As a new seller for about a month I'm not selling much. Getting a little deflated.
As of today I have about 90 listings. I've tried everything from undercutting my prices to consistently changing my terms to see what sticks, I do alot of research before I price my items . I've reduced several times. I think I have nice stuff good pics prices that range from $10-300. Any advise would be a blessing. Thanks!
16 comments
yoonix1
·2 years agoNice listings, reasonable prices, and you got a 100% positive feedback. All of these counts. It seems you have a good start. The economy is distressed, and the sales are crumbling for everybody right now.
I did not see that you have a store set on EBay. If you don't, and you're serious selling long term on EBay, it's better to have one. You will pay monthly subscription, but you'll get more benefits as a Seller. You can brand your store as a vintage jewelry seller.
Somebody in this forum was suggesting Promoted Listings. I don't do this, and I don't think they lead to more sales, but just more money in fees.
fashunu4eeuh
·2 years agoHi, and welcome!! Took a look at your items to find good pics, and great all around effort in your listings.
Jewelry is a very tough category because it is simply an over-saturated market, making every choice in one’s listing an important one as the competition is fierce. Take for example “sterling silver puff heart necklaceâ€. There are 255 listings nearly identical to yours.
But don’t fret too much. It can take a while to get established. In the meantime, here are a few recommendations.
1) Add more information to your listings.
Use important keywords in the title and add the rest in Item Specifics and the Description. Though it may seem redundant, repeating keywords in all 3 fields can help sales. Each section plays a part in Search Engine Optimization. Remove superfluous words such as “and†to free up more space for descriptors in your titles.
Finding the correct terminology for your items can increase traffic since keywords are the main draw in an eBay listing. For example, jewelry that has moving parts like your Mickey Mouse pendant can also be referred to as “kinetic†jewelry.
A word on unbranded goods—they can be a nightmare to sell. Brand names automatically draw eyes and interest. So without a strong set of keywords, one has an uphill battle. You must distinguish yourself from the heap so that buyers click on your thumbnail, not the one next to you.
Keep in mind that multiple competitor’s items will also have space on your listing page. How will you encourage the consumer to buy your item and not get distracted by others?
2) Invest in an inexpensive jeweler’s scale to weigh your sterling silver and higher-end pieces. Include gram weight.
3) Just an FYI: Mistakes in Spelling Punctuation and Grammar can sometimes interfere with SEO, as well as buyer confidence.
This is not a major problem in your listings as i did not see more than some scattered typos, but it bears mentioning. (We sellers need all the chips we can gather on our side.) Small errors in spelling, etc, may also hurt consumer confidence in the listing, but conversely, sharp attention to detail can improve it.
So double check all text before making your listing a live one. (“Large Silver Rose Flower Heart And Rhinstones Pendant With Snake Necklace Chain†or “Sterling Silver Thailand Motifed Pink Mother Of Pearl and Marcasite Large Crossâ€)
4) Use eBay Best Practices wherever possible, as it can give your listings a boost in Search results. Buyer-friendly terms like one-day handling, 30-day return policy, free shipping, etc. can improve listing placement.
https://www.ebay.com/sellercenter/listings/listing-best-practices
Last word: when pricing items, set them at your desired level, then wait for the right buyer. Fair prices on in-demand goods is a strong position to take. Having the lowest prices is not always the answer, especially when the item is not a commodity, like yours. This of course assumes you have researched the historical pricing of similar items, and the competition’s, and taken them into account.
Wish you all the best, and please come back anytime.
Below is an interesting article discussing eCommerce and jewelry sales that you might find helpful. Good luck!!
https://www.syte.ai/blog/ecommerce-trends/13-ecommerce-tips-scale-jewelry-brand/
silverstatetreasureboxes
·2 years ago@fashunu4eeuh
Excellent advice fashun! OP has some beautiful items and is displayed quite nicely with good photos. I would like to add if I may @retro-licious your avatar is lovely and I take it that's you. Unfortunately there can be some unwanted attention from some bad players out there and I just thought you might want to be aware. We have a regular poster from Canada that had some concerns about this same attention and it was uncomfortable. You may wish to change your avatar to reflect more of what you sell like a beautiful brooch or other pieces. Best to you!
retro-licious
OP2 years agoWow that was alot of information! I so appreciate you taking the time to review. Thank you!!
rugerskick
·2 years agoYour items are nice.
Your items are all in one general area, which narrows your potential customer base.
You also have under 100 items, more items would attract more eyes and potential sales.
If there are other areas you know about, like womens shoes, purses, hats, whatever, consider adding these category items to your store. I think you can list up to 250 items without a store subscription, so you've got plenty of room to add items.
hartungcards
·2 years agoYou're getting deflated after one month?
retro-licious
OP2 years agoLol, I guess I'm in for a rude awakening then. I don't easily quit. Besides I love what I'm doing.
lakefor94
·2 years agoHang tough!
ten_o_nine
·2 years agoYou need to diversify your products. I sell some Jewelry but it's the worst performing category in my store. It used to well before China flooded the markets 10 years ago with .99c sterling silver with free shipping.
12345jamesstamps
·2 years agoI took another look. Might want to get rid of some words in the titles...."Vintage, Rare, Stunning"...those go in descriptions. One of your item's begin in the title "Antica Murrica..."....and only all beginning with that title will show. Do "vintage" in the title and your item is buried with thousands others because it begins with that common word. Buyers will know its it vintage so why add it...or rare.
bashort
·2 years agoSelling 8 items in your first month with 90 listed when you likely have not had 90 listed all month is actually not a bad start
tobaccocardyahoo
·2 years agoThe most common category for starting slow sales threads on this forum is jewelry.
When my wife sold vintage jewelry on the antique show circuit, she and all of her competition would bring thousands of pieces to a show and sell under 100.
It is easier for buyers to look at thousands of pieces in person, than to look at pages and pages of listings online.
You need more inventory. You need to juggle some of your images so that the best view of the piece is the main image. You need greater variety of images.
Assuming you follow my advice, you will have more money tied up in inventory. Still see slow turns. And spend a lot more time sourcing.
You get to decide if that is the business you want to be it. My wife left that business after a relatively short period of time.
12345jamesstamps
·2 years agoCan you afford to promote a few of the highest price items at 15-20 %? That's what I do. Then my items get listed under someone's else page as "sponsor"....have to realize item might get sold of course.
That 100% feedback vs. others on seller's page gets one notice as well...which you have as a newbie. Great job!
First impressions are very important...my "repeat buyers" are my"bread and butter" during slow periods of time.
It's trying to get lookers onto your store. Most high end items take forever to sell. I actually got lucky and sold a lot during Christmas.
A promoted item fee will be taken out immediately of "available funds".
But it sure is nice to get a $100.+ sold when item otherwise sat around for months.
I never promote cheapie items which I have a lot of.
Of course listing some every week helps as will.
I have "buyer paids for returns"on my items for sale...never had one yet. LOL
isaiah53-57
·2 years agoHave you tried using Promoted Listings at the sites recommended rate of somewhere around 12% to 17% above the already high FVF's? I hear that works for some - The only problem with that? You'll be paying somewhere around 40% of the items price in fees. Nah...on second thought, those should only be reserved for sellers who are very desperate because they need to pay their mortgages right ebay?
Sorry to be so flippant, but, my guess is this site wants new users to be WELL AWARE of their promoted listings and if they are not using them?...well...
Have you tried other methods of selling your wares? You have some nice stuff. There are lots of options out there now.
retro-licious
OP2 years agoEbay gets enough of the lion share
I have hundreds more great items and plan on doing flea market this spring. Ty for your comments
lakefor94
·2 years agoYou might consider going 30 days on returns since eBay allows 30 days. Good that you accept returns.
Jewelry is one of the top saturated categories. Keep checking pricing on a regular basis. Don't be hesitant to list more if you already have it in stock.
It does take time to get traction on eBay. Hang in there.