Guide to Expanding Your eBay Business

Become your own copywriter

Everything you write for an auction listing is important and can affect the final sale price. Keep in mind what has gotten you to buy on eBay in the past. Chances are a search-friendly title, clear description, and abundance of useful information will get others to bid as well. Triple check the spelling in your title because that is what most people search on. Add sizes to the titles of clothes auctions and brands to the titles of electronics auctions. Honing your writing skills can go a long way toward better selling prices.

I recommend: A List Apart  is always a great place for new copywriters to learn better techniques.

Create good customer service

Putting a professional foot forward helps establish a customer base that will help spread the word about your store and product(s). As in all businesses, things will go wrong. Packages can go astray, payments may not be smooth, and transactions may not go as planned. If there is such a problem or if a customer has questions, responding quickly, respectfully, and informatively makes all the difference. After all, a higher rating will lead to more sales in the future and happy customers give positive feedback. Since "My eBay" allows users to select favorite sellers, you will also gain repeat buyers with good service.

I recommend: For advice on establishing a meaningful exchange with customers, Inc. has a good article and Customers Are Always  has advice specifically designed for eBayers.

Ship from home

Time is wasted at the post office, so to streamline your efforts it’s key to cut out this inefficient step. Get a scale so that you can purchase and print shipping labels from home. To save even more time and money, visit an online shipping site like RedRoller.com where you can compare the services of different shipping carriers for the specific package you’re sending, see all delivery times and prices in real time, and choose the option that best fits your budget and deadline.

I recommend: RedRoller.com has one-stop shipping, integrates seamlessly with eBay accounts, and is a very useful resource.