Dear Readers,
I am sorry that I have been neglecting my Free eBay Consultations. I promise I will work harder to make sure that I get to review at least two eBay Sellers auctions and stores per week. This may mean that it will take your store several weeks to get featured on the eBay Selling Guide, and Auction Help. However, if you would like to speed up this process and get your free eBay consultation in 72 hours, you can donate any amount to the eBay Selling Guide.
eMail me for more info.
Today's consultation will feature a store that sells men's and women's clothing, non-fiction books, and children's toys. It is run by Michelle, who seems to be pretty on top of her game. Her user name is heroptionsforyou, and her store is called her-options. I really suggest that you check out some of her auctions and her store so that we will all know what I am talking about.
These suggestions may look familiar if you have been reading some of the other consultations I have done.
My first suggestion for Michelle is that she changes the way her store categories are named. They are not very descriptive, and having descriptive store categories is one thing that helps you bring in bidders from Google. It also helps your bidders peruse your store better, instead of just having to look through 160 different items under your "misses" category, they should be able look through misses Jeans, Misses Slacks, Misses Shorts. Maybe even consider breaking those up into size categories.
Basically, the more categories the better.
A second suggestion dealing with your store is that you utilize the option to write a description about your store. We are changing this to draw in more potential bidders from eBay as well. I recommend writing something like "Welcome to Her Options, we specialize in selling Women's clothing in all sizes from brands like ..."
Next, I suggest that you re-arrange your auction titles. I think that normally it is best to do something like this:
"BRAND NAME Color Sex Style Size"
I really recommend putting the Brand Name in CAPS and at the beginning of the title. This is because a lot of people just use search terms like "Blue Jeans 8" "Black Skirt 6." This way your item will stick out when they are just browsing the search results.
Also, I would suggest reconsidering the brand name items that you buy. It seems like you do not have that many items that are really popular on eBay right now. If you want to find out what the best selling brands on eBay are, I suggest checking out my article, What Sells Best on eBay.
Lastly, I recommend that you add some links into your auction descriptions. You tell people to check out your store, that is good. But, it would be better if you added a link to your store, when you tell people to check out your store. You might get more bidders and customers buying multiple items if you do this.
Good luck with your store, if you have any specific questions please just leave a comment.
If anyone else would like Free eBay consultation, please sing up at the top of the page.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Free eBay Consultation: rgilbert15
Ron Gilbert signed up several days ago to have his free eBay consultation, but I have been putting it off because he appears to be on top of his game. Ron is a PowerSeller, has 4100+ Positive Feedback, and has 700+ items listed in his store. He is someone you should really be looking to as a great example of niche eBay selling.
I urge you to check out Ron's store and several of his auctions. His user name is rgilbert15, and his store is called Birthday Life Magazines Las Vegas. As you may have guessed by the name of his eBay store (seriously, you should check it out!) Ron specializes in selling Old Life Magazines from the 1930s to the 1970s. He even wrote an eBook about how to sell Life Magazines, which I strongly suggest you buy to learn about this great niche.
OK, so I guess we should get started on critiquing Ron's auctions and store. First of all, if Ron changed nothing at this point, he would be fine, and should consider taking my suggestions with a grain of salt.
First Tip: Ron! You wrote an eBook! This is what every book about selling on eBay encourages you to do, and you did it. This is great, but it could be even better. The biggest change that you can make right now that will bring you in some very easy money is to pimp your eBook. You need to promote this eBook like nobody's business! I only barely found it, when it should be one of the most prominent things in your store, and on your listings.
Third Tip: Well, I already ran out of big changes to make, but I have some small details that could be improved upon/fixed.
I urge you to check out Ron's store and several of his auctions. His user name is rgilbert15, and his store is called Birthday Life Magazines Las Vegas. As you may have guessed by the name of his eBay store (seriously, you should check it out!) Ron specializes in selling Old Life Magazines from the 1930s to the 1970s. He even wrote an eBook about how to sell Life Magazines, which I strongly suggest you buy to learn about this great niche.
OK, so I guess we should get started on critiquing Ron's auctions and store. First of all, if Ron changed nothing at this point, he would be fine, and should consider taking my suggestions with a grain of salt.
First Tip: Ron! You wrote an eBook! This is what every book about selling on eBay encourages you to do, and you did it. This is great, but it could be even better. The biggest change that you can make right now that will bring you in some very easy money is to pimp your eBook. You need to promote this eBook like nobody's business! I only barely found it, when it should be one of the most prominent things in your store, and on your listings.
I suggest that at the top of every auction you write something like this: "Want to learn how I make Thousands a month selling old magazines? Click Here!" Take this eBook out of hiding and make it work for you! Make a link that sends your bidders to your Profit$ From Life! and you will see your eBooks start to sell really fast. This is some easy money that you need to capitalize on!Second Tip: Ron also has written several articles on eBay, and has several blogs featured on his about me page. The problem is, Ron has too many blogs for one man to update. He should try to focus on one blog and update it at least once a week. Also, he should put a link to his blog at the very top of his about me page, instead of at the bottom. It should say something like: "To save 20% on my stock of Life magazines please see my Blog for details." This way, if he is really serious about having a blog to sell his items he can actually drive potential buyers there.
Third Tip: Well, I already ran out of big changes to make, but I have some small details that could be improved upon/fixed.
- It should be the 1930s not the 1930's. Take the apostrophe out of that date, it does not own anything.
- Put your store categories in order. It looks kind of unprofessional to have Your dates go 1930, 1950, 1970, 1940, 1960. I don't think it is that hard to change either.
- Your Click here to see what other Buyers have to say about me" link does not work for me. You might want to look into that, (though it might just be my computer).
- Your format is very clean, but you should consider rewriting the "many great topical articles and photos (please see index photo for details)." and turn it into a complete sentence. Maybe just do this for all of your new auctions, it is not worth it to go back through and change all of your old ones.
Free eBay Consultation: mom2nick4ever
Nicolette left a note for me saying that she has only had a store for about a month. But let me tell you, this store is pretty far ahead of the curve. I recommend that you check it out! She mostly sells children's clothing, but also has some women's clothing scattered throughout.
Nicolette's eBay user name is mom2nick4ever, and her store is called Wish Upon a Child's Star. Please check them out so that we are on the same page when we start critiquing her eBay auctions and store.
Let's get started! The first suggestion that I would make is that Nicolette changes her eBay user name to reflect her store name. That way it will be easy for her customers to remember that she is connected to her store, and it also helps with building the brand.
The second suggestion, which I have been making to many people, is to make a logo. Something to put at the top of your auctions will make your brand stick out, and make you look more professional.
Nicolette has several nice templates, but I would recommend using as few as possible (ideally only one template in order to build the brand). Also, there are not nearly enough auctions running that represent the majority of the store listings. It would be good to have about 10% of your items running as auctions at any one time.
Fresh Tip: I recommend taking advantage of the location in the store designer where you are able to describe your store. Google looks at these and drives potential bidders to your store if you use a description full of key words. Such as, "We provide high quality baby and toddler clothing from Gymboree, Gap Kids..." Use as many key words as possible, and you might start getting buyers that find you from a Google search instead of just from eBay.
Taking Pictures: Your pictures look crisp, but I think they could be improved if you take the pictures of your items on a white background. I have a small roll of white paper that I lay out on the ground when I take pictures. You can also use a science project poster board. This will make your pictures look a lot more professional.
Little Stuff:
Nicolette's eBay user name is mom2nick4ever, and her store is called Wish Upon a Child's Star. Please check them out so that we are on the same page when we start critiquing her eBay auctions and store.
Let's get started! The first suggestion that I would make is that Nicolette changes her eBay user name to reflect her store name. That way it will be easy for her customers to remember that she is connected to her store, and it also helps with building the brand.
The second suggestion, which I have been making to many people, is to make a logo. Something to put at the top of your auctions will make your brand stick out, and make you look more professional.
Nicolette has several nice templates, but I would recommend using as few as possible (ideally only one template in order to build the brand). Also, there are not nearly enough auctions running that represent the majority of the store listings. It would be good to have about 10% of your items running as auctions at any one time.
Fresh Tip: I recommend taking advantage of the location in the store designer where you are able to describe your store. Google looks at these and drives potential bidders to your store if you use a description full of key words. Such as, "We provide high quality baby and toddler clothing from Gymboree, Gap Kids..." Use as many key words as possible, and you might start getting buyers that find you from a Google search instead of just from eBay.
Taking Pictures: Your pictures look crisp, but I think they could be improved if you take the pictures of your items on a white background. I have a small roll of white paper that I lay out on the ground when I take pictures. You can also use a science project poster board. This will make your pictures look a lot more professional.
Little Stuff:
- Your about me page is very nice, but I suggest adding a link in your auction template instead of just telling people to check it. This will ensure that more people will look at it.
- Consider accepting non-confirmed addresses if the item is worth less than $25. This will open up the field to a lot of potential bidders. I have never had a problem shipping to someone with a non-confirmed address. I just make sure to email the winning bidder to make sure we both know where the package is being sent.
- Consider using Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelopes for international sales. That way you will not have problems with international bidders having to wait 2-5 weeks for their purchases to arrive.
Free eBay Consultation: indiansteps
This free eBay consultation is supposed to serve two purposes. First of all, it is supposed to act as a case study in eBay selling. I am hoping that you will learn what types of things to do in your auctions and stores, as well as what sort of things you should try to avoid. Secondly, this free consultation is supposed to help the sellers by giving them personalized instruction on how they might improve or alter their selling techniques.
If you are interested in a free eBay consultation, please submit your information here.
Now it is time to get down to business. The second eBay seller I am going to give some tips to is Denise. She operates under the user name indiansteps, and her store is called: Denise's Bargain Bin.
Denise sells a variety of clothing and accessories for men, women, and babies. The majority of her items are gently used. Please check out several of her auctions so that we can be on the same page while discussing them.
OK, hopefully you checked out some of Denise's auctions, and store. The main topic that we are going to work on today is: how to create a brand through consistency.
I am assuming that anyone wants to create some sort of a brand for their business by the time that they make a store. If this is true, here are some steps that Denise should take:
Step 1: Create a logo. Logos are easy to create, and will make it so that your customers instantly recognize and distinguish your auction from the others.
Step 2: Find one auction template and use it for all of your auctions. Having one standard auction template will make it so all of your auctions will be identifiable by their layout. This way, even if the bidder is not looking at your logo, they notice continuity while shopping through your listings. Another benefit to having only one template will be that you save a lot of time by not having to rewrite the same information over and over. You can keep all of your terms of sale in one nice bottom location and never have to mess with them again. They are also very efficient when listing multiple items, as you only have to change some parts of the description and images.
Here are some things that I recommend Denise changes on her auction formatting:
Good luck, and if you would like a logo or template created, or some one on one phone assistance, please email me. carl8630 gmail com (that invitation goes out to other readers as well).
If you are interested in a free eBay consultation, please submit your information here.
Now it is time to get down to business. The second eBay seller I am going to give some tips to is Denise. She operates under the user name indiansteps, and her store is called: Denise's Bargain Bin.
Denise sells a variety of clothing and accessories for men, women, and babies. The majority of her items are gently used. Please check out several of her auctions so that we can be on the same page while discussing them.
OK, hopefully you checked out some of Denise's auctions, and store. The main topic that we are going to work on today is: how to create a brand through consistency.
I am assuming that anyone wants to create some sort of a brand for their business by the time that they make a store. If this is true, here are some steps that Denise should take:
Step 1: Create a logo. Logos are easy to create, and will make it so that your customers instantly recognize and distinguish your auction from the others.
Step 2: Find one auction template and use it for all of your auctions. Having one standard auction template will make it so all of your auctions will be identifiable by their layout. This way, even if the bidder is not looking at your logo, they notice continuity while shopping through your listings. Another benefit to having only one template will be that you save a lot of time by not having to rewrite the same information over and over. You can keep all of your terms of sale in one nice bottom location and never have to mess with them again. They are also very efficient when listing multiple items, as you only have to change some parts of the description and images.
Here are some things that I recommend Denise changes on her auction formatting:
- Use an auction format that will be universal for all of your listings.
- Don't use more than two colors in your auction text. It seems like you have a new color for each paragraph, and I do not quite understand the concept behind this. I recommend using black for the regular text, and a bright color like red to use sparingly to draw the readers attention to important bits of your auction.
- I would also decrease the size of your font a little bit. Size 12 to 14 font should be what you keep the majority of your writing in. Anything else looks unprofessional (and we are trying to be professional here).
- Proof read all of your auctions. I did not catch so many grammatical or spelling errors, but I did find one place where there was some repetition of information. In the same auction (Swaddlem Baby Wrap) your payment info was repeated, but also differed from location to location:
- Payment is expected with 3 days of ending of auction, I accept Paypal /Money Orders
- Please contact me within 3 days of auction end to confirm payment Payment is expected within 7 days of auction end.
- The second Payment request one seems more reasonable, and is within eBays regulations. Technically, the bidder always has seven days to pay, no matter what the terms of sale say.
- Also, you should add information about how you handle returns. This will be helpful to refer your bidder to in future situations.
- Use your whole title in your listing. Make sure to use as many relevant keywords as possible. There is one title that has the word "cords" in it, but not pants. Be as descriptive as possible!
- Use gallery pictures in all of your auctions. I don't know how you shop, but I never click on items that do not have pictures. Add them and you will get more bids. If running auctions is too expensive for you to not include gallery pictures, then I suggest you look very closely at the next tip.
- Change your auction to store ratio. If I were you I would decrease the amount of items I list as auctions, and put more of them into the store. Run about 10% as auctions with low starting prices and inside the auctions refer the bidders to your store.
- Add more categories to your store. Instead of Men's Clothing, it should be: Men's Shirts, Men's Shoes, Men's Pants. Do this with the rest of your categories as well. And don't bother with subcategories (they take too much effort on the buyers part).
- Change your auction title from "Womans" to the correct term "Womens." (Actually, the real correct term is "Women's" but the eBay search engine does not care about the apostrophe, and you need all of the space available to maximize your title)
- Consider using a large white piece of paper for a backdrop for your pictures.
Good luck, and if you would like a logo or template created, or some one on one phone assistance, please email me. carl8630
Free eBay Consultation: Our First Victim - Paulaloft
The experiment begins. Paula was brave enough to submit her eBay store: Paula's Loft of Bridal Treasures. Paula specializes in selling Wedding Gowns, bridal accessories, and prom dresses.
Paula currently has 84 store items, with the dresses starting at $39 and ranging up to $499. This is a nice spread of prices giving a wide range of bidders a chance to buy something in their price range. However, Paula does not have any auctions running.
Please go and check out her store items, and tell your friends that are getting married to consider buying a dress on eBay. Here are some of her items:
Here Are Some Tips For Paula:
Tip #1 - If you want more visitors to your store items you have two options. A, you have a very large inventory, so no matter what, some people will find your items every day. Or B, you run a small percentage of auctions to draw traffic to your store listings.
Tip #3 - Host your own pictures. Learning a limited amount of HTML will make your listings stand out. One of the first things you need to do is learn how to host your own pictures so that you do not need to pay eBay for this service. A great free site that provides photo hosting is photobucket.com, and hosting your pictures through this site rather than eBay will save you a lot of money in fees, while simultaneously making your auction look more professional.
Tip #4 - Find an eBay template, and break up your text. It is hard to read, and may cause a potential bidder to lose interest. An eBay template will also help you build a brand. Speaking of brands, you will also need a nice logo.
Tip #5 - Add some terms of sale. Tell your potential bidders what they are agreeing to. This will save you a little trouble in the future. Tell them how you ship, how often you ship, if you handle international bidding, what types of payment you accept, how soon you expect a payment, what your return policies are, etc... Look at some of your competition's auctions and see what they do for their terms of sale.
Praise: Paula, it is evident in your feedback that you are truly pleasing your customers. It appears that you ship very fast and offer a great product. Keep working hard, do some homework on your competition, learn some HTML or look into a site like Auctiva.com that provides some free eBay services. If you continue to improve your store, create a format for your auctions, and keep adding quality product I am sure you will be a PowerSeller in no time.
If you want an eBay consultation while it is still free, please sign up Here!
Paula currently has 84 store items, with the dresses starting at $39 and ranging up to $499. This is a nice spread of prices giving a wide range of bidders a chance to buy something in their price range. However, Paula does not have any auctions running.
Please go and check out her store items, and tell your friends that are getting married to consider buying a dress on eBay. Here are some of her items:
Here Are Some Tips For Paula:
Tip #1 - If you want more visitors to your store items you have two options. A, you have a very large inventory, so no matter what, some people will find your items every day. Or B, you run a small percentage of auctions to draw traffic to your store listings.
Auctions are the most viewed thing on eBay. Semi-Popular eBay auctions can easily get 200+ individual viewers. You need to capitalize on this potential market. If you only ran 5% of your inventory as auctions (4 auctions a week), you would have a much better chance of getting people to visit your store. Just make sure that you add at least one link in your auction that says something along the lines of "Please visit my store for more beautiful wedding gowns and prom dresses." You have to invite bidders to click on your link and visit your store.Tip #2 - Add Categories to your store. The more categories the better. This is going to take some work, but it will make your store more accessible and give it a more professional front. I recommend that you take all of your listings out of "other items" and put them under new categories so that they can be found easily by potential bidders. Categories like Wedding Gowns, Prom dresses, etc...
If you are worried about an auction selling for a price you would not like to settle for, it might be a great idea for you to use a reserve price. I would not recommend this for all auctions, maybe not your $39 dresses, but I would recommend that you put at least one wedding gown up for auction a week, and make sure it starts at a ridiculously low price, maybe 99 cents. Putting a reserve price on this 99 cent auction can allow you to at least cover the cost of acquiring the item.
Tip #3 - Host your own pictures. Learning a limited amount of HTML will make your listings stand out. One of the first things you need to do is learn how to host your own pictures so that you do not need to pay eBay for this service. A great free site that provides photo hosting is photobucket.com, and hosting your pictures through this site rather than eBay will save you a lot of money in fees, while simultaneously making your auction look more professional.
Tip #4 - Find an eBay template, and break up your text. It is hard to read, and may cause a potential bidder to lose interest. An eBay template will also help you build a brand. Speaking of brands, you will also need a nice logo.
Tip #5 - Add some terms of sale. Tell your potential bidders what they are agreeing to. This will save you a little trouble in the future. Tell them how you ship, how often you ship, if you handle international bidding, what types of payment you accept, how soon you expect a payment, what your return policies are, etc... Look at some of your competition's auctions and see what they do for their terms of sale.
Praise: Paula, it is evident in your feedback that you are truly pleasing your customers. It appears that you ship very fast and offer a great product. Keep working hard, do some homework on your competition, learn some HTML or look into a site like Auctiva.com that provides some free eBay services. If you continue to improve your store, create a format for your auctions, and keep adding quality product I am sure you will be a PowerSeller in no time.
If you want an eBay consultation while it is still free, please sign up Here!
New Site for Free eBay Consultation
This is the eBay Selling Guide's sister site. It was created specifically for individualized auction help. Please sign up to receive free personalized eBay auction help, or help with any eBay related problems. To get some expert personalized advice, and have your eBay store featured on the eBay Selling Guide, as well as this website, sign up Here
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