How to Sell on eBay Everything You Need to Know -

Do you know that eBay makes $64 million per month? That’s insane, right?

So, how do you sell on eBay?

Well, If you are new to e-commerce and you are looking to get started quickly then eBay might be right for you.

All you need is to open an eBay store, list products, and start selling like a pro. Easier said than done,there is more to selling on eBay than you think.

In this article, we dive deep into how to sell on eBay, the cost of selling, tips to succeed, FAQs plus much more.

Ready, let’s jump right in.

What Is eBay

eBay is a digital marketplace where you can buy or sell almost everything. Renown for its auction, eBay is the go-to place for things that you can’t find locally.

Sellers command high prices selling assorted items, collectibles, vintage items, unusual goods, anything in short supply, or discounted items.

How to Sell on eBay: Getting Started

Setting up an eBay shop is pretty easy. You need to sign-up then purchase a subscription plan that allows you to run your shop. You can choose either starters, basic, premium, anchor, or enterprise plan.

Immediately after choosing your package, you can list items in your shop and start selling. But further you can choose to personalize your shop by adding logos, customize designs, and organize inventories.

What’s more? eBay has two selling options either through auctions or through fixed prices. Unlike Amazon, eBay doesn’t compete with sellers, they don’t sell products by themselves. They also have a supportive community.

How Much Does it Cost to Sell on eBay?

Like other marketplace selling at eBay is not free. You can opt to have or not have an eBay store but either way, there are attached eBay selling costs.

Store subscription fees

The store subscription fee depends on the package you choose that is either billed monthly or annually.

Store type	Monthly renewal	Annual renewal
Starter	$7.95	$4.95
Basic	$27.95	$21.95
Premium	$74.95	$59.95
Anchor	$349.95	$299.95
Enterprise	Not currently available	$2999.95

At any time you can either upgrade or downgrade your package, Some packages come with zero insertion fee as well as a lower final value fee.

Insertion fees

It’s more like listing fees that are charged in each listing per category. Here is more on eBay insertion fees.

Final value fees

eBay charges a final value fee after a sale. This is calculated as a percentage of the total amount of what the buyers pay including shipping and handling charges, The final value fee also depends on your store subscription plan.

Auction vs fixed style listing

In an auction-style listing, the price keeps changing and items are sold to the highest bidder, Whereas in a fixed-style listing the price is fixed.

The benefit of having an eBay store is that it allows you to have more listings at zero insertion fees. You also pay a lower final value fee as compared to non-store sellers.

10 Tips to Successfully Selling on eBay

Subscribing to an eBay shop and listing items is just a tip on the iceberg of what you need to succeed in selling on eBay.

The marketplace has millions of items listed. There is always someone looking to buy or sell. You have to be smart for you to outshine the cutthroat competition and this is what you do differently.

Think like a buyer

Before you start selling on eBay think like a buyer. What brings you to eBay? Maybe you are looking for unique or weird products that can’t be found elsewhere.

Why buy by auction? Maybe it might be cheaper. Think about flippers-Are there nice deals on eBay? that they can buy, add value, and then resell them again on the same platform.

Or you’re looking to dispose of old stuff or buying used items that you can reuse. The thing is people on eBay are looking for that dollar value. They want to save, get a better deal, offset junk, and make their life better.

As a seller, you must prove that your items are worthy.

Spend some time doing the actual buying on eBay or search to see how people buy from the site. This will set you on the right foot before you actually start selling on the site.

Focus on top seller items

Not all items sell the same on eBay, some categories do better. Check on the top-seller item feature that gives insight on where people are spending most of their money on eBay. Here you can learn the secrets that keep their products on top of millions of eBay loyal customers.

Revamp your pricing

Research your market before determining your item prices. Keep in mind the cost of investment already incurred like subscription and insertion fees and your desired profit.

Consider pricing in bundles where people will save by buying more. Also, check on the market prices and use them as a guide to pricing. Consider offering free shipping as this might make people flock to your shop just to save on shipping.

The pricing is more of a trial and error until you find what works for you.

Spruce your photography skills.

We buy what we see online. So there is a need to improve your photography skills to have professional-looking, clear, accurate, and informative images.

Make sure your lighting is adequate- natural light preferred.
Use a white background that’s clutter-free.
Take images from different angles to show the details
Take high-resolution images keeping in mind that shoppers use different devices mobile, tablets, or PCs.
Don’t use filters, let the product speak for itself, remember the devil is in the details and two shades of color can be all it takes for a shopper to return a product and even post a negative review for misrepresentation.
Don’t try to hide the imperfections- Show all the details cracks, missing parts or other imperfections let the shopper be aware of these inadequacies even before they buy.

Write clear product descriptions

You can only use words to give the details of your products. Create a detailed, concise, and accurate product description. Remember to include relevant keywords naturally also check on eBay SEO guidelines for more details.

Keep it short, sweet, and skimmable
Don’t duplicate content from other sellers it’s punishable
Break text to make it readable using bullets, numbers, and short sentences
Check your spelling
Write a killer headline
Give as many details as possible-size, weight, color, material, and so on

Give and receive feedback

Reviews can either build or break your online selling. Start it yourself by giving honest reviews after buying from eBay. See and learn how the process goes then expect the same once you start selling online.

Feedback vouch for your professionalism and trustworthiness that is why people are looking to buy from someone with positive reviews.

It can be hard to sell if you are new to eBay since people don’t know you and prefer to trust older merchants who already have reviews. To counter this provide a top-notch customer experience.

To keep you afloat here are tips for new sellers.

Start by selling small yet inexpensive items that are delivered within a short period of time. People are ready to risk small amounts and if you do it well you will earn plenty of positive feedback that will set your shop apart.
Spend much time packaging your product to make sure they arrive in pristine conditions. Poor packaging can easily earn you a negative review.
Act fast if a buyer messages you and respond immediately.
If a buyer wants a refund don’t fight just do it. If the item was expensive ask them to send it first (not to fall victim to people who want free things) then refund.

Promote your eBay store

Like any other business, you need to promote your eBay store by letting people know more about your products.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest are a nice place to start. You can share with your friends and groups. You can also promote it through ads.

Content marketing is also another way that you can use to promote your products. This is by writing product reviews, blogging, and teaching people about your products. In the process, you earn their trust and hence buy from you.

Check on the eBay promotional boxes that allow you to promote your items within your listing of course at an additional fee.

Sell in cycles

eBay is sometimes controlled by seasonal ebbs and flows. For instance, there are products that sell more during the Christmas holidays, Valentine season, the Super Bowl season so be on the lookout to match any opportunity that might come forth during these seasons.

Aim to become a power seller

Power sellers show outstanding performance. They offer a top-notch customer experience that makes them the most preferred sellers. So how can you become one? well

By reaching 98% (or more) positive rating status
By selling more than 100 products and generating $3,000 worth of sales in the previous year
You’ve logged to eBay for at least 90 days without failure

Take a long-term view

It was once said that Rome was not built in a day. The same happens to an online store. It takes time to even make the first sale, getting traffic, and even building trust or a brand. So be patient and have both long term and short term goals.

Learn about what’s working and what’s not working. Invest both time and money hopefully you will learn something that you can use to strengthen your e-commerce.

Selling on eBay FAQs

What item sells best on eBay?

There is no specific answer but cheap items between $10-$60 that are cheap to ship sell more items such as smartphone accessories, home decor, toys, books fashion, and sport jerseys

Is selling on eBay profitable?

Yes, but It depends on how you price your items. It’s a nice place to sell fast, there are ready streams of buyers of over 152 million active users.

How do I sell on eBay without fees?

Consider opening an eBay store here you will get zero listing fees and less final value cost. This will increase your profit margin.

Is it better to sell on eBay than Amazon?

On average eBay sellers get more profit than those on Amazon. At eBay, you pay a flat fee of $0.03 that is inclusive of insertion fees and final value fee plus 10% of the sale for the most popular categories. On Amazon, the cost is 15%,

Is it illegal to resell items on eBay?

it’s not illegal to resale. Once you have purchased the items they are yours and you can do anything with them.

Can you get scammed selling on eBay?

It’s possible and some scammers pose like buyers however eBay has consumer protection measures to protect buyers and sellers.

Is eBay Right for You?

eBay is one of the largest marketplaces with over 158 million active users that means there are ready customers waiting to buy or to sell.

Also if you are starting out and want to learn how to sell online then eBay might be the right channel. They have few restrictions and you can sell almost everything.

Although eBay costs slightly higher than Shopify the returns are higher especially if you sell seasonal items. Also, you can use eBay for learning purposes just before you make a big shift to your independent store.

Over to you now, open your eBay store today and start selling like a pro.

Happy selling.

How to Sell on eBay Everything You Need to Know