Selling Strategically EBay Marketplace Research
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Transcript of Selling Strategically EBay Marketplace Research
Selling Strategically with eBay Marketplace Research
Patti Louise RubyeBay University Instructorand Certified Education Specialist Trained by eBay
Nick DonelsonProduct Management
© 2007 eBay Inc. All rights reserved.
No part of these materials may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior permission of eBay Inc.
eBay, eBay Live!, and the eBay logo are registered trademarks of eBay Inc. PayPal and the PayPal logo are registered trademarks of PayPal Inc.
Other trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.
Please do not take our picture or record the class without asking permission.
Important Information
Agenda
• Introducing the eBay Marketplace Research Tool
• Making Research-driven Sourcing Decisions• Creating High-Performance Listings• Available Options: Subscription Tiers and
Free Research• Summary• Q&A
Research Can Drive Business Success
• Knowing how a product has sold in the past, can help you:
– Estimate how the item will sell in the future– List the item in a way that has proven to work
• With 6.4 million new listings per day, eBay captures sales performance information on items that are directly comparable to the products you sell
Focus: Research-driven Business Decisions
• Basing sourcing decisions on research– What inventory should I buy?– On which products should I focus my selling efforts?– How much can I expect to sell—therefore, how much
should I stock?
• Formulate a listing strategy based on proven techniques
– When should I list? – Features? Category? Format?– Building a listing title?
eBay Marketplace—Tool Overview
• 90 days of eBay history• Information including
average pricing, shipping costs, numbers sold, listing volumes, etc.
• Advanced search capabilities• Calculated metrics/totals• Charts/diagrams
Using eBay Marketplace
• Scenario: As a seller, I have an opportunity to buy Polar Watches, model s625x for $175.00 apiece
• Marketplace Research helps evaluate the sales opportunity
– Is there demand for these watches?– Is $175 a good price?– How many should I stock?– How strong is the competition?
Accessing eBay Marketplace Research
http://pages.ebay.com/marketplace_research/
Navigating the Tool
• Charts and Metrics– Historical listings
• Top Searches– Most popular
keyword searches on eBay
• Saved Research
Step 1: Keyword Search
• Search Keywords “Polar Watch”• Same as the standard search functionality
on eBay.com
Polar Watch
Step 2: Specify the Appropriate Category
• This will refine your results
Step 3: Gauge the Relevance of Results
• Check to see that the search is finding only the items of interest
• Research results are only as good as the query!
Step 4: Refine Your Search with Filters
• Filter out irrelevant items– Exclude words– Set floor and ceiling prices– List features and formats– Designate specific sellers– “Located in” or “available to”
• Polar Watch Scenario– Exclude “accessory”
or “sensor”– Set Min. price of $100
Step 5: Verify Your Results
• Confirm that all results are relevant and comparable to the product of interest
Step 6: View Results—Totals & Metrics
• Totals and other metrics are calculated automatically
Step 6: View Results—Charts
• Track data at a glance in easy-to-read charts
Step 7: Save Your Research Queries
• Save your refined research query so you can analyze the results in the future
Making Research-driven Sourcing Decisions
Can I Earn a Good Margin?
• Average Price:– $253.64 Ave.
Selling Price– $10.01 Ave.
Shipping Cost
$253.64– $175.00 (COGS)
$78.64 (30%)
Analyzing Market Demand
• Market size in volume (# of items):
– Sold Items = 87 over two weeks
• Market size in dollars($):
– Sold Items X Ave. Price = market size in $$$
87 items X $253.64 = $22,000 every two weeks
How Strong is the Competition?
• Conversion (sell-through) rate measures supply vs. demand on eBay.
• Calculating conversion rate:
– 87 Sold Items/124 Completed Items
– 87/124 = 70%
Seven out of ten Sell
Deciding Inventory Levels
• 87 sell every two weeks• 124 were available• If I list 20 more = 144 will
be available• Conversion rate:
87 will sell/144 available = 60%,
or Six of ten listings will sell
or12 of my 20 listings will sell12 items every two weeks
Creating High-performance ListingsWhere, When and How to Sell Your Items
Listing in the Best-performing Category
• Polar watches perform better in the Cycling category than in the Running category
Category 1: Cycling
Category 2: Running
Looking at Sales Performance by Day
• There is no competing supply on Wednesdays• Selling price is relatively constant on all days• Listing at a particular time does not always
provide an advantage
Building the Most Effective Title
• Learn what keywords buyers use to search for products• Include common keywords in your listings so more
buyers find your items
Efficient Use of Listing Features
• View the sales performance of listings using specific features
• Use the features that perform the best for your products
Available OptionsSubscription Tiers & Free Resources
Subscription Tiers
• Fast Pass ($2.99/two days)– Ideal for occasional buyers and sellers– Focus: Additional insight into specific items
• Basic ($9.99/month)– Ideal for frequent buyers and sellers– Focus: eBay Marketplace trends and best
practices• Pro ($24.99/month)
– Ideal for top sellers – Focus: Fine-tune sales strategies
Free Research: Completed Listings Search
• Search two weeks of historical listings for free
Free Resource: Using Sales Reports to Drive Business
• Evaluate your actual business performance versus your goals
• Experiment with formats, features, pricing, and timing of listings
• Track and measure your sales over time• Refine your selling strategy based on data• Continuously test and implement best practices
Measuring Success with Sales Reports
• Sales Reports provide– Sales and fee
summaries– A way to measure and
track listing strategies– Sales by category
and format– Sales by ending day
and time
Want More Tips on Research?
Stop by the
Seller Tools Pavilionto try out
Marketplace Research,Sales Reports
and other seller tools
Summary
• eBay Marketplace Research can help you access information to directly support sourcing and selling decisions
• Quality inputs are key: your search results are only as good as your query
• Multiple subscription tiers accommodate all levels of buying and selling activity
• Free tools can further assist you in making research-based decisions
Questions?To learn more, visitwww.ebay.com/education to see the eBay University calendar, online tours, tutorials, and more.
Thank you!