eBay Partner Network – Will it work for you?

The eBay Partner Network or (EPN) was founded in 1995 and has 175 – million customers worldwide. It’s part of the huge eBay Inc – an American multinational e-commerce corporation based in San Jose, California in the US.

Everyone knows eBay and you have probably even bought something from the huge range of products on offer. They bring together buyers and sellers from around the world.

Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay, probably had no idea where his idea for AuctionWeb.com would eventually take him.

eBay was known as Auction Web for the first two years of its life, only rebranding in 1997 by then it was selling hundreds of millions of dollars worth of goods on its platform each year. Most business ideas go through a name change as they grow and eBay is no different. eBay then went from strength to strength, acquiring many of its competitors.

Consequently, after the Dotcom bust, they promptly acquiring PayPal.

In 1999 eBay Australia was launched and today there are 11.3 million, unique visitors, to the website per month and growing (more than any other online retailer on the continent.)

Originally eBay started out as an auction place to sell stuff from people’s garages but now around 80% of the products are new. Including thousands of sellers working the drop-ship business model with Chinese products.

eBay has become the place to go for those niche items from vintage Japanese furniture to wigs, it has got you covered with over 300 categories.

It has 1.3 billion active listings and 432k sales each day. Would you like a piece of this pie?

Huge Sales Growth Online

The US and International eBay market grew by 22.3% in 2020 to $25.06 Billion worldwide. This will be a growing trend to come and one that is worth you investing some time to get involved. There is little chance of people moving away from buying online in the future.

You will need to write quality content for your website to drive traffic for sales, read all about creating Organic traffic here.

What Does eBay Partner Network Pay You?

• The long and short of their commission rates is that you can earn between 1% and 4% on all permissible items sold through your affiliate links.

This places the eBay partnership network in the same ballpark as Amazon’s Associate’s Program.

• If they are a new customer or haven’t bought on eBay in 12 months then you will receive double the commission.

Example: You promote a phone on your website and a buyer uses your personal link to buy that phone for $100 within 24 hours. Let’s say eBay makes $10 on that sale and there is a 50% commission on it for you. 50% of $10 = $5

Plus if they are a new customer or a ‘reactivated buyer’ then you make double your commission. $5 + $5 = $10 for one sale.

eBay’s commission structure would give an accountant a headache, so take the time to make sure that you are going to get a reasonable commission on the products you promote. Or this could be a recipe for failure.

Selling on eBay

Not only can you be a buyer on eBay but you can sell your own products on eBay. In 2020, they have eased up their restrictions on the good sellers and started to regulate the scammers.

They are also offering incentives with freebies and discounts. eBay is known for charging high fees for you to sell your products in comparison with other platforms.

Some of the most popular categories in 2020 were Business and Industrial (face mask cartridges), Digital Cameras, Cell phones and Smartphones, Computers, Tablets, and Network Hardware and Crafts.

Other eBay Categories

• Baby Formula
• Beads
• Scrapbooking Supplies
• Hair Accessories
• Hats
• Perfume and Cologne
• Hair Loss Treatments
• Water Filters
• And the list goes on.

Australians Love eBay

Australians spent over 500 million hours shopping on eBay last year and it dramatically increased when Covid struck in 2020. Consequently, many first time shoppers headed online to purchase.

A car part is purchased every 4 seconds, a piece of jewelry is purchased every 14 seconds, and a smartphone every minute.

More than 40,000 Australian small businesses depend on eBay, and approximately 90% of the small and medium businesses export to over 150 countries.

Just think about it: when you combine ebay.com.au with EPN, you’ve got one of the largest affiliate programs in Australia, covering almost every merchandise imaginable, and offering exceptionally competitive commissions.

Keep in mind that Australia’s peak shopping seasons are similar to those in North America and Europe. Many of the top categories – including fashion, electronics, and automotive come with free delivery (over 70% of the items.)

80 of the largest 100 Australian retailers are on eBay, offering brands you know and love, 24/7

Over 2,000 Australians have made more than $1 million in sales on eBay since it launched in 1999.

How Easy Is It To Join EPN?

• Create an eBay Account (you probably already have one)
• Scroll down to the ‘Affiliate’ label at the bottom of the Home page (this will take you to the EPN website)
• Click on sign up now (it takes 2 minutes to fill in your basic details and be accepted)
• Check your email for the acceptance and click through to the Welcome page and Login
• Click on the Account drop-down menu to fill in your payment details

Tracking Your Sales

eBay creates a personal Campaign link to place on your website when promoting a product, without this you could miss out on sales commissions. eBay will even create a campaign code for specific categories that you want to sell in so that you can track which products are selling best for you.

Choosing a Product and Creating a Link

Go to the Dashboard and you will see a very simple 4 step plan.

1. Find something on eBay that you want to promote
2. Copy the URL address and paste it below
3. Click ‘Create’ to make a link specifically for you
4. Copy and promote this link to your audience (this personal link will load a picture of the item and price to your website)
5. You can also create a link using the Bookmarklets.
   

Making the Most of Using EPN

Just as with any Affiliate Program Platform, you need to really vet each product yourself. Your reputation is on the line as the buyer sees you as the authority on the product.

Because there is a huge range of products in over 300 categories it would be best to stick to one or two in your niche as you build your business.

Keep in mind that eBay only provides a 24-hour cookie, so consider carefully.

• Buy It Now vs. Auction

For ‘Buy it Now’ items the referral must purchase the item within 24 hours of clicking on your affiliate link.

Auctions are a little different though – the winning bid for the item must take place within 24 hours of your affiliate referral click.

So that means you could get paid for an auction that ends 10 days later, so long as your affiliate click lands within that 24-hour window.

This means you would have to focus on auctions with either a really short duration, or are within 24 hours of ending.

This can be a little tricky, so better to focus on ‘Buy It Now’ items so that all your hard promoting will pay off.

How Do I Get Paid?

You can choose from a direct deposit or through your PayPal account. Payment is on a 30-day cycle and you can have as low as a $20 payout through PayPal.

Conclusion

I’ve read a lot of reviews on eBay and have concluded that some people are making a lot of money with them and some people have had some issues. eBay is no better or worse than all the affiliate platforms out there.

Every company has had some bad reviews and it is important for new people to be careful in trying these platforms. Even ShareASale, ClickBank, and Commission Junction (CJ) have their detractors.

My advice is to read widely, check on Facebook, Quora, and Reddit to find any discontent. Read the comments left by the many thousands of promoters on eBay and keep an open mind.

There is plenty of evidence that eBay has its good points and bad and only you can decide if it stacks up for you.

It’s worth a closer look and a try.

Pros

• You can attain VIP status if you can drive enough traffic
• No other auction website comes close in terms of brand recognition
• Literally billions of items you can sell via affiliate links
• 80% of all products on eBay are new
• The only real marketplace for those ultra-niche items
• Really nice selection of affiliate tools and creatives
• Intuitive affiliate dashboard
• Very low eBay affiliate payout threshold

Cons

• The 24-hour cookie is limiting
• Confusing commission structure at times
• Caps on how much you can earn per sale, regardless of the sale value of the item.

Wishing you great success.

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I hope this has helped, please leave a comment or like and share. Thank you.

LILY Munday