How to market on ebay

EBay, which launched in 1995, quickly became one of the easiest ways for people to start earning an extra income, as everyone started using eBay as a virtual garage sale and selling things they no longer needed. It did not take long, however, before many people became eBay savvy and started making full-time jobs out of selling on the site.

While eBay is now 20 years old, it is not too late to start selling! If you're interested in selling on the site, check out the following tips that will help you jumpstart your selling career, which can be the foundation of a good life

Find an item, or a niche of items, that you want to sell.
First, finding a niche allows you to focus on selling only items that interest you. For instance, perhaps you want to focus on selling vintage items that you find at flea markets, the latest Nike shoe releases or hard-to-find books. Second, having a niche allows buyers who are interested in the items that you are selling to follow your listings. You may find that you have repeat buyers who like your taste in items or who see you as a source for the items they want.

Do your research.
Once you decide what types of items you want to sell, it would behoove you to do some research into specific items that sell very well. Not only can you browse current listings on eBay, but you can also browse completed listings. From the completed listings you will easily be able to see which items sold for the most money. You do not need to create listings for the exact same items. Instead, use the completed listings as market research to see what it is that people are looking for.

Determine where you are going to get products to sell
Unless you plan on cleaning out your house and selling everything you own, you will need to come up with a game plan to acquire the items you plan to sell. There is definitely a market for everything, but aside from narrowing down the market you want to target, finding a supplier is the most important thing you will need to do

Put some time into your listingsOnce you are ready to begin selling, try to come up with a compelling listing that has good photography and is free of errors, including typos. If selling on eBay is going to be your business, you want to present yourself in the best light possible. There have been many times I was going to purchase something from a seller on eBay only to change my mind at the last minute because the listing did not look professional.

Be a prompt shipper
Once you start selling items, do your customers a favor and ship items as quickly as possible. EBay lets buyers leave feedback for sellers and the majority of the feedback is usually centered around how quickly an item ships. It may seem silly to point this out, but prompt shipping will be appreciated and may lead to better feedback for you.