5 Reasons Why Your Online Store Should Have a Blog

Running an online store is a job in itself so I completely understand why a seller would be hesitant in adding a blog on top of all of that. However, having your own store blog is the best advertising that you can get.

Here are my reasons why you should have a Blog?

·         24-Hour Promotion: It’s up when you’re not. People buy online 24 hours. Your blog generates site traffic and leads. Although I am an eBay seller, I have my own sales blog.

·         It’s your online real estate which you control – you don’t control social media

·         Free advertising – A blog is a form of advertisement. You have to pay for Facebook Ads.

·         Customer Education, Engagement and Experience All in One: I post all of my tips, customer responses and livestreams on my blog. It is the one-stop shop. On mine, I have eBay Adventures chronicling my sales experience; my weekly eBay inventory livestreams, photos and eBay sales tips.

·         You can run special exclusively for your blog readers – membership has privileges.

These are my 5 reasons why your online store should have a blog. Blogging increases site traffic. Increased traffic = increased conversions.

As always shop my eBay store for the best in tall women luxury consignment www.ebay.com/usr/carljenkin_6

Watch my latest eBay livestream to view all of my store’s merchandise!

3 Ways to Prepare Your Store for a Holiday Sale

Sellers have a love/hate relationship with the phrase holiday sale. They love the extra shoppers and money but hate planning for and converting that deluge into sales. Well, fear no because  here are my three ways to prepare your online store for a holiday sale.

Have a sales target

                Remember this is a business. You can’t manage what you can’t measure. You have to know what you expect to make. Having a sales target accomplishes this.

Create a holiday-specific marketing campaign

                Don’t be lazy by creating generic holiday marketing campaign! You cannot recycle holidays even when they are in the same season. Even though Memorial Day and Labor Day are both in the summertime, they are at different points in the season. What works for Memorial Day (the start of summer) does not work for Labor Day (the end of summer); and, vice versa.

Discount all out-of-season clothes and start introducing some of the in-season clothing

                I have added introducing the next season’s clothing because it is often overlook; but, it is important. Holidays mean heavier traffic than normal with a lot of random non-customers. Well, this holiday sales weekend is your opportunity to convert them. Having select clothing for the upcoming season, gives your customers a sneak peek into what’s next for your store. Customers love behind the scenes. Showing the upcoming season also plays upon the whole fear of missing out (FOMO) emotion. If you don’t buy it now while it is not in-season, this item may not be around post-holiday sale when it is in season.

As an online seller is important to have a sales target, specific target marketing campaign and a seamless seasonal inventory strategy to adequately prepare your store for this upcoming holiday season.

As always shop my eBay store for the best in tall women luxury consignment www.ebay.com/usr/carljenkin_6

Watch my latest eBay livestream to view all of my store’s merchandise!

eBay Adventure – Breaking the Ice

                Immediately after relisting my items, I received a sale. It was at night and completely unexpected. I was grateful even though it was $25 because someone decided to part with her money. You had to be grateful for that especially after a 3-week layoff. I hoped that this first sale created some momentum for my store because I surely needed it (and the items were piling up. Remember, decluttering was my original reason for opening the eBay store.). I still considered uploading some of my clothes to do another go round.

                Visit my store at: http://www.ebay.com/usr/carljenkin_6

eBay Adventure - Expanding Shipping Options

                I have relisted the global shipping item that the customer wanted. She returned and placed a bid which I accepted. Even before she pays me (she has two days), I tweeted eBay’s customer service account to learn more about its global shipping program. What I have learned is that I do the same thing as before: ship it priority but only this time, I ship to the center not the customer. This means that I am relinquishing control of shipping. I am photographing my merchandise in the box as an insurance policy because my customer will not blame me for the middleman especially since she has selected the global shipping program option. However, I am very happy to make my first sale this week.

Visit my store here: http://www.ebay.com/usr/carljenkin_6

eBay Adventure – Learning from Earning

                These past two months have been an extreme learning curve for me. I have gone from zero to pro (at least in my own mind). I have handled a disgruntled customer, two fraud complaints and fielded many customer inquiries. Also I have learned the importance of photography and timely shipping. My same-day shipping philosophy is the reason why PayPal releases my money 2 days after the buyer receives his merchandise versus 30 days like in June. I have learned a whole lot from my two months on eBay. Until June, I did not think that I could sell over $2000 in merchandise by myself. I have always had a job so being able to move 2 Gs’ worth of merchandise is very big for me. Now I know how to properly operate an online store, fulfillment, customer service, marketing and eliminating fraud. As always, you can visit my store:

http://www.ebay.com/usr/carljenkin_6

eBay – Learning from Constructive Criticism

                This one is two days late because I have become an Amazon bestseller. I am an Amazon bestseller in two categories! I have learned this on Friday. There will be another column just on this. Anyway, here is the latest eBay installment.

                I awoke Friday morning to a new order. I truly needed that because I had not made a sale since the Fourth of July. Also I accepted pending offer shipping out three orders. I made some income on Friday. Also I received a message from an international buyer criticizing that I shipped my merchandise in a too big box and that there should had been some paper in it. There was a lot of shifting around from the United States to Europe. Okay, initially I felt bad but hey, this was my first international shipping. When you knew better, you did better. I would incorporate this feedback into other international shipping.

                I did not make my $1000/week financial goal but this week would be different. My Nine West shoes were selling so now I will resell them along with my regular shoes. In addition, I will add new Stuart Weitzman pumps to my store. Currently, there are only 4 items selling. By the end of Sunday, I will have around 15 items on sale. Now, it I could only had gotten my clothes to sell better.

                This eBay was a closet decluttering process. I had to let go of some many shoes that I was attached but I had to because I had not worn them in over two years. I will price them appropriately and let them go. Furthermore, I have been looking at the Let go app. I reviewed Poshmark but there were too many con artists and snooty customers giving bad reviews.

Visit my eBay store here: http://www.ebay.com/usr/carljenkin_6

Stuart Weitzman Order Ready to Ship

My eBay Adventure

                I have been on eBay since June 13^th (officially selling on June 15^th). I am a true newbie at this. I have managed to sell over $1000 worth of merchandise. I have learned a whole lot from this eBay experience and operating an online store. Here are my lessons learned:

·         Upload at least 4 photos when it comes to shoes – I have received 2 emails from customers who ask me for more photos regarding products (1 of them has sold).

·         Give the customers what they want – I have uploaded a lot of my dresses and clothes but have sold only 1 dress. All of my sales have come from my Stuart Weitzman shoes so I keep putting them out for sale.

·         Customer service is big! – I love emailing my customers and writing thank you cards because they communicate and share energy and ideas. People truly love that personal touch; in addition, I am happy that people want my stuff. I want to send good juju their way.

·         Social media is huge! – I shoot a video for Instagram. I have also posted my shoes and eBay experience updates. Furthermore, I have created a Pinterest board. I will keep promoting via Instagram because I receive the most activity.

·         Transferable skills – operating this eBay store will help me promote my Carlarjenkins.com and Expandyourpersonalbrand.com online shops. I know how to market, which items to stock and how to provide customer satisfaction.

Here is my video discussing how (at the time) I sold over $700. 

I will earn another $1000 next week through learning these lessons. Moreover, I will keep decluttering my space and learning more about operating my online store.

Visit my eBay store here: http://www.ebay.com/usr/carljenkin_6