By Erin Wawok

Feb

26

How to Use eBay Guaranteed Delivery to Secure New Customers

With over 210 million customers turning to online shopping, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out against the competition. There are hundreds of thousands of e-Commerce stores across Amazon, Walmart, and Etsy, and each store is fighting for the customers attention. Just offering free shipping isn’t enough anymore. Customers want to make sure they will get their products on time. That’s where eBay is stepping up. The e-Commerce giant has started offering eBay Guaranteed Delivery, a new feature that allows customers to be sure their items will be delivered in three days or less. This new program isn’t just beneficial to customers. By joining this unique program, your eCommerce shop can shoot right to the top of eBay’s algorithm, gaining your shop visibility and ultimately more customers.

How eBay Guaranteed Delivery Works

eBay Guaranteed Delivery, or eGD, as it is sometimes abbreviated, certainly offers a lot of benefits. However, in order to sign up for this program, you have to meet some strict guidelines. First, you need to have at least 100 transactions on eBay every year. Second, you need to have a late shipment rate of 5 percent or less. Once you’re part of the program, that number jumps to 3 percent or less.

If you meet these guidelines, you can sign up for one of two different eBay Guaranteed Delivery programs. The first is the handling time delivery option. In this option, sellers have to prepare the item for shipping within eBay’s time frame. Once it is prepared, eBay will calculate the shipping time, and take the fall for any late delivery. The second option is door-to-door delivery. In this option, sellers are responsible for shipping the delivery on time. In this scenario, if the package is late the seller may have to refund any shipping costs to the customer.

Lead the Search Results

Because the eGD is a program unique to eBay, the company is using it as a tool to sell more items. This is beneficial to participating sellers because their items will be shot to the top of the search results. There are over one billion products listed on eBay on any given day, but only about 20 percent of those participate in Guaranteed Delivery. When shopping on eBay, customers are able to filter their search to view only items that participate in the program. That means if you aren’t part of the program, your product could be looked over.

One of the biggest downfalls of online shopping, compared to traditional brick and mortar stores, is online shopping is not instantaneous. Typically, if someone needs an item last minute, they might be tempted to go to an actual store instead of shopping online. Guaranteed Delivery could change this. Because delivery is guaranteed within three days, last minute customers looking for something unique could turn toward your shop. Again, since eBay allows customers to sort items based on whether they participate in this program or not, someone look for a quick turn around will likely be able to quickly find your e-Commerce store.

What Sellers are Saying

According to anecdotal evidence from eBay, sellers who enrolled in the program experienced a large boost in sales. One wholesalers said he saw a 146 percent growth in sales since the program launched, telling eBay, “In my feedback, the first thing people say is ‘I got it fast.’” Sellers have also said it is easy to sign up for the program. One seller, who reportedly saw a 63 percent sales growth, told eBay, “This may be one, if not the, top new product that’s going to give sellers success.”

If you’ve been looking for a way to increase your visibility without dropping your prices, eGD may be the program you need. Because every shop and seller has different needs, eBay allows you to pick which option that works best for you. By participating, not only will you grow your customer base, you will be pleasing the customers you already have. Customers will be thrilled to receive their packages so fast, and may turn to you in the future when they are in a bind. By joining the “handling time” delivery option, eBay will even take the fall if the package arrives late. This ensures your reputation as a  trusted and reliable seller.

Sell More. Work Less.

Erin Wawok

Erin is the Co-Founder of Listing Mirror.