If you’re looking for ways to generate income, eBay is a great way to convert unwanted items from your home into a source of income. If you’re new to eBay, we’ve got a few tips that’ll help you make the strongest start possible. There’s a lot of competition out there, so it’s essential that you play it smart to make the best of eBay’s income-generating potential.
What to sell
You can sell a lot of stuff on eBay. No, you can just dump out your junk drawer, snap some photos and expect everything to sell on eBay. Figuring out what items will sell requires that you spend some time researching and going through listings to learn the difference between a good item and a waste of your time. Your own unwanted items are a great place to start, but if you want to make a significant income on eBay, you’ll need a plan.
Become an expert at buying cheap and selling high. You can visit estate sales, garage or yard sales and Craigslist for items to buy locally. Have an idea of what an item is worth before you make an offer on it. When owners see you looking items up on your phone, you’ve already hinted that the item may be worth more than its listing price. Be smart about it!
One of the best ways to create a steady stream of income with eBay is to find a niche market. Are you a collector of strange yet valuable items? Find your niche and make some money!
Be smart about what you’re selling
It costs money to sell stuff, so make sure you don’t get upside down on these postings. Consider shipping costs, listing fees and your bottom line. Your margin is an integral part of generating income, so make sure you’re not actually losing money by selling the wrong stuff at the wrong price.
Create compelling postings
- Take good, high-quality pictures, and plenty of them! Potential buyers will want a thorough idea of the item they’re going to pay you for. If you’re a new seller, this is doubly important in helping build trust with discerning customers. Never post blurry or misleading photos.Take the time to write detailed descriptions. You should make these descriptions interesting and free of errors.
- Search optimization is important. You don’t need to be a marketing expert to understand that keywords relevant to the product will make your post more visible in the search engine.
- Make sure the posting is complete and transparent in every way.
- Consider your audience. Compose your listings with the buyer in mind. Think about what they’d like to hear from you.
Customer service skills
Make sure you offer a speedy response time to all customer inquiries. Keep your customers informed about shipping concerns, and be honest and transparent in all matters.
Start an eBay store
Once you’ve sold a few items and have gotten positive feedback from buyers, start an eBay store. This will improve your visibility and your credibility. eBay promotes stores on search engines. You can open your store as long as your seller performance is up to par, you’re PayPal verified, and your credit card is on file.
If you’re looking for other ways to save money, start with learning more about budgeting. The fastest way to give yourself a raise is to spend less money. If you’d like budgeting worksheets, educational articles, and information on financial planning, contact the certified credit counselors at CreditGUARD of America for information on how to take control of your financial future.