How to Keep Track of Your eBay Inventory Using the SKU Label

In one of my videos, I mentioned that I had created a new system. Essentially what I did for all my small items that I’m selling on eBay was I labeled each bin with “Bin” and then a number. So the first was Bin 1, and then there was Bin 2, Bin 3, Bin 4, and so on. I would take whatever bin that I put my product in that I was selling on eBay, and I would put it in the SKU label section within my eBay listing.

A couple people said to me later, “Steve, why don’t you just put your inventory number in the title versus putting it in the SKU label section when you go to edit your listing?” Here’s my take on that thought.

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Use Your Title Wisely
I think that the title portion of your listing is valuable real estate. The title portion is going to achieve a lot of different things for you. Number one, using good keywords is going to help you rank really well in the search. Say, for example, you’re selling a Ralph Lauren big bear sweater. If you use the right keywords, you could essentially outrank other sellers, get your item listed more up toward the top, and sell it quicker.

Also, your title is used as a description, which means if somebody is looking through all the listings, and they see a picture they like, they will likely glance at the title. They’ll think to themselves, “Oh, it’s a large. It’s striped. It’s silk.” So in that way you can use the title as a selling point as well.

You don’t want to waste your title with words like “nice,” inventory numbers, or anything that’s really irrelevant to the customer and the sale. That’s why I’m using the SKU label section. When you go to make your listing and create it, there’s a little section for you to put your inventory number.

Do I Really Need an Inventory System?
Right now you may be thinking, “Steve, what are you talking about?” Well, once you get to, say, 300 items listed on eBay, you’re going to have a hard time finding your items. Trust me. I have done this before. I have searched for items I couldn’t find and had to cancel the order. That’s no good for you.

As I built my eBay store, I got to that point where I needed to make sure that I had a system in place for my small items. I assigned a letter or a number—it depended on item type and size—for each product. I put it in my listing so when it sold, I could easily find it. I wasn’t spending hours hunting down items—because you’re not making money when you’re shipping items out.

You want to ship a sold item as quickly and efficiently as possible. You don’t want to be wasting time searching for an item, canceling orders, and this and that.

Making Your Business Run More Efficiently
I honestly think that you shouldn’t put the inventory number in the title. If you do, it’s probably not going to be the end of the world. But do focus on things that are going to move the needle forward in your business. Focus on things that are going to make a difference, that are going to make money, and that are going to add value in your business.

You know, there are lots of little questions that come up in this business. Should I do an auction or Buy It Now? Should I put my inventory tag in the title or the SKU label? Do I need to make nine pictures or eight pictures? While things do make a difference, at the end of the day, they’re not going to make that big of a difference—maybe a couple percentage points.

Focus on the things that are important—listing more, studying, going out sourcing, and putting systems and processes in place that will make your life more efficient, which is going to allow you to grow and scale your business.