The only really important aspect of your on-eBay branding and marketing is consistency. You don’t have the full gamut of options on the site that most businesses have so making sure that you extract the most from the ones you do have is vital. Everything you do on the site is an opportunity to tell people who you are and what you do. You have your listings, and that includes your User ID, photos and descriptions. You also have your Shop, if you have one and don’t forget your About Me page and all the various My World functions.
What should you be considering?
Colour Scheme and Logo: Having a recognisable and consistent colour scheme is the most obvious branding option you have. Think of big brands like Harrods, Tesco or Boots the Chemist. You know exactly what their colours are and you can replicate a bit of that immediate recognition by adopting colour schemes that are reflective of what you sell and permeate all of your eBay activities. A striking logo is also a must. Make sure it projects the kind of business you are and tells your customers something about you and what you sell. An ultra modern logo for a business selling purely antique goods doesn’t send the right message. It’s not necessarily pricey to get a designer to knock something up that you’ll like and it does look good.
Tone of Voice: The way in which you speak to your customers influences them. Compare, for instance, adverts for Cilit Bang and Marks and Sparks. The words and the way they are spoken is a million miles apart but both do the job of getting their messages across and helps us understand the products for sale. Most of your communications will be written but tone is still vital. Examine what you’re saying and whether you’re happy with it.
The Message: Do you have key messages that you want customers to absorb? Are you the cheapest, the fastest, the nicest, the most reliable? You might want everyone to know that you’re a long-established family business off-eBay. Or that you source fairtrade goods and greener packaging. Whatever the message, make sure you are getting it out forcefully and consistently. Consistency? That feels like where I came in…