The Holiday Season Starts When?

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I’ve always loved to shop but that never stops me from groaning and grumbling about commercialism each year when I see the first holiday décor hit the department store shelves on November 1st.  But guess what?  I just sent off hundreds of emails to all of my eBay customers and several Tweets off into the ethers, all of which offered great Early Bird specials from now until Thanksgiving. Have I become one of the bad guys?

I hope not. But as an eBay seller, and an eBay seller in a down economy, I admit that I see the world a little differently. These are leaner times and with customers who are more discerning and discriminating and have less disposable income, this can feel like a very competitive time of year. This is my third Holiday Season as an eBay seller and as I become a more seasoned (please, excuse the pun) seller, there are a few  things I have learned:

• Buy Holiday-specific inventory in mid to late summer or as soon as possible. Buying early means I am able to get the quantities I need and I am less apt to get the dreaded “Sold Out” from my distributors. It also means I have time to place reorders if needed;
• List Holiday-specific inventory well before Halloween. Or, as soon as possible. I want to get the best bang for my buck with this merchandise and I want my customers to know I am ready for the season. Many buyers start their Holiday shopping before Halloween;
• Create a Promotion Box featuring seasonal items and feature it prominently on your eBay store homepage;
• Create a festive homepage for your eBay storefront, by changing the theme or color scheme
  Seller, Manage Store > Store Design > Display Settings > Edit Current theme
• Create a specific Holiday category in your eBay store and direct customers there through a well-worded invitation e-mail;
• Rethink auction titles – at least temporarily. Can you update some of your titles to include Holiday keywords such as Stocking Stuffer, Chanukah, Christmas, Gift etc.?;
• Create a promotional flyer featuring your holiday items, gifts or stocking stuffers, etc. and include a copy in all of your shipments;

I could go on and on – there are countless ways to prepare your eBay store and your auctions for the Holiday Season. But don’t just take my word for it. In the spirit of the season, I am sending along what I think are some of the best ideas out there about how to make the most of the Holiday Season on eBay:

• Skip McGrath’s eBay Holiday Marketing Tips
• 10 Ways to Increase Your eBay Holiday Sales
• The 2009 Top 10 Holiday Selling Tips for Ecommerce Merchants
• 5 Costly Mistakes that Put the Scrooge in Your Online Holiday Sales

Are you ready for this Holiday Season? What’s your secret to successful Holiday sales?