Building Credibility As A new Seller On eBay
By Cliff Ennico
www.creators.com
Q:"I have just started selling on eBay but no one will buy from me because my feedback score is zero. How can I get my feedback score up to 20 so that people will begin buying from me?"
A:This is probably one of the biggest challenges for "newbie" eBay sellers. Most buyers will be hesitant to buy from a seller with a low or "zero" feedback score. To sell fixed-price items using eBay's popular "Buy It Now!" feature, a seller has to have a feedback score of at least 20. So how can an eBay seller reach that number?
Here are some tips from leading eBay experts:
begin by selling inexpensive items on eBay, on the theory that buyers are more likely to take a risk on a "newbie" seller if it's only a $5 item, whereas people will not take the risk of buying a $100 item from a "newbie" seller;
if that doesn't work, buy 10 or 15 low-priced items on eBay and pay for them promptly so you generate positive feedback - eBay's feedback system distinguishes between a user's selling and buying activity, but many buyers (regrettably) will look only at the overall feedback score without digging into the details - once the desired feedback score has been reached, stop buying and use the User ID exclusively for selling so the "buying" feedback fades into the background;
do everything possible to give buyers "warm fuzzies" that you're okay to deal with, such as qualifying for PayPal's "buyer's protection plan", "ID Verifying" your eBay User ID, creating a detailed "About Me" page, posting a "blog" describing the merchandise you are selling, and using only a "verified" address and a "confirmed" account on PayPal; and
get involved in the eBay community - create an "About Me" page that tells people all about your business, and get involved in eBay's community chat rooms, discussion groups and "social networking" areas so other eBay sellers will vouch that you are "for real" - the "fraudsters" on eBay don't take the time to do that.
Last but not least, do everything you can to avoid negative or neutral feedback on eBay. People generally won't buy from people with a feedback score less than 50 unless their "positive" eBay rating is 100%. Bend over backwards to give your buyers the best service you can, and prepare yourself for the possibility you may have to let a bad buyer "win" every once in a while to preserve your precious "100% positive" rating.
Q:"How can I quickly establish credibility as an eBay seller?"
A:Building up your feedback score as an eBay buyer and seller is the most obvious way to quickly establish credibility on eBay. Here are several other tips, courtesy of eBay Certified Education Specialist and "PowerSeller" Jack Waddick of Chicago, Illinois (
www.oakviewtraining.com
):
Create a Free eBay "About Me" Page. Tell a little about who you are, what you sell, your level of interest in the products you sell, maybe even a little about why you are selling the things you are selling. ("Grandma just passed away at 98 after 73 wonderful years of collecting Hummels . . . ")
Write eBay Reviews and Guides. If you have experience (good or bad) with a particular product (that you are selling or not) write an eBay Review and share that experience with others. If you have expertise in a certain area (coins, golf equipment, computers,) write an eBay Guide and share that particular expertise with other eBayers. Review and Guides help you establish credibility and build trust with the eBay community, which could help convince some people that you are the best person to be buying these items from.
Use a Short Video. Including a short video in your eBay "About Me" page can be a great ice breaker and a nice way to warm up the online experience by adding a smiling face to that eBay User ID. For items that typically lend themselves to a demonstration, including a short video in your eBay listing (for free) is like stepping right in to that buyer's home with your product. If a picture is worth 1,000 words, what is a one-minute demonstration video worth?
For a useful guide to creating videos for eBay, get the one-hour DVD "Add Video to eBay Auctions" by Cindy Shebley ($29.99, Ghost Leg Productions,
www.ghostleg.com
).
Cliff Ennico (
cennico@legalcareer.com
) is a syndicated columnist, author and host of the PBS television series 'Money Hunt'. His latest books are 'Small Business Survival Guide' (Adams Media, $12.95) and 'The eBay Seller's Tax and Legal Answer Book' (AMACOM, $19.95). This column is no substitute for legal, tax or financial advice, which can be furnished only by a qualified professional licensed in your state. To find out more about Cliff Ennico and other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit our Web page at
www.creators.com
. COPYRIGHT 2007 CLIFFORD R. ENNICO. DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.
