Why open an Ebay store? That is a question that many an Ebayer has pondered. It is a question that has two different answers depending on the type of Ebayer that you are OR the type of Ebayer that you aspire to be.
An Ebay store might not be the right choice for the average ebayer who is using Ebay to clean out the garage but for those who are looking to take their auction profit a little more seriously or even a full time career then an Ebay store is not even an option...it is a MUST Have feature and I will give you some bullet points as to why.
A FEW of the many benefits of opening an Ebay store are shown below and we will expound on a few more as we progress.
- It's open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week...even on holidays.
- Low overhead costs compared to traditional bricks and mortar or even other online commerce sites.
- Your own address on the world wide web. A store give you your own unique URL that you can send visitors to from the web or even the real world. You essentially have a version of your own website.
- Save Time! Stop spending your time relisting your items. Instead, stock your Store with Store Inventory listings that last for longer durations - 30 or Good 'Til Cancelled!
- Credibility - A storefront give you instant credibility in the Ebay world. It shows that you are a dedicated member of the Ebay community and you're committed to staying there.
- Sales Reports - A store front subscription gives you access to free reports that others have to pay a subscription fee to view.
- Bigger Profit!! - Ebay reports that store sellers see on average a 25% incremental increase in sales the 3 months after opening their Store*.
- Bigger Profit#2! As a Store seller, you'll save on listings fees - starting at just US $0.05 or C$0.06 for each 30-day period and 1-cent for the Gallery feature.
- Automated Newsletter - A store gives you an automated newsletter that will be emailed to your subscribers weekly detailing your new listings or specials or whatever message you want to be sent. A GREAT feature to generate repeat business.
I think this list alone should be enough to convince you that an Ebay store front is a very attractive opportunity for an Ebayer looking to take it to another level.
I also saved the best for last.....Ebay offers a 30 day FREE trial of their store so you can try it out and see if it works for you.
I currently have 2 store fronts that carry very different product lines so I keep them separate so as not to confuse buyers and I feel these stores are a big part of how I obtained my PowerSeller status. That said....the Ebay stores aren't perfect...they're good but just not perfect.
The biggest downside, really the ONLY downside for me is that store listings don't always show up in product searches. If a buyer searches on an item and Ebay has 30 or more of that keyword item listed on auction then the store inventory doesn't show up....less than 30 and it does.
If you're selling very common product then you will experience some frustration with buyers not finding you on a search unless they specify to search stores. This is an issue that is easily overcome by regularly running some of your store inventory on auction with clear direction to your store in your listing. This will bring your product up in searches and drive traffic to your store. If your buyers sign up for your newsletter then even better...they will have your listings mailed to them from that point forward on a weekly basis.
How great is that?
Right now is the PERFECT time to get a store up and running with the holiday season rapidly approaching. You did read the FREE trial part right? Good....the only thing stopping you now is YOU.
List...Sell.....Ship.....Enjoy!
Click on the banner below and you can read more about opening your very own store and decide if it's right for you...but again...how can you go wrong with a 30 day free trial.
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