If we cast our minds back a few years, eBay sellers used to only contact Frooition for design services. Today, those design jobs come in with a long list of other eBay problems that need resolving. With more than 16-years of experience helping thousands of eBay sellers sell more on the online marketplace, we’re better placed than most to offer advice around fixing those eBay problems.

So, what problems do eBay sellers typically come to us with, and how do we help them resolve their issues?

We’ve compiled a list of the top five eBay challenges that we are regularly presented with and the solutions we can offer to make eBay a more positive selling experience.

Top 5 eBay Seller Problems

1. My eBay sales have fallen off a cliff: This was a particularly big problem following the relaxation of Covid-19 lock-down rules. The problem was two-fold. Online shopping became the norm during the pandemic as high-street stores were forced to close and people stayed at home. As the world opened up again, sales fell back (although it is doubtful they will ever fall to below pre-pandemic levels). As the high street fought to reposition itself, many retailers increased their online operations, and competition on online marketplaces like eBay and Amazon increased. As the competition for eyeballs increased, it became more difficult for eBay sellers to successfully position their products favourably in eBay search. This problem was amplified if sellers didn’t follow the latest best practices as dictated by eBay’s regular seller updates. Our advice is, if you want to remain visible, you have to follow eBay listing best practices and make sure all of your listings are fully optimised. Get your free eBay listing optimization report here to learn more about how you can improve your eBay listings.
2. My eBay account has been suspended: There are many reasons why an eBay account can be suspended, ranging from bad listing practices and potentially suspicious activities all the way through to more serious violations such as selling illegal merchandise. Unfortunately, if you are breaking the law, there is nothing we can do to help you. However, there is a way to resolve the issue in most other instances. In reality, most accounts are not actually suspended. They are simply put on hold or restricted. The most important thing you can do is keep calm and read this blog post. It’s also important to consider, if all of your business is currently coming from a marketplace like eBay, it may be time to spread your risk and start selling on your own eCommerce website.
3. I cannot compete with Amazon’s next-day delivery: Yes, you can. If your business is growing and you are struggling to get your orders out of the door on time, it may be time to look at outsourcing your fulfilment to a third-party company. As an online retailer, you don’t make money stuffing envelopes, and the cost of warehousing your stock and packing and picking items for shipping can be considerable. It’s also important to remember that your warehouse isn’t exactly a scalable asset. It’ll likely be too big in the summer months when business is typically slow and too small in the run-up to the holidays when everything goes crazy. A third-party fulfilment partner like Hub will not only help you compete with Amazon and offer next-day delivery. As a specialist fulfilment company, they’ll most likely be able to do it cheaper than you currently pay when you factor in all the costs of doing it yourself.
4. I don’t want to pay for eBay Promoted Listings: It’s already expensive enough selling on eBay. So why should I pay more for promoted listings? Well, it’s tough love time. In any competitive market, there will always be a route that helps you fast-track your way to the top, and that approach will always require a little extra investment. However, that doesn’t mean you have to throw a ton of money at promoted listings. It’s always better to optimise your listings as per eBay best practice first, and then when required, spend a little cash on promoting those listings. A successful eBay Promoted Listings strategy will always require trial and error. If you are wondering what the best strategy for your business is, check out this blog post.
5. I want to apply a design template to all my eBay listings regardless of how they are listed: We get asked this question a lot, particularly by eBay sellers in the charity sector, where a group of volunteers is often responsible for adding new items to eBay. Our answer is simple. Auto Apply by Frooition automatically applies your design template to all of your listings regardless of whether they have been uploaded using the sell your item form on eBay using a PC, tablet, or smartphone or a multi-channel listing tool such as Linnworks or ChannelAdvisor. This means that all of your listings appear on-brand and will benefit from other listing enhancements, including Dynamic Cross Promotion. It also means not having to train your volunteers or employees to use anything more complex than eBay’s standard tools.

Do You Have an eBay Problem?

Are you struggling with an eBay problem? Schedule a call with one of our eBay experts today, and we’ll put you on the right path toward success.