As I sit here this morning going over my April sales numbers, I can't help but notice how well I have done since getting back into ebay. When Cassini hit, I moved away from ebay due to the huge drop in sales. I instead went over to amazon and starting ramping up my business over there. As you probably know by now, the profit margins at amazon using FBA were half of what they were with ebay. But I stuck with it for 1 1/2 years before finally throwing in the towel. It wasn't until the end of March of this year that I finally decided to head back over to ebay and give it another try. I'm glad I did.
Prior to Cassini I was selling probably 80 items per month. After Cassini, my sales dropped to about twenty or thirty. Knowing this made me a little gun shy heading back into the ebay world. But I knew other sellers who were able to adapt to Cassini and bring their sales back up. So I wondered what they had done to accomplish this. In addition to talking to them, I also did my homework. I researched what others were saying about Cassini and how to work in conjunction with it to increase their sales. The answer to this was simple. It was all in the details. Let me explain.
Ebay is having to compete with amazon, and to some extent the other online platforms. But what ebay has over them is the ability for sellers to sell used items that are not permitted on these other platforms. If you are looking for something specific and want it used, most likely ebay is the only platform where you are going to find it. In addition, ebay recognized that the buyer experience was what was going to keep them relevant. They had to change in order to meet the requirements of their buyers.
Enter Cassini. Cassini took the search to another level. The primary role of Cassini is to match a buyer with the best seller for them. It factors in things like feedback, price, customer service and yes, item details. No longer can you just cram keywords into your title and descriptions and get a high placement. You have to bring value to the buyer. Cassini's algorithm is designed in such a way as to minimize the effects of keyword spamming. But it's not just these items that factor into where you show up in search results. You also have to have a decent sell through rate. For Cassini, if you are selling a high percentage of your listings, then you must have items that are in demand and therefor you will rank higher. Cassini also rewards you for having as much information in your listings as possible.
So what makes a great listing? To begin with, you want as much detail in your title as possible. Things like brand, color, style, size etc. You cannot just say "Women's blouse blue with flowers size 8". Now your title should be "Chico's Petite Blue Flowered 100% Non-iron Cotton Blouse Size 8". See the difference? All the specifics about that blouse are now in the title. But it doesn't end there. Below your pictures is an area for item specifics. This is where you input specific details about your item. Every single entry should be filled out. Even if one of them is unknown, put that in the field. Cassini wants all the details. The more you fill in the better off you are going to be.
Once you get to your description, your first line should be your title once again. Below that should be a bullet list of details about the item. Things such as 100% Non-iron Cotton keeps your blouse crisp and clean, Beautiful floral pattern, Long Sleeves, Machine washable, etc. When filling in your item condition, make sure you are honest. Note any defects or markings that may be of significant importance to the buyer. Don't try to sugar coat anything. That's a sure way to get a return and negative feedback. Lastly, make sure to do your homework on pricing. Look at similar items in similar condition that have already sold. For me, I try to be in the middle between the low and high priced sales. Don't under or over price yourself. You'll either have a low margin, or be sitting on an item for a while.
Follow these best practices and watch your sales increase. Cassini loves data. Make sure you are feeding it what it wants.
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