Getting Started As An eBay Seller: What You Need To Know
How many times have you bought something off eBay and thought, “I could make that!”
For the arts and crafty out there, this one is for you! Let’s turn your crafts into profit. It’s also more profitable than you might think. Considering all the Etsy-ers out there hawking their wares online, you must be thinking that it’s too competitive.
But that isn’t true at all! It’s actually pretty simple to learn how to sell your crafts online—you don’t even have to have an Etsy store if you don’t want one! You just need a plan and a few tricks of the trade. Keep reading for my top tips on selling your crafty items fast (and for a profit).
CHOOSE WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SELL.
When you’re selling your crafts online, it’s important to choose a product that you are passionate about and know a lot about. You want to be able to answer all of the questions that your customers might have and make sure they are happy with their purchase.
You should also consider whether or not you can sell this product at a profit. If not, then it might be best to choose another item instead.
You should think about how many of these items you can sell in one order as well (bulk orders). This will help determine how much each item costs when it comes time for shipping and packaging.
KNOW YOUR COMPETITION
The first thing you need to know is what your competitors are selling and what they’re charging. Do they sell something similar to what you do? Are their products of equal quality, but less expensive? If that’s the case, then you’ll want to consider lowering your prices.
If your competitors are charging more than you for similar products or services, then there’s no reason for customers not to buy from them instead of from you. It’s important that your products and services stand out from theirs in some way.
DECIDE ON A PRICE.
When deciding on a price, think about what other similar crafts are going for and whether or not they’re competitively priced. It’s also helpful to look at what other similar crafts are being sold on Etsy, eBay, or Amazon Marketplace (if applicable). You may decide that the going rate for something like handmade Christmas décor is too high and instead create an entirely different product line—or vice versa!
One thing we strongly recommend against doing is pricing your products too low so you can then raise the price later on as demand rises.
If people know how much something costs now and how much it’s worth now, they’ll be more likely to buy when prices go up because they know they’re getting quality goods at that particular cost point.
On the other hand, if someone buys from an unknown source only knowing that it was inexpensively priced when purchased and then later finds out this item costs more than its original asking price… well let’s just say there will probably be some unhappy customers who never knew about this change until after purchasing said item!
TAKE A DECENT PHOTO.
This is one of the most important tips for selling crafts online, so it’s worth repeating: Take a decent photo! Your product looks great in person, but no one will know that unless you show them in a picture. Make sure to use high-quality lighting and take multiple photos from different angles. Even if your camera isn’t top of the line, you can still get good results using natural light or close-up shots with a white background or light box. If you don’t have access to professional equipment at home, try taking pictures outside or around your house—you might be surprised by how well they turn out!
If you’re not sure how to get started with taking photos (or just want some more guidance), we recommend trying out these apps: Snapseed (iOS) or VSCO Cam (Android).
MAKE YOUR DESCRIPTION DETAILED.
In the description, you can establish the item as a rare one-of-a-kind piece and give it a sense of history. You should also describe any special features that make your creation unique. This is detrimental for GETTING STARTED AS AN EBAY SELLER WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.
SEO or Search Engine Optimization is key here, this will help you have your product come up high in search listings like google or within your platform itself. Make sure you use keywords that will resonate with your market and properly describe your product as well.
BE ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY
It’s also important to be active in the community. Posting photos of your latest projects, answering questions about how you made something, and being helpful to other members is an excellent way to build your reputation as a skilled crafter. When people are looking for great craftsmen and women, they’ll often look through the profiles of people who’ve contributed regularly on Reddit or Etsy.
It’s important that you’re honest when posting your work online—if there’s a problem with what you’ve made (for example, if it doesn’t fit properly), let potential customers know right away so they can decide whether or not they want it. Being friendly will help make sure that everyone gets along nicely; no one wants someone who’s unfriendly hanging around their crafts exchange!
Respect others’ opinions as well as their craft creations; even though someone might not like every item on sale at eBay, Amazon, Etsy, or where ever it doesn’t mean they deserve any less respect than anyone else! Patiently waiting until after Christmas before releasing new items has been helpful for me so far because many shoppers tend towards purchasing gifts earlier rather than later during holidays but still gives them plenty of time afterward if needed too; however – since this depends heavily upon personal preference – try whatever works best for YOU first before making any decisions about when exactly should be best suited
CONCLUSION
Time to turn your crafts into profit! A lot of the knick-knacks we see and use today also started out as hobbies, and look at them now! Who knows you could be the next breakthrough item online!
Now that you know what you need when getting started as an eBay seller what you need to know.
Get crafting and start selling, because opportunities are just waiting for you to grab them.