The following guest post is brought to us by the Internet Marketing Center, which can be found at: www.internetmarketing.com
If you’re active on eBay you’ve undoubtedly seen a bunch of changes over the last couple of years, and if you’re new to the site, you might be wondering what all the eBay furor is about!
Well, it all comes down to eBay wanting to keep its policies and methods current to ensure ongoing profitability and growth. eBay recognizes that their success centers around keeping their customers (buyers AND sellers) happy, so recent changes to how the marketplace runs has been an attempt to balance satisfaction between both buyers and sellers (no small feat!).
Since buyers are essential to the eBay marketplace, many of the changes have been for their benefit. But while other sellers are grumbling and boycotting eBay over what has taken place, you can swoop in and take their customers by making the most of the new policies.
Here are the some of the site’s more recent main changes and how they affect you:
Best Match
One of the biggest changes to eBay has been the way buyers search and find items.
Best Match is now the default criteria for finding items. This means that when someone searches for an item, the results are no longer shown based on the time the auction ends. Instead, they are based on an internal algorithm that is influenced by item title, relevancy, seller reputation, item specifics, and other factors.
Diligent sellers with good business practices will be rewarded, although newer sellers may have to work a little harder to establish a good reputation.
eBay has also changed the matching product pages and have been adding more item specifics fields to make item finding easier, so be sure to always use the item specifics drop downs when creating your listings.
DSRs
As a strategy for protecting buyers’ interests, eBay took away the option for sellers to leave negative feedback for buyers. Then they implemented a Detailed Seller Rating (DSR), which allows buyers to rate four different aspects of the transaction: shipping time, item as described, communications, and shipping costs.
eBay rewards sellers who maintain average and above average DSRs by giving fee discounts and enhanced visibility in the search results (including Best Match).
Sellers who communicate with their buyers, have accurate listings, and charge reasonable shipping fees have been doing well in this area.
Sellers who need improvement are losing their visibility on eBay ― and in some cases are no longer selling at all ― which is ultimately good for the entire community.
Return Policies
To give buyers more have faith that their transaction will end successfully, eBay is making it mandatory that sellers state a return policy and handling time on future listings. They have added bulk editing tools for sellers that make this easier.
Fraud Protection
Buyers have also been given fraud protection on all purchases, and the dispute process has been made easier.
PayPal for Transactions
eBay has announced that buyers will only be allowed to pay electronically with PayPal or other credit cards now (no more checks or money orders).
Even though most sellers accept PayPal already, the decision has been one that many sellers see as a fee grab for eBay. eBay says that it’s to make the marketplace safer, however.
To encourage sellers to take PayPal, all PayPal customers will be confirmed — a process that verifies their identity and protects sellers from fraud.
Maximum Shipping Charges
To compete with other fixed-price marketplaces like Amazon, eBay is imposing maximum shipping prices that sellers can charge in some categories.
Many sellers are unhappy, as they have been making up some of their profit in the shipping fees. The change shouldn’t effect overall sell-though rates, though, as it is applicable for all sellers.
eBay is also encouraging sellers to provide free shipping by offering discounts and better exposure. Increase your product price to offset shipping discounts so you don’t lose out.
Powersellers Get the Advantage
Powersellers are going to receive the best discounts and exposure under the new changes, so make sure you check into how you can become one (http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/sell-powersellers.html)!
Multiple Listing
As a seller you don’t want to list the same items twice in the same format, it’s better to enter them under a multiple item listing.
When you list multiple quantities, eBay’s Best Match will give extra weight to those items. And when you make sales and relist, eBay will reward you for your past performance.
For more on what’s new at eBay be sure to view our eBay blog at www.blog.auctiontips.com.
