1.Set your business up to accept as many forms of payment as you can. PayPal, personal checks, cashiers checks, both domestic and International money orders, International bank transfers, etc. Every additional payment option you add will increase your customer base.
2.Don't exclude buyers from foreign countries or with free email accounts like Hotmail or AOL. Ultimately, you are only hurting yourself. In some categories the best buyers are located in a different country than you are.
3.Keep your ads simple. If you confuse buyers, they will either by-pass your
offerings, or leave you negative feedback because they read something into your ad that you never meant to be there.
4.Don't attempt to increase your profits by a few dollars by charging excessive postage. Buyers are not stupid. They realize what you are trying to do and most will avoid your auctions like the plague.
5.Give your customers all the facts to bid intelligently. Don't tell them you will figure out what the postage will be after the auction ends. Tell them in your ad what class postage you use and what the actual amount will be.
6.Don't discriminate against buyers who don't have a perfect feedback record. As long as you have good business procedures in place (such as waiting an appropriate period of time for checks to clear), there is no need to look downward at buyers whose reputation might have been damaged just because they got a bad deal. It happens to everyone and someday it will happen to you.
7.Don't discriminate against buyers who have little or no feedback. Remember, you were in the same position at one time. Once you have been in business for a while you'll learn that a buyer with little or no feedback is no more likely to screw you than one with a shooting star.
8.Don't make customers jump through hoops in order to buy from you. Just because you had a bad experience with one buyer, that doesn't mean you should threaten everyone else in advance. Doing so won't hurt your customers, but it will hurt your business.
9.If you are selling collectibles, antiques, or anything else that warrants it, show lots and lots of good sized, clear and crisp pictures. If you don't want to pay an online auction site for use of their web space then use the free web space provided by your Internet service provider. Buyers make critical buying decisions based upon what they see and pictures are the cheapest way possible to insure that you will have a happy buyer. The more pictures you include, the more your business will thrive.
10.Offer a money back guarantee. Be prepared to take an occasional loss on some items. You will encounter far more serious buyers who won't bid unless you have a guarantee than you will people who are intentionally trying to take advantage of you.
11.Be prepared to take a loss to make a buyer happy. If a buyer didn't receive his purchase, even if he chose not to purchase insurance, be prepared to return his money. You will get more repeat and honest buyers than you will cheaters.
12.Leave feedback in the correct sequence. When the buyer pays you and his payment is good, leave them positive feedback immediately. Don't become one of the angry sellers who practice feedback blackmail.
13.If you must leave negative feedback for a buyer, make it brief and to the point. Future buyers will read your comments regarding the sale and they perceive you as honest and mature. If you engage in name-calling, swearing, or derogatory remarks, you will be seen as immature and this will scare off potential bidders.
14.Always be friendly and answer any questions from potential bidders quickly. Remember, you were new once also.
15.Have an About Me page and include a picture of yourself. People will find it easier to trust you if they can see you and know a little bit about you.
About the Author
Robbin K. Tungett is online marketing and eBay veteran
of 8 years. She is most widely known for her eBay expertise
and her website
http://www.AuctionRiches.com. Please visit
her blog at
http://www.AuctionHerald.com.
