a UPC code or other number, eBay still makes the process pretty easy.
When you start listing your item, a category is usually pre-populated with suggestions based on your title.
you could include up to 24 high-resolution photos for each listing.
Use as many as you should probably give your buyers a complete look at the product.
Buyers cant pick up the item, hold it or look closely at it in person, Walsh said.
They must have pictures from multiple angles to help them understand exactly what theyre buying.
Photograph your productin a well-lit area (lots of natural light looks best).
ensure to provide clear details, descriptions and measurements in your product descriptions.
The more information you include, the better.
Use keywords in your descriptions so that prospective customers can find your items on Google and within eBay.
I think sometimes people skip the flaws because theyre worried that buyers wont buy, Henry said.
But theres no quicker way to have a claim opened against you than leaving out faults.
Ive made huge profits on non-working items, Henry said.
Not everyone is looking for mint in the box, or even functioning.
There are two ways to sell items on eBay: fixed price or auction.
Auction-style listings let buyers bid on your item, and the highest bidder wins the auction.
You also cant cancel an auction after its completed.
Auctions last from one to 10 days.
This option gives you more control over the final sale price.
you could list your fixed-price item for a maximum of 30 days.
Price Your Items
One of the most important decisions youll make is how to price your items.
Set your prices too high and you risk scaring off potential buyers.
Set them too low and youll miss out on sales.
Here are some tips to help you price your items effectively.
Most people are looking for a bargain on eBay.
Outline Your Shipping and Return Policies
Decide on yourshippingand return policies, and spell them out thoroughly.
Communication with your buyers is key.
Shipping policies need to be very clear and well-researched, Walsh said.
Should you separate shipping costs or include them in the items price?
The verdict is mixed.
Walsh prefers to separate the costs so that her clients know exactly what theyre paying for and why.
Henry likes to include the shipping in the price of the item and list it as free shipping.
Should items arrive damaged or not at all, the buyer is insured by amoney-back guarantee.
The key is to deal with customer dissatisfaction immediately and without the sites help, as much as possible.
Youll receive a notification in your eBay account when a customer buys an item.
it’s possible for you to use funds from the sale to purchase shipping labels.
(Aim to mail them out by the next business day.)
you’ve got the option to easily request a package pickup from USPS, UPS or Fedex.
To meet their needs, you must go beyond your eBay page.
Email lists can be invaluable.
Your main customers will be interested in hearing from you and curious about your new deals and offerings.
Social media can also be crucial to your marketing success.
double-check you give your schedule structure to help stay on top of everything it’s crucial that you manage.
Darlena Cunha is a former television producer turned freelance journalist.
She writes for TIME Magazine, The Washington Post and The Atlantic, among others.
Rachel Christian, a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder, contributed to this story.
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