How to Sell on eBay: Step-by-Step Guidelines for Beginners and Pros

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Everyone knows about eBay. It is one of the most popular online selling websites in the world. Millions of buyers and sellers do thousands of transactions on this website. There are more than 182 million eBay users in the world. eBay users access the global marketplace with the click of a button. And eBay is a very reliable website, so there is no chance of a scam. eBay also charges lower fees for listing. And the best thing is that anyone can use the website no matter their experience. Americans spend more than $9 billion on eBay. Therefore, eBay is one of the top destinations for business vendors.

So, selling on eBay might be the correct decision for your business. But, how can you sell on eBay? Fortunately, we have a short guide on how to use eBay to sell your products.

Choose your product:

Let’s begin with the first step. Before getting into details, you must decide what you want to sell. Will you trade preloved items or new products? Do you want to sell according to your inventory or have a print-on-demand shipping plan?

Look for something in-demand:

The most trending products always sell well. So, you should find out which products are trending on eBay. Do your research about what is top selling on eBay and find out about your customer base. Look at trending topics and products on Pinterest. Use an online device to determine which merchandise you can sell. Some tools show product information, sales metrics and inform you about shipping details. You can also join online seller communities to share tips on buying and selling.

Choose your fulfillment method:

You can choose to store your inventory yourself or have an on-demand shipping service. Managing your inventory yourself will be your responsibility, and you will have to ship the products to the customers. Comparatively, an on-demand shipping partner will charge you for shipping and fulfillment. For a print-on-demand product, you will have to work with suppliers and plan logistics for your vendors. Some shipping partners can integrate with eBay to make the process smoother.

Whatever you choose, remember to comply with eBay policies. Or you will risk facing penalties, such as a lower seller rating or selling restrictions. But, of course, now you are free to market your products to collect orders.

Set up your account:

It is time to set up your description and profile. You can choose either a personal account or a business account. While personal accounts are for casual sellers or small firms, business accounts are for regular sellers. Some business accounts are even eligible for tax benefits and discounts from eBay.

Choose your type according to your business and set it up. First, go to eBay.com and click on Register. Add your name, email, and password to create a new account. You can also opt for Google or Facebook registration options. Business accounts need the company name, business email, and office phone number.

The website will take some time to create your profile, so hang tight. After a few seconds, eBay will redirect you to your homepage. You can click on your username on the top left to go to your profile. Then click on the Edit Profile button to add a few lines about yourself or your company. Finally, add a cover photo and a profile picture to build trust and identify your brand. It will also improve credibility and confidence in your firm.

List your products:

You have an excellent profile. Now it is time to list your products. Click on the Sell link at the top left of your window to open the Seller tab. You will see a Create listing button that directs users to a Single listing or Multiple listing. Single listing is for small vendors who want to retail products, whereas Multiple listing is excellent to sell similar products. With multiple listings, you can trade items according to the category, duration, or other similarities.

Now you can curate your product list.

Categorize your items:

After choosing a listing type, you will have to create your listing. Next, you will have to add all the product details such as ISBN, part number, or product title. eBay helps users categorize their items by suggesting similar products from their catalog and customize listings.

Enter the product details, including fields such as title, subtitle, conditions, and variations. For original products, such as customized T-shirts, enter the title and choose an appropriate category from suggestions.

Upload photos and add specifics:

Since you are not physically selling items, it is time to upload photos of your item. You can add more than twelve images. You can either take a picture yourself or copy the image from a web address. However, the photos should not have extra borders or artwork.

Add specific features for your product. The more details you add, the more traffic you will get. The information will help customers find your items. So, add brand, size, color, and other specifics.

Describe your item and determine listing format:

Take your time to describe your products. Avoid using long sentences and divide your description into short paragraphs. Not only should your information be descriptive, but it should also be aesthetic. Use the mobile-friendly checker to ensure the site looks excellent on all screens.

Decide how you want to market your product. You can opt for an open auction, or you can sell at a fixed cost. While auctions can get you high returns, fixed prices are more straightforward.

Choose the right price:

There is no one-size-fits-all formula for product pricing. Most sellers choose their prices by considering several factors. First, they look at how much the product costs them and their profit margins. Then they compare their prices with the sellers and competitors.

Keep eBay fees in mind because they change according to your listings and sales. There are two eBay fees, including insertion and final value fees. For example, eBay offers 200 free listings, but they charge per listing and category later. Comparatively, the final fee applies when a vendor sells an item. Most items have a 10 percent final fee with a maximum cap of $750 per product.

Set up your payment options:

How will your customer pay you for the products? First, you can opt for Paypal, which is the easiest payment option. Then you can select your sales and state tax according to your tax obligations.

Sell and Ship your product:

After your listing is live, users will be able to view it. And you will get a notification when customers purchase your products. Once someone buys your product, you will have to ship the items. However, the website will automatically send tracking details to your buyer, so you do not have to worry about that.

Conclusion:

Getting started on eBay is not complicated. With the correct information and tools, you can get your website up and running. eBay is an excellent platform for new sellers who want to get their products to potential customers.

How to Sell on eBay: Step-by-Step Guidelines for Beginners and Pros

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