How to Start Using eBay as a Seller

Online entrepreneurs interested in growing their business often look to eBay to boost profits. They are after all, according to eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace - where practically anyone can sell practically anything at any time.”

To date they have a presence in 39 countries and approximately 84.5 million active members worldwide. In 2007 the total value of items sold on eBay’s was nearly $60 billion ” thats more than $1,900 worth of goods on the site every second. They offer more than 50,000 categories ” making it almost certain theres a category for your product. Just considering how much you could boost your online profits with eBay is enough to make your head spin.

Steps to Get Started

Getting started on eBay is easy and can be broken down into several straightforward steps.

#1 Registering your account. Visit eBay.com and click on register. Its free to get started and dont forget to take advantage of their helpful information.

#2 Get the lay of the land. Registered sellers can now build their store. There are three different store levels including Basic, Premium and Anchor each offering the following:

- Store Logo for recognition and continuity. - Store Description with keywords to help potential customers find your store. - Promotion boxes to highlight your current promotions. - Search box to help customers find the specific items they’re looking for. - Store categories to list of the types of items your store sells. - Gallery View to display pictures of your products along with a brief description.

#3 Signing up for a store. There are three subscription price levels depending on your budget and needs. The store options include:

Basic Store at a rate of $15.95 a month Premium Store at a rate of $49.95 a month. Anchor Store at a rate of $299.95 a month.

#4 Building your store. The next step is to get started on the design of your store. In addition to a home page your design will likely include an about us page and a few additional pages depending on the size of your store. Many business owners find it helpful to draw up a plan before sitting down to create the actual site.

If website or store design isnt your cup of tea, there are design services available through eBay and other vendors as well.

#5 Utilize eBay marketing features. eBay offers an abundance of marketing tools and resources which include but are not limited to email marketing, cross promotion resources, help with print materials, keywords and search advertising programs.

eBay makes setting up a store and selling your products about as simple and straightforward a process as possible. A-Z they cover the bases to get you selling, and profiting quickly. As with any new business it takes time to grow an audience and testing and tracking the effectiveness of various marketing efforts will help you reach your goals faster. Whether you already own an online business or are new to internet marketing, eBay is a great resource and business building tool.