When it comes to selling on eBay, success can be achieved by anyone who puts in the effort. However, some sellers do better than others. The good news is that the reasons for their success are not a secret, and with the right strategies and mindset, anyone can excel. In fact, there are countless examples of eBay sellers who started small but have grown their businesses into substantial operations. So, if you're wondering why some eBay sellers do better than others, you're in the right place. Let's explore the key factors that contribute to success on eBay and discover how you too can reach new heights.
First up, we will dive into the eBay Guaranteed Delivery program and why you should be taking it seriously. We believe in this program so much for sellers that this article will focus on this and only briefly touch on addition methods. This alone could be the reason your biggest competitor on eBay sells more than you. We will follow up with future posts on the other avenues.
How does the eBay Guaranteed Delivery program work?
The eBay Guaranteed Delivery program is a service that enables sellers to offer guaranteed delivery dates to buyers. Here's how the program works:
- Eligibility: To participate in the eBay Guaranteed Delivery program, sellers must meet certain eligibility requirements, such as maintaining a good selling history and meeting eBay's shipping and handling time requirements.
- Setting up Guaranteed Delivery: Once a seller is eligible, they can opt-in to the program and choose which listings to include. The seller must then specify the handling time for the item and select one of the available guaranteed delivery options that meet the buyer's delivery date expectations.
- Guaranteed Delivery Options: There are three Guaranteed Delivery options available to sellers - Guaranteed Delivery (1-3 Days), Guaranteed Delivery (1-2 Days), and Guaranteed Delivery (2 Days). The seller must choose one of these options based on the handling time they specified for the item and the shipping service they use.
- Displaying Guaranteed Delivery Information: Once a seller has opted in to the program and selected the Guaranteed Delivery option, the delivery date range will be displayed prominently in the listing so that buyers can see it before making a purchase.
- Meeting Guaranteed Delivery Commitments: If a seller fails to deliver the item by the guaranteed delivery date, the buyer may be eligible for a refund of the shipping cost or an eBay voucher for the purchase price and original shipping. The seller will also receive a defect on their account if they fail to meet the Guaranteed Delivery commitment.
Overall, the eBay Guaranteed Delivery program can help sellers build buyer confidence and increase sales by offering a reliable delivery date.
How can the eBay Guaranteed Delivery program increase my sales?
eBay Guaranteed Delivery is a fantastic service that benefits both buyers and sellers. By ensuring prompt delivery of orders by a specific date, customers can shop with confidence, knowing that their items will arrive on time. Sellers who deliver items within three days or less qualify for the full benefits of eGD, but even those with four-day shipping can still participate.
Being part of eBay Guaranteed Delivery program gives you a competitive edge in the crowded marketplace. With millions of listings, it can be challenging to stand out, but eGD allows your listings to appear when buyers filter for fast shipping, giving you an advantage over your competitors. And the extra effort to deliver items quickly pays off by increasing customer satisfaction and sales.
By guaranteeing delivery, you eliminate the uncertainty for your customers, which can lead to more purchases and improved conversion rates. In fact, our partners have seen a 10% lift in sales once a listing is eBay Fast 'N Free enabled, and we expect this number to grow even higher. Recently, conversions for sellers have doubled since enabling eGD, which is a testament to its effectiveness.
So, if you want to get your products in front of more eBay buyers and increase your sales, consider joining eBay Guaranteed Delivery. With online shopping becoming more popular every day, fast and reliable shipping has become a necessity, and eGD allows you to meet that need while boosting your business.
What are some common criticisms of the eBay Guaranteed Delivery program?
While the eBay Guaranteed Delivery program can be a helpful service for sellers and buyers, there are also some common criticisms of the program. Here are a few examples:
Limited Coverage: The Guaranteed Delivery program is not available for all items or all locations, which can limit its usefulness for some sellers and buyers.
Complex Requirements: The eligibility requirements and delivery options for the Guaranteed Delivery program can be complex and difficult for some sellers to understand and implement, which can make it challenging to participate in the program.
Shipping Cost: Some sellers may have to incur additional shipping costs to meet the Guaranteed Delivery commitment, which can affect their profit margins.
Shipping Carriers: The Guaranteed Delivery program is limited to certain shipping carriers. You should check this, as things change, but most of the major carriers are compatible. DPD and Royal Mail are great examples. As you may be aware, eBay sells Royal Mail labels directly, so buyers can print Royal Mail labels without ever leaving eBay. And DPD and eBay have been working together for many years. You can use Shiptheory to integrate eBay with DPD, or similiar platforms, more on that below.
A brief history of the business relationship between Ebay and DPD in the UK
eBay and DPD have had a business relationship in the UK for several years. DPD is a courier and delivery service that operates in the UK and internationally, while eBay is an online marketplace that connects buyers and sellers around the world.
In 2010, eBay launched its eBay Delivery service in the UK, which allowed sellers on eBay to use DPD as their delivery provider. This partnership was aimed at improving the delivery experience for eBay customers and helping sellers to streamline their delivery processes.
Over the years, eBay and DPD have continued to work closely together, with DPD becoming one of eBay's preferred delivery partners in the UK. DPD has also developed a range of services specifically tailored to eBay sellers, including a delivery service that offers same-day delivery for certain items.
In addition to providing delivery services, DPD has also worked with eBay to offer sellers access to its parcel collection and drop-off services. This has allowed eBay sellers to easily manage their deliveries and returns, helping to improve the overall customer experience on the platform.
Overall, the relationship between eBay and DPD in the UK has been a successful one, with both companies benefiting from their collaboration. By working together, they have been able to improve the delivery experience for eBay customers and help sellers to grow their businesses on the platform.
On eBay's website, sellers can find information about the eBay Delivery service, which allows them to use DPD as their delivery provider. The website provides details on the range of delivery services available, including DPD's same-day delivery service.
On the DPD website, sellers can find information about the company's services for eBay sellers, including its eBay-specific parcel collection and drop-off services. The website also provides details on how sellers can integrate DPD's services with their eBay accounts and manage their deliveries and returns.
What other tools are available to help you sale more on eBay?
There are several tools available to help sellers increase their sales on eBay. And your competitors use of one or more of these could also be the exact reason they sell more than you. We will cover each of these in more detail in a future post, for now you can use the below to help you decide what to focus your own research on.
- Terapeak: This is a market research tool that can help sellers identify popular products, analyze competition, and determine pricing strategies.
- eBay Promotions Manager: This tool allows sellers to create special offers and promotions, such as discounted pricing or free shipping, to entice buyers to purchase their products.
- eBay Listing Analytics: This feature provides sellers with insights into how their listings are performing, including data on page views, conversion rates, and sales trends.
These are just a few examples of the tools available to help sellers increase their sales on eBay. Ultimately, the most effective strategies will depend on the individual seller's goals, product offerings, and target audience.
How Shiptheory helps you as you sell more on eBay
Shiptheory is a shipping automation platform that helps eBay sellers streamline their shipping processes, save time, and improve their customer experience. With Shiptheory, eBay sellers can connect their eBay account with over 70 carriers, print labels, and track shipments all from one place.
Shiptheory automates the entire shipping process, from selecting the carrier to printing the shipping labels and generating tracking numbers. This means that eBay sellers can process orders faster, reduce errors, and provide accurate tracking information to their customers, all of which can lead to higher customer satisfaction and repeat business.
Additionally, Shiptheory offers advanced features such as rule-based automation, which allows sellers to set up custom shipping rules based on the destination, weight, or value of the item. This feature helps sellers to choose the best carrier for each shipment, resulting in cost savings and better delivery times.
In summary, Shiptheory helps eBay sellers sell more effectively by automating the shipping process, reducing errors, and providing accurate tracking information to customers. By streamlining the shipping process, eBay sellers can focus on growing their business and providing a better experience for their customers, ultimately leading to increased sales and profitability.
Alternatives to Shiptheory for eBay sellers
Of course there are alternative options to using Shiptheory to help you integrate with carriers, and we will cover that in a future post so that we can give adequate attention to the question. Meanwhile, we will let you do your own research into those alternatives - But once you have found an alternative, compare the reviews to Shiptheory on TrustPilot, it's hard to beat Shiptheory on customer service and technical capabilities.
