Well after my call for help in last week’s e-letter I’ve received a great response so far, with hundreds of you adding your vote to the ‘Help Get eBay Pulse Back’ campaign!
If you haven’t added your vote yet, please, please do so here, as the more names we get, the more chance there is of getting eBay Pulse reinstated.
Please help if you can as this is all for your benefit – eBay Pulse is such a useful tool, and whilst there are alternatives available for research purposes which I told you about in last weeks e-letter, eBay Pulse is a great tool to have access to – which is why so many of you miss it and why I want to try and get it back!
Please click here now, tick the box and tell me why you want eBay Pulse back – it will take less than a minute of your time – thank you!
Here’s hoping that eBay bring back a new, bigger better version of eBay Pulse very soon so that we can add it back to our list of valuable research tools!
Cheapest isn’t always best
So, on the subject of products and sourcing, I’ve received lots of emails over the past few weeks asking my opinion on pricing and competition…
What happens when you’ve spent hours researching and sourcing a product only for a competitor to step in at a cheaper price?
What happens when you simply don’t want to match the silly prices that some other sellers are offering on a particular product?
Well, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – you don’t have to be the cheapest seller in your niche.
I would imagine that this sounds unbelievable to you! You are probably thinking that everyone who shops on eBay is simply looking for the cheapest priced item that they can get their hands on?
Well, this is not the whole truth! Liken it to this: Most shoppers who go to the supermarket will have the choice of a ‘value’ version of a product, a ‘mid range’ version and a ‘superior’ version.
Now, whilst many buyers are on a budget and are indeed looking for a bargain, there are others who will spend a little more because they believe that it is better to go for the mid range product simply because it’s not the cheapest, nor is it the most expensive! It’s in the middle.
That’s why it’s entirely possible to dominate a niche even if you aren’t the cheapest seller – I know this because I’ve done it with several very successful products. So I thought that today I would give you a few strategic ideas that will help you get ahead, without the need to lower your prices.
The art of persuasion – offer something unique
This could be free postage, it could be super-fast dispatch or it could even be a more detailed description of the item in question. Whatever you offer, it has to be something different to your competition. You are looking for something to grab the attention of your prospective buyers so that you get the sale.
Research is key. Knowing the price that your rivals are selling your products for is only half of the story; you must also know what their listing descriptions are like, what information they provide, how much postage they charge and every other snippet of information regarding their listings. Then you will be in a much better position to think of something different that you can add to make your own product the better option to potential buyers.
Make you and your product the superior selection to buyers
Writing the perfect eBay listing description is a skill that comes with practice. You need to be persuasive without being over the top, descriptive without being boring and layout your text attractively without being loud, offensive and garish. It does takes time and practice to craft the perfect listing, and I am confident that you are capable of it, once you understand exactly what a prospective buyer is looking for!
When you write your descriptions keep the following in mind:
- Remember to identify with your potential buyer – solve the problem that they have – after all that’s why they are looking at your product in the first place!
- Include all of the essential information that a buyer needs to see and be completely honest.
- Use easy to read bullet points and headings and highlight key selling points in bold or in a different colour. This will help you to direct the attention of your visitors to those few lines in your listing that will spur them on to making the purchase from you.
- Ensure that your English is accurate. Mistakes make me think that the person creating the listing was in a hurry, and that they may also be in a hurry when posting my item, perhaps packaging it poorly or simply forgetting to send it promptly.
Keep your buyers coming back for more
If you make customer service your number one priority it will show in your feedback. Your buyers will feel valued, they will feel important to you and these feelings will keep them coming back for more when they need to purchase a similar item, even if you don’t offer the cheapest price.
Be ready to offer refunds if required, respond to questions and queries quickly and politely, and post orders promptly. All you need to remember is the age old principle of ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ Provide the type of service that you would like to receive yourself.
People like reassurance, quality, expertise, ready information and trustworthy sellers. Provide all of these things and you most certainly do not need to be the cheapest seller within your niche!