You may have enjoyed some success selling your wares on eBay, but you may want to look at your options and see if you can appeal to different markets. Certainly, eBay is one of the most successful e-commerce sites in the world, but you may be able to explore some additional business advantages by setting up an independent website. So, how difficult is it to turn your eBay store into your very own online store?

Considering the Move

Firstly, nothing within eBay’s terms and conditions prohibits you from taking this step. At the same time, you may be thinking about the advantages of setting something up in parallel, as it could give you more control of your branding. Remember, you can’t customize your eBay storefront very much, but you can set up your own online store as you wish. You will also be able to use a variety of different payment methods and can establish your own return policies.

Some people choose this option to have more personal contact with their clients and build good relationships. Remember, people who buy from you on eBay are, in essence, the customers of eBay first and foremost. So, you may be unable to interact with them one-on-one as much as you’d like. This issue goes away when you have your own online store, and you can add any number of features that eBay won’t provide. For example, you can send your customers and prospects email newsletters occasionally and set up a customer relationship management (CRM) tool to keep track of everything.

How to Turn Your eBay Store into Your Own Online Store

Once you are ready, you must choose a good e-commerce platform. There are many to choose from, with some of the better-known options including WooCommerce and Shopify.

Ensure the platform allows you to import your eBay items into your online store. It also helps to have an export feature so that you can list items from your online store back on eBay as well.

Most of the top e-commerce platforms allow you to choose different payment methods. You need to decide the best ones for your business and your customers. For example, some like to pay with PayPal.

Then, once you have signed up for the e-commerce platform account, you can directly import all your eBay products into your new store. This should carry over the full details, including product name, description, prices, quantities, and image URLs.

Publicizing Your Move

As soon as you have set up your online store, don’t forget to tell your eBay customers. You can do this by adding a direct link to your online store within the “about me” section of your eBay profile. You can also include a reference to your online store whenever you sell an item on eBay. Perhaps you can introduce a coupon code that may encourage customers to buy their next item directly from you rather than through eBay.

If you wish, you can offer some promotions through your online portal that are not available within your eBay account. You can experiment to see which approach works better so you can optimize your potential profit.

Growing Your Online Business

If you need any additional advice about setting up an online store, reach out to us. We love to help clients launch their businesses and grow their online visibility, so contact us today for further help.

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Setting Up a Google My Business Account

To take advantage of your Google Business Profile, you’ll need to first create a Google My Business account and follow the steps to set up your business listing. After creating your Google My Business account, you’ll need to claim your Google Business Profile. Once you’re verified as the business owner, you’ll have full control over your Google Business Profile, allowing you to optimize it and grow your online presence.

Google Business Is Only the Beginning

Whether you’re pontificating upon how to start a business, how to increase overall foot traffic to a business, or how to increase your business and brand exposure online, a Google Business Profile is an excellent place to start. If you’re ready to level up your digital presence even further, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our team is here to help your business put its best foot forward online.