- Coolcaesar / Foter / CC BY-SA
Online auction biggie eBay is a point of contention for many direct sellers. Countless direct sales companies don’t allow their consultants to sell their products on eBay, yet on any given day you can find hundreds or thousands of items from your company listed for bid or Buy It Now sale. I am in no way suggesting using eBay to sell your inventory if it is not allowed in your company.
With more than 90 million active users globally, eBay is the world’s largest online marketplace. That’s some serious web traffic flowing through a single website. How can you leverage all that traffic? Consider selling your non-direct sales items at the auction site. When you mail the item to the winning bidder, be sure to send along your direct selling product catalog.
Anyone who wins your eBay auction is already at ease buying online. If you’re already mailing your collectible or unique cowboy boots it won’t cost any additional postage to include a catalog and sample.
As an eBay seller you can also take advantage of the “About Me” option that lets you create a page to tell other eBay members about you, your hobbies and interests, and your trading record. You could certainly mention that in additional to selling your personal treasures on eBay you are also a YourCompany Consultant.
Just make sure you’re not violating eBay’s policies on your About Me page. Your content must be void of:
• Links that directly offer merchandise that’s not listed on eBay
• Links to other online trading websites or pages that can include auction or fixed-price format listings
• Links to sites that offer the same merchandise for the same or lower price; this includes the Buy It Now price
• Links to sites offering merchandise or information that isn’t allowed on eBay
• Promoting sales outside of eBay from the About Me page
Knowing what to avoid allows you the opportunity to work within the boundaries. You can still be creative with this free, potentially high traffic web page (About Me page). This is prime real estate to tell your potential auction bidders more about you and your interests.
Certainly don’t make this your primary platform to market your direct sales business. It may not bring about a substantial return on your investment. It’s just another opportunity to share your business with a market you may not otherwise reach. Moreover, if you already have household treasures that you’re going to list on eBay, take full advantage of the sale and also promote your direct sales business within the stated policies.
Some great ebay tips here. They do have a ton of traffic. It’s sickening. I think they’re getting a little arrogant though. But I’ve definitely had my share of selling stuff on ebay. If you want to get rids of something fast, it’s one of the best places online to do it. Some people do make the mistake of trying to make ebay their primary platform. That is a no no. It can definitely help to have your stuff listed there, but the purpose should be to drive traffic from ebay to your main site.
Sonny recently posted..eBay Alternative? – An Online Auction Site With Less Fees
Great points. The point should always be to get the consumer to your web site. If for no other reason than there is no middleman so less fees = more profit.