eBay & Advertising
On eBay, there is very little a seller can do when advertising services outside of the platform. If a seller were to promote their own ecommerce site or offer services through social media accounts, a seller puts themselves at risk for losing their eBay account. This also raises red flags from a new buyer’s perspective because they lose all of the benefits of eBay’s “Buyer Protection” program. Overall, it’s often a huge blow to sellers if they lose access to one of the biggest online selling platforms on the market. How does a seller use the global power of eBay to promote other services? You do it by adding advertisements in the packages that you sell on eBay.
In our case, every eBay item we sell includes a business card that links directly to this website. This allows us to do the following:
Global advertising of our services to an audience that we cater to
Promoting other services like social media
Offering opportunities for buyers to sell their items directly to us
Offer special promotions to encourage repeat business
Provide our business email to build business connections
First and foremost, eBay’s “Buyer Protection” gives buyers peace of mind when dealing with a seller. If the experience is good, then a buyer may be more inclined to come back. If the experience isn’t good, then a buyer may be less inclined to come back. Easy right? Where does this fit into advertising other services?
If a buyer had a positive experience and never once thought that they needed eBay protection, then providing a non pressuring ad may be more effective. First, provide the good service to prove to your buyer that they should continue using your services. Second, you give them ways for them to continue using your services. It shouldn’t be the other way around.
Have you been given an ad on the street by someone you don’t even know? Chances are you threw it out. That is providing ads first and then asking a potential buyer to trust that they will provide a good service without showing you.
Are all of those benefits worth paying the average eBay fees of 14%? We think so. If it weren’t for eBay, our exposure would be very limited. Sure we can locally advertise our services, but we know that it wouldn’t be sustainable. Being able to advertise to eBay’s global customer base through our services is an excellent way to reach out to those who would be interested in our brand in the first place.
When it comes to inserting ads in eBay sold items, just remember the order in which you should advertise. First, prove to the buyer that you appreciate their business and provide an impactful experience. Once you’ve gained the buyer’s trust, then the ads that you include with the item may be more effective at encouraging the buyer what other great services you provide. That is the key to advertising other services on eBay.
