How to Successfully Set Up an eBay Store

Long before there were the modern, varied online stores that we enjoy today, there was eBay. In fact, this global ecommerce giant has been around since 1995, when the internet was still a sea of obscure hobby sites and message boards, accessible mostly via dial-up connection. Fortunately for us, eBay has stood the test of time. In fact, it gives sellers instance access to 183 million buyers all over the globe searching for unique treasures. In this article, we will be talking about the latter point—i.e. what exactly goes into being successful with an eBay store. After all, while one of the world’s most vibrant marketplaces offers lots of potential, getting started on it can be a tad intimidating. Allow us to help! Get ready, get set, sell: how to set up an eBay store 1. Register as an eBay seller Before you get started with the set-up of your eBay store, you will need to register as a seller. In order to do this, you will need to provide your contact information, your credit card information, as well as access to your PayPal account. 2. Choose a subscription level eBay refers to running an eBay store as a “subscription.” To best suit the needs of a variety of eBay sellers, eBay offers three different subscription levels: basic ($24.95 CAD per month), premium ($74.95 per month), and anchor ($349.95 per month). Your subscription level will not only determine how many free listings you are allowed per month, but will also determine whether or not you will have access to dedicated customer support and certain visitor analytics, such as how often visitors return. eBay has a helpful guide to help you decide which subscription level is right for your business. 3. Choose a name for your store Before you complete your eBay Store Subscription purchase, you will want to give your store a unique name. It is important that you put some thought into this—your store name will be used to create a unique URL for your business. If this step has you stumped, check out our guide on how to name your business. 4. Personalize your store Even though your store is being hosted on eBay, it’s still important to give it your unique touch! Once you have chosen your subscription level and chosen a name for your store, you will need to personalize your store’s page. Don’t worry! This is the fun part. A great way to start on the personalization process is to choose your page’s design and outfit your page with a business logo. It’s important to take your time while you come up with your company’s logo as it is an important part of your business branding. 5. Fill your store with inventory Once you have your store up and running, it’s time to add inventory! To provide your customers with a seamless experience, you can organize all of your inventory by category and can even choose to promote select inventory of your choice. 6. Welcome your customers Once you have your eBay store up and running, it’s time to wave a virtual hello to your first customers! However, the old adage of “if you build it, they will come” isn’t always true. Before you see real business traffic, you may need to invest some time, energy, and money into marketing. It can be hard to know where to begin with this—it can help to read quick overview of some advertising techniques as a starting point. Why set up an eBay store? Now that we've examined the steps associated with setting up your eBay online store, it’s worth looking into what all the fuss is about, anyway. Fortunately, the effort that it entails to get started is well worth it, as having an eBay Store comes with many perks. For starters, having an eBay store allows you to take advantage of one of the internet’s most popular online shopping destinations without having to do all of the heavy lifting yourself. Compared with an independent website, eBay offers you access to various tools and tricks to help you boost traffic and makes it easy for online shoppers to find your shop. Working with eBay also allows you to offer perks that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive for many small businesses, such as dedicated customer service support and communication with your customers when you step away from your shop for vacation or personal reasons. New business sellers on eBay Canada can also set up a one-on-one consultation call with an eBay representation. Send an email to growyourbusiness@ebay.ca to set up a time to ask questions, get tips, and review best practices to make sure your online store is starting off on the right foot. You’ll even receive a $35 coupon for eBay branded shipping supplies after your call. eBay and Ownr: better together If you're planning to start an eBay shop, it pays to register your business with Ownr! Ownr and eBay have teamed up to offer both new and existing Canadian eBay sellers who register their business with Ownr a free store subscription for 90 days and no insertion fees on up to 350 listings. Check out the full details of this offer to learn more. eBay is a tried and true way to operate an ecommerce business, so why not get started today? If registering your business is what has been holding you back, Ownr has you covered. We help Canadian small business owners achieve their dreams every day.