Selling on eBay is a great way to declutter your home and earn some extra cash.
And if you think you’ve got nothing worth selling, think again.
Step 1: Decide What to Sell
Some users are selling their old junk and operating from within their own homes. Some are nurturing a small side hustle to make 500 a week on eBay. And some sellers are large-scale businesses complete with employees and a warehouse.
But what should you sell in your eBay store?
Start your search within your own home. Are there any items collecting cobwebs in your attic or garage that you could sell?
How small or big you want to scale your eBay store will depend on your preference, time, and available capital.
Here are some of the best things to sell on eBay to make money:
Autoparts
Toys and games
Clothes and shoes
Fitness equipment
Collectibles
Baby items
Electricals
New items. Antiques. Used products. You can almost always find somebody on eBay willing to buy your item — for the right price, that is.
Step 2: Register for an eBay Account
After you decide what to sell, it’s time to create your eBay account. Fortunately, the process is quite simple and can be up and running within minutes.
Head over to eBay.com and register online. The registration process will request your name, email address, and password.
If you intend to sell in large quantities, a business account will better suit your needs. Registering for a business account will also request your legal business name and phone number.
Step 3: Create a Listing
First Steps
Learning how to create an eBay listing is a straightforward process.
At the top of any eBay page, click Sell.
This will prompt you to enter keywords relevant to your item, including brand, style, color, and size.
Multiple listings of items from other sellers will show, depending on which keywords you enter. Choose the item that best matches what you’re selling.
Click Sell one like this.
Specify your item’s condition (new with box, new without box, new with defects, or pre-owned).
Next, you must provide your contact information, including your address and phone number.
After double-checking the information you entered is accurate, click List your item.
Take decent pictures
Clear images are likely to attract more buyers. So, try and take pictures of your items on a blank backdrop using natural light.
Also, make sure the item is in tip-top condition – that might mean getting out the iron or giving a few things a polish before taking your snaps.
eBay usually allows you to add up to 12 images to a listing for free, so you should be able to highlight all the details of what you are selling, including any defects or damage.
Add a Product Description
Many of the previous steps require you to select from a drop-down list. But this section has a text box where you can describe the merchandise in free-form text. Here you’ll want to focus on the benefits of the product – not just its features.
Set Your Price
In this section, eBay recommends a starting price point based on what other sellers are charging for your item. If you want, you can manually change the price.
Also, you’ll have the option to:
Create an Auction
Create a Buy It Now listing
Buy It Now or Place Bid?
eBay is widely known as an auction-style marketplace. Buyers bid for a product. After a set time, usually seven days, the product goes to the highest bidder.
Buyers can bypass the auction process entirely and buy the item immediately. If you were to include a buy it now
You’ll find that many sellers offer both Buy It Now and Place Bid listings, depending on the item they’re choosing. Other sellers only use Buy It Now listings. It creates a straightforward shopping experience, like Amazon or many other online retailers.
Set Your Shipping Cost
When listing your item, remember to measure the package weight and dimensions. This will help you calculate the estimated shipping cost. Depending on the shipping requirements, it may affect how you price your listing.
For shipping, you’ll also see some options:
You Pay (calculated by buyer’s location; advertised as free shipping for the buyer).
The buyer pays (calculated after the buyer enters their location).
Buyer pays flat shipping (you decide the cost).
Go global
Selling to international buyers will widen your audience and boost potential bidders.
You can choose to sell to international buyers via eBay UK or list your auction on a specific overseas eBay site, which will mean it appears in the local currency and comes up higher in searches.
Listings on eBay.co.uk that are open to international buyers attract the normal insertion and final value fees.
But items sold directly on an overseas eBay site means you pay the fees associated with that site.
You should also be aware that PayPal will apply different charges when you sell to an international buyer.
Whichever option you go for, adjust your postage for international delivery or the extra costs will eat into your profits.
Double-Check Before Submitting
Before your listing goes live, double-check that all the information you entered is accurate. Confirm this information now will save you customer-related headaches later on.
You’ll also have an option to preview your listing before you publish it. Once it passes your review, click List It at the bottom of the page.
Congratulations! You just created your item listing.
Step 4 : Follow eBay Best Practices
Ship Your Orders Within Expected Time Frame
Your listing will specify your shipping and handling time. Sellers should ship the item within 30 days of receiving cleared payment. Ideally, you will ship the order within one business day of receiving cleared payment.
Respond to Customer Cases Promptly
The two most common reasons a buyer will open a case against you are:
Item does not match the seller’s description
Item not received
For cases where the item isn’t received, you should upload a tracking number. If the tracking confirms the delivery, the case will likely go in your favor. If it doesn’t, then you should offer a replacement or refund for this order.
For cases where the item doesn’t match the description. You’ll have to wear your customer service hat to discover the problem and how to best resolve it. You might need to offer technical help, a replacement, or arrange for a return for a refund.
The worst thing you can do, though, is to ignore it. Doing so will likely result in the case closing in the buyer’s favor. eBay will debit you to arrange a full refund — sometimes without the buyer returning the item.
Moneyhowexpert 