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December 27, 2005
5p Listing on Thursday 29th December
It looks a though eBay.co.uk are looking to finish the year on a high. In addition to their “Sell your unwanted Presents on eBay” they have now announced a 5p listing day for Thursday 29th December. Sellers listing in Auction-style, Auction-with-Buy It Now or Buy It Now-Only (Fixed Price) formats in an eligible category, will pay 5p insertion fee regardless of the insertion fee bracket.Conditions apply
Posted by Dave Bromley at 08:56 AM
December 26, 2005
Safeharbor; Ebay’s Own Scotland Yard
By Kirsten Hawkins
SafeHarbor are the eBay police department. If you break the rules, commit fraud or try to buy something you’re not supposed to, they’ll be after you.
When You Don’t Pay.
This is the most common rule buyers break – it’s all too easy to just change your mind and try to get out of the auction. eBay regards every auction as a contract, and will punish you if you don’t go through with your end of the deal. If you decide not to pay then expect to get a few nasty warning emails from eBay threatening you with banning if you do it again. Not to mention, of course, that you’ll get a big negative ‘DID NOT PAY’ feedback comment from the seller.
So There Are Things You Can’t Buy on eBay?
Yes, there are: more things than you’d expect. It makes sense that you can’t buy firearms, for example, but you also can’t buy fireworks – eBay are worried about the risks of sending them in the post. Laws in many countries mean that you can’t buy alcohol or tobacco. You can’t buy illegal or prescription drugs, stocks and shares, or lottery tickets. No underwear, either. You can’t buy any little pet puppies or kittens, as animals are banned. If items infringe on copyright, like pirate CDs or software, then they’re not allowed either.
eBay's policy is controversial, not least because it is somewhat random in its enforcement – and there have been accusations that they’re more responsive to the copyright concerns of big businesses than to auctions for items that might actually be dangerous. If they do decide to go after you or the seller, though, they will cancel the auction and may also suspend your accounts.
Fraud.
eBay runs remarkably well considering how unregulated it is, but there are still fraudsters. If you are a victim of fraud – for example, you pay for an item that never turns up – then SafeHarbor will investigate for you. eBay's standard purchase protection will give you up to $200 back if your claim is successful. Be aware, though, that this can take a few months.
In addition, if you paid by PayPal, then they can usually reverse the transaction relatively easily and get you more (if not all) of your money back. This is another reason why many buyers prefer to use PayPal. Some sellers are a little scared of the effectiveness of the refund system, as they can send out items in good faith only to find that their buyer was fraudulent and the transaction has been reversed. If you’re worried about fraud, as a buyer, you should always use PayPal.
What’s that? You don’t know how to use PayPal? Well, luckily for you, the next article is all about using PayPal to improve your eBay life.
About the Author: Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.auctionseller411.com/ for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.
Source: www.isnare.com
Posted by Dave Bromley at 02:55 PM
How To Convert Ebay Surfers Into Bidders
By Joe Clare
Do you know the phrase "A Call To Action"? Well, using "A Call To Action" on your eBay Auction could help increase your sales almost immediately. As outlined in my book "eBay Marketing Wholesale SourcePak" having the right product, at the right price is crucial. But, what else can you do to entice those eBay surfers to become a bidder? Here is One Hot Tip anyone can implement on their auctions to increase their sales - it's called " A Call To Action!"
Some of you may be asking "What is "A Call To Action?" Well it's a simple phrase that you would add to your auction description. This phrase should tell your potential bidder what they should do next. I know what your thinking, "Don't they know what to do next?" But really, you do need to tell people what it is you expect them to do. You can not depend on or assume that an auction surfer is automatically going to become a bidder without telling him/her what you want them to do. You need to come right out and tell them to buy. And why they should buy. Here are some examples of phrases you could use to entice that potential bidder to take action now and make a bid.
- Bid Now! Save Money!
- Buy Now and Save on Shipping!
- Bid Now! Don't Miss This Incredible Deal!
- Buy Now! Quantities are Limited!
- Bid Now! One Of A Kind!
- Bid Now! Collectors Item!
You get the idea. If you have what that surfer is looking for any of the above phrases will entice him/her to make a bid now. And this method is not something new. Retail stores have been using this for years. You know any of the big sales where the advertisement says something like "And don't wait, Quantities are Limited!" This method is time tested. Some experts report you can increase your sales by 50% simply by telling those who are just surfing your auction page what you want them to do.
You can also use more then one call to action. And use them for different reasons in your auction. Say you use one of the above. Bid Now! One of a Kind! But what if this surfer is not interested in this item for auction. Well, don't let him/her leave without inviting him/her to view your other auctions. Say something like "If you don't see what you are looking for here - please visit my other auctions" and create a link to your other auctions, possibly your "me page" which lists all the auctions you have running.
Try this method on your next auction.
Happy Selling!
Joe Clare.
About the Author: Joe Clare is an active Netpreneur and eBayer! He is the author of numerous articles on how to make money online and be successful on eBay! Check out his latest Best Selling eBook "eBay Marketing Wholesale SourcePak" Your Passport to Success! at http://www.ebooksnsoftware.com
Source: www.isnare.com
Posted by Dave Bromley at 02:51 PM
Ebay Auction Tips
By David Riewe
Buying things in an auction is the most affordable way to obtain the item a person wishes to have. That is why even the Internet had provided such sites like eBay in order to provide more affordable items than what the typical market has to offer.
Best of all, net auctions sites like eBay can provide a number of potential profits for the small time entrepreneurs who want to, in some or way or another, earn extra income.
Through eBay, sellers do not have to build a site just to sell. In fact, there's no investment capital needed in order to start the business.
There just simple things a seller has to do in order to come up with a good sale. Here are some things the seller has to know before putting up a sale:
1. The Market Value
It's a must for every seller to do some homework first regarding the price of the item in the market. This is to enable the seller to come up with a price that is reasonable enough to compensate the purchasing power of the buyer and the much-needed profit of the seller as well.
The seller may also look for the other sites that offer the same item so as to give him or her an insight on how he or she should stipulate the price.
2. The item description.
It is important for a seller to come up with a detailed description of the item. That is, the seller should be honest enough to put everything that depicts the items actual state and appearance. It should be based more on information and not just propaganda.
3. The photograph.
Pictures are enough to sell the item. But it takes skill to get the right angle and the perfect aura of the item so as to illustrate the best point of view. If the item is clear enough for the buyer to see its specifications, chances are, the buyer will purchase it.
4. The seller's requirements.
It is an essential thing for the seller to state his or her payment requirements. It's best for the sellers to include everything especially the additional charges that will apply like shipping fees.
5. The customer service.
In order for the seller to close a sale, he or she must be well adept on customer service. That is, the seller should know that it is important to reply on a buyer's inquiry, to answer whenever there is confusion, and to do some follow-ups even if the transaction is finished.
As they say, a happy buyer makes a happy seller.
About the Author: David Riewe is a Publisher and Online Marketer. Visit his eBay Blog to Discover 101 Ebay Auction Tips in this FREE ebook http://www.push-button-online-income.com/ebayblog
Source: www.isnare.com
Posted by Dave Bromley at 02:46 PM
How To Use Ebay “Listing Tools
By Kirsten Hawkins
Listing tools automate the process of adding listings to eBay, to stop you having to go through the ‘Sell Your Item’ process every time. There is a surprising amount of choice out there when it comes to eBay listing tools, to the point where you might not know what to choose. Here’s an overview of what’s useful and what’s not.
Turbo Lister.
Turbo Lister is a free download from eBay, and allows you to sell on eBay without ever having to actually visit the site. You can write descriptions, save them and list them over and over again – if you want to, you can even do most of your eBay work offline, and just go online for a few seconds to upload it.
You can list in bulk and schedule your listings to start any time. Since this is eBay’s officially supported program, you’re guaranteed that upgrades to eBay’s site will never break it and leave you out in the cold. Personally, though, I find the design quite bad – it’s not really that much easier than just going through eBay directly.
Blackthorne.
Also from eBay, this is what used to be called the ‘Seller’s Assistant’. It’s a downloadable program, but it’s more powerful than Turbo Lister is. It lets you do everything in bulk: listing, re-listing, and even feedback. You can export your sales data to an accounting program, and track your auctions while they’re still going on. You only have to enter things like payment choices and shipping details once, and they’re saved forever.
So where’s the disadvantage? It costs $9.99 per month, or $24.99 for the pro version, which also lets you print shipping labels in bulk and manage an inventory.
Andale Lister.
If you want to try something that’s not been made by eBay, Andale’s lister is still web-based, but aims to streamline the process.
You can create ‘profiles’ with different selections for your auctions. For example, you could create a ‘Normal’ profile that doesn’t include any of the listing upgrades, a ‘Promote’ profile that includes Bold and Highlight, and a ‘Super Promote’ profile that buys Bold, Highlight and Featured Plus. This makes it easier to choose the set of options you want for each item.
It’s all about saving things you’ve done. Each time you upload a picture, it gets added to a ‘Picture Library’ for you to use again, and you can store an inventory and choose from it to create a listing. You also get nicer-looking templates than eBay provide.
Of course, if eBay had their act together then this is what their own process would be like – but they’re happy for third-parties to make money doing the work instead of upgrading their own site. Andale Lister can cost anywhere between 20c and 4c per listing, as you get discounts for volume.
Now that you’re listing in bulk, you can spend more time trying to attract people to come and bid on your auctions. But how should you be doing your marketing? In the next email, we’ll go through some of the options available to you.
About the Author: Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.auctionseller411.com/ for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.
Source: www.isnare.com
Posted by Dave Bromley at 02:40 PM
EPS for About Me pages
To make About Me pages even more user-friendly, you can now use eBay Picture Services (EPS) for your About Me page. You can add up to two free images to your About Me page through EPS, which will be hosted on eBay. Uploaded images can be up to 2 megabytes in size.
You can learn more about EPS at http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/sell/pictures.html?ssPageName=CMDV:AB
Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:49 PM
EBay.com rethink digital downloads
Ten days ago eBay.com’s Mara Holian of the product marketing team announced that in response to the growing interest in digitally delivered products eBay was going to introduce some changes in this area.
The examples that eBay quote of acceptable digitally delivered goods are songs and eBooks. If you have written and recorded a song or recorded a fitness video you could have these converted into MP3 files and offer them as downloads on eBay.
eBay do point out that to offer a digital download a seller must be either have a product that they have created yourself or one for which they own the copyright. To my mind, this is very much a grey area. If you buy the resale rights to a product does that also mean that you have copyright to the product? eBay seem reluctant to offer any real guidance about this and I regularly get complaints from subscribers who have had products pulled because of supposed copyright breaches.
However under the new system you can select “List as a Digital Item”. When you select this option eBay will know that you are listing such an item so you will not have to complete unnecessary shipping instructions. You can also see a “Digital Item Delivery” field where you can add details of how a successful purchaser can download the item after the sale.
This was one of 3 new innovations that eBay.com launched last week. The other two
were about a new Business registration system and the ability to add more pictures after listing. However, when they launched these 3 new features on Monday they caused glitches to the system and had to be withdrawn. eBay said it made the decision to delay the features "due to some issues while releasing the products."
At the present eBay.co.uk have not indicated that they will adopt these changes but if
past experience is anything to go by we will see its introduction in the UK in the next 2 or 3 months. So now is the time to get recording your songs, writing your ebook or making that video
Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:45 PM
December 23, 2005
Just another million pixel site?
The South Yorkshire Homepage - Just another million pixel site?
Well yes, it is. However, the South Yorkshire homepage is dedicated to businesses and services available in South Yorkshire region (Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster).
After success of the milliondollarhomepage I decided to create my own site aimed at a specific region, which would allow businesses to aim their advertising at a specific set of people. I was hoping that Night Clubs, Bars, Internet Service Providers (ISP), Internet Shopping Sites, Local Web Developers, Solicitors, Sports Centers, Gyms, and all other businesses that rely on the Internet for increasing their revenue.
Why will this help them generate extra traffic to their site?
Well, generating traffic to your site can be a very time consuming or expensive activity to perform, so I was hoping to make that a little easier for each regional business. If I can make my site appear high in the list on the common search engines like Google based upon keywords relating to the South Yorkshire region, then I would be creating an advertising bill-board for business to direct their advertising campaign at local people looking for local products and services.
How is it working so far?
Well as of today, it's not going too well. However, my marketing campaign has only just started, and Google has not yet trawled my site since going live. Once my marketing campaign is underway I hope to have a very high Google rating. Hopefully my page will appear on the first page of results on several key words relating to the South Yorkshire region.
What does my site offer over sites like the milliondollarhomepage?
Well, I see the key improvement being the fact that you can choose your pixels, upload your picture and pay for your advertisement instantly! No need to send any emails, no chance of several email exchanges and lengthy delays due to the webmaster being too busy to respond in a reasonable time. It's quick and maintainable with little interaction.
Tell me more about South Yorkshire…
South Yorkshire is located in the North of England. The region is surrounded by Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and East Riding of Yorkshire (Humberside). The region compromises of four towns, those being Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster, and Barnsley. The region is very rich in history through the various ages. More recently the region was world renowned for its Steel and coal producing industries. However, many of the existing factories and mines have now closed to make way for a regeneration scheme that is set to give the region a more cosmopolitan look and feel.
The region is also famous for its various sports teams, including Sheffield Wednesday (The Owls), Sheffield United (The Blades), Rotherham United (Millers), and Doncaster Rovers (The Rovers). Each of the teams draw large crows on a weekly basis.
Is there anybody famous from South Yorkshire?
Of course! Robin Hood is the most famous person known to have spent most of his time around Doncaster and Sheffield. In addition to that, there is… Sean Bean (Actor), Prince Naseem Hamed (Boxer), Def Leapord (Rock Group), Human League (Pop Group), Jarvis Cocker (from Pulp), Joe Cocker (Singer), Michael Palin (Actor), Kevin Keegan (Footballer), Sebastian Coe (athlete and politician) and many, many more!
© Copyright - Gavin Rawson 2005
Posted by Dave Bromley at 10:20 AM
