Your buyers are out there!
What to do eBay buyers want? That’s the million dollar question. Sellers who tap into buyer’s wants earn both sales and customer loyalty…which leads to more sales. Sounds good, right? Let’s dive into the seven vital qualities that eBay buyers crave.
1. Order Speed
Once your customer clicks “buy”, they want their purchased item in their hands as soon as possible. You buy something in a brick and mortar store, you walk home with the item. You buy the same thing online, you wait a few days or weeks for the item to arrive. Waiting sucks. Most people aren’t very good at it and value fast shipping.
Both domestic USPS First Class and USPS Priority Mail arrive in only three business days. If you ship your items the same day or next business day, then your buyer will receive their item in a zippy four days. Not too shabby. Every extra day you wait before shipping increases your lead time (time between the order payment and item delivery).
When you ship internationally, throw all of your ideas of speed out the window. Even if you ship via a “faster” method like Priority International, the package can become stalled in customs.
2. Order Precision
Quantity Accuracy
Achieving quantity accuracy means the buyer get the correct number of items. For example, if a buyer orders 100 black 2×4 LEGO bricks, the buyer wants to receive 100 black 2×4 bricks. Not 96. Not 99. Err on the side of including a few extra bricks rather.
Appearance Accuracy
Earning appearance accuracy means the buyer gets the correct model. For example, if a buyer orders 100 black 2×4 LEGO bricks, they buyer wants to receive 2×4 bricks. Not 2×2 bricks. Not 4×4 bricks. Appearance inaccuracy occurs from seller error, typically from confusing items very similar in color, shape or design.
Order Completeness
If both quantity accuracy and appearance accuracy are fulfilled for each item in the order, then the order is complete. Hooray!
3. Item Condition
If you order new, you want new. Some LEGO pieces can get scuffed up even if they were never assembled. LEGO glass pieces can get easily scratched. Mention any defects in your eBay listing. Used LEGO pieces can show some wear. Used lots should mention MAJOR defects including: bite marks, broken elements, fading, etc. (For more info on types damage to LEGO pieces, see What’s the damage?: How to Identify and Prevent LEGO Piece Deterioration).
4. Seller Communication
Sometimes buyers will reach out to you and the faster you can answer their question, the better. They have a shipping question. They want a discount. They need more details about an item. Try to answer questions within 24-48 hours. The faster you can answer the better. Keep messages short and sweet. You don’t want to get stuck writing the buyer an essay and the buyer doesn’t want to get stuck reading one either.
5. Item Price
Lower prices is one way to draw in buyers. Some large sellers price items at an average rate or above average. How can they do this? Usually these sellers are good at many of the other qualities on this list to make up for the price.
6. Selection
How many different items do you have in your store? Buyers would rather buyer ten different items from one store rather than one different item from ten stores. The more places a buyer needs to shop, the larger the hassle. Plus, shipping charges can add up fast. Providing a wide selection of items can win over many items.
7. Overall Value
Speed, precision, condition, communication, price and selection are all ingredients in recipe for overall value. Which ingredients will you prioritize? As a seller on eBay, Bricklink, Brick Owl or anywhere else you do business, you need to decide which ingredients get priority.