We heard your feedback, so we’ve made some changes to selling on eBay
You said, we did...
As we pass halfway through the year, I’d like to take this moment once again to thank you for choosing to run your online business on eBay. We’ve heard the significant impact that ongoing difficulties like the cost of living crisis and the lasting impacts of COVID-19 have had on businesses like yours. But rest assured your goals are still paramount to us and we want to ensure that your concerns are heard and we are supporting you in the areas you need it most.
Based on the feedback we received, we’ve identified the following as key areas you’d like us to focus on:
- How to sell more on eBay.
- Getting more support and education around how to be a more successful business on eBay.
- Ensuring the right protections and security are in place to give you more confidence in selling.
- Having greater flexibility in payouts to help with cash flow.
To kick things off, we launched our eBay Business Roadshow in April, alongside our Support and Grants scheme, as well as the highly anticipated eBay Business Awards. Read on to find out more about these initiatives, plus what else we’ve been working on.
As always, thank you for selling on eBay.
Murray Lambell - General Manager of eBay UK
The four key areas you said you wanted support:
Protection + Security
Giving you greater confidence in selling on eBay
You said…
when you deliver on your service promise, you want enhanced protections on your account from eBay
So we...
made more listings eligible for our enhanced seller protections for Top Rated and Above Standard sellers
Faulty returns
- Get access to our Partial Refund tool, which gives Top Rated and Above Standard sellers control over how much they can refund buyers if an item is returned in a damaged condition. You can take off up to 50% of the value upon inspection of the returned item.
- We’ll also remove defects and negative or neutral feedback associated with that return.
False not as described return claims
- Get up to £3.50 credit on your next invoice towards the return shipping label cost, if your report has been accepted through the Report a Buyer tool.
- If your report is accepted, we’ll automatically remove negative or neutral feedback, defects, and open cases from your service metrics.
You said…
you want enhanced security on your eBay business account
So we…
enhanced the protection of your personal and financial information
We've introduced multi-factor authentication as an added security measure to protect your sensitive data. As a result, you may be subject to additional verification, including being asked to re-enter your login credentials or a one-time code sent to you via SMS, when you undertake certain activities on eBay.
This security enhancement also helps us comply with legislation in the United Kingdom and European Union.
Support + Education
Helping you get the support and education you need to be more successful on eBay
You said…
you want more opportunities to interact with eBay in your local community
So we…
launched the eBay Business Roadshow
On top of our eBay Academy launch, the eBay Business Roadshow is an investment programme designed to help sellers across the UK start, scale and network with other businesses.
Our team is visiting 12 locations in the UK over the next 12 months, and we’re already nearly half way through! From start-up plans to scaling operations, we'll be on hand to advise on all things online retail and eCommerce related, as well as lending our expertise to support future growth.
Check out our list of cities and sign up to an upcoming event below, or look out for your free invite soon.
You said…
you want additional, personalised and direct support to scale your business due to the current economic crisis
So we…
launched the grants and support package programme alongside our eBay Business Roadshow
We understand the impact that rising inflation costs and lasting impacts of COVID-19 has had on all businesses. As a result of this, eBay has invested over £1 million to ensure skills and funding can continue to be provided to help businesses thrive.
All attendees of our eBay Business Roadshow will get the chance to apply for a business grant worth up to £5000 or a support package worth up to £1000.
To be eligible, you must have attended one of our Business Roadshow events. To find your nearest event and register, click here.
Boosting Sales
Helping you attract more customers to your eBay business
You said…
you want support in driving more customers to your business and grow your brand recognition
So we…
are continuing to upgrade Shops into a world-class digital tool, giving you more ways to reach out to buyers and drive traffic
Here’s what’s new:
- Better highlights for your inventory with automated featured items and updated category navigation.
- Build and showcase your brand effectively with a logo or billboard, which can be easily created with our new image editing tool. You can now also include a brand video.
- Get more visibility across eBay, with increased Shop presence on listings pages, in eBay search and with recommended Shops on the eBay homepage. Your logo and details can also be featured on subscribers’ seller profile pages.
- Reach targeted buyer groups beyond your newsletter subscribers through the new Shops newsletter template - e.g buyers who’ve bought from you in the last 30 or 60 days.
- Share your listings on Shop via social media to get your brand in front of potential new customers.
To get the most out of these new features, complete your Shop set-up. If you don’t have an eBay Shop, see which Shop subscription plan is right for you.
You said…
you want greater visibility and more impressions for your listings through effective promotional tools
So we…
are expanding the placements of Promoted Listings AdvancedBETA ads on eBay
Currently, Promoted Listings AdvancedBETA ads are only eligible to appear in the top slot of search results, but soon this will expand to the top 4 slots.
Promoted Listings Standard ads can still appear in these first 4 slots, and will continue to appear in over one hundred placements across the eBay network. Organic listings will continue to be eligible to also appear in these top slots as well.
Give your ads the best chance of reaching these top slots by optimising your campaigns and ensuring the overall quality of your listings. Check out some helpful tips and best practices on how to create a great listing.
If you already have a campaign live, there’s nothing additional that you need to do. If you haven't tried Promoted Listings Advanced yet, you can launch your first campaign here.
You said…
you want more prominence and recognition of the small businesses that are on eBay
So we…
have found more ways to celebrate the small business on eBay across our external channels
We’re doing this in a number of ways:
We’re boosting the recognition of the 300,000 small businesses on eBay via our current TV ad: ‘There’s a small business for that’.
We’ve launched our sixth annual eBay Business Awards. The awards will see six lucky winners receive £10,000 to boost their business, along with a fantastic bundle of business growth and marketing support. Enter before 19 July by clicking here.
Cashflow Support
Giving you greater flexibility in receiving payments to help with cash flow
You said…
you want greater flexibility on receiving payments
So we…
added an option for receiving payments on demand
Whether you choose to receive payouts weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, you’ll be able to request a payout on demand at any time, so you don't have to wait for your next scheduled payout to get paid. If desired, you can also choose to only receive payouts on demand or daily. Your bank will make funds available to you per normal processing times.
Remember, choosing a longer payout schedule may mean easier reconciliation, and may also provide more time for funds to accrue so you can use them towards selling costs such as refunds. Review your schedule now.
