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During the peak season, 71% of consumers start their holiday shopping online, and eBay is among the top three destinations for them. Buyers are expecting bargain prices and big discounts starting from Black Friday, and they are ready to splurge despite tightening budgets. Sales usually skyrocket during this period, comprising about 40% of annual revenue, but the peak season has its challenges. Sellers need to attract buyers without dropping your prices too low and reach more shoppers despite fierce competition. This guide is meant to equip you with practical tools and help you make it through the Christmas season with maximum profit.
79% of eBay shoppers spend a lot of time exploring their purchase options
32% of buyers are “early birds” who do their holiday shopping in advance
28% are “last-minute shoppers” who prefer to take their time until they can better understand their holiday budget
35% are going to “distribute the load” and spread Christmas shopping across several last months of the year
Given the buyers’ preferences, you should run a long-term promotion campaign starting long before Black Friday. Buyers need time to notice your items, do some research on the Internet, and finally make the purchase decision. We recommend using several marketing channels to maximize your reach: eBay’s Promoted Listings, social media, Store newsletters, sales events and markdowns, etc.
For many shoppers, social media plays an important role in their holiday shopping. They seek inspiration for home decor, look for gift ideas, read product reviews and user comments, follow retailers’ pages to learn about upcoming sales events. Last year, 56% of millennials and 60% of Gen Z shoppers planned to use social media for holiday shopping, and this year this share is likely to grow.
It’s time to use your social accounts to drive traffic to your eBay listings! Create social media accounts using your eBay username or store name. Link them to your eBay account and create posts quickly using the Social page of Seller Hub. It’s your quickest way to share listings to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and other platforms. And don’t forget to encourage your buyers to follow you on social media.
Post actively and showcase your items. Add quality photos with seasonal props or backgrounds to create festive vibes. Upload compelling videos with your items in use
Give value to your followers. Offer them useful advice and demonstrate expertise in the area
Share buyers’ positive comments (screenshots from eBay feedback or My Messages)
Hashtag the brands you’re selling. Add trending hashtags to your posts to be discovered by those who aren’t your followers. Use phrases like “Black Friday”, “Cyber Monday”, “gift guide”, “Xmas gift ideas” and such
Post behind-the-scenes videos in your stories or TikTok
Consider launching targeted ad campaigns on social media
The peak season is a busy time, so we recommend preparing a series of posts in advance.
of surveyed online shoppers in the US say that they are likely to buy promoted items during the Christmas season
of eBay buyers say they will view and purchase the sponsored items displayed at the top of their search results
more sales when using Promoted Listings Advanced compared to non-promoted items, on average
eBay has analyzed 2022 purchase behaviors to help sellers prepare for the 2023 peak season. Consider these insights when stocking up:
55%
of holiday shoppers expect to spend more than planned on holiday-related expenses this year.
Toys and Games
Fashion
Health and Beauty
Holiday and Seasonal
Consumer electronics: eBay refurbished
Advertising on eBay can help you grow your business by increasing sales, connecting you with the right buyers, and growing your store following
Holiday shoppers are mostly bargain hunters who want to get the most value for their money. Both “early birds” and “last-minute shoppers” scour the marketplace, looking for the biggest discounts they can find. To attract holiday shoppers to your listings, price competitively and offer all kinds of discounts.
In Q2 2023, eBay buyers purchased items worth $11.6B using their mobile devices [7]. It’s about 64% of the total GMV of this period! With the growing number of mobile shoppers, it’s crucial to optimize your listings for smartphones and tablets:
Please keep in mind that item descriptions aren’t displayed in full on mobile devices. Users see only a short summary that can be expanded on click. That’s why it’s so important to add key information about shipping, payment and returns to the listing fields instead of jamming everything into your descriptions.
Visibility is key during the peak season. To make your items appear more often in buyers’ search results, optimize your listings according to our recommendations. You may achieve a significant increase in traffic without spending a dime!
How to make your items more visible for potential buyers:
Visibility is key during the peak season. To make your items appear more often in buyers’ search results, optimize your listings according to our recommendations. You may achieve a significant increase in traffic without spending a dime!
Add top-searched seasonal keywords and phrases to listings’ titles and descriptions. Try “Christmas gift”, “Christmas decor”, “Black Friday sale”, “Cyber Monday Sale”, “Christmas gift for husband”, or whatever is relevant. It will increase your items’ visibility in search results
Write clear and structured descriptions that include the information buyers may need. Brand names, sizes, model numbers, key characteristics, etc
Add product identifiers if there are any (GTIN, UPC, EAN, MPN, etc.). They make it easier for buyers to find your listings both on eBay and through external search engines
Add relevant item specifics. They depend on what you’re selling and may include brand, size, length, width, height, type, color, style, etc. The more details you add, the more visibility your item will get
Check if your items are listed in the correct category. If not, your listings will be less visible for shoppers (and violate the eBay policy as well)
The holiday season isn’t over with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. A lot of buyers will be looking for Christmas gifts for the most part of December. Follow these recommendations to make the most out of pre-Christmas sales:
