What you need to know before using eBay for e-commerce
With 132 million active buyers globally across 190 markets, eBay is a mighty sales channel. There are also 2 billion live listings on eBay, which means you need to know your way around the platform to stand out. In this blog, we’ll help you get started, covering:
• How eBay works for e-commerce
• The advantages of eBay
• The disadvantages of eBay.
How eBay works for e-commerce
When it comes to online sales channels, eBay is certainly worth looking into. Second in size only to Amazon, eBay connects businesses to consumers worldwide. If you’re a business, it’s fairly easy to set your account up, too with a three-step process that starts with creating your seller account, setting your account policies and uploading your inventory.
As far as third-party sellers go, it’s a great starting point if this is new to you. But there are things that you’ll need to bear in mind to keep your seller profile in good working order.
The advantages of eBay
As far as online marketplaces go, eBay is extremely easy to get started with. A raft of support materials, templates and guides walk you through the process so you can create a professional and attractive seller profile and listings.
eBay also has a number of integrated tools that streamline the process for e-commerce businesses. In summary, there are many reasons to set up your account including:
Access to an active global market of consumers.
- Seller protection and secure transactions which includes any unauthorised branding and media usage to protect your business. Plus policies to keep eBay communities safe.
- Integrations with platforms like Shopify and Wix.
- In-built tools including marketing and brand building functionality, and research tools for competitor insights such as pricing info, and data on supply and demand.
- Ways to manage orders and inventory, which can be scaled up using the right fulfilment logistics with your e-commerce shipping partner.
The disadvantages of eBay
Like any sales channel, you also need to be aware of potential disadvantages as a seller, so you can work around them and display your brand to the best advantage. As it’s a global market, you also need to be set up to ship efficiently across the world. Any disputes or negative feedback with this can damage your brand’s profile.
Once you’ve opened your account, you’ll automatically get assigned a Standard level, with the opportunity to climb the ‘rankings’ if you like, to gain Top Seller status. Here’s a breakdown of things to watch for when starting:
- Check the fees for your listings and final value fee, and make sure you factor that into anything you upload to the site.
- Make sure you follow best practices across your profile and throughout your customer interactions. The aim is to get your Top Seller badge to stand out in such a competitive market.
- Get set for international shipping with a reliable third-party e-commerce fulfilment company. InterSend is experienced in working with the eBay platform on an international scale. Our knowledge includes details like making sure you have the right packaging and follow local information such as customs procedures, duties and taxes.
Key takeaways
eBay is a powerful sales channel to harness as an e-commerce business. But you also need the right e-commerce fulfilment to maintain a healthy profile on the platform. To see how InterSend can help you scale up on eBay, contact us now.
