eBay is not only one of the biggest online marketplaces, it is also one of the most heavily trafficked websites worldwide. So making sure you have a clear launch strategy for a new product, can be the difference between huge sales success and mediocre results.
Tapping into the promotion and deals tools on eBay is a great tactic. Not only will this help to maximise sales, but it can also develop your brand awareness and create a buzz around your products. While it is no secret that buyers like a good deal, eBay.com data shows that 75% of shoppers actively seek out some form of deal or promotion, and 42% of customers want free or discounted shipping. eBay also found that sales can increase by 11% through the use of such promotions.
So, with all of this in mind, we take a look at how you can develop the perfect promotional strategy for your brand.
Loss leaders are winning:
Promotions drive traffic, which means you are not only promoting a single product, but your entire store. Attracting customers with an aggressive pricing strategy that includes substantial discounts on selected products is a good way to get noticed. This is a well-known tool in marketing called “loss leading”. Loss leaders are products that are sold at a very low price in order to stimulate sales of more profitable items in your inventory.
Cassini loves eBay promotions:
Promotions and excellent customer service, help sellers rank higher on eBay’s search engine ‘Cassini’. Cassini rolled out in 2013, superseding Voyager, eBay’s previous search engine. A major difference between Voyager and Cassini is that Cassini highly values sellers who can offer relevant, accurate content and good value (in relation to price and shipping costs) for buyers.
Make space for novelty:
Promotions can help you get rid of your old listings and clear your inventory. Turnover is an important ingredient of a successful marketing strategy, so getting rid of items that have been occupying valuable space is always a winning solution. Keep a close eye on your inventory, considering the date last sold, inventory level and number sold, to help you assess which products need to go.
Pricing strategy made easy:
Pricing is not as easy as it might seem since a price is often subject to a vast number of variables that are continuously changing. A markdown, a multi-buy offer or a free delivery promotion can help you find the perfect price for a product.
Many sellers have multi-buy promotions on their own websites: “buy 1, get 1 free” or “buy 3 for the price of 2” perform very well on brands website, so sellers are always on the lookout for a way to replicate this success on their marketplace channels. Use the eBay Promotions Manager tool here.
eBay offers a broad range of options when it comes to promotions. Before jumping into all of them, be sure to identify the needs of your shop and your strategy:
Identify your needs and then use promotions accordingly – and never underestimate the power of planning!
Special occasion sales:
The whole year is full of key retail moments, meaning sellers need to be ready to provide their customers with the best value all year round. Black Friday, Back-to-School, Halloween, the holiday season… There are so many possibilities to showcase your products and captivate buyers with your brand.
When running a promotion for special events, remember to launch promotions a month in advance. It gives you at least three weeks of sales and one week to ship the items. Check that you have enough stock and your prices are competitive. For special occasions, many marketplaces organise co-promoted sales. Make sure that you’re kept updated and can properly evaluate these opportunities.
One last note on special occasions: be locally relevant – do not advertise the holiday season with Christmas sweaters in Australia…
Large promotions:
Using a group of promotions can help you to run special sales at a time that best suits you. Clearance sales are a perfect example of a large promotion. They usually consist of a substantial price reduction and can be launched to sell more items, in order to get rid of old listings or to manage large stock with greater ease.
Everyday reductions:
applying for some promotions on a regular basis, across different items can help boost your shop’s traffic. Promotions should not simply be reserved for special occasions. Everyday reductions can help you feed Cassini’s appetite for promos and help to showcase your full range of products. Depending on the purpose of the reduction, choose to promote your entire stock or just a part of it. Remember to change the promoted items often, so as not to drain the opportunities that a product or a range of goods can offer.
On eBay, promotions are free and can be setup using the online Promotions Manager tool. Let’s meet the most common and efficient eBay deals and promotions:
Markdown Manager:
Recently, eBay integrated the ‘Markdown’ tools into the Promotions Manager, making it easier for vendors to set up promotions. Sellers will start to see a new sale event + markdown promotion type that they can use to start setting up their markdowns directly into Promotions Manager.
Order size discount:
This promotion can be used to stimulate your customers to buy more and is the perfect promotion if you want to manage a large stock, increase order size or grow your revenues. It is also a useful tool to lower shipping costs. Good examples of size discount are:
Sales events:
You can create your own key selling moments like “new arrivals” with a sales event promotion. If you have reduced the price of a single product, you can improve the visibility of all of them (improving sales opportunities) by promoting sets of discounted inventories as part of a sale event. Some examples:
Shipping discounts:
Buyers love low shipping fees and free shipping is a great way to get noticed. The closer a holiday or event gets; the faster buyers want their item delivered. Offering expedited shipping promotions helps convince them to buy from you. For example, use promotions in early December or the weeks just before Mother’s Day to stand out from competitors and encourage sales. Good examples of shipping discounts are:
Codeless coupons:
Codeless coupons are designed to trigger sales using social media, giving them the potential to go viral. They are accessible via a unique URL, which can be promoted through multiple social campaigns – so make sure you create some
codeless coupons are designed to trigger sales using social media, giving them the potential to go viral. They are accessible via a unique URL, which can be promoted through multiple social campaigns – so make sure you create some attention-grabbing creative to drive click-throughs.
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