Over the next few days I want to focus on ways you can ‘pimp your selling’. I tend to think that eBay buying has four stages from a seller’s point of view.
Bring ’em in: Get a potential buyer’s attention so they’ll view your listing.
Convert ’em: Once they’re looking, persuade them that you have what they want to buy and that you’re someone they want to buy from.
Process ’em: Take payment, deal with queries, pack and despatch.
Satisfy ’em: Most buyers are happy when they receive the goods and Robert’s your father’s brother. But sometimes you might need to sort out a problem or deal with a difficult or disappointed buyer.
With these stages in mind, your listings have two roles. Primarily, it’s a persuasion tool. Buyers are asking: ‘is this what I want to buy?†Your listings need to provide all the information they need. But don’t forget that you are also selling yourself as a trustworthy person to trade with.
Secondly, your listing is about managing expectations and solving problems before they occur. That basically means explaining the deal regarding payments, postage and other ‘boring’ stuff.
Two things often strike me about eBay listings that don’t ‘convert’ me. They haven’t been crafted to appeal to me as a customer. Rather their primary aim seems to be covering the seller’s arse. Moreover, they don’t give me the info that will make me say ‘Hell yeah. I’m buying this!†In short, listings that fail to make the grade aren’t customer focused. How do you think yours are doing?
Tomorrow: Customer focused listings.