On the surface, the eBay business situation looks grim. In early October eBay laid off 1,600 employees, about 10 percent of its work force. Listings have grown at the slowest rate on the site since 1998, eBay Stores have dropped a reported 46 percent and recent reports note that Amazon fixed-price listings are gaining traction on eBay's market share. Does all this spell an impending sunset on eBay's virtual marketplace and the estimated 1.3 million sellers who make a full- or part-time living on the site?
Dig a bit deeper, and all is not gloom and doom: In my opinion, eBay had a bloated workforce of 15,500 before the layoffs and could easily shed 1,600 jobs. The insertions fees for fixed-price listings have been lowered to next to nothing: 15 cents per category for media, books, DVDs and music, and 35 cents for other categories, regardless of price, for up to 30 renewable days. It is a move that has benefited many sellers, myself included: I have just experienced, in part due to fixed-price listings, my best September on eBay in several years.
Further, eBay remains the place to find "stuff." For instance, a recent "New York Times" article noted that while there are "hundreds" of new, used and refurbished Trec racing bikes for sale on eBay; Amazon has just three. Prices for a wide array of products are much lower on eBay than Amazon. In short, warts and all, eBay remains the most vibrant marketplace of its kind on the Internet.
Still, given the current economic downturn and the ferocious competition for buyer dollars among eBay sellers, what's undeniable is that those seeking to enter this market or grow their eBay business need any insight on strategy they can find. A modest such advantage might be had in Kevin Boyd's "eBay Business At Your Fingertips."
Though the author claims this book assumes the reader has an understanding of the basic concepts and terminologies used in eBay selling, it begins, as do all these primers, with the most basic of advice, such as how to choose a user ID: you're told not to choose a user name that identifies you with a specific product such as "babybibs4u," being as how you may want to segue from selling baby bibs to spark plugs (for some reason) and men might hesitate from buying spark plugs from a bib peddler. While this sort of stuff offers good foresight to the totally uninitiated, it figures to be of little interest to established sellers.
The way the tome is organized is one factor that separates this eBay how-to book from many of the dozens of other books, CDs and DVDs promising to make you an eBay success. As the title indicates, the sub-topics in the 16 chapters are number coded from the edge of the book in an easy flip-and-find layout.
For instance, Chapter III covers "eBay Selling Fundamentals" under the following subtopics: 3.1 Site Navigation; 3.2 How eBay Searches Work; 3.3 Listing Formats & Bidding; 3.4 eBay Fees; and 3.5 Listing upgrades and fees. When seeking 3.2, "How eBay Searches Work," the reader flips to the 3.2 thumbnail at the edge of the book and is instantly there.
Focusing on Product Photography
Within the 357 pages of the book the author manages to touch upon virtually every marketing aspect, task and situation a seller will have to deal with or encounter on eBay. Many topics are given short shrift, others are dealt with in greater detail, such as photography. Boyd devotes 28 pages to this important topic, the advice is thorough and excellent. And, it does what is rarely found in these books — it actually shows images of the equipment, such as an infinity board floor standing and lights with diffusers, photo domes and cubes, a photo studio in a box and so on.
Here are some of his product photography top tips:
Make sure your camera has been "white balanced" after each set-up to ensure true colors; it is one of the most important aspects of digital photography and is covered in the camera's manual.
There is no such thing as "too much light;" light brings out texture, color and character. Modify light 'quality' with diffusers and reflector cards.
When photographing shiny objects such as jewelry use reflector cards "profusely."
On overcast days move your photography outdoors; natural light brings out true colors, but avoid direct sunlight.
To prevent items falling or rolling over, use a bean bag beneath the background cloth (which should be true velvet or a pink pearl eraser or something called 'Wacky Tacky' or museum putty as long as it doesn't leave a residue.)
Check your owner's manual to see if there's a macro or close-up setting. Use it for very small objects or those about the size of a remote control.
Watch for stray reflections on shiny surfaces; they can usually be removed with reflectors.
Getting There: Shipping, Delivery
Another topic dealt with in depth is Domestic Shipping. Boyd devotes three or four pages each to FedEx, DHL, UPS and the U.S. Post Office. He outlines each carrier's benefits and services and includes a comparison chart. There is also considerable detail on packing materials and boxes, determining shipping costs, postal scales ( The Ultra Ship 55 lb. is recommended at $40-$45, beware of knockoffs offered at less than $15, on eBay, naturally.)
Regarding "resolving returns and claims," Boyd makes a refreshing, seldom seen point: shipping insurance is not a buyer requirement. If a seller accepts mail order money from a buyer it is the sellers responsibility to get the item to the buyer, and be able to prove it, though with the new electronic payment policy this is less of an issue than it used to be.
Equally salient is his recommendation to always use tracking or delivery confirmation for packages. While in-transit tracking and recipient signatures are offered by FedEx, DHL and UPS, it is only offered on Express Mail from USPS. The Post Office alternative is delivery confirmation; inexpensive at 75 cents, it confirms that the package has been delivered. This seller has never had a claim from a package using delivery confirmation.
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