Past the Basics and ready to move on to more advanced things on Ebay?  Here are a few tips to take you to the next level.  I hope you will find this information helpful and informative.  After all – it IS about building YOUR business isn’t it?

1. Keep an accurate eye on profits.  It may seem strange but if you are managing regular listings and a store with low dollar merchandise, costs can exceed value.  Want to check and see how well you are doing?  Keep more records.

2.  Accept all types of payments and mail items before the checks clear.  This activity may sound risky but in over 2000 sales, I have had no problems.  Any risk you assume for low dollar items may be very good risk in keeping customers happy.  Your buyer who sent a check has already probably waited longer for their items then any PayPal customer – why not deliver sooner than expected? 

3.  Mail items out every day.  I know this is easier said than done, however you must always keep your goal in mind when building a business. Personally, I am in charge of my life.  The time I dedicate to my home business is based on my goal of becomng fully self supporting and to retire early.  So, to me it is well worth it to ship daily and build that all important customer base.  I found that once I started having more and more items to ship per day, mailing daily was the only way I could keep up too.  I am also blessed because the items I typically ship can be put in a mailbox (under a pound) half the time or they can be posted using online shipping (USPS Click n’ Ship) and the Post Office will pick them up!  For more information visit USPS.com.  I don’t think I could love the US Post Office more….

4. Treat Your Customers like the special and beloved people they are, for it is they who will make you successful!  Too often we have the mentality of the overworked stock clerk instead of the store owner.  The stock clerk doesn't care, the store owner MUST care.  My repeat customers are golden to me and I never miss an opportunity to let them know it!!  If I have a regular who has indicated they are looking for specific things – I keep a notebook and email them when I will be listing their size and style.  My goal is to give the best, most personalized customer service that can be given online.

5. Be honest in your ads -- Mention every defect or problem your item has.  The item has value, I am sure.  However, you want to stay away from disappointing customers who receive something more damaged than they expected.  I have had a couple of St. John’s clothing items (Neiman Marcus’ very coveted clothing line). The items were in perfectly wearable shape but had been repaired.  I wasn’t sure I would find a buyer, so I experimented and put them up for auction, describing the defect with an extra picture of the repair.  To my surprise, both sold first time out and the customers were delighted.  Why do this?  Your credibility is great currency as you grow your business and happy customers are your bread and butter!  People love to buy from sellers they like and can trust.

6. If your item is an antique or unusual, tell prospective buyers where it came from.  I once purchased an Oddfellows ceremonial sword that was an antique.  It hung on my office wall for years under a civil war painting.  Then I moved and didn’t have the room for it.  I researched what it was, told everything about it to include the antique sale in Beaconsfield UK where I bought it to give prospective purchasers as much provenance as I possibly could.  My research told me the sword’s value was about $40.00 but it sold for more than $140.00 and is now in Denmark somewhere!  Don't fear giving too much information – believe me people stop reading when they are no longer interested.  It is better to have all they want to know available, then to leave them wanting more information!  This adds character to your auction and also builds trust too.

7. Accept any payment method available.  Sooner or later you will have a lady in Hong Kong who wants to spend the dollars she had left over from her last visit to the US.  She will want to pay by sending cash in an envelope.  Although I would never recommend it, she sent it, I accepted it and mailed her item and both of us are happier for it.  Be flexible to the point of limpness and your customers will love your attitude and come back again and again!

8. Don't be afraid to accept “best Offers” and sell low.  If you are the person with the bargains – people find you in droves because of it.  To me, time is money and the longer a clothing item sits in my store, the sooner it is likely to start costing me money to be selling it.  So, when I get a best offer I take it 98% of the time.  The exceptions are those items that I plan to move back into an auction again and hope to sell at a really good price next time around (A silk Christian Dior suit for instance).  Otherwise, let those who visit your store get a bargain – and the more they buy the better the bargains should be, too.  Even if you break even, rest assured the buyer will be back and so will her pals and relatives too. 

9.  I see that many have tried giving free shipping and they say it works.  I sell low priced quality items so this would not be the best idea for me, but if you want to encourage bulk buying this is a superb idea!  Give free shipping for a certain number of orders, or orders over a certain amount.  Amazon uses this strategy very successfully today. 

10. Be willing to have the world as your customer!  Take the time to gather the two types of customs forms and keep them on hand for overseas shipping.  USPS.com has information that will make shipping international easy and far less of a hassle than you ever imagined.  The possibilities from growing your business are HUGE when your door is open to the world.  I also have found that international bidders tend to pay more, on average, than home grown customers.

11.  Use the free information, assistance and tools provided by Ebay to become a greater success.  I spend much free time browsing Guides to learn more from fellow sellers.  I also pass on things I discover in guides too.  Having a disciplined approach to learning and growing (constant improvement) is interesting, fun and profitable.  My sales have grown steadily since starting Ebay a little over two years ago.  It has been a challenge and fun.  Another way to make it easier to be a better seller is to use some of the many third party eBay tools that are available on a regular basis.

12. Be consistent.  If you regularly list or you plan to auction items on a long-term basis (and/or maintain a store), keep the look and feel of  your auctions consistent.  Over time, you will develop a cadre of  buyers that follow your auctions closely because they have come to trust in the quality of your items and your professionalism.  They become accustomed to seeing information laid out in a certain way and prefer it.  Keeping your auctions consistent will help build a customer base that assures more sales too.

13.  Don't forget to tell what you know concerning the used item's origin and use.  As an example, if you are selling clothing, try to describe its use -- formal wear -- worn once to the Prom in June of this year.  This helps set the buyers expectations and confirm that the item(s) is fine you just don't need it anymore.

14.  Include all information concerning attachments and/or item accessories.  It is all too easy to forget this very important information when many people are looking specifically for the accessories/attachments that go along with the item(s). If you are looking for a Coach Bag with a particular type of strap you would want to be assured the purse has the strap you are looking for.   Include all accessory/attachment information because it may be exactly what makes (or, if missing breaks) the sale.  

If you have some time, please drop by and check out my store (The Write Place) and auctions (Pepper120851). 

Thanks for stopping by my blog guide!  Pepper120851