Thank you John Donahoe & eBay

Personally delivered to you by Steve Lindhorst, author of
"Selling on 'the River' and "The Niche Book"

Wow this summer is flying by, it's less than a week till August. It's also less than a week till I pull down the 2009 Summer Fire Sale (see my home-made advertisement to the right). Don't miss it!
On to the newsletter...

In This Issue

1. Are you big enough for eBay?
   
2. Five Ways to Improve Your Amazon Sales
   
3. Send Me Your Links! - The New Multichannel Surfer Reader Directory
   

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1. Are you big enough for eBay?

eBay has rolled out the second big installment of changes for 2009. I would like to take this opportunity to thank eBay CEO, John Donahoe for another increase in sales for Selling on 'the River' - the eBay Seller's Guide to Amazon.

I'm not going to re-hash the eBay changes here. Many of you have left eBay entirely already. Besides, the changes are explained on other blogs and sites. It is becoming clear however, that eBay is angling for the "larger" sellers, and the days of the mom and pop eBay listings are mostly behind us.

If you're still selling on eBay, consider the fact that the 2009 second quarter earnings were down substantially over last year. "We are in a terrible economy right now." you might say. If that was the cause of eBay's losses, why was Amazon up 14% in the same quarter? The fact is, shoppers like Amazon better.

Ask your friends if they shop on eBay. If not, why not? Most of my friends have stories of feeling ripped off, or disappointed with their eBay purchases. What about you? Do you shop on eBay? Amazon? Independent websites?
So where should you sell? Simple. Just answer this: Where do you shop?
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2. Five Ways to Improve Amazon Sales

Each month I receive questions from readers asking for help with Amazon sales. What are some strategies for getting started and succeeding on Amazon.com? Let’s look at five ways you can get your feet wet on Amazon (pun intended).

Strategy #1.    Find Out What’s Selling - Amazon’s Bestseller Lists

How can you find out what is selling well on Amazon? One way is to select a category you are interested in, and click Bestsellers. You will then see a list of the top selling products in that category.

While you won’t be given specific details about how many have sold or the sale prices, you can use these lists to determine what types of products are selling. It doesn’t hurt to also check eBay and see if similar products are selling there. People are people, and combining shopping patterns from the two largest internet marketplaces is a smart way to find out what is selling.

Strategy #2.    Start Cheap and Easy

Second, let’s consider what to sell. If you’re a new seller on Amazon, learn the sales processes before jumping in with both feet. A good way to start is with books.

Used books can be found in a wide variety of places, for very low prices. Look for non-fiction books that deal with very specific subjects. For example, “coffee table” books dealing with art are popular. In general, you can ignore books that deal with general topics such as “The Encyclopedia of Impressionist Paintings.” If you see a book that focuses on a particular artist though, especially if it’s a little-known artist – pick that up. The same goes with other books. If you find a mass-produced book by Dr. Phil about the family, it will likely not be worth much. But if you find a psychology book by a Professor, written for other professors – you may have a $100+ book.

In my small town, I visit two small thrift stores, & Goodwill. It’s rare for me to come home empty handed. In fact, just yesterday I paid $1 for Legacy of Leadership – A Pictorial History of Trans World Airways. It should sell for $75 - $100 on Amazon. Not bad for a $1 investment and a few minutes listing time.

Strategy #3.    Use the Condition Comments Box to Stand Out

eBay sellers are accustomed to describing their item with a unique description in each listing. Amazon is different. Rather than each seller creating a unique listing, each product has its own page, with a variety of sellers appearing on that page. How can you stand out?

When you list your item, you are given the opportunity to add a unique comment in the Condition Comments box. This area was created to describe the exact condition of the item for sale. It has also been used by sellers to showcase their quick shipping practices, reputation, or guarantees (over and above what Amazon already requires).

Some large sellers have gotten into a habit of using a general “cookie cutter” condition note in the Condition Comments box. For example, a large bookseller may say “You can count on our products to be in good condition.” This leaves the buyer wondering about the specific product they are buying. “Did the seller actually check this product?” General comments cause many shoppers to shop with other sellers.

Comments for your items should describe the very item the customer will receive. If you can beat Amazon’s requirement to ship within two business days, you should also mention that. Anything that personalizes and lifts you up in the eyes of the customer is a good comment.

Strategy #4.    Communication with Customers – Confirm Shipment

Charge When Ship is a new Amazon feature that triggers a few actions once you ship a package. Once a package is shipped, you confirm that by visiting your Manage Orders page and clicking “Confirm shipment.” That action sends an email to your customer, including the tracking number for your package if you provide it. It also tells Amazon to proceed with charging the customer for the item.

This is a relatively easy way to set expectations for your customers. They feel good when they see their package is on it’s way and you’ve communicated it to them. It will ultimately help get you better feedback and possibly repeat customers.

Most transactions occur with no feedback being left for the seller. Buyers just tend to forget. On Amazon, you may need to request feedback.

Many sellers are confused about how to reach their Amazon buyers. Once you have sold an item, you can visit your Amazon Seller Account, and look at your recent orders. In the column Contact Customer click on the link for your buyer’s name. You will have a choice of subjects including: Returns, Feedback Request, Shipping Notification, among others.

Many Amazon sellers do not take advantage of this feature. Using it will help set you apart from them, and will likely help you build your Feedback quickly and build a reputation for solid customer service. Plus, since they received communication from you earlier in the transaction, at the time of shipping, they probably won’t view your request for feedback as self-serving.

Strategy #5.    Use the Packing List to Communicate

Communicate as much as possible to grow your Amazon business. Don’t forget, sellers must include a packing list with every shipment. You can easily print one from your Seller Account page under Your Orders.

Try adding a hand-written “Thank you.” on your packing lists. You could also try adding  a line asking the customer to leave a positive feedback comment for you. Print your packing slips on colored paper to get the recipient’s attention.

Using the packing slip in a creative way is rarely done by Amazon sellers. Doing so will help you stand out from the crowd at the moment the customer happily receives their new package.

In a nutshell...

Selling on a variety of marketplaces can be challenging. No matter where you sell, keep in mind that you need to:

• Figure out what’s selling (and sell it)
• Start with basic products like books, & media
• Stand out from the crowd
• Communicate! – confirm shipment and ask for feedback
• Use your packing list to get feedback from your customers

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3. Send Me Your Links! - The New Multichannel Surfer Reader Directory

Thousands of people read each issue of this newsletter. Some sell on their own websites, some sell on Amazon, some have their items on Bonanzle. There are also some readers that have blogs - is this you?

I would like to add a section to this site for reader sites. I will place a link to your site from Multichannel Surfer, and invite other readers to visit. This will help you promote your site and sales, but I hope it will help other sellers too. Looking at what other readers are doing is a great way to learn, and a real encouragement to newer sellers.

Directions:

I know many of you sell in more than one place. Send me a link to your listings on Amazon, eBay, Bonanzle Booth, ecommerce blog, webstore - whatever. I will categorize the section by venue. So if you sell on a website, and you also sell on Amazon - include both links if you wish.

You must include:

• In the email subject, include: "READER SITE LINK"
• Your link
• A very brief description of what you sell
• Your name and email (will NOT be shared)

Send your submissions to: steve (at) multichannelsurfer.com
(By the way, some of you have sent messages to that email address in the past and I missed them. I'm sorry about that. I've got the problem fixed and it will work fine now.

Remember, I do this by myself. I will get the links up as soon as possible. Don't forget I have stuff to sell, pack, and ship too! In the near future I would like to interview site owners for the newsletter.

Tagged as: Amazon, Amazon Strategies, eBay, Reader Sites