The best way to integrate eBay with a WooCommerce store starts with a holistic approach. Whether you’re starting with a single account on eBay or a single store on WooCommerce, you should first think about your goals for expansion and the various ways to get there.
WooCommerce is a plugin extension for WordPress site that offers specific functionality for an e-commerce business. Oftentimes you will see “WooCommerce” and “WordPress” used interchangeably, even within the WooCommerce interface, so don’t get confused. If you’re using WooCommerce, it means you’re using both.
With a standalone WooCommerce store, your products are hosted and orders are processed on your website. You rely on search engine or social media ads, or maybe some content marketing strategies ,to attract visitors to your store. There’s no virtual “foot traffic” to lure in those who might be shopping but have never heard of your store.
A multichannel strategy is where you send your actual product feed to an online marketplace or other channel specifically for shoppers. When you put yourself where shoppers are already searching, you have the ability to reach thousands if not millions of potential customers. Marketplaces like Amazon, Walmart.com and eBay are some of the largest marketplaces in the world. It is a key step in any enterprising e-commerce business growth plan. (To read more about how a multichannel strategy can be applied and when to do it, see 4 Steps to $100K/mo in E-Commerce.)
With eBay, you must undergo a probationary period. During this time a seller is limited in their number of products, and must demonstrate they will meet certain performance standards. The underlying goal is to attain Top-Rated status as a seller. The basic criteria for getting past probation is consistently delivering outstanding customer service, and meeting certain minimum activity levels.
The number and total value of your listings will be limited until you’ve earned Top-Rated status. At that point you can ask for an increase to your seller limit. If you’re new to selling on eBay, it’s a good idea anyway to start with a limited selection from your catalog instead of your entire product list. A go-slow approach is also easier on your budget, as insertion fees are assessed on every product listed after the first 50 items.
Whenever you list more than 50 items when selling on eBay, with a WooCommerce store or otherwise, you’re charged an insertion fee after those first 50. Each subsequent item you list costs $0.30 monthly for standard sellers. Upgrading to the eBay Stores subscription, allows more free credits and other perks. With that program, the insertion fee can be as little as $0.05.
eBay charges a final value fee (FVF) on all sold items. It is calculated as a percentage of the total sale amount. The base amount includes shipping and handling charges, but not sales tax. A standard FVF is 10% of the total amount of the sale, with a maximum final value fee limit of $750. eBay Stores subscribers get a discount; that fee is four to nine percent, with a maximum of $250 per item.
There are plenty of benefits to using an app extension for selling on eBay with WooCommerce. It gives you the ability to:
With your WooCommerce seller account, you can get custom integrations specific to eBay that provide API connections for uploading your product data. However, if you decide later that you want to sell on other channels besides eBay, it would be better to select a multi-channel solution.
Shoppingfeed has a single solution for selling on multiple channels at once. eBay is one of the major online marketplaces that we connect with, along with Amazon, Walmart, Google Shopping and Etsy.
Bulk-upload your WooCommerce listings with a single click.
Set separate inventory rules, pricing plans, shipping options, or listing details in one operation.
Upload your products with attribute tags matching those used on eBay, with advanced tagging for improved SEO.
Manage your orders from a centralized dashboard. Check and compare sales performance on your various selling channels at a glance.
Increase your conversion rate by drawing more prospects to your products through the eBay marketplace.
Keep track of inventory and orders through automatic syncing on your WooCommerce store to avoid overselling.
Selling on eBay is a great way to expand your customer base, and WooCommerce is a great way to expand your WordPress site for e-commerce. Just don’t limit yourself by ignoring the potential for adding more channels as your sales increase. For that, rely on Shoppingfeed.