Selling on eBay – what do you need to know? | Articles

eBay is one of the fastest-growing trading platforms and connects sellers and buyers from all over the world. Selling products on eBay can turn out to be quite a lucrative venture, so it is worth considering this sales channel. eBay is famous for being friendlier when it comes to seller requirements than its competitors, such as Amazon or Etsy. How do you increase sales by offering products on eBay? What fees and conditions can you expect as a seller in the UK? Let’s find out.

Summary & key takeaways

Registering an eBay seller account is free.
Private sellers pay a 10% final value fee, capped at £250 per item.
eBay shops choose a subscription: basic £25, featured £69 or anchor £399 a month.
The UK accounts for around 29% of global eBay sales, second only to the US.
Fresh titles, keywords and reviews boost your listings in search results.

What is worth knowing about selling on eBay?

eBay is a global sales platform that enables rapid growth. One of its biggest advantages is its popularity and the high level of trust among buyers. An additional positive aspect is the low barrier to entry and the ability to sell regardless of where you are.

It is worth treating the platform as a place to sell everyday items, clothing and furniture. Trading on eBay can be your business’s main source of profit, with stable revenue at a decent level. You can also use the platform as an additional sales channel.

Fees for selling on eBay - UK

Fees for selling on the eBay platform in the United Kingdom fall into two types: fees for private sellers and fees for eBay shop owners.

Private sellers can list their items for free. You will, however, pay for upgrades and the aforementioned final value fee (of 10% of the final transaction value) once your item sells. Remember that the maximum final value fee is currently £250 per single item.

eBay shop owners must choose one of the three available packages (basic, featured, anchor). Each package comes with a monthly subscription fee, which is £25 for the basic package, £69 for featured and £399 for anchor. The packages include various additional services that streamline sales handling and help you reach a wider range of potential customers.

What products sell well on eBay?

eBay, as you might guess, allows you to sell products across many categories, and each of them has its own bestsellers. Before trying your hand at trading through this platform, it is worth spending time on detailed research into demand in a given category. This way you will increase your chances of success on the platform.

Here are a few examples of products that sell brilliantly on the platform, along with their categories:

cameras and photography - Sony cameras, camera batteries,
clothing, shoes, accessories - hair accessories (women), hats and T-shirts (men),
health and beauty - anti-ageing products (skincare), men’s fragrances (fragrances).

Who sells on eBay?

Americans have the largest share of overall sales on eBay (around 31%), but second place goes to citizens of the United Kingdom (29%). The UK market is very attractive for sellers from Europe, and it is the one worth focusing your efforts on. And if you want to raise your standing even further in the eyes of potential customers from the United Kingdom, you can set up a company locally. The British will trust someone who pays taxes in the UK more readily.

How to list an item on eBay?

Registering on eBay is free, and once you have completed it, you will immediately be able to create a listing for a given item. The next step will be adding a payment method (you will be paying for listings or final value fees) and delivery. Once you have these things ready, you can start selling online on eBay.

How to increase sales on eBay - UK?

To achieve high turnover on the eBay platform, you should above all keep your listings “fresh”. Regularly check and update your listing titles - they determine whether you catch the attention of potential customers. Also remember that the eBay algorithm tends to promote shops that are active.

Make sure the descriptions of the products you sell are rich in keywords - they will then appear higher in the search results.

Try to get reviews and recommendations for your products; this will increase trust in your services and boost interest in the products you sell.

Selling on eBay - a few practical tips

Remember that you can edit listings in bulk using bulk edit - you will save a lot of time.
Try to achieve top-rated seller status, and customers will be reassured that you are a credible, well-organised seller.
Try the promoted listings feature - promoted listings can get a third more views than organic ones, even on a low budget.
To make your work easier, use a listing management tool.

eBay is a platform that delivers many benefits to sellers regardless of location or the size of their business. Now that you have the basic information about the platform, you can calmly plan your conquest of the e-commerce market.