Did you know that eBay is one of the top marketplaces to set up your online store? By creating a presence on it, sellers can enjoy many benefits of an eBay store. However, you may be wondering what an eBay store is and how it can benefit you. We’ve got you covered!
In the next section, we’ll provide you with:
- A brief overview of eBay stores
- 5 key benefits of an eBay store
- A step-by-step guide on how to open an eBay store.
By the end of this article, you’ll have a better understanding of why an eBay store can be a game-changer for your eCommerce business, and you’ll know exactly how to open one for yourself.
Without further ado, let’s jump right into it!
Grow Your Business with LitCommerce Why to limit your business on eBay? Embrace the power of multichannel selling. LitCommerce supports you in easily connecting various sales channels and managing them in one dashboard. |
eBay Stores: The Basics
eBay is a giant in the eCommerce industry, as this online marketplace can assist in establishing a strong brand presence and driving sales growth. Let’s look at its fundamentals before exploring the reasons why!
Is selling on eBay worth it? Figure out in our latest eBay reviews right on LitCommerce Retailer Blog!
What is an eBay store?
An eBay store is a complete eCommerce solution that allows you to maximize your reach in the vast marketplace and connect with millions of buyers worldwide.
You can get access to many benefits of an eBay store, such as exclusive marketing and merchandising tools, along with awesome customization features, to build a unique brand that attracts and retains customers.
And that’s not all! An eBay store also offers a one-stop shop for showcasing all your items in a single location, enabling buyers to learn more about your brand, products, and policies.
The best part is that you can create your online presence quickly and easily without complex web designing skills.
Is an eBay store worth it?
There might be many of us wondering: “Is an eBay store worth it?”
The good news is: definitely YES! Opening an eBay store can be a worthwhile investment in building a robust online presence, depending on your specific needs and goals.
Sellers can take advantage of its features to help them increase sales and compete effectively in the online marketplace.
Here are some of the top potential benefits of an eBay store:
- Enhanced visibility: By having an eBay store, your products can get higher visibility on the platform, making them more discoverable to potential buyers.
- A customizable storefront: You can customize your eBay store to create a unique shopping experience and differentiate your store from others.
- Affordable pricing options: eBay offers various subscription plans to fit your budget, allowing you to maximize your profits.
- Advanced selling and marketing tools: The eBay store comes up with a suite of advanced tools, such as promoted listings, which can help you optimize your listing and boost sales.
- Access to discounted shipping supplies: By subscribing to an eBay store, you can access exclusive discounts on shipping supplies such as boxes, labels, and tape. This can help you save money on shipping fees over time.
If you’re not convinced yet, don’t worry! In the next section, we’ll discuss the key benefits of an eBay store, so you know exactly how it can help you grow your business.
Are those potential benefits tempting you? If YES, learn every step to start selling on eBay right here!
5 Key Benefits of an eBay Store: Have You Known Yet?
Understanding the benefits that come with it is crucial. However, these benefits are only available for eBay store subscriptions. Here are five compelling reasons you should know:
#1. Increased visibility for an eBay starter store
By subscribing to an eBay store, you can significantly increase the visibility of your products, which ultimately translates into more customers and sales when selling on eBay.
In fact, a report published by eBay in Q3 2022 shows that sellers who switch to eBay store subscriptions can experience up to a 27% increase in just 3 months.
Moreover, eBay is a widely popular platform. Ergo, if you list your store on this platform, you can take advantage of its high traffic volume.
#2. Customizable storefronts for an eBay store
A customizable storefront is one of the best benefits of an eBay store. You can easily personalize your eBay all categories, making it easier to manage your listings and improve your customers’ shopping experience.
For example, if you specialize in PS4 video games, you can create a category specifically for war games.
But the benefits of an eBay store don’t stop there – with the Shop Designer feature, you can access a range of design options, including:
- Custom headers;
- Personalized storefronts;
- Cross-selling banners;
- Custom search bars.
All of them can be tailored to meet your marketing strategy and business needs. The result? A polished and professional-looking shop will impress your customers and increase sales and customer confidence.
#3. More affordable eBay store pricing
You don’t need to sign up for a monthly or annual subscription to start selling on eBay. But if you choose to subscribe to a Store plan, you can create a branded space on eBay (as mentioned above).
While the cost of an eBay store subscription may be an additional expense for your business, it can help you save money in the long run.
Plus, you’ll enjoy other benefits of an eBay store, such as more free listings and lower final value fees.
eBay Store subscription gives you access to more affordable eBay store pricing compared to its regular selling and insertion fees. However, it’s essential to evaluate the number of listings you deal with regularly to select the correct subscription type. Choosing an enterprise subscription when you have only a few products to list won’t make sense and may lead to losses, especially when compared with other eBay alternatives.
According to eBay, if a seller has more than 50 product listings a month, subscribing to the eBay store can help you save money.
#4. Advanced selling & marketing tool
Advanced selling and marketing tools are crucial for eBay sellers looking to stand out in a highly competitive marketplace.
Fortunately, eBay offers a range of powerful eBay SEO tools and features to help you get your products in front of more buyers.
One such benefit of an eBay store is promoted listings. With 250 million promoted listings out of 1.6 billion active listings on eBay, it’s clear that this feature is popular among sellers. By promoting your listings, you can increase their visibility and drive more traffic to your store.
In addition, eBay subscription sellers have access to other advanced selling and marketing tools, such as:
- Email marketing;
- Content marketing.
#5. Discounted shipping supplies for eBay shipping
As an eBay Store subscriber, you can take advantage of a special coupon to save money on eBay-branded shipping supplies. With quick handling times and free shipping, you can streamline your shipping process, saving both time and eBay shipping fees.
And the best part? eBay shipping supplies are eco-friendly, so you can rest assured about your packaging choices. Just make sure you know how to ship on eBay properly. Now that you know all the benefits of an eBay store, it’s time to set up your virtual store. Let’s go!
Apart from all the benefits of an eBay store we have mentioned, maybe it’s worth taking some time to look into eBay seller protection. We strongly believe this aspect will be a major factor in you deciding whether to sell on eBay or not!
How to Open an eBay Store?
Getting started with an eBay store is a straightforward process, but it does require some preparation.
First, you’ll need to ensure that you have a business account set up. If you currently have a personal account, simply switch it to a business account.
Confusing about the difference between eBay personal acccount and business accounts? Click on the link to learn the details.
Once that’s taken care of, you can proceed to create your eBay storefront and begin to reap the benefits of an eBay store.
The next step in learning how to open an eBay Store is to adapt to the requirements and guidelines of the platform.
1. Meeting the requirements for an eBay store subscription
Once you have decided to open an eBay Store, there are a few things you need:
- An eBay seller’s account along with credit card information;
- A Verified Premier PayPal account;
- “Above-standard” seller performance rating to open a Premium or Anchor store.
Remember that you won’t be able to sell on eBay with an eBay account suspended, so make sure not to let it happen!
2. Select the appropriate eBay store subscription
Sellers on eBay will have five different store subscription options to choose from. Since each of them has different benefits of an eBay store type, check them out thoroughly in the table below.
eBay store type | Starter | Basic | Premium | Anchor | Enterprise |
Monthly Subscription Charges for Yearly Plan | $4.95/mo | $21.95/mo | $59.95/mo | $299.95/mo | $2,999.95/mo |
Additional Insertion Fee | 30¢ | 25¢ | 10¢ | 5¢ | 5¢ |
Product Insertion | 250/mo | 1,000/mo | 10,000/mo | 25,000/mo | 100,000/mo |
eBay Selling Tools | Not available | Not available | Available | Available | Available |
3. eBay Shops (For only U.K based sellers)
eBay also offers a subscription-based program for only UK-based sellers who want to open a storefront under the name eBay Shops. The subscription options for eBay UK stores range from Basic and Featured to Anchor.
eBay Store Type | No Shop | Basic | Featured | Anchor |
a | Pay as you sell | Start your business with lower fees and tools to help you grow. | Upgrade with additional perks like extra free listings, eBay shipping materials, international listings at no cost, and more. | Grow your business confidently with unlimited fixed price listings and enhanced benefits. |
Monthly Subscription Fee* | - | £90 | £245 | £1275 |
Monthly Fee | - | £25 | £69 | £399 |
Free Fixed Price Listings** | - | 250 | 1500 | Unlimited |
Additional fixed price listings | 30pcs | 10pcs | 5pcs | Free |
Additional auction-style listings | 30pcs | 15pcs | 15pcs | 15pcs |
Noted: When you exhaust your allowance, the values pertaining to the subscription tier below will apply to you. The Anchor Shop values are determined based on the average number of listings. The fair use policy and selling allowances are applicable.
4. Setting up an eBay store
Now that you have chosen the eBay store type that suits your needs, it is time to take all the benefits of an eBay store.
Opening an eBay store is an easy process that involves just 5 simple steps. Here’s how you can do it:
- Log in to your eBay account and navigate to the My eBay page.
- Under the Account tab, select Subscriptions.
- Click the Subscribe button next to eBay Stores.
- Choose Subscriptions, then select Manage My Store on the left-hand side.
- Finally, choose Design My Store or Quick Store Tuneup to customize your storefront.
Grow Your Business with LitCommerce Why to limit your business on eBay? Embrace the power of multichannel selling. LitCommerce supports you in easily connecting various sales channels and managing them in one dashboard. |
Is an eBay Store Worth it: FAQs
- How reliable is eBay?
eBay’s reliability is comparable to any other ecommerce website, as the majority of sellers on the platform conduct their ethically.
Besides, It’s good ideas to read some selling on eBay reviews to get a sense of the platform and its community.
Before making a purchase, we highly recommend you to read eBay product reviews and eBay selling reviews for valuable insights into seller reputation and product quality. If any issues arise, contact the eBay complaints department for prompt assistance.
- What are the advantages of having an eBay shop?
You can get access to many potential benefits of an eBay store, such as:
- Increased visibility for an eBay starter store
- Customizable storefronts for an eBay store
- More affordable eBay store pricing
- Advanced selling & marketing tools
- Discounted shipping supplies for eBay shipping
- Does having an eBay store increase your sales?
While having an eBay Store can potentially save sellers thousands of dollars in fees, it may not significantly impact their sales unless they actively market their store. In some cases, having an eBay Store may not even attract new customers.
Wrapping Up
As an online seller, it is essential to understand the benefits of an eBay store to leverage its advantages. From increased visibility and customizable storefronts to more affordable pricing and advanced selling tools, an eBay store can help take your business to the next level.
To learn more about eBay, make sure to visit our Retail Blog or contact us at any time. You can also join our Facebook community for the latest eCommerce trends and winning strategies. LitCommerce is looking forward to your participation and sharing!
Happy selling!