Overview

ChannelAdvisor believes that multi-channel selling is a critical key to online success. Our integration with eBay.com presents a great opportunity for our partners. eBay's philosophy is committed to providing the best buyer experience and customer satisfaction on the web. This philosophy has worked well for them in growing a dedicated base of eBay shoppers. This article will outline some strategies related to the basic stages of selling on eBay.com.

Visit the ChannelAdvisor eBay Strategies Blog for additional strategic recommendations.  Make sure to keep up with the changes eBay releases several times per year.

Optimizing for Best Match

Once you have successfully listed your items on the eBay Marketplace you will always want to look for ways to improve your listing performance. One of the best ways to do this is to optimize your listings so that they appear in eBay's Best Match Results. Below is a checklist of items that you should be concentrating on in order to increase your product visibility on eBay. 

For additional details on some of these steps please visit the  Optimizing for Best Match  strategy page. 

Task	Description	Resources
Price Competitively	This is the number one item that effects the visibility of your listing. Prices - Monitor the prices of your competition and attempt to stay competitive.  Shipping - Offer reasonable shipping fees or consider offering free shipping	Tips for Offering Reasonable Shipping Rates
Focus on Customer Satisfaction	Providing quality customer service also contributes heavily in eBay's Best Match Algorithm: Become an eBay Top-rated seller - By providing consistent quality customer service you will be rewarded with a Top-rated seller notation on your listings and your search results will improve because of this. Meet eBay's minimum standards for all sellers - By monitoring your seller dashboard in eBay you can see if you are meeting eBay's standards for providing quality customer service. By meeting or exceeding these standards you will  improve in search results. Conversely, a failure to at least meet the standards can have a negative effect.	Tips to Become an eBay Top-rated Seller Tips to Meet eBay;s Minimum Standards for All Sellers
Write effective titles	By using relevenat keywords in your product titles you can dramatically increase your position in search results. Try out the eBay Bay Estimator Tool to see how your current titles are performing.	Tips for Writing Effective Titles eBay Bay Estimator Tool
Include Unique Identifiers	Unique Identifiers improve the chances of your listings showing up in search engine results. Consider including the following identifiers as item specifics whenever possible: UPC EAN ISBN MPN	Using Automatic Matching for eBay Item Specifics
Provide as many item specifics as possible	Item Specifics are what describe your product and also play a key role in your products search results. Be sure to include as many item specifics as possible	Working with eBay Item Specifics Using Automatic Matching for eBay Item Specifics
List in the correct category	Be sure to list in the category that is the most relevant to your products. When shoppers search by category they will be more likely to find your product. Use the  eBay Bay Estimator Tool  to help you determine what is the best category for you to sell in.	eBay Bay Estimator Tool
Use product details from the eBay Catalog	If you are listing an item that is in the eBay catalog you will have the option to allow the catalog product details to be listed with your ad. This can include photos, Item Specifics, dimensions, descriptions, reviews, and other details that will help the visibility of your ad.	How to Automatically Map Inventory Items to eBay Catalog Listings
List using variations	When listing your items in a variation format the sales history of one item in the variation is carried over to all of the items and can then improve the search results for all items. There are many other benefits to listing your items as a variation. See this eBay page to see what categories currently support variations	How to Use Variations Listings on eBay
Write a great description	Your item description should be able to set a clear expectation for your buyers. The more comprehensive and accurate your description is the less likely a customer will be disappointed with their purchase. Item Condition - It is crucial to accurately describe your item's description to avoid receiving negative feedback Item Details - Include as many details as possible about the item to give buyers all the information they will need to make a confidant buy Images - Make sure the image you are using is reflective of your description	Tips to Writing a Great Description
State your terms clearly	Make sue that your terms of sale are stated very clearly and concisely and are listed with the appropriate item. Try including the following information: Shipping and Handling costs as well as a list of providers List of all accepted payment methods A clearly stated return policy Declare any restocking fees List taxes or other fees that may apply	eBay Checkout Configuration
Include high quality images	Providing high quality images is an integral part in best match and will ultimately contribute to greater sales and visibility for your listings	Tips for creating high quality images

Category-Specific Strategy Information

Each eBay category requires their own distinct data points and values. View the following category specific pages to learn about the different strategies involved for each category.

• Fitment for Motorcycles

Additional eBay Strategies for Success

• Improving eBay DSR's - eBay Detailed Seller Ratings provide more details about an eBay member’s performance as a seller. Five stars is the highest rating, and one star is the lowest. These ratings do not count toward the overall Feedback score and they are anonymous. That means that sellers can't trace detailed seller ratings back to the buyer who left them. Detailed seller ratings from the same buyer are counted in the same way as Feedback
  
• Orders and Fulfillment
• Customer Service
  
• eBay Listing & Storefront Design Tips
• eBay Daily Deal Best Practices

Helpful eBay Links

Below is a list of useful links to eBay’s Help documentation.

• Fees for Selling on eBay - When you list an item on eBay, you’re charged an insertion fee. If the item sells, you are also charged a final value fee. The total cost of selling an item is the insertion fee plus the final value fee.
• eBay Store Subscription and Fees - eBay Stores offers three subscription tiers including various features.
• Maximum Shipping and Handling Costs - Limits on shipping and handling charges for select categories.
• Detailed Seller Ratings - In addition to leaving a general rating of positive, neutral, or negative for a seller, buyers can get more specific by leaving detailed seller ratings (DSRs).
• Seller Dashboard - Your Seller Dashboard in My eBay helps you monitor your progress as a seller, maintain excellent customer service, and keep your account in good standing.
• Becoming a Top-Rated Seller - Top-rated sellers are PowerSellers who consistently provide the best buying experiences to their customers. Whether you have large volume sales or smaller volume, you can be a Top-rated seller.

eBay Re-Instatement Tips

Did you get kicked-off eBay? Read more about what you can do to try and re-instate your account.