March 3rd, 2008
Here are a few pieces of advice for you to know how to act and hot NOT to act being an eBay auctioneer:
Have a look at your undertakings through your clients’ eyes
- Images
Never take vague and odd pictures. Create an impression of being a professional. Again think like your customer: would you want to deal with unprofessional seller? Certainly, no! So don’t be unprofessional yourself.
- Contact Info
Always include some contact information in your listings. If a customer sees that he can contact you any time and solve all the issues, he gets more confident in you as in a businessman. You can include email, and your phone number.
- Questions
Respond to all customers’ inquiries as soon as possible (if you can do it immediately – never postpone). Online clients want all and immediately. If it takes you more time than they are ready to spend, be sure they have already gone to another seller.
- Money
Never accept cash in mail. If you do, you won’t be able to prove anything. Use safe payment methods: credit card, PayPal.
- Prices
There are a number of good tools (HammerTap.com, Terapeak.com) that can help you set the prices. Research the market and find out what prices are reasonable and then follow your research in setting your own ones
- Prices once again
Never lower the price for an item by artificially inflating the shipping costs. If your shipping costs are higher than the cost of the item you sell but you on purpose mask it until the last moment, your customers will be unhappy and will most likely cancel the deal.
- What’s in the name?
Choose a good and credible ID name. Never try to follow the pattern like this: “cool4u” or “bestUcanGet”.
- Brand Names
Try to avoid the names of unknown brands in the titles. Over 60% of sales are made using the search function. Don’t use the names no one searches for.
- Names & Titles
Avoid misleading names in the title. If you sell sponges and you call them Sponge Bobs people will come and see that you deceive them. Do you think they will ever to a businessman who once proved ignorant?
Following these tips you can avoid common mistakes and start off your business successfully right from the very beginning.