Summer is now well and truly underway for most Brits. And, as the temperature rises, so will the competition for selling everything from seeds to sun loungers as the population looks to make the most of the season.
According to research by eBay Ads UK, this summer is set to be different to most, as a survey of 1,000 UK consumers found that Brits’ tendency to get their hands dirty in their gardens has bloomed over the past two years thanks to successive lockdowns. Indeed, 43% of those surveyed report using their garden or outdoor space more now compared to pre-pandemic, whilst over a third (35%) say they have kept up their gardening habits and hobbies acquired during lockdown.
Whilst not all Brits are green-fingered, the insights also show they have developed a better appreciation of their garden and outdoor space in general. 43% of consumers now take more pride in their garden than they did pre-pandemic, and a further quarter (23%) now spend more of their leisure time in their outdoor space.
And with the majority of consumers (79%) planning to invest in their outdoor spaces this summer season, it’s clear that sellers should be prepared for an even greater home and garden sales opportunity this summer.
So, how can sellers make the most of this Great British Summer as Brits take to their gardens? Here’s three of our top tips to make the most of this summer of selling.
1. Spring clean your listings - In order to engage garden enthusiasts right when they’re primed to spend, you should fine-tune your listings to ensure they’re not only hyper-searchable and found by the right customers, but that they’re also enticing prospective customers who are already down the path to purchase.
Key ways a seller can spruce up include:
- Make the most of listing titles - make sure you utilise all the characters at your disposal by adding 15 or more keywords in the title, bearing in mind any seasonal keywords. Remember that the first three keywords are the most important and should be the most descriptive of the product.
- Use good imagery - ensure you have great seasonal photos included in all your listings. It’s important to remember to capture your product from all angles and show scale where necessary. You should aim for at least 12 images.
- Remove and recycle - any stagnant listings over 90 days old will impact your search rankings. Sellers should remove and relist any products that haven’t sold in this time to optimise their searchability.
For more tips on great listing, visit our Seller Centre page.
2. Use Promoted Listings to ensure brand visibility - You need to use all the tools in your shed to stand out - particularly in a busy period such as the summer time. We’ve recently rolled out our latest advertising solution, Promoted Listings AdvancedBETA, for just this reason. PLA gives you access to the crucial top slot of eBay search results to increase the chance of sale, as well as offering better keyword control and upgraded budget management to help give sellers the edge. For more information and tips on PLA, visit our Seller Centre page.
3. Keep an ear to the ground at all times - The last couple of years have permanently changed shopper behaviour, and consumers have revealed that hobbies picked up in the pandemic have staying power. To have the best chance of success this summer, you must ensure you keep an ear to the ground at all times so you can respond reactively to any other shifts set to come your way. To help with this, we’ve devised an exclusive eBay insights tool free to all sellers, Terapeak, to help our sellers determine what to sell, when and what price.
How are you making the most of this summer of selling? Do you have any particular tips and tricks to get ahead this season? Let us know in the comments below!
