eBay Set to Launch 3-Day Guaranteed Delivery Program

Your customers want what you’re selling right away.

And eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) is the latest ecommerce site to offer its shoppers an expedited delivery option.

The site recently announced that it’s rolling out the Guaranteed Delivery Program this summer. The goal is to offer millions of products that will be delivered to buyers in 3 days or less.

And your small business can participate in the program, too.

eBay Guaranteed Delivery is similar to programs by Amazon and Walmart. Both sites offer 2-day free shipping options on a lot of products for sale.

eBay Guaranteed Delivery

There is no caveat to eBay’s program that indicates products eligible for guaranteed 3-day delivery will be shipped for free.

However, eBay typically encourages sellers to offer free shipping on products. The site says this qualifier increases exposure to products by as much as 11 percent.

Fast shipping increases listing exposure by as much as an additional 8 percent.

If products sold under the Guaranteed Delivery banner do not arrive on time, eBay will refund the shipping costs a buyer paid. If a buyer didn’t pay for shipping, they’ll get a coupon eligible toward their next eBay purchase.

Presumably, eBay will not take kindly to sellers who routinely have packages arrive late to buyers.

Seller Benefits, More Sales Potential

The reason these products get more exposure is because buyers can sort listings by shipping cost. Guaranteed Delivery will work the same way. It allows buyers to sort products by delivery date.

eBay says that sellers will have more flexibility over their listings. Sellers will be able to adjust handling times (key to providing expedited shipping) and have more options regarding shipping costs they impose on buyers.

eBay will reciprocate sellers participating in Guaranteed Delivery by prominently displaying products eligible for fast shipping.

To be eligible for Guaranteed Delivery, eBay sellers must currently meet handling time and delivery promises.

Prepare Now

There are no programs to formally join as an eBay seller. Participating in Guranteed Delivery involves setting current and future listings with the qualifiers.

There are things sellers can do now, though.

First, listings should be adjusted with same-day or one-day handling times. This means you, as the seller, should have items ready to hit the mail the day it’s sold or the next day, at the latest.

Having your items ready to ship before they’re sold is important. Get products into labeled and organized shipping boxes after their photos are taken and listings created.

So, when a product is sold, all it takes is finding the box it’s in, printing the shipping label, and dropping it in the mail.

Sellers should also focus on products that can be shipped for free without taking too big of a dent out of their profit margin. Of course, this should make sellers think of small items and those that don’t require a lot of packing materials or large boxes.

Image: eBay

This article, "eBay Set to Launch 3-Day Guaranteed Delivery Program" was first published on Small Business Trends