Hard to believe it, but Black Friday is only a week away. If you’re like most sellers, you’re sitting on ready and just waiting for the big day. If you’ve increased your inventory for the holiday season, you want to make sure your investment pays off, but simply having a fully stocked store is no guarantee of having a successful selling season.
Below are some tips to make sure your store is tip-top ready:
Check your content. Whether you’re selling through eBay, Amazon, or on your own site, you want to appear as a professional. Check your listings for misspelled words or missing information on your listings. If you have your own website, check for broken links and make sure your all pictures are appearing correctly.
Read over your return policy. Although both Amazon and eBay have rules sellers must abide by when stating a return policy, you do still have a little leeway in the wording of your policy and how you want to handle your returns. Since longer return times are strongly encouraged, updating your policy to reflect the longer return time, or that you do not accept returns can help to avoid confusion in case there is a problem.
Create cross-sell and up-sell opportunities. Look for ways you can cross-promote your items on your website and social media sites, such as Facebook and Pinterest. As an example, if you sell bed comforters, you could suggest pillow cases or bed runners.
Know your delivery dates. Buyers are not typically the forgiving type. Make a note of cutoff dates and post them in a prominent place for when you need them. As it gets closer and closer to Christmas, alert potential buyers of when they should expect their items. Let them know as far in advance as you can if an item cannot be delivered by Christmas. Some sellers find it helpful to offer overnight shipping as an option to help packages arrive quicker if needed.
Consider selling global. Since Christmas is a global holiday selling worldwide (internationally) or to at least certain countries can help to increase your bottom line. Keep buyers aware of shipping times and offer multiple ways of shipping so they can decide which shipment method works best for them. Some buyers may not mind spending more on shipping if it means they can get their items before the big day.
Are you ready for the holidays? Leave a comment below.
