| Ready to go global with your business on eBay? We’ve got
the tips and tactics you need, from selling to customers in
foreign countries to going overseas in search of products to
sell. When Paul Fischer and Gregory Skibbee started eBay jewelry
seller Windsor Auctions (eBay User ID: windsorauctions-usa) in
2005, they weren't sure whether they should try selling
internationally. But when Fischer, a 39-year-old Lutz, Florida,
entrepreneur, and his 48-year-old co-founder looked more closely
at what they would gain by going global, the choice was easy.
"The one thing that pushed us over the edge was that by
agreeing to ship internationally, the listings would appear
throughout all of eBay," Fischer says. "We did it for
the audience." Since then, Windsor Auctions has grown to a
20-person company with 2006 sales of $1.4 million. Fischer gives
substantial credit for the company's success to his early
decision to ignore the naysayers and seek global business.
"Half of our business comes from outside the U.S.," he
says. Windsor also sources much of its product overseas through
manufacturers in Thailand and China. If you sell through eBay
only to the domestic market, you're missing out on a world
of prospects, literally. "We reach buyers in well over 190
countries," says Casey Rovinelli, eBay senior manager of
international marketing. "We have a local site presence in
more than 33 markets around the globe, and about half of our
users live outside the U.S. Our international business now
accounts for almost 50 percent of eBay's net revenue."
Making an item available to eBay's worldwide audience
provides numerous advantages. For starters, you can expect your
sell-through rate to increase. You'll get more bids. And
you'll get higher prices. "We did a study that showed
items that sell worldwide and offer PayPal receive on average 16
percent higher prices," Rovinelli says. "So it's
a big opportunity." For Fischer, going global has worked
out seamlessly. Shipping and customs have been easy to handle,
and no international packages have gone missing. "We now
ship around the world, and we've never had a problem,"
he says. |
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