Why Doing Business on EBay is Different from Having a Real, Brick and Mortar Store

When starting a business on eBay, you must be prepared to forget all you know about traditional commerce, because they have little in common. Virtual commerce, especially the business done on eBay is totally different from the traditional stores, in which you hired a shop assistant and let him do the entire job.

The first main difference is that you are not restricted to a certain area. If a brick and mortar shop was dedicated to people living in a certain area, the eBay commerce is opened to the entire world, so you have to be prepared to respond to all your clients’ requirements, even if they are hundred meters or thousand kilometers away. Most of the times, this is a good thing, because more people get to see your merchandise and offer bigger prices for it. Yet, there are cultural differences, as well as differences in the time zone which can make this business quite hard.

Because in a real store the client takes the items he bought and it is responsible for the way he carries them home, you do not have to worry about packaging. Yet, when selling things on eBay you are dependent on the delivery companies, which most of the time do not care about what you have in those boxes. Instead of posting stickers saying that there is something fragile in the box, you should package the items so that they will not be affected by all the falls they will have to face. This can be quite hard sometimes, but if the item is broken on the way to the client, you will be the one to blame and not the delivery company.

The best thing about eBay is that you can do business any time of the day, from the comfort of your home. You do not have to worry about angry customers or undecided ones, which occupy all your time.

What is the same both in the real stores and on eBay is the respect with which you have to treat your customers. Just as you are kind with your clients in a brick and mortar shop, so should you be with the virtual clients. Answering their emails promptly and coherently is a sign of respect for your clients and it is a must for every successful business.

Doing business on eBay can be much more fun that selling things in a real store. You have a lot more clients and you can have much more profit if you treat your clients properly.