Get the Eyes Looking at Your eBay Listings Again

Are you getting views on your eBay listings? Do you know how to check to see just how many views you are getting? There are some cool features on the eBay platform where you can keep track of which listings 

may need maintenance. You can find this by clicking the Performance tab then traffic.


Sometimes your listings can become stale and lack views. There are 3 reasons why this can happen. I will share with you which may be why your listings aren't getting views.

Update your listing's title. Update your listing's title by changing your title to other keywords that could bring more traffic to your item. To find other keywords that are trending or even more popular you can go to google keyword planner. All you have to do is type in one of the words that you are currently using in your title to search other words that are more popular. You will also see other words that are similar to the ones that are currently in your title that you can use as well. This will get your listings more traffic.

Increase or decrease your price. Another reason why your listing may not be getting views could be because of the increase or decrease in price. What you can do is go to eBay and do a search for the item that you have listed. Also, click on the sold listings tab on the lower left-hand side of your screen. This will bring up a list of sold listings and the price your item is actually selling for. You will want to be in that price range if you would like your item to sell. Also, check out the date in which they are selling. If your item is selling on recent dates then make sure you are listing your price within that price range. If you don’t see your item on this page just look for something similar.


Promote your listing. There are lots of ways to promote your listing to gain more traffic. If you are a member of Facebook groups you should be able to promote your items there. Although most on Facebook groups don’t allow promotions there are a few that I will. Another place for listing promotions is Pinterest. Be sure to make a board just for your eBay listings. On Pinterest, people are Viewing and liking your post daily. If you don’t have an Instagram account Instagram is a great place to promote your items. Create an account just for posting your eBay items. Creating a separate account will prevent you from interfering with your personal Instagram post. The one thing to keep in mind about Instagram is that you will have one link in your bio which should link back to your eBay store and not each individual item.

I hope this helped you. Now go get some traffic to your listing.
Be sure to listen to my Youtube channel "MangosCloset" for more tips and tricks vlogs.

Retail Arbitrage Sourcing and Expiration Dates

Retail Arbitrage can have great outcomes when finding the right products and prices whether you sell on eBay, Amazon, Bonanza, OfferUp or Craigslist. I want to share with you one tip you need to know that can be costly when sourcing and buying products on clearance and other sales. 

We all love to see upcoming sales ads rather it's on television, in the local circular or online. We look at the unbelievable pricing and we plan our date and time to go out to the stores and catch the various savings. 

When we get to these stores we tend to have a sense of urgency because when want to make sure we get the items we had been contemplating getting. Therefore we grab the items quickly when we see them this gives us a feeling of satisfaction and more money in our wallet.

Now that you have a cart full of items did you check the expiration and or sell by dates?  Hmmmmmm! keep in mind the stores don't always keep a close eye on the merchandise and it's expiration dates. There are lot of items that look great on the shelf but may not be fresh or still usable.

When gathering items that are on sale be sure to look at the bottom and top of the boxes to locate the expiration date. I have found lots of items on the shelf that have expired the prior year or the current month. Be sure to grab items from the back of the shelf sometimes store clerks with put the expired items in the front for those who don't look at expiration dates to get them sold fast. They are hoping you will be the type to purchase it, take it home, notice the expiration date and throw it out. (that's money down the drain).

Remember, a lot of times stores will have sales to move items very quickly due to these items are about to expire. If you keep that in mind you will get in the habit of checking your items regularly.

How many of you have come home with expired items from the stores? 

What did you do? Did you throw them out or take them back to the store? 

(please share your thoughts in the comments)

Thank you

Choosing the best packaging tape for your eBay/Amazon Shipments

If you ship out lots of packages on a daily basis like I do then you know you want the most quality materials to use for the process. Besides ink, paper or shipping labels you want to make sure you are using a good quality packaging tape. I will give you three good quality packaging tape brands (in no particular order) to use when shipping so that your packages arrive safely every time.

            Scotch

The first brand I want to share is all too familiar,  I'm sure you have seen this popular brand in a variety of stores especially during the holiday seasons. Scotch tape is definitely an oldy but goody.

When packing and shipping boxes, I like to use the heavy duty tape. It fits perfectly in my tape dispenser and can be bought in bulk. You can get it for a reasonable price on Amazon. This brand of Scotch tape is tough, durable and adheres very well. You will never have to worry about it detaching from your labels or boxes.

            Duck Brand

Another brand I like to use is the Duck Brand HD Clear High-Performance packaging tape. I can usually find this brand everywhere and it's regularly on sale. The Duck brand tape is thick, meets the postal regulations and it is crystal clear resulting in a great look for your packages. Although this tape is crystal clear remember to never place it over any barcode on your labels. This quality packaging tape will not disappoint you and your packages will arrive safe and sound each time. 

             Uline

Last but definitely not least is the Uline brand, now this is a very good brand as well. I suggest if you are shopping online to consider trying this brand out. It may be a little more in price but its well worth it and you will have no complaints. Uline has their own website where they sell all types of packing and shipping supplies along with lots of other great items. You can take a look here. I usually purchase the 2" x 110 yds. Uline S-423 type. When using this size, I don't have to use as much tape due to its quality and width. This tape has a strong acrylic adhesive and adheres very well. It withstands heat and cold from 0-140 degrees Fahrenheit. This tape makes your packages look great due to its crystal clear appearance.

There you have it, be sure to use strong, quality, effective tape when shipping your packages. Packages go through lots of bumps and bruises during their travel and you want to keep them secure.

I have seen lots of packages damaged and opened due to faulty or cheap tape choices. I have learned over the years that cheap tape from places like Dollar stores and other off-brands are not the answer. Be wise and spend a little more and save yourself money in the long run. 

Thanks for reading my blog, I hope it helps you in making good decisions. If you sell online and would like more tips and tricks please visit my YouTube channel.

-Happy Selling!

 

5 quick tips when shopping at thrift stores

Are you getting overwhelmed when shopping at thrift stores? We all know that there's tons of stuff inside of thrift stores and it can be both confusing and overwhelming. I want to share with you 5 tips I use when shopping at thrift stores that will help you with getting the things you need and the route you need to take for a quick and efficient trip.

1. Know where you're going - When you first walk through the doors of any thrift store you will see tons of stuff from jewelry to leather biker boots. The first step is to know what you are shopping for if you came in for shoes then go immediately to the shoe section. Once you find the shoe section find a good starting point. Start there, take your time and browse all the aisles until you get to the end of the section. 
2. Pick and Load - My pick and load concept is key and it works like a charm. If  you see anything that appeals to you while you are shopping simply put it in your cart. This will allow you to have it in your possession to decide if you want to purchase it or not.
3. Do a double take- Start the process all over by finding your starting point once again and browsing all aisles. I am a stickler to this method because you may have missed something the first time or someone could have placed an unwanted item back on the shelf. Believe me, this happens a lot.
4. Find a safe quiet aisle - Once you have completed the first 3 tips find a place to examine the items you have placed in your cart. I like to find a traffic-free quiet aisle usually in the sheet and blanket section. After you find the perfect spot, inspect for any holes, tears, stains or defects. Also, this is where you decide if the items are worth purchasing.
5. Be discount prepared - Make sure you have your discount card or phone app open (if you use an app like FLOK) at your fingertips before entering the line for a smooth check-out process. 

Using these tips can help you with your trips to the thrift store. Make sure you are visiting the thrift store frequently to become more familiar their processes, discount days and how items are stocked.

**Bonus tip It's always a good idea to take a look around the entire store because you never know where someone may have placed an item.
ie. I found a nice pair of Kate Spade sandals in with glassware, they may have been hidden or stuck in the wrong place by another customer. So remember to go above and beyond when searching.
Happy shopping!!

MangosCloset Checks out Chaco Men's Fashion Sneakers

Diverisify Your Online Selling Venues

Just like your 401k or IRA you want to diversify your online selling venues as well.
There are lots of ways to diversify your online selling venues in this blog I am going to talk about the one method that I use which is using different portals.

Using different portals for your online selling not only gives you more leverage but it also give your experience and expertise in working with different online tools, access to a wider audience and most of all more sales. I am a big fan of this because I came to realize that not all people like ebay and not all people look on amazon for what ever reasons.
Also, there are other venues that are out there like Yardsellr that are really easy to use allowing you to import all your items you have listed on ebay or esty with just one click of a button. This way your are not having to sign up and use up so much time trying to figure out how to list your items all over again. *Note make sure your are keeping track of what sells on each site so that you are not out of stock on item.

Another advantage of using different portals is the fees. You can offset some of your cost on fee based sites like ebay, amazon & esty by listing items on no fee websites like Yardsellr.com, Craigslist, Marketplace.com, backpage, just to name a few. Although these site don't have as much traffic as the big boys they are bound to give you some action, keep in mind too you can share your photos of items on all of your social media website.

So be open to diversifying your online selling venues to broaden your selling experience, and get more of those sales coming your way. I hope this helps you. If you have comments or questions please leave them below.

Happy Holidays!

An online selling tip

When selling online it is a good rule of thumb to start out with some low cost items. This will give you a chance to get familiar with the process and gain trust from customers. When I first starting on ebay I sold really small items that I could easily mail in a First Class mailing envelope. I was able to sell items at an affordable price, ship them quickly and receive great feedback from customers. Although you are eager to jump into the online selling business right away and make large profits, It's a good idea to start small just to get the hang of things and move up the ladder then.

Some of the small items I sold included:

• Tank tops (new & pre-owned)
• New socks
• Coupons

That's my tip for today, be sure to come back for more Online selling tips.