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In part 1 of this series, we reviewed how to set up an eBay Store http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y203/m11/abu0107/s02.
Naturally, more visits to your eBay Store means a better chance that your products will sell. eBay markets Stores in several ways. A link to Stores appears on the home page under Specialty Sites in the upper left corner. And when potential customers search for regular auctions, a box labeled "More on eBay" appears at the bottom of the left-hand navigation column. This box shows the top four eBay Stores having the most items currently listed that match the keyword searched.
eBay allows eBay Stores pages to be crawled by search engines. While eBay can't guarantee placement in search engines, they help to enhance discoverability of a Store seller's pages by creating META tags using the Store name, the Store description, and the names of all the Store's custom categories. When you create your custom categories, keep possible search terms in mind.
But as a trade-off for the lower insertion fees, eBay Store listings don't come up in regular eBay searches. And since the "build it and they will come" tenet doesn't work well on its own, we need proactive measures in order to increase our sales.
Let's consider seven relatively easy and cost-friendly ways to promote your eBay Store.
1) Know your eBay Store's URL.
Last time, we discussed how eBay creates the URL for your store. You'll need this URL to build links to your Store that your customers, in true Internet style, can access with a clickety-click.
2) Take advantage of the tools they give you.
If eBay offers you a means of promoting your store, take full advantage of it - especially if it's an included service. For example, be sure to add a link to your eBay Store on your AboutMe page.
3) Keep regular auctions running.
There is a "Visit this seller's eBay Store!" link in the seller's regular auctions, which takes buyers to the seller's eBay Store. One click and they're in. This link shows up automatically on every Store seller's regular auction listings.
The Cross-Promotion tool helps sellers cross-sell and up-sell additional items from their eBay Store. Cross-sell means if your auction is for a necklace, you can advertise your Store listings for matching earrings and bracelets. You can include up to four items on an item listing page and four on the Bid Confirm and Purchase Confirm pages.
With the cross-promotion and Store links that eBay adds to your auctions, it makes sense to list plenty of auctions; this will be vital to your eBay Store's success. Yes, you'll pay the regular listing fees, but the exposure to your eBay Store might make it worthwhile.
4) Link to your Store on your Business Web Site.
Develop valid content for your business Web site that will be indexed by the search engines. Listing the items in your eBay Store inventory is one way. Build links so that a potential customer can click right over to your Store. This is a powerful way to entice new customers and possibly generate more business.
5) Promote your Store throughout your sales cycle.
Your primary communication with your eBay customers is through email. Don't pass up the opportunity to include the name of your Store, a promo for any specials you're offering, and a link to it in your email signature. This can effectively bring your Store right to your customers instead of them having to look it up, and it can certainly help boost repeat business.
6) Use message board signature lines to your advantage.
If the site gods allow it - and do inquire about that first - add your eBay Store URL to your signature line for your message board posts. Include the eBay Store or a modest custom graphic to make each post a "click magnet."
7) Add your eBay Store URL to your print matter.
We see URLs listed in newspapers, magazines, flyers, and on billboards so it's certainly a valid way to promote a site. The limitation is that visitors can't "click" - they must actually type the URL order to visit it.
If you feel that your eBay Store URL is too complex to include on your business cards or shipping notes, then create a page on your business Web site that has a prominent link (or redirect) right to your eBay Store, and print that URL instead. In addition, visit the Business Resource Center to find downloadable business card, stationary, and envelope templates. Just go to http://pages.ebay.com/storefronts/busresource.html. And by driving your own traffic to your Store and your Store listings, eBay will give you 50% off your final value fees for a limited time. See http://pages.ebay.com/storefronts/referral-credit-faq.html.
Want to know how seasoned eBay Store sellers draw in customers? A few examples follow:
BiggBill of http://stores.ebay.com/id=750758 carefully selects his eBay Store listings for cross-promotion links to include his best selection of seasonal items.
"I have a link to my Store in any emails I send out, and I include business cards with my shipments to try to bring people back in. I target repeat business," says Katiyana, of her store at http://www.stores.ebay.com/katiyanascollectibles.
Carol promotes http://www.stores.ebay.com/collectiblecachecollection by coding a link right into her auction descriptions.
Les includes a link and logo in his http://www.auctionethics.com message board post to direct customers to his store at http://www.stores.ebay.com/MightyBeanzCollectiblesandMore.
All of these techniques can be effective. The bottom line: blast your own beacon. The competition is fierce. If you're willing to spend some extra time to promote your eBay Store, you can elbow your way to the front of the line where the odds favor more sales.
If you would like to submit ideas on how you promote your Store, please drop a line in the AuctionBytes Storefronts forum, Ina Steiner started a thread on the topic:
http://www.auctionbytes.com/forum/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=7461
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