eBay Items Not Selling? 14 Changes to Make ASAP
eBay items not selling? What’s going on? Should you lower prices, or should you stop selling products? Every seller goes through this from time to time. Your items aren’t selling, and you need to figure out why. I see people post in Facebook groups that eBay is broke. It’s not broken. People just aren’t buying from you. That’s a problem. The goal is to make money. There are some things that you can do to change that. In this post, I will review 14 changes to make when your eBay items aren’t selling.
eBay Items Not Selling? Make The Following Changes:
1. Take Better Photos
With eBay, your photos are everything. Make sure that they have enough light in them and aren’t blurry. Think about it for a minute. Would you buy an item if the pictures didn’t represent it well? I wouldn’t, and I’m sure you wouldn’t either. Review the images of your items in every eBay listing that you have. If they don’t look good, take some better ones.
2. Update Your Listing Title
If you’re selling something like a football jersey, don’t just put “football jersey” as the title. Include the name of the team, the player, the brand, and the jersey size in the title. For example, say you were selling a Nike Julio Jones jersey. A good title would be Nike Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons Jersey Men’s Large. Adding all that info would let a potential buyer know a good deal about the jersey before they click on it. That makes your chances of it selling better.
3. Update Description
Include as many details in your description as possible. Let people know what the item is. Include the brand name, colors, and sizes if it is an article of clothing. Let people know if it is new or not. If the item has any marks or cracks, include that info. Being an honest seller always pays off.
4. Offer Free Shipping
Free shipping tends to entice some buyers. If you don’t offer free shipping, you should consider it. It helps to bring more traffic to your listings. If you’re thinking about free shipping, you can raise the price of your items to help offset the costs.
5. Sell On Other Online Marketplaces
A few years ago, I wrote an 8 Places to Sell Items Online post. I went over several platforms where you can sell your items. Some places I included were Craigslist, Bonanza, and Facebook Marketplace. I cross-post a lot. It is essential to do this when your eBay items aren’t selling. I have things to sell on many platforms. Besides eBay, I sell items on FB Marketplace, Bonanza, Mercari, OfferUp, Poshmark, and Craigslist.
6. Lower Your Prices
The goal is to make money, but sometimes, sellers go overboard and list their items too high. I’ll be the first to say that I’ve done it before. Guess when the items sold? They sold when I lowered the prices. If you need help with how to price your items, look at the sold listings for the item you are selling. You can see what the item has sold for recently and adjust your prices accordingly. Once your prices are competitive, you will get more sales.
7. Global Shipping
Allow international buyers to purchase your items. eBay has something called the Global Shipping Program. It allows people from all over the world to buy from you. The Global Shipping Program makes international sales easy. Once you get an international sale, you must ship your package to one of the international shipping centers located in the US. Once it reaches the center, they do the rest. You don’t have to worry about trying to ship to places such as Egypt or London; it’s already done for you. The GSP program allows you to get more potential customers.
8. Promote Your Listings
Feel free to promote your listing. I promote mine on social media. I tweet some of my listings a few times per week. I scheduled them 10 minutes apart because I don’t want my whole Twitter feed to be eBay stuff. I also share my items on Facebook from time to time. More on that later, though. I also tell my friends that I sell products online. Finally, I post items on Instagram stories, too. If you like Pinterest, you can also share them there.
9. Share Groups
Going back to Facebook, you can join some eBay share groups. This is an excellent way to get more views for them. I’m in six different eBay groups on Facebook. They have specific days where you can share your items. Facebook is one of many places that have share groups. Some forums allow you to share your items.
10. Pinterest
Pinterest is a good place to post your eBay items occasionally. People are on Pinterest to spend money. Join some group boards and pin your items. If you are looking for an eBay group board, you can request to join mine. Follow and message me here. You can post anything, including used stuff, handmade items, digital products, and more.
11. Buy It Now
If you do auctions, you should add the Buy it Now button. Not everyone wants to wait five or seven days for an auction to end before they can get an item. It’s 2022, and people want things as soon as possible. A Buy it Now option on your items will help you sell more. You can also set your eBay listing to accept offers. That allows buyers and sellers to negotiate prices. That usually leads to more sales, too.
12. Review Your Items
Every once in a while, review the items that you’re selling. Make sure that they are things that people want. Sometimes, listings can be unwanted and sit forever. When I started with eBay, I had a few items listed that nobody wanted. After a year or so, I donated them. When you have some time, go through your stuff and ensure they are things people want. If the items are not profitable or desirable, get rid of them.
13. Answer Questions
Potential buyers sometimes have questions about an item before buying it. Please don’t ignore it; answer the question to the best of your ability. When selling, you want to ensure that you provide good customer service. Answering questions may help you get some quick sales, which is extra money.
14. Keep Listing
The final tip is to keep listing. Your items will start selling. The slow period will not last forever. The sales will pick up. By listing more items, you help your odds of getting more sales. More items will eventually mean more people will check out what you have.
You’ve just read 14 changes to make when your eBay items are not selling. Hopefully, you’ll use these steps and start getting more sales. Many sellers go through down periods. The key is not to give up.
If you need more help or are considering starting on eBay, check out my free webinar, eBay For Starters. I have tips to help you get your eBay business going.
Jason Butler is the owner of My Money Chronicles, a website where he discusses personal finance, side hustles, travel, and more. Jason is from Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from Savannah State University with his BA in Marketing. Jason has been featured in Forbes, Discover, and Investopedia.