I�ve been selling on eBay for a while but I�m not selling as much as I want. I have already set up an eBay store hoping that would help. Any other suggestions on what I should do? Is selling a lot on eBay still a possibility or am I at a dry well? Please help!

� Lana

Don’t worry Lana, eBay is far from being a dry well. Making sells online requires constant monitoring. There are things you can do to help you get a boost but you have to stay on top of things to see a string of sells.

• Complete your profile page (I’m assuming you’ve done this if you opened an eBay store)
• Don’t overcharge for shipping
• Keep auction times short
• Leave feedback for customers
• Diversify what you sell

Like I said these are just a few tips. Look at what is selling the most (hot trends) and see if you can’t crack that market. Make sure the item description includes a call for action as well. Tell people to bid now and to not let the item get away. Otherwise they may forget to come back and bid.

Good luck!

I think we’ve all been to the point of “what am I doing here?!” so don’t Ted. It all comes together. First you need to figure out what your minimum sale price is going to be. Don’t try to lower the price and then pad the shipping and handling cost. Adding a dollar or two to the shipping cost isn’t that bad – but 10 and above is a no no.

If you are worried about shipping costs then get your shipping supplies online and buy in bulk. Everyone loves to buy in bulk – maybe that’s something you can offer your customers too

Glad to know I�m not the only one. Thanks for the advice. I am going to look at buying some mailers online because in the store is just a rip off � it�s like $1 per envelope. If I diversify my items do I need to create a new ebay store for each type?

You don’t have to create a new eBay store just because you want to diversify. If you are sticking to one type of item – i.e. electronics then you want to use some of the electronic keywords in your name. Otherwise just keep the name generic so you can sell whatever you want.

In the description of the items make sure you use keywords. SEO is a strong practice in web sites and can really help on eBay.

Has anyone been using some of eBay�s new services to increase traffic? Such as gallery view and subtitle � does it really work?

No matter what you are selling it takes awhile to establish a rhythm. Make sure you set up a good system of keeping up with your auction times, shipping costs and communicating with your customers. The better you treat your existing customers the more likely they will be returning customers and that solves your problem right there.

I believe that gallery view and subtitles can help, but if you are spending more money on those items you cut into your profit. If you can keep your price low and use those tools then do it, but if not I would avoid it. The big idea is to reach out to potential customers. Social media anyone?

Photo quality matters a lot. If you don�t have a digital camera, go on the manufacturer site and use theirs. Don�t take photos from other ebayers though! When you are taking photos remove items from the background, make sure they are in focus and pay attention to lighting.

One of my competitors stole my pictures one time and I couldn’t believe it. Taking a picture and uploading it can be done in a few minutes and this creep steals my images. Frustrating!