27/11/09 eBay Powersellers Secrets Newsletter

“In this week’s newsletter, Amanda gives you the opportunity to increase your sales just 10 days from now.”

Hello!

I’m so sorry but I am going to have to mention the ‘C’ word this week. Yes, ‘Christmas’.  

There are only 27 shopping days left until the big day and it seems that once we have all received our November pay-cheques - usually the final one before Christmas - it’s a mad stampede down to the shops to spend our hard-earned coffers on Christmas presents for our loved ones.  

Of course, those of us, and there are quite a few, who don’t consider getting involved in stampedes an enjoyable pastime or simply don’t have the time to traipse from shop to shop for hours on end, queuing for what seems like days and arriving back home a dishevelled, stressed out wreck, clutching 17 carrier bags to our chests and begging for a large G&T before falling to our knees with exhaustion (well that’s how I feel, I don’t know about you), we prefer to do our Christmas shopping in a much more civilized and rather more efficient manner and so we take advantage of the ease of shopping online.  

I am sure you are perfectly well aware that we are fast approaching the season when millions of pounds will be spent by millions of people via the internet as everyone starts thinking about gifts, food, decorations, new outfits, cards and parties. But it seems that we always think that we have absolutely bags of time to get organised, until suddenly it’s snuck up on us again, even though last year we vowed to be more organised, and we realise that we haven’t actually bought anything yet and maybe we ought to stop thinking about it and actually get on with it.  

I was musing over this earlier this week because I was chatting with some friends and we were talking about Christmas. The general theme of the conversation was that we all always leave it until the last minute, are never organised and never shop for Christmas pressies until at least December – well except for one freakishly organised friend of mine – Christmas cards and wrapping paper for this year purchased in the January sales, Nintendo DSi purchased in July in case stocks ran out and Christmas Cake made in September and in the final stages of being fed with about 2 gallons of brandy (that’s the cake, not my friend - bless her!) 

Anyway, I have done a bit of research in to this because after our conversation I was interested to know whether there is a kind of specific day when we all have a collective panic, realise that the big day is approaching and we haven’t even made a list and frantically start buying anything online we can get our hands on for Christmas presents. And looking in to this, it seems that there is indeed a specific day of each year when internet sales soar, websites crash under the strain of visitors and you might find that the very thing you are looking for has suddenly sold out, even though there were 207 in stock the day before! 

Apparently, last year, this happened on Monday 8^th December. This was officially the busiest shopping day of the year online and I discovered that the bets are already on for this year with a prediction of Monday 7^th December, which is only 10 days away. 

So, you absolutely, definitely must get cracking if you want your eBay listings to end on what could be the busiest shopping day of 2009. 

If you use auction style eBay listings then you need to list today or at the latest tomorrow on a 10 day listing for your products to be ending or nearing the top of the search on the magic 7^th December. If you use the Buy It Now format the same applies – get a multiple quantity 10 day listing going. And if your listings are all already running on 30 day or Good Till Cancelled listings its worth just double checking them to make sure everything is correct within your listings. Otherwise you may well miss out! 

Now, according to my source – Simon Beasley from ChannelAdvisor.com – last year, the most popular buying time on the busiest online shopping day was between 1pm and 2pm which makes sense to me because this is ‘lunch hour’. It’s very, very easy to grab a sandwich at your desk and take the opportunity to do a little surfing from the comfort of your office chair isn’t it? What could be simpler! So that would explain the timings and Simon predicts that the same will happen on Monday 7^th December this year. 

Now obviously this is just a prediction and there is the small possibility that I might look like a right lemon if it turns out to be completely wrong, but to be on the absolute safe side I want to give you some tips for maximising your Christmas sales on eBay so that you can list right now and grab some of those buyers that could be heading in your direction in a week or so. And anyway, if nothing else, this might be the incentive you need to get some listings up on eBay! 

Amanda’s Top Tips For Maximising Your Christmas Sales 

• Make sure you list today or tomorrow to ensure your listings end or are nearing the end of their duration on what is predicted to be the busiest online shopping day of the year – Monday 7^th December, especially between 1pm and 2pm. 
• If you are using ‘Auction’ format on eBay, try and add a few additional listings to run at the same time as your usual ones because this will ensure that your listings are reaching the top of the search results throughout the whole day and you will gain some vital extra visibility which will translate in to sales. 
• Double check your listing title keywords and make sure they are absolutely relevant. If buyers can’t find your items you won’t make any sales. 
• Make sure you reach those buyers who haven’t the time to wait for an auction to end – add the ‘Buy It Now’ option to your auction listings or simply just use Buy It Now’s on their own like I do. Believe me, in the run up to Christmas, people won’t wait. If they spot something they have been searching for, for their Granny / Grandad / Brother / Auntie then they want to literally Buy It Now, so let them! 
• Add a few lines to your item description hinting that your product is the ‘perfect gift’. This can be implemented for most products and will subconsciously play on your buyers minds making them more likely to purchase. 
• Remember to top up the number of items available on your Buy It Now listings. If you have the stock but haven’t increased your inventory on your listings and your listings say you have run out then your listings will end and you will lose your best match position. 
• Consider adding the ‘Best Offer’ facility to your Buy It Now listings, then automate the Accept/Decline Offer’ option to remain competitive and to pick up those extra sales from people who don’t want to pay full price. 
• If you have an eBay shop, use ‘Markdown Manager’ to offer seasonal discounts or limited offers to buyers. 
• Buyers adore fast dispatch and shipping so consider offering a Royal Mail Special Delivery service as an option to buyers or for larger items use a 24 hour or 48 hour courier just for the Christmas period. 
• If possible, make sure you answer any questions from potential buyers promptly via eBay messages – this could be the difference between a sale and a no sale especially on the run up to Christmas when there is plenty of choice from sellers and buyers will just move on to the next one. 

So, if you haven’t listed anything on eBay yet then this might be the incentive you need to get started and if you are already up and running then take these points above in to account to ensure you get the most out of the Christmas period. Here’s to Monday 7^th December and beyond!

As always I wish you the best of success,

Amanda

*************************************************

If you are a new subscriber and have missed previous newsletters, you can catch up here: http://www.powersellerpod.co.uk/Newsletters.html

Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/powerselleraob

Subscribe to my Blog: http://broadwaypublishingcompany.blogspot.com

Visit my Website: http://www.powersellerpod.co.uk

I produce this newsletter on the understanding that these are my own personal opinions and experiences, which are as accurate as possible at the time of publication. I cannot be held responsible for any error in details, accuracy or judgment whatsoever. 

© Amanda O’Brien 2009

 
Back to Top