After almost 16 years of selling on the site, I don't claim to have all of the answers but here are my top six tips for sellers who seem to be in a slump.
1. List something every day. Do not "re-list". You can "sell similar" or sell a completely new item but list at least something every day. When you list as "sell Similar" or start a new listing, supposedly it shows up higher in the searches. I try to list at least five new listings or "sell similar item" every day and it is rare that a day goes by without at least one sale. The only time that I "re-list" an item is when there are 2 or more watchers on it.
Caution, make sure to delete the unsold listing after you "sell similar". Ebay hates when sellers have duplicate listings of the same item and I have heard stories of suspensions from the site because of this even when it is done in error.
2. The shorter the term of the listing, the better. Some seasoned sellers disagree with this. They like the "LIFI" method ("list it and forget it"). They go with "Good 'til canceled listings/GTC". Not me. I find that the more often your listing is "fresh", the more you sell. This is because some buyers filter their searches by "newly listed" or "ending soonest" choices. If your item is listed for 5 days it will show up near the top of both of those choices. If it is listed for 30 days or GTC, it will show up near the top much less. Furthermore, some potential buyers have "saved searches" and get emails when something that matches their search is listed. They don't get emails when something is re-listed unless they were "watching" that item
3. If an item has been sitting around your ebay "store" for a while, take a look at the listing. Perhaps there are errors or a better way for you to describe it.
4. Play around with keywords. Sometimes all it takes is a change in the title of your listing. Take out the color and put in an adjective or vice versa.
5. Look a similar solds. This is a given whenever you are selling anything but sometime overlooked. Make sure that your price is not out of line. See what other sellers did in their successful listing. As long as you do not steal another sellers photos or word-for-word description, you are free to copy away!
6. Change the price. Macy's and other department stores do it all of the time. Sometimes I raise it and add best offer. Sometimes I run a quick "sale" in my store. Sometimes I drop the price of an item by a nominal amount. This often seems to shake up the site a little bit and adds sales when there is a slump going on.
Here's an example...this sweet thing was sitting in my Ebay store for months. I added best offer and it sold within two days. The buyer just left feedback that she received it and loved it!
If you have any tips, I'd love to hear them below in the comments! Also, I plan on blogging more about Ebay so if there is any topic that you'd like me cover, let me know.
