STOPPING UNPAID ITEMS & COMPLETING MORE SALES

Best Practices to Avoid Non-Paying Bidders on eBay and Complete More Sales

They’re out there. They’re the bane of every seller’s existence. They’re the dreaded non-paying bidder. Anytime a bidder wins an item and then refuses to pay it costs sellers time and money in dealing with the non-paying bidder, not to mention the frustration that they cause. I have felt the pain caused by non-paying bidders and have put together a list of ways to help sellers avoid and deal with non-paying bidders on their auctions. I have sold all sorts of things on eBay, from electronics to concert tickets to clothing and then some. So, rest assured that these strategies will work across multiple categories.

Steps you can take to prevent non-paying bidders:

1. I use ReliaBid (www.reliabid.com)— it’s a seal program that is effective at deterring non-paying bidders. As an added protection they offer members access to debt collection services. Since becoming a member my non-paying bidder rates have plummeted. It is really one of the best services out there for sellers today.
2. Be very descriptive in your listings—make sure that you are specific in detailing exactly what the item is for the bidder.
3. Explain all policies clearly in the listing. Include all payment methods you accept. This is especially important if you only accept certain payment methods. Include your shipping rate clearly. Auctions that have high shipping rates, hidden shipping rates, or shipping rates that are buried are more likely to meet payment resistance, than those where the buyer was easily and clearly able to identify the shipping rate. This also means that having a flat rate, rather than a calculated rate, is preferable.
4. When possible, choose to sell via “immediate payment”. When you utilize the Buy-It-Now feature, those making the purchase are required to immediately enter their payment information. Thus, if they decide to back out of the purchase, the item will continue to be listed, effectively canceling the transaction.
5. Send invoice immediately after the auction closes. Be sure to reiterate in the email payment options and include any links to payment websites or mailing addresses. Give a date when payment is due. It’s helpful to once again reiterate in these emails if you’re a ReliaBid member. I’ve seen my winning bidders come through on the payments faster since I began including a side note in my invoices about ReliaBid.
6. Require that those with little or no feedback email you prior to being allowed to bid on your items. Sometimes it’s easier to just catch the newbies before a potential problem occurs.
7. Use multiple methods of contact: email through eBay, email directly, phone, and possibly snail mail (although if you are using ReliaBid, they will take care of the snail mail portion for you).
8. Do not leave feedback until the transaction has been completed or you have completely abandoned hope of payment.

Steps you can take to handle a non-paying bidder / unpaid item:

1. Send a “last notice” invoice informing the winning bidder that as a member of ReliaBid, you have access to one of the leading debt collection companies in the nation and if they do not pay, they may be subject to credit reporting. Putting this notice into a “last chance before collection” message will grab more attention than a basic “please pay me” email. People respond when they think their credit may be at risk.
2. Request the bidder’s information from eBay’s system. Include this information in your last notice email. When people realize that you have their contact information beyond an email address, they will take you more seriously as a seller because you have the ability to find them—they can no longer hide behind a user name.
3. After 7 days, you can report the item as unpaid and initiate a non-paying bidder dispute with eBay— however, you may only recoup your final value fee credit. Don’t count on getting your listing fees back – eBay will credit you back RE-listing fees, but only if the item sells a second time.
4. You may choose to start a professional debt collection, after 10 days, against the non-paying bidder through your ReliaBid membership. With ReliaBid you can receive the full amount for your item, or you will be compensated through a restocking fee for the cost, time and energy you spent holding the item and handling the non-paying bidder. I’ve never had to initiate a collection (the seal has been enough to get rid of my non-paying bidders), but other members I know of have started a collection and were able to receive payment. And really, that is the main goal here.

If you follow these steps you should be able to receive payment on almost all of your transactions, whether you sell electronics, necklaces, sporting goods or clothing. Remember that one or two of these steps is not likely to have a huge impact alone; but like most things in life, a comprehensive approach will yield results. I think that ReliaBid has had the most significant impact for me. I’ve included the references to ReliaBid in payment reminders, etc. to gain a greater value from ReliaBid and leverage their service more.

One other major component to completing more sales (again regardless of category, but I think especially in time sensitive things like concert ticket sales- or anything where the other party is stressed), is providing excellent customer service. My customer service goal is not to just make someone happy, but to put them at ease. If someone is stressed about a transaction, they will not think clearly or rationally about it. Just like in real life if someone comes to you all in a hype or fluster, you will try to calm them before tackling his/her problem. I think it is important to do the same here. Make people understand that you are listening and trying to work with them.

A few examples:

I sell tickets to a music festival. Bob bids on the tickets and becomes the winning bidder. The auction ended less than 7 days before the concert date. I contact Bob shortly after the auction with a payment invoice. I don’t hear back. There is now 6 days left until the concert. I send Bob an email through eBay. Still no reply. At this point I request the user’s information from eBay. I call Bob, but unable to reach him, leave a voicemail. The following day, Bob has not contacted me by noon and it is now only 5 days until the concert. I consider re-listing the tickets, but it has barely been 48 hours since the auction… I send Bob another email. This time I send a cc to ReliaBid, whose seal appeared in the auction, and explain to Bob that he has made a commitment to purchase the tickets, and that as a professional seller, I work with ReliaBid. I explain that ReliaBid will work on my behalf to help complete the transaction and obtain payment for the concert tickets, which Bob has purchased. A critical point: I tell Bob he has purchased the tickets. I do not say he needs to purchase. From the seller’s perspective, a purchase has been made, and credit has been extended. Bob now has an outstanding balance and I am invoicing him for it- just like a doctor would if you didn’t pay at the office. That evening, Bob calls back. He explains that he had not understood the binding nature of the auction and had expected I would just sell them to someone else. I, in a friendly manner, explain that was not the case. I tell him a little about my business and how I got into it to put him at ease. After this, Bob realizes that I am a professional seller, work with ReliaBid (a service that provides professional services to serious sellers) and that he has, indeed, made a commitment he needs to honor. Later that evening I receive payment and the following day I FedEx Bob tickets to the concert.

I list a dutch auction of 2 electronics sets, each of a Sony DVD player and a Panasonic TV as an auction. Multiple people bid on the electronics auction. In the end, I have two winning bidders. One pays right away. The other, Jeff, I send a payment invoice to. In response, I receive an email stating that Jeff thought he was bidding on both sets of DVD / TV. He tells me that he will not pay what he bid for just one set. I review my auction to see if my language was clear. I find that it was very clear. In an effort to be fair, I ask a friend that does not work with me to read the auction and tell me what it is for, they confirm that it was clear that one set meant 1 TV and 1 DVD Player. I contact Jeff by email and explain what I have done and that I disagree that the auction was confusing. I explain (gently) that while there may have been a misunderstanding, the auction was clear and he got a reasonable price and I expect him to honor his bid. Jeff responds that he is not going to do so. At this point, I realize that I need assistance and contact ReliaBid. ReliaBid starts a professional collection and Jeff receives notice in the mail that he must honor his bid or pay a restocking fee. Jeff contacts me and asks how and why he got a letter. I explain that I sell for a living and just like a doctor, I work with a company to process my outstanding invoices. I explain to Jeff that he has made a purchase from me and has an outstanding balance. Jeff complies and sends payment and the debt collection is terminated. I send Jeff the TV and DVD player. After Jeff leaves positive feedback for me, I leave him positive feedback for his payment.

Got a Business Idea? Here’s How to See If It’s Sustainable

Ideas come in many shapes and sizes, but not all “good” ideas are created equal.

Chances are, you’ve come up with a business idea at some point in your life, whether you realise it or not.

Some people come up with a possible idea for a solution to a common problem and dismiss it, never to address the subject seriously again.

Others generate an idea for a business and fixate on it, trying to take action but never getting off the ground.

Ideas come in many shapes and sizes, and while most bad ideas are recognisable as bad ideas immediately, not all “good” ideas are created equal.

A “good” idea, in theory, is one that solves a problem adeptly, with no major drawbacks. But not every good idea can sustain a good business.

Related: Hate Being Stuck Behind a Desk? 7 Business Ideas for You

For example, your idea, while good, might not be cost effective, therefore preventing you from generating a worthwhile profit.

If you have a good idea, but you aren’t sure whether the idea is sustainable as the foundation for a real business, ask yourself these questions:

1Are you solving a common problem?

The first question to ask is an easy one. Think about your idea. Does it solve some kind of problem that an average person would face?

The first key here is that you’re actually solving a problem and not introducing some new function that nobody ever needed. The second key is that the problem you’re solving is widespread.

For example, if you invent a device that allows someone to play accordion and perform automotive repairs at the same time, you probably aren’t going to reach a wide audience.

You can do some market research to back up your idea here, but for now, a common sense thought experiment should let you know whether your idea is solid.

2Are people going to pay for your solution?

Following the same rules as the question above, you can conduct some market research to get a surefire answer, but just think about this question in a practical setting.

Imagine you didn’t come up with this idea, and that instead, someone was coming to you with it. Would you be willing to pay that person for this product or service?

How much would you be willing to pay? These two questions should immediately let you know whether this idea has the potential to make real money.

3Is your idea scalable?

Making money, believe it or not, is only the first step of the process. To thrive as a business, your idea needs to have room to grow – the term for this is scalability.

Can your idea gradually expand to new markets? Can you come up with new, improved models? Can you expand your business into other areas to make more money?

Related: (Video) How To Find New Business Ideas

If your idea isn’t scalable, and it can only exist in its current form, it may not be worth pursuing as a business.

4Has someone else beaten you to it?

This is an important question to ask, and one quick Google search should provide you with a succinct, direct answer.

See if there are any other companies that are already using your idea. If it’s a great idea, there’s a good chance that someone else already thought of it.

If you see at least one competitor with a version of your idea that’s as good as or better than yours, your idea probably isn’t sustainable.

5Could anyone do this?

Imagine for a moment that nobody else has jumped on this idea yet. If you introduce it to the world and start shopping around a prototype or preliminary service, how easy would it be for someone else to replicate your idea? How easy would it be for them to make a subtle improvement?

If your idea isn’t unique, or if it can be easily copied, it has a high chance of being taken advantage of by copycats and idea thieves working well within the confines of the law.

6Can it last for more than a year?

This may seem like an obvious question of sustainability, but think critically about the nature of your idea. Does it take advantage of a current fad or trend? If so, remember that fads don’t usually last long.

Business ideas that take advantage of a fleeting interest do not succeed – instead, you need something that solves a long-term problem with a long-term solution.

If you can answer all of these questions confidently, and backed with ample research, you’ll have a good chance at turning your idea into a successful enterprise.

Just remember the ideation phase is only the first step of the process. From here, you’ll need to do exhaustive research, write a business plan and start shopping your idea around to investors. It’s a long, trying process, but with confidence in your idea, you’ll be off to a great start.

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Increasing your site’s visibility to search engines

Use search tools to maintain updates

Search engines won’t notice changes to your site instantaneously. Google and Bing offer search tools to help you manage your site’s search presence. Whenever you make major changes to your site, you can request that a search engine re-index your content by using these services. For help, visit the following guides:

• Verifying your site with Google Search Console
• Verifying your site with Bing Webmaster Tools

Customize page and site titles

Search engines typically prioritize site titles, page titles, blog post titles, and headings. These titles also appear in browser tabs and search results, so it’s important to write them so they’re friendly to both search bots and human readers.

In the SEO panel, you can set default title formats for the homepage, collections like Blog, Gallery, Album, Products, and Event Pages, and items like blog posts and events. You can manually enter text or use default variables. The benefit of using default title formats (versus customizing them for every post) is to keep them consistent for all content.

For step-by-step instructions, visit Customizing title formats.

Differentiate page titles and navigation titles

Every page in your site has a Navigation Title and Page Title. You can edit these titles in Page Settings. Page Titles appear in browser tabs and search results and are indexed by search engines. The Navigation Title is what displays in your navigation menu.

You may want to title these separately. For example, you can use the page title to promote keywords for search engines, but keep the navigation title short to help it fit in your navigation menu. To learn more, visit Renaming a page.

Structure content with headings

When adding content to Text Blocks, select Heading 1 or Heading 2 from the text format drop-down menu to organize content. These styles automatically create <h1> and <h2> tags in the page’s HTML, so there’s no need to add them manually.

Like titles, search engines typically give headings a higher priority. Clear headings that describe the content that follows make it easier for search engines to detect the major themes of your site. At the same time, they helps visitors scan your page and quickly find the information they’re looking for.

Add alt text to images

Alt text is text associated with an image that people can view by hovering over it. Search engines usealt text to identify the content of a page, since bots can only read text. Adding alt text to images lets search engines understand what the image is so they can include it in relevant searches.

When adding alt text, it’s best to use short terms that describe the image and relate to your overall site content. To learn more about adding alt text, visit Adding alt text to images.

Tags and categories

Search engines scan tags and categories to identify what products, blog posts, or gallery images are about. Adding tags and categories that accurately describe the item could help it appear in search results. For our guide on tags and categories, visit Using tags and categories.

Start blogging

All Squarespace sites include blogging capabilities. Blogging involves updating your site frequently, which helps search engines see it as an active site. Even if you’re a business and not a blogger, adding a Blog Page and updating it regularly with relevant content could potentially benefit your SEO while building your brand.

When adding blog posts, use tags, categories, and H1 and H2 tags to label content.

Physical location

If you’re a business with a physical location, listing your address on your site could potentially help visitors find you in location-based services. There are many places where you can add your location:

• Map Blocks
• Basic Information Settings
• Text Blocks on a Contact page
• Text Blocks in a footer

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4 Secrets to Winning More Sales

Sales is king in the new economy. Your success will be determined by your ability to generate revenue and sell, not just your products and services, but also yourself.

Here are five signs you’re well positioned to succeed at the art ofselling:

1. Remember you’re in the people business.
Lots of salespeople get caught up in what they are selling and forget that they’re in the people business. Your customer wants to be treated personally. I was recently at a dental office that had clearly forgotten they were not in the business of teeth, but of making patients happy and comfortable.

Getting attention and maintaining your customers’ interest is a huge problem today. But walk into any big-box outlet, restaurant or professional office and you might not even be acknowledged. Before I visit or work with any client, I remind myself, “This is a unique individual who deserves distinct treatment.”

2. Focus on the results, not the effort.
The sales game is not one of organizing, planning or meetings — it’s about getting results. Sales people often spend time kidding themselves about doing busy work and don’t get in front of customers who can buy their products.

Your success in selling is about getting results and that means getting your products into the hands of more customers. A great salesperson knows how to get the customer’s attention and present their product or service in a way that causes the customer to buy. Don’t confuse results with efforts. You don’t try to get an appointment — you either get it or you don’t.

3. Do the uncomfortable thing.
The best sales people I have ever known are willing to throw themselves into harms way. So convinced of their offer, they are willing to get in front of the tough customers, ask the hard questions and go for the close. Doing the uncomfortable thing is where the top performers live.

I always call my toughest clients first and keep calling on them long after everyone else has given up. Once a month, I make a list of our company’s most difficult customers and create an attack plan on how to get those accounts. The first month we incorporated this strategy, I landed one of the biggest deals of my career. You can’t bring the big deals home without getting into the deep waters where the big fish swim.

Related: Why So Many People Resist Networking and Miss Out

4. Wow the customer.
Great sales people look for ways to inspire a customer’s emotional involvement and create the urgency to take ownership. When you wow a customer you make a difference and cause them to want to hold onto that experience. You can take any product — even a boring one — and make it a wow presentation.

I once showed a client the glass doors on a home by demonstrating how they would be hurricane proof, slapping on both sides to evidence their construction quality. This immediately got the customer’s full attention and set apart the product and me from the competition. Average doesn’t pay in sales. Wow them with your presentation, your dress, your belief in the product and the service you offer.

Double Your Facebook likes in Just 5 Minutes per Day

There are more than 1 Billion active Facebook users around the world, and this number is continually growing. If Facebook users were all in one country, it would be the third largest country in the world. If you don’t already have your company on Facebook, now is the time to join. Follow these tips to increase your likes and connections on Facebook.

Make Connections

Connect with other Facebook page admins with a similar demographic to yours then across-promote with them.  For example Ice Cream shop owners can connect and cross promote with a pizza shop near them since they likely have the same customers.

Invite your email subscribers via email, provide them with a description and an incentive to like your page. There is also an email feature that can be used to advertise specifically to those who ignore your invite. You can advertise to them until they like your page.

Be Active

Comment on other pages where your target audience is already having conversations.

• Start by liking the pages then keep an eye on their posts that pop up in your news feed.
• Make sure your comment add to the conversation and help you build relationships.
• Tread lightly when doing this, you don’t want to cross any lines and upset other page owners.

also…

• Share and tag your business page from your personal Facebook account
• If you host any live events, take lot of photos then encourage your fans to tag themselves
• Offer your fans discounts or specials

Host a Contest

It’s not free but may lead to more likes on your page.

You’ll have to pay for a Facebook app to run the contest, but they are inexpensive and easy to use. – Some popular contest apps include Rafflecopter, Wildfire Promotion, Builder and ShortStack. 

Use the contest to promote your service or product in the fun way. – According to contest app, the best duration for a contest is 25 or 60 days.

Promote your Facebook Pages

Promoting online, in emails and on your site is important, but it is also important to promote offline. Promote your Facebook page everywhere!

• In your store window: display a Sign in your store window encouraging customers like your page.
• Advertising: add links or info on your Facebook page to all types of advertising (magazine, newspapers, radio, TV).
• Events: include your Facebook info on all promotional materials used at your event, whether it is a poster at your stand or on flyers you are handing out.
• Business cards: use a simple customized user name that is easy for others to read and search for online.
• Conversation: when you meet new people, make new connections, have phone calls or meetings mention your page and encourage them to like it.

About the Author

My name is Lissa Anderson I am a full time SEO consultant. I’ve been doing freelancing,web development,web designing & internet marketing stuff for more than 8 years. Now I am affiliate with one of the world’s largest online advertising company. If you need Increase your SALES or SEO contact me.