It turns out that eBay TOP sales rely on these 20 tips to improve product rankings

In addition to Marxist theory, the unchanging truth in the minds of sellers is: Only when there is transformation, power, exposure, and optimization, can orders be issued! This article will give you a logical overview from the platform, the 4 major causes that affect the weight, to the practical method of optimizing the listing. The article is a bit long, but full of dry goods!

·EBay's search engine: Cassini

·Best Match

·Optimization logic

·Four major causes that affect listing weight

-1. Optimize the title

-2. Free delivery and 2-day delivery service

-3. Improve conversion rate

-4. Volume discount

·Listing optimization

-1. Add variants (the same product has different colors, sizes, etc. but listed in one listing)

-2. Choose the right category

-3. Use all item attributes

-4. Promotion

-5. Pricing for competitive advantage

-6. Subtitle

-7. Abandon and re-optimize unqualified listings

-8. Use correct product identification

·Optimize conversion

-1. Product Picture

-2. Description

-3. Template

-4. Promotions

-5. Open global delivery

-6. Best Offer

-7. Top Rated Plus excellent rating

-8: Return policy

eBay’s search engine: Cassini
In order to further upgrade the user experience, in 2013 eBay began to launch a new search engine-Cassini, equipped with character association function and product adaptation function, consumers can easily retrieve the target product, fast and efficient. Whether it is a platform, a consumer or a seller, retrieval is the key to online shopping. eBay hopes that a keyword can present consumers with large and accurate search results. Consumers can shop around to find the most suitable products and corresponding sellers. The power of Cassini lies in the inclusion of listings, recommendations, consumer feedback, product performance, historical sales and other factors into the bag. Comprehensive evaluation shows that the search interface displays relevant products that Cassini "thinks". Of course, there are more. Yes, the order of appearance of the product. Then look down.

Best Match
The amount of information people absorb is very limited. As visual animals, most of them are "preconceptions". Therefore, products must be ranked high in order to have the opportunity to be viewed by consumers. The three major search engines: Google, eBay, and Amazon. The top three searched products have the largest number of visits, while the number of visits to the products on the last page approaches zero. Consumers switch to sort by price or sort by new time, etc. (as shown below).
The task of the seller is to maximize the exposure of the product, and the path is to raise the search ranking. Sellers need to provide accurate product information to the platform, with high product and keyword relevance. The rules are dead, but people are alive, and there is no once-and-for-all listing writing template, but sellers must maintain the standard of listing and adopt science, artistry and practicality. Continuously optimize.

Optimization logic

The platform calculates the listing weight mainly with reference to the following 4 points. Sellers "change their fate" completely depend on them! Including skillfully writing listings, delivery services, etc. Among them, the knowledge of conversion rate is very deep, which is the most difficult part to overcome, and it also dominates the life and death of sellers. Sellers may not be able to do well in these four points, and try their best; after explaining the background of the story and understanding the rules of the game, they will lead everyone to control the details, and make up for the knowledge points for pricing, promotional activities, seller ratings, etc. Then let's start~

4 major causes that affect listing weight

1. Optimize the title
The title is not without reason. The title is the golden booth of listing, and the title is foolproof to advance the next work. Remember, the title is not a pile of keywords. A good headline must be readable, and a concise and playful headline that implies a huge amount of information can easily strike consumers' subconscious minds.
It should also be noted that crawling keywords must not only show the characteristics of the product but also be attractive enough. Too much accumulation of keywords in the headline can be counterproductive. Consumers who just click on the product details page but see the product they don’t want will immediately exit. If things go on like this, the conversion rate will be lowered and the system will also be recognized as a spam listing, and the weight will become lower and lower. When writing the title, pay attention to the following points:

·Character control is 65-80;
·The product type is placed first;
·Synonyms used should be related to the product, do not use abbreviations and proper nouns;
· Product details, features and patent information as much as possible to attract consumers to click and facilitate transactions;
·Pay attention to capitalization, use capitalization for the first letter of a word, it is more hierarchical when reading;
·Pay attention to word order;
·Don't put words with brand names like "iPad" in the title. It will not only affect the conversion, but also cause lawsuits.
When writing a copy, you should think from the perspective of consumers, whether it is fluent, whether it contains basic information, and whether it is intuitive. Use a formula to summarize:
Famous brand + gender (male product or female product) + product + keywords/patent number + abbreviation.

2.Qualify for Fast ‘N Free

In 2014, eBay introduced Fast ‘N Free (free delivery and delivery within 2 days). Delivery service is one of the most important factors that dominate sellers’ listing weight. In 2019, 71% of shipments on eBay were free delivery. Consumers are also accustomed to merchants providing free fast delivery services (especially Amazon members), especially for some conventional products, sellers who cannot provide Fast ‘N Free services may miss many opportunities. Consumers who are "spoiled" will make good use of filtering to filter out products that do not provide free delivery. What is more serious is that Best Match will lower the ranking of these listings, and the products may not even have the opportunity to be exposed.

3. Improve conversion rate
The conversion rate is closely related to eBay SEO and the issuance of each product. As one of the four main points, improving the conversion rate requires meticulous operations to see results.
The formula for conversion rate is: conversion rate = order volume/click
Assuming that the listing has 100 clicks and 8 deals, the conversion rate is 8%. The higher the conversion rate, the higher the search ranking of the listing (as long as the product is related to the keyword). A listing with an 8% conversion rate is considered by the Best Match algorithm to be better than a product with a 1% conversion rate, and will naturally rank higher. A common mistake made by novice sellers is to ignore the minutiae and stuff the title with a bunch of irrelevant keywords. The initial search volume and the number of orders can be directly proportional, but over time, irrelevant keywords will lower the conversion rate, and the ranking of the listing will plummet.
"Checking in" is the key to increasing the conversion rate. Too much unnecessary exposure attracts nothing but garbage traffic. The famous architect Mies van der Rohe once said: less is more. Used to describe conversion rate is perfect.

4. Discount
Senior eBay sellers are more or less concerned about discounts, but in the case of large orders, the importance does not fall on the aforementioned title, conversion rate, etc. Steps to set discounts: Selling → Marketing → Promotions (activities) → create a promotion (create a promotion) → select volume pricing (select product quantity and price) (the UK site uses "multi-buy"). After some operation, consumers can clearly see by clicking on different variants. How much money can be benefited by purchasing multiple packages compared to purchasing a single package? Sellers can put the phrase "minimum?" into the picture, which is useful for improving conversion Rate also helps a lot. With a large order volume, consumers can get an affordable price; sellers make large orders, although they are all one orders, but they win in volume and get twice the result with half the effort. According to the algorithm of the platform, the weight of the listing will be increased; of course, the platform has commissions. Single order shipment also saves logistics costs, killing three birds with one stone. Have the sellers learned this trick?

Listing optimization specific practice

1. Add variants
In the case of products with different models and styles, using variants to enrich the listing is important for exposure and conversion.
Let’s first look at the exposure. Assuming there are 10 baby clothes with different colors, novice sellers often create 10 listings, but this idea is incorrect. Different colors have different audiences, and sales are good or bad. There are 10 sellers. The listing will also "fight in the nest", so it is the correct solution to use the variant to change the zero into the whole. Such a best-selling style can drive the ranking and weight of the entire listing, commonly known as the "Belt and Road".
Another disadvantage of the design of a single listing is that it cannot keep consumers in the seller’s store or listing, which tends to lower the conversion rate. But sellers don't want to be fat in one bite. If you pile hundreds of products into one listing, consumers will be dazzled and won't be in the mood to watch. When making variations, sellers should consider both aesthetics and reading logic. For example, the size tab of clothing should be placed above the color tab, and the purchase option of a single package should be placed in front of the purchase option of multiple packages. Remember to indicate , The price of a single package after the discount.

2. Choose the right category
Indeed, the importance of the category is not as important as it was in the past, but it will also be used as a secondary screening. As shown in the figure, just input "hiking boots" and there will be a bunch of related sub-categories displayed in the Lenovo entry and the left directory.
Try to choose precise categories to ensure that consumers can still have exposure even if they use the screening function. Similar to the title, avoid categories that have a lot of exposure but are not related to the product. But if the product can match multiple categories, such as "hiking boots", which belongs to both "Women's Boots" and "Women's Athletic Shoes", the good news is that a single listing on eBay They can belong to different categories (some listings with variants cannot match two categories at the same time, and between the variant and the category, you still have to choose the variant); the bad news is that there is a charge, but the following categories except:

·Adult Products
·Some industrial & commercial categories

·DVD&Blu-ray Disc

·GPS and MP3

·motorcycle

·real estate

3. Use all item attributes
There are hundreds of thousands of products on eBay, and consumers understand that using the filter function to narrow the search scope can find products faster. Continuing the example of "hiking boots" above, searching for "hiking boots" will bring up more than 100,000 results. Consumers can screen out excess products by filtering them according to color, size, season, and material.
In order for products to be accurately exposed, sellers need to provide accurate product parameters. Currently, eBay only recommends rather than compulsory sellers to provide product parameters. eBay has published statistics showing that 65%-80% of listings do not add the first 3 product parameters to the product category, and these products will not be exposed after screening.
Sellers need to pay attention to the points consumers pay most attention to when screening products, try to search for their own product categories, the navigation function on the left ranks the top product attributes or click "More Filter". eBay can also show how many searches each model has.

4. Promotion
eBay only launched advertisements in 2015. Compared with eBay’s history, it is a rather jerky business. At first, the functions were a bit tasteless, but after several debugging, the problem has been basically solved. Advertising, as the name suggests, is to increase product exposure, or "jump in line". Depending on the setting of the commission commission index, the product appears in different positions. Assuming that the seller’s product is priced at $10 and the advertising cost is set at 10%, eBay will receive a commission of $1 for every product sold. However, eBay only needs to be paid when the order is issued through advertisements, while Google and Amazon’s advertisements are charged according to clicks.
Use eBay’s advertising services to promote new listings and drive early sales. It is a relatively safe way to gain a firm foothold on eBay in the early stage to increase listing conversion rate, accumulate historical sales, and prevent product rankings from falling too fast. Loss of the "new product" label; in addition, advertising can also speed up the liquidity of sellers' inventory, or it is a choice to follow the path of sustainable development. Search products on eBay’s PC, mobile, and apps, the display results contain more than 60 advertising spots. Sellers need to weigh the commission ratio and the profit of the order. The higher the commission ratio, the higher the display position. The relative cost is higher.

5. Pricing
Products on eBay have always been known for their low prices. Consumers are also used to "Taobao" on eBay. Sellers can only attract consumers by offering appropriate prices. The navigation bar has its own price filtering function, and Best Match can also do this. Smart consumers will enter product keywords, make a round of filtering according to category, product characteristics, etc., and then sort by price from low to high. It is worth noting that the price here does not include delivery costs. Some sellers will increase the delivery fee so that the product looks like "no money" at first glance, but this cleverness is likely to backfire, not only misleading consumers, but also lowering the conversion rate of listings.
The price sorting function is not entirely a pit. Consumers prefer to "tick" rather than manually enter the price range, but try not to set it outside the price range recommended by the system. For example, if the price is $41, consumers who are destined not to check the "under $40" option, the price of $56, the product can only be active in the eyes of consumers who check the "over $55" option, and adjust the price to $40 or $50 will be better, and it can radiate two price ranges. However, sellers should note that the price is calculated by the system based on similar products and will fluctuate.

·Under $40

· Between $40-$55

·More than $55

Automatic repricing
At present, eBay's automatic repricing function is not mature. Similar products on eBay may come from hundreds of listings from different sellers, but Amazon's "category-led" market means that sellers of the same product need to be linked to listings, which belong to Amazon's product catalog. Since eBay’s listing is not tied to the main catalog, the automatic pricing function must find a way to find similar products. Some simply use barcodes, and some use keywords or A.I matching. The accuracy of the latter will be much higher.
The automatic repricing function is still quite tasteless at present, and sellers who are more price-sensitive and hardworking can try it. After all, this is not a job that can be done by machines in one step. The system sometimes mismatches products, causing prices to rise and fall. Sellers who use this feature need to always pay attention to the direction of price changes.

6. Subtitle

eBay has been studying the effect of subtitles on exposure since 2012, and survey results show that 26% of clicks are related to subtitles. The subtitle is a way to personalize the listing. It is not easy to stand out among the vast array of products. But "there is no lunch for free". Adding a subtitle requires an extra fee. The charge for a listing ranges from $1.50 to $150. This requires the seller to use the subtitle skillfully, and don't "lost the madam and break the soldier".
eBay will also provide free subtitles for products under certain categories. Sellers should make good use of platform resources to increase their weight. Pay attention to the following 3 details:

·Emphasis on additional services
·Emphasis on selling points
·Explain additional product information
Especially for products with severe homogeneity, the subtitles need to be distinguished from other products. Sellers of mobile phone cases with the "Spiderman" pattern should write something like "Customized patterns can be provided; defective products can be exchanged unconditionally." The "declaration", personalized service and professional after-sales service are all written on the facade, which consumers can see at a glance, which is of great help to increase the conversion rate.

7. Abandon and re-optimize the dying listing
As mentioned many times above, historical sales and conversion rates have a great impact on product weights. Poor historical sales will lead to a decline in search rankings, which triggers the chain reaction of the entire listing weight decline, a vicious circle. Sellers should no longer waste their efforts to optimize their dying listings, because the system algorithm has already declared them "social death". Sellers should start to create new listings, cherish the opportunity of rebirth, use the above-mentioned techniques to optimize listings, and achieve high conversion rates and historical sales in the early stages of the shelves can go further, and do not repeat the mistakes.

8. Use the correct product identification
The product identification code is the product's "identity card", which is used to distinguish and identify the product. The usual manifestation is the product barcode and a string of numbers below. International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) and Global Trade Item Numbers (Global Trade Item Numbers, GTINs) are common product identification codes, and Manufacturer Part Numbers (MPN) are eBay identification codes.
Through the product identification code, eBay products on Google Shopping not only contain product information, but also have comments (eBay sites in the United Kingdom and Australia); eBay has also launched a search function similar to Amazon (Group Similar Listings), which can be retrieved using the product identification code Specific products.
Consumers can use the eBay app to scan the product identification code and jump directly to the product page. Such targeted clicks and browsing will increase the possibility of transactions, especially beauty and personal care products, which have been used in large numbers on social networks. Consumers generally place orders without thinking about endorsements or recommendations. For products with serious homogeneity, such as auto parts and auto repair tools, having identification codes can effectively avoid product confusion and subsequent consumer returns and exchanges.
At present, eBay has mandatory requirements for the identification code of most products. The identification code needs to correspond to the eBay catalog. The seller only needs to scan the identification code when creating a listing, and the system will automatically fill in the product information. If the seller is also a manufacturer, then you need to apply for GSI (International Article Numbering Association).

Optimize conversion

1. Product Picture
Humans are all visual animals, and they are responsible for the appearance of product listings and even stores. "The word is like the person", "A good horse is equipped with a good saddle", it is absolutely worthwhile to work on the visual effects of pictures. Consumers can not only intuitively feel the basic attributes of the product, but also drive the consumer psychology. In fact, many consumer causes are mixed Not "I need", but "I want". Sellers who can bear the temperament and exquisitely crafted pictures must have the same quality of products and services. We must visually establish consumer confidence in the product.
eBay currently requires sellers to upload at least 500 pixel product images, but it is recommended to upload 1500-2000 pixel images. Be sure not to add watermarks, logos or text. eBay's regulations in this regard have become more stringent, and a violation of the rules will trigger a warning from the platform.
Each listing can upload 12 photos. Sellers must shoot from multiple angles. It’s better to keep improving. Use professional shooting tools to highlight the selling points and details. Use close shots to highlight the selling points and details. The white background can set off the protagonist—the product itself.
The picture needs to be combined with the characteristics of the product. If it is a clothing product, the main picture needs a white background, and the points that can be displayed are very limited. Other product pictures should be integrated into the sense of life as much as possible; if it is an electronic product, such details as sockets and sockets need to be highlighted; if It is a furniture product, and the picture must reflect the "three dimensions" of the furniture. There are too many good examples. The pictures are flat. Consumers can only rely on imagination to fill in product details. Sellers should also use this to promote their strengths and avoid weaknesses, but don't make vague descriptions or even over-whitewash to cause disputes.
The image quality does not directly affect the conversion rate, but the importance is self-evident. Poor quality pictures undoubtedly swear to consumers the roughness of the product. As the water droplets pierce through, the seller must insist on making long-term investment in the picture, even if there is no real benefit in the short term, in the long run, the shareholding will not lose.

2. Description
Product descriptions are trivial in the face of the weight of listings, especially on the mobile side. As a platform, eBay is the first to describe the product as a “stubborn child”. It is difficult to find the shadow of the product description when Google jumps to the eBay PC interface. This has led to many sellers' products. The description is just a few words, and some people don't even write it.
Although ignoring product descriptions has become a "silent tacit understanding" between sellers and platforms, sellers still need detailed product descriptions for specific products and categories. Some "virgo" consumers will use a magnifying glass to read product descriptions and even ask sellers. Sellers must actively answer. Since consumers have come to the step of asking questions, either the seller’s description is not specific enough, or consumers psychologically need an "integrity endorsement". The seller’s answer is likely to affect sales and lower the conversion rate. Try to avoid this kind of unwarranted disaster, don't be lazy~
In order to make the product description readable and highly general, sellers can refer to the following points to give their product description a "physical examination":
·product features
·utility
·Highlights (style, material, etc.)
·Exclusive selling point
·What's in the package
·size
·weight
·Maintenance
(Below, please enjoy the textbook-like product description)
The following content should not be placed in the product description:
· Seller’s contact information or logistics-related content;
·Seller’s independent website URL link (not only eBay explicitly prohibits it, but issuing orders from independent stations will also lower eBay’s listing ranking);
·Excessive emoticons, emoticons or pictures (too many characters will be self-defeating, especially the mobile terminal will take a long time to load the page).
3C accessories can put product attributes into points. It is true that not many people will carefully look at the description of such products; sellers who operate personal brands pay attention to "individualization", and at least product images must echo the brand concept and the description must have a story ( But don’t write it as a short story). The input and output of product description has dropped a lot compared with recent years, but "existence is reasonable". Since product description has not been abandoned by the platform, it has its existing value. Sellers must allocate time based on the product. last of the last. Sellers are reminded to pay attention to the layout on the PC and mobile terminals.

3. Template
Once upon a time, sellers complained about the use of templates to lower the listing ranking, which was not compatible with mobile terminals, and the templates were shoddy and caused the page load time to be too long. However, eBay has fixed the above-mentioned vulnerabilities. Today's templates are compatible with mobile terminals, and the loading time is greatly shortened. Not only is the operation simple, the price is beautiful, and the most important thing is to pass on the identity as an "eBay seller".
Listing is like the seller's "face". To make consumers willing to spend money, they must first be neatly dressed, right? Using templates can minimize the appearance of amateur, monotonous or shabby listings. Sellers can put more effort into perfecting them later. The optimization of conversion rate is also inseparable from visual effects. How can sellers increase their bargaining chips to encourage consumers to spend money? The answer is to be yourself. Product quality, logistics, after-sales, and answering questions are indispensable, but "beauty" is already the "hidden rule" of the Internet era, and products exist objectively. In this competition of appearance and strength, the outcome is the consumption. One thought.

4. Promotions
As mentioned above, product volume discounts are one of the important ways to optimize SEO. Sellers can also unlock the following 5 promotions:
·Order discount
·Exclusive coupons
·Distribution fee reduction activities
·Big promotion
·Bulk discount
Order discounts refer to discounts available when the consumption amount or the number of products purchased reaches or exceeds the minimum value preset by the seller (commonly referred to as "buy one get one free"). "Product matching, ordering is not tiring." It is the essence of human being to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages. When you see discounts, you feel that you have earned it. It is easy to "choose your hands" at this point. Here is just a brief introduction to Order discounts, sellers can also try other discount methods. The ultimate goal of promotion is to provide conversion rate, but also to clear inventory.

5. Open global distribution
eBay’s Global Shipping Program (GSP) is intended to meet the seller’s vision of "going out to sea". The seller only needs to send the package to eBay's warehouse, eBay will take over the local delivery task, and the logistics problem during the period of time when the package "crosses the ocean" to the warehouse will not be counted as the seller. The logistics cost that the seller needs to pay is comparable to the local logistics cost of the seller's actual location.
So how does GSP optimize SEO and conversion rate? First of all, the scope of the audience is wide, the competition between products is relatively limited, and the number of orders is expected to increase; in addition, consumers do not need to worry about the cost telling this, and the subsequent delivery is eBay, which has platform guarantees, but no more After worrying about the future, consumers are naturally full of security; the current global resource distribution is uneven, and supply and demand are difficult to match. Sellers can make a regional adaptation for their own sources of goods to increase the chance of issuing orders.

6. Best offer
Best offer will give consumers the opportunity to bargain with the seller. The seller can accept or reject or make a new offer. Sellers must accept the offer on the premise that there is a profit margin, eBay can automatically respond to accept or reject the offer within the interval set by the seller.
High-margin products are most suitable for Best offer. It may be only a few dollars cheaper. Consumers who salivate the product will feel that they can earn money when the price is reduced, and they can place an order without thinking.
Best Offer can attract consumers to "stop and appreciate" in the listing and make an offer, but the contribution of Best Offer to the conversion rate will not be obvious in a short time; the general platform will require consumers to pay the full amount of the order at once, but consumers In the beginning, only a small step can be taken. Best Offer also takes into account the shy consumers and will try their best to meet their requirements; sellers can try this feature when they clean up the products in the season or when they launch new ones, but It is important to remember that the listing for participating in Best Offer cannot have variations, and the seller cannot modify the listing within 12 hours after accepting the offer.

7. Top Rated Plus excellent rating
There are two types of seller ratings, Top Rated and Top Rated Plus, on eBay. Listing will display the seller's rating, including the search page will also identify the products of the seller who received the rating. The main criteria for awarding ratings are as follows:
The proportion of transaction closures is less than 0.5%;
·The rate of unresolved disputes is less than 0.3%;
·Delayed delivery rate is less than 3%;
·The timely update rate of logistics reaches at least 95%;
·Process orders on the same day or one working day in time;
· Provide at least 30 days free return service;
·Comply with eBay platform rules;

8. Return Policy
The return policy is a pain point of eBay, and it has been complained about as inferior to Amazon. Sellers cannot change the "stereotype" of the platform. They can only start with themselves, and they must show their sincerity and determination to accept unconditional returns. The survey results show that 80% of consumers will confirm the return and exchange policy before shopping. This is also the reason why eBay requires the top return clause of listing. At the same time, sellers who want to receive a Top Rated Plus rating must accept unconditional exchange.
In the United States, the acceptance of return terms is fixed in the form of law. Even for apparel products that often encounter returns, few sellers expressly do not accept returns. Sellers who do not provide returns are out of the ordinary. The return service is linked to the weight of the listing. No matter what the situation is, sellers must keep smiling.

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