Relisting an unsold item on eBay can be very frustrating for sellers. Insertion fees can take a dent from your projected profit and there is no guarantee a product will get sold, especially if it has not sold on its first listing. Clearly, something about your listing isn't connecting with buyers. So, what can you do?
We've scoured the web far and wide, gathering five top tips on how to make your unsold eBay items much more appealing to buyers.
Photos
We're all aware of the importance of including photos of our items in our listings. However, using stock photos rather than uploading personally taken pictures can put off savvy buyers who may wish to see the product's condition. Generally when stock photos are uploaded, the seller has something to hide. That's a huge turn off for buyers.
Take photos of your product in good light, in a good resolution and on a clean surface. Clean up the product so your item photographs well eg. wiping a mobile phone with a cloth to erase fingerprints and smudges.
View similar items
Review other listings for the product you're trying to sell. What's different? Perhaps you started the bidding too high. Did you list in the right category? Did you make spelling mistakes in your listing? Are other similar products actually selling?
There's no sure fire way of definitely selling your product on eBay but listing in the right category as well as ensuring your spelling and grammar is on point goes some way to making your product attractive to buyers.
Timing
Timing is everything on eBay. It's more likely your product will sell if the auction finishes at a time that is convenient to eBay users. For instance, 7.00pm-9.00pm is a busy time as people tend to browse auctions in the evening after work. According to eBay, Sunday evening is the platform's busiest time.
Conversely, ending your auction at 4am when hardly any users are browsing ensures no-one is likely to snap up your product.
Delivery
Users might spot a listing but refrain from bidding due to excessive delivery fees. The buyer pays for postage so as well as hunting for a bargain with the product price, they tend to keep a keen eye on delivery prices as well.
One way to entice people to bid on your item is by lowering your delivery price or removing it altogether.
"But this eats into my profit!" I hear you cry. If you use an expensive, overpriced courier service to deliver your goods, it might cut into your margins. Opting for a value-driven, affordable and reliable courier service can help you reduce your delivery fees and make your listing more attractive.
Go international
Selling to overseas bidders boosts the number of people willing to bid on your product. If you feel your product might be more popular to an overseas audience, sell it internationally. It may even be worth listing it on that particular country's eBay site as locals may take the listing more seriously if it appears in their currency.