UK Online Auction Help

August 18, 2010

Drop shipping and eBay

EBay is without a doubt the biggest resource on how drop shipping has evolved online. This is a virtual market place where sellers entice buyers to buy products, which they might never have in their hand in the first place. This method of doing business is called drop shipping and it can enable you to show products to your prospective customers and upon receiving orders; get them dispatched from the drop shipper’s warehouse directly to the customer.

You can start doing business on eBay but there are some precautions and systems to put into action before you do so. This will ensure that the process of getting an order from your customer, forwarding the order to your shipper, and the execution of that order is managed like a well-oiled machine. The key is getting a good drop shipper who has a wide variety of products and that too in sufficient quantity. His rates should also be competitive so that after adding your profit margin, you are still able to sell on a competitive site like eBay.

You should note that these shipping houses send the same photos and inventory lists to thousands of other people like you and many of them will end up on eBay. So, you should be a bit innovative while displaying your product. Try changing the angle of the photo or rotate it if you can. Try changing the wording of the product by using some imaginative words and sentences, but do not change the technical specifications of the product. That could get you in legal trouble. Once you receive the product photo and specifications from your shipping house, then do a survey on the Internet and find out whether similar products are available online. Check out their prices and then post your product on eBay. Lower the price slightly if you can. However, this is easier said than done since competition on most of the items is fierce and even earning a profit on some of the items might seem impossible. Well, that’s life on [the] line. Try to get into niche products or try to source your products from exotic locations, where they are sold as exclusive products. This could open up some avenues to earn money.

EBay also has a huge potential in trading in used products. Try and get hold of a drop-shipping house, which stocks quality used products. The price variation in used products is very high as it depends on the condition of the product and the demand-supply situation at that time. Once you start sending your product details to eBay, then depending on the response from customers, you might be able to fine-tune the entire process. If any product is unavailable, then you should immediately email your customer and inform him or her of the development. You can try in getting the delivery time extended. If not, then apologize and exit gracefully from the deal. Do not promise something, which your shipping house cannot deliver. It is your reputation and not theirs, which is on the line.

So, you too can do business on eBay provided you use a little imagination in being different and have the right drop-shipper to back you up.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:40 AM

August 17, 2010

Online auctions-Creative Strategies to Increase eBay Sales

Sellers who run their own stores on eBay may find that there are months where profits are great and other months where their expectations just don't match seller's interest. By getting a little creative in your marketing strategies you can enjoy better

Market during the Christmas season: Typically, higher profits at your eBay store occur during the holiday months. Everyone spends more money during the holidays and sellers on eBay are no exception.

Most sellers look forward to holiday promotions on eBay but they don't do much outside of Christmas in order to increase sales to their store.

The Christmas season starts well before December arrives, once November arrives sellers and buyers are in a more festive mood and are looking to start doing some serious shopping. A slight increase in the prices listed for "Buy now" options can help you make more profit during the season, as the holiday gets closer buyers are looking to complete their shopping in hurry and ensure that items will arrive on time. Offering gift wrapping services and creating a festive storefront will help your business gain ground over competitors.

Market during other holidays: Even though the major holidays can get your eBay store seen by a larger audience as buyers shop for bargains, their is also going to be a lot more competition. Get your business the attention it deserves no matter what day it is, by learning to promote during other holidays besides Christmas. For example, Valentines Day is a great holiday to reach out to customers if your eBay store sells homemade scented candles, handmade jewelry or sexy lingerie.

Make your own products: Though a number of eBay sellers search for products at yard sales, discount stores and antique stores, a growing number of eBay businesses are designed around sellers, creating and selling their own custom products through the store. By creating a custom product these businesses ensure that they can fulfill a specific niche and that they have a product that is truly original from the items located at any other store.

Buy from other stores: Individuals that are using eBay more as a hobby instead of a business will often have products in great conditions listed in good condition. By buying items offered at lower than market value prices, you can then resell these products on your own store, with a markup.

Get items for free: Yard sales are not the only places where items that are actually treasures end up getting thrown out with the trash. Clean out your attic or basement, as many families hoard on to items that turn out to be antiques or collectibles once cleaned up. Friends and family may also choose to donate items too you instead of throwing them away.

Promote your retail store: eBay is becoming an increasingly popular way for small retail businesses to attract a larger audience then their local market allows. By selling items from their store, businesses can grow their businesses without having too put in much effort as eBay is simple to navigate.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 04:19 PM

August 16, 2010

Taking Advantage of "Slow" eBay Auctions.

Some auctions get hundreds of bids, but some go much more slowly, getting only a few bids or even none at all for days. Auctions are generally much slower during the summer months than they are in the winter - and sales on eBay are slowing each year, as more sellers than buyers sign up, hoping to get rich quick. There are a number of ways that you can take advantage of slower auctions to get the best price.

Wait to Bid.

If you bid, then everyone can see you're interested - and that might make them interested too. Leaving the item alone for as long as you can bear will make it look less popular, and keep the price down so you can come in at the last minute and get a bargain.

Make an Offer.

If the seller is selling an item using 'Buy it Now' and it still hasn't sold when the auction is about to end, use eBay's 'Best Offer' service to make them an offer on it. The chances are they've listed the item two or three times before, and they'll be so annoyed at the prospect of re-listing it yet again that they'll accept your offer just to get rid of the thing.

Conspire with Other Buyers.

You might not have thought of this, but if there are two auctions for the same item and only you and one other buyer are bidding, why not get together and work out a 'you take this one and I'll take that one' deal? This avoids you raising the price on both auctions just to get one each. If you make a few friends, you can even work together on auctions long-term, taking it in turns to bid.

Be Snobbish.

Send the seller emails asking questions about the condition of the item, and making it very clear that you are a discerning buyer and will only accept things of the highest quality. This will make them feel better about selling you their item for less.

Don't Feel Guilty.

There really are too many sellers on eBay now, to the point where you can get common items at very low prices. Long-term, this will probably force those sellers out of business, but that's the way a market works - it's supply and demand.

Buy in Bulk.

When auctions are slow, many sellers will have had the same stock for a long time. If you offer to take ten things off their hands all at once then you can almost name your price - the chances are that they'll fall over themselves to give you a good deal. If you come back again and buy another ten items then they'll love you even more.

The longer you spend on eBay, the more experienced you'll become - and the greater the chances are that you'll stumble across an auction for something very odd, and quite unexpected. In the next email, you'll hear all about the strangest eBay items ever sold.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:38 PM

June 14, 2010

Your eBay Marketing Plan

So, you have decided that millions of people can’t be wrong and an eBay business can make money. After you’ve done your product research there is another step to perform and it’s marketing. It takes time to establish a following and a reputation for quality, but having a plan in the beginning can speed things up. Here are some tips to help you steer your marketing efforts in the right direction.

What is Marketing?

For those who don’t know, marketing is how you get the word out about your products. Look at companies like Coca-Cola and Nike. These are reputable brands, but they had to be presented to the public in a variety of ways to get noticed.

Online marketing strategies for websites also work if your only presence in cyberspace is on eBay. Some use eBay as a sort of test market before going further and building websites to sell their products. eBay has a few fees they charge for their services, but these are nominal compared to the money you can make. Remember, it takes money to make money and if you’re serious about creating a profitable business at some point or another you’ll need to spend a little money.

Where to Begin

• Spread the News - Begin with word of mouth, or viral marketing. Tell your friends and family about your new business venture on eBay. Send them emails with links to your auctions so they can see just what it is you are up to.

• Email - Use your email in another way. Each time you send an email, you have the opportunity to “sign” them with a signature line. Use that signature line as a way to link to your auction listing or eBay store. Add a tagline like, “Come and see what’s new on eBay!”

• Customer Feedback - Ask for feedback from your buyers. Increasing the amount of positive feedback elevates your standing on eBay. Most people leave feedback anyway but send an email message to follow up after you ship your products as a customer service gesture to gauge their satisfaction and remind them to add feedback.

• Business Cards - Use business cards. In each package you ship add a business card so your name stays fresh in their minds. For informational products like eBooks and special reports, add a business card resource box on the last page of the product.

• Reward Repeat Customers - Offer coupons and other promotional offers for repeat clients. We say repeat clients because anyone can take advantage of an offer the first time and never return. If offer a discount to a customer when they next bid and win or make a fixed price purchase, they will come back. A discount on shipping will get their attention.

• Freebies - Add freebies to the packages you ship. Here’s an example. Let’s say that you are selling a bicycle. Add a bicycle pump or stickers (for a kids bike) to be used by the buyer. Include your logo and web address where applicable.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:42 AM

May 04, 2010

eBay Sellers: The Importance of Communication

Are you an eBay seller? If you just recently became an eBay seller, you may still be learning the ins and outs of eBay, particularly how to make a profit. While there are an unlimited number of tips that could help increase your chances of making a profit on eBay, like detailed product descriptions and such, there is one way that is relatively simple; having an open line of communication with all of your eBay buyers. Although you may not necessarily think about it at the time, communication goes a long way when it comes to online business transactions, particularly on eBay.

When it comes to keeping an open line of communication with your customers or potential customers, there are three main situations that you should take advantage of. First, if you are selling a popular item, you may have a number of bids or even a number of questions. If your product description wasn’t very detailed, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you to have messages from other eBay members seeking more information. While some of these questions may be good, valid ones, others may seem a little bit out in left field. In fact, some eBay member questions may leave you wondering if they even looked at your auction listing. Still, it is advised that you answer all user questions in a polite and timely matter. Doing so will increase the chances of your item or items being sold.

Once an eBay buyer has agreed to buy an item from you, whether it be through a traditional auction listing or a “Buy It Now,” sale, you will want to send your customer an invoice, showing the total amount of money that they owe you. After you have received payment, there is a good chance that you will box up the items sold and head to the post office. A great way to make a good impression is to send your customers an update email; an email that can let them know that their items were just shipped. Many eBay buyers like this because it gives them an estimated arrival time frame. Should you have purchased a package tracking number, you will want supply your customers with that information.

It is also advised that you follow through, within a few days or a week, to see if your customers received their items. You may also want to send a personal note asking them how they liked the items and such. One thing that you definitely want to include in a follow-up message is a thank you note. You will want to thank each of your eBay customers for doing business with you. You should also state that you hope to do business with them again. In today’s society, many consumers are not thanked for their business anymore, although many wish that they still were. Sending a thank you follow-up note will only take a few minutes of your time, but it is something that your customers will likely remember for sometime to come.

As it was stated above, having an open line of communication may increase your eBay profits. Why you may ask? Well, you need to think of it from a consumer standpoint. If you could shop at two different retail stores, which both had the same products available for the same prices, which store would you choose? If you are like most consumers, you would respond with the store with the best customer service. eBay is no different. With competition increasing each day, you need to be able to set yourself apart from other eBay sellers. The best way to do this is to go the extra mile for your customers.

Keeping an open line of communication before, during, and after each sale will help give you a good, positive reputation among many eBay buyers. It will also likely result in return customers; customers who can help to increase your eBay profits.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:54 AM

April 14, 2010

EBay Selling Business – Start Right and Avoid Shocks Later.

One of the great myths of any form of eBay selling and internet marketing in general is that the normal rules do not apply to online businesses. This is not true and you can be storing up future trouble for yourself if you do not realise this.

Although the rules may vary slightly around the world the basic rule is if you start up a business there are people you need to tell. These are usually the tax and revenue authorities and failing to inform them can lead to severe financial penalties.

From the moment that you decide to set up a business whether it is selling on eBay or whatever you need to start keeping records. You need to keep a record of all sales and all purchases and expenses. As I understand it eBay is bound to inform the tax authorities of who sells what on eBay so the authorities could find out exactly how much you have received. However, unless you keep records and copies of invoices for stock and other business expenses that you have incurred you may find it hard to claim these costs back. The sensible thing is to seek the help of a book keeper or accountant to help you with this.

It is also best to set up a special bank account purely for your business transactions. One of the first rules should be to keep your personal and business banking separate.

It is also important to decide what type of business entity you want to run. You have the choice of being a sole trader, partnership or corporation or in the UK a limited company. For most start ups it will be either a sole trader or partnership. In the USA the rules vary but you will need to register with the Sate Department of Revenue and in the UK the Revenue and Customs.

There are several good books setting out the rules for launching a new business. It could also be worth discussing it with your personal legal advisor.

Throughout the world the tax and revenue authorities have sweeping powers and if they have any reason to believe that you are not operating your business in a correct and legal manner can inflict harsh financial penalties
Therefore you can save yourself a great deal of time and trouble by making sure that you know the rules from the beginning and comply with them. One thing you can be certain of is that ignorance of the rules will not be accepted as a defence,

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:04 PM

March 29, 2010

eBay Sellers: Tips to Help Your eBay Items Sell

Are you an eBay seller? If you have been looking for a relatively easy way to make money, there is a good chance that you are. Different individuals use eBay, but many use eBay to make a little bit of extra money or even to financially support themselves and their families. If you are an eBay seller, how is everything currently going? Are you making as much money as you had hoped to? If not, you will want to continue reading on; as some tips are outlined below on how you can help to make sure that your eBay items sell.

When it comes to buying items on eBay, there are many eBay buyers who are the lookout for eBay scams. Before purchasing an item, one of the first things that an eBay buyer does is check the feedback of the seller. Doing business with a highly rated and recommended eBay seller reduces or completely eliminates the chances of getting scammed on eBay. Feedback helps to give you a good reputation, but there is something else that can help you get a good reputation too, an “About Me,” page. This is a page where you are able to introduce yourself and give a little bit of background information about yourself or your eBay business. “About Me,” pages are optional, but there are a number of benefits to having one.

Once an eBay buyer has learned that a seller who has an item that they want for sale is a reputable one, they will then continue to examine the product being sold. This is where your biggest chance of making a sale comes in. First, you will want to make sure that your products are being sold at a fair price. Keep in mind, when making your auction listings that you want to make a profit, but you don’t want to scare off any potential buyers with high prices. Just making sure that your prices are reasonable is enough to increase your chances of making a sale.

Secondly, you will want to make sure that you accurately describe all of your items that are being sold. For instance, if you are selling a lot or a group of children’s toys, you may want to take the time to list the names of each toy being sold. Outline the condition that each toy is in as well. If you are selling toys that require batteries, you may want to state whether or not the batteries are included. Providing a detailed, accurate description of all of your items will definitely increase the chances of them selling.

In addition to a detailed description, it is also important that you have pictures of your items. eBay allows you to post one free picture, but more can be posted for additional fees. Don’t let these additional fees deter you from posting additional pictures, as they are likely to increase the chances of making a sale. In fact, you may want to look into free photo sharing websites, such as PhotoBucket, as they allow you to post additional eBay pictures for free. When taking pictures of your eBay items, you will want to make sure that you take a number of close-up pictures. Also, make sure that the pictures are easy to see and that the lighting is good. Having poor pictures or no pictures at all is one of the many reasons why many eBay items go unsold.

The methods of payment that you accept may also have an important impact on how well your eBay items sell. One of the most common forms of payments used, to pay for eBay purchases, is PayPal. The reason why PayPal is so popular is because it enables shoppers to buy items from you, without having to disclose their account numbers. If you aren’t already accepting PayPal, you will want to look into doing so. Although most eBay buyers use PayPal, you will also want to remember that not everyone does. For that reason, you may also want to accept other methods of payment, including money orders or personal checks. The only thing with personal checks is that you may want to wait until the check clears before shipping the buyer their merchandise, especially with large purchases.

By implementing the above mentioned eBay seller tips, you may start seeing an increase in your eBay sales, even right away. In all honesty, you need to think of it from a seller perspective. Look at your auction listings; would you buy what you were selling?

Posted by Dave Bromley at 08:23 AM

Tips on Making Money on eBay, Not Losing It

Are you interested in becoming an eBay seller or are you a relatively new eBay seller? If so, you may still be learning the ins and outs of eBay. Selling on eBay is a great way to make money on the side or even enough to support yourself, but you have to be successful at what you do. Unfortunately, it can take time to fully learn the ins and outs of eBay, particularly how to become a profitable eBay seller, until now. Below some helpful tips are outlined; tips that you won’t necessarily find explained on eBay

eBay sellers are all required to pay fees to list their items for sale on eBay. You are charged two separate fees, a listing fee or insertion fee and a final value fee. For the final value fee, you are charged a percentage of the price that your item sold for. The insertion fee or listing fee is figured out a little bit differently. Instead of being charged a percentage, you are charged a set amount. For instance, at the current moment, it costs .20 to list an item up to .99 cents and .40 to list an item for sale between $1.00 and $9.99, and the fee scale continues up in a similar fashion. Please remember that this is just a sample. eBay regularly changes their fees; therefore, you are urged not to rely on the aforementioned fee samples.

Although eBay sellers must pay the eBay fees mentioned above, many do not take the time to thoroughly understand those fees. You are advised against doing that, as it may end up costing you money. For instance, many of the price ranges for eBay’s insertion fee scale ends at .99 cents. For you, this is a great opportunity to save money, but you must know how to do so. As stated above, if you list one of your items at $9.99, the sample insertion fee would be only .40 cents. Did you know that if you listed your item for $10.00, your insertion fee could jump up to around .60 cents! An extra .20 cents just for a penny is pretty expensive, especially if you list a number of eBay auctions that way. Before listing items for sale on eBay again, examine eBay insertion fee sale and see how you can easily save money, sometimes by just shaving a few cents off your asking price.

It has often been said that to be a successful eBay seller, you need to have good product descriptions and clear digital pictures of the item or items that you are selling. Of course, having a number of pictures in your eBay listings is a great way to increase your chances of making a sale, but it can be expensive doing so. eBay allows sellers to post one picture for free. Additional pictures can be purchased for a small fee, but that small fee can add up overtime. For that reason, many eBay sellers limit the number of pictures they put in their auctions; however, you do not want to do this. Instead, you will want to examine photo sharing sites. Photo sharing websites, like PhotoBucket are a nice, fee way to add more pictures to your eBay auctions. Register with a photo sharing site, like PhotoBucket, follow the instructions and you should be saving money in no time at all.

The above mentioned ways are just a few of the many ways that you can save money on eBay, not lose it. In all honesty, you should do a little bit of research first. Using the internet is a great way to research selling on eBay, as many other eBay users will share their money making secrets with you, free of charge.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 08:19 AM

March 11, 2010

Establishing a Niche Market on eBay

There are a number of ways to make money on the Internet. One of those ways is using the eBay marketplace to showcase your wares. But, just because you offer products doesn’t mean the customers will be beating down your virtual door. Learn how to establish your market and bring the customers to you in order to reach your success potential with eBay.

In order to bring buyers your way you must first know who your potential buyer is. You’ll need to narrow down your customer type as much as possible into what is known as a target market. You might be wondering how to do this. Keep reading to find out the answers.

What is a niche market?

Think of animals. In nature, each animal has its native habitat. Some nest on the ground, under the ground or in trees. Placing food in the right spot will attract the animals you want to see. The same goes for niche marketing online. You’ll need to strategically place your food in order to attract those hungry for it.

A niche market can be a smaller part of a larger market. As such, it is more specialized and therefore, more targeted. If 500 people live in an area, half of them probably won’t be interested in your products. That still leaves 250 people to target and make a sale. If your product sells for at least $100 each…do the math…that’s a lot of bread. So, how do you find your niche market?

Finding Your Niche Market

This will take a bit of time but once you find your market for your first product, the process will be simpler the next time around. People buy for a number of reasons. In this unstable economy, those reasons become even more important. Ask yourself what reason your product satisfies. Here are a few examples of things your product will want to do in order to keep your potential buyers attention and ultimately get them to buy from you.

• Does your product satisfy a need that must be met?
• Does it provide entertainment?
• Does it solve a problem efficiently?

If your product or for that matter, your service, does one or more of the things above, it will stand a chance amongst bidders on eBay. Now that you know you can compete, find out how many of those people who fall in your target niche are out there.

Look at similar products being sold right now on eBay. How are the auctions going? What are the winning bids? Are these people repeat buyers of other products in that same category? What time of year do the products sell the best?

All of this information can be used to see if a niche has been established on eBay. In that case, the number of bidders can help you estimate how large the niche is and if there is room for competition. If the particular niche has been exhausted, you might want to reconsider selling that specific product or possibly go about it in a different way.

Finding an untapped niche on eBay is rare, but it can be done. More than likely you can find a niche that has not been hit to its potential and establish yourself as a reputable supplier of a certain line of products. Researching a niche ahead of time saves wasted energy trying to sell something that won’t sell. On the flipside, if you take the time to do the research and find you’ve got a hot product on your hands, with some researching and testing you could very well find yourself making a nice chunk of change on eBay.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:16 AM

March 10, 2010

5 eBay Selling Tips

There has been a lot of nonsense written about eBay. Some experts will tell you that because eBay gives you access worldwide to offer your goods for sale it is relatively an easy way to make money. This is a misconception it is no easier to sell on eBay that anywhere else. You will need to develop a professional approach if you want to maximize your profits.

The one big plus point in favour of eBay is that it is an ideal starting point for just about anyone who wants to start selling on the Internet. Everyone from teenagers, stay at home moms and silver surfers have made a success of eBay selling. So how do they do it, here are 5 tips that could help you get started. These will help you get started and get off to a good start.

1. Do market research first. Just about everything has been sold on eBay but everything you sell won’t make you money. Take a look at auction results. Some products sell in cycles. What is popular today may not be popular at this time next year. If eBay is your business, you want to bring in more money than you are putting out.

2. Set your prices carefully. Again look at auction results. What is the most competitive price? Your laptop may be worth $300 but if laptops from the same manufacturing year are selling at $250, asking for $280 won’t make you competitive. Choose a price that is lower than the top selling price and charge more for secured shipping.

3. Work on your descriptions. Even though hundreds of thousands of people shop online every day, they are still skeptical about sketchy details. Leaving out pertinent facts about your product can be a turn off for buyers. If they think you are hiding something, they’ll be reluctant to buy.

4. Read all of eBay’s policies. The last thing you want is to run afoul of the law. eBay has policies in place to protect the seller AND the buyer. Non-compliance could get you sanctioned on the site. Ignorance is not an excuse. All you need to know can be found on eBay’s website in an easy-to-read format for users.

5. Decide on all aspects of selling before listing your products. How many people have forgotten to be specific about their shipping and payment methods? Who wants to wait for the check in the mail? We all know how that scenario usually turns out. There are guidelines for disputing with non-paying auction winners but you don’t want to have to use them. The same goes for shipping. If it costs you more for shipping than you anticipated, you won’t make any money.

Are you contemplating selling items on eBay? Use these five tips to get started today. There is much more to creating a successful business on eBay, but these will definitely help you begin on the right foot.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:32 AM

February 26, 2010

Selling on eBay - Are you ready to deliver?

Having placed an item up for sale on eBay, watched the biding go up and up and finally close the excitement is over. Shortly you will receive a cheque or Paypal will let you know they have the successful bidder’s payment and it will be time for you to ship the item. This can be the most time consuming part of the whole selling process.
If you get this wrong it could lead to a request for a refund and badly affect your feedback. Here are some suggestions to help this part of the process go smoothly.

Be Ready
Pack but do not seal your items before you list the item. This serves two purposes; first you can check the exact cost of shipping, either by the mail service or courier. This means you can set a fair shipping cost in your listing. If you charge it too much above the actual cost the buyer might complain and reflect this in their feedback, charge too little and you will lose money.

Know all of your costs.
There is more to the cost of shipping than just the postal of courier charges. Have you had to spend money on packaging materials? It would not be unreasonable to ad £1 to an item to cover the cost of packing materials. Does it cost you anything to take your packages to the post office or the distribution centre. Are there any insurance costs that need to be paid and if so who will pay them, you or the buyer?

Communicate
Once the auction or sale is over it is a good idea to email the buyer and congratulate them on their purchase. In the email you can also tell them when you expect to dispatch the item and suggest that if they do not receive it within a certain time to contact you. You can then promptly chase it up with the shipper.

Get it away
The quicker you can dispatch the item the faster it will get to the buyer. Nothing impresses buyers more than a fast delivery. It is one of the most commented upon facts in positive feedbacks.

Look at all the options
The majority of sellers rely on one shipper whether it is the mail service or a specific courier such as TNT or UPL. For small items normal mail may well be the best option but for bigger items or if you are selling large quantities on a regular basis it could be worth shopping around for quotes from all available shippers.

They say that the opera is not over till the fat lady sings, on eBay the sale is not over until the customer gets their goods.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 08:59 AM

February 11, 2010

5 Tips for work at home eBay sellers

There are many good reasons why working at home can be a good idea. It can be ideal for moms who want to be home when their children get back from school. It can also be a good idea for people who for one reason or another are confined to their homes. Selling items on eBay is a business that can make an excellent work from home business. However, if you decide that this is for you then you are going to have to set down some strict rules.

Working from home requires some strong discipline if you are going to make the best use of your time and maximise your profits. Here are 5 tips to help you achieve the most out of your business.

Tip 1. Your friends and family would never dream of phoning you at work to just have a chat or get you to run an errand for them. But when you work from home unless you educate them they will consider you permanently available. You should set down guide rule and tell them that from say 9 till 3 you will be working and are unavailable for any non-work related task or to talk.

Tip 2. Draw up a daily time table and try to stick to it. Of course there will be times when something will crop up that means that you have to alter your plan but the more you stick to it the more you will get done. A good idea is to list the jobs you wish to get done that day and prioritize them. Then start with the most important and work your way through your list.

Tip 3. Focus on those jobs that will generate income for you such as posting to eBay or dispatching sold items. Leave jobs such as tidying your workspace or creating a filing system until you have some spare time.

Tip 4. Cut down on all non-productive work. It is amazing how much time you can waste just checking your emails. Make a rule to check your email first thing in the morning and just before you finish for the day. It can be tempting to check every hour to see if you have any sales but it is a big waste of time and it is also easy to get side tracked once you open your mailbox.

Tip 5. Guess what? You are not going to be good at everything. Jobs that you do not like doing or have no talent for will take at least twice as long as they should. In this case it makes economic sense to outsource. This might be book keeping or web design but paying someone else to do in an hour what might take you 5 hours is the sensible option.

Just because you are working from home it does not mean that you can be any less professional than any other type of business. But with a little discipline you will be able to make a success of your home based business

Posted by Dave Bromley at 10:47 AM

February 02, 2010

eBay Selling – Think like the supermarkets.

In this article I am going to put forward a very simple and profitable business plan that will help you make money initially selling products on eBay. What I suggest you do is to take a leaf out of the supermarkets that attract the customers to their store with reduced priced loss leaders.

The first step I this process is to find yourself a niche market. This is a small but relatively prosperous market that is willing to spend money. For instance Golf is a main market, but Golf Shoes or Golf balls might be niche markets. Find your niche which should ideally be in an area that you already have some and interest and knowledge in.

The next stage is to find some products to sell in your niche. It should be a good quality product that you are going to be able to offer at a lower price than your competitors. As well as price look for other incentives that you can add to your offer such as a bonus and a long guarantee. What you are trying to do is make your offer as attractive and inviting as possible, The whole point of this first sale is not necessarily to make a profit but to build up a list of customers.

Once a customer makes a purchase from this your front end you can offer them a discount on their next purchase or offer them a free downloadable gift such as an eBook in exchange for their email address.

As your list grows you will be able to email offers to them on a regular basis. At this stage it is also a good idea to build a web site where you can advertise a\ll the products that you have for sale. At one time it used to be very difficult to build your own web site but now thanks to Wordpress a website blog very simply. If you go to the search engines and type in “wordpress” you will find plenty of free instruction on how to do this.

The whole purpose of the exercise is to build a rapport between yourself and your customers so that you can offer them products outside of eBay. Why pay listing and final valuation fees when you do not need to? Even when you have your web site and mailing list you should still continue offering loss leaders on the auction site because it is still one of the cheapest ways to initially advertise your goods for sale on the Internet.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 08:57 AM

January 30, 2010

Could your business benefit from being on eBay?

In these financially troubled times many small businesses are looking for ways to expand their markets and increase turnover. It is not surprising that many see eBay as an opportunity to do just that. After all eBay is one of the largest online retail sites with over 180 million buyers annually.

Therefore it is easy to see why it can appear such an inviting option but many small companies have discovered it is not as easy as it looks. In fact some have invested heavily only to make losses and retire from the fray. If you are thinking of trying to break into this market here are some of the points you should consider.
Do your homework first. EBay has been online in the USA since 1995 and the UK since 1999. Over that period a large number of companies and individuals have mastered the techniques that are required to be successful on eBay. They are experts and you are going to be competing against them.
If you can, appoint one person to be responsible for your eBay business. Get them to buy some things from the site; this will not only give them a little experience but help build up your companies’ feedback. Get them to study your competitors on eBay, look at their listings, prices and general way they operate. The idea is that you are going to look for their strengths so that you can copy them and their weaknesses so that profit from them.
There is no other marketplace where you can monitor your competition as completely as eBay. You can not only find out what they sell but how many for how much. Once all this information has been gathered you can begin the planning phase.
If you already have a bricks and mortar business there should be little need for any big investment. You will probably be selling items online that you already stock. In most cases anything you sell online at above cost will represent additional business profit. (Not forgetting to take out eBay and Paypal costs of course).
Planning is going to be critical to your success but the other important point is that you should continually monitor both your company’s performance and that of eBay. It is an ever changing market and what works this year may not work next. However, with careful planning and good control eBay could offer you a good way to increase turnover.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:47 AM

December 20, 2009

eBay - Why it Makes Sense to Buy in Bulk

By D J Bromley

eBay sellers have one continual problem, where to get products to sell or auction. If you go to your local flea market you can see the desperate "would be" online entrepreneurs looking for bargains that they can sell on eBay. Why do they bother?

Buying individual items, photographing and listing them is time consuming work.

Then add the time for packaging and taking to the mail and you will have devoted hours of your time for how much real profit?

There has to be a simpler way and fortunately there is. Buy items in bulk either from a manufacturer, wholesaler or dropshipper. Buy 20 or more of the same item and you only have to take one photograph, write one listing. That can add up to a great deal of time saved.

Another good source for buying bulk items is eBay's own wholesale category were you can find a wide range of goods for sale. Personally I look for smaller items that will fit into a "Jiffy" bag as this makes packaging easier and faster.

The big argument against bulk buying is the risk that you could be left with a pile of product you cannot sell. Providing you have studied your market this is unlikely to happen and if it does you can probably recover your money by selling them back as a bulk lot on eBay!

Another consideration is the fact that unless you are dropshipping you will have to put the money up front. If you can't afford to do that now perhaps you will have to go to the flea markets and charity shops for items to sell until you have built up enough cash to bulk buy.

The other option is to get stock from a dropship company. Basically you list items for sale and when you get a sale the dropship company post out the item on your behalf to your customer. You then pay the dropshipper and the difference between what you pay and what you charged your customer is profit. There are some very good dropship companies but there are also some who are not genuine wholesalers but more "middle men". If you deal with these companies it can be difficult to make much profit.

If you are not careful buying and selling individual items can make you a slave of your own eBay business. If you feel this could be happening to you why not think about bulk buying. Remember you started your eBay selling business to make money not work all hours so learn to work smarter not harder. Buying in bulk can help you do this.

To learn about Selling on eBay and learn the latest eBay news Click Here.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?eBay---Why-it-Makes-Sense-to-Buy-in-Bulk&id=2492362] eBay - Why it Makes Sense to Buy in Bulk

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:25 AM

December 14, 2009

Building a Business on eBay - 5 Tips on How to Start

At some time or other many of us think about starting a business selling items on eBay. It all sounds pretty simple but for some it never gets past the thinking stage. Others do try it but soon discover it is not quite as easy as they thought it was and give up. There are also the few who persevere and do build themselves a profitable business

Some people achieve success purely by luck, having the right product at the right time but others planned to ensure that they did not fail. In this article I want to give you 5 tips for anyone thinking of starting out as a seller on eBay which will help them plan for success.

Tip 1. You are in the business for the long term so look at the various markets and select one that you have some interest or experience in. Ask yourself will you still be interested in selling to this market in 5 or 10 years' time?

Tip 2. Study the market on eBay. Are there plenty of products being offered and more importantly are there buyers willing to spend money in your chosen market. It is well worth spending time researching both inside and outside of eBay for your chosen market. Visit forums and blogs that your potential customers might visit and find out as much about them as you can.

Tip 3. Having found out as much as you can about your market and your future customers it is time to start researching your competition. Discover which categories they use and what their techniques for marketing are. It can often pay to place an order with your competitors to see what kind of service they provide. At this stage you are looking for any weaknesses that you can exploit when you start selling your products. Remember your service does not need to be perfect just better than your competitors.

Tip 4. Test the water. Do not rush in and spend thousands buying large quantities of stock. Go slowly, test and test again. There is no rush, you are in this for the long term and if you only buy 10 of your first product and it fails you have not lost a lot. You can now search around find another product and try again.

Tip 5. Just keep at it and persevere. Success does not come overnight for most people. It takes time for any business to build and as it grows you gain in experience. Certainly you will make mistakes along the way but as long as you learn from those mistakes you and your eBay business should prosper.

Wherever you are in the world to learn how eBay is changing and how you can build a profitable [http://www.ukauctionline.co.uk]Online Auction Business visit [http://www.ukauctionline.co.uk]http://ww.ukauctionline.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=D_J_Bromley http://EzineArticles.com/?Building-a-Business-on-eBay---5-Tips-on-How-to-Start&id=3366401

Posted by Dave Bromley at 02:54 PM

November 20, 2009

Selling on eBay - Are you ready to deliver?

Be Ready

Pack but do not seal your items before you list the item. This serves two purposes; first you can check the exact cost of shipping, either by the mail service or courier. This means you can set a fair shipping cost in your listing. If you charge it too much above the actual cost the buyer might complain and reflect this in their feedback, charge too little and you will lose money.

Look at all the options
The majority of sellers rely on one shipper whether it is the mail service or a specific courier such as Fedex or UPL. For small items normal mail may well be the best option but for bigger items or if you are selling large quantities on a regular basis it could be worth shopping around for quotes from all available shippers.

They say that the opera is not over till the fat lady sings, on eBay the sale is not over until the customer gets their goods.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 02:26 PM

November 10, 2009

Don't make it all hard work

It has never ceased to amaze me that so many people are prepared to work so hard for so long to make so little on eBay. Despite all those emails that tell you it is possible to make thousands of pounds for a few hours work on eBay the truth is it can be really hard work.

Take the case of those intrepid individuals who spend their spare time scouring around car boot sales and charity shops searching for bargains to sell online. By the time they have calculated their travelling expenses, time spent looking for items, listing and photographing the profit in the end can be pretty small.

It must be similar to being on a treadmill forever chasing the next product, the next bargain. Unless you are dealing in high ticket items any eBay business that relies on selling individual products is going to be labour intensive.

The obvious answer is to buy items in bulk so that you can sell a large quantity of one product and yet only write one listing and take one photograph. Selling multiple items also makes the packing and shipping a lot easier.

The first problem for any would be eBay entrepreneur is to find a suitable source of products. The 5 options, manufacturers, wholesalers, dropshippers, offline auctions and eBay wholesale category.

Manufacturers. Most manufacturers will only supply large companies direct but there might be opportunities if you deal with smaller manufacturers.

Wholesalers: These days it is quite easy to find wholesalers by going onto Google and typing in the product your interested in + “wholesaler” (i.e beauty products + wholesaler).

Dropshippers. A dropshipping is a method by which you advertise the product without actually purchasing it. The dropshipper will ship it out for you when you make a sale and pay him. Your profit is the difference between what you pay the dropshipper and what you charge your customer.

Offline Auctions. Most major towns have an offline auction house and some specialise in bankrupt and liquidated stock . It can be worth getting on their catalogue list.

eBay Wholesale category. It is always worth browsing through the wholesale sections of eBay. I have found quite a few lots there that could be broken down into individual items.

In the coming months we are going to look at all 5 of these options in detail so make sure you visit UKAuctionline regularly.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 02:03 PM

June 07, 2009

The times they are a changing

Hi Everyone

An interesting article from the desk of our good friend Dave Bromley. Please read on.

Regards
Steve H

If you have been around as long as me you may remember when eBay was a novelty and you could just about sell anything through the online auction. How things have changed. Buyers are becoming more demanding, more critical and more cautious.

This means that to be successful in today’s market sellers have to change their approach. To be fair many sellers having been adapting their approach to the changing market conditions for many years have prospered as a result.

To put it simply to become a successful eBay marketer requires professionalism, a business like attitude and quite a bit of work. The days of quickly throwing something up on eBay are long gone.

So does this mean the end of the good times for eBay sellers? It does if you are someone who just wants to put any old rubbish up on eBay and hope to make a quick buck. When eBay was first launched 14 years ago it was like amateur night, everyone was feeling their way and learning as they went along. Fourteen years later most of the lessons have been learnt and if you want to succeed on eBay you have to offer quality and value in a professional manner.

If you are prepared to do this then there is an opportunity for anyone to build a business using eBay as a launch pad. But as you build your business you need to be prepared to diversify. Relying on eBay as your sole outlet in the future could be a mistake.

Another eBay old wives tale was that if you sold on Bay you did not need a web site. That may have been true in the past but today no serious seller would consider having their own web site. Using your About Me page and flyers with the items you send out you can build up visitors to your site. You can then turn those visitors into customers without the need to pay any further eBay fees.

Why make life difficult for yourself? Don’t try and sell anything, sell the things people want. Sell them in a professional manner and operate your whole selling business in the same manner. Sure you might ell the odd refrigerator to an Eskimo but I bet you could sell them a lot more fur coats.

By Dave Bromley

Dave Bromley has been a registered member of eBay since 1999 and has written

both on and off line on subjects related to online auctions. You can read his blog at "http://www.ukonlineauctionnews.com"

Posted by at 12:19 PM

April 22, 2009

Ebay – Develop a sales system

Hi everyone

It is very easy to use eBay, you do not need any particular computing or marketing skills. In fact anyone can sell on eBay and while this is the sites strength it also leads many sellers taking the easy option and not bothering to build themselves a proper sales system.

If you are serious about becoming a regular seller and want to make the maximum number of sales you need to develop some sort of sales system. Think of this if you like as a kind of checklist.

Regards
Steve H

How much do you k now about the product or products you are selling? You can be certain that you will get questions from would be buyers or bidders and the more knowledgeable you are about your product the quicker and fuller will be the answer you can give.

So Check 1, know your products.

Have you got good photographs of your products? These days’ digital cameras are very inexpensive and there is no reason why you cannot produce some god images. Do not rely on photographs from manufacturers’ brochures or images you have taken from the Internet.

Check 2. Get good photographs.

How does your headline and description n compare with your competitors? It is pretty certain you will not be the only person selling your type of product on eBay. Check you competitors, look at their listing and be honest with yourself, having seen the listings who would you buy from them or you?

Check 3, Look at the competition.

What is your marketing image like? I don’t mean your photographs but how do you as a seller come across to your customers. Do you appear as a professional marketer or as someone who is doing a bit of casual selling? Professionals don’t use creased second time around wrapping paper to send their items out in They do not rely on tatty hand written notes but use computer generated stationary. Whenever you buy anything from eBay study the condition of the packaging material and consider what initial impression does this give you.

Check 4. Make sure your items are packaged securely and create a favorable first impression.

Finally once you have made a sale, you have created a pathway to the customer, so use it. Send them an email to let them know that you have dispatched the item. A few days later send a second to check that your customer I happy with the purchase. All of this helps create a rapport between you and your customer. Also if you have other items for sale or a web site why not send details of these in the package. The joy of this is that if they generate any further sales you do not have to pay eBay anything.

The real message is that if you want to become a serious seller on eBay you need to get organized and build a system. A systematic approach will single you out from the majority of eBay sellers and greatly increase your prospects of building a successful; eBay business.

Best Regards
Steve Haddock
http://www.ukauctionline.co.uk/

Posted by at 01:52 PM

April 21, 2009

Four Reasons Why Those Who Don't Diversify With EBay Alternatives Will Die

A very interesting article, but please please be careful. My own foray into dealing with a company from China ended up costing me £1,100. Once bitten twice shy.

Regards
Steve H

Every entrepreneur eventually learns that earning all of your income from one source can be a dangerous thing.

A lot of people who engage in reselling have come to depend on eBay for their entire incomes, or for their extra income if they are reselling part time.

When one site is relied on too much, it can be devastating to a home business when the rates are raised, as eBay does so regularly.

Here are four reasons why you shouldn't discount the smaller eBay alternatives:

** You can pick up regular customers on smaller sites who will be loyal to you because of the smaller number of sellers who sell the items that you do. **

Making sales to regular customers is a lot easier than finding new ones, so cultivating as many new regulars as possible can be extremely profitable.

** You can tap new markets by appealing to people who have left eBay because of their dissatisfaction with the site. **

Some buyers have left the site- particularly those who didn't like using PayPal once checks and money orders became against the rules.

The buyers who left have found an alternative to eBay. If you want their business, you have to be on those other sites.

** If you are reselling, you can run into resellers selling the exact same things on eBay- sometimes dozens of them. **

By branching out onto smaller sites, you can avoid a great deal of that competition.

**If your profit margin is fairly slim, another rate hike on eBay may mean little or no profit for your home business. **

If you have listings on other sites that charge less, you have those listings to fall back on if a new rate hike threatens your profits.

Having listings on more than one site also provides something that no one site can provide- peace of mind.

If all of your sales come from just one place, you may always have the worry in the back of your mind about the site going down, site updates disrupting your listings, price increases and even feedback sabotage by a disgruntled buyer.

If you have spread out across the Internet, that will be one less thing that you have to worry about.

What are you waiting for, get out there now and start checking out some of the eBay alternatives that are free, have more targeted customer groups and are available to you now.

You will not only be boosting your profits tenfold you will also be protecting yourself from future changes on eBay and potential listing hijack by competitors.

Now that's one hell of a reason to try out an eBay alternative.

Article by Rose Li

Explore potential eBay alternatives now! Visit http://www.chinavasion.com/ebay_alternatives.html to see a massive dynamic list of eBay alternatives from Chinavasion.com

Rose Li is the PR Manager for Chinavasion, China's top electronic wholesaler. Interested in getting the best wholesale deals from China's best dropshipper visit http://www.chinavasion.com

Posted by at 02:04 PM

April 17, 2009

eBay.co.uk Sellers: Spring 2009 Update

Hi Everyone

eBay.co.uk have just announced a series of changes that I feel needed to be brought to your attention, please read on and if further information is required just go the the relevant section when next logging in to your eBay account.

Best Regards
Steve H

We wanted to let you know about some changes that will happen in the week commencing 15th June 2009.

From now on, we're going to try to give you as much advance notice as possible of changes to eBay that affect your business. We are also going to group those changes into two major releases for 2009.

Here's an overview of the first release for 2009. You will be able to find out more details about each change by clicking the relevant links.

Better listings to drive more sales

* New item page rolling out to all of eBay. Get your listings ready now.

* New eBay product pages shown to more buyers. List using product details from a catalogue.

* New way to list in Buy It Now allows you to offer all variations of one product - e.g. colour and size - in a single low-cost listing.

* Introducing free pictures in the Clothes, Shoes & Accessories categories, and a new webfile upload option.

Making selling on eBay more efficient

* New Smart FAQ to answer buyers top 20 questions before they contact you.

* Easy Returns, a new way for you to manage returns in the Resolution Centre and automatically get your Full Value Fee (FVF) credit.

* Customise item specifics when the available choices don't apply to your item.

Policy & other changes to selling on eBay

* Introducing free P&P in selected Clothes Shoes & Accessories and Tech categories (accessories only), plus Final Value Fee promotion for Shop owners.

* New, more efficient process for handling disputes.

* Extended deadlines for mandatory specification of dispatch time

* Category changes - find out if your listings are affected.

* Policies relating to multiple-item listings changing.

Regards,

The eBay Team

Posted by at 09:35 AM

March 19, 2009

Increasing your listing visibility on eBay.co.uk. AdCommerce now available for UK sellers

If you're a seller on eBay.co.uk looking to increase the visibility of your listings, eBay AdCommerce is a new tool to help you do just that. Adcommerce is available on eBay.co.uk. See below for further details

About eBay AdCommerce:
eBay AdCommerce is a pay-per-click advertising programme that lets eBay sellers promote their listings and eBay Shops via ads ('sponsored results') on eBay search result pages.

AdCommerce is another powerful advertising option for eBay sellers who want to drive more traffic to their listings and eBay Shops. Your ads will be shown on search results pages to buyers that are searching for a keyword, which covers your item.

How AdCommerce works:

Let's say you sell laptops and want your ad to appear when buyers search for the keyword 'computer' on eBay. You would need to decide your maximum 'cost per click' bid for the keyword 'computer'; that is, how much you're willing to pay each time a buyer clicks on your ad after running a search for 'computer'.

If you're one of the highest bidders in terms of cost per click for that keyword, your ad - which can include a title, a short description, and an optional image - will appear near the bottom of the search results page when a buyer runs a search for 'computer'.

When you create these kinds of advertising campaigns with AdCommerce, you can specify the maximum you want to spend on clicks. Once your budget is used up, your ads will stop appearing or you can add to your budget if you want to continue advertising.

With AdCommerce, there are no setup fees and no minimum payments: you pay only when a buyer clicks on your ad and goes to your listing or eBay Shop.

Get started now
It only takes a few minutes to register and create your first ad. To get started now, or read more about the service, go to http://www.adcommerce.co.uk.

Regards,

The eBay Team

Posted by at 08:45 PM

November 14, 2008

Mastering Your eBay Product Descriptions

Hi Everyone

I found another great article that you may find of value.

Regards
Steve H

If you have ever poked around eBay before, you have probably realized that there are quite a few businesses that count on eBay for a chunk of their revenue. That doesn't mean that there isn't room for your online store, but it does mean that you will have a bit of competition waiting for you when you decide to open your own online business. While price is always a good way to beat the competition, there are other answers. The easiest, and least expensive, way to set yourself apart from your competitors is with expertly written product descriptions. If you are thinking about selling wholesale DVDs and CDs, your product descriptions may be the final deciding factor that people take into account before picking the retailer they want to go with. Here are a few handy product description writing tips.

First, use colorful language. If your product descriptions are boring, chances are, you won't be moving much in the way of merchandise. If you can use exciting descriptions that point out the good points of every film you sell, such as great action, wonderful acting and amazing special effects, people will automatically be more likely to buy from you than from your competition.

One big hazard that everyone who sells wholesale DVDs and CDs needs to watch out for is that they are selling a 100 percent authentic product to their customers. It is possible to make cheap knockoffs of some DVDs and CDs on your home computer and people are going to need to be reassured that your product is not one of these. When you write your product description, make sure you include a line that reassures the customer that they are only buying authentic, studio issued DVDs and CDs and not copies.

One thing that always puts a customer's mind at ease is routine. When you see products for sale on sites like Amazon.com, you notice that the same format and page style is used for every single product. It is a good idea to adopt this style for your online store. Start with a general description of the product, maybe follow it with a professional review that you give proper credit for and then finish with what critics had to say. No matter which format you choose, make sure you use the exact same format on every CD or DVD you sell. It will reassure your customer base that you are on the up and up.

Finally, you never want to make a habit of intentionally navigating customers away from your web page, but it can also be a good resource if you post a link or two about the movie or product you are selling, simply have the link open in a new window, which allows the customer to stay on your ordering page. Customers will like having an Internet Movie Database link for every film, but you need to protect your interests, as well.

Your product descriptions can make or break your business, so put in some extra effort and sit back and watch the cash roll in.

About the Author - by Brent Crouch

Dvd Movies Wholesale. Buy dvds at wholesale prices and resell for a profit.
http://www.jillianentertainment.com/support/

Posted by at 12:09 PM

February 28, 2008

Ebay Ebook Success Tips: Get Free Ebooks To Resell On Ebay!!!

By Thomas Parker

With the spiraling eBay fees and competitive pricing, the last
thing eBay ebook sellers want to worry about is buying new
resealable content. However, there are many sources that you may
not have thought about which provide you with free resealable
ebooks that you can successfully add to your inventory. This
article details just a few of them.

1) Ebay:- That's right eBay is a great source to pick up free
ebooks (OK they're not quite free but very cheap). Many ebook
sellers run auctions that start at 1p to attract customers. If
nobody bids on these auctions you can pick up a very cheap
resellable ebook.

Furthermore, some sellers run 1p ebook listings in their eBay
store. That means that you can actually purchase the item as a
Buy It Now for 1p and in some cases receive it instantly. Again
another way to pick up a very cheap resellable ebook, courtesy
of eBay. Do a search on eBay for "ebooks, resell" or something
similar, and then list them lowest priced first to see what you
find.

2) Newsletters:- When you signed up for this newsletter I gave
you two free ebooks. Some newsletters that I am currently a
member of give me 5 free ebooks every week. I would recommend
joining ebook related newsletters as not only do you receive
valuable tips from that ebook seller, you also get free products
to add to your eBay store. Have a browse through eBay for the
top ebook sellers. If they have a newsletter join it. It costs
nothing and you are likely to benefit greatly.

3) Ebooks:- Usually when you buy a new ebook it contains links
to many bonus ebooks with resell rights. Although you may have
to pay for the first ebook, this is another way to get a
plentiful collection of free resellable ebooks.

4) Online Forums:- Many users at online forums will give away
free resellable ebooks or give away links that allow you to
access free ebooks with resell rights. Just have a browse
through the posts and see what you can find.

5) Ebook Websites:- Many websites that sell ebooks have a free
download page. From this you can download free ebooks which
quite often come with resell rights. Type "resell ebooks" into
Google or any other major search engines, and have a browse
through these websites. I am sure you will find more than enough
ebooks to keep you going for a while.

Although free ebooks with resell rights are likely to be
outdated in relation to the ones you pay for they are still a
good way to bulk up your inventory at relatively little cost.
The larger your store inventory is as an ebook seller, the more
chance that you will get a sale. If you bulk up your inventory
with free resealable ebooks which you then sell alongside the
more expensive, up to date, resealable ebooks you are sure to
enjoy increased success. Good Luck with your Ebook Sales!!!

About the Author: Tom Parker has been selling ebooks and
software with resell rights on eBay since 2003 at
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/theebookcavern. In 2006 he created
http://www.theebookcavern.co.uk/ intends to sell his own ebook.
He also opened http://www.theebookcavernreviews.co.uk/ which
reviews the best ClickBank products available.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:16 AM

September 07, 2007

Taking Advantage of "Slow" eBay Auctions.

Wait to Bid.

Make an Offer.

Conspire with Other Buyers.

Be Snobbish.

Don't Feel Guilty.

Buy in Bulk.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:13 PM

September 03, 2007

Don�t lose track of the figures when selling on eBay

Selling on eBay may not be rocket science and you do not need to have a degree in Mathematics to become a successful eBay seller. But if you are to maximize your returns you will have to become pretty skillful at handling and understanding the numbers.. Getting your math right is necessary because costing is an important component of online business and if you do not understand the technicalities, you might easily end up paying more than what you might actually be earning. eBay is all about offering cheap deals, rebates, discounts, freebies etc, all of which imply that as a seller you will have to learn to work your way around tight margins, something that can be done easily by utilizing basic math principles, tools and techniques.

It would not have been a problem if you had low sale volumes, say around 10 to 20 unit sales per month because then you could just use a calculator to assess your overall costs and profitability. However, if you are a high-volume seller, you need to employ standard costing tools and techniques because then the calculations will become more complex. The calculations will then involve all the associated cost components such as unit product cost, in bound shipping costs (if any), listing fees, and paypal account charges. Moreover, since some of these cost components vary depending on the type of product, you will have to take extra precautions to ensure that your calculations are accurate and represent the true state of your existing online business. Once you get a clear picture, you will know exactly where you need to make changes so as to reduce costs and improve overall profitability.

By getting your math right, you can also make accurate demand forecasts, based on which you can then place your purchase orders. This will automatically result in a substantial reduction in inventory carrying costs, leading to improved profitability. Improving your math aptitude will also enable you to design and test different types of rebate and discount schemes, just to check which scheme gets the attention of customers and is most profitable.

It might be that you were weak in math in school, but still you do not need to lose sleep because all you will be required to do is basic calculations involving simple functions such as subtraction, addition, multiplication, division, percentage calculations etc. So, if you are not too sure of your mathematical abilities, but still want to become a top-notch eBay seller, it is recommended that you sign up for a crash course, even if it is just a day long. Getting the math right is a prerequisite for eBay sellers and should not be overlooked.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 01:19 PM

August 31, 2007

10 Ways to ensure positive feedback

Your reputation on eBay will depend very much upon your feedback score which is your biggest eBay selling tool bar none. If you have poor eBay feedback you will struggle to make sales and your eBay business will suffer. Therefore you have to protect your eBay feedback as much as possible. Here are 10 tips that will help you maintain an excellent feedback rating and ensure that neutral or negative feedbacks are kept to a minimum. (You will inevitably and almost certainly unfairly pick up the odd negative because there are some strange people around.)

1. Always be polite in all correspondence. This goes without saying, you should always treat your customers with respect and give them a pleasant buying experience. By doing so you may gain a customer for life.

2. Avoid excessive shipping charges. If you charge �5 shipping for an item and the cost is only �1 you are leaving yourself open to negative feedback.

3. Mail your items as soon as possible. Don�t wait till the end of the week. Taking too long to deliver your goods means you are risking your feedback. You should always aim to have items packaged and sent within 48 hours of payment.

4. Make sure your item description is accurate. Don�t say your item is as good as new if it�s not. This is probably the most common reason for negative feedback.

5. Answer emails promptly. Don�t wait days and days to answer any queries. This only makes your customer frustrated and this can result in a negative comment.

6. List any flaws your item has. If the item you are selling has a scratch or mark say so or you could be left a negative comment for a poor item description.

7. Don�t retaliate to awkward customers. Sometimes you may get an awkward or offensive customer, that�s life. Don�t retaliate, just deal with their query in a polite and professional manner. This usually ends in the customer apologising and excellent feedback follows.

8. Accept returns. If a customer is not happy with your product for whatever reason allow them to return the item and refund their purchase minus shipping fees. You can then cancel the transaction through eBay and you will get your fees returned and therefore wont be out of pocket. This leaves you free to relist the item with your feedback intact.

9. Package your items carefully. If you are selling delicate items make sure they are packaged carefully with plenty of protection, the last thing you want is your customer to receive damaged goods.

10, Don�t leave feedback first. If you do you are leaving yourself open to negative comments. A happy customer will always leave feedback first, if you leave feedback first you will learn the hard way, trust me.

Remember! Your customer is a real living person. I think sometimes people forget this, try to make the whole buying experience as easy and pleasant as possible. Your customers are the lifeblood of your eBay business and your number one goal should be to make them happy. This can only result in excellent feedback and in turn success for your eBay business.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 10:03 AM

August 28, 2007

Selling Children's Items on Ebay

Selling for a profit on eBay is easy when you have kids. People are earning hundreds of pounds a month by selling child related items. Here are some general ideas to help you get started.

Childrens Items You Can Sell

Clothes, toys and videos are good money makers on eBay.

Go to eBay and look up a "lot" of size six girl's cloths. You will find they are expensive! The average price for a lot of 20 good conditioned clothes is about �17.

When your kids grow out of their seasonal clothes do not throw them out. Bundle them into different lots by category. For example bundle girls dresses separate from girls play clothes, but only do that if you have at least six of each different type.

Lots of any item sell better than single items unless the item is unique or high priced. For example, a hand embroidered dress that you paid a lot for would sell better by itself instead of bundled with other basic dresses.

The next item to lookup on eBay is toys. Most toys in good condition will sell for a lot of money. One idea that works well is to buy hot items in October at Wal-Mart or Toys-R-Us and sell them on eBay. Busy people are willing to pay extra for the convenience of getting the items delivered to their home. For example, last year a Mega Power Ranger came out in stores around October and sold at Toy R Us for about �25. The same item sold on eBay for up �35 plus shipping. The Yellow Power Ranger is yet another example where the store price was about �3 but was sellin gon eBay for around �10.

Have your children ever received duplicate birthday or Christmas presents? You can sell those on eBay also. Look at the eBay listings for items of interest to see if selling on eBay is worth more than returning the item to the store.

Kid's videos and DVDs are also good money-makers. Bundle about three of these together, and you can usually make about �3 - �6 per bundle. Bundle more and the money goes up. Disney movies in hard cases can go for a higher amount. This also works for other types of movies as well.

Save those McDonalds toys. Some Kids Meals toys sell high. Take the new Star Wars toys from Burger King...very collectible. You will find them selling on eBay from �1 to �3, not including shipping.

Ebay has a whole section devoted to dolls and bears. If your daughter doesn't want her collectible dolls anymore sell them on eBay.

Kids Crafts You Can Sell

Around the holidays, especially, have your children place their hand in paint and make a print on some quality paper. Add a holiday related poem and you have a great craft to sell on eBay.

Have your kids make gift jars with ready made mixes. For example, hot chocolate mixes in a jar with a plastic spoon tied to it with a ribbon. Dip the end of the spoon with white chocolate.

Baby Items You Can Sell

Used baby items are very profitable. Baby items cost a lot of money, especially in their first year. Any "gently" used items are generally good sellers on eBay.

If you have baby coupons that you will never use, sell them on eBay! Left over diapers and formula sell well also. A lot of 35 used cloth diapers usually sells for around �15 plus shipping..

There you have it. Plenty of ideas for selling those leftover kids items on eBay...and you can even make a nice profit while you are at it!

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:06 AM

August 24, 2007

eBay Description Writing Tips

A well written description can add many add pounds to your final selling price it is well worth spending some time thinking about your item descriptions.

At its heart, your item description is an ad. Without making it too obvious, you should be writing sales copy. You're trying to get buyers excited about your products, and that's usually hard - but on eBay, if you have the right thing to sell and give enough details, the buyers almost excite themselves.

Technical Details

Include every technical detail you know, including the item's manufacturer, its condition, how big it is, where and when it was made, its history, and anything else special about it. Don't be too boring, though: the best descriptions are written in friendly, conversational language, and show a real knowledge of the item. Whatever you do, make sure you tell the truth!

Remember that most of the people who'll be buying your item will be just as knowledgeable about it as you are, if not more - this is their hobby, and they're experts. Don't feel like you need to explain the basics of the item: just go into as much technical detail as you can. As a rule, don't write anything in the description if you don't know what it means, as the chances are someone will, and if you've got it slightly wrong then you'll look like you don't know what you're talking about.

Interesting Details

You might find that you enjoy writing a few things about how you got the item, why you're selling it, and who you think might like it. This isn't strictly necessary, but it gives your auctions some character and a personal touch, and can make people more likely to trust you. People might wonder what you're doing selling 500 CDs all at once, and if you tell them the reason, then they'll feel reassured that nothing dodgy is going on. If you're selling them because you're having a baby and you need the space, just say so.

Write as Much as You Can

Leave nothing out of your description, even if that seems to you like it makes it cumbersomely long. There is no way you can be too thorough: someone, somewhere will appreciate that you took the time to write the extra information.

Don't assume that anyone who wants extra information will email you to ask a question: many buyers are shy and won't do it. Think of questions that buyers might have and add the answers to your description, as people generally tend to ask the same questions over and over again.

Each time a buyer does email you with a question, you should both answer their question and update your description so that it will include the answer next time. If people ask questions that are answered in the description, try putting these parts of the auction on a line alone, or in bold, to make them easier to notice.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 10:26 AM

August 06, 2007

Why You Should Specialize on eBay

Specializing in one particular area is a great way to ensure that you make the most possible money out of your ventures. There are many reasons why you should specialize in one area, but I will discuss a few of the most important.

First of all, when you specialize in an area, you have the potential to become a �go-to� person in the area. For example, if you sell plus-sized lingerie, you will eventually develop a following of people who visit your auctions on a regular basis looking for new plus-sized lingerie. If you make your buyers very satisfied with their purchases, and they truly enjoy dealing with you, they will look up your auctions specifically every time they need new lingerie. You will be the first person they �go to� when they need what you sell.

Secondly, you can be seen as an expert in your area if you specialize. If you're selling household items, a few items of pottery, and several types of clothing all at once, people are going to see that as very random. They won't trust that you know what you are talking about with regards to that rare piece of Wedgwood, because your auction history shows that you have only ever sold five pieces of pottery or china and none of it was Wedgwood. How can they be sure that you even know it is authentic? But if they look at your feedback and see that you've sold dozens of pieces of Wedgwood, they can feel more confident that you know the difference between an authentic piece and a reproduction.

Another great reason to specialize is that you will learn better sources to get the items you sell. If you are selling a wide range of items, you won't have as much time to seek out better and better sources for your merchandise. But if you specialize, you can work on a close basis with one or two suppliers to get better terms and prices for your items. You will also be able to learn more about your items, so that you'll always know you're getting the best price. If you are selling too many different items, it will be much harder to learn everything you need to know about the items.

You might also consider naming yourself something related to what you are selling. If you sell Wedgwood china, you might name yourself �Wedgwood_China_Source�, or �Wedgwood Jennifer�. When people see your name, they will know right away that you will probably have even more items in your other auctions, and they will be more likely to click the link to see what else you are selling.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 04:55 PM

August 03, 2007

Going Above and Beyond as an eBay Seller

There are many, many ways to set yourself apart from the competition on eBay and get more than your fair share of your market. You need to get a little bit creative and try to put yourself into your buyers' shoes. What you need to do is absolutely shock your buyers at the level of service you provide. I'm going to give you a few examples, but I'm sure you'll be able to think of many ideas on your own.

One thing you can do is offer an optional service for buyers where they can ship a gift to someone else. You could offer gift-wrapping for free with any item over a certain price, and ship it with a gift message to anyone they choose. There is one point to keep in mind here, however. This type of service is sometimes taken advantage of by people who are using stolen PayPal accounts, so it is up to you to decide whether or not you wish to take that risk. It certainly can be worth it, especially if you are selling items that are very commonly given as gifts. It is also a great service during the Christmas holiday shopping season.

You should also go as far as you possibly can with regards to packing items for shipping. Tossing a piece of delicate glassware into a box wrapped in a couple of layers of newspaper is not good packaging. You should always take great care to carefully package everything you ship as carefully as possible. Buyers will often make extremely glowing positive feedback posts for you if you go out of your way to pack the item carefully. Packing is one extremely important area that you should never, ever skimp on. Even magazines should be packaged with a little extra padding inside the mailer, especially if they are ten years old or older, or sell for over $10.

You might offer a small bonus inside the packages that you send out. One seller that I made a purchase from gave me a sheet of stickers for free with my purchase of a sticker album. The seller did not advertise this in the auction, so I was especially happy with this Another seller included a beautiful bookmark for free with a book purchase, and that bookmark included her eBay seller ID and the URL to her auction listing on the back. This was a great way to offer an unannounced bonus, as well as reminding me to visit her auctions again. And yes, I have bought from her again! Try to keep the bonus related to the item you have sold, if possible. If it's not possible, a generic bonus is still something that sets you apart, and people will definitely appreciate the extra effort.

Include a personalized, hand-written thank you note with each purchase. Your buyer is going to really appreciate that you took the time to thank them, and that you've included their name on the thank you note. Even something very simple like, �Thank you, Lisa!� will go a long way toward making your buyer happier with their purchase.

Shipping very quickly is extremely important to the way people see you on eBay. If you only ship once or twice per week, it is probably going to hurt your business somewhat. If you really cannot ship any more often than that, it is extremely important to state this fact very, very clearly in your auctions!

One final point is that you should always answer every single e-mail quickly and courteously. Even if you think a question is stupid or the tone of the e-mail is rude, be professional and respectful, and respond quickly. That angry buyer might be a really nice person who is genuinely interested in buying from you, but just happened to be in a bad mood that day.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 08:39 PM

July 30, 2007

Tips For Better eBay Item Photographs

The quality of the photograph that you add to your auction listing can mean a major difference in the final price that you get for your item, or even if it sells at all! If your photos are dull, dark, or do not accurately reflect the condition or quality of the product, you might not even get any bids at all. The saying that a picture is worth a thousand words is certainly applicable with regards to the eBay marketplace!

You need to get a quality digital camera. It doesn't have to be a ten megapixel camera with an expensive zoom lens and a separate flash, but it does need to be capable of taking decent photos. If your camera consistently takes grainy or dark photos, it may be beneficial for you to consider purchasing a better camera, especially if you will be selling a considerable number of items on eBay in the near future. Your camera should be at least two megapixels. You can get a decent camera of two to five megapixels for under $200. It is a great investment if you plan to sell many items.

You should always try to include more than one photo of each item. You should take photos from different angles, and be sure to show all flaws that you know of in the item. Always be honest in your listings, because you don't want to have to deal with the hassle of returns if you can possibly do anything to eliminate (or reduce) them.

Lighting is essential. If you cannot afford a semi-professional lighting setup, your best bet is to shoot most photos outdoors in natural sunlight. Natural sunlight between the hours of ten AM and three PM on a day that is not overcast or foggy is excellent for lighting photos. You might take a table outdoors to take your photos on. It is also a good idea to have two tablecloths. One tablecloth should be a dark color like dark gray or navy blue for taking photos of white or light colored items, and the other should be white for taking photos of darker items.

Make sure that there are no hard shadows on your item. Whether you are photographing indoors or outdoors, you can rotate the item and/or lights to the best position to eliminate harsh shadows. Items should be lit as evenly as possible.

Make sure to take a few photographs from different angles, especially on more expensive items. You also want to get a few shots from as close to the item as possible without taking away detail or making the item look unrecognizable. Remember to always show any flaws. This is a point worth repeating. Even if you think the flaws will hurt the selling price of your item, it is better to sell the item for less than you want than to get a return that you have to deal with.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 01:12 PM

July 25, 2007

Starting an eBay Consignment Business

Selling items through eBay on behalf of other people is not a new idea. In fact there have been numerous attempts to set up nationwide chains of consignment stores. Most of these have been less than a success. However, this does not mean that there is not scope for individuals to build a profitable business from consignment selling.

It's actually quite simple to do. Apart from some knowledge and experience of selling on eBay there is very little else that you will need to get started. You will find it useful to have a digital camera and possibly packaging material.

The first step will be to spread the word in your community that you are offering this service. You'll need to advertise your business in order to find people who want to sell their items through you. The local newspapers and thrifty ad magazines are probably your best bet, although advertising on websites for your local area, and on bulletin boards around town are also great ideas. You could also have fliers printed up and pass them out on car windshields (make sure to ask permission from store managers, first) and leave stacks of them by cash registers in convenience stores (again, asking permission.)

Your fliers should mention that you are a full-service eBay consignment business. You will take the item, photograph it, list it on eBay, take payment, and handle shipment. You take a percentage of the selling price or profit (usually 20-35%) and they get the rest.

In order to ensure that you don't spend a lot of time listing items that will only sell for a few pounds, you should be sure to have a minimum value. You could say that you will only sell items that you believe will sell for at least �25 or �50, or whatever you feel comfortable with. This way, you're not working yourself to death for a few shillings per item.

You'll need a fairly large area to work in. You'll have to have room to safely store the items that are being sold, a good area to take the photographs, and a place to package items for shipment. This means you might need to devote an entire room in your home to your business, especially if it takes off. You'll need shelving to hold the items, boxes, and such, and a table for taking the pictures and packing boxes. Don't forget, you'll need some way of protecting valuable and delicate items, like newspaper and bubble wrap.

It's actually a very simple and straightforward business to start. It takes a bit of work, but it is a great way to make money on eBay without having to pay for inventory up front.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:31 AM

July 19, 2007

Selling E-books on eBay

Some people claim it's impossible to make real money on eBay by selling e-books. That's simply not true. It is certainly possible to make good money on eBay from selling nothing but digital e-books! But you have to be smart about it.

Selling e-books on eBay can actually bring in more money than selling physical books if you know a few tricks. You see, when you are selling physical items on eBay, you have to pay for the item itself, plus you have shipping costs (which the buyer usually pays for), packaging costs, the cost of your time and gasoline to get to the post office or UPS or whatever to ship, and other expenses. With digital goods, you don't have those expenses. You have only the expense to purchase resale rights to the product and perhaps a small amount of bandwidth if you host the download on your own web hosting. The profit margins are phenomenal on digital products.

Of course, the first thing most people ask is how it can be possible to make good money selling e-books when so many people are selling them for $0.99 or less. How could you possibly compete with that?

Well, you don't. In order to beat these under-cutters, you must play the game differently. Make your own rules, so to speak. You have to do things your own way, because you can't beat their prices.

The first trick is to sell something that no one else is selling. Does that mean that you must develop your own product? No! You can simply rename an existing product, have a new cover created for it, and sell it for a higher price than the original. You should check the rights of any product that you intend to do this for, though. Some products may not allow you to do this.

Secondly, you can create your own product, or pay an outsourcing company to create one. Simply select a niche that you can not find represented in e-books on eBay, and you believe will sell well, and create your own e-book in that niche. Original products can sell phenomenally well on eBay.

In closing, just remember that you shouldn't try to compete with those people who are selling their products for such ridiculous prices. They aren't selling at those prices to make money off of the sale of the e-books themselves. They are using those cheap prices for other reasons, such as building a mailing list, or having affiliate links inside the books that sell other items. By setting yourself apart from the cheap e-book crowd, you can make yourself some nice cash!

Posted by Dave Bromley at 10:57 AM

July 03, 2007

5 Ways to Get More Visitors to Your Auctions

Putting up an eBay auction is a great way to make money, but sometimes just listing an item for sale isn't enough to find a buyer for it. Sometimes you may have too much competition. Other times you may be listing a rare item that could be worth a lot of money, but is so rare that many folks aren't searching for it regularly enough. And sometimes you may be listing the type of item that people don't really know they want until they see it.

There are hundreds, or even thousands (limited only by human imagination) of ways to get more traffic to eBay auctions, but since many of them require considerable time, money, or resources, I'm going to discuss a few that I believe almost anyone can do. These methods should really only be used for items worth �25 or more, because the time and/or money spent would only be justified on more expensive items.

1. Find message boards that are related to your product and post, with the link to the auction in your signature. If you are selling a MIB (Mint in Box) 1980's Barbie doll, post on 80's message boards and also Barbie and doll collector forums. Be sure to read the forum rules, and do NOT post about your auction. Just post helpful and friendly responses to popular threads that are started by someone else.
2. Always use the gallery image feature. You will get much, much more traffic to each auction if you include the gallery image. It is well worth the extra cost.
3. Use the buy-it-now feature whenever you feel it is practical. If you truly don't know the value of an item, you may not want to use it. But for an item that you are absolutely certain is worth a particular price, especially if it is rare and in high demand, buy-it-now has the ability to make a person jump on an auction. See, a lot of people will ONLY use the buy-it-now feature. People have grown tired of bid snipers and such, and they want to be able to just purchase that salt shaker that completes the set they have been trying to put together for the last five years, without worrying about being outbid. Sometimes, on especially nice items, people will pay far more for the guarantee of being the winning bidder than they would have otherwise. Unless you really have no idea what the value would be, buy-it-now is a very important feature.
4. Make use of the title to its fullest potential. So many people overlook this! If you put the title as only �1980 Barbie Doll�, you will miss a great deal of traffic from people searching for things like �80s Barbie�, �Pink N Pretty Barbie�, and �Barbie MIB�. You should try to get as much out of the title as possible by inserting as many descriptors as you can, but make the title attractive, at the same time. Try something like �MIB Pink N Pretty Barbie 1980 Rare 80s Doll BIN�. This gives you more bang for your search buck when people aren't searching descriptions, also. You can use up to 55 characters, but be aware that this includes spaces and punctuation. Use as little punctuation as possible to keep precious characters available for searchable terms.
5. Use enhanced listings whenever the price makes sense. If you are selling an item that is worth under �25, then paying an additional �2.50 for a highlighted auction is not going to make sense. And it certainly wouldn't make sense to pay �9.95 for Featured Plus! But paying 50p to bold a title is certainly worth it for most auctions that are over �12 or so, especially for items that have a lot of competition and are not �everyday� items like household products or standard clothing.

To conclude, I'd just like to remind you to use these tips whenever you are selling an item worth �25 or more. It can really be worth it to help get those extra visitors!

Posted by Dave Bromley at 04:56 PM

June 22, 2007

eBay-The 5 keys to getting great feedback

If you ask anyone what their greatest fear is when they buy on eBay they are more than likely to tell you it is the risk of being ripped off. Dealing with people you do not know and are never likely to meet makes most of us a little bit apprehensive. The way that eBay has helped us overcome these natural fears is by the use of the feedback system.

In simple terms this allows both the buyer and seller to assess a transaction as positive, neutral or negative and add a comment as to how it all went. Whilst not a totally fail safe system it does help to provide a level of trust between buyer and seller.

To achieve a good level of sales it is important to have a good feedback rating. If you have been buying and selling on eBay for any length of time you will know that occasionally someone will place an unwarranted negative feedback. eBay themselves are also aware of this and providing your feedback rating is over 97% positive then
you can be considered a trusted eBayer.

Whilst eBay encourage everyone to submit feedback many do not bother, but there are ways that you can impress the other party so that they will want to leave you a positive feedback and favourable comment.

1. By far the greatest number of comments I get in my feedback rating is regarding the prompt delivery of the items. I always dispatch the goods as soon as I have received payment and by first class mail. The quicker you get the goods to a buyer the more likely you are to get good feedback.
2. Communication between buyer and seller are very important. A Prompt and polite reply to buyers questions goes a long way towards building trust and creating a favorable impression.
3. Make sure that the item is packed well and securely.
4. Ensure that you have described the item exactly and that you have mentioned any flaws or defects that there are. If you do not you will have a disgruntled customer who is not only going to return the item but could leave you with a neutral or even worse a negative feedback.
5. React quickly to any post sale queries about such questions as items lost or damaged in the post. A quick and helpful response can often save the day on these occasions.

The point to remember is that we all like good service whether we are in a shop, restaurant or buying on eBay. The sellers who provide the best service are the ones who are going to get the best feedback.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:57 PM

June 08, 2007

eBay About Me Page

by: John V. W. Howe

If you are going to sell on eBay, you should take advantage of the About Me page. This is a webpage that eBay will let you set up to tell your customers about yourself. It also can be used to drive traffic to your website from eBay.

The About Me page on eBay is a very powerful tool for improving your auction traffic and for taking advantage of the tremendous traffic that looks at eBay auctions everyday. One of the best features of the About Me page - it is free. You can use it as a giant billboard on the Internet to direct traffic to your site or you can include a sign up form for your newsletter or mailing list.

My friend and mentor, Jim Cockrum, developed the concept of using eBay for more than an auction site. In his bestselling ebook, The Silent Sales Machine Hiding on eBay, Jim discusses in detail how to perfect the use of the About Me page. The fact that he has developed a mailing list of over 100,000 names is proof that using the About Me page correctly really works.

The easiest way to set up an about me page is to sign on to your eBay account and click the HELP link at the top of the page. This will open the Search Help page. Enter "About Me Page" in the search box and click the "Search Help" button. This will present a page with the information that you should read about the About Me page.

Read the About Me Guidelines so you know the rules. eBay does have rules about how to use it and you must be careful not to violate those rules. If you do not play by eBay rules, eBay justice is swift and absolute.

When you have finished the rules and registrations, click on the About Me Page - Overview. This will open a page with additional information about the About Me page and finally at the bottom of that page will be a link, "Go to the Create About Me Page". Click that link and the "Edit About Me Page" will open. Click "Edit Your Page". The next page will give you the option of using the eBay Step by Step Process or loading your own HTML. If you do not know HTML, use the eBay process.

To get the most out of the About Me page, you need to use the HTML features. To add audio or video (yes, you can do that) you will need to load your own HTML. You can also have a data collection form on the About Me page to get people to sign up for a mailing list.

When you have set up the About Me page, a small blue and red icon "ME" will appear to the right of your eBay name at the top of each auction. When the visitor clicks on this link, they will be taken to you About Me Page.

For an example of what can be done on an eBay About Me page, you can view our "About Me" page at http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=e--boomer. It has audio so turn on your speakers (or turn them off as wish).

In summary, the eBay About Me page is a very powerful (free) tool that you can use to drive traffic to your website or to sign up visitors on your mailing list. Be sure to take advantage of it to build your Internet business.

Copyright 2006 John Howe, Inc.
About The Author
John V. W. Howe is an entrepreneur, author, inventor, patent holder, husband, father, and grandfather. He has been involved in entrepreneurial activities for over 40 years. He founded http://www.boomer-ezine.com and http://www.retirement-jobs-online.com to help Boomers (baby boomers) become entrepreneurs when they retire

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:01 AM

June 05, 2007

8 reasons why it didn�t sell on eBay

There are people out there who believe that you can sell anything on eBay. And that may well be true but not if you adopt a lazy approach to your listings. A listing is an advertisement for the product or item that you are trying to sell, an item that you are hoping to get the best price for. And if you are to succeed in this you need to spend some time working on your listings and do not become a �lazy lister�.

There are 8 easy ways to spot a �lazy lister� and the first and most obvious is the listing without a photograph. I would find it difficult to imagine any listing, which would not benefit from some sort of photograph either to act as an attention grabber or to show the item you are selling.

Almost as bad as this is the poor quality photograph possibly blurred, out of focus and showing little detail. In these days of cheap quality digital cameras there is no excuse for poor photographs.

The big percentage of buyers these days use Paypal as their chosen payment method and yet you still find sellers who will not accept Paypal. I suspect it is because they do not want to pay the charges but this is a case of cutting off your nose to spite your face. You will lose more because your item does not reach its highest possible price than it would cost you in payment charges. Not accepting Paypal is a real false economy.

Your actual description is short and lacks detail. In the advertising world there is a saying, �The more you tell, the more you sell�. But looking at some listings you would think that eBay charged by the word. If you want the best price tell potential bidders as much as you possibly can about the item.

Also you should avoid a listing full of hype words and slogans. Tremendous, fantastic and similar words do little for a listing and often bring into question the sellers credibility.

There are 2 great mistakes when it comes to shipping. You can give no indication of your shipping charges, which is bad, or even worse you can try and make extra profit by inflating your shipping charges. In either case you are going to put off potential bidders.

Finally if you really want to ensure that your item does not sell start off with a really inflated opening bid price. This is a real winner if you want to have the item left on your hands. Remember, if you start low the market will find the correct price level so do not be afraid to start with a low opening price.

If you are guilty of any of the �lazy listers� bad habits do something now and maybe you will not get so many �Item Not Sold� e-mails from eBay.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:47 PM

May 31, 2007

Product Selection Advice for Ebay Sellers and Drop-shippers

The first step to picking your products involves identifying you niche. It has been proven again and again that Ebay sellers who focus on a niche market are much more successful both in sales from new traffic and sales from repeat customers.

What is a niche market? It is basically a specialty store. To put it simply you focus on one group of related products. For example Children's Apparel, Cameras and Camera Accessories, Designer Handbags, Fragrances for Men and Women...etc....The point is to focus on a group of related products and if you explore the eBay stores you will notice most of the successful ones are all these types of specialty sites.

Here's a breakdown of the benefits of a niche market approach:

Initial set up is much easier. Since you are focusing on a group of similar products you can quickly and easily add all the available products in your chosen category to your Ebay listings.

It has been proven that niche market Ebayers gain a significant increase in their up-sales (meaning a customer who views you listing for a digital camera sees that you are also selling the lens he wants and he buys that too). If you are selling unrelated items like cameras and belt buckles then you are not going to have much chance at the up-sell.

You will generate repeat customers who have shopped with you before and had a positive experience. When you sell Joe Blow a printer and he later needs ink or paper he is more likely to return to you to make his purchase because he already trusts you and he assumes you will have the related products he wants, and if you have followed the niche model you will! Since you are selling printers your niche would include these accessories and you would pick up the sale. Ebay allows members to add sellers and Ebay stores to their favorites list so they can easily come back to the vendors they have used and trust.

A niche market is much more manageable and logical. It doesn't really make sense to be selling power tools and wide screen t.v.'s....you see the point? And keeping up with your inventory is a very simple matter when you are working from a niche model.

There are two invaluable FREE tools that can give you a great snapshot of the hottest products on eBay. Ebay Pop and Ebay Seller Resources. Access them through Ebay and make good use of the available tools to help you narrow your niche.

So now lets suppose you have chosen Cookware as your niche market. You build your eBay listings using only products that fall into the Cookware category. You appropriately price your items, fine tune your listings and drive traffic to your listings.

When you feel you have all your cookware products running smoothly you are ready to expand to a related category like blenders or microwaves. Each time you complete a category you move on to the next one and the list of items you are selling will grow and grow....and you will still have a niche market.

There is no limit to how far you can go with this. With enough time and effort you could find yourself running on a department store type model. The key is one category at a time. Make sure every product in that category is 100% optimized before moving on to a new category.

*Import Notes on Selection Criteria for Products*

It is very easy to get overwhelmed by the many products you now have access to. Here are some crucial factors to keep in mind when choosing your niche market and the best products within your niche:

Don't chose a niche that is already highly saturated on Ebay. You can easily determine the saturation level by doing a couple of ebay searches for products in the niche you are considering. For example if i go to eBay and search for "Cell Phones" thousands of listings are going to pop up. Your listing would get lost in the shuffle. Search for "Underwater Camera" and you will find it is a much less crowded category. If you check the completed listings you will find most listings sold telling you this is a good opportunity for a niche market. It is always a good idea to check the completed listings for a more accurate idea of how well the item is selling overall on Ebay and for how much.

When choosing products avoid items that have a low quantity available. It may seem like an easy sell but when quantities are low you take a huge risk that the item will sell out before you sell it. In some cases products with a low quantity are actually already sold out and have not been updated yet. You can always contact customer service to get more information as to the availability. My general rule is not to sell products that have a quantity of less than 25 in stock.

Do Ebay searches for any item you are interested in. You can see how much competition there is and also by checking the completed auctions you can get a picture of how much people are paying for the item. Prices can vary greatly and you may ask yourself why. It is all about the presentation.

Don't get to caught up in how much the retail price of the items are. The important thing is what they are actually selling for and how steady the demand is. I have a product that I sell for $5.95 plus $3 shipping. I profit only $2.30 per sale but that adds up fast when you sell 50 or 100 a week.

About the Author
Jordan Milton has over ten years experience as a professional writer and reviewer. You can access her free in depth analysis of how to build a successful eBay dropshipping business with zero dollars out of pocket including reviews of the only two Ebay approved dropshippers at: http://idiotsrevenge.tripod.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 01:24 PM

May 27, 2007

Best Ebay Income - 5 Easy Steps to Advance in Ebay Income

By James Krawder

The best EBay income comes, at first, simply from having something to sell and selling it. However, there are advanced techniques that can not only help you make more money from your EBay auctions, but can also move you quickly toward the best EBay income. Here are a few easy steps that you can help guide you toward your EBay goals:

1.Get Attention. Make sure you use words and phrases that grab the attention of your customers and help draw them to your product. Also, use these techniques to make your own commodities seem more attractive than their competition.

2.Common Sense. If you have a whole lot of a specific product, sell things individually as well as in bulk packages � some consumers may only be looking for a limited amount. Also, try to sell only items for which you will get a high return on your investment from.

3.Ship Small. Although large items and electronics often have a higher profit margin, they can be hard to ship, and expensive to transport. Make use of this knowledge by shipping small and lightweight items to minimize shipping costs.

4.Target your Auctions. Do people tend to buy your product more often at a certain type of day? Find out and make sure your auctions end around this time. People are ten times more likely to bid on an auction that is about to end than on one that still has a couple days left.

5.Find a Niche. Is there something you wish you could buy on EBay but can never find? Perhaps others feel the same way as well. Take advantage of this and start selling things that haven�t already had their supply flooded.

Want to learn more about it? Download the free ebook, Steps to Article Marketing Success.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:51 AM

May 21, 2007

How to Take eBay Photos That Sell

By June Campbell

Do you want to take eBay photos that sell your item?

Taking eBay photos is easy, especially if you have a digital camera.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

First, you will do best with natural lighting. If you can, move your item so it is close to a natural light source, such as patio, balcony or window. Incandescent or fluorescent lighting tends to create a �color cast� that distorts your article�s color.

Your digital camera could have a special feature that adjusts your white balance so you get good color when using artificial lighting. However, natural lighting is your best and simplest option.

Turn your camera�s flash to �off� if your camera permits you to do this. Indoor flash lighting can cause an unwanted glare in the photograph. Also, the color is less satisfactory than you get from natural light.

If your picture is too dark or if the automatic flash comes on, then add a second light source. For example, place a lamp or light bulb to one side, or on two sides. If you plan on doing a lot of eBay selling, you might want to invest in a special photography light. If you plan to sell on eBay only occasionally, then you can make do with simple arrangements.

Set your digital camera to take the smallest size picture possible. Many cameras call this the �email setting.� Alternatively, they could call it the �640 by 480� setting.

Larger settings are suitable for pictures that you intend to print. Pictures that you will display on a computer, especially from a web site, can and should be small sized. Computer monitors display pictures at a low resolution called �72 dots per inch�. Higher resolution photographs will still display online at 72 dpi, but will take much longer to download when a potential customer clicks on your eBay sales page. When you�re taking photos that sell on eBay, you don�t want to lose customers by making them wait too long for a picture to download.

Digital cameras are highly sensitive to vibration or movement. For best results, use a tripod to stabilize the camera. You might also try setting the camera on a table or stand and using the Self Timer to take the picture. If you must hold the camera in your hands, holding it with both hands affords the highest stability.

When taking eBay photos that sell, you don�t want a blurry image.

Take a selection of photos with your digital camera. Upload them to your computer for editing. Use photo editing software to resize your photos to meet eBay�s requirements. Photo editing software may have come bundled with your camera. If not, software such as Adobe Photo Elements is a popular choice. eBay�s Basic and Enhanced Picture Services will also do the trick.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Imagine Taking Great Pictures

With Your Digital Camera...

In Less Than 30 Minutes!

http://www.startmydigitalphotography.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 08:03 AM

May 18, 2007

Advanced Tips For Ebay Income

By Mark Fortimer

Today lot of people are earning good amount of income from Ebay. It has turned out to be a lucrative source of income that has used it efficiently. Here are some advanced tips for Ebay income.

Tip 1: Try to place smaller items for bidding. Bigger items such as electronics may fetch greater sum overall but have a higher cost of shipping. Also, smaller items fetch greater number of bids.

Tip 2: Research the selling price of the prospective item to be placed in auction properly. Take help of other auction website to decide the selling price of your item.

Tip 3: Write impressive as well as detailed description of the item you are willing to sell. You can also use capital as well as bold letters to draw attention of the bidders towards the information that describes your item effectively. Also write an impressive title for your item to attract the bidders.

Tip 4: Deciding the initial bidding price is crucial. For regular items keep the initial bid low to attract more bidders. In case of expensive items and items that are expected to attract lesser number of bids, keep the initial bid closer to the selling price you wish to sell the item.

Tip 5: To get more income from Ebay, you should add alluring offers along with your items placed for auction in Ebay. For smaller items you can give free shipping facility while for items that are costlier, you may offer money back guarantee, if dissatisfied within a specific period.

Want to learn more about it? Download the free ebook, Steps to Article Marketing Success.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 08:46 AM

May 16, 2007

9 Steps to Make a Profit with Ebay Income

By Raymond Nesa

If you�re tired of hearing all the stories about how you can get rich quick off eBay, this is the article for you to read. While you won�t become a millionaire, you can still have a quick eBay income that you can rely on as long as you�re consistent. Here are 9 steps you can take to earning a good income as an eBay auctioneer.

Step 1: Provide a Good Product or Service
While this seems like a no-brainer, you�d be surprised what people try to pas off on the auctions. Don�t mess up your reputation.

Step 2: Offer a Good Price
Again maybe a no-brainer, but you need to set the lowest price you can on an item so people will click on your merchandise and see it.

Step 3: Write a Good Ad
If you can�t be understood, no one is going to bid on your auction items. Be clear, and use good marketing language to boost your quick eBay income.

Step 4: Use Photographs
A picture is worth a thousand words it�s said, so if you have only a small amount of space, use a photograph. You�d be surprised how many people pass up good ads that don�t have a photo.

Step 5: Be Reliable
Make sure you send what you say you will send, in the condition you promise (or better), and when you say you�ll send it. Get good ratings from your customers.

Step 6: Offer Returns
If someone isn�t sure they want to buy something you�re selling, let them return it if they aren�t satisfied. This eliminates their risk and they are more likely to give you a chance, especially if you�re new.

Step 7: Notify Your Winning Bidders
Communication is king--let them know right away and thank them for bidding on your items.

Step 8: Give Feedback
Always give customer feedback. It helps keep your name out there and gives you more credibility.

Step 9: Tell Others
Let your friends know, post a bulletin on your Myspace page, blog it, write in forums--do what you have to do to let the world know you have an eBay auction site.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? Secrets of Article Marketing

Raymond Nesa is an experienced web marketer specializing in article marketing, traffic generation, and list building.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:13 AM

May 14, 2007

Why Use Drop Shippers When Selling on eBay?

By Max Suther

There are many different products that you could sell on eBay but the problem is finding a reliable source for those products. This article will look at the drop ship business model for selling on eBay.

I have been selling on eBay since 1997. I started with a few baseball cards and then started selling information products. What I found about selling on eBay is that finding products and keeping them at your house is a pain. Another problem is shipping the product. I can�t stand to have to go to the post office or UPS store each day to ship items. So I started to study the methods many eBay power sellers use to sell hundreds of products in a month. What I found was that many sellers are using drop ship companies as their source of product.

Drop shippers are companies that usually have many products in which to sell. They inventory the product for you. They will even ship the product under your name or company name. Some of the drop ship companies even have pre made eBay listings that you can copy and paste into eBay. All of these features of drop shippers are tremendous time savers.

Typically you will pick a product you want to sell. List the product on eBay and then hope that someone purchases the product. You then collect the money and make the order with your drop ship company. The beauty of the system is that you can try to sell many products on eBay without having to buy the product. This allows you to test market items to see which ones will do well on eBay. Your only cost is the listing fee.

To make really good money selling on eBay you need to focus on listing products, answering questions about the products and marketing the products. Having a reliable drop shipper will allow you the time to focus on what is important. One word of caution, there are only a few drop shippers that are endorsed by eBay. Be careful of scams on the internet.

For a free list of eBay drop shippers, try visiting http://www.website-for-free.com/make_money_ebay_beginner.htm, a popular website that offers eBay selling tips, advice and resources to include information on how to make money online on eBay and the best free list of eBay wholesale sources.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:08 PM

May 11, 2007

Looking for Auction eBay Power Seller Info?

By Kerry S Beck

Several years ago, I became a power seller in four months. It was the first four months of selling on eBay(R). The second month of selling on eBay(r), I sold over $1000. In the back of my mind I thought, "Hey, I could be a Power Seller in 2 more months". But my family was in the midst of moving from Texas to Idaho so I had virtually no sales the third month. Once we settled into a new home, I hit the auction listings and made up for lost time. After that month, I received an invitation to become a power seller.

Why did I do I want to become a power seller?

When buyers see my listings with a power seller emblem, they know they are working with one of the successful eBay sellers. Power sellers must be successful in their sales and their customer service. Buyers are more assured that their transaction will be smooth and without problems. The power seller emblem adds trust in the bidder's eyes. Customers want to know they can trust you and being a power seller offers this advantage.

How do I become a power seller?

To become a power seller, you must fulfill the following requirements.

* Active member for 90 days

* Average a minimum of $1000 in sales per month, for three consecutive months

* Overall Feedback rating of 100, of which 98% or more is positive

* Account in good financial standing

It's really that simple. If you average sales of $1000 per month and keep good customer service, you can easily become a power seller, too.

After becoming a power seller, you can also gain the trust of millions of bidders who might land on your listings. For those of you who want to build an eBay business, becoming a power seller will be a no-brainer. Take a few months to concentrate your energies on selling your listings. Before you know it, you will receive an invitation to become a power seller in your inbox.

Kerry Beck, stay-at-home mom and Power Seller, teaches families how to make money on eBay so they can gain financial freedom. She wants to give you her mini-course, so go right now to http://www.FamilyEbizMom.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 07:53 AM

May 10, 2007

Make Money on eBay � Follow These 3 Easy Steps

By Max Suther

So you want to make money selling on eBay but you really don�t know how to get started. Well the whole process can be intimidating but this article helps you understand the basics of getting started.

Sign up to sell on eBay � The process of selling on eBay starts with becoming a member of the eBay community. The process is easy and it does not cost anything to get started. After you sign up you should read the tutorial on how to get started selling on eBay. Just skim over it to get the basic idea. You don�t want to memorize the whole process. Instead you want to experience the process by listing an item and hopefully selling it.

Pick an item to sell � This is an easy step. Look around the house for items that you don�t want anymore but that someone else will. Don�t select junk. You want an item that has value but you just don�t want anymore. Go to eBay and create your first listing. Don�t make this step complicated. Sure other eBay sellers have pretty ads but you don�t need this your first time out. You need an honest description of the item and a picture. Make sure you price the item low. The purpose of this step is to help you learn how to list a product and get your feet wet, so don�t try to make a large amount of money on your first product. You want to sell the product and then ship it.

Find a reliable source of product � Once you have successfully sold your first product you will need to find more products to sell. This is the most difficult part of selling on eBay. You can look for more items at your home but eventually you will run out of things to sell. Decide what products you are interested in and then find a wholesale source for the product or someone that is willing to drop ship the product. I prefer drop shipping because the drop shipper takes care of the inventory and shipping. I can then focus on marketing the product and selling it. There are only a few eBay certified drop ship companies that I know of so be careful when selecting a wholesale source or drop shipper. Many of the companies on the internet are scams.

For a free beginners eBay course, try visiting http://www.website-for-free.com/make_money_ebay_beginner.htm, a popular website that offers eBay selling tips, advice and resources to include information on how to make money online on eBay and the best free list of eBay wholesale sources.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 08:09 AM

May 09, 2007

Finding Your Niche on eBay

By Corry Cummings

Finding your niche on eBay can be a long and tough road. The most important thing to remember about finding what you will sell on eBay is that nobody can tell you what to sell. My job is to point you in the right direction, and inform you of what I know. I am very experienced in the field of eBay and have helped many people get on the right path to starting a career on eBay. I never once claimed that any specific eBay path would work for any specific person. Finding your eBay niche must be done within yourself. Nobody knows you like you do. If you have absolutely no interest in antiques or art then why would you attempt to become a specialist within this niche. Think about something that you really truly have a high interest in along with some passion. Don�t you think that you would be much more successful doing something within that niche? This is what many people don�t understand.

The first step of finding a product to sell on eBay is to discover what you enjoy and have a passion for. You probably don�t even need to discover it, because chances are you already have some sort of passion or interest. Whatever it may be, you can find a way to put that passion into a career on eBay. I personally never had a problem finding my niche, but that is because selling on eBay and running my own business is my passion. For most people, finding a niche is the key.

I will use one of my clients as a good example. He is an expert in the poker field. In fact he makes the majority of his income just by playing poker. However, he wanted to find a way to use poker to bring in his income that didn�t consist of the long nights, and stressful hours at a poker table. He came to me like he had a big problem, but what he didn�t know was that he was the easiest client I have ever had to deal with. He already had his niche figured out, and he had a passion that could easily be pushed into the eBay/internet field. I am currently building a poker website for him, and he is on his way to making a full time income from eBay. He writes e-books about poker, and he has hooked up with a good poker wholesaler. He has a poker store on eBay, and will soon have a website devoted to poker.

Whatever your niche may be you can find a way to incorporate it into eBay. The incorporating to eBay part may be the phase where you could use some help from someone that knows what they are doing. As far as finding your niche goes, you will only need yourself. Fortunately, once you find your niche the rest will all fall into place. It just takes some hard work and dedication.

If you still haven�t figured it out by now, the point of this article is to show you that finding your niche is really up to you. Nobody can tell you what to sell on eBay. You really could become a very successful eBay seller just by using the information given in this website.

To get all the free information about buying, selling, and making money on eBay visit my website at
www.eBayMysteries.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:12 AM

May 06, 2007

Starting Your Own Online Auction

By Greg Post

EBay. What A Great Idea. Why Didn't I Think Of That?

EBay is the result of a brilliant idea. In fact it has become a phenomenon. In many households the word "eBay" threads its way through common language.

"Hey Joe. How have you been? Sold anything on eBay lately?"

It has become a part of our culture because it gives so many people what they want. Whether you are on the buying or selling side of the street eBay has something for you. It is great for almost everyone.

But it is an especially good idea for eBay. Why? Because eBay does not do the hard work. You do. You are the one who...

finds the productsnegotiates the pricestores inventorytakes care of the packaging and shippingstands behind product quality

EBay supplies the internet traffic and receives a small fee for its efforts. Perhaps more importantly... eBay owns the traffic.

What If You Started Your Own Online Action?

What? Compete With EBay?

Absolutely not. Do not try to go head to head with eBay. But consider this... you are already doing the heavy lifting. You are already doing the hard part. What if you could own the internet traffic too? What if you could invest in your own business instead of eBay's?

How? Carve out a niche unique to you. Build an information rich website that gives people more than an opportunity to buy and sell.

The main commodity on the internet is information. That is why we surf the net. We want to know. By creating a content rich website you can become the expert that provides information for your target audience.

In fact, do more than become the expert. Share your knowledge friend-to-friend with others who have similar interests and passions. Since you have common interests you will be able to anticipate your visitor's wants, objections, and fears. As your traffic grows your readers will come to trust you more and more as an expert. They will become more inclined to follow your advice. And why shouldn't they? They trust you. They even like you.

Your website is not a sterile environment where things are bought and sold. It is more like a fraternity where people come together with a common interest. And part of this fraternity involves a place for your online auction where you specialize in products specific to your niche audience.

There is a much greater benefit to your customer. But there is also a greater benefit to you. You are no longer investing in another online auction company. You are investing in yours. It is your business. It is your online traffic. It is your niche. If someone wants to be a part of that niche they must come to you.

Of course having an auction is not your only opportunity. Once you own the niche (internet traffic) you can offer your customers other products and services. Anything useful to your visitors can become a part of your offering.

Perhaps you are happy with using eBay. But that is more like having an e-Job. Wouldn't it be better to own an e-Business?

Greg�s website www.make-your-own-website-wealth.com is committed to helping ordinary people build successful web businesses. The internet provides great opportunities to those who desire to turn their passions into profitable niche websites.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 10:37 AM

May 01, 2007

How To Use Photos And Gallery Images In Your Auctions

By Matt Clarkson

Think like your customers to get a feel for what they might type in.

Write your Product Description explaining in detail exactly what it is potential bidders will be bidding on. Depending on the value of the item you�re selling you will either write a long description or a short description.

The last thing you want to be doing is spending hours writing up descriptions for items you�ll only make $ 3 profit on.

Make sure you have covered all the points that include the items features and most importantly the benefits to the customer.

� Title description

� What type of listing is it? �Buy it now� or auction?

� Listing Description. Is it compelling?

� How many bids did it get?

� What were the photos like?

� What were the postage and handling fees?

� Was there a refund or returns policy?

� Did the seller use a �hit� counter?

� Was there a call to action?

� Did the seller seem credible?

� Did the seller have outstanding feedback?

� What was the layout and design like?

� Did you like the look of the listing overall, and would YOU have placed a bid on this item?

There have been countless studies taken out, on the pro�s and con�s of having the Gallery Image beside your listing, and test�s have proven again and again, that listings with a gallery image, make more money.

When you�re creating your listing, the first image is free, and this image is normally also used as your Gallery Image. After that, you can include up to 11 pictures with various fees applicable. Some of the more advanced options include�

� Super Size

This is where you can make your pictures larger than the standard size of 400 X 300 pixels, and there are extra fees for this option.

� Picture Show

A picture show is a slide show feature that scrolls through the photos you include.

� Picture Pack

The Picture Pack is a package deal that eBay offer if you would like a combination of all of the above.

As mentioned, all of these features have various fees and charges. You can choose to subscribe to eBay�s Picture Manager and pay a monthly fee to host your photos, or you can choose another service to host your photos for you.

Two hosting options are Auctiva and Vendio. Auctiva includes a totally free picture hosting capability as part of a complete auction-listing program.

Your main consideration when uploading your pictures to your listing is to always keep in mind that shoppers can�t physically touch or see what it is you�re selling.

Your pictures need to be as detailed as possible, so that the shopper feels confident that if they bought your item, there won�t be any nasty surprises.

For example, if you were selling a used leather handbag with wear and tear creases and scratches, and your listing showed stock pictures of a brand new unmarked handbag in perfect condition, then the buyer will be very upset and you can expect to get negative feedback.

Of course the amount of pictures you use in your listing, depends on the value of the item you�re selling.

Remember time is money, and it you can showcase your item with less pictures then do so.

Poor images in listings definitely bring less sales and less bids. If you want to blow your competition out of the water, you must make sure that your pictures are clear, and there are enough to show every angle and feature of the item.

You Won The Bid Limited is an eBay education company, specialising in delivering the finest education programs for businesses or individuals in the world today. We help people who are seeking to realise the enormous potential of the world�s largest online market place, eBay.

Launched in 1995, eBay now have over 212 Million users worldwide, transacting more than $1 Billion per week of revenue through its global community of buyers and sellers.

You Won The Bid Ltd was founded by two exceptional entrepreneurs, Matt & Amanda Clarkson, who also run a hugely profitable eBay business turning over in excess of $53,000 every month. You can find out more about this amazing possibility, and also learn how you too can have a successful eBay business by clicking here, right now... http://www.youwonthebid.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 07:59 AM

April 30, 2007

10 Essential Steps To Running A Successful eBay eBook Business

By James Penn

Running an eBay eBook business is perhaps one of the most exciting and potentially profitable online home based business opportunities � but before you jump head first into setting up an eBay eBook business that sky dives its way to failure, read this article and discover the essential steps that you NEED to take in order to run a hugely profitable and successful eBay eBook business.

Step #1

Identify a niche to market to

There are so many eBook sellers on eBay nowadays that you can�t just jump head first into selling any old eBook you find. Don�t compete with the well established eBook sellers, instead find eBook niches that you can target and then dominate that niche.

For example, you could choose to sell eBooks about golf. Once you�ve dominated that micro-niche, move on to other sports such as soccer, tennis etc. This way, while you may not be targeting as many people, you will become an authority and everyone will come to your eBay store for eBooks on these topics.

Step #2

Brand your eBay eBook business

Branding is an important step. It differentiates you from other eBay sellers and creates a recognisable distinction for your eBay business.

It all starts with your eBay username. Choose a username that falls in line with the niche you are targeting. Choose an eBay store name that fits in with what you sell. Create a short slogan that fits in with the items you sell. Develop a template that you use on each of your auctions so your customers will recognize you and your business.

Step #3

Focus on steady but consistent growth

There�s no point listing 100 eBooks in your first few days on eBay. Start slow and grow steadily. Start by selling 3 or 4 different eBooks and add one or two to your library every week. Keep updating your library to keep your customers returning.

Step #4

Identify your main competition and exploit their weaknesses and implement their strengths into your own business

Find the top eBay sellers on eBay. Find what they are doing well and incorporate that into your business (but don�t copy). Find out what they are doing wrong, and make sure you don�t make the same mistakes.

Step #5

Experimentation is the key to success

Once you�ve set up a listing, don�t just continue to relist it exactly how it was before. Play with the title, the sales letter, and the graphics. Make it different and track the results of your changes. Once you have tweaked it a number of times, use the format which converted best for you.

Step #6

Little changes can have drastic effects

You need to realise that tiny changes can have huge effects. Just by changing one word in your auction title could lead to hundreds more people seeing your auction and leading to tens more sales. Make lots of little changes and track your success.

Step #7

The customer is always right � treat them with respect

The customers are the lifeblood of your business � without them you have nothing. Make sure you treat them with respect. Refund them if they want refunding, deal with any problems with a timely manner and always respond to emails.

Step #8

Only sell quality

If you sell poor quality eBooks, then you�ve lost that customer for life. They won�t buy from you again if they think their next purchase will be of the same poor quality. But if you provide them with top quality products, they are more likely to return and spend more money in your eBay store. Always read products before you sell them.

Step #9

Create your own products

Once you�ve set everything up and become known as an authority seller, then develop your own products. It will further enhance your reputation and give you an additional eBook to sell from your store.

Step #10

Build the backend!

This is important! Never sell an eBook on eBay without having some form of upsell. If you sell an eBook about dieting secrets for $5, then upsell with an affiliate product all about exercises to lose weight for $50. This will explode your profits!

James Penn is an experienced eBay seller & has assisted many eBay sellers to help them make money on eBay in 2007 and for many years to come. Discover many of his other eBay selling tips that will help explode your eBay sales & grab a selection of free eBay eBooks by signing up to his free eBay newsletter.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Penn
http://EzineArticles.com/?10-Essential-Steps-To-Running-A-Successful-eBay-eBook-Business&id=544743

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:17 AM

April 28, 2007

Maximising Your eBay Auctions Sales

By Tony Leung
It is true that your selling prices in eBay are pretty much out of your control, but there are certain things that you can do to maximise your eBay sales.

1. Don't start with a high bidding price. This will turn away people as they will think that they won't get a good deal. From my experience, low bidding price will almost always produce better sales since your potential buyers will be watching these items and there will be fierce competition just few minutes before the eBay auction end. Experienced eBay bidder will bid only when the auction come close to the end as they don't want to drive the price up.
2. Make sure your auctions end at the right time. This is crucial. I have seen so many people ignoring the importance of this and get only low number of bids and consequently low sales price. It is important that you don't make the same mistake. Remember that most people will not go to eBay when they are working during the day. So make sure that your eBay auctions end when most people are home, that is at night during weekdays or in the weekends. Keep this always in your mind when you are posting your eBay actions.
3. Attract more potential eBay buyers with listing upgrades, but make sure you keep track of eBay fees eBay's got lots of upgrades to make your listing look more attractive and different from most people's listing in hope of attracting more buyers. Feel free to use these upgrades but don't overdo it. It's very easy to get carried on with these upgrades and you might end up handing over all your profits to eBay.
To get more resources for your eBay business go to http://www.internet-marketing-made-simple.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 10:40 AM

April 27, 2007

Top 10 Things to Know Before Bidding on an Auction Website

By Jonathan Keegan

If you are new to the world of auctions, you must do some research before bidding on products or services. New online bidders can be paying much more for an item than is necessary. Here are some things that you should look for:

1. Type of Auction:

Is it a Dutch, English, Sealed-Bid or Vickrey Auction? Most online auctions are the Dutch-style, which means the auctioneer asks a certain price as a minimum (called a reserve) and the bidders keep bidding until time is up. The person who has out-bid the others wins and then must pay for the item.

Other types of auctions include business to consumer or consumer-to-consumer. eBay is the consumer-to-consumer model where almost anyone can sell their wares and anyone can bid on the item or service. AlltheAuctions.com www.alltheauctions.com is a business to consumer auction site, where there are trusted vendors who sell new items like jewelry, tools, watches and electronics.

2. No Reserve Bids:

This means there is no minimum amount you must bid before the auction will send you the item. This is a great way to save money and get great items � generally, there is no catch. Check the details before bidding.

3. Packing & Shipping Costs:

Always, and I cannot stress this enough, always check to see how much the shipping charges are before you bid! There are many examples of people having the winning bid on an item and then realizing the shipping fee is more than the cost of the item.

4. Spending:

Always know the maximum amount of money you are willing to spend on an item. Also, do your research to find the fair market value of an item. Obviously, if the item is antique there are many different facets to the auction pricing, including quality, condition and original packaging. Never get overly competitive and just bid to win. You will pay more money and the other people at the auction will not be happy since in future you may drive up the price for items they will bid on. However, you will make the auction site happy

5. Questions & Contact Info:

A reputable auction site or seller will have easy to find contact details to answer all of your questions. If you find no contact information, do not bid on anything. You may be short-changed on your items and if you cannot contact someone when you want to buy something, chances are if you want to return it or if the item is broken, there will be no one to contact then either.

6. Fads & Resale Value:

Items like Cabbage Patch Dolls were big in the 1980s and are now considered collectibles. However, many items that were mass produced are worth virtually nothing. Make sure you know the long term outcome before you bid. Also, if people are making foolish purchases now because they trendy, when fashion changes, the market for them may collapse.

7. Auction Newsletters:

You should sign-up for online auction newsletters, like http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101613989976 especially if you are a collector. Some items rarely come onto the market, and if you want to know when they are available, you must be in the loop. Also, put yourself out there, especially with business to consumer auction sites. Send them an email and tell them what you are looking for and they will put you on a list and notify you when and if the item comes available.

8. Sniping:

It has happened to all of us. No one has outbid you on the item you want. Your bid has been the top bid for about a week. You check your bid moments before and when you turn away from the computer for one second a sniper comes in and outbids you and wins. Who is to blame? You are, in most cases. A sniper can be bidding on his own or can use automated bidding tools to outbid you. There is nothing illegal about it.

In an effort to help, most auction sites will automatically extend an auction by five minutes if there is a bid placed in the last 10 minutes of an auction.

Proxy bidding is the best thing you can do in this instance. Figure out what the maximum you wish to pay is and enter the amount in the correct location. The amount of your bid will only increase if someone else bids against you. If the sniper comes in and bids over you, you have your maximum price entered and you can feel good that you did not overspend.

9. Bigger is Not Necessarily Better:

Auctions that sell anything and everything are great for someone who buys many different items. Auctions that sell specific niches are definitely better for collectors. To find auction websites that may be of interest to you just enter a large-scale search term like �jewelry auction� or �bracelet auction�, etc. Bigger auctions may charge the vendor/seller more money to list their items and that extra charge will trickle down to you. My advice, shop around.

10. Oops�

In the world of online auctions, or any other auctions for that matter, a bid is a bid, and it is like taking your finger off a checker. You made your move and now you must live with it. If you must renege, you will be considered a bad person, regardless of the issue. This is because you have driven up the cost of the item for other buyers, you have promised the vendor that you will buy and now you have just gone back on your word. What do you expect? Only, only, only retract your bid when absolutely necessary. Think before you bid.

Following these basic rules will help you in the online auction world. These are not the only things you should know, just the basics. Spend some time watching the auction before bidding and see how it works. Happy Bidding!

Posted by Dave Bromley at 07:41 AM

April 17, 2007

So You Really Think Your Listing is Enticing to the Bidder?

By Mike Ralph

There are literally thousands and thousands of Ebay tips and help manuals available online that claim to generate you that killer auction but in all honesty do you really need them, some simple tips that I find are always useful and work wonders are:

1. NEVER EVER USE ALL CAPITALS!! - this is the Internet equivalent of shouting and is considered as very rude. Also try reading a long series of words in capital format, it proves to be quite an eye strainer and is guaranteed to push people away.

2. Learn to spell and write correctly, missing the odd comma or semi colon is generally nothing to worry about but there is nothing more certain to scream an amateur and make your potential bidder wary than a poorly spelt and written listing.

3. Be title specific, by this I mean that this is your sales copy and the first opportunity to wet the appetite of the bidder and entice them into reading your full listing. Be specific as opposed to general, remember the devil is in the detail....people want a specific item and by generalising you are not attracting the correct market and although you may get extra views this doesn't necessarily mean you will get extra bids. How many times have you seen "MP3 Player: Not iPod, Creative Zen or Microsoft Zune" - I bet that really sells their MP3 player to the iPod and Zune buyer!

4. Always describe your items well, it is simple amazing that so many sellers simply put the name of the item they are selling in standard text and then are surprised when they do not sell it. The key is simple, the more you describe the item you are selling the more the bidder will have confidence that you are not trying to hide anything. This could mean the difference between getting 99p and �10 for your auction, it really is that vital....

5. Service sells, so many auctions state "No Returns" or "We do not have time to answer questions, please read the description". This is amazing, the marketplace is full and you have competition and you are already sounding like you are expecting problems with the product and you do not care about your customers. Think about what the big players on the Internet do and learn from them, you may be a little fish in a big pond but you want to grow into a big fish do you not?

6. Always, always include at least one picture and where possible include multiple pictures. If you have more than one point of reference in your description then use an image to detail it correctly, when doing this please do not use Ebay's picture service as this will cost you money. There are lots of free image hosting services out there that can be used instead and they even give you the code to include it in your listings (how easy is that). My Ebay forum has lots of information regarding these types of services.

Now these may seem like basic tips and there are lots and lots of 'other' tips that people can offer you but focusing on the basics of any listing will give you the foundations on which to build your auction trading career, these tips are aimed at building buyer confidence in your listings and this will also be compounded by the feedback that you will receive from all your buyers as they will get exactly what they have bid for. After all the backbone of the Ebay process is the feedback system and there is nothing more welcoming to a buyer than a bright shiny star next to your 100% feedback rating...

Mike - Webmaster and eBay Power Seller at Ebay Selling Made Easy

We offer free templates, information and product sourcing to enable you to develop your online auctions into a sustainable, long term income stream.

Why not visit my Ebay Forum where any advice can be sought on any aspect of Online Auction Trading.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:24 AM

April 10, 2007

How to Build a Store on eBay

By Jason Griffith

eBay can be a very lucrative marketplace. You need to know that when you build a store on eBay it is not as simple as registering and creating your eBay store pages. There is a lot more involved if you want to achieve success.

Before you even go to the eBay website to open your eBay store and build it, you need to know what you are going to sell. However, even that is not enough.

You need to know how well your items are going to sell. It's no use going through all the effort of building your store on eBay, and it brings in no sales.

For this you do need to do market research and determine what kind of demand there is for your products, what the competition is like, and what competitive pricing would be.

The next thing you need to consider is your eBay feedback rating. eBay buyers are very wary of eBay sellers with a very low number of feedbacks against their name.

If your eBay id has only a few feedbacks, then spend some time buying and selling items on eBay without an eBay store until you have built up a solid feedback score.

Once you've done this, you are ready to build a store on eBay.

The next step is to register and open your eBay store on eBay. Once your store exists, you need to add what they call store inventory auction listings. These are auction listings that do not expire like regular auction listings. Consider those like items you would always have on display on your virtual product racks until someone buys them.

Once you get to this point of building your store on eBay, it is not the point to sit back and wait for sales. You might wait forever and get zero sales.

This is the time that you need to jump in and furiously market and promote your eBay store.

There are several ways you can market your eBay store. One way is to always have regular eBay auction listings that appear in the eBay searches. Always include a link to your eBay store in those auction listings.

Another way of marketing your eBay store is to put out a press release, which you can do free of charge on several websites. Yet another way is to advertise in your local community via flyers, business cards and classified ads.

Another way is to start your own blog where you write about topics relevant to your eBay store and types of products that you sell. You would then include several links back to your eBay store from your blog.

I hope you see that how to build a store on eBay involves much more than following the step-by-step instructions on the eBay website. That is the easiest and quickest part of building your eBay store.

The most work and the secret to your success lies in what you do before and after you have built your store on eBay.

Jason Griffith recommends that you review this very helpful tool to enhance your eBay selling success. Jason also writes eBay Store reviews for BestAuctionStores.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:54 AM

Dropshipping and eBay - Is It All a Scam or is There a Real Business Opportunity Here?

By Jordan Milton

If you have been researching work at home job opportunities than no doubt you have come across drop-shipping. You have probably seen a hundred ads trying to sell you an E-book that will tell you all the secrets to eBay or been tempted by a "free" instant auction success kit of some kind, right? If you have been unfortunate enough to become a victim of any of these scams then you may have dismissed eBay and drop-shipping as a legitimate business. Don't give up just yet! Motivated individuals can build a successful eBay drop-shipping business with zero dollars out of pocket. But How?

There are several factors crucial to your success as a drop-shipper. First and most importantly you must choose a drop-shipper that is approved by eBay and there are only TWO. Once you have selected your drop-shipper you need to select products to sell. Avoid selling products that are already highly saturated on eBay. For example, everyone and their brother is selling MP3 players at the moment so your chances of getting sales is much lower than if you target a less crowded market like belt buckles. Try and build an inventory of related products so you can pick up extra sales from your customers. If you sell computers and a customer decides to purchase a desktop unit from you he may also purchase a printer or other accessories if you have them in stock.

Pricing is always a sticky area for beginners. The number one mistake new drop-shippers and eBay users make is forgetting to factor in the fees when listing their items. For example....you can get a hunting knife from your drop-shipper for $70 plus $4 shipping for a total of $74. You decide to list it on Ebay for $80 for $6 profit...right? WRONG! There are fees for accepting Paypal payments for your auction, their are listing fees and there are eBay's final value fees. In this example you would have actually lost between $2 and $5 depending on your listing format. There is a very simple formula to avoid this problem an insure you always make a profit. If you are interested in the more detailed aspects of product pricing visit my in depth free guide.

Once you have your business model established how do you drive customers to your products? If you are using ebay than you are already way ahead of the game. Ebay has over 60 million users and you can easily drive them to your products through a variety of tools already available to you right on ebay! There are tools to enhance your auctions such as listing designer, bold and highlight options and gallery photo options. There are also ways to expand your business and lower your listing fees by opening an ebay Store. The serious entrepreneur should spend some time utilizing ebay's many message boards, FAQ pages and live help options to explore these and many other tools in depth.

I explore these factors and more in my free complete set up guide for new drop-shippers which can be viewed by following the link below. My guide is intended as a tool for serious individuals who are dedicated to their success. There are no E-books or software to buy, and no sales pitch.

Jordan Milton has over ten years experience as a professional writer and reviewer. You can access her free in depth analysis of how to build a successful eBay dropshipping business at:

http://idiotsrevenge.tripod.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:48 AM

Stop Throwing Away Cash on Your eBay Images!

By Ken Kropp

Why pay eBay to host your auction images for you when you can use an online image hosting service to do it for free? A lot of people don't even know it's possible or may think it's not worth the hassle. This simple step by step article will show you how you can easily save money on your eBay listings.

Most good file and image sharing websites will allow you to rename files, resize images, create thumbnails, rotate images, and more. All of these are very helpful tools for managing your eBay auction images.

In order to get started, the first thing you need to do is take good quality pictures of your items. Try to use a camera that can take pictures at 2 Megapixels or greater. I also like to use an inexpensive tripod to take my pictures as this usually helps eliminate most problems with blurry pictures. Once you have your pictures, transfer them to your computer.

Once your pictures are on your computer, it is time to transfer them to a free file hosting site. You will want to register for an account by clicking REGISTER on the top menu bar. Once you've finsihed the registration process an activation email will be sent to you (check your SPAM folder if you don't see it in your Inbox). Click the link and your account will be activated and now you can login and use your account.

Once you are logged in, you will need to upload your files by clicking UPLOAD from the top menu bar. Next, click Browse and select your file and then click Browse again to select additional files if necessary. Once you've finished selecting the files, click upload.

After uploading your files you are taken to the My Files page where you can resize and rename your files in one easy step. It's good to rename your files something descriptive that you'll remember. Also a good rule of thumb is to resize them to 640x480 or 800x600 pixels (depending on your preference) for fast loading. To edit your pics, click the name of the file you want to edit. Type the new filename in the Rename box. Next, change the leftmost box on Resize to 640 for 640x480 (or to 800 for 800x600) pixels and leave the "Maintain Aspect Ratio" box checked. Save the changes by clicking Update File. Repeat for any remaining files you want to edit.

Now your pictures are ready to be added to your auction. From the My Files page, click share on the line of the file you want to add to the listing and it will automatically generate a code snippet. You will want to use the "img (HTML Image Tag)" for your eBay listing. Click ( copy to clipboard ) under the "img" type. VERY IMPORTANT - When creating your eBay listing, make sure you've selected the HTML tab for the Description section. Now you can paste this HTML code into your listing where you want the image to appear. Repeat this to add unlimited images to your listing!

Enjoy, repeat, enjoy!

Free File Hosting at http://www.filenanny.com Upload and share your eBay, MySpace, Xanga, Facebook files and more!

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:41 AM

Up-Sell Instead Of Cross - Sell Your eBay Items

By Jason Griffith

When you own an eBay store, you have the luxury of listing items in your store inventory that essentially do not expire like regular auctions. This feature opens the doors for you to carefully think about and design a process for promoting your items.

As with most things in life, there is an easy road and there is a tougher road that demands more work. The results that one gets are often direct in line with the effort one puts in.

eBay provides you with a cross-promotional tool, where you can present a buyer with similar or related items when they view an auction listing, and when they go through the checkout process.

The easy way out of using this feature is to simply let the system decide which auction listings to show to the buyer. That is probably also the least efficient way of using the cross-promotional tool. However, if most of your listings are regular time-limited auctions, then you do not have much choice other than using the auto selection feature.

A more efficient and effective way of using the tool is to promote your more expensive items when a buyer views an auction listing. This method is actually even more important for when the buyer is going through the checkout process. At checkout time you know that you have a paying buyer who is interested in the particular purchased item. Now is the time to use that knowledge and up-sell.

Often, your more expensive items are the ones that move much slower. That can be for a variety of reasons, such as buyers limiting their searches to specific dollar limits, buyer confidence in you as a seller, and buyer confidence in the broader eBay auction system.

Hence, you must use every sensible opportunity you get to promote your more expensive items.

To do this effectively, you must fully understand your products and how they relate to one another. In addition, you must understand your buyer.

You must know that if the buyer purchased your red $10 widget, then they are most likely to be interested in your related $120 widget because the red widget works with or enhances the performance of your more expensive widget.

In this scenario, you would list your red $10 widget as a regular eBay auction and list your related $120 widget as a store inventory item. Using the cross-promotional tool, you would then manually select the more expensive widget to be shown on in the cross-promotional tool, as well as other items that might relate to the red widget or the more expensive widget.

Cross-promotion can be very effective in generating more sales, but you cannot expect the optimal results if you choose to rely on automatic selection. Put in some thought and work, and you should see far better results.

Jason Griffith writes eBay Store reviews for BestAuctionStores.com, a site dedicated to providing eBay Buyers with the ability to review and rate eBay stores

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:34 AM

Make Money On eBay - What Does It Take To Become A PowerSeller?

By Bob Hamilton

There are many different pieces to the puzzle of becoming an eBay PowerSeller. Even more important are the pieces of the puzzle to becoming a PowerSeller who can actually amake money on eBay. It takes identifying a solid market niche and product(s) within that niche. It takes mastering the art of creating titles, photos and listings that stand out from the crowd. It takes outstanding customer service. It takes sound business operations practices.

On the business side of the equation one of the real keys is in the buying that you do to obtain your products for resale. It does little good to purchase products for resale and then find that there is no market available for those products. It does little good to purchase products and then resell them if there is not a profit involved. To amake money on eBay requires that you make a profit.

To amake money on eBay requires that you are able to find dependable sources for the merchandise that is to be sold. It does a seller little good to locate a supplier of merchandise and then have that supplier run out of merchandise after only one or two orders.

To amake money on eBay requires that you are able to locate suppliers that ship exactly what they represent the merchandise to be. There are no surprises. There are no substitute products. What you order is what you get.

To amake money on eBay requires that you be able to purchase products at a low enough price to cover expenses and to still make a profit. Once a supplier is located there are no surprise add-on fees and costs. The costs that are quoted are the costs that you pay.

Locating those rare low priced, dependable and trustworthy suppliers is very much like finding gold. It is hard to find. Once you find it you need to work on taking advantage of the opportunity. They represent a chance to amake money on eBay.

To Your eBay Success!

To read my free e-report go to http://www.onlineauctionsmadesimple.net
http://www.openingadollarstore.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:28 AM

March 10, 2007

Why You Need Multiple Ebay Accounts

By Phil Morgan

Many people are unaware that ebay will allow you to have more than one account. All you need to do is set each one up under a different email address.

Why would this be to your advantage? There are four reasons I�ll suggest; the first two are �offensive� business strategies, the second two are �defensive� business protections.

1. To keep your niches separate One of the many advantages of niche marketing is that you are perceived as a �specialist� or �expert� in a particular field. This gives customers confidence to buy.

On the other hand, if you only have a single line of products and sales begin to slow, you may regret having all your eggs in one basket.

Many successful ebayers like to have two or three different niches. By using a different account name for each niche you are able to keep it nice and simple for your customers. They don�t have to wade through a page of listings of another line you sell in order to get to the products that they�re interested in. In addition, their perception of you as a specialist is reinforced. You�re the �go to� guy or gal for what they want.

Are you an ebay Store owner? Having separate accounts gives you the additional option of opening a Store for each niche. You can build your own ebay �empire� of stores.

2. To advertise multiple domains There�s a very simple little (perfectly legal) �trick� that many ebay sellers employ to get some free advertising for themselves. When choosing a user ID on ebay, they align it with their off-ebay web site. So, for example, they might use **explodingbiz.com** or www_explodingbiz_com (ebay will not allow you to use the regular http address line as is, but these alternatives are suggestive enough that people get the message easily).

By having multiple accounts you can advertise and get a little extra exposure for several domain names that you own.

3. To protect your positive feedback rating Most ebayers work very hard at building a good feedback rating. The goal, of course, is a high number of transactions and 100% positive comments from customers.

It�s frustrating when you work very hard to build that feedback only to have your score reduced by just one or two unreasonable customers. I�ve even heard stories of sabotage by a competitor who buys your cheapest line item just to return it and leave a negative. I believe that�s very rare, but it�s a possibility.

You can always appeal to ebay to have negative feedback reviewed (although they will never remove the actual comments), but having multiple accounts with a growing positive feedback score means that if, for some reason, one rating should be compromised you can consider switching over to do business under another account that you own.

One strategy that is particularly worth considering is setting up a separate ebay account just for buying. If you have a very bad experience with another seller on ebay, you might feel the need in good conscience to leave a negative comment in order to warn others. After all, that�s a big part of the reason why the feedback system was established. The problem is that most sellers wait until you�ve left feedback before they respond with feedback for you. Inevitably, if you have to leave a negative, you can be quite sure you�re going to receive �revenge� feedback.

Keeping a separate account just for buying on ebay means that anything like that can be kept away from your selling accounts where a negative will hurt you far more.

4. To insure against a misunderstanding with ebay ebay reserves the right to �suspend� or �terminate� your account at any time if they suspect you are not abiding by their rules.

All of ebay�s rules have been set up with two purposes. Firstly, to protect everybody who uses the site (which we all appreciate), and secondly to look after their own business interests (which we all understand).

The problem is that the application of these many rules is not always entirely consistent. ebay is notorious for �interpreting� their rules in changing ways. And let�s face it, it�s their site and they can do what they like.

I�ve heard some horror stories about sellers unintentionally breaking one of ebays rules and finding themselves shut down. After discussions to sort out the misunderstanding between the two parties, the accounts are often reinstated, but it takes time.

If you�re trading on ebay as a hobby that might be only a minor inconvenience, but if it�s your livelihood you could be �out of business� for days or even weeks until you can get it sorted out.

Again, having multiple accounts can save your bacon! It might allow you to keep trading while you�re in negotiations to clear your good name.

So, there we have it. Four good reasons to maintain multiple ebay accounts.

Some suggestions for setting up your additional accounts. We�ve already talked about how a good feedback score is coveted among ebay sellers. There�s no question that it increases sales. So one reason a seller may be hesitant to list items under a brand new account they�re trying to establish is that, without their good rating they might not get as many bids and therefore they might not realize as good a selling price. They�re all the way back at the starting gate again!

Well, I suggest several things that should help.

� Begin by using the new account to buy some things on ebay, and gain some positive feedback that way.

� List a bunch of very cheap items for sale � buyers are less nervous if they�re spending just a dollar or two on baseball cards or e-books than if they were buying larger items.

� Add a line in every one of your listings that lets bidders know that you have an established feedback rating under another account name. Say something like, �I am not a newbie on ebay. You can see the very positive feedback score I have (over 1200 transactions and counting!) under the user ID mymainaccount.�

By employing these few techniques it shouldn�t be too long before your new secondary account is established in its own right.

What�s stopping you? Go sign up for that additional account today!

About the Author:

Copyright 2007 Philip A. Morgan. All rights reserved.
Phil and his wife Alli are internet marketers who enjoy teaching others how to profit.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 08:26 AM

Make Money on eBay - How to Gain Loyal Customers

By Bob Hamilton

Repeat customers already know you, your business and the products that you market. Gaining the repeat sales that come from those loyal and satisfied customers is one of the best ways to make money no eBay. But how does an entrepreneur go about moving buyers to the list of repeat customers that make that difference?

While there are many pieces that all come together to create that relationship, they really fall into three main categories. Excellent communication, over-delivering and trust all come together to start sellers down the path to that relationship. Those three categories when repeated time and again create relationships that make money on eBay.

Communication is one of the keys to make money on eBay. Prospective buyers need to be able to count on sellers to provide all of the information that is required for them to make their buying decision. That includes complete information about items that are being sold. Timely and complete answers to all questions, instant information when purchases are made and follow-up communication throughout the payment and shipping process are included. Then there is the follow-up that comes with a simple �thank you� inside the package when the product arrives.

Another step toward the goal to make money on eBay is over-delivering. This comes in many forms. It might include adding a small FREE extra item to the shipment. This works best when the FREE item relates to the item that was purchased. It might be providing a small discount on shipping for loyal customers. It might be by providing FREE gift wrapping when the item is being delivered as a gift or for a special event. The list is as big as your imagination. The little extras all give the message that you are over-delivering and that you appreciate your eBay buyers.

The most important step in building a base of loyal customers is being trustworthy. To make money on eBay means that every buyer can count on you to perform as committed. Everything that you write in descriptions and answers is absolutely accurate. When you say that a package will ship today, that happens. The list of actions that build trust is as long as all of the interactions that you directly and indirectly have with your buyers and prospective buyers.

Build a base of loyal, satisfied buyers and you are on your way to make money on eBay. Give it a try!

To your eBay success!

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Posted by Dave Bromley at 08:14 AM

Make Money on eBay - How to Use the Title to Make Sales

By Bob Hamilton

The auction listing is where the rubber starts to hit the road with your eBay business. The listing starts with the listing title of course. In fact to make money on eBay your listing titles must be more than titles. They must be powerful titles that bring traffic to your listings.

Since you are limited to just 55 characters for your title it is critical that you maximize the impact and effectiveness of each and every character. Invest the time to create a title that will use all 55 characters. To make money on eBay invest the time so that you never leave a character unused.

Make money on eBay by doing the research so that you use keywords that will attract prospective buyer attention. Be sure to use the keywords that are most popular with eBay buyers. Research takes time, but knowing just the right keywords can add up to high traffic and more sales.

Use the most popular terms to identify the item. Include information about what it is, what it is most often called, and the brand. If there is enough room special features and any limitations or imperfections should of the item be included as well. That�s a great deal of information, but to make money on eBay requires that everything possible be included in the title.

Those who know how to make money on eBay know that the listing title is critical to success. They know that all of the most critical information about the item should be included. They know that keyword rich titles attract traffic. They know that creating powerful titles takes time and energy. With practice your listing titles can bring large numbers of prospective buyers to you listings as well. They will bring sales to your eBay business.

To Your eBay Success!

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Posted by Dave Bromley at 08:12 AM

February 09, 2007

Ebay's Square Trade - Do We Need It?

By: Steve Dempster

eBay proudly proclaims that 3 million sites now bear the Square Trade logo - but who benefits?

As an eBay trader, I've built a small but enjoyable business on eBay. I pay my listing fees, I pay my final fees, I pay my PayPal fees. Not a problem. Now it seems eBay wants more. Let's take it into context: if (as eBay claims) 3 million sites are paying for the privilege of displaying this 'Square Trade' logo - what is eBay creaming from this?

The sums are easy - 3 million x $9.50 per month = $342,000,000 a year. That's right. Read it again. $342,000,000! It's a staggering amount of money, probably more than the GDP of some countries! And for what?

You get to display a little green logo on your site. Wow. eBay says this will lead to -

A 43% decrease in future negative feedback. What's that? eBay are presumably here presupposing that you will deal with buyers who are bursting at the seams to give you negative feedback. Piffle. In any business you will encounter buyers who are, for whatever reason, determined to trash your service. It's just life. It is up to you, as a trader, to ensure that your customers are satisfied with their purchase. It's no good expecting eBay - or anyone else - to bale you out if you're selling cheap rubbish. Deal with your customers on a professional basis, respect their needs and rights, and they will respond with positive feedback. Ignore them, rip them off, treat them only as a revenue stream and you will fail in your enterprise, eBay Square Trade logo or no.

eBay also seem to suggest that their Square Trade logo will entice buyers who are looking for a seller they can trust. It's a fair point, but surely eBay should do some domestic cleaning and rid themselves of the crooked sellers they still seem to harbour? The UK's BBC hung eBay out to dry with a documentary recently, pointing to the fact that some sellers - who I am sure are in the minority - cheerily flood eBay with counterfeit and fake designer goods. Now, eBay are not the culprit here, and I would not suggest for one moment that they condone this behaviour. Yet it would be interesting to know just how much of eBay's untold millions is spent combating this unwanted incursion - and what they intend to do to stop it.

Look at the Square Trade sign-up page. Aside from the 'free first month' tempter there is a very salient phrase - and here I think it is fair to quote - 'join eBay's largest community of trusted sellers'. Does that mean that those of us who do not wish to further line eBay's pockets by joining the Square Trade programme are untrustworthy? The implication is, I think, present. eBay has discovered yet another lucrative revenue stream - the 'trusted seller'. It is unfortunate that, given that eBay was started as a 'matey' community venture, it now sees fit to promote such products as the Square Trade deal. If eBay are so committed to fair and honest dealing, combined with the wish to promote ethical and honest dealers, then why do they offer this Square Deal to anyone who is willing to pay their fees?

I have just been through the sign-up process ( I haven't signed up). A very annoying point is that eBay ask you what kind of member you wish to be - US or non-US. It's on the same mindset level that, in days thankfully now gone, one used to be asked (in a job application) if you were 'Catholic' or 'non-Catholic'. Does eBay not realise that by doing this, by setting the US on a pedestal as the 'prime' registration, that they are alienating members in the UK, Europe, India, Australia, South America - in fact, the 'Rest Of The World' (which, in case eBay has forgotten, is a hell of a lot bigger than the USA!). If all those members chose to abandon eBay in favour of a more 'friendly' auction site, one can't help wondering how long it would take before eBay realised that they aren't alone in the online world and revised their charges accordingly.

In summary, I would say that eBay are getting above themselves. Yes, they are a huge company. Huge companies come and go (where are IBM now?). Yes, they are (were) innovative. So are many others. Yes, they have made a lot of money. I have no problem with that. It's when companies squeeze their cash-cow lemon so hard the pips squeak that they should think about a few things - like the fact that there are a myriad of other auction sites biting at their heels. Don't take the mickey, guys.

Steve Dempster has been an internet junkie for more years than he cares to remember. His eBay shop can be seen at his site The Invisible Edge

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:59 PM

Ebay Shops: Enough Niches For Everybody!

By: Steve Dempster

You have probably read plenty about niche marketing on the internet - but what does it really mean? This article takes a look at niche marketing in its context as an eBay shop based business.

eBay: who would have thought ten years ago that this little project of Pierre Omidyar's, started in his living room, would now be the global phenomenon it has grown into?

Many things have changed in the last ten years and opportunities for business online have mushroomed to the extent that there's now almost 'too much information'. One thing that seems to baffle people who want to get on the eBay bandwagon - and it's nothing to do with the mechanics of having an eBay account which, let's face it, are pretty simple. No - the real stumper for many people is this: what do I sell? What do I trade in? And what's the best way to get exposure for my goods?

These questions are not asked by the casual eBay member; the one who wants to sell off some unwanted household goods or hold the online version of a garage sale. That type of trading, although still massively widespread amongst the eBay community, is not what niche marketing is about. In fact, it's not what an eBay business in 2007 is about at all.

I personally don't know any eBay millionaires but they doubtless exist and let's get one thing straight: eBay did NOT make these people rich - they made THEMSELVES rich. They had the savvy to see that eBay is what it is - a superb turnkey operation simply begging to be taken advantage of. They learned how to take advantage of the plethora of tools and reports that eBay waved in front of them, tools that elsewhere could well have cost a fortune. And do you know what? You can do exactly the same! It's just a question of learning how to use the eBay system.

One of the must-knows for anyone setting up or operating any trading business is this: know your market. What do your customers want? Where are they? What do they want to pay for your goods? These are questions that all business owners must know but, before that, before anything, you must know what you are going to sell. What is your stock-in-trade? Where will you buy it from? What investment do you need and (and this is a really important one) - how are you going to get those products in front of these potential customers that your research tells you are champing at the bit to buy from you?

In a redbrick business there are several avenues to market - direct mail, yellow pages, mailshots, catalogues - all tried and tested and all ranging from quite expensive to ruinously so. Just try pricing a minute of prime TV airtime - but have the smelling salts ready! On eBay things are a little different - simply get an eBay shop.

For those who don't know what an eBay shop is, in some ways it's a return to the old virtual shopping mall idea of the late 'nineties, with all the pros and none of the cons. The virtual malls were a good idea let down by clunky servers and snail-speed connections. By contrast, an eBay shop is quick, easy to maintain and, importantly, easy for your prospective customers to use. It's also inexpensive and will put your goods in front of more prospective customers than you could ever realistically hope to contact by other means.

Where an eBay shop can really come into its own is when you have your own website. Why? Simple. Your eBay shop can easily be embedded into a page on your site - where of course you can offer other goods or services and have targeted ads such as Google AdSense on the page, giving you more opportunities to earn income. An eBay shop can be as simple or as complex as you like and can grow as your business and experience does. Many people start off by selling products that they are interested in - a niche interest! But there are many, many niches within the eBay marketplace and ways of discovering them do exist - unfortunately these are beyond the scope of this article.

eBay shops are ideal for those niche businesses I mentioned above. If you want to sell pottery figures from Wade - great! Bakelite inkwells - no problem! I'm not saying you'll ever make your fortune doing this but the important thing is that you will 'cut your teeth' in a real business environment - and there are enough niches for all. Maybe you'll spread to a broader product base and make your million after all - maybe you'll just have a very nice niche business that you understand and are good at. It's all up to you!

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:53 PM

Four Reasons Why You Should Never Use Animations In Your Ebay

By Sydney Johnston

Inexperienced auction sellers, or those lacking in confidence,
often want to make their auction listings more dramatic and
exciting. They dread the possibility that buyers will be bored
by their auction and turn away with indifference.

Therefore, they reason, they will spice up their auctions with
some "animations" - graphics that blink, change colors, spin,
travel around the web page.

Or the seller may be a tech person who loves toys and is proud
of his ability to create unusual effects.

Regardless of their reasons, animated elements on an auction
page are almost never a good idea for the following four
reasons:

1. Rather than attracting attention to the merchandise in your
auction, your potential customer may watch a spinning ball or
follow Santa and his reindeer through the sky. We want the
customer's total attention on that all-important question: "Do
I want to buy this widget or not?" Distractions are not good
for your wallet.

2. Animations can make the load time of your auction listing
much longer. I have been using DSL four years and have
forgotten (happily!) how horrible it is to use dialup. However,
for many places on this planet, high-speed connections simply
are not available. For these folks, loading your page might
take forever, and you can be sure they won't wait. Experts tell
us that the average user spends only 7 seconds at a webpage
before departing for greener pastures. If your sales page is
still loading, no sale for you.

3. It takes time for you to figure out how and whether to use
animations. This is time that would be better spent on writing
more exciting and dynamic copy - copy that will turn a
prospective customer into a real buyer. A smart business person
will treat time as her most precious commodity and spend it on
what is most likely to bring a sale.

4. Many of these animations are just downright annoying. I
personally do not enjoy looking at screens that are twirling,
whirling and blinking. Two particularly irritating animations
are an inescapable message that follows up and down the left
side of the page, regardless of where I'm looking, and "trails"
that follow my mouse.

A huge majority of people feel the same, apparently. Sellers
need to make it as easy as possible for people to buy, rather
than throwing obstacles in the way.

Are there any occasions when animated pictures are of any value
in an auction listing? Possibly. For example, if you are selling
to graphic designers then animated elements might be
appropriate. As always, testing, testing, testing is the only
way to truly know.

But for the rest of us folks - forget the glitter and focus on
your merchandise. That's what makes us buy.

About the Author: Learn how to sell on eBay with 16 hours of
online instruction taught by a 10 year eBay veteran. Own an
eBay business instead of an eBay hobby.
http://www.auction-genius-course.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:15 AM

How To Use A WYSIWYG HTML Editor To Make Stunning Ebay Auction

By Thomas Haselhorst

What kind of browser are you using for online surfing?
Explorer, Netscape, Firefox, Opera?? Sure, all are good
programs but I want to talk about an excellent program called
Netscape. If you use Netscape, do you know that you also get an
amazing WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) web design
program called Netscape Composer for free?

Basically you don�t
need expensive HTML editors anymore. The list of commercially
available HTML editors software is endless � and the price tags
are enormous. Most people don�t want to spend a lot of money to
get started with their eBay business. Fair enough, since the
goal is to make money and not to spend money. So it makes
perfect sense to use a program to design auction listings which
is available for free. And such a program is Netscape Composer.

It has the same professional features like FrontPage or any
other similar program. To design stunning and professional
looking eBay auction sites with Netscape Composer you need to
download Netscape first. If you start up the program, select
File->New Composer Page and basically you can start immediately
to design your auction listings. You can make you letters in any
colour, bold, italics, use background colours (or even images)
etc. The options are endless. You can save this file on your
local hard drive as html file. I used to have one file for
every listing I generate. The best thing is that once you have
got a nice and professional looking eBay auction listing, you
can use it for ever. Just open your last listing in Netscape
Composer and edit according to your new item. Amazingly, this
takes only a couple of minutes.

But how do you transfer your listing saved as a html file on
your local hard drive to eBay? The answer is simple. Once you
have logged in into your eBay account and selected your
category and starting price you have to type in your �item
description�. Did you see that eBay allows HTML format? Have a
look when you launch your next listing. That�s the time where
you go back to your new listing you just have created with
Netscape Composer. Down the bottom of your Netscape Composer
page you�ll see a button called: SOURCE - the source code of
your listing. Click on that and highlight and copy the entire
text. Select then the eBay site and paste this text into the
�Item description box�. Make sure that all links are working
and that all photos are uploaded to the internet.

When you have finalised your listing you will be surprised. A
stunning and professional looking �DIY-listing�. You can always
use �ready-to-go� auction templates and edit these according to
your item. You�ll see that with an professional auction design
you can easily attract more buyers and get higher bids. It�s
worth the effort. Keep in mind that professional web design
software is highly expensive and does the same job.
Alternatively, you can choose from a huge variety of third
party auction services doing the job for you. But hey, there
are incredibly expensive too. Don�t you think that the eBay
fees are high enough and you can easily do it yourself without
spending any additional dollars. It�s really simple!

About the Author: Thomas Haselhorst is webmaster of
http://www.auction-design-for-free

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:01 AM

January 09, 2007

eBay Issues New Digital Product Rules

By: Michael Nalbone

Acknowledging higher demand for digitally delivered products, Mara Holian, from eBay's Product Marketing team said that eBay is tightening the rules for egoods in an effort to "improve the way these items are bought and sold on eBay".

Sellers will now be required to identify digital items during the listing process and provide additional information about each product.
Listings for digital products will now include:
*System Requirements.
*File Size.
*File Format.
*Details about any additional software that may be required to use the digital product, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader for .pdf files.
I know what you're thinking: "Shouldn't the listings already contain this info?"
Of course. But, have you ever browsed auctions for an ebook? Some sellers in fact, do not make this basic information prominent in their listings. Buyers will now find the relevant info in the same place and format in every listing, instead of it being scattered about or omitted altogether.
According to eBay's site, sellers of digital goods are now required to use a "PayPal Verified Premier" or "Verified Business" account or eBay's "Checkout Redirect functionality" in order to collect payments.
Does this mean that you can't sell digital products unless you use PayPal or set up complicated software using eBay's API?
Probably not. Third-party services may still be an option.
An inquiry to one of the largest auction checkout & payment services, Andale, was not immediately answered. But they, and others, are likely to make updates which include this new, required functionality.
eBay also said that buyers will no longer see "unnecessary information, such as shipping costs". Which leads one to believe that the days of a 99 cent ebook with $12 in "shipping and handling" charges are gone.
Some sellers have been known to list digital items with unnecessary charges like these, and many buyers, in their enthusiasm to purchase one of these products, overlook these fees only to be disappointed upon checkout.
In addition, sellers will now be required to state that they are "legally authorized" to sell the product.
Research shows that everything downloadable: ebooks, mp3 songs, whole music CDs, even movies, are being offered as illegal downloads via online auction services.
While the legitimate online auction marketplaces police these types of listings and remove them promptly when they are reported or noticed, occasionally an item may slip through leaving those involved open to legal action by the copyright owner.
So, will eBay's new policy have the effect of eliminating piracy on the auction site?
Don't bet the farm.
Often, sellers mistakenly believe that they have purchased "resale rights" to the digital products they're offering for sale. So naturally, they will agree that they have the "legal" authority to re-sell the product.
Many egoods do not contain a copyright notice or resale agreement.
An inexperienced or hasty ebook publisher may unintentionally omit the information or a "pirate" may have removed or edited the author's copyright/resale notice.
While the new guidelines are certainly not a foolproof solution to digital piracy, eBay should be commended for taking a step in the right direction.
For more information on eBay's new digital goods requirements, see: http://pages.ebay.com/choosingformats/digitalitems/faqs/

About the Author:
Mike Nalbone is the publisher of "The Essential eBay Seller's Guide" which is a FREE, complete e-course that gives those who wish to sell successfully on eBay a great head-start. For more information, or to sign-up, visit: http://www.thewholesaledetective.com/ecourse.html

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:53 PM

3 Dropshipping Secrets For Making More Money on eBay

By: Jason James

Dropshipping is a very profitable way to make money on the auction powerhouse eBay. People all over the world are creating home based businesses by using wholesalers, or also known as dropshippers, to make money on eBay.

Dropshipping is simply selling products for wholesale companies, sending them the address of the person who bought from you, and they ship the product to them.
This is an incredible opportunity, most times for the cost of a meal at a restaurant, to start a profitable eBay business.
However, because of the ease and profitability of using a dropship company there is extensive competition. eBay abounds with people using this home based business model to create a living for themselves. So, how do you get by the rest and shine as the one to buy from? There are three distinct secrets used by prominent eBay Powersellers.
1. eBay Dropshippers Know What's HOT!
The top income producers, or Powersellers, on eBay do their homework. They find out what is selling. But, not only that they research deeper to find out what's selling at the top prices.
Let's say for example, you have set up an account with a dropship company and have started an eBay seller account. Now what? Start looking at what's selling. Computers are always hot.
Go back to your dropshipper, look up what computers they offer, get some graphics and pictures, upload them to the product listing page on eBay and you're now selling computers.
Don't waste your time on items that only sell a few times at low prices.
2. eBay Dropshippers Know A Little Copywriting
The Internet, no matter what site you're on, is all about the written word. In sales, that means copywriting. Writing in order to reach a sale.
If you look at the most successful sellers they don't simply upload a picture and a few facts about the product.
They write to sell the product. Why? It was stated at the beginning of this article that the competition is plentiful. Everyone selling on eBay wants that person to buy their product not yours. So, the emphasis on copywriting, writing to instill an emotional desire to want your product, must be a priority.
Take some time to learn a little bit about good copywriting and how to construct a short, but exciting, sales letter.
3. eBay Dropshippers Live To Follow.
The absolute key to making money on eBay, with dropshippers or any other type of business model, is to follow up with your customers. Once they buy from you, that should not be the last contact you have with them.
Follow up with them. How are they liking the product? Is there anything else you can do for them? Have they seen the other auctions you have listed similar to the product they already bought?
A great way to stay in touch with your customers is to start collecting their email addresses, with their permission, and send them a special "sales flyer" of products you have listed, or other non-listed dropship items.
Want to make it big with eBay? Want to make big money with dropshipping? Follow these three Powerselling secrets today and watch your profits climb!

About the Author:
Jason James website 'The Auction Resource Network' reveals his inside secrets and sources that help him pocket over $10,000 a month on eBay.

Claim your FREE 'Top 10 eBay Selling Secrets' eBook:
www.auctionresourcenetwork.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:49 PM

Using the Ebay search tool to see if a product will make money on Ebay

By: Jason James

That is the question that thousands are asking me every week. My email is also flooded with questions like: How do I start an Ebay store to make money on Ebay? What should I start selling on Ebay? Is there an affiliate program that will help me make money on Ebay? The list goes on and on.

The one question that we are going to cover today and one that you should pay attention to is "I have a product but what is the best way to evaluate the product and find out how I should price it so that I can make money on Ebay?"
I have two words for you: Search Engine. No I'm not talking about Google, Yahoo, or any other of the major search engines. I'm talking about a search feature that is literally under your nose at this very moment. I'm talking about the Ebay Search Tool!
Did you realize that the Ebay search tools is the fastest and most accurate way to finding out if people are buying products like yours on Ebay? You will also be pleased to know that you can discover what sells best so that you can make money on Ebay and how to accurately price your products so they sell like hot cakes!
Using the Ebay search tool to make money on Ebay
Be sure to search the 'completed auctions' to find out how similar products like yours have been selling. The results that you will find here will also help you determine which categories to list your item in. Anone can make money on Ebay but you want you do not want to be just 'anybody'
Each item sold on Ebay has a particular type of buyer that shops for that item. If you were looking to buy paperback books on Ebay then you obviously would not be searching under the category of televisions, right? This line of thinking will help you better profile buyers and after you have analyzed their shopping patters by studying the completed auctions section of the Ebay search tool then you will better be able to become a 'power seller' to make money on Ebay.
Hot Tip: Use this completed feature to find out what 'time of day' that the high bidders snagged the sale and won. Are you getting the idea yet? Good, let's continue...
Most of the time new sellers like to jump in and make money on Ebay by selling a very common product. That is ok but you still need to do your homework. What kind of homework? Well for example you definitely want to check and find out how many other Ebay sellers are pushing the same product. In conjunction with this information write down what time their auctions close. If you you are the second or third auction to close with the exact same price then your profits will shrink to nothing, trust me.
Hot Tip: Space out your auctions that are similar to others to avoid being left in the cold.
Although it is not necessary now, it is advisable for you to learn the the Ebay search engine 'syntax' (shorthand) so that you will be able to location your items with precise accuracy. Of course you can make money on Ebay by by just finding your way around using the small search box that shows on each page, but eventually you will need to learn more. And, if you are really new to using the Ebay search features then by all means simply go to the search page.
5 parting tips
Last but certainly not least, I am going to leave you with a brief list of tips below which will help you get as much as you can from the Ebay Search Engine in order to help you make money on Ebay.
1. To better define your search be sure to check off the boxes next to 'search titles and descriptions' options
2. Do not worry about using caps when using the Ebay search engine. It is not case sensitive.
3. Using conjunctions and articles are not advisable when typing in your listing. The Ebay search tool may consider these conjunctions/articles (a,or,an,the,etc.) as part of your search and pull irrelevant listings.
4. When searching for a popular item then it is advisable to search by the full 'description' and not by auction titles and descriptions alone.
5. If you are interested in finding the history of pricing for an item then make sure that you check off the box to se

About the Author:
Jason James website 'The Auction Resource Network' reveals his inside secrets and sources that help him pocket over $10,000 a month on eBay.

Claim your FREE 'Top 10 eBay Selling Secrets' eBook:
www.auctionresourcenetwork.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:41 PM

Discover the Keywords Secret to Making Money on eBay

By: Brian Mcgregor

If there's one thing that dismays me, it's that so many sellers on eBay are simply throwing their listing fees away!
First off, can we agree that there's little point in listing your item unless buyers are going to view your auction? Yes?
In which case, why do so many eBay sellers create auctions which are NEVER going to get viewed? There are millions of eBay sellers who do this.

What many sellers don't realise when they create their auction is that they've wasted their listing fee before they even get to filling in the auction description page.
They make a fundamental error earlier on in their auction creation. And that is in their auction title.

The reality is, if your auction title is not effective, it really doesn't matter how good your description page is - your auction won't get seen.
Here are some facts.
If you sell on eBay, learn them well!
1. To find items they want to bid on, 70% of buyers use eBay's search box first
2. Words keyed into the search box are compared ONLY with auction titles
3. Words keyed into the search box are NOT compared with auction descriptions
4. Words keyed into the search box are NOT compared with auction sub-titles
Which all means that your auction title must contain the keyed-in search words used by buyers, or your auction won't get brought back in search return lists.
And if it isn't in the search return list, it can't be clicked on by a potential buyer.
And if it isn't clicked on, how can the item get sold?
The harsh truth is that unless your item appears in search return lists, it isn't going to sell! And that's what will happen if your auction title is not effective.
How do you get your auctions in search return lists more often?
It's simple. You just make sure you put keywords in your auction titles which you believe eBayers will search on.
To decide on the keywords to use, you have to think like a buyer. What words would be used by a person interested in searching for an item like yours?
At this stage, just list them. Don't put the words into a sentence yet. Spend as long as you like on this exercise. The more effective you are with this, the less likely you are to have one of those sleepy auctions that rarely gets a visitor.
Having listed as many keywords as you can think of, you have to decide which are the strongest. Remember, you only have 55 precious characters for your auction title.
Taking your best keywords, you now create your auction title. It's not an English exam, so it doesn't matter if it doesn't scan like a sentence.
You can add a power word or two if you've space. By this I mean words like stunning, limited edition, unique, rare, new, one-off, exclusive, distinctive, dramatic etc. These are words which can influence buyers to click through to your auction description. They aren't keywords searched on by buyers, so use them sparingly. For the same reason, I don't advocate the use of "clever" words like l@@k or w0w!
Finally, do the words in your title convey what the item is? If so, that's it. You've created a powerful, compelling and keyword rich auction title. And your auction will appear more often in search return lists. And, that's the key!
Now you know how fundamental keywords are to your auction, why not review your current auction titles today? Get those keywords into your auction title and take it from me you'll get your fair share of the 79 million eBay daily searchers.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesBase.com

About the Author:
Brian McGregor is an eBay specialist. He is creator of the unique software product eBay Keyword Pro, which tells you the most popular keywords on eBay. Get your free version of eBay Keyword Pro from www.keyword-pro.com/kpdemoversion.htm

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:34 PM

January 03, 2007

THE BIG PROBLEM FOR WOULD BE EBAY ENTREPRENEURS

There are no end of articles, books and courses that tell you how easy it is to make big money selling items on eBay and the other online auctions. What many of these do not tell you is how difficult it is to find suitable products to sell. Most people start by selling off surplus items that they already own, a great way to clear the loft or garage of all that junk. But eventually that source of supply dries up.. and then what?

There are thousands upon thousands of products that you could sell. You could find them at flea markets, wholesalers, dropshippers or even advertised on eBay. But the truth is that many of them will not give you a good enough profit in return for the time effort and money that you will have invest in the project.

The solution to the problem is research. You need to discover two facts. First what is actually selling on eBay and secondly where you can source such items at a reasonable price. The first is comparatively easy. All you need to do is to search through all the auction categories.

One of the great advantages of eBay is that its operation is very transparent and it is very easy to discover what is actually selling and for how much. All the information is there and you can easily see if a particular type of product is selling well and how strong the competition is. It is difficult to imagine any other market place where it is so easy to research the supply and demand for any specific product.

The second part of your research can be more difficult finding your product source.
Quite honestly it can be a jungle out there. Many wholesalers and dropshippers are little more than middlemen who are just out to take a chunk of your potential profits.
You will also see advertised lists of wholesalers and these can often prove a complete waste of time. If you want to find details of wholesalers go to www.yellowpages.com
(www.yell.com in the UK) and type in the word wholesalers and you will get details of as many wholesalers as you will ever need.

Many sellers are lazy and will not leave their computers when searching for suppliers and you can benefit from this. One of the best places to find new products to sell on eBay are trade fairs and shows. Most industries have trade fairs and you can find out dates and details for many of these events at http://www.eventseye.com or http://www.exhibitions.co.uk for the UK. A big tip if you do attend trade fairs is to get a supply of business cards produced. Many trade exhibiters will ask you for one and not only does in establish your credibility it is a sure way of being added to their mailing list.

Despite what you may hear many eBay sellers make pennies on the dollar purely because they are not prepared to do the work it takes to find the right products and suppliers. If you are then you too can start earning the big money that all those articles, books and courses talk about. It really is up to you.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:47 AM

December 09, 2006

Can You Really Make Money Selling New Release CD's & DVD's On

By Joe Clare

Being an active eBayer, I am often being asked about products
to sell. A common question is "Where can I purchase products
such as new release CD's DVD's and Video Games for Playstation
and X box at a 75% to 100% discount. Well folks, this sort of
discount on this type of merchandise is not available from
Wholesalers or Dropshippers. The reason being, the competitive
nature of the electronics industry, and simple supply and
demand.

Still with the tremendous popularity of these products and
their ease to package and ship, people want to sell them. So
where can you find these products at a great price?
Liquidators! Yes that's right, Liquidators! What exactly are
Liquidators? You Ask. Well, as explained in my book "eBay
Marketing Wholesale SourcePak" a Liquidator is a company who
buys surplus, over runs, bankruptcies, and going out of
business inventory etc. They purchase this merchandise for
pennies on the dollar and in turn pass this saving on to you.
There are many Liquidators who would have just what you are
looking for. There are General Merchandise Liquidators who
basically purchase and sell all sorts of general merchandise.
And, there are Liquidators who specialize and only purchase and
sell merchandise in a specific niche - say electronics.

An Electronics Liquidator would purchase products from music
stores or department stores with an electronics dept or movie
rental stores or electronic stores that are going out of
business, declaring bankruptcy or who have overstock. From that
inventory they would have some of the latest CD's, DVD's and
Video Games.

Liquidators are similar to Wholesalers and Dropshippers in that
you will have to become a member to have access to their
inventory. Most require no fee to become a member, while others
may charge a nominal fee. However, Liquidators have a set number
of units you must buy in order to get a great price. A
Liquidator will purchase inventory in bulk and therefore will
want to sell the merchandise in cases or lots.

So, Yes You can make Good Money Selling New Release CD's, DVD's
and, Video Games and the likes on your eBay auction by choosing
the proper supplier. And remember that selling on eBay is all
about research. You must research the product you are
interested in selling. What is the best price for the item?
What is the best selling price you can get for that item? Also,
research that item's market to see just how many people are
selling this product.

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 succeed on eBay!
Check out his latest Best Selling eBook "eBay Marketing
Wholesale SourcePak" Your Passport to Success! at
http://www.ebooksnsoftware.com

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:33 AM

Making Money Selling Silver Jewellery On Ebay

By Apisith Chawla

Making money selling silver jewellery is simple. All you need is
a computer with an internet connection and some basic computer
skills, and a suppplier that provides you more than just
jewellery.

You will be needing a supplier to caters to your specific
needs. If you want to succeed selling jewelry on ebay you need
to have a large variety of items, beautiful pictures, and new
products consistently.

Since you would be starting a new business, it would not be
easy for you to purchase from suppliers with minimum orders,
even a minimum order of $100 is too high for newbies. Silver
jewelry costs around $2 and above per piece; depending on the
design/make. A $100 minimum would end you up with 50 pieces;
and what if the items do not get sold? Most suppliers do
guarantee their products, and will refund you for incorrect
merchandise. Is there any supplier that would allow you to
return products that are not sold within a certain period of
time?

If your supplier provides pictures, it will save you a LOT of
time, taking good pictures of jewelry requires a good camera,
the correct lighting, and a lot of time.

Further more, if a supplier packages products individually; it
would save you a lot of time to package the products. You
should be receiving a shipment with all the products
prepackged, in either plastic bags, or bubble wrap; so all you
have to do is sort them out, insert them into envelopes/boxes
and mail them to your clients.

You can easily profit up to 200-300% of your buying cost, ie.
buying a ring for $3.00 and reselling it on ebay for $10. That
is $7.00 profit, from just clicking your mouse.

If you list 10 rings a day, it would be $70 In 30 days, for a
total of 30 days, that is $2100.00 ; minus 10% for ebay
expenses and other costs; you would be left with approximately
$1900.00 This is only the minimum, by selling 10 rings / day.
You can list a lot more. There are other products too, such as
earrings, bracelets, pendants...and more. All of this; and
more are profitable items.

A supplier that allows you to return items that are unsold, is
your guarantee to success. There is no real investment
involved, if it does not work; just return the items. However
if it works, build on from there.

About the Author: Visit http://www.925silver4u.com , an
excellent resource for silver jewelry home businesses start
ups. Apisith C. Founder http://www.925silver4u.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:26 AM

Secret Method To Explode Your Ebay Sales!

By Todd Reese

eBay is now the 8th most visited site on the internet and it
has just one purpose - sales. With 40 million visitors per
month most eBay sellers are missing a golden opportunity. They
are missing the opportunity to cultivate long term clients.

It is a proven fact in marketing that you will continue to buy
over and over again from people and companies that you know,
like and trust. Yet 95% of all internet marketers fail when it
comes to eBay. Most are looking for the fast buck. They have
completely miss the opportunity to use eBay as a lead
generation tool. They miss the opportunity to create a list of
people that will be willing to consume your products over and
over again.

Lead generation on eBay can be accomplished in several ways.
The most popular way is by using the self liquidating ad. A
self liquidating ad is one that pays for itself. In other words
your customer directly pays your advertising costs. What they
are purchase from you is really some form of advertising.

Let me give you an example of a self liquidating advertisement.
Recently I saw in a magazine an ad for a pair of sunglasses. The
ad claimed that the sunglasses were free. You just have to pay
the shipping and handling costs.

My guess is that the advertiser probably isn�t making much if
any money on the sunglasses. But they also aren�t losing any
money. The shipping and handling most likely cover their actual
costs. What they really want is something far more valuable �
your contact information and your �permission� to market to
you. In other words they are looking for qualified prospects -
prospects that are interested in the products and services they
are selling.

Once this company has your contact information and �permission�
to market to you, they will begin to establish a relationship.
They will do this in a variety of ways including sending you
ads for other product and services you may be interested in.
Over time most customers will be worth many times more than
their initial purchase.

Since eBay is purely commerce site it is a perfect place to do
a self liquidating ad. Let�s look at an extreme example. Let�s
pretend that you own a car dealership that only sells high end
sport cars. We will assume that your average car sells for
$65,000. One way you could use a lead generation self
liquidating ad would be by �selling� a special report. For
example you could sell a report on eBay entitled �18 Ways to
Drive the Car of Your Dreams for Less Than the Cost of a Yugo�.

An ad like this would get some attention, especially from
people who are interested in trading up to a high end sport
car. The report is really nothing more than an advertisement
for you. Of course you would have to write a report that had
real content and offered up ways for the consumer to really do
as the title suggests. A report like this however, would cost
you literally nothing to produce � except your time � and there
would be no overhead, no inventory, and no headaches.

Since this report would be nearly all profit you could set a
low �Buy It Now� price ($4.97) to attract a huge number of
prospects. The revenue generated would easily offset eBay�s
seller fees.

In the report you could suggest several real ways for people to
drive a luxury car for little money. You could also list in the
report resources for them to research. For example the
resources could be dealers that know how to work special
financing deals or specialize in selling high end sport cars
below market value. The resource you suggest would of course be
your own car dealership!

The report did not cost you anything to produce and it fully
paid for it's own ad costs with each person that ordered. The
person buying the report is more likely interested in what you
have to offer and are therefore partially qualified. Anybody
that contacts you after reading the report is a fully qualified
prospect and should be marketed to aggressively.

Once you have their name and contact information you could send
them a weekly �hot sheet� of cars that you are trying to sell.
Once they purchase you could then sell them accessories and
branded clothing. If they were close to your shop you could
sell them on servicing. And the list goes on and on.

If you study eBay there very few people using it as a lead
generation tool. Yet lead generation and specifically
self-liquidating advertising is a proven winner. Almost every
type of business can benefit from lead generation advertising.
If done correctly lead generation advertising can actually
become another source of revenue for your company.

Look at eBay as more than just a fast buck. Look to eBay as a
way to create long term clients. eBay if worked properly can be
your best source of fresh leads and can really explode your
sales.

About the Author: Todd Reese is an information marketer, eBay
seller, marketing consultant, and author of
http://www.AutoDigitalDelivery.com. His specialty is turning
struggling eBayers into Power Sellers.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:22 AM

November 09, 2006

10 Analyzing Tips for Your eBay Transactions

By Pauline Kiselbach

Analyzing your eBay transactions can be one of the best learning tools you can gain from your eBay listings.

After you have taken the plunge and bought and sold some items on eBay, give yourself a BIG pat on the back. You did it! But did you notice how some steps in your listing went really well, and perhaps others did not?

This is absolutely normal for a newbie! Don�t you love that term, newbie! It is the one time in your life that you can make all the mistakes you want, ask all the silly questions you need to, and nobody cares because you are a newbie!

So you goofed up in a couple of aspects. Who cares? This is a learning experience for you, and the start of something big. Some patience is required here.

You cannot become an auction pro right away. It takes some time to develop the required skills needed to boost your listings and your sales. It also takes experience and knowledge and every time you list something on eBay, you gain more or each.

Listed below are 10 questions to ask yourself after each of your auctions in order to improve on future listings.

1. Did my auction flow nicely?

2. Did I have any problems?

3. Was I receiving a ton of questions?

4. Did I describe my item in enough detail?

5. Did I receive any feedback, negative or positive?

6. Did many people see my auction?

7. How many bid on my listing?

8. Were my pictures complete and clear enough?

9. Did I try any sales techniques that did or did not work?

10. Could I make some changes to improve my next auction?

The answers to these questions can help your next auction immensely. eBay allows you to analyze your transactions and this analysis can give you tips on how to improve your next listing.

Once you have posted your item you can receive e-mailed questions from potential bidders. These questions may be about finding out more details on your item, about postage fees or length of time, or about the colour of the item, or something else.

You should listen carefully to these questions and keep a note of them in a file. They can be your guide to improving your next listing.

If you notice the same questions are being asked over and over again, then you know for next time to include more information about the item. You cannot be too specific on eBay.

This can save you a lot of time, as well as increase your sales. E-mailing each response can be very time consuming, and especially when you begin listing many more items.

Spend less time e-mailing and more time listing, bringing in more money.

Did you get many bids on your item? Do you know eBay keeps track of this and you can easily find out by clicking on your listing or going to your My eBay page.

How many potential buyers have looked at your auction? This is important to know. You can include a �hit counter� that eBay provides at the bottom of your auction that will track this. It is a very good idea to use this feature.

If you received very few visitors then perhaps your title may need some tweaking. If you only had a few bids maybe you did not describe your item clearly enough.

Are you getting the idea that by taking note of what is happening or has happened to each of your auctions, you are gaining experience and expertise to use in your next listing. What you did right, you can continue doing and what you did not so right, you can improve on.

The value of analyzing your auctions is great. You should not be afraid to forge ahead. Once you begin to see your sales soar you will be so happy you did.

Pauline Kiselbach is a single mom of two who started with nothing and built a wildly profitable eBay business. She has put together a free multi-part mini-course to teach you how to generate quick and easy profits on eBay. Get it now at: www.auctionmoolah.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pauline_Kiselbach

Posted by Dave Bromley at 10:18 AM

Selling on eBay UK

By Justin Brown

eBay is a great way for anyone looking to delve into online business, and there are many people who have recognized this opportunity and as a consequence spend a great deal of time figuring out which items sell the best on eBay. Many of these people have systems in place that determine top selling products and others purchase courses that teach them how to find this information as well. However, one of the best resources for finding out about products that are popular is on eBay itself!

One of the ways in which eBay helps me find a product that could potentially do very well, is by simply browsing through categories that i'm interested in. Whilst doing this I can then uncover items that are attracting a lot of bids. But how do I know this? Simple. Next to any item that has received over 30 bids is a label saying 'hot'. This suggests that the item is widely sought after. Spend some time searching around eBay and you can soon find some real gems and some great niches.

Many power sellers however will agree that it is not as simple as solely doing this. Also, search for items by researching auctions that have been successful previously. This can be done on eBay at http://listings.ebay.com. Another way to determine best selling items is by using the 'eBay Marketplace Research'. This allows you to view important statistical information on eBay buying trends, and contains a huge amount of information to help you discover whether an item will perform well or poor at auction. The eBay Marketplace Research does require a small fee to use though.

One of the most obvious tools that can be used to find popular items is by viewing the listings of popular eBay search terms at http://popular.ebay.com. Divided into categories, this list shows how popular an item you are considering selling might be.

It is important to do your research before going ahead with your auctions. You could be surprised in what you find may sell well. Some of the most unlikely items are sometimes the most popular, yet items that you would think would sell like hot cakes sometimes fail to realize a single bid.

After doing extensive research, my favorite location and a top tip for anyone looking into selling on eBay is to register for eBay wholesale offers. Thousands of wholesalers are listed with some amazing deals that should not be missed by any serious eBayer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Justin_Brown

Posted by Dave Bromley at 10:14 AM

October 24, 2006

Tips on Writing Your eBay Title

The title is the most important thing about your auction - the difference between a good title and a bad title can be the difference between $10 and $100. To learn why this is the case�

Trying to be help your buyers find your auctions can be a truly daunting task. Most people only search eBay by title, not by description, and that means that you only have those 55 characters of the title to cover all the possible search terms. That's not easy. In this email, I'll give you a few pointers.

Don't bother with eBay clich�s: There are plenty of eBay auction titles that say things like "Super rare camera wow look low price". These are stupid things to put in your title, as no-one is going to search for them.

Think like a buyer: If you were looking for your item, then what exactly would you type into that box? If you think it'd help, try searching yourself to find someone else selling your item. What were the first things you thought of typing?

Think like other sellers: Keep an eye on which sellers are doing best with items like yours, and try to copy their title styles - if it works for them, it can work for you.

Be specific: You should be sure to write the item's brand and specific model number in the title, as people will often search only for this information. Make sure that you also say exactly what the item is.

A few examples:

"Dell Latitude Laptop P3 500mhz Notebook PC Computer"

If you know about computers, you'll know instantly what this auction is selling. It has manufacturer (Dell) and product line (Latitude), followed by a few technical specifications (P3 500mhz is the processor speed). Notice also that the title includes the four words 'laptop', 'notebook', 'PC' and 'computer', as the seller wants people looking for any of those words to see his auction.

"OASIS Don't Believe the Truth CD Album (New)"

This auction for a CD is well formatted: it gives the artist name in capital letters, followed by the album name. It then manages to include the two key words 'CD' and 'album', as well as the word 'new' - that means that anyone searching for 'new oasis cd', 'oasis new album' and so on will find this auction.

"1840 Penny Black stamp, certificate, four margins"

Here's a slightly more obscure one, from the exciting world of stamp collecting. A penny black is one of the oldest and most famous stamps. It uses a few key words that collectors will consider important: 'four margins' indicates that the stamp has been cut out with some margins around it and so isn't damaged, and 'certificate' tells you that the item has a certificate of authenticity - it's a real penny black. Remember to use every bit of space to squeeze in as much important information as you can in the title.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 04:19 PM

Choosing the Right eBay Product Category

Some people think it's easy to choose the right eBay category, and often it is. Sometimes, though, it might not be quite clear exactly what to go for.

Why is it Even Important?

Plenty of people use the category system to find items, when they're not looking for something specific. If your item is listed in the wrong category - or you've just given up and listed it in 'Everything Else' - then these people aren't going to find your auction.

Also, listing items in the wrong categories is against eBay's rules, and eBay say they will remove any auctions that are wrongly categorised. They don't often actually do this, but it's not worth the risk - especially since breaking any rules can cause them to penalise your account, including losing PowerSeller status if you have it.

So What Can You Do?

eBay will suggest categories for you when you sell your item, if you type in a few words to describe the item on the category selection page and click 'search'. You can make the best of this feature by typing in exactly what your item is, with brand name and model number (if any), so that eBay can find the best category for you.

If that doesn't work for you, then search yourself for items like yours, and pay attention to which category most of them seem to be in (you can see this near the top of each item's description page). Try different words and see which ones come back with the most results. You can also browse through all the available categories from eBay's front page.

Remember that the more specific the category is, the better - use as many subcategories as are appropriate. Don't just list your HP laptop in the 'Computers' category, for example - list it in 'Computers > Laptops > HP'. Don't worry: your item will still appear in the 'Computers' category, as well as 'Computers > Laptops', because items listed in subcategories are always listed in every category above.

Take some time to look through all the categories and get familiar with the way eBay as a whole is laid out. After all, that's better than getting a few months down the line and finding that you still think of eBay's category system like it's some kind of scary jungle.

What if More Than One Category Fits?

Don't worry, eBay have you covered. For a small extra fee, you can list your item in an extra category, to increase the number of potential buyers who will see it. This isn't always worth it, though - some items only really fit properly in one category, and listing them in extra categories is just a waste.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 04:17 PM

An eBay Seller's Checklist

Being a seller is a lot of responsibility, and sometimes you might feel like you're not doing everything you should be. This simple checklist will help you keep on top of things.

Have you found out everything you possibly could about your items? Try typing their names into a search engine - you might find out something you didn't know. If someone else is selling the same thing as you, then always try to provide more information about it than they do.

Do you monitor the competition? Always keep an eye on how much other items the same as or similar to yours are selling, and what prices they're being offered at. There's usually little point in starting a fixed price auction for �50 when someone else is selling the item for �40.

Have you got pictures of the items? It's worth taking the time to photograph your items, especially if you have a digital camera. If you get serious about eBay but don't have a camera, then you will probably want to invest in one at some point.

Are you emailing your sellers? It's worth sending a brief email when transactions go through: something like a simple "Thank you for buying my item, please let me know when you have sent the payment". Follow this up with "Thanks for your payment, I have posted your [item name] today". You will be surprised how many problems you will avoid just by communicating this way.

Also, are you checking your emails? Remember that potential buyers can send you email about anything at any time, and not answering these emails will just make them go somewhere else instead of buying from you.

Do your item description pages have everything that buyers need to know? If you're planning to offer international delivery, then it's good to make a list of the charges to different counties and display it on each auction. If you have any special terms and conditions (for example, if you will give a refund on any item as long as it hasn't been opened), then you should make sure these are displayed too.

Have you been wrapping your items correctly? Your wrapping should be professional for the best impression: use appropriately sized envelopes or parcels, wrap the item in bubble wrap to stop it from getting damaged, and print labels instead of hand-writing addresses. Oh, and always use first class post - don't be cheap.

Do you follow up? It is worth sending out an email a few days after you post an item, saying "Is everything alright with your purchase? I hope you received it and it was as you expected." This might sound like giving the customer an opportunity to complain, but you should be trying to help your customers, not take their money and run.

Being a really good eBay seller, more than anything else, is about providing genuinely good and honest customer service. That's the only foolproof way to protect your reputation.

What's Your eBay Reputation Really Worth?

Your eBay reputation is everything you are on eBay - without it, you're nothing. Your reputation is worth as much as every sale you will ever make.

If you've ever bought anything on eBay (and the chances are you have), then think about your own behaviour. Buying from a seller with a low feedback rating makes you feel a little nervous and insecure, while buying from a PowerSeller with their reputation in the thousands doesn't require any thought or fear - it feels just like buying from a shop.

A Bad Reputation Will Lose You Sales.

In fact, a bad reputation will lose you almost all your sales. If someone leaves you negative feedback, you will feel the pain straight away, as that rating will go right at the top of your user page for everyone to see. Who's going to want to do business with you when they've just read that you "took a month to deliver the item", or that you had "bad communication and sent a damaged item"? The answer is no-one.

Your next few items will need to be very cheap things, just to push that negative down the page. You might have to spend days or even weeks selling cheap stuff to get enough positive feedback to make anyone deal with you again.

It's even worse if you consistently let buyers leave negative feedback - once you get below 90% positive ratings, you might as well be invisible.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 04:12 PM

October 10, 2006

The Top Ten Reasons I Will Not Be Bidding On Your Auction

By R Heavner

1. Your pictures are lousy�..sorry, but I really can�t see tell what your widget looks like. Your photo is out of focus and looks like you took it with a cell phone camera. Buy or borrow a digital camera.
2. You won�t tell me the shipping charge�..

I really don�t have time to email you and wait for a response. I�ve already passed you by and bid on another one just like yours. Use the ebay shipping calculator. Or go to usps.com and calculate the shipping. Maybe see what your competition charges. Just do something � I don�t like surprises.
3. Your description is scary��Two lines describing your widget, and 16 lines telling me the terms, conditions, and nasty stuff you�ll do if I don�t comply. No thanks.
4. Your shipping/handling charge is absurd��Your item is bidding for 99 cents and your shipping charge is $24.95. Since your gizmo is worth about 30 bucks its still a good deal. Wrong answer. You don�t refund shipping so if I have to return it all I get back is my 99 cents. See ya.
5. I can�t read your description��One six inch paragraph in all capitals. I got past the first two lines, but that�s about it. Turn off the caps lock key and hit the return button a few times. One minute of your listing time can make a world of difference.
6. You don�t want my money�..All you accept are USPS money orders. I just want to buy your $3 postcard. It�s simply not worth it to me to go to the post office and spend a buck on a money order and another 39 cents on postage. Consider Paypal.
7. Your feedback is questionable�..This one doesn�t require much explanation. Your couple of negatives don�t bother me nearly as much as the twenty people who gave you neutrals for the same reasons. People read this stuff.
8. Your ad is blinding me�..24 point multi-colored fonts, flashing lights, dashing graphics, scrolling marquees. Save it for the circus.
9. Your ad loads too slowly�..Your intentions are probably good, and the pictures probably are too. But I can�t spend the rest of my lunch break waiting to find out. Consider changing to a different photo host or reducing your image size.
10. I really don�t need to hear your life story�.The pictures of your cat were really cute and I bet the farmhouse in Kansas was great. In fact, I�ve completely forgotten what it was you�re selling. A little personalization is a good thing. Too much is not so good. Consider a blog.
As I am writing this I have a vision of every Ebay seller reading it adding me to their blocked bidder list. I�m not that bad, really. Just trying to spend my hard earned money and like a lot of people a little picky about where I spend it. Tongue in cheek sarcasm aside, if you�re consistently not getting many bids and recognize yourself in my list, try experimenting with a few changes. I just might be the guy looking to bid on your gizmo.
The author is webmaster of Internet Auction Resource Directory, a directory of hundreds of alternative auction sites and buyer/seller resources.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:22 AM

October 05, 2006

You don�t have to be an eBay Power Seller to Make Money

At one time becoming an eBay Power Seller was considered the peak of online auction selling. Recognition that you were a grade A number one seller. But that�s not true anymore, if it ever was. All you have to do to become a Power Seller is average $1000 (�750 in the UK) a month sales and have good feedback rating .

But what does being a Power Seller really say about your eBay business? It says that you have a minimum turnover figure. For all anyone knows you may have achieved that by selling items at a loss. Many businesses both on and online have run into trouble by going for turnover at the expense of profit.

When you are planning your eBay business set your self a target based on profit not turnover. So instead of setting a target to sell $5000 of product on eBay each month make it to make $2000 profit instead. By concentrating on your profit rather than turnover you will always know what your business is worth to you.

Many of the sellers making big profits on eBay are not in fact Power Sellers. You may think this strange but for a variety of reasons they opt not to go for this accreditation. Some sellers have multiple eBay Ids this could be because they may be targeting several different niche markets and have a different Id for each
of these niches.

One very well known eBay seller deliberately has multi Ids and will stop using one when it reaches a certain feedback level. The argument for this is that it makes it difficult for any so minded jealous competitors to harass your Id with false bids or negative feedbacks. Be warned it can be a tough world on eBay.

The trouble with eBay is that it is very much price driven. Ask most people why they shop on eBay and they will tell you they are looking for a bargain. This has the effect of forever driving down prices and hence profits as well. There will always be someone will to shave that little more off the price and their profits just to make the sale. This is particularly true in the Buy it Now part of the market.

The only way around this is to have something so unique that you are the only person selling it on eBay. This can be achieved by either inventing and having a product manufactured yourself or finding a new product and signing an eBay exclusivity agreement with the manufacturer. The best places I have found for discovering these types of products are trade fairs, which are always worth a visit.

Probably the easiest way to get an exclusive product is to write an e-book, audio program or make an information video. All of these are very cheap to produce and offer a big profit margin for a small out lay. Up to 1000% profit and no competition to force your profits margins down.

If you are successful eBay will offer you Power Seller status anyway and it is up to
you if you accept or not. But the point is that you will have got there by concentrating
on your profits not your turnover. And that is the way to make your eBay business grow.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:37 PM

June 07, 2006

The Power Of Online Auctions As Traffic Generators

By Brian Sakamoto

There are thousands of online auctions on the internet. People
love them because they can usually find great bargains. If you
have an online business, you can use them to increase traffic
to your web site.

You could create an electronic book or report that relates to
your online business, then auction it off at an online auction.
You could increase traffic to your web site by placing an ad for
your web site in the electronic publication. Some online
auctions will even allow you to link directly to your web site.

Electronic publications won't cost you anything to ship. You
could send them via e-mail or allow people to download the
electronic publication from your web site. You can also auction
them off for a lower price. When they visit your web site you
could offer them a higher priced product.

You could also get traffic from people who don't bid or don't
get the winning bid. You could direct them to your web site to
download and read a free sample of the ebook or report before
they bid. If they want more detailed information about the
ebook or report, you could also direct them to your web site.

You can also get traffic to your web site by auctioning a
physical product. Print your web site advertisement on a flyer
or brochure then insert it into each product package you ship.

Before you start auctioning any product at an online auction,
read the terms and conditions. Some auctions may not allow the
auctioning of electronic products or directly linking to your
web site where you have other products for sale.

About the Author: Brian Sakamoto is a wbmaster of
http://www.theaffiliate-business.com and
http://www.marketingonlinepro.com. Also a partner of
http://www.marketingonlinepro.com/ezinead.html

Posted by Dave Bromley at 01:57 PM

May 25, 2006

Tips For �Knowing Your Ebay Buyer� Before You

Tips For �Knowing Your Ebay Buyer� Before You Ship. by Kirsten Hawkins Before you send anything to that buyer, you might want to get to know them, especially if you�re selling them a high-ticket item that you couldn�t afford to lose. Even if the buyer has paid, the PayPal transaction could still end up being reversed, leaving you out of pocket. So how do you figure out if you can trust your buyer? Look at their feedback for others. Go to their feedback page and click �Left for Others�. If they leave a lot of negatives for their sellers, then you should try to get away from them as fast as you can � if you do deal with them, make sure not to leave your feedback first. You should consider a negative someone has left to be just as bad as a negative left for them. Look at feedback from sellers. Click �From Sellers�. You might find that they have more complaints from sellers than from buyers � or, on the other hand, it might be the other way around. Some people really are just better at selling than buying, or vice versa. Pay attention to bid retractions. If they have a high number of bid retractions, you should regard this as a red flag that something might be wrong. See what else they�ve bought. When someone goes from buying items worth $1 to suddenly buying something worth $1,000, you might want to be a little suspicious of them. See what they�re bidding on now. If they�ve never shown any interest in your kind of item before, and now suddenly they�re bidding on lots of them, then that�s cause for concern. You should also be suspicious of someone who seems to be spending a lot of money all at once � few buyers have thousands at a time to blow on eBay. Check their ID history. People who�ve changed their ID are often trying to get away from someone who�s trying to find them. This is another warning sign � be especially wary of someone who changed their ID very recently. Be nice to new buyers. Genuine new buyers will probably have a name ending in a number and a feedback score of 0 � don�t always think these people are fraudsters. Somewhat counter-intuitively, people trying to commit fraud will almost never do it when they have a feedback score of 0 � they�ll think it�s too obvious. New buyers often have problems with being inexperienced on eBay, however, and you might have to guide them through things like opening a PayPal account. Email them! If you want to get to know your eBay buyer, why not have a little chat with them about the item, what they plan to do with it? Say that how you know they�re going to love it, and ask if there�s anything else you can do for them. Few buyers who seem chatty and nice will turn out not to be in the end. If you keep having trouble with buyers you don�t want winning your high-value auctions at the last second, you might want to use eBay�s �pre-approved buyer� function. The next email will show you how. 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.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 02:32 PM

April 27, 2006

Where To Find Products To Sell On Ebay

By David Riewe

One key for business success using eBay is sourcing products to
sell. The first questions eBay sellers should ask themselves
are: "What can I sell?" and "Where can I buy?"

There are two kinds of sellers on eBay, garage sellers and
business sellers. Garage sellers are people who sell products
they are not going to use any more and that are usually not
new. Garage sellers are not profit driven, their main objective
is usually to get rid of some stuff they don't need. They will
be happy to make some money by selling something that is no
longer useful to them. On the other hand, business sellers are
people who will buy and sell products for profit, they consider
eBay a business and need to earn profit on the products they
sell.

The first key to success for business sellers is an old
marketing rule, RESEARCH. The products you need to sell are
products that eBay buyers will want to buy. Apart from being a
massive market place, eBay offers you a cheap source of
research that you can conduct without moving from your
computer.

If you are a business seller, it is fundamental that you spend
some time researching before you decide which products you want
to sell. Follow these research guidelines:

1. Search for the categories that are most popular. The first
index is the number of listings that exist under each category.
In addition, you need to look at how many bids the products
have.

2. Look at the ratings of the sellers who are listing products
in each category and study their profiles. See how many
products they are selling and how many products they have sold
in the past.

3. Analyze prices. You need to become an expert in your
category and you need to know at which price a product is worth
buying as well as the expected final winning price of your
auction.

4. Select no more than one or two categories. "Specialization"
is another basic rule of marketing. It is better to become an
expert on something, as this will inspire confidence and trust
in your potential customers. Online marketing is all about
trust.

For conducting good research, you need time and organization.
There are different software programs in the market that can
help you save time as well as optimize your research.

Now that you are becoming an eBay expert and have conducted a
proper search, you are almost ready to start your business.
Before starting to sell, you need to buy! Here are some ideas
from where you can source products:

1. Write your own e-book and sell it. If you have any passion
or are an expert on a subject for which you can find a niche in
eBay, do not hesitate to spend some time on writing your own
book. The advantage of this is that after your initial time
investment, you can sell and sell copies of the book without
having any additional costs. Selling information products is
one of the most profitable businesses. Even if you are not an
expert writer, you can find other people who can write the book
for you.

2. Use drop-shipping. There are wholesalers that will sell you
products and send them to the address that you tell them. The
advantage of this source is that you do not need to carry
inventories, so your investments are minimized. After your
auction is finished, you send them your customers address and
they will do all the shipping. If you decide to use this kind
of source, you need to make sure that your auctions winning
price can be higher than the price you will pay for the
articles. At minimum you should expect to double your costs.

3. Buy from eBay. Many eBayers success comes from knowing how
to buy well on eBay and sell the same products at a higher
price. If you know your category very well, you can easily find
opportunities that will allow you to buy and resell making
profit. Again, solid research is fundamental.

4. Buy Asiatic products. If you are willing to carry some
inventories, you can invest on Asiatic products and buy them
for a very cheap price. You can easily start importing Asiatic
products from the Internet at www.alibaba.com.

5. Sell local products. If you live in an area that produces
local products which can be bought at a cheap price and shipped
to other areas where people would pay more, you should take
advantage of the situation.

Best wishes for your success

About the Author: Discover 101 Ebay Auction Tips in this FREE
ebook http://www.push-button-online-income.com/ebooks

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:59 PM

Taking Your Ebay Home Business to a New Level

Over the last few years the number of people using eBay has grown rapidly. While many eBay users are just buying and selling for some extra cash or as a hobby, there are many people out there taking it to a new level and running their own full-time business.

These people are making their eBay home business a main source of income and have figured out all eBay's marketing strategies in order to be productive.

There are many reasons to start an eBay home business, but whatever the reason, it is sure to be successful.

Why start an eBay home business? Out of all worldwide businesses, 64% said that the Internet has had a good impact on their sales. Also, having an online business can greatly increase geographical sales by reaching customers all over the world, which otherwise, would never have been possible. 73% of business owners have also managed to cut their administrative costs by putting their business online.

An eBay home business can give you the flexibility to start work when you want and finish when you want. Working from home, you can be your own boss and decision making is entirely down to you and no-one else.

Starting an eBay home business is relatively easy and a little market research will go a long way in determining your success.

Selling junk that people don't want will get you nowhere and you'll most probably be doomed for failure... even before you begin, but researching into what products are' Hot' and what your buyers are actually looking for, will most definitely have the opposite effect and your eBay shop visitor's will be screaming out to buy your products.

'eBay Seller Central' http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral offer an excellent resource in getting you up to speed with every aspect of the eBay marketplace. This also includes ratios on what products are selling well and products that are not.

The bottom line is supply and demand; you must find the products that are in demand and then supply that specific market.

A recent 'AC Nelson' poll showed that nearly 53% of online shoppers plan to buy even more in the next year. A large part of this shopping is done on eBay. After all, it is the Internet's No.1 shopping and auction website. If that's not a good reason to start an eBay home business, then I don't know what is.

With over 160 million registered eBay shoppers and over 100,000 of them on eBay each day, an eBay home business definitely has the potential to be successful and make the user a lucrative income.

eBay also offer excellent e-commerce advice and helpful tips to get you started at: http://pages.ebay.com/merchantsolutions/ecommerceresources/
and can put you in good stead throughout the duration of your new business venture.

Thinking of what to sell on eBay with your new home business needn't be difficult.

Do you have a specific hobby that would interest others or do you know enough about a subject that would perhaps class you as an expert in that field? If so, create and information product that would pertain to that specific hobby for example:

Cycling - "A guide to Bicycle trips in Europe." Bicycle spare parts are also becoming harder to find. Creating a market for this specific niche could be potentially profitable.

Cookery - "101 Delicious recipes for Diabetics." You may have been a chef or cook and you're looking to create an additional revenue stream using the knowledge you possess.

Google is a fabulous resource for market research and by simply typing into their search query box whatever interests you, would return thousands, if not millions of topics to give you ideas and inspiration to get your eBay home business started.

Providing your customers with a service or a product that cures a problem, can provide your new eBay business with profitable sales for many years to come.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:56 PM

March 13, 2006

11 Ways To Find Products To Sell On eBay

By Tim Knox

I was part of an eBay Roundtable discussion recently with six
other experts and we all agreed that the number one question most
new (and even old) eBay sellers ask is:

"Where do I find things to sell on eBay??"

To help answer that question I have compiled 10 ways that anyone
can use to find products to sell on eBay. This is by no means a
definitive list and depending on your situation, some of the ways may
not apply to you. However, if you're a beginner and don't know where
to start, this list should help you get on track.

1. Look Around The House:

We all have items lying around the house that we no longer use or
need. Have you grown or shrunk in size? If so, you have clothes
you can no longer wear and can sell. Did you get a gift for
Christmas or your birthday that you will never use? If so, slap
it on eBay (just don't let the person who gave you the gift find
out). Do your kids have toys they no longer play with? Just
looking around your house and garage should give you plenty of
things to get your eBay ball rolling.

2. Garage Sales and Flea Markets:

When it comes to eBay, remember this old adage: One man's junk is
another man's treasure. Now this is not to say that you should
sell junk on eBay. You should only sell products in good
condition. The point is you can find items in good condition at
garage sales and flea markets that you can pick up cheap and
resell for a profit. Remember, nobody wants to buy your old
Beanie Babies that no longer have eyes and noses, but they may
buy "gently used" items if they're in good shape and offered at a
good price.

3. Talk To Your Friends and Relatives:

After you've gone through your own in-house inventory, contact
your friends and relatives and tell them you have started an eBay
business and will sell their items for a piece of the sales
price. Chances are they have as much excess stuff lying around
their house as you did. Offer to list the items for them and if
they sell, take half the profits. You will probably have to pay
the eBay fees out of your pocket up front, but you can then
deduct the eBay fees from the sales price before slicing up the
pie.

4. Consignment Sales:

Consignment sales are a great way to find a wide range of
products to sell on eBay. Consignment selling means that you
offer to sell an item that belongs to a company. In exchange for
your trouble you get a percentage of the sales price. You can
charge up to 50% plus fees for smaller items like clothing,
lamps, jewelry, etc. and around 15% for larger items like cars,
boats, and bulldozers (yes, I said bulldozers).

Contact every business in town and offer to list their excess
goods on eBay for a piece of the action. Most businesses have
returned items, liquidated products, used equipment, etc. that
they would love to get rid of, but don't have the time to do so.
Many will see you as their hero if you can help them get rid of
this merchandise and you'll make a pretty profit for your
efforts. For business customers you should have them pay the eBay
fees on the front end, not you.

5. Thrift Stores:

Thrift stores are an excellent place to look for things to sell
online. Stores maintained by the Salvation Army and non-profit%

Tim Knox - Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker

Tim Knox is a nationally-known small business expert who writes and
speaks
frequently on the topic.

For more information or to contact Tim please visit one of his sites
below:

http://www.dropshipwholesale.net

http://www.smallbusinessqa.com

http://www.timknox.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_Knox

How To Make Money On Ebay By Buying
By Dan Lim

Most people think you got to sell on ebay in order to make money. However, there are other ways to make money on ebay other than selling. One secret way is buying. What do I mean? Read on.

That secret method is called ebay arbitrage.

The term arbitrage has been around for a long time. It is a technique used in the stock market by large players who search (with powerful computers in real time) for price discrepancies from one market to another. For example if they see dealers in London trading IBM stock at 1/8th pt lower than in New York, even if it's only for a few seconds, they'll grab it at the lower price and sell it in New York where they'll make an 1/8th pt profit.

So how does that apply to Ebay?

The strategy is buying low in one central Internet market and selling in another more active market for a premium.

Ebay is a huge marketplace, and even though it's centrally located (in cyberspace) it is still a relatively 'inefficient' marketplace. There are several reasons for this : availability of detailed market information available to the participants being one, but the more common reason being the seller doesn't know a thing about the item he or she is selling

Here's where you can benefit. If you have intimate knowledge of a particular market, you probably already have a rough idea of how much an item listed on ebay is worth.

For example, I'm a IT professional who deals with computers all day long therefore it is easy for me to spot bargains relating to desktops, laptops, computer software etc.

Now, there can be many spins on this. I could simply buy the item and resell on ebay for a profit or I could buy the item and sell it locally either in my neighborhood.

Also, I could always do it the reverse way. Buying locally and then selling it on ebay or other auction sites.

By now, you probably realize in order for you to do ebay arbitrage, you need to have expert knowledge on the particular market you are interested in selling.

So do your homework, check out the discussion boards, ask your friends or consult shop owners which sells the items you want to sell. If you want to make more money on ebay, you have to do some research, there's no easy way out.

Dan Lim is an avid ebay fanatic who has been quietly earning a comfortable living online. For more ebay selling secrets and strategies, visit bestnzb.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:12 PM

Move Into the Top 1% of All eBay Sellers - Accepting the Best Payment Methods

By Adam Ginsberg

eBay is becoming a more competitive environment to make money these days. As such, there are certain things that you can do as an eBay seller to separate yourself and distance yourself from your competition.

As you set up your eBay selling systems, make the commitment to accept all methods of payment. If not, you�ll lose out on potential customers.

The following short list should be considered your preferred method of accepting payment on eBay:

1. PayPal

Paypal, owned by eBay, now has over 100 million members and is the most accepted payment method online. While some sellers don�t like the 3% PayPal fees � remember that 97% of something is better than 100% of nothing.

PayPal is simple (and free) to set up � you are only charged a fee when there is a transaction. PayPal makes it easy for every seller to accept credit cards safely online without the time and expense of setting up a typical merchant account.

Many people shop on eBay for convenience. PayPal provides the simples and most convenient way for a buyer to pay. You can register for a free PayPal account at: http://www.paypal.com

2. Money Order or Personal Check

Some sellers don�t like accepting a personal check for fear of the check bouncing. 99.9% of all checks are good. As long as you follow the basic strategy of not shipping your item until the check clears you have nothing to lose � even if the check is not good.

Remember that there are some buyers who don�t have a credit card. If you make them go to the bank to get a money order, they may simply buy from someone else who takes a personal check.

I would suggest NOT taking checks from International Buyers as it simply takes too long for the check to clear. Reminder: In your payment terms in your auction, you�ll need to disclose your payment policies � and be sure to specify whether you�ll accept a personal check or money order from an International Seller.

3. Cash

While it�s not the best method of payment, some eBay sellers do accept cash payments. It�s not likely that a buyer will send you cash for their purchase.

4. Escrow

For a high-ticket item (car, real estate, jewelry, etc.) escrow is a safe and secure way to accept payment for the simple reason that the escrow service will guarantee full protection prior the close of the transaction. NOTE: With escrow, the seller has to wait for the confirmation that the buyer has received the merchandise prior to receiving payment.

Safe Payments Policy

Recently, eBay instituted a �Safe Payments Policy� in an effort to continue the safe and secure transactions on their site. eBay evaluates various payment methods to insure that transactions are safe within the eBay marketplace.

As such, their recent policy states that sellers may accept the following methods of payment:

-PayPal

-Direct Credit Cards (for those sellers with a merchant account)

-Bank Wire Transfers

-Personal Checks, Money Orders, Cashier�s Checks and Certified Checks

Not permitted on eBay.com: Sellers may not solicit buyers to mail cash. Sellers may not ask buyers to send cash through instant cash transfer services (non-bank, point-to-point cash transfers) such as Western Union or Moneygram. Sellers may not ask buyers to pay with Stormpay, Greenzap.com or e-gold payments. Finally, sellers may not request payment through online payment methods not specifically permitted in this eBay policy.

About Adam

Selling on eBay and the Internet is still a relatively a new phenomenon with unprecedented opportunity. Adam Ginsberg, recently featured on NBC's Today Show is an author and educator and has built a small fortune selling on eBay. As an early Internet pioneer, Adam discovered a system for generating wealth - through the power of the eBay marketplace.

Adam personally sold over $20,000,000 on eBay and the Internet in the last three years. Currently he travels the world sharing his knowledge, expertise and experience with others. Adam's book, How to Buy, Sell & Profit on eBay went to #1 on Amazon within 3 days of being released and has since made it on the Business Week Best Seller list. Learn how Adam has solved the mystery of success on eBay and how you can apply his system to capitalize on this hot new money making opportunity. Adam has also created several best selling e-books and software to enable you to enhance your ability to succeed.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:04 PM

Discover The eBay Opportunity That Will Make Money

By Chris Faux

If you just take a first glance on numerous eBay business opportunities website, you may feel that it�s too big, complicated and confusing. You might even think that only Internet professionals or Internet veterans can figure its complexities and find an eBay business opportunity. This is pure speculation.

If you take advantage of an eBay business opportunity, you�ll come to realize that even Internet amateurs can easily learn and succeed. In fact, every eBay business opportunity is conceived out of resourcefulness and not out of internet intricacy. People with just about any Internet skill level can earn really large profits just by taking time to find the right eBay business opportunity.

EBay is constantly growing and improving. Endless changes are being implemented. For every improvement on an existing eBay business opportunity or newly introduced scheme, the basics are always defined. You will come to find that it�s fairly easy and relatively simple. What�s more, you don�t have to take tremendous risks in trying out any type of eBay business opportunity, whether as seller or buyer.

It is understandable why the eBay business opportunity is always sought after by many people all over the globe. There is always a chance of succeeding and earning great profits with less risk and cost involved.

The attractive aspect of this eBay opportunity is that an entrepreneur does not need to be the high bidder when buying an eBay franchise. The ultimate of latest eBay opportunities, eBay franchises offer very low startup costs given the potential. The eBay opportunities in franchising are embodied by the drop-off centers.

EBay drop-off centers are the most popular auxiliary eBay businesses. eBay�s very nature is to attract high percentage of people, everyday and get them interested in selling items online. This is the core and basic principle of eBay opportunities.

Not all people have the adequate knowledge or the time necessary to market their products on their own. While they may be interested in taking advantage of eBay opportunities and sell products, they can�t commit concentration.

EBay opportunities makes it possible for you not to miss out on anything! Here�s where eBay drop-off centers come into the picture: Instead of doing the marketing & sale on your own, you can bring their stuff to the drop-off center. Here, trained staff does the marketing for you. The drop-off center profits by taking a certain percentage of the final sales price. Drop-off centers make it possible for you to get profits, even without your physical involvement in the rudiments of eBay selling.

Let�s say you received an order for an item that will cost you a lot for shipping and needs some kind of equipment in order to be safely shipped. Here�s an e-mail pattern guaranteed to get you practical responses.

�I�m emailing you to ask if you�d be interested in getting a mouse or keyboard for the computer you are buying from. Please know that I can throw in any accessory that you may want along with the computer without any additional charge in the shipping expenses. But if you�re not interested, then don�t worry about it. I just thought I might help in any way.�

The �I could throw in�� part of the message is actually one of your eBay opportunities� leads with the hope of creating an extra sale. Still, its main motive is subtly hidden due to the informal way the letter is written and the off-handed way of asking.

An unsuspecting customer would be highly flattered and thankful of your �suggestions� and initiative to contact. In the eBay business, a grateful and trusting buyer brings about positive eBay opportunities. You gain assurance that he�ll become a constant customer and get other buyers he knows to buy from you.

To get even more tips on how to sell on ebay visit

eBay articles.

Get your hands on the free 5 part e-course that will show you how to make money selling on ebay. Go now to

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:02 PM

Problems Selling On eBay?

By Tony Newton

eBay provides internet users with an online flea market where buyers and sellers from around the world meet to conduct trade.

However, like most traders who are faced with an innovation of this sort, the first question will always be: It is safe?

The answer is yes, but devious scammers are daily plotting means to take advantage of eBay�s power to forward their dastardly schemes.

The user�s recourse�information and meticulous care in dealing on eBay. Only then can he be less vulnerable to the scammer.

The common consensus is that bidders are often scammed by sellers. But it is possible for things to be the other way around.

Here is a list of the common problems sellers encounter and the means to handle them.

Fake Escrow Services

A winning bidder may request that an escrow service be used to assure both parties of a fair transaction.

Unfortunately, the seller is sometimes duped into using a fake escrow system.

To avoid such, the seller must always verify the authenticity of an escrow service. eBay recommends the use of escrow.com.

If the bidder insists on his or her escrow service, chances are, that person is a scammer.

Victims of such find it difficult to reclaim their items. They may, however, appeal to the legal means afforded by the state they live in.

They must also contact eBay regarding the matter for any assistance they may offer at that juncture.

Deadbeat Bidders

Deadbeat bidders (a winning bidder who doesn�t pay for an item at the auction�s close) are more common on eBay.

If the winner of your auction does not pay, you may leave that person a negative feedback.

As for the listing fees the seller shells out, eBay lays out a four step procedure sellers can use to potentially recover lost selling fees.

If the sellers complete the process to eBay�s satisfaction, they will receive a Final Value Fee credit and a relist credit.

Filing an Unpaid Item dispute is the first step toward eBay reimbursing those fees. One can report an unpaid item up to 45 days after an auction�s close.

Trade Dispute

This occurs when the seller and bidder disagree on some terms of the sale. This may also happen if there is a purported violation of any of these agreements.

If communication between both parties does not help, they may consider availing of a third-party dispute resolution outfit to help.

SquareTrade.com is one of these outfits eBay recommends.

Prevention is Better than Cure

A seller�s life may be made terrible because of the constant scamming attacks unscrupulous individuals undertake.

But, with proper information and care, he or she can continue trading on eBay with relative safety.

Discover how to list your pictures for fr-ee when creating your online auctions. Visit http://www.freeauctionpix.com for more details.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:49 AM

March 10, 2006

Auction Sales - Keeping Customers You Worked So Hard To Get!

by Steven Woodward

If you've studied business concepts you know that finding a customer can be the most expensive part of the sales process.
Once you've got a customer why not maximize the money you've already invested in the effort? This time honoured business concept certainly falls under the category of going the extra mile for a customer.

Assuming your product, customer service, packaging and shipping all work together to create a positive feedback posting, here are a few simple ideas companies have been utilizing for years to help them stand out from the crowd and maximize the return on sales dollars:
A personalized thank you
A drop in
A thank you gift
Personalized Thank You
Every package you send to a customer should include a personalized thank you letter. Personalized means there is a salutary greeting such as "Dear Customer Name" and your personalized signature.
Why personalized? Ever hear the old sales adage, "Don't sell the product - sell the person?" It's taught to sales professionals because it works. A friendly thank you note near the end of a good transaction (more on this later) reminds the buyer they are thought of as a person, not just another sale or number.
A personalized touch in today\'s impersonal marketplace is very refreshing. The body copy of the note or letter is certainly up you but should be as specific to the transaction as possible (if you also include a packing slip/invoice the letter can be a little more generic).
The goal of the note is to let the customer know they, and the sale, are important to you. Here's a short example:
Dear (Customer Name)
I just wanted to personally thank you for your winning bid on our (product name), Item #11111111111, enclosed.
Our customers are very important to us. We realize you have a choice in selecting who you buy from and we greatly appreciate your business - now and in future.
Sincerely, (Your Signature)
Drop-ins and gifts
A drop-in or gift provide extra chances to say thank you, create customer loyalty, increase future sales, and maximize your return on the investment of finding your customers.
As an example let\'s say you\'re selling pet supplies. For a few pennies each you can have refrigerator magnets printed like business cards that include your company name, email, eBay store, or website address. They can be as simple or complex as you can afford but only need to include something like: Acme Pet Supplies (Your company name) For All Your Pet\'s Needs (A marketing line is a good idea) Your Website Address (Either a link to your website or auctions) Other inexpensive drop-ins and gifts could be something as simple as a business card, a sales sheet listing all the product types you carry, a gift certificate (to be used on your e-commerce website) for a future purchase, or an offer for your free newsletter.
If you\'re selling kitchen products you could include your favourite recipe, or if you�re selling poker supplies - a print out of the best starting hands might be nice.
Closing the Sales Cycle
Do you remember my comment earlier when I mentioned "near the end of a good transaction"? If you consider sending the product (with a thank you note, drop-in or gift) the end of the sales process you are missing another great opportunity to increase sales and improve you customer relations.
Don�t consider the sales process completed until you send your valued customer one more email. About a week or ten days after shipping the product, send a follow-up email such as: Dear Customer Name (again, make it as personal as possible): Just wanted to follow up on our transaction and make sure everything went smoothly for you. We trust everything went well but if you had any problems please let us know. We are always looking for ways to improve our service and your input is very important to us. We will post positive feedback for you and hope you'll do the same for us. We look forward to doing business with you again in the future. Thanks again, Your Name
(Suggestion: To avoid spam filters, in the subject line of your email include the eBay or auction item name and number)
Are the efforts to include a note, a drop-in, a gift, and do follow-ups a little more work and expense? Of course, but with the aid of simple automation packages on your computer the follow-ups can be somewhat automated and the drop-in or gift will help you create a returning customer.
Copyright 2005 Steven Woodward All Rights Reserved
About the Author: Steven Woodward is the owner, editor and publisher of the Auction Sellers Network (ASN); a web site for individuals and companies who are serious about utilizing the online auction marketplace for their business. In addition to topical articles, ASN provides an extensive resource center, news feeds, member forums and classified ads.
For more information or to become a member visit http://www.AuctionSellersNetwork.com.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:31 AM

Getting The Most From Your eBay Store

By James J. Patriarca

PRICING ITEMS:

How much profit you want to make is entirely up to you. Depending on what you sell, if your products are priced too low you�ll be working for peanuts, price it too high and you won�t be selling any.

You need to factor in all the individual line item costs before you set your retail price. The eBay final value fees and PayPal fees are the most obvious. eBay does not include shipping costs when they calculate the final value fee while PayPal does plus a small transaction fee.

Other fees include auction, buy it now, store inventory and those for additional pictures as well as any optional listing features.

You must also consider the cost of your shipping material. At the Laundry Bag Store Online we know the exact weight of each item down to the printed invoice. By knowing the exact weight of each item including the shipping material, you can tell if a buyer is being truthful if they claim that an item was not included with their order since the shipping weight is printed on the postal receipt.

Some sellers set up their listing to use the shipping calculators while others use the flat rate option. It may boil down to a matter of choice, but on some items one be better to use than the other and sometimes the calculator is unavailable which can result in a lost sale. Stores with a large volume of products should use the calculator.

Keep in mind that savvy buyers know if they are being overcharged for shipping. Don�t risk losing a repeat customer by overcharging for shipping.

GUARANTEE:

Just what is your guarantee? Your guarantee and any store policies should be clear and well defined. Wishy-washy policies are sure to confuse your buyers. Work with your buyers. Consider bending the rules for a valued customer or a large order if it will mean future business.

FEEDBACK:

Open any business and you automatically have a reputation. It is within your power to create a good reputation or a bad one. For eBay sellers and buyers your feedback page is your reputation and is one of the most widely viewed pages.

Trying to keep a 100% positive feedback is the ultimate goal. However, there are some things that may be beyond your control, for instance, a buyer may have had a bad day and decided to take their frustration out on you.

Still certain buyers may have their email accounts set up to block spam, AOL and hotmail accounts are notorious for this. Avoid including any links, pictures, attachments and/or HTML code in any emails sent to these accounts.

If you need to contact a buyer with an AOL or hotmail email address, first send a basic text only email to let them know you are contacting them and then follow it up with an email that contains HTML.

Lapse a store policy if it could mean the difference between getting positive feedback and negative feedback.

If an item is out of stock, email the buyer as soon as possible. Include an estimated shipping date.

SHIPPING:

Some sellers use UPS while others use the USPS. The Laundry Bag Store Online uses the USPS so these tips are based on shipping with the USPS. Some of the information you may already be aware of.

The USPS offers several types of free shipping boxes, mailers and envelopes. However, some of these can add extra weight and thus add extra cost to your shipping. Aside from using postal rate calculators you can print or ask your local post office for Notice 123, rate fold. The notice includes all the current postal rates. You will also need a postal zone chart.

13.1 oz. is where First Class postal rates ends and Priority Mail or Parcel Post rates begin up to 70 lbs. The cost of shipping most items Priority Mail vs. Parcel Post is small and can be the difference between getting positive feedback or negative feedback, a satisfied customer or a dissatisfied customer.

Depending on the weight and size, some items may be best shipped via Parcel Post instead of Priority Mail. The saving amount between Priority Mail and Parcel Post increases significantly as the weight increases and you can pass this saving on to your buyer.

Shipping Parcel Post takes a few days longer so make sure your buyer is willing to accept the delay. However, keep in mind that there are specific guidelines when shipping packages via Parcel Post. Notice 123 and the USPS web site lists all the required criteria.

Another shipping option offered by the USPS is Priority Mail Flat Rate. You can ship to any US destination regardless of weight for a specific cost. The post office offers free flat rate boxes in two sizes as well as a flat rate envelope.

If you buy your own shipping boxes the size of the box may exceed the USPS shipping limits and you may have to pay additional shipping. The combined length and girth of a piece (the length of its longest side plus the distance around its thickest part) may not exceed 108 inches.

However, to be safe in most cases the combined length and girth should not exceed 84 inches. The formula is simple. It is 2x the height + 2x the width + the length. For example, a box measuring 24� L x 12� H x 16� W is 80 inches. (24H+32W+24L)

Self adhesive poly bags come in various sizes and are extremely durable. These may provide an inexpensive way of shipping certain items and may even save your some money on shipping if you are including it in the sale price.

If you print your own shipping labels on an ink jet printer, tape over the entire label covering the ship to and return address. The ink will run if it comes in contact with any water making the label illegible.

INSURANCE AND CONFIRMATION:

Depending on the retail cost of your products, insuring shipments is always a wise choice. If you ship via UPS then your packages up to $100 in value are insured for free. USPS insurance is extra. For USPS online and APC you can insure packages up to $500, over $500 requires a trip to the post office.

The USPS refers to tracking as delivery confirmation. There is standard confirmation and signature confirmation. You should use signature confirmation for shipping expensive purchases and standard for the others. Insured shipments over $50.00 require a signature anyway so signature confirmation may be redundant. When you do ship with confirmation or insurance the counter person will give you a green receipt for confirmation and a blue receipt for insurance. On each is a section to write the name of the buyer.

APC MACHINES:

In the lobby of certain post offices is an automatic postal machine. These can speed up shipping significantly. The machine is easy to use and walks you through the shipping process. However the system and the current version of the software have a few drawbacks. Sometimes the package drum is full. Make sure you can open the drum before you start shipping. Don�t ship any fragile items or they could get damaged when other packages are inserted on top of them.

The machine is capable of confirmation or insurance but not both. You can ship a flat rate envelope but not a flat rate box. You can�t ship to an APO.

It can print two sizes of labels, a large and a small. If you plan on using the large label make sure you leave enough room on your package for it. Use this label if you plan on adding insurance or confirmation.

Since you have to type in the destination zip code make sure you double check it before printing the label.

You can pay with a debit or credit card but not cash. When you use a debit card it requires you to make separate payments for each package, thus separate receipts. Credit card transactions are printed on one receipt. When you add confirmation to a package the tracking number is printed on the receipt as well as destination zip code.

eBay TOOLS:

Thee are many free and fee based seller tools available from eBay. Some of the more common ones include Selling Manager, Turbo Lister, Andale Counters, Picture Manager and Sales Reports Plus.

However, another great tool is Omniture�s Site Catalyst. It provides detailed reports on your site�s traffic. Some of the stats include: the most often viewed pages and listing, the web sites and search term keywords that generated the most visitors and the path reports will show you exactly how they navigated to and through your store.

PROMOTING YOUR STORE:

There are several things you can do to promote your site. However, your site must be pleasing in design. You store listings should be consistent. Choose the same font size, and colors for each listing. Avoid the cute graphics and the rainbow text. This is one of the benefits of using Turbo Lister.

Utilize your storefront�s real estate to offer sale items, special offers, your guarantee, and even shipping information. Put items in both auctions and buy it now. Use the subtitle to mention your store or key features about your product. Add a link in your listings to your store or other products. By reviewing the stats recorded by Omniture�s Site Catalyst, you�ll know exactly which items and pages are generating results.

That being said, getting a steady flow of visitors to your store is really the hard part. If you sell a hot item you�ll get plenty of traffic but also have fierce competition and if you sell a niche market item you�ll have to go out and get your traffic.

You may have read our guide on RSS FEEDS (available on our eBay about me page), if not, you should check it out. RSS feeds provide an easy way of getting your products listed throughout the Internet.

Another way of getting traffic is to list your store in ListMyStore. It is free to join and is exclusively for eBay stores. A sponsored listing is very inexpensive.

A link is available at the top of the Laundry Bag Store Online Home Page and also in our About Me page.

Advertising your site with Google AdWords and Yahoo Sponsored Search are two possibilities.

A link directory is certainly a popular way of generating traffic but usually requires a reciprocal link so your options may be limited. However, search with Google or Yahoo for a free links directory.

Be sure to test your link before you submit it and write your stores description ahead of time. Link directories allow only a certain number of characters in the description so make sure you get your best pitch up front.

If you have a non-eBay site like we do you can use that to drive traffic to your store. Did you know that eBay will give you a store referral credit off the final value fee if someone buys your item through a link outside of eBay? Search on �store referral credit� in eBay help for more information on how to set this up.

Join some forums outside of eBay. You won�t be able to spam your store but you can set up your signature with your store�s link.

Create landing pages. There are tons of free web hosts that you can use. If you don�t know HTML you can use one of the free web host�s templates. It would be advantageous to learn both basic HTML and then Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in that order. Pick up a book on both at the local library.

The areas you should know something about are the HTML Meta tags for title, description and search terms (keywords). If you can learn how to code HTML tables and the anchor and image tags you�ll be able to modify your store�s home page and listings at will.

If you sell different products you could make a landing page for each and even add a link exchange directory.

Press releases are great way to promote your Store. However, it can�t be an advertisement but should be a newsworthy story. The Laundry Bag Store Online sends out press releases on an ongoing basis and these show up in the Search Engines rather quickly as well in RSS feeds.

If you have a verified PayPal account list your store in PayPal shops and then submit an application to have your store considered for a PayPal �featured shop�.

Driving traffic to your store is an ongoing effort. Use the Omniture traffic stats to monitor exactly where traffic is coming from. Experiment with different ads, offers and descriptions to increase sales.

As you can see there are many aspects of operating an online store. If you do your homework you�ll have success.

Best Regards,

Laundry Bag Store Online eBay

Laundry Bag Store Online Web Site

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:18 AM

Learning How To Be Successful At Selling On eBay

By Stuart Perryman
As you might have already noticed there's more to selling on eBay and the various other auction sites than just posting an auction and waiting for the money to arrive. You only need to to look at the many many eBay items that go unsold every day. This article will help you learn to successfully sell on eBay and other auction sites by examining the different skills to you need to learn to be successful. We will use combined experience of many eBay sellers with years of success and we will list here many pointers and tools that will help you join their ranks.

Sell something you know and care about.

The to be very successful on eBay requires more than just following a few steps. The above average sellers more than just anonymously listing a few items for sale. The top sellers reflect a portion of themselves in each item they list. This helps put aside any uncertainties a buyer might have purchasing from a complete stranger. Thus the first lesson in becoming a top of eBay seller is to learn how to put to that little something of yourself into your auction listings.

Research, what the buyers in your field of interest are looking for.

What is the main difference between eBay sellers who sell, and those who run up bills listing items that they don't get rid of? Those who are stuck with their stock look for items to sell that they want to sell, those who are very successful at selling looks items to sell that people want to buy!

Research is absolutely critical to being successful on eBay. You should utilise the Internet to its full extent to find the information necessary pertaining as to which heightens will be the best sellers. Good sources for finding this information are eBay itself, and the various forums dedicated to eBay buyers and sellers.

Make sure what you know how to meet your eBay buyers' needs

You will need to learn how to obtain your products, be it through wholesalers or importers or other means. How to deliver your products, be it self delivery, out sourced delivery or drop shipping. Keep in mind the extra costs involved with the various forms of purchase and delivery.

Design your auctions to build relationships with your eBay buyers

Buyers would prefer to spend their money when they feel comfortable with the seller. You should therefore build up good relationships not only with your current customers that with any potential customers looking at your listings. Keep in mind that eBay keeps track your customer satisfaction through the feedback system. It is imperative that you build up an excellent feedback score.

Promote your auctions to attract new buyers

You should learn how to promote your products on eBay through use of the inbuilt tools such as eBay stores, membership profiles and cross-referencing of various listings.

By following these pointers you will improve your selling results in no time at all. It's all a matter of discipline and being realistic and with oneself.

Stuart Perryman
Tips for selling on eBay
http://ebay.alluneedtoknow.info

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:12 AM

January 26, 2006

How Much Is It Worth? Estimating Your Item�s Value for Sale on eBay

Proper pricing of items to be listed for sale on eBay is one of the most important aspects of generating interest in one�s auction listing.

If the price is too high, interest will be low, and the possibility of a sale decreases.

If the price is too low, the seller generates enormous traffic, yet the final bid might be too low to satisfy the seller�s need for a profit.

The following are steps that will aid in that process.

Step 1: How Much Was this Item Originally Worth

First of all, one must find out how much the item was when it was bought. This helps the seller set realistic goals as to how much he will expect to profit from that item.

The seller must remember that the going price for that item nowadays will be different from its original price. And depending on the demand for that item, he may get a price that is better, or worse than the original price.

The seller must also come to an acceptance of the fact that the buying power of today�s $1 is different from that of ten years ago.

Step 2: Do a Little Research

Sellers should research on the current price of similar items. This gives them a good standard as to how much they should price their wares. Searching eBay for successful auctions of similar wares is the best way to do this.

Step 2: How Much Has the Item Depreciated?

The seller must check the item for damages and other irregularities from a mint conditioned item of the same kind. He must then deduct a reasonable amount from his asking price. Wear and tear tends to bring down the price of an item considerably. It is wise to make sure the items are repaired, or spruced up before being auctioned.

Step 3: Start It a Little Lower than Usual

It is wise to start an auction a step or two (or even three) lower than a sellers intended price. This generates interest in the item. It may be hard to believe, but auctions that start lower than its intended price actually have a better chance at overshooting that intended price.

Professional opinions are available if the seller is in doubt of the value of his or her item. Third party appraisal companies help in this regard. A list of such is available at the Authentication & Grading link under Protection and Authentication on eBay.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:09 PM

THE POWER OF WORDS

It is a known fact that a business could never be successful without the aid of advertising. In fact, it is considered as the lifeblood of almost all kinds of businesses. That's why sellers and entrepreneur wannabes on eBay understand the impact of an effective advertising technique on their items listing.

Basically, the sale of an item on eBay is dependent on the so-called eBay keyword program. This program asserts the fact that the probability of an item to be sold is based on the keyword used by the seller.

The eBay keyword program suggests that the maximum number of keywords to be used in an eBay ad is 100, the least is 50. This is because the essence of the description of the product or the ability of the ad to promote the item against a thousand similar items is lessened.

This does not necessarily mean that the sellers will also limit the amount of keywords that they will use. The eBay keyword program further suggests that the number of keywords should be congruent to the identity of the product. That is, it should be very specific even down to the last details of the product.

For example, one seller may make his or her descriptive title and ad using the word "mobile phones". Then, another seller posts the same item but used the words "Sony Ericsson mobile phones". And lastly, another seller does the same but used the words "Sony Ericsson k700i". Applying the keyword principle, the third seller will most likely gain more exposure than the other two, such that when a person search for a Sony Ericsson k700i, that person will most likely be lead to the third seller's listing.

Choosing the best category for the product is another effective advertising technique.

There are those online shoppers who search items on the category first. The reason behind this is that they don't have any specific product in mind. For example, a buyer may be looking for a mobile phone but doesn't know what brand to have. So, it's a must that the seller places his or her item in a category that is active or is frequented by most buyers.

But the most important advertising technique of all when selling an item on eBay is to create a sales pitch that comes from the heart. Clich�d as it may seem but, in reality, it is the basic concept of selling. A good seller believes on the product that he or she is selling, other wise, he will have a hard time convincing people of he personally doesn't accept it as true.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:06 PM

January 12, 2006

How To Sell Your Crafts On Ebay

By James Dillehay

Artists, craftspeople and photographers are successfully selling their wares everyday on the online auction site, eBay. According to a recent analysis of eBay sales, a crafts-related item is sold every nine seconds, a scrapbook item is sold every minute, and 40 cross-stitch items sell in an hour on eBay. Sales of craft items on eBay have grown almost 60 percent in the past year, according to TheBidFloor.com.

But, at the same time, many would be sellers are listing their pieces for sale on auctions and getting no bids, concluding that eBay just doesn't work.

Here are some tips from James Dillehay, craft artist, eBay seller and author of the new book, "Sell Your Crafts on eBay" (Warm Snow Publishers), on how to profitably sell your wares online:

1. A word's spelling impacts an item's profitability. For example, the word 'handmade,' spelled as one word, was part of 2,233 auction titles with an average closing price of $16.29. However, auction titles that included 'hand made' as two words were found in 1,358 listings, but with an average auction closing price higher, at $27.81, or $11.52 more profit per item.

2. Go to eBay.com and find the search box. Type in the word or phrase that describes your art or craft item. Then scroll down the links on the left side of the page and click on the link for "completed items." Here, you'll be able to see the demand for this type of product. Do searches for your items every two to three weeks to chart buying patterns.

3. Find out how much people are willing to pay for your wares. Click on the link that says "highest price." This will give you a list of completed auctions from highest priced items to lowest priced ones. You want to know what people are willing to pay for items like yours. If you can't make and sell your product for a profit, eBay might not be your marketplace.

4. Determine how much money you'll make on your product. To determine your profitability, use the cost of your materials plus the cost of your labor plus the cost of your selling price, which should be the minimum price to recover your expenses. If it takes you eight hours to make a piece of jewelry and the highest priced similar item sells on eBay for $26, you won't make a profit.

5. Look at the elements of successful sellers of products that are similar to yours. Examine their winning auction titles. Observe how much detail they use to describe their item. See if the seller used any of eBay's special features such as gallery photos or a bold, featured listing. Evaluate the starting price, starting day of the week, and duration of winning auctions.

About the Author: James Dillehay is a 20 year crafts veteran and nationally recognized expert on craft business. Author of eight books, his articles have helped readers of Family Circle, Better Homes & Gardens,Country Almanac, Working Mothers, The Crafts Report,Sunshine Artist, and many other magazines. For more information, see http://www.craftmarketer.com. For more tips on how to sell your craft items on eBay, consult a resource book like "Sell Your Crafts on eBay," by James Dillehay. It offers-more than 200 easy-to-learn tactics and tips that help sell art, craft and theme-related items for a profit on eBay and on other online auction Web sites.

Source: www.isnare.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:25 PM

The Top Ten Ebay Buyer Personalities!

By Joe Clare

In my years of selling on eBay I have come across all sorts of people. For the most part these people have been very nice and easy to deal with. Having said that, there are always a small percentage, like in any business online or offline, who you'll have some degree of problem with. As explained in my book "eBay Marketing Wholesale SourcePak" you will need to be as polite as you possibly can and have a little patience when dealing with these people.

Below you will find my Top Ten eBay Buyer Personalities and how to handle them.

10 - The Manipulator
There will be times when you have an auction end with no bids. When this happens watch out for the Manipulator. This is an individual who will email you once you auction ends wanting to purchase your item off eBay at a ridiculously low price. He/she will often try to manipulate you into believing the product will not sell but he/she will be glad to take it off your hands. Forget about them! Do Not sell the item to them. Instead relist the item for auction on eBay with a new headline. If he/she wants it bad enough, they will have to get the item through your auction. And trust me 99% of the time your item will sell.

9 - The Impatient Buyer
This is someone who has won your auction today and is wondering why it wasn't shipped yesterday. This individual wants what was purchased fast, real fast. Just have patience, be polite and explain your shipping process to him/her. Getting the product out quickly with a thank you note for purchasing will give you a happy customer.

8 - The Disappointed Buyer
There are some people you just can not please, not even if you were to stand on your head. They will be disappointed no matter what you do. Sometimes these people can be down right rude and take up a lot of your time. Learn to recognize this type of person and don't get caught up in an on slot of emails. Remember that time is money, and once you have done all you can do to rectify their problem move on. If the emails continue simply ignore them.

7 - The Invisible Buyer
This is someone who has won your auction but you never hear from them. Ever! They pay you right on time without any problems. So you send the product they won off to them. And that's it! They do not leave feedback, and do not return any emails. They just disappear into thin air. If you send a couple of follow up emails asking if they received their item and requesting positive feedback and you get no response, just forget them and move on.

6 - The Interrogator
This individual could drive you crazy. It's not their fault, they just have questions. Lots of Questions! For these people even if every question imaginable is answered in your auction description, they'll still manage to find a reason to email you a question. Be weary of this type of individual they can, and will waste a lot of your time if you let them. On your first email to them be polite answer their question then refer them back to your auction description telling them all the answers are there. Suggest they read it again. Don't get caught up in email after email. Always remember that time is money, and if you've done your auction description correctly there should be no questions left to ask. Your auction surfer should be ready to make a bid.

5 - The Late Payer
This customer has no clue about deadlines and they really don't seem to care about them either. Their attitude is you'll get paid when I am ready to pay you. You will need to set guidelines for when payment is due. If payment is not received you may choose to give your buyer one extension. Be specific giving him/her a date as to when the balance is due. Also tell them if payment is not received by that date you will have no other choice but to relist the item for auction. Sometimes a month or so down the road you'll end up getting a check in the mail from this person with a note as to why they were late. Simply return the payment with an explanation that the item was re-listed as he/she failed to meet the payment deadline and it has been sold to someone else.

4 - The Deadbeat
There is no buyer more irritating than the one who is always telling you the check is in the mail. Of course the check never arrives. Unfortunately there is not much you can do about this. Like above give them a deadline and if they don't make it relist the item for auction again.

3 - The "I'm Sooo Confused" Buyer
This customer does want to buy from you. Really, they do! If they could only figure out how! How to bid, how to pay, how to... All this high tech computer stuff is just way to confusing for them. Have patience and be polite. Explain what they should do next. If you find no matter how you explain things it just doesn't register with them, suggest they read over eBay's tutorials. Remember your time is money and you can only spend so much time with any potential customer before you must move on.

2 - The Spender
This individual can spend a lot of money with you. And often will return as a repeat buyer usually purchasing a little of everything you have up for auction. This person will also spend $100.00 in merchandise in order to save $10.00 on shipping. Bless him/her!

1 - The Perfect Customer
This individual is simply a Happy Person. He/she has won your auction and they are just ecstatic about it. The great thing about this type of buyer is if you run into a problem they are always understanding and easy to deal with. If looked after correctly, very often these people will become a customer for life. Now, don't we wish all customers were like this.

So, there you have it. The Top Ten eBay Buyer Personalities. If you already sell on eBay I'm sure you will recognize some of these personality traits in your own customers. If you're just getting started with your eBay Auction Business no doubt you'll be running into these people soon. Whatever personality your day brings you, always be patience, polite and just have fun with it.

Happy Selling!
Joe Clare

About the Author: Joe Clare is a successful eMarketer and Author. He has written numerous articles on how to make money on eBay. Check out his Articles, Hot Tips and Free Auction Mini Course and discover for yourself, how you can make a Serious Income with Online Auctions. http://www.ebooksnsoftware.com

Source: www.isnare.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:13 PM

January 10, 2006

Keeping an Eye on the Big Guys

by Diane Hughes

If there's something you've got to keep an eye on on the internet, it's the big guys. Their movements have ripples that reach to every corner. When Amazon thought of the idea of having other sites reselling their products, they changed internet direct marketing forever.

Some caught the wave and surfed to the top, others are still wondering what went wrong. There are some ripples being made as we speak. eBay in planning to gobble up Shopping.com with classifieds becoming a strong point in the eBay strategy. And with this new acquisition, millions of customers will certainly buy or sell through eBay. If you buy or sell on the internet, you have to watch eBay... great for price reference; many websites owe their entire income to eBay. If you're not one of them, you should give this some consideration. It seems the "eBay way" is here to stay with their endless online promotion. Many people don't even own a website and thanks to this way of selling, they are making pretty good money from their homes. Have you been tweaking and putting more and more gizmos onto your site? Well, sometimes you'll have a better response if you do exactly the opposite. Any marketing expert will tell you that your site must look professional but plain -- and this is what European mobile phone companies are doing and making big profits in the process! What's chic now is low-tech cellphones targeted for people who want to use their phones to... yes, you guessed it -- talk! That's right -- there are a lot of people who don't care about all the new features the new cellphones have and they're trading in their hi-tech toys for simple-to-use devices. This "just in" from Current Analysis Inc. And this is great news because I have a whole drawer filled with old brick cellphones... finally my ecological conscience will pay off -- maybe an auction on eBay... :) Skype is also making quite a big of a hype, becoming the popular choice of millions. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is sure to be involved in a lot of online businesses. The visitors will now not only type questions, they will ask them verbally and listen to a human respond to their questions -- making the internet much warmer. PayPal has reduced the the payment regulations; this will be big for all those web businesses that see the large opportunity of allowing visitors small payments. Ringtones, music downloads, articles with valuable content, greeting cards, pictures, donations, etc. You name it, it can now be sold. And who could refuse to give just some measly pennies? Micropayments can become a big source of income, especially if your website receives a lot of visitors that you have not figured out how to turn into buyers. If you think this is a good idea you can profit from, then why don't you chip in a couple of dollars after reading this article?

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:51 AM

The Sellers Dilemma on eBay

It�s obvious that eBay provides internet users with an online flea market where buyers and sellers from around the world meet to conduct trade. However, like most traders who are faced with an innovation of this sort, the first question will always be: It is safe?

The answer is yes, but devious scammers seem to be plotting daily to forward their dastardly schemes and take advantage of eBay�s power. So, what is the user�s recourse? The users of eBay must learn to gather information and take meticulous care in dealing on eBay. Only then can they be less gullible to scammers. A common consensus is that bidders are often scammed by sellers. But it is possible for things to be the other way around. Here is a list of the common problems sellers encounter and the means to handle them. Fake Escrow Services A winning bidder may request that an escrow service be used to assure both parties of a fair transaction. Unfortunately, the seller is sometimes duped into using a fake escrow system. To avoid this situation, the seller must always verify the authenticity of an escrow service. eBay recommends the use of escrow.com. If the bidder insists on his or her escrow service, chances are, that person is a scammer. Victims of this fraud find it difficult to reclaim their items. They may, however, appeal to the legal system afforded by the state they live in. They must also contact eBay regarding the matter for any assistance they may be willing to offer. Deadbeat Bidders Deadbeat bidders (a winning bidder who doesn�t pay for an item at the auction�s close) are more common on eBay. If the winner of your auction does not pay, you may leave that person a negative feedback. As for the listing fees the seller shells out, eBay lays out a four step procedure that sellers can use to potentially recover lost selling fees. If sellers complete the process to eBay�s satisfaction, they will receive a Final Value Fee credit and a re-list credit. Filing out an Unpaid Item dispute is the first step toward eBay reimbursing such fees. A person can report an unpaid item up to 45 days after an auction�s close. Trade Dispute This occurs when the seller and bidder disagree on some terms of the sale. This may also happen if there is a purported violation of any of these agreements. If communication between both parties does not help, they may consider availing of a third-party dispute resolution outfit to help. SquareTrade.com is one of these outfits that eBay recommends. An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure A seller�s life may be made terrible because of the constant scamming attacks unscrupulous individuals undertake. But, with proper information and care, he or she can continue trading on eBay with relative safety.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:42 AM

The eBay Blacklist

The eBay business can be most likened to an online flea market. But, as with most flea markets, there is always the possibility that questionable hawkers lurk around the corners. Therefore, there must be rules in place to insure that the auctions and transactions formed through eBay are safe and legal.

Only then can a market � online or not � flourish. Certain types of items are prohibited or regulated on eBay. eBay reserves the right to terminate auctions that violate its specifications for allowed items on listings. In the case of a violation, eBay emails the bidder and the seller to notify them of the violation and to explain the need to terminate the auction. There are many eBay guidelines in-place that describe items that may not be posted for auction. They fall under three main categories: Prohibited, Questionable and Potentially Infringing. Prohibited This describes items that are not permitted on eBay. This list includes alcohol, tobacco, drugs, animals, human parts or remains, government properties, lottery tickets, and others. eBay contains a complete list of such in their policy statement. Questionable Items listed as questionable can be posted provided they follow certain conditions. For example, some adult material may be listed for auctioning only if they are posted in the Mature Audiences section of eBay. Event tickets may be sold provided that the auction closes before the actual event itself. The list also includes batteries, artifacts, food, used items, event tickets, weapons and knives, police related equipment, Freon, hazardous chemicals, offensive material, mature audiences material, international selling, and international buying among others. Potentially Infringing Items listed under this heading may be legal. However, they almost always violate copyright, trademark, and other rights. Some examples of Potentially Infringing items are: academic software, beta software, bootleg recordings, contracts and tickets, downloadable media, movie prints, OEM software, Replica and counterfeit items, and unauthorized copies. The eBay list of problem items is updated periodically and is incorporated into the User Agreement of eBay. These guidelines do not represent legal advice. It would do well to check with law enforcement agencies, a lawyer, or other legal outlets to verify the legality of a questionable item to be posted. This policy applies even if you offer to give your item away for free. As long as it is posted on eBay, it is subject to the above policy. As a final note, it is stressed that a eBay buyer is subject to liability if he or she purchases an illegal item. It is still the responsibility of the buyers and sellers to monitor the legality of their transactions since eBay is merely a facilitator in the market process.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:37 AM

December 26, 2005

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

October 20, 2005

Professional eBay Auctions Reap the Profits for Sellers

eBay offer an unbelievable amount of traffic for ANYONE wanting to sell on their auction site, so much so that millions of items are listed on it everyday. So with all this competition how do you make sure that your listing doesn't get lost amongst the rest and that customers keep coming back to you.

The answer is simple.... Professional Listings!

This covers all aspects of the transaction from the listing itself, how the customer is interacted with to how the item is packed and shipped. If you ignore any stage of the process then you are going to force your customers to go elsewhere. Your are offering a service to the customer, if they get bad service then they will go elsewhere and remember there are millions of items for sale on eBay so the customer doesn't even have to try hard to go elsewhere.

Remember, Professional Listings will give you the edge over the rest and also the highest selling price and profit.

Split your auction process into the following stages and follow the below guidelines:

The listing itself has to be:

Correctly written, You have to grab the attention of the reader and hold it and a poorly written listing will do nothing but FORCE the customer onto the next listing available. Use your knowledge of the item and use the key words and phrases that will 'push the buttons' of the customer, if you were buying the item what would sell it to you? Look at other sellers listings and determine selling strengths and listing opportunities and develop on them, these are the people you want to stand out from after all. Above all use proper English (or your native language), do not use text speak and shortened 'phrases' and also capitalise properly as a listing completely in capitals is an instant invite to close the listing down.

Correctly formatted, eBay provide the following auction sections as standard, use them correctly and effectively to maximise your listing potential and 'kerb appeal'.

Remember first impressions count!

Auction Title

This is the FIRST thing that your customers will see. Make it short, sharp, to the point and most of all DO NOT include silly characters and smiley faces in it as all that does is make you think that the auction seller is 'just a kid'...NOT A VERY PROFESSIONAL IMAGE FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS TO HAVE.

The default search on eBay only scans the title so you need all your keywords in there, so don't waste the space on rubbish.

Auction Description

This is your opportunity to fully describe the item and as such needs to be as complete as is possible, the more information the customer has the more they know what they are buying and the more likely they are to form a professional image of you as a seller. i.e.. this seller gives a true indication of the item and doesn't try to hide anything. Always include the strengths and weaknesses (faults) of the item as these are both SELLING POINTS. Strengths are obvious but weaknesses as a selling point, surely not! The more accurate the description the more the customer can trust you and will develop a professional image of you and more importantly keep coming back to your eBay auctions.

Think about what you are writing, does it fully describe what you are trying to? Words like 'great condition' and 'like new' are not good enough because different people interpret these in different ways so be specific and add extra detail to ensure that there are no crossed wires.

This information has to be correctly presented to the customer, the majority of eBay listings as simply just typed out in the editor ebay provides, which is perfectly acceptable but your listing will just appear in boring black and white. Remember the idea is to make your listing stand out and look professional and the simplest way to do this is to use HTML to format, add tables and images in order to liven up the listing, this is very simple to achieve and I offer some FREE to use templates here. Using templates will also help to develop a business identity for your auctions so that the customer can instantly recognise you

Within your listing also take the opportunity to cross promote your other auctions, it is free publicity which will encourage the customer to take a look and will generate greater sales opportunities from singular listings. Its as simple as adding a link to your other auctions on the listing page itself.

Include Pictures

Simply remember :

A PICTURE PAINTS A THOUSAND WORDS

All professional web sites use images and so should you, for a review of the importance of pictures go to the eBay picture guide.

Always give payment and shipping details

Would you buy something without knowing the full cost ?

No, neither will your customers. A truly professional listing will always detail shipping charges up front. Again use the principle of the more information you give the better.

Mike - webmaster at Online Auction Traders Resource

Visit eBay templates to use for FREE to develop your online business

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:38 AM | TrackBack

Instructions on How to Put Picture on Ebay

Like many folks, you have heard of online auctions. Heck, even non-computer users have heard of Ebay. Everyone starts out as a bidder. The brave move on to be sellers. Little, by little, you learn the ropes.

One of those ropes that seems to always give people problems is working with their auction photo. Previous photo experience may have only been limited to the sellers children or pets. Suddenly, they find themselves wading thorough terms such as pixel, uploading, and compression.

Sure, Ebay has tutorials, but its not the whole story. Isnt it frustrating that help files are always streamlined? Doesnt it seem like the step-by-step details are missing? I pondered this one day, trying to look through the eyes of someone whos never heard of image hosting before. For example, did you know that there are 5 screens that you have to pass through before you get to the screen for uploading your pictures to Ebay? Did you know that you can practice uploading pictures without making an actual auction listing? Im sure you feel braver already!

Just make your way to the fifth screen and don't continue after that - (because the listing was not completed, it will not be listed. If you go to sell a real item, your "mock" listing will be there - your choice will be to start a new listing or finish your last (mock) listing - starting a new listing will delete any drafts or mock listing.)

I bet youre really mixed up when you find out there are 3 choices when you get there: ebay picture services, basic picture services, and picture manager. Who wouldnt be confused? I clearly outline these choices in my free online auction tutorials including which one you need and why (hint: its not the same for every person).

The instructions for how to put picture on ebay can be found here: http://www.auctiontongue.com/com_ebay/instructions_on_how_to_put_picture_on_ebay.htm Ebay suggests that there are four ways to capture your digital photo for your auction listing: digital camera, regular camera and scanner, film-to-digital image service, and video camera and VCR tape thats where Ebay leaves you hanging.

Please dont give up yet! Remember were all in this big internet mess together, and together well figure it out. Theres no way around learning to use your digital devices, except sitting down and reading the owners manual. From there, you may find additional help on the internet. You have to do your part, first.

If you decide to buy a digital camera, read my How to Buy a Digital Camera for Auction Use http://www.auctiontongue.com/com_ebay/index.html It tells precisely what features you need to look for and what will cause you trouble.

If you do buy a digital camera, its a whole other story getting the image onto the computer. I thought you would enjoy some step-by-step photos of that process, too, so I included them at http://www.auctiontongue.com/com_ebay/index.html

If you have a regular camera and scanner, or a friend has a scanner, try my tutorial Scanner overview. I even put together Navigating Your Computer so anyone could find and locate their auction pictures with ease.

I hate to tell you this, but theres more for you to worry about. Ever go to an online auction and you wait and wait for it to load and nothing happens? Usually the culprit is a large file-sized auction photo. Its the number one mistake beginners make. It makes your auction look unprofessional. The chances are slim anyone will hang around to place bids at that auction.

Whats that? Do I have a tutorial to solve that? Why yes I do! If you cant tell already, I like helping people learn about the internet. I like to see people getting excited about their auctions. Believe me, your despair will be short-lived, and you will soon be an auction pro with some great auction stories to tell.

See you at the Auctions Renee from AuctionTongue

Note: If you would like to view this article, along with step-by-step instructions and detailed pictures, visit my online auction tutorial guide at: http://www.auctiontongue.com/com_ebay/index.html

Renee Matt maintains AuctionTongue.com, a review site of auction tool, free auction templates, auction software, auction sniper and image hosting services. AT focuses on auction websites outside of Ebay. Sign up for their FREE Auction Freebies newsletter at http://www.auctiontongue.com/

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:35 AM | TrackBack

An Introduction To eBay Consignment

After I started selling on eBay, friends without computers who wanted me to sell their items for them approached me. They had heard stories about the outrageous prices items some eBay auctions brought. They knew I could get more money for them on eBay than they could get selling the items themselves. An added incentive to them was I did all the work. All they had to do is say "I don't want this anymore, sell it for me;" and within a few weeks I converted their cast offs into cash.

I was already selling on eBay, and I had developed a system for listing and dealing with sales that allowed me to list lots of items in a short time. The chance to make a few dollars without any investment was too much to pass up. I made some good money doing this and because I didn't have to tie up my money buying inventory I was able to use it to grow my train business.

Consignment Selling Is The Perfect Way To Start Your Own eBay Business.

There is no set up fees or investments. You won't need to risk your own money buying items to resell. You don't need a detailed knowledge of antiques and collectibles. You only need to know how to find the right category, write an adequate description and take some high quality photos.

Selling on consignment allows you to learn about antiques and collectibles without risking your own money. By selling other people's items you learn the value of items in the most practical way. By handling them and selling them. No matter how many price guides you read, and antique shows you attend, you will never get the feel for items until you sell them.

When you sell on consignment, you provide a service that makes your clients additional money. When most people sell something, they sell to a dealer who needs to mark up the item to make a profit. This is not what happens on eBay.

On eBay the END USER is the buyer and will always pay more than a dealer would. Even after paying a consignment fee, the seller makes more money.

This is the true benefit of eBay consignment selling. Finding the END USER. Before eBay this was a difficult and daunting process. With eBay, a simple listing placed in the correct category, with a good description and some high quality photos, is enough to get a few END USERS to fight over the item.

Things You Need To Succeed With Consignment Sales:

1. You need to take possession of the items. When you sell items on consignment you risk your eBay name and reputation. You take these risks when you sell your own items, but you are in complete control of your actions. In order to lower your risks you need to get complete control of the items you are going to be selling. This prevents sellers from changing their minds, and allows you to ship the items as soon as you receive payment.

2. You should always have a written contract. One of my friends was sued by a consignor who felt the commission was too high. The consignor agreed to pay 20 percent of the selling price, then when the item sold for $8500, got upset about paying $1700 to someone for doing 30 minutes of work. While my friend won in court, it would never have gotten to court if he had a written contract.

3. You'll also need to perfect ways to get items. At first your friends and co-workers will provide you with a good stream of saleable items. After a while this stream will dwindle and you will need to go out and find consignors. This is not as difficult as it may seem. Remember, by consigning with you, the seller gets more money than they would otherwise.

Terry Gibbs is a collector/dealer of old toys and trains, and teaches others how to buy and sell antiques and collectibles. Gibbs is the author of two best selling eBay books "The Auction Revolution," and "The Complete Guide To eBay Consignment Sales." He has also written numerous other books about buying and selling antiques and collectibles. Learn more at his website: http://www.news.iwantcollectibles.com
http://www.iwantcollectibles.com/consign5.html

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:28 AM | TrackBack

October 04, 2005

12 Items You Cant Sell On eBay

Millions of would-be entrepreneurs want to sell things on ebay. eBay is the #1 home-business opportunity in the world right now, so it's natural that many are eager to find highly profitable items for re-sale on eBay. However, it's important to know that there are certain items that can't be sold. Here are a dozen of them ...

Some items are copyright infringement and can actually land a seller in federal prison:

1. Knock offs of music, TV shows or movies. The "bootleg" movies, for example, are often made by guys who sneak a movie camera into a newly-released movie where presumably, they crouch behind a seat and make a crummy copy. There is a large production of these counterfeit items in Asia where US laws have no power.

2. Software and computer games can likewise be copied and their sale is illegal by all US laws.

Naturally, the items above may be sold if you have a copy that you purchased legitimately and no longer want.

3. The so-called "replica" market for handbags, designer sunglasses and clothing is definitely forbidden although these items are often sold in physical stores around the US. Ironically, when attending eBay Live In New Orleans in 2004, we found a store in one of their famous markets selling replica purses that were not allowed on eBay.

4. Lazy and less-than-honest sellers often steal copyrighted material from other sellers. This has happened to me many times and eBay has a program called VERO (Verified Rights Owner) that will remove offending auctions, although there seems to be no penalty attached to the seller, which is unfortunate.

5. Alcoholic beverage sales are not allowed although a beverage "container', especially those of wine, may be sold for its value.

6. Cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco or coupons for such items are not permitted on eBay.com.

The Ebay rules for collectible tobacco and alcohol containers are the same:

* The value of the item is in the collectible packaging, not in the wine/tobacco itself.

* The listing description should state that the package has not been opened, but that the twine/tobacco within is not for consumption.

* The collectible tobacco packaging must not be available at any retail outlet, and packaging must have a value that substantially exceeds the current retail price of that wine/tobacco product in the package.

* Sellers must take steps to ensure that the buyer of these collectibles is at least 18 years of age

7. Firearms are strictly regulated by US law and may not be sold on eBay.

8. Satellite and cable TV descramblers are forbidden by the Federal Trade Commission.

9. Animals and wildlife products may not be sold, which includes stuffed birds and pelts from endangered species. There are limited sales of ivory, tortoise shell, marine products and other items relating to animals. This area is quite complex and any would-be seller needs to thoroughly understand the various laws before getting involved in these sales.

10. Event tickets have state-by-state laws that make their sale complex. Some states, for instance, forbid anyone to make more than a few dollars in profit (or no profit at all) on the resale of tickets. For instance, Florida law states that tickets can be resold at no more than face value plus $1. In such states, these regulations apply only to buyers and sellers located in the same state as the actual event, meaning if a seller lives in Florida, he can't profit from ticket sales to Florida events. However, if he lives in any of the other 39 states, this restriction doesn't apply.

11. Listing a catalog of items that a seller offers for sale is forbidden. The only catalogs legally sold on eBay are collectible kinds, such as an old Sears Roebuck or Montgomery Wards catalog that is memorabilia and doesn't offer current merchandise for sale.

12. Raffles and prizes are 100% prohibited. According to eBay, such promotions are highly regulated and may be unlawful in many states.

There are other kinds of merchandise that a seller may not sell on eBay, so carefully check eBay rules before listing anything. It's much better to know the rules in advance of spending money that can't be recouped.

Learn how to sell on eBay with 16 hours of online instruction taught by a 10 year eBay veteran. Own an eBay business instead of an eBay hobby.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 02:11 PM | TrackBack

3 Unusual Formats For Auctions on EBay

eBay users are accustomed to only two "standard" formats for sales on eBay: either the 'regular' auction which involves bidding and waiting; and the Buy It Now, which is an instant purchase.

But there are three other formats that are less well known.

1. Live Auctions

Before eBay, the traditional auction included live bodies in chairs and an auctioneer up front (talking so fast he was frequently unintelligible). Any buyer can still participate in these live auctions via eBay. Live auctions are a hybrid - a buyer is 'sort of' present in a live setting yet is at home using an Internet connection.

The products for sale are usually expensive and unusual. There are such items as expensive and unique coins, Asian art, native American artifacts, incredible jewelry, costly furniture, memorabilia from major sports stars and even history. Today, for instance, there are documents signed by John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, James Madison and Ulysses Grant (he confides that he was strenuously opposed to the "wicked" war with Mexico).

If you choose to participate in a live auction, be certain that you register first because you can't just drop in on a whim.

You can find all the details here: http://www.ebayliveauctions.com

2. Private Auctions

Private auctions are similar to the typical auction that we're all familiar with except for one detail - the identities of the bidders are kept secret. Only the seller has access to the names.

Why would anyone create a private auction? It's usually for one of three reasons:

* The item is quite expensive and buyers might be uncomfortable having others know they can afford such merchandise. Their concern about their financial status is most likely misplaced because it is quite possible to distance yourself from eBay contact information, but much of selling is about perception.

* The buyers might be embarrassed by the nature of the merchandise.

* Some sellers habitually use private auctions to make it harder for their competition to snoop on them.

3. Restricted Access Auctions

This is usually for sales of "adult" items. The main purpose is to prevent children from seeing this kind of merchandise, and is similar to having covers on racy magazines at store checkouts.

To bid on these items, the buyer must:

* Be 18 years old

* Must have supplied credit card information to eBay.The theory is that no one under 18 can get a credit card and therefore cannot get into these sections.

* Agree that he is voluntarily accessing restricted access auctions

In addition, restricted auctions are excluded from the Featured pages. So if you are a seller using this format, your listing will be harder to find.

Even though they are less well known, these three formats for auctions on eBay still account for tens of millions of dollars in sales each year. If they suit your business model, you might consider them.

Sydney Johnston has been an eBay seller since 1996 and is the originator and teacher of the famous 'Auction Genius Course'. She is the author of the best-selling auction book on the Internet, 'Make Your Net Auction Sell' and offers an 11 Day Course that teaches how to sell on ebay: http://www.auction-genius-course.com/11days.shtml

Posted by Dave Bromley at 02:06 PM | TrackBack

September 27, 2005

Business Identification � The Facts

Next month (Oct 05) eBay are going to introduce their Business Identification feature. Currently there is a grey area and buyers on eBay are often not certain whether they are actually buying from an individual or a business.

There are also problems by the fact that registered businesses are tied to the rules and regulations of four important Fair Trading acts.

The Sale of Goods Act 1979 � this makes sellers responsible for ensuring
that the item is as described, of satisfactory
quality and fit for the purpose it is sold for.

The Trades Description Act 1968 � which makes it illegal to make a false
description of an item or to supply or sell
an item for which such a description has
been made.
The Consumer Protection (Distant Selling) Regulations 2000
This requires sellers to provide clear
information about themselves and their
products. (This can be done using the �About
Me� page)
Allow people 7 working days in which to
Cancel the purchase �Cooling off period�
Electronic Commerce (EC Directive) Regulation 2000
This requires the seller to provide the
following:
Name, address and e-mail address of business
Details of membership to any trade
Organisation.
If applicable the sellers VAT number.

By buying from registered businesses buyers will know they are protected by these regulations whereas if they buy from an individual they do not get the same degree of protection.

If you are registered for VAT, (compulsory if you have a turnover of �60,000 per year or more) your eBay fees are Vat inclusive, which means that you will
get the 17.5% saving as a VAT registered Business Seller.

So how can you define a business or private seller? EBay suggest that if you are in doubt you should contact your local Revenue office but basically you are a business if you use eBay to sell any of the following:
1. Items you have bought specifically to resell
2. Items that you have produced yourself specifically to sell
3. Sell a high amount of goods on a regular basis.
4. Often sell items that you have not acquired for your personal use.
5. act as a trading assistant.
6. Buy items from eBay for your business.(So that you can claim tax relief on the purchases)

You do not need to register for a business identification if you:

1. Sell items belonging to you that you do not need anymore
2. Buy items for your personal use.

EBay have identified 3 benefits from registering as a business:

1. The saving of VAT on eBay charges (if registered)
2. You can be included in eBay business �related communications
3. Because most businesses already meet all the legal requirements
this allows customers to know who they are.

The onus of registering, as a business, is entirely in your hands. If you have already given eBay your VAT details you will automatically become registered. EBay fees for both private and business sellers will remain the same. Interestingly eBay have said that if you both use eBay for business and private buying and selling that you can set up separate accounts for these two functions, one private and one business.

It is possible to become a Power Seller with sales of under �10,000 per year but I suspect you might have a problem persuading the Inland Revenue that you were not operating a business if you held that accolade.

Some sellers would for their own reasons prefer not to let customers know that they are a business. However, you cannot opt out of having the �Registered as a business seller� shown in your members profile.

As we have reported before both the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise(VAT department) seemed to have been showing a great deal of interest in the selling activity on eBay of late. The introduction of the business identification I am sure is a move by the company to head off any threat of any compulsory legislation.

Many established businesses will welcome this move because it does level the playing field to some extent. But what the long-term effect for the average part time seller remains to be seen.

If you have any further questions eBay will hold a workshop on Wed 28 Sept from 10.30 -12.00 to answer your questions.
See http://forums.ebay.co.uk/thread.jspa?threadID=200243795&tstart=0&mod=1127392002322 for further details.

Disclaimer: This article is written for general information and no legal qualification or experiince are claimed. If you have any questions or queries relating to the legal points raised in this article you should consult your own legal advisor.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 10:36 AM | TrackBack

September 12, 2005

Drop Shipping

Dropshipping is a process of selling products without having the physical item yourself. You list an item at a price of your choice and when you get a sale you send the customers details and an agreed amount to a drop ship customer who ship the item directly to your customer. Your profit is the difference between what you sell then item for and what you pay the drop shipper for it.

This can give you a very inexpensive method of building up a portfolio of products to sell in online auctions without having to purchase, store and package the items. I have to admit that I have always been a little wary of dropshipping because my main concern is that if anything goes wrong it will be you getting the brickbats and complaints. But having said that in the USA it has proved a very successful way of doing business and no doubt it will be the same here.

I will talk more in detail on the audio program but in this article I will look at some of the companies in the UK who provide a dropship service.

http://www.atsdistribution.co.uk
A one off payment of �20 and you get complete access to 100s of images of PC and console accessories. I believe that after successful registration you receive stock to the value of your fee so in fact this would mean it costs you nothing to join but check this with the company.

http://wholesaleknives.co.uk
No membership fee. This appears to be a relative newcomer to the market.
Offers a wide range of interesting knife related items.

http://freebiephones.2U.co.uk
No Set Up Fee. Offers a range of mobile phones.
It also has a very good and comprehensive web site.

http://www.bjdropship.co.uk
Fashion Jewellery & Watches from low, low prices. Top-Quality makes including 9ct,18ct Gold & Diamonds

http:www.dropshippert.co.uk
Concentrates mainly on Gadgets, Toys, Games and Magic Tricks. But by becoming a member, (Costs �24.99) you also get access to other Dropship companies as well.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of dropshippers. To find more try a search on Google or Ask Jeeves for �UK Drop Shippers�. Another alternative is to read my friend Brian McGregor�s excellent e-book on UK Dropshipping . For more details http://www.workwinners.com/ukdauctionline.htm

Disclaimer: I have to be honest and admit that I have not personally used any of these companies and so therefore they are included purely for information purposes. Inclusion in this article should not be taken as a recommendation or otherwise for any company.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:48 PM | TrackBack

When It Comes To Ebay, Don't Follow The Herd

Q: I want to start an online business. Since I don't know anything about ecommerce and building websites and such, I'm
thinking about starting out selling products on eBay, then pay someone to build a website for me once the money starts coming in. The big question is: what is the hot product to sell on eBay to make money fast? -- Bob D.

A: While it's true that selling products on eBay can be a quick, low cost way to launch an online business, following the herd by selling the "hot product" of the moment, is not a great idea. To the contrary, chances are you will be stomped in the ground by the herd and left lying in the dust with your unsold inventory in hand.

We talked about starting a profitable eBay business in a previous column and the advice I dispensed then still applies
today.

The most successful eBay sellers are those who understand that success on eBay relies on many of the same factors as success in a brick and mortar business.

* Smart sellers research the marketplace and the competition to determine the salability and profitability of the product.

* Smart sellers test the market with one or two before committing to a product line and tying up their cash reserves in inventory that may never sell.

* Smart sellers adjust their product offerings until they find a product or product line that sells consistently.

The last point is perhaps the most important. Long term eBay success does not come from "one off" sales. The key to real eBay success is to find a product that sells well and sell that product over and over and over again.

I asked Timothy Mina, author of the new book, The Online Auction Expert's Bible To Selling on eBay, his thoughts on
launching a successful eBay business.

Why is eBay so attractive to entrepreneurs?
"With an eBay business, you set your own hours and set your own goals," Mina said. "You can work as much or as little as you want and whenever you want. Many sellers supplement their income by selling on eBay and many others have turned it into a full time business."

Mina cites the following reasons for eBay's growing popularity among entrepreneurs who want to start an online business:

* You can start up quickly and don't need special skills.

* There is very little risk and investment required to get started.

* The marketplace is huge. There are millions of potential customers waiting to buy what you're selling, 24 hours a day, with the click of a button.

* No stress, no boss. Yes, there is work involved, but the work can be done at your own pace. You are your own boss and you set your own schedule.

* Most importantly, you can follow your passion and do something you love. If you sell something you enjoy selling,
online auctions aren't just profitable, they're fun and exciting, too.

Why It's Critical To Find Your Niche
Mina recommends creating your eBay business with niche items. According to Mina, the benefits of targeting a specific niche market include:

* If you are going to rely on eBay as your primary source of income, it is essential that you find your niche. If the goal
of your eBay business is to earn enough money in your spare time to make your car payment every month, it is less
important, but still highly recommended.

* If you find a profitable niche, you will become a certified guru of the items you sell you will ideally be the only one on eBay offering the products.

* Your expertise will make it ten times as easy to spot bargains when you're shopping for products to resell. Bargains might be all around you, but if you don't know anything about what you're selling, you won't know how to spot bargains that are right in front of you.

* You will find different ways to add personal value to your products. These low cost add-ons or unique twists to your products will drastically increase your sales and profits by making your items unique and desirable.

* You will have little or no competition from other sellers, so you can corner your niche market.

* By dealing with the same type of customer over a long period of time you will get to intimately understand the mindset of your target customer and what your customer wants. This will help you sell your products better and allow you to market your products in ways others haven't thought of.

* You will be knowledgeable and enthusiastic about what you sell, and you will be attentive to your customer's desires. This results in satisfied customers, name recognition, and a lot of repeat business.

* You're going to find something you're passionate about and specialize in it. If you love what you're doing, you have a much greater chance of sticking to it and loving it. So it won't even fell like work - it'll be like you're getting paid
to play.

How do you find your niche? So how do you find your niche? Mina recommends doing an inventory of your hobbies and interests to help you identify a niche you would enjoy working in.

Ask yourself:

* What are you passionate about?
* What do you collect?
* What do you like to read about?
* What do you do in your spare time?
* So you have a favorite pastime?
* What was your major in college?
* What jobs have you had?
* Are there any other fields in which you have a great amount of knowledge?
* What clubs do you belong to?

Mina also recommends that you spend time on eBay studying the category listings. This may give you additional ideas for hobbies you can turn into an eBay business. Once you have defined your hobbies or interests, brainstorm how you can turn them into a business.

* How can you turn your expertise into a product?
* How can you add value to current products related to your interest?
* What product can you sell that may be one of a kind and have little or no competition?
* Can you think of novel ideas that people who share your passion would love?
* Is there anything related to your hobby that you can create yourself? An ebook or a how to, perhaps?

About The Author: Tim serves as the president and CEO of three
successful technology companies and is the founder of
DropshipWholesale.net, an online organization dedicated to the
success of online and eBay entrepreneurs
http://www.prosperityandprofits.com
http://www.dropshipwholesale.net http://www.30dayblueprint.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:45 AM | TrackBack

August 26, 2005

Growing eBay Sales with Top-Notch Customer Service

Growing eBay Sales with Top-Notch Customer Service
Copyright � 2005 Phil Dunn
Synapse Services Co.
http://www.qualitywriter.com

Painters were at our house this weekend, doing the trim outside and a few rooms inside. My wife provided most of the direction, but I asked the head guy (and owner of the company) to pay attention to a few details for me.

The whole experience reminded me of how critically important it is to pay attention to customer requests when dealing with eBay sales. On the Web (and with email) it�s easy to lose contact with customers and forget to address their concerns.

Make sure you don�t fall into this trap. You may not see the results directly, but your customers will become upset and you�ll eventually lose business � like my painter has. Not only did he lose business, he lost a valuable referral source.

He started to lose me when he failed to record my suggestions and concerns. I didn�t get into interior design much, choosing between mauve and tope, but I did have some input as far as the whole project goes.

I wanted them to make sure they cleaned up the "misses" on the outside, where some black trim paint accidentally hit the white house paint. I needed them to unstick some of the windows and put all the screens back, as well.

When the project started wrapping up, it was obvious that the lead was ignoring some of my requests -- namely the screens and window unsticking. I loved the work, but I wasn�t so hot on their finishing skills.

>From a customer service perspective, the timing couldn�t have been worse. Just when the painters wanted to consider it a job well done, I was having second thoughts about their competence. That sinking feeling should not have come at the end of the project. The lead should have been going out with a celebration rather than with some gripes. He should have lead me around, showed me how great everything looks, showed me the extra work he'd thrown in, and gone down my list of requests one by one, demonstrating that he met my needs and respects my wishes. If he performed these "finalizing" customer service/marketing steps, he'd have my 100% recommendation. I'd rave about him to friends, pass out his business cards and even write up a testimonial for him. I'd offer to help him out with his advertising materials, in fact. We'll certainly have more painting jobs in the future, and I'd like to stay on good terms with him.

On eBay, the same steps need to be followed in order to build business and collect loyal customers that rave about you. You need to send customers follow-up emails that confirm what they bought, what kind of deal you're giving them (on shipping, bonuses, etc.), and how you appreciate their business and would welcome any questions they may have. You need to offer them targeted cross-sell and up-sell items as they bid and shop. And, you need to quickly address their concerns as they come up. All this attention and service ensures that your customers refer you to others, leave positive feedback, and return to do more business with you.

Don't be like my painter. Pay attention to detail and your business will grow at a healthy pace.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Phil Dunn, author of The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing (McGraw-Hill, July 2005), is a marketing writer and strategic consultant. He helps people persuade, influence decision making, and close business with the written and spoken word. His business, Synapse Services Co. (http://www.qualitywriter.com), produces direct mail, brochures, scripts, newsletters, white papers and related collateral for Fortune 500 companies like Pitney Bowes, Hewlett Packard, IKON and Microsoft.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 08:32 AM | TrackBack

August 03, 2005

Mistakes to Avoid in Your EBay Auction

Online auctions continue to grow in popularity as an easy and
efficient way to make money on everything from unwanted
household items to rare and expensive collectables and even to
bulky items like cars.

Log on to eBay and you will see countless auctions on any item
you can imagine. As eBay auctions grow in popularity, it
becomes harder to make money with your auction because it often
gets buried or overlooked with all the competing auctions in the
same category. Therefore, to make money on your auction, it is
important to set your auction apart and avoid common eBay
auction mistakes. Here are 3 important areas that you must
take note of:

1. Wrong product category or product category not specific
enough. Not doing enough research. As it is relatively simple
and inexpensive to auction an item, many sellers simply do not
put in enough effort researching the market. The result is that
the auctions are put up in the wrong category. This would be
tantamount to pitching your deal to the wrong market.

However, if you are marketing your product in traditional
channels and paying money for your promotions, you are likely
to do a lot more research and legwork. If you want to earn a
serious income, then you should not treat your eBay auctions
any differently.

To research, find the best eBay category to put your product
auction in. If you are selling coins, eBay shoppers do not have
the time to search all 38,000 plus auctions put up under the
category of coins. You need to define your product category as
specific as possible. You will then target the true eBay
shoppers that are likely to be interested in your auction.

2. A blurred or ugly looking image. Be sure your eBay auction
has a clear professional looking image. Pay heed to the saying
�A picture speaks a thousand words�. Also, don�t forget to
ensure that your image file size is not too large. If the image
takes minutes to download, the typical eBay shopper is bound to
skip your auction.

3. Incomplete and unclear product description. Be sure to give
a detailed and precise description for your eBay auction item.
For instance, you can give exact dimensions of the product or
give specific details about the condition of the second hand
item. An incomplete or unclear description is not likely to
attract bidders for your item.

All in all, the best exercise I can suggest is to visit your
Ebay auction and honestly ask yourself if you would be even
tempted to put in a bid for this product.

If the answer is no or even probably not, then change it. If
you are passionate about your auction and take the time to make
it professional, your auction is likely to stand out. Make the
effort to do it right and you are likely to have successful
auctions.

About The Author: Evelyn Lim is an online publisher of a FREE
newsletter aimed at helping aspiring home based business
owners. She also hopes to educate her readers on skills to
acquire multiple sources of online income. To subscribe to her
newsletter, please visit http://www.e-BizMap.com or her blog at
http://www.EvelynLim.com.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 11:36 AM | TrackBack

July 05, 2005

10 Top Reasons Why People Wont Buy From You

Reason 1: charging your costumers too much for shipping and handling

The number one reason why most people refuse to buy products over the internet is because they believe the shipping charges add too much to the overall cost of the product. So why would you ever over charge on shipping? Some people get the clever idea to over charge on shipping to make a profit (not a good idea)

Sure if the shipping costs are only �5 and you charge people�10 you are making an extra �5 in profit, but guess what; you are loosing a lot more than you are gaining, because a high shipping price stands out like a sore thumb and most people will refuse to place a bid on your auctions.

You need to charge the lowest possible price for shipping; because most people will notice the low price and you will be rewarded with more bids and profit.

While on the subject of shipping; there seems to be some bad advice going around. And that advice is; to charge a flat-shipping rate in order to save time. This is horrible advice because A: you will most likely be overcharging and B: you will be taking control away from the costumer.

You need to give the costumer as much control over the buying process as possible. And you can�t do that with a flat shipping rate. You need to let the costumer decide how much they want to pay for shipping and how fast they want their product delivered to them, you need to let the costumers decide weather they want their stuff delivered to them over night or in 3-5 days.

Remember the more comfortable and convenient you make the buying process for your costumers, the more likely they are to come back and buy from you again. So instead of having a �my way or the high way� type flat shipping charge. You need to give the costumer some choices (express shipping, regular, priority etc.).

Reason 2: bad photos or photos lifted from manufacturer�s websites

When someone decides to buy a product from the internet they have no chance to see, feel, inspect or try out the product they are about to buy in person. And since they can�t see the actual product they are buying in person; you should show them as much of the product as you possibly can!

High quality photos that show the product from every angle can ease your costumer�s doubts and grow his/her desire to own what you are selling. If your photos are of a poor quality, they can make the product look worse than it actually looks in person and make it seem less valuable than it really is. The truth is, photos can make or break your eBay career.

The number of bids received by listing with high quality photos compared to the number of bids received by listings with poor quality photos has been proven to be much higher. So the better your photos are the more bids you will receive, and the more bids you receive the more money you will make.

Another thing you should never do is use manufacturers photos in your listings. Why? Because chances are a lot of other sellers will already be using the same photos. This is bad because instead of standing out from the crowd, you will be blending in. A picture is worth a thousand words, and on eBay it can be worth a thousand dollars.

If you are using manufacturer�s photos people will think that you don�t have the item you are selling in your position, you might even be trying to rip them off (take their money and run). So another reason you should take your own photos is credibility and trust. Your own photos will make your listings look more legitimate and gain the visitors trust.

The photos are one of if not the most important thing about your listing. The photos are what every person that visits your auction listings craves more of. Everyone wants to see more of what the product actually looks like.

What you absolutely NEED in order to maximize your profits when selling products on the internet is high quality photos that show the product you are selling from every angle, and show off its best features.

Let me ask you a question. If you were buying a �150 camera, would you buy it from A: a seller that has a small photo of the camera on a white background or B: a seller that has many large, high quality photos that show the camera from every angle? Exactly, and that is why you absolutely need the best photos you can take, because if some else has better photos; that is where all of the costumers will be.

Reason 3: short item descriptions

Once again, when someone decides to purchase a product over the internet they have no chance to see in person the actual product being sold to them. When you buy something from a regular store you get to touch, feel, test out, try on and inspect the product you are about to buy.

Do you get to do this over the internet? NO! But as obvious as that may be, many sellers (including power sellers) are selling �300 products over the internet and all they have to describe the product is a few short sentences! These are the same sellers that often complain about not making enough profits.

When someone decides to buy a product over the internet (eBay, yahoo, Amazon etc.), they are basically going blind. They don�t know who you are, where you live or weather you will rip them off or not. In other words these people have a lot of doubts. And when people have doubts, they will usually have second thoughts about buying from you. And that�s NOT a good thing.

So what you need to do when you are putting something up for auction on eBay or trying to sell something on Amazon (or anywhere on the internet for that matter). Describe the product you are selling in as much detail as possible. I mean mention everything about the product. Mention the color, weight, size, texture, features, accessories, condition, warranty, box size etc.

You need to not only mention everything, but explain what it all means as well. Don�t just say �this camera comes with X2r-c finder scope� say �this camera comes with X2r-c finder scope which allows you to take pictures at night and improves the quality of photos you are taking by 50%�. You need to make your description simple to understand because if you don�t, you might confuse your potential costumer. And most people hate being confused.

Confusion can lead to frustration, and if your potential costumers get frustrated all they have to do is click the back button on their web browser. And boom, you�ve just lost a bid.

So remember, your costumer doesn�t have the chance to actually see, feel and inspect the product they are buying from you. And that can fill their head with doubt (BAD!). So make sure you have a clear, detailed and easy to understand description.

Reason 4: reserve auctions

Most eBay members absolutely hate reserve auctions and refuse to even look at them. The reason for this is because most people don�t want to spend a week bidding on something and have all that time wasted in the end because of a high reserve. Would you want to bid on something for a week only to have the reserve not met?

Another reason reserve auctions are hated is because it can be very frustrating to see a big bold �RESERVE NOT MET� after every bid you place. Most people don�t want to keep guessing about weather or not they will actually be able to buy the product they want; they want to know for sure.

I understand that starting something at $1 with no reserve can be very scary (what if the item sells for a dollar?). But what you must understand is, a no reserve listing will always attract more bids than a listing for the same product that has a reserve.

No reserve auctions have proven again and again that NR is the best way to go. I know I know it�s scary. But you gat to take some risks along the road to success, and think about it: what do you have to loose?

There are sellers out there that list Rolex watches and luxury cars starting at 99p and no reserve! What are you going to sell? The truth is you have A LOT more to gain than you have to loose. And besides, you can always get a friend to bid on your auction if things don�t go as planned (this is against eBay policy, but if you are truly afraid its ok). Braking eBay rules is a sure way to end your auction career prematurely, but chances are you won�t have to break any rules because when you list something at 99p. The bids go up pretty fast.

Reason 5: refusing costumers

There are sellers out there that accept only one way of payment and sell only to citizens of the country they live in. Can you see what�s wrong with that? Why would anyone ever refuse to take someone�s money?

There are sellers out there that accept payments only through Paypal. This is bad because there are a lot of people out there that don�t have a Paypal account, why would you turn them down? The more people are allowed to buy from you the more people will actually buy from you!

It is not wise to exclude a big chunk of potential costumers just because you �prefer� Paypal. You should accept as many payment methods as possible. You should accept Paypal, Bid Pay, credit card, check, e-check, wire transfer, cash (yes some sellers actually accept cash) and any other form of payment you can think of.

Go to http://www.ebay.co.uk and brows through the listings, what you will realize is that most successful power sellers accept more than one form of payment. You should do the same.

The more people are allowed to buy from you the more people will actually buy from you. So what do you think has more people, your country or the whole world? So why would you refuse to sell to every country but your own?

I�m sure the sellers that do this have their own crazy reasons (terrorism, Osama, Russian mafia�). But c�mon, you are smarter than that! I have spoken to over 50 power sellers, and nearly every single one of them recommends selling internationally.

So please understand that if you accept only one form of payment or sell to only one country, you are neglecting a lot of potential costumers.

Reason 6: too much rules and stipulations

Your listings are made to attract costumers and put everyone in the mood to buy what you are selling, not scare everyone away!

Some sellers have so many rules and stipulations you must agree to in order to buy from them, it can seem that you would be signing your life away if you buy from them. The rules and stipulations I am talking about is the seller�s policy. Some sellers require you to contact them with in 24 hours if you want a refund, others will charge you a 25% restocking fee if you chose to return your item. There are also sellers that threaten to report you to eBay if you don�t fulfill your end of the deal and some even threaten to take legal action!

All of these rules and stipulations are a very negative and scary thing for the costumer. Your listing is supposed to make the visitor feel welcome, comfortable, safe and ready to buy. That is why you should never include anything negative like a 25% restocking fee in your listing. Your costumers are already worried about weather or not you are going to rip them off or not, why would you want to give them more things to worry about?

Reason 7: no refunds

If department stores, shoe stores, internet stores and even service companies give refunds, you should definitely do the same. Most successful eBay sellers offer a 100% money back guarantee, why? Because like I said before, when someone decides to buy a product over the internet they are usually going blind.

There are so many things to worry about when you buy something over the internet (credit card scams, flawed products, thieves etc.) that when a person is about to buy something they are usually full of doubt and worry.

That is why you need to offer a 100% money back guarantee�to easy the worry and take away the doubts of your potential costumer.

Would you ever buy something that you haven�t had the chance to inspect in person, from somebody you have never seen in your life. Knowing that if there is something wrong with what you have bought there would be no way for you to get your money back? I didn�t think so. But when you say �no refunds� that is exactly what you are asking people to do�go blind and hope for the best.

If your policy is �no refunds� most people would have to be crazy to ever buy from you. And guess what, most people are NOT crazy.

Reason 8: sloppy and unprofessional listings

Your auction listings are both your company representative and salesperson, and how are company representatives and sales people made to look in the real world? Professional and presentable! So why would you�re representatives and sales people (auction listings) be dressed in rags?

If your listings are filled with spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and look like they were put together in 2 minutes, it will look very amateur and some people will think that you don�t take your business seriously (which would probably be true). Most people don�t want to deal with amateurs because amateurs are usually the ones that will screw up and send the products to the wrong address.

Your listings need to neat, clean, easy to understand and appear professional.

Your listings are what you are judged by, so if your listings look sloppy; you will look sloppy. If your listings look chaotic and confusing you will appear the same. The truth is that it doesn�t take much effort to put together a nice, professional looking listing. So there is really no reason why your listings should appear like something a mentally disabled seagull put together.

Reason 9: unreasonable prices

You must understand that the reason most people chose to buy off of the internet is to get a great deal. A lot of people also think that it is more convenient to shop from the comfort of your own home, but the biggest reason is still savings. So why would anyone ever want to buy something that is close to or at the retail prices?

Another thing you should keep in mind is that besides the cost of the item, the costumer must pay for shipping and possibly even costumes taxes! Remember the number one reason why people refuse to buy stuff over the internet? It is because most people believe shipping and handling charges add too much to the final cost of the product. That is why your prices should always be below retail.

What you should do is check what prices the competition sells the products you want to sell at. That way you can get a good idea about the prices you should charge your costumers.

Now I know you might think a good idea would be to find out what the competitions prices are and make your prices lower in order to attract more costumers. While that may sound like a good idea, it�s really not. The last thing you want to do is needlessly undercut your competition and get into a price war with some of the more established and respected sellers�they will destroy you.

And besides, as soon as someone else lowers their prices everyone will run to them. Costumers that are looking for the lowest possible deal are not loyal and they will leave you as soon as they find a better deal.

If you are putting an item up for auction it would not make any scents to start it at a high price. Auctions are meant to start at low prices and get bided up until there is a winner. And if you check eBay you will notice that most of the power sellers out there always start their auctions at 99p and no reserve.

So remember, if you are going to sell something over the internet, whether it be through eBay, yahoo or Amazon. One of the biggest advantages to buying something from the internet is the great prices. And that is exactly what most people are looking for, bargains.

Reason 10: bad reputation

There is a reason why eBay created their now famous and imitated feedback system, that reason is trust. The folks at eBay realized a long time ago that the internet is full of scams and thieves. They also realized that when it comes to spending money over the internet, most people are very nervous and worried about getting ripped off.

Every time a seller rips someone off or makes a costumer unhappy, the costumer has a chance to give the seller negative feedback. This negative feedback will stay with the seller for as long as they remain a member of eBay and will forever be a stain on their reputation. So naturally, the last thing most eBay sellers want to do is make someone unhappy. This results in a very safe and comfortable environment for people that are looking to buy something on eBay.

But regardless whether you are planning to sell your products on eBay, yahoo, Amazon or open your own internet store. You should protect your reputation at any cost. Because even though a costumer can�t give you bad feedback if you own your own internet store, what they can do is go to internet forums and let others know the horrible things you did to them. The word will spread quicker than you think, your reputation will get ruined and before you know it you can find yourself out of business.

If you think about it, would you trust someone that has a bad reputation? Of course not, because when it comes to buying over the internet, most people are already nervous enough buying from someone they know anything about. And if you have a bad reputation you have no chance.

The ten reasons above can severely hurt the number of bids your auctions receive and as a consequence make you loose a lot of money.

Overcharging on shipping, using bad photos and short descriptions are not mistakes only rookies make. If you brows through the listings on eBay you will find that many established sellers make a lot of mistake, maybe not as much as sellers that are just starting out, but they do make these common mistakes. So just by following the advice given to you in this short list; you will be able to gain an upper hand on some of your more established competitors.

I think you will agree that most of the advice in this list doesn�t take a lot of effort to apply to your eBay, yahoo or Amazon business. But even though it is quite easy to apply the advice in this book; the results can be overwhelming.

Now that you know what NOT to do, go out there and apply everything you should do. Because unless you use the information in this list to your advantage all of that great advice you have just received will go to waste.

Something you should keep in mind is that even though the advice in this book is aimed at primarily eBay sellers. The advice can be applied to any kind of online sales business, whether its eBay, QXL, CQout or your own website etc.

I hope you apply the advice in this book and use it to your advantage, good luck!

Posted by Dave Bromley at 02:47 PM | TrackBack

June 08, 2005

Bid Boosters

3 Easy Ways to Increase Auction Bids

With all of the competition for bidders, it's worth doing a little bit extra to stand out among the crowd. Here are some often overlooked ideas that you can implement right away. [read more]

Posted by Dave Bromley at 09:55 AM

May 26, 2005

Fed up with eBay?

by Mal Keenan

For many people, their first experience of working online involves selling products on eBay. This was how I got started back in 1998 and I know countless other people that have done the same.

However, it is important to remember that eBay is not the 'be all and end all' - there is a much bigger online world out there. My reason for mentioning this is that I have spoken to three people this week who each make a decent full or part-time income on eBay but who are fed up with it and looking to move in other directions.

Having sold on eBay myself, I can understand why sellers do get tired/bored/frustrated with the auction site - it is highly competitive and it takes an incredible amount of hard work to succeed. In addition, it is normally the case that the more successful you become, the harder you have to work. Listing auctions, handling customer enquiries, packing, shipping, sourcing/buying stock, keeping up with feedback, monitoring the competition - selling on eBay is a tough job and it is no wonder that after working in this way for a few years, many people wish they were back in the land of the employed!!

Don't get me wrong, there is good money to be made on eBay for anyone willing to put the effort in and many people enjoy trading on this huge auction site. But it isn't for everyone.

Having spoken to numerous eBay sellers in the past, it seems to me that of the ones that don't enjoy working on eBay, the particular task that they enjoy the least is the packing and shipping of products. Funnily enough, this is exactly the bit of trading that I grew to dislike too.

I (and the sellers I have spoken to) didn't have a problem with creating sales descriptions, dealing with emails, collecting payment (naturally!) and the other administrative tasks involved in running an online business. But wrapping things up and taking them to the post office is something completely different and for me and many others that's where it all started to fall apart :-)

As I said at the beginning of this article, if you are getting fed up of doing the eBay 'thing' or if you just don't fancy the idea to start with, there is a wealth of alternative opportunities available online. My own solution was to get rid of the one aspect of eBay trading that I didn't enjoy - the packing and shipping - and start to produce and sell digital products which could be delivered to the customer automatically. I still have to write sales pages and build websites, I still have to deal with emails etc but I don't have to handle any physical products (neither do I have to deal with payment collection because that too can be handled automatically by software).

Of course my products are very relevant to eBay sellers and indeed, there are numerous individuals and companies out there that have made a fortune off the back of eBay without ever having sold a single product on the auction site. I am sure that there are numerous other problems that eBay users have that could be solved with a new piece of software or a particular service and if the idea takes off, there are 135 million registered users on eBay to market to!

eBay provides a wonderful opportunity for hundreds of thousands of people but it isn't for everyone and if you find yourself frustrated/bored with the same old routine everyday, start to look for something outside of the eBay world.

About the Author

Richard Grady has been helping ordinary people earn online since 1998. He writes a free newsletter which is published every two weeks. To subscribe (and claim your free gifts), visit: http://www.thetraderonline.com/newsletter.html

Posted by Dave Bromley at 01:39 PM

May 24, 2005

Testing Your Product or Service the Easy Way

You've got a great product or service, you just know it will sell and
either increase your sales or your leads or both. But how can you be sure?

Marketing your product and services can be expensive and many times
not as productive as you may have hoped. Purchasing leads, advertising
space, banner exchanges and all the other ways to get the word out
about your new or existing services, don't always produce the increase in
sales you thought they would. Many times you don't even break even with
your initial investment.

One of the easiest ways to test your market and make some quick sales is
to use a little company called Ebay.

Ebay is a very low cost way to place a item up for bid. Millions of people
are on Ebay everyday looking for a good deal and unusual opportunities.

You can reach an unlimited amount of prospects by placing just one ad
that can cost you pennies on the dollar.

The best way to place the ad is to try the following:

* Search Ebay listings for similar products or services
* If you see any that are similar to yours, adjust your ad copy so that
YOUR ad will stand out. ( Don't place your ad until you do this first.
You don't want your ad up and running only to find out that someone
else has a better ad and lower pricing than you.)
* Run the ad for the full 7 days.
* Put your domain name within the ad.

Now Ebay does prohibit links to websites etc. But you can place a domain
without a link ie. inetgoodies.com

I also highly recommend that you create a "My Ebay" page. This page does
allow for links and other ad copy directly for your website. Plus many people
will check this out just to see if you are professional enough to set this up
or just looking to make a quick buck on Ebay.

Now you probrably won't make a fortune doing this type of market testing.
The main benefit of using Ebay in this manner is that it will show if there is
an interest in what you are offering.

If you are getting a decent amount of views to the ad, bids and even
inquiring emails. Then it is a good indicator that your product or service
will sell and have a higher ROI when using higher cost advertising.

This is especially true if you have a new product or a better version of
whats already out there. But you can try this technique on any product
or service you have.

Trying this with new offers saves you money.
If the new item or service etc. does not seem to be bringing any interest.
Then you can save all that time and money in producing it, packaging etc.
This is a great way to get your new offer off the ground without spending
a dime on production before hand.

I have found that Ebay buyers are the most hesitant of internet
customers. So, if THEY are willing to buy what you offer,
the general internet community will be even more apt to be interested
in your offer.

As a side note - by using the My Ebay page on Ebay, you do get to
place a link to your site which is an inbound link and to some extent will
help your site popularity with the search engines.

About the Author

Jim Hoffman is co founder of Inet Goodies an Internet Resource
Group focusing on helping people succeed online through several
partner sites. Find out one of the easiest ways to get traffic to
your web site free.
http://www.inetgoodies.com/words.html

Posted by Dave Bromley at 02:10 PM

May 15, 2005

7 Ways To Profit From Other Peoples Products

Seven Ways to Make Money with Other People's Products

by Stuart Reid
http://www.netpreneurnow.com

If you don't possess the time, money or inclination to create your own hot selling product there is plenty of scope for profit by using other people's.

In this quick article I'll detail the best ways to take a third-party product and use it to fill your own bank account.

1. Resell Rights

Resell Rights let you sell a product and keep all of the money. It's an ideal way to start. Usually you'll need your own payment system to accept the money and your own webspace to sell it - but that's very cheap to do these days.

Resell Rights can be free, or cost anywhere up to $1000 and beyond. The free Resell Rights are usually not worth bothering with. You want to sell items that have LIMITED distribution - quite simply because you'll have less competition!

2. Master Resell Rights

Unfortunately these are bad news. With the Master Rights you can pass on Resell Rights yourself. This means one thing - thousands of competitors in a very short time.

3. Reprint Rights

These are sometimes confused with Resell Rights but they are usually used to describe hard-copy material. For example, printed books, tape sets, CD's or Videos.

You usually have to handle the duplication yourself but sometimes the company will provide copies, and even ship them for you, for a small fee.

These products usually cost more to acquire the rights but can be very profitable. As the old saying goes, it's easier to sell 10 copies at $1000 each than it is to sell 1000 at $10.

4. Affiliate Programs

When you enter into an affiliate agreement you are sharing the cost and effort of promoting a product. You will take a percentage of the sales in exchange, so you want at least 50% for it to be worth your while.

With an affiliate program you can usually join at no cost, but will make less money - and have more competitors!

One other advantage, the company provides the site and the collection of payments. All you do is promote and cash your check.

5. Drop Shipping

This makes the traditional form of selling easier for the information age. Profit = Cost - Selling Price , and with a Drop Shipper you merely take the money from your customer and tell the shipper to send them the product. You then pay the shipper their price. For example, you can buy a Widescreen TV for $1299 but you are selling it for $1499. You make $200 per sale but never get involved in the distribution at all.

This method is used extensively on eBay and in online shopping malls.

6. Joint Ventures

These blur the line between the other processors. Basically, you connect those who make products with those who sell and promote them. You can acquire resell rights, or create your own product, or be part of an affiliate network. You then contact possible sellers, for example Ezine Owners, who may be interested in selling the product for a cut of the profit.

This way you can connect BIG sellers with BIG products and slice of some of the profit for yourself!

7. Branding Rights

These can be combined with Resell Rights but sometimes are offered as an extra. With Branding Rights you can make some or all of the links within a product possible money-spinners for yourself.

For example, you can take a book on copywriting and give it away, or sell it. But within this book are other links to further services, all that could make extra back-end sales for you.

As you can see there are plenty of ways to make money WITHOUT the expense of time of building your own product!

Stuart Reid is an ezine publisher and webmaster.
Try the new "Any Brander" Software and brand ANY product, old
or new, with your own link - even if you didn't create it!
http://v3k.net/anybrander

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

An alternative to Ebay

An alternative to Ebay
R.P. van der Meij

People buy and sell on the net. It is better than advertising in a newspaper or spreading the word that you are selling something. But sometimes you just want to sell your stuff for a price and thats it. And you dont want to fill out endless forms with useless info about everything you do and so on. Than join a community pay fees for listing, seller fees and all other hidden fees you missed. Wouldn't you like to find a simple way of advertising your stuff ? You know, place an article, set a price and confirm your ad and be done with it. Just one simple flat fee for everything. And advertise for a long period for a low price. Is it possible? Or is it a dream? The answer is YES you can! Where? Find a new and different way of selling on www.52marketplace.com
www.52marketplace.com is a proven concept from Europe on selling the easy way on the net.
Let me tell you something about this concept. First you choose your catagorie where you want to place your ad. Simple ! Select your state and county where you live. And then place your ad. Confirm your ad, and you are done. You don't have to register to sell or to buy. If the item that you are selling is less than $200 you can place it for FREE. Your ad is shown for a minimum of 30 days. When you are selling something for more than $200 you pay $7.50. Thats it! No fee for listing, no fee when it is sold, nothing. How does that relate to other (auction) sites ?
Lets sell your car for $1000 . When selling it on www.52marketplace.com you pay $7.50 and it is listed for a min. of 30 days and max.60 days. Other sites are charging you $40 for 1 week.(cardealers can save a fortune this way)
If you are selling your house on www.52marketplace.com again you pay $7.50 for a min. of 30 days and max. 60 days . Other sites are charging you more, up to $150 .
Now here is a fun part on www.52marketplace.com , you can place your ad on top of the list again for a small price. If someone is looking he will see YOUR house, car or what ever you are selling on top of the list , (where you want to be if you are selling) when he is browsing. You can do that as much as you like with no restrictions. Thats how you sell quickly and easy. So you see there is another way of selling your (used) items on the net. Visit the site and try it. During the introduction week you can place every ad for free on www.52marketplace.com

R.P. van der Meij is CEO Of EMOG Online Business

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Auto Trader or Ebay

Auto Trader or Ebay
Cherie Szilvagyi

For Auto Dealers across the nation, today?s market is getting harder and harder to handle. Sales are seeing a downturn after such a long up swing in the market. To counteract the ever increasing expense of running and maintaining a profitable dealership, dealers need to be savvy in today?s market.

New trends are emerging in today?s market. Down turn markets always seem to bring out the new ideas and help to hone them. Internet sales, once a hard to handle and mysterious market, are on the upswing. Sites like Ebay and Auto Trader are actually selling cars. In fact they are both selling so many cars that it is getting impossible to ignore selling online. With Auto Trader and Ebay Motors doing over half of the online sales for vehicles, it is apparent that dealers are figuring out how to sell online with the help of these emerging two giants.

The ease and success of selling online has been evolving and today?s savvy dealer is using both Ebay and Auto Trader to boost sales and gain profit margin in an ever tightening market. The conventional newspaper advertisement is being replaced on the advertising budget with an online sales budget. Sales percentages are showing that they are dollars well spent.

Some dealers have gone so far as to hire and train their own internet department. Other dealers are taking the smart way and hiring a consulting firm that is well versed in online sales. Whether the dealer is handling online sales in house or hiring it out, the bottom line is the same, better use of the advertising dollar.

Conventional newspaper advertisements have less than 4 people look at a particular vehicle. Most people are not even looking at the auto advertisements; they are reading the paper for something else. 11% of all buyers attribute the Internet as the source that led them to the vehicle they purchased versus 9% for newspapers. Internet customers are looking for a vehicle when they look online. Could this be why so many are purchasing online?

Ecommerce for the Auto Dealer is becoming more and more necessary. Being an expert in selling cars and being an internet expert is no longer necessary. Hiring a consultant firm that is both reasonable in fees and knowledgeable in online auto sales is becoming a must for the successful auto dealer. Consulting firms for online sales work after the dealer closes for the day and provides sales support 7 days a week. Helping the dealer to sell online even when they are closed.

Checking out references and sell through percentages is necessary when choosing your internet consulting firm. Consider which venues they sell on and are familiar with. Auto Trader is responsible for 35% of the cars sold online, Ebay is responsible for 22% of the cars sold online. With over half of the market, the online consulting firm a dealer hires needs to be well versed in both.

Today?s market demands the best for online sales from auto dealers.

Cherie Szilvagyi is the CEO of www.AutomobileClearingHouse.com

cherie@automobileclearinghouse.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Better Than Sliced Bread...Drop Shipping The New Home Business Craze

Better Than Sliced Bread...Drop Shipping The New Home Business Craze
Tony Keeler

Many of you will probably remember the days when the only way to start a successful home business was to join some sort of multi-level marketing program or sell makeup at parties. In those days, people would have to buy a membership in the ?program? along with an inventory of sample products that they would then sell to friends and coworkers at ?parties.? Most people were not very successful at this and made very little money and usually alienated their friends and family. In the 1990?s however, all of that changed for the better with the advent of the Internet and a retail delivery method called wholesale drop shipping.

Wholesale drop shipping is when a wholesale distributor or manufacturer agrees to send out single unit products to customers for a retailer. Many will also even include the retailers name on the invoice so that the customer is never even aware that they got it from anyone else but the retailer. This, along with the Internet has changed the whole dynamics of home businesses in America, making it easier and more cost effective to start your own business.

Home business owners are now able to launch a business without purchasing any inventory up front and are able to open a ?store? without ever having to find a place to setup shop. Millions of Americans have setup ecommerce sites on the internet selling everything from Personal Computers to lawn care equipment all using wholesale drop shipping. As a matter of fact, according to eBay over forty thousand people make their full time living on their auction site alone; many of these are using drop shipping as their main method of product fulfillment.

The only problem for today?s small business owner is how to find wholesalers to drop ship. In general wholesale distributors don?t make it a habit of getting out there and advertising; obviously the whole reason they are in wholesale and not retail is to get away from doing all of that work. So it makes it very difficult for someone who has little or no business experience to make contacts with distributors when they aren?t even sure where to start looking.

To help out those small business owners I?d like to offer some advice for finding wholesale distributors:
?Look for trade organizations and magazines to help you make contacts. Many trade organizations out their produce some sort of listings of their members, many of whom may drop ship.
?Contact manufacturers. People don?t realize that if you call the manufacturer they will provide you with a list of their distributors; so if you are looking for a particular product, ask the manufacturer. The down side of this route is that they may have hundreds of distributors that you may have to contact before you find one that is willing to drop ship.
?Find wholesale chat rooms and message boards. There are many message boards on the Internet today that are devoted to a wide range of discussions. You may find boards on wholesale, distribution, supply chain, etc. All of these may lead you in the direction of a wholesale distributor.

However, if you want to get up and running fast, or just don?t have the time to go on a search for wholesale distributors much less ones that drop ship, then the way to go is drop ship directories. These are usually pay services that search out drop shippers for you then give you access to their contacts; there are many of these on the Internet today, and many are very good. As with anything on the Internet you must be very careful of the scams out there. Many drop ship directories will end up giving you an outdated list of wholesalers, or when you contact them you will find that they are a true wholesale distributor but they do not drop ship.

Here are some pieces of advice when looking for a quality drop ship directory:
?Stay away from the cheap ones! Obviously with everything else in this world you will get what you pay for. If you find one out their for three dollars, you probably are not going to get a good product. In general the one?s that offer the best information are charging $60 or more for a six month membership.
?Look for one?s that will do specialty searches! If you get into a drop ship directory and find that they do not have any products that you would like to sell, or think you can sell, then make sure they will go out and find it for you. If they do not do specialty searches then you will end up being stuck with whatever listings they have no matter what.
?Find one with a Satisfaction Guarantee! There are several drop ship directories out there that offer a guarantee that all of their listings are true drop shippers, but in my opinion this is not enough. If you get into their directory and find that they have five hundred listings for widget suppliers and they are all real wholesalers you are out your money and only have access to one product. Make sure they guarantee your satisfaction with their product no matter what, especially if you are going to shell out seventy dollars of your hard earned money.
?Look for ones that are going to help you out as well, not just give you a list. Do they offer articles and help material on starting your business or are all they just going to give you listings and nothing else.

However you choose to find wholesale drop shipping, keep in mind that as with anything else in this world knowledge is power. Try and find out as much as you can before you jump in to get your feet wet. It will make your startup smoother and help you get the profitability stage much faster.

Tony Keeler is the founder and publisher of The Drop Ship Connection ? www.dropshipconnection.com - The web?s only drop ship directory with a step by step guide for the home business owner. He is also the owner of MAR Services which publishes these great sites:
?2DollarSoftware ? www.2dollarsoftware.com - marketing, advertising, and internet software.
?DingleHopper.com ? www.dinglehopper.com - Funny Name, Cool Products.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Digital Camera eBay Auctions

Digital Camera eBay Auctions
Kyle Summers

Looking for the best price for your Canon EOS 20D?

Canon EOS 20D's on eBay>

Format SLR
Price (street) US$1542
Also known as
Camera body
Release Status
Click for help Max resolution 3504 x 2336
Click for help Low resolution 2544 x 1696, 1728 x 1152
Click for help Image ratio w:h 3:2
Click for help Effective pixels 8.2 million
Click for help Sensor photo detectors 8.5 million
Click for help Sensor size 22.5 x 15.0 mm
Click for help Sensor type CMOS
Click for help Colour filter array RGB
Click for help Sensor manufacturer Canon
Click for help ISO rating 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 (H)
Click for help Zoom wide (W) n/a
Click for help Zoom tele (T) n/a
Click for help Digital zoom No
Image stabilization No
Auto Focus Yes
Click for help Manual Focus Yes
Auto focus type Multi-BASIS TTL, 9 focus points (diamond shape)
Click for help Normal focus range n/a
Click for help Macro focus range n/a
Click for help White balance override Yes - 6 positions, Kelvin & manual preset
Click for help Aperture range n/a
Click for help Min shutter 30 sec + Bulb
Click for help Max shutter 1/8000 sec
Built-in Flash Yes, pop-up
Flash guide no. 12 m (39.3 ft) @ ISO 100
External flash Yes, hot-shoe & sync
Flash modes Auto, On, Red-eye reduction, Off
Click for help Exposure compensation -2 EV to +2 EV in 1/3 EV or 1/2 EV steps
Click for help Metering 35 area eval, center weighted, partial
Click for help Aperture priority Yes
Click for help Shutter priority Yes
Click for help Focal length multiplier 1.6
Lens thread Canon EOS EF, EF-S mount
Click for help Continuous Drive Yes, 5 fps up to 23 JPEG frames
Movie Clips No
Remote control N3 connector
Tripod mount Yes
Self-timer 10 sec (3 sec with mirror lock-up)
Click for help Time-lapse recording Yes, by USB cable and PC
Orientation sensor Yes
Click for help Storage types Compact Flash (Type I or II)
Click for help Storage included None
Click for help Uncompressed format RAW
Click for help Compressed format JPEG (EXIF 2.21)
Click for help Quality Levels Fine, Normal, RAW
Click for help Viewfinder TTL
Click for help LCD 1.8 "
Click for help LCD Pixels 118,000
Playback zoom Yes
Click for help Video out Yes
Click for help USB Yes, 2.0
Click for help Firewire (IEEE 1394) No
Click for help Serial No
Click for help Battery / Charger Yes
Click for help Battery Canon 1390mAh Li-Ion & Charger
Weight (inc. batteries) 770 g (27.2 oz)
Dimensions 144 x 106 x 72 mm (5.7 x 4.2 x 2.8 in)

None

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

eBay Auctions - How to Create a Compelling Title

eBay Auctions - How to Create a Compelling Title
Ian Stables

(C) 2005 Ian Stables

Permission is granted for the below article to forward, reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website, offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as long as no changes are made and the by-line, copyright, and the resource box below is included.

This is an excerpt from the ebook
"The 37 Effective Ebay Ad Writing Secrets"

Secret 7
How to Easily Create a Compelling Auction Title
Very effective! Think for a moment the questions that you would like answered. I bet you're really interested anytime you see anything offering the answer. Imagine your question is 'Is there an easier way to get to work?'. You might express it as 'I wish there was an easier way to get to work'. But it means the same thing. You see a headline that says 'New Easy Way To Get To (where you work)'. Would you be curious? Of course you would.

So it makes sense to ask yourself what questions your target customer has which you can provide the answer. Then construct your headline as the answer.

Examples:

Customers question
'What can I buy for my wife's birthday present?'
Your item
A quality ladies wristwatch
Your headline
'Just What The Lady Wants - Quality Wrist Watch'

Customers question
'How can I study less and still remember?'

Your item
A new way to study faster and remember everything
Your headline
'New Way - Study Faster and Remember Everything'

Customers question
'What can I sell on Ebay?'
Your item
A guide on what to buy and where to find these items at car boot sales
Your headline
'What To Buy and Where To Find Saleable Ebay Items'

Customers question
'I'd write and sell ebooks but don't know how'
Your item
A simple way to write an ebook
Your headline
'The Easy Way To Write A Saleable Ebook'

Peoples questions often begin with How, Which, Who, Where, When, What and Why.

Ian Stables is the author of "The 37 eBay Ad Writing Secrets" - How to easily COMPEL people to buy your stuff on eBay. To see contents visit http://ebayadsecrets.tripod.com/

For sale as an ebook.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Ebay Can Be a Good Source of Free Website Traffic

Ebay Can Be a Good Source of Free Website Traffic
Preston Williams

Website traffic: we all want it and we all need it.

One of the most difficult things to do as a webmaster is to get good quality traffic to your website, especially free traffic.

We want it bad and can't get enough of it.

We pay for it, trade links with other websites and tweak our web pages for better search engine rankings to get it.

Here's a way to get free targeted traffic to your website and best of all it's free!

If you have an Ebay sellers account an run auctions, you can use those auctions to drive more traffic to your website and/or affiliate sites.

It can easily be done by effectively using your "About Me" page.

Currently, Ebay doesn't allow you to link to websites outside of Ebay from your auction pages. However, you are allowed to link to other websites from your "About Me" page.

Take advantage of your Ebay "About Me" page by using your marketing skills to transform it into a mini-website.

Give it all the bells and whistles of a traditional website. This includes a way for visitors to subscribe to your newsletter too.

My Ebay about me page is responsible for a great number of my newsletter subscribers.

To maximize the traffic flow to your "About Me" page, simply place a short text ad at the top or bottom (or both) of all your Ebay auction pages.

Your ad should offer something of value to the visitors of your auction page.

Offer them a free ebook or free report as an incentive to visit your about me page. Free information is what drives the internet and it works on auction sites too.

You can find quality free ebooks and/or reports related to just about any subject. Just search the internet, there's a ton of free material out there for the taking.

However, you should be absolutely sure that you use something that is intended to be distributed freely, before you start giving it away.

Here's an Example of how I use this simple method to drive traffic to my website and, at the same time, build my opt-in list.

My offer reads something like this: "Grab a copy of this exclusive ebook"... (insert an image of your ebook in your ad if possible). Simply go to my "About Me" page and grab your free copy Click Here ( with hyperlink to your about me page).

That's it!

When they get to your "About Me" page have the ebook there available for free, as you stated on your auction page.

Instead of just making it a free-for-all, you should require them to subscribe to your newsletter to get it.

Place a form on your page where they would enter their name and email address. You can set this up with any free autoresponder. Have the autoresponder email them information on how and where to download the free ebook.

This will help to build your list. If you don't have a list, this is a good way to start building one.

An added twist would be to use an ebook that is branded with your affiliate links. This will create even more traffic to your affiliate sites.

Now, on your "About Me" page you should have text links to your website and/or affiliate sites. Be sure to use text links because they are more effective than banner ads. But don't go overboard. I would suggest that you use no more than 3 links on this page.

Be sure to place your ad on all your auction pages. The more auctions
you have running, the more traffic you will receive.

You will be totally surprised at how effective this technique is.

To monitor your results, simply place a free stats tracker or counter on your about me page and on the pages with links from your "About Me" page.

Here's a good website tracker that I use. This will give you all the statistical details you will need: http://www.addfreestats.com/

Now just sit back and watch the results!

Preston Williams is the owner of http:www.//getnpaid.com His website offers many articles, resources, and ideas on how to make money online.
He has been using affiliate programs to make money online for over 3 years.
Please visit his website if you are interested in finding new opportunities for making money online.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

EBay No Way?Yes Way (Ten Seller Themes)

EBay No Way?Yes Way (Ten Seller Themes)
Barbara Snyder M.A. Education

by Barbara Snyder M.A.

Hearing that there are more than 1.2 million registered eBay users, that more than 25,000 members make five figure income as full time eBay entrepreneurs, and that more than 250,000 part timers make several thousand dollars a year of supplementary income from eBay enterprises would make anyone comment in disbelief with, ?No Way?. But the correct response to this is, ?Yes, way.? In fact, it has also been reported that the number one eBay entrepreneur makes over a million dollars a year. As Austin Powers would say, ?Yeah, Baby.? Or should we say, ?E-Baby.?

So what?s the deal with eBay, anyway? There is a lot more to it than one would think. It can be simple for an occasional buyer, but it gets increasing complex as users/sellers become more entrenched at deeper levels of use. Here are 10 key ideas or themes for sellers to consider about this phenomenon called ?eBay?.

1. What ?s for sale? While some sellers are out scavengering the garage sales and their own garages, others are purchasing quantities of items wholesale to put up for auction. One would think that the right product is of paramount consideration, and most sellers agree that the unusual or the hard to find is the best bet. However, this is not always true either. Timing, meaning the right person at the right time seeing your item, is where it is at. You have to be visible and be out there with a clear message or product that seems like a steal, or at least reasonably priced. With the thousands and thousands of items for sale, there is no shortage of competition. However, the good thing is that there are a lot of buyers out there that should enable the sale of just about anything.

2. Communication and descriptive details about your product is a key in getting noticed. The description of your item and the pictures to display it will get the buyer?s attention. If a person is a serious seller, having an adequate digital camera is a must. Again, photos are extremely important.

3. The well written detailed description to accompany the item is of great benefit. Being open and honest about the item will demonstrate integrity as a seller and will keep people coming back. Being available to answer questions for prospective buyers and remembering to be courteous and helpful follows along with the never-to-be forgotten premise of ?the customer is always right.?

4. With customer feedback being a key element in the ratings statistics that will promote you or haunt you during your eBay career, it is important for a seller to be professional and kindly in all business dealings. People like and appreciate personal attention. Take the time to give it. Being positive, accommodating and helpful is a winning combination for good customer relations.

5. Shipping information and how you present it can win over a customer because they notice when a buyer is tying to take advantage and ask an unreasonable amount for shipping. Of course, a seller must take into account time spent, the handling charge, when pricing the shipping. Time is money, and a seller should be compensated for all aspects of the service that is provided.

6. Some advice about setting up your auction items would be to consider having your item run seven days with an end of bidding time somewhere between 7 PM and 9 PM on a Sunday night. That seems to be the consensus amongst the top sellers. There has been much dialog on just how to increase the amount and number of bids, but there are too many variables to consider. Suffice to say, it really does depend on the product itself (and what the condition and competition is our there).

7. Some of the most unique aspects of selling have to do with the seasonal items that permeate the auction block at certain times of the year. If a seller wants to work year-round, he or she will have to broaden the horizon by finding seasonal items for all seasons. Yes, you can sell Christmas items and move right into Valentines Day and Easter and so on. Why not? These are what people are looking for.

8. One controversial topic is drop shipping. If a seller is getting a product from a third party, drop shipping is a convenient way for the seller to deliver the product. It keeps them out of it. However, that means that a back ordered item could result in a poor rating for the seller because the item was delayed. Most buyers picture the item in the hands of the seller and expect to receive it within a few days. The pros and cons of this arrangement need to be carefully considered.
9. Now to the fun part. How do you get the money? More and more people are using PayPal. It is quick, efficient and simple. A seller can make other arrangements and accept a check or money order, but the wave of the future is setting up an account with PayPal. In addition, setting up an online account with the United States Postal Service will also save countless hours in the lines at the post office. Work smarter, not harder, etc., etc.

10. A seller can look at other things to sell besides a physical product or item. Many are getting into self publishing or offering a service. Some expanding entrepreneurs are opening up a consignment shop situation, which helps those who want to sell but ?don?t do computers.? The possibilities are unlimited.

Selling products and services from a home-based business can be an exciting, and hopefully profitable, situation. Go into it with a solid plan based on accurate information and with the knowledge that it is going to be hard work, just like any other job.

For more on eBay selling and using online auctions visit the How To Sell On eBay Resource Page located at http://www.sbmag.org.

Copyright usage: No permission is needed to reproduce this story. The About the Author statement must remain in tact. We also request notification of where the article is being used so reciprocal links can be considered. mailto:barb@sbmag.org

About the Author
Barbara Snyder is a retired California Distinguished School Principal and Coordinator For Human Resources. She has a master?s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She holds elementary education, secondary, community college, and administrative credentials. She is currently the publisher of http://EducationResourcesNetwork.com, co-publisher of Strictly Business Magazine, http://www.sbmag.org..

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Find Your Niche & Follow It - Part 1

Find Your Niche & Follow It - Part 1
Rob Taylor

In this series of articles I'm going to show you how to find
out if there's a hungry crowd for your information product
BEFORE you write a single word.

Mark Twain once said: ?Find out where the people are going
and get there first?.

With the advent of the internet you can certainly find out
what folks are wanting. Being the first at the front of the
line to bill them might not be quite so easy.

But there are ways to find out if there's an existing hungry
crowd for your information product, and more importantly a
crowd with pockets bulging with cash to give you.

In this article I'm going to share some tips that will
save you much heartache from chasing after the wrong market.

Firstly I believe that it is very important that what you
sell interests you, otherwise you sign up for a life of
struggle and worse... Boredom!

Motivating yourself to sell something you have no interest
or belief in is soul-destroying at the best of times, so
don't do it.

Just because *rubber cat suits* is your thing doesn't mean
the rest of the planet digs them at all. I mean that's a
pretty small niche with less than 560 searches performed a
month. Yes I did actually go and check out the stats for it.

One of things I've found in this marketing-malarkey is that
I am able to explore interests that I simply don't have the
time or inclination to actively get involved in.

Take archery, I can twang a bow as well as the next man, and
have done for the past couple of years. But the idea of
traipsing off to all those shows every weekend,
predominantly talking a load of rubbish just doesn't do it
for me.

BUT sell this bunch of Robin Hood wannabees an infoprod, and
I'm game. Seriously though, I love archery, it's one of the
few sports the British government hasn't actually tried to
ban... yet!

And that brings me to my point... What do you have an
interest in that also has a large number of people willing
to do what I call *the wallet flip*. You need to be looking
for markets where the folk won't even blink at spending $100
a year on the products you will be selling.

OK time to take some action:

=> Draw up an initial list of 10 of your interests.

=> Scan your bookshelves to see what reference books you've
bought in the past, and on what subjects or hobbies.

=> Pay attention when folk you meet start talking about
their hobbies, their passions.

=> Pop down to your local magazine store and see what
interests are being catered to.

=> Can't be bothered to pad down to your local store, then
click over to http://www.mediafinder.com and do some
searches.

=> Buy a stack of these magazines and go through the
classified ads with a highlighter. Call up the ones you've
circled and ask for their information packs. Make a note of
which ones you've called and see how soon the information
arrives. How are they selling? Good, bad, OK? Could you
improve on thequality of what they are offering? Over five
to six issues how many of the adverts are repeated? Make a
note and watch that market like a hawk. If they weren't
making money the ads wouldn't be running.

=> Hop over to eBay to research all the different
sub-categories. Which ones are active? Which ones are
commanding high prices?

=> Are there any discussion forums related to your potential
market? Buzz over to http://www.forumfind.com and do a
search.

This is just the beginning. Until the next article I want
you to start paying attention to what people are interested
in. This can simply be as easy as listening to folk banter
when they're in the checkout line.

Scan the news, open your eyes and mind to opportunities.
You'll be amazed at how your brain kicks into ?selective
perception?. Don't know what that is? Ever bought a car and
then suddenly you notice the whole planet is driving the
exact same model. It's like everyone decided to buy the car
YOU just bought. Well that's ?selective perception? at work.
Same thing happens when you actively go hunting down niche
markets? actually it can work great for an awful lot of
other things? building keyword lists is another example, and
another story.

Until next time, now get on with your homework.

Rob Taylor made over $400,000 selling his very first self
published book in e-book and print editions. Take advantage
of his battle tested information publishing strategies that
can quietly make you five figure cash profits every single
month as a self publisher! Visit http://www.megastep.com for
a free subscription to his Self Publishing for Profit ezine.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Finding Antiques And Collectibles To Sell On eBay

Finding Antiques And Collectibles To Sell On eBay
Terry Gibbs

Many people who decide to make a living selling collectibles on eBay soon fail. I meet them in the line at the post office. They tell me they just quit their job in order to sell things full time on eBay.

I ask them, "What are you doing to find more items to sell?"

Only the people who can answer this question last more than a few weeks. The others soon run out of things to sell and just give up.

I got started buying trains and toys when I was in grade school.

My dad and I collected toy trains and we built up quite a collection over the years. We didn't have a lot of money so we ran ads, put signs up, handed out cards, networked and tried all kinds of methods to get people to sell us their trains to us.

We bought lots of trains and kept what we wanted then sold the rest in order to keep the cash moving.

Over the past 23 years we have refined a system that constantly generates calls. Here's a short list of ways to find and buy antiques and collectibles. These 10 strategies will get you thinking about ways to get sellers to call you.

Remember, you are always better off making someone call you rather than competing with everyone else to call a seller. My system is all about getting your phone to ring with sellers on the line.

When you go to yard sales, auctions and antique malls, you are in a race against all the other collectors and dealers. When people call you it is because you have made them think about converting their unwanted items into cash by selling them to you. You are in control.

Sure, you can go to yard sales and rely on luck. But if you are serious about selling on eBay you need to have a steady stream of collectibles coming in. You can't rely on blind luck or getting there before the other dealers.

You need a system to get a constant stream of new items coming to you to sell.

Here are 10 quick ways to get people to sell you their antiques and collectibles. These will get you thinking about ways to make your phone ring. I buy and sell toy trains, but so you can better focus on what you specialize in, I have substituted the word widget for toy trains.

1. Develop a marketing plan outlining exactly how you are going to make your phone ring.

2. Have a strategy that will make the seller want to take your offer. This is the psychology of buying and creating a win-win situations. Nobody wants to lose. Make every seller feel like they are getting a good deal and they'll bring you more business.

3. Ask the person in line behind you at the post office, bank, and supermarket if they have any widgets for sale. Being shy doesn't make you money!

4. Show off the widgets you have. There are MANY ways to do this. Let people enjoy the widgets you have and your phone will ring with others wanting to sell widgets to you.

5. Run ads that say "Top Dollar Paid For Widgets."

6. Send a letter to local real estate agents telling them you pay cash for unwanted widgets. They often encounter people anxious to sell.

7. Tell other widget dealers you will buy any widgets they don't want.

8. Pay others to find widgets for you by offering a finders fee to anyone that helps you buy widgets.

9. Send Thank You letters to everyone you've bought widgets from in the past, and remind them you pay cash when they get their friends and neighbors to sell you widgets.

10. Network, network, network. It's not as hard as you might think it is to spread the word in a community that you are the person to call when someone has a widget to sell.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Here's What I Use to Help my eBay Selling

Here's What I Use to Help my eBay Selling
Brian McGregor

I get many requests about the systems I use in running my own eBay and internet business.

To give you the answer in one place, here is the software which I use daily in my own business.

I should point out that much of my own activity is now to do with selling digital information via eBay and from websites i.e. ebooks and software, which is why some of the software programs I use are concerned with this activity.

General productivity

Shortkeys

This is lovely utility which saves me hours of time each week. It is perfect for those occasions when you are required to key in information to websites. For example, how often do you key in your name and address, or a username and password, or an email address?

With Shortkeys, you associate 3 or 4 unique keystrokes with a string of frequently used information. Let's suppose I want to have a shortkey for my email address, and I set this as ##z1 in Shortkeys. Whenever I am required to key in my email address, in Outlook, on web forms, in Word documents etc, I just type in ##z1 and Shortkeys instantly replaces that with my email address.

There is an uncharged version called Shortkeys Lite which has a limit of 30 items. The full version of Shortkeys allows you an unlimited number of items.

You can get it here: http://www.workwinners.com/nlrshortkeys.htm

Download Accelerator

If you regularly download ebooks or software, and it seems to take forever, you will find Download Accelerator is a useful addition to your portfolio. Download Accelerator increases download speeds by up to 300%, regardless of the speed of your internet connection. I don't know how it does it, but I guess 89 million users can't be wrong!

You can get Download Accelerator on 14 day test here: http://www.workwinners.com/nlraccelerator.htm

Ebook Production

Acrobat Adobe

I create all my ebooks in pdf format as this file can be read by anyone with Acrobat Reader, and this includes Mac users too. The way I create an ebook is to write it in Microsoft Word first. Once I'm happy that the Word version is exactly how I want it, I use an integrated converter which takes the Word file and converts it automatically into a pdf file. This conversion preserves everything which appeared in the Word document, including headers/footers, page numbers and web links.

You can read all about Adobe Acrobat here: http://www.workwinners.com/nlracrobat.htm

If you are considering developing your own ebooks using Acrobat, the most cost effective way of purchasing it is to buy online from Adobe's US site, and select the download option. To buy the download version this is the place to start: http://www.workwinners.com/nlracrobat_dl.htm

At 167 Mb, Acrobat is quite a large software product. If you would therefore prefer to buy the boxed CD version, the cheapest way in the UK is to get it from Amazon. http://www.workwinners.com/nlramacrobat.htm

ebook Covers

It is a fact that showing your ebook in 3D form so it looks like a book really helps to boost sales. Compact Draw is the software I use to create my ebook covers. You can try it for 30 days here: http://www.workwinners.com/nlrcompact.htm

Website creation and maintenance

Website design

I use Macromedia's Dreamweaver to design websites, and indeed to create eBay auction description pages. Dreamweaver is a premium web design product, and unless you're going to do serious website design I wouldn't advise you to acquire it.

It comes in boxed form, and Macromedia will channel any UK purchasers to a UK based reseller. The cheapest way in the UK is to get it from Amazon. http://www.workwinners.com/nlramdream.htm

Image Manipulation & Optimising

I use Paint Shop Pro for picture manipulation and for optimising. This is important for auction pictures, as eBay have a size limit of 50KB on any pictures which you want to upload to their Picture Service.

The authors, JASC, have just released Version 9 of this software. I find Version 8 is perfectly acceptable for everything I want to do, and it's cheaper than Version 9.

You can't now buy Version 8 from the author's USA site, which is unfortunate as this was the cheapest way of buying the product before Version 9 came out.

The good news is that Version 8 is currently half price at the author's UK site, as you can see here: http://www.workwinners.com/nlrpsp.htm

It's available for trial at the UK site, and I recommend you test it to see if you can work with it.

Website upload

Cute FTP is probably the best known FTP software. I have used it for several years and have been very satisfied with the software. http://www.workwinners.com/nlrcute.htm

Website hosting

ProWebSpace are excellent and reasonable web hosts which I have now been using for over a year. I transferred to them from another host with whom I was having lots of problems. Now, I have a better service, and it's at one third the price! Of course, you can get web space for nothing from a variety of ISPs. Take a look at http://www.freeisp.com

You only need companies like ProWebSpace if you intend to "go commercial" in your internet activities. If you do, it's important to have a paid service as this gives you the right to kick b**t if ever you experience hosting problems. If you would like to know the hosting company who I moved from, email me. If you think you need professional hosting, this is definitely where I would start. http://www.workwinners.com/nlrpws.htm

Newsletter and other Mailings

As my newsletter has grown, I've tried various ways of managing my mailing lists. I currently use Press-Manager, and have found their service to be very easy to set-up and to use. It's a web based service, and all mailings are performed from their site. This means there's no software to be installed, I can manage my mailings from any PC and my ISP no longer bears the mailing load. http://www.workwinners.com/nlrpm.htm

Autoresponding

You may know that the use of autoresponders is one of the keys to marketing on the internet. I use Promasoft, and have found it can easily handle everything I want. http://www.workwinners.com/nlrpsoft.htm

I hope this glimpse into the systems and services I use has been helpful.

Good luck in your own internet business developments and in your eBay selling.

Brian McGregor specializes in showing website owners how to make more money from their sites by applying inventive and original use of eBay. For a free copy of ?The eBay Traffic Funnel? which shows you how to use the power of eBay to make more money with your website, visit http://www.more-auction-sales.com/websites

brian@workwinners.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

How not to Sell ebooks on Ebay

How not to Sell ebooks on Ebay
Birmingham UK Com

Over the New Year I spent over ?15 on ebay and bought over 25,000 ebooks. Surprised? Don?t be. We did it on purpose. Most of these ebook packages are a complete waste of space and I mean that with conviction ? they will sit on your hard drive, never be read, and just eat your hard drive space. Why do we say this?

Well, take a look through the ebay auctions and you will see hundreds of ebooks ranging from just 50p each to several pounds. Then you will get collections of e books advertised at ?6 for 10,000 ebooks for example. Too good to be true you ask? The answer is yes, it is. In essence they are the biggest pile of poop you are ever likely to set eyes on.

Out of 25,000 ebooks we ended up with a handful that we were even prepared to give away. That?s it, you heard right ? give away. We would be embarrassed to charge you anything for most of them. Can you believe we downloaded 450MB of junk?

It took two of us a whole two days to go through all the items. One package of ebooks being sold consisted of hundreds of pages of text documents with each text document being claimed as an ebook. Sorry, but a page is not a book. A long text document is also not a book. On top of that it was an all American collection of bits and pieces, of which most, had little or no relevance to the UK at all. Not convinced? Find out the hard way then and go and buy lots of ebooks. It?s no skin off our nose ? been there, done that ? got the T Shirt.

So, what did we do with these thousands of ebooks that we whittled down to a few decent packages and useful information? We stuck them all on a website and give most of them away for free. Not all of them. Some insist on minimum prices or have resell rights that do not allow free distribution. These tend of course to be the better and more genuine articles.

One other thing. If you want hundreds of thousands of ebooks on marketing, ezines and advice on how to become a millionaire then go ahead and order collective ebook packages. You might have read them all by the end of the year and then wondered why all these people are so full of ideas and ways to make you rich when in reality wouldn?t they want to keep their ideas secret and just get on with earning money and becoming millionaires? Call me selfish but I am darned if I would want to tell you the golden formula?.

And what else? Within all those packages you will find books that don?t open or don?t work. The links within them don?t work. They were written years ago and the millionaire that wrote it has forgotten to pay his or her website fees. They made the ebook so that it could only be read online and then their site has gone. Well that was successful wasn?t it. Call me cynical, sarcastic, whatever.

Finally, there are some decent guys and girls out there. The odd ebook we collected here and there was pretty good. Some people are selling genuine products that are worth what you pay for them. Unfortunately, most are not. Anyway, sorry to blow the gaff on it all by placing this advert on ebay.
Now how can I get back some of the money I spent on that rubbish, but at the same time give you a good deal too? Well, you can pay me ?2.50 by PayPal. I will send you the link of the website and you can browse the freebies and then look back on ebay and see how much you have saved. By the way, if you want 25,000 + packages of junk that can be arranged. Just email me. I wouldn?t be doing you any favours.

You are paying for information: You will be sent the details of a website where many of the ebooks you see on here are being given away free or for a low price. All you have to do is download them.

What do you mean you can?t afford ?2.50? Oh well, have them for free then..

http://www.birminghamuk.com/shop/upload/

The free section shows items at ?0.50p or ?1.00 but look closely ? its free!

Birmingham UK Com is a community website for the people of the West Midlands, United Kingdom.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

How To Make Money Selling Domain Names

How To Make Money Selling Domain Names
Wayne Ford

Domain name speculation has to be one of the very best ways to
make money on the Internet. It's easy, fun, takes a very low
investment and has a huge profit potential. Businesses and
webmasters are always looking for high quality, marketable
domain names and will pay you big bucks if you have the name
they want. Many people are making a good living buying and
selling domain names. And you can too.

Below I will tell you everything you need to know, including
where to find good domain names that are still available for
registration (for as low as $14.) This used to be one of the
hardest and most frustrating parts of domain investing. In the
past to find good domain names you would have to search, one by
one, until one came up that was available. But now there are
research tools and compiled lists that do this for you! You can
also get lists of domains that have expired, due to non-
payment,
and have been put back into the available pool. More on this
below, but first lets discuss what makes a good domain name.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD DOMAIN NAME:

The suffix is the most important factor. .COM, .NET, and .ORG
are by far the most popular. Other alternative domains like
.WS,
.TV, .FM, are becoming more and more popular because they are
wide open. For example where you couldn't get DW.com you can
still get DW.ws (well maybe not anymore). For now, I would
stick
with .COM because they will be the easiest to sell.

Would a webmaster or business want it? Ask yourself that
question and if you can't instantly say "Yes!" than don't buy
it. Also the more generic the domain name the better. And
remember it is illegal to register a business name or trademark
that you do not own. This is called "cyber-squatting" and tough
laws are now in place to protect against this.

The shorter the name the better. These are the most memorable
and easiest to market. At the time of writing this, there are
only about a thousand three character domain names left. To
find
out how to get a list of these and four-character domain names
see below.

What names are selling? Do some research on Ebay.com or
Afternic.com (popular domain auctions) and see what names are
selling and for how much. Below are what some domains recently
auctioned for or have current bids at Afternic.com:

Internetbank.com $92,800
E-Privacy.com $35,080
eloans.net $6,060
Ez-HomeLoans.com $4,725
venture-capital.net $14,510
officetravel.com $2,625
qalaxycafe.com $1,890
a1restaurants.com $730
stormnews.com $765
SkinCleanse.com $2,885
LADoctor.com $15,000
MrAirline.com $15,000
Engineering.org $198,895.00

HOW TO FIND HIGH QUALITY DOMAIN NAMES:

There is a myth circulating cyberspace that all the good
domains
are taken already. And although it is true that thousands of
new
domain names are registered everyday, there are still good
names
to found. The best way to find great domains is to subscribe to
expired domain lists. These are compiled lists of the thousands
of repossessed domain names that have been put back into the
domain pool every day. They are available again for anyone to
register and contain some really great names; recently race.com
appeared in one and was snatched up by a lucky subscriber. As a
subscriber you will get first pick at registering these names.
There are two such lists that I know of:

Unclaimed Domains - http://join.at/unclaimed

DNSIndex Expired Domains - http://join.at/DNSIndex

These lists are literally worth thousands of dollars. To get
the
lists all you have to do is subscribe, which is easy and cheap.
Then each week you will receive a fresh list of expired domains
in your email inbox.

You may also purchase a custom keyword search in the recently
expired domain name pool from DNS research -
http://buy.at/DNSResearch .

Other tools to help you find great domain names:

DNS Research - http://buy.at/DNSResearch sells lists of all
available Dictionary Word .COM, .NET, and .ORG domain names.
They also offer lists of remaining three character domain names.

DNS Index - http://join.at/DNSIndex - sells lists of available
three character and four character domain names as well as
custom searches of the expired domain pool.

FREE tools to help you find great domain names:

DomainsWeekly.com offers a free weekly e-zine that includes a
list of over 200 high quality expired and available domain
names. The website also has tons of domain related links,
resources, services, news and more.

NameBoy.com has a great search engine that recommends available
domain names based on a keyword you enter.

NameU.com has a search engine that does pretty much the same
thing except you have to click on each name individually to see
if it is available.

DOMAIN REGISTRATION:

After you find some good domain names, you will need to
register
them. Not too long ago the cost to register a domain name was
$70 for two years. But with new regulations and the
distribution
of registering privileges the cost of registration has become
more affordable. Meaning more profit for you! You can now
register a domain name for as little as $14 for a year. One
place to do this is at DomainsWeekly.com

SELLING YOUR DOMAIN:

The most effective place on the Internet to sell your domain
names is on auction sites. List them first on Ebay.com,
Afternic.com, and Ezdomainauction.com. There are also domain
name brokers that will list your site for free, a fee when
sold,
a fee to list, or both a fee to list and when sold.
GreatDomains.com is a great high traffic site to list on and
you
only pay them only a small percentage when you sell your
domain.
If you have a good domain name, and your price is right it
won't
be long before a buyer bids or contacts you.

Many new domain sellers make the mistake of trying to sell
every
domain name for thousands of dollars. When, in fact, you will
do
much better selling more domains for a few hundred dollars.
This
way you will have a much higher turn around rate. Remember you
are registering the names for $14 and if you sell one for even
$200 that is still a huge 2600% profit!

CONCLUSION:

As you can see, domain name buying and selling is a good way to
make a great deal of money. It's very easy and you can do it in
your spare time. Get started today by subscribing free to
DomainsWeekly.com, subscribing to DNSIndex -
http://join.at/DNSIndex (instant access to expired domains) and
any of the other available and expired domain lists listed
above. Register with Ebay.com and Afternic.com and begin
selling! Good Luck!

This publication was written by Wayne Ford,
http://www.DomainsWeekly.com
"And you thought all the good domains were taken!"

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

How To Make MORE Money After Your Auction Is Over

How To Make MORE Money After Your Auction Is Over
Karol Gajda

*****************************************************************

*****************************************************************

Here's the scenario: You just sold a widget for $15.78. It cost
you $8. Not too bad a profit, huh? But wouldn't you like to at
least try to make a little bit more?

If your auction business is running on very tight margins, then
even getting an extra 10 cents per auction could do wonders for
you, am I right?

One of the ways to add a bit of cha-ching to your auction
business (the other ways will be written about in the
future) is the following:

In my end of auction e-mail I include an affiliate link to a Web
site, or to one of my own Web sites.

What do I mean?

Well, let's say it was me who just sold the $15.78 widget.

After the auction is over I send the winning bidder an e-mail
congratulating him or her on their win and explaining to them how
to proceed with payment.

But right in the middle of the e-mail I include a little money
maker that looks like this:

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Looking for products to sell on eBay?! Look no further than the
Drop Ship Source Directory. Find thousands upon thousands of
awesome products...and you don't have to pay for them until you
make a sale!
Click here for more information:
http://www.freeauctionprofits.com/cgi-bin racker.cgi?dsnews
-----------------------------------------------------------------

See how easy that was?

Now if somebody purchases a membership to the Drop Ship Source
Directory I get paid without barely having to do a thing!

*Side note: The Drop Ship Source Directory is an awesome
affiliate program to join, and it's free. You make over $17 per
sale! And you also get paid for sales your affiliates make.

My recommendation is to pick 1 affiliate program and stick with
it for a few months. If it's not working out for you, choose
another. If that one's not working, choose another, and so on.

*Free Auction Profits has a great 50% affiliate program at
http://www.freeauctionprofits.com/affiliates.html hint, hint :)

Where do you find these affiliate programs to join?

My favorite are:
eBooks from Clickbank.com:
http://www.freeauctionprofits.com/cgi-bin racker.cgi?cbanknews

Drop Ship Source Directory:
http://www.freeauctionprofits.com/cgi-bin racker.cgi?dsnews

Commission Junction: http://www.cj.com

These are all free to join, and there's tons of money to be made
with them. I'll share more of my favorite affiliate programs in
the future. For now, this should be enough for you to experiment
with.

One last recommendation I have on affiliate programs: I don't
promote anything I haven't purchased and benefited from myself.
You might want to do the same so you know you're promoting a
quality product.

Until next time,

Karol Gajda

*****************************************************************
Karol Gajda is an eBay fanatic. His eBook Free Auction
Profits, which is available at http://www.freeauctionprofits.com,
shows simple ways to obtain free merchandise to sell on eBay.
To subscribe to his newsletter "Auction Profits" send a blank
e-mail to: mailto:list@freeauctionprofits.com
*****************************************************************

*****************************************************************
Karol Gajda is an eBay fanatic. His eBook Free Auction
Profits, which is available at http://www.freeauctionprofits.com,
shows simple ways to obtain free merchandise to sell on eBay.
To subscribe to his newsletter "Auction Profits" send a blank
e-mail to: mailto:list@freeauctionprofits.com
*****************************************************************

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

How to Market with Niche Auction Sites

How to Market with Niche Auction Sites
Diana Barnum

You have permission to publish this article electronically
or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are
included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be
appreciated - send to: diana@ohiohelp.net

Online auctions are big business. But they can be big headaches.

During the past year, trading in online commerce was valued at
$60 billion, according to "Business Standard.? Online trade among
small businesses makes up 1 per cent of USA's GDP (Gross Domestic
Product) and is expected to reach 10 per cent or $400 billion of
USA's GDP by 2010.

?But setting up and maintaining operations on huge auction sites
like Ebay is not always easy,? said Rich Moc, owner of
Performance Cars at Pcars.com, a niche automotive auction site.
?People can spend a lot of time sifting through cluttered pages
of auctions, bidding, setting up accounts and managing multiple,
confusing and expensive fees that can take an accountant to
figure out. And trying to figure out how to submit a simple email
or place a quick call for help can be a pain in the neck.?

The solution or pain relief for big auction headaches? Smaller,
niche sites with personalized service. For example, Performance
Cars offers easier management, one-on-one help and plenty of
options to help with automotive solutions and aftermarket
selling. Some of their auction tips are:

? Customer Service - When you have an item listed and a potential
buyer contacts you with a question, respond quickly. It is
important and actually critical to your success to check your
email account several times a day. Answering a question could be
the difference between you getting the sale or the buyer going
someplace else.

? Description - When you list your item(s), write an accurate
description. No need to write long paragraphs of rambling
information. But do provide exact measurements, colors,
condition, etc. Be precise.

? Exceed Expectations - You want every customer to be happy. So
do a little more research on shipping, or negotiate on price. But
remember that the customer is the reason you will have success.
Be prepared to go the extra mile and provide superior service
every time.

? Digital Images - While auctions without photographs can and do
sell, auctions with photographs sell much better. People like
visualizations and want to see what they will get with their
money. Make sure your photograph is clear, focused and offers
more than just a straight view.

With Pcars.com, sellers can instantly create their own account
and setup their own homepage. Next they add their product
information and links. Then upload images, up to eight photos
included with the no-cost membership. That's it.

?It is THE BEST site to host photos and one of the best to sell
and buy things for your car!? shared Lefteris from Greece who
sells Jewels for Porsches regularly on Ebay and now on Pcars.com,
too. ?And the site is very easy to use.?

The site is developing to meet needs of the buyers and sellers.
In the works are Photo Gallery for hosting pictures, AV Center
for racing videos, and a Forum for comments and sharing
automotive tips.

?As a seller I find the PCARS site very easy to list and I like
that I can have large photos for my items,? Lefteris explained.
?I use Ebay also, but I find the PCARS site much, much better. I'm here
to stay.?

Progressing Discount Price Plan

Also under way is a new Progressing Discount Price (PDP) plan.
Sellers will have the option to list their prices so that they
decrease over time, while waiting for someone to buy. This option
benefits the sellers by allowing them to discount their
inventories as time progresses. Additionally, this ensures that inventories may
get sold at the end of the listing period (usually 30-day). The
benefit for the buyers is that they get to buy the items cheaper the next
day if the items have not been sold. Here is an example with this
option: http://www.pcars.com/autos/partview.php?view=65 .

For more tips and to sign up for a new account, visit
http://www.pcars.com or contact Rich at staff@pcars.com
or Diana at db@ohiohelp.net ; call: (626) 688-1919.

By Diana Barnum, CEO of OhioHelp.net , inviting automotive sellers
and buyers to setup Dealer Accounts and Private Party Accounts at
http://www.pcars.com and see how simple the site works. They can sell and buy
new and used performance vehicles, parts, accessories and auto care
products of all types, quickly & easily online.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

How to Start Earning on eBay

How to Start Earning on eBay
Pete Egeler

Almost every single day, on almost every forum that you visit, you still see
the same question cropping up.

"I want to start selling on eBay.. Where can I buy products wholesale."

WRONG!

You don't need to start out on eBay with a ton of products from some whole-
sale source, only to find nobody wants them and you've got a house full.

In the first place, if you're just starting out on eBay you want to keep all of
your expenses at a bare minimum. Don't go overboard buying things you do
not need.

Look around you. Find something you don't want or need any more, and put
it on eBay for sale.

You want to get a "feel" for how the auctions work, what draws visitors to your
particular auction, and how you can make your next auction better.

By starting out with something you have that you no longer want or need, you
don't have anything tied up in a product that may not sell. And, you have the
luxury of "testing" a couple of different ad approaches without spending an arm
and a leg.

Bottom line.. Don't buy anything until you've tested the waters to discover if eBay
is really for you.

By following the above tip, you can test a couple of different items on eBay, and
have no more than a dollar or two tied up in your efforts.

Beats the heck out of a garage full of "widgets" that you can't even give away.

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Pete Egeler is the author of the popular eBook, "Dumpster Diving for eBay
Profits", and a regular seller of "cheap and free stuff" on eBay. You can find out more
by visiting his web site.. http://shmyl.com/ciaa

Pete Egeler has been selling on eBay for over two years, using the medium as a method of increasing, not replacing his income. He's the author of "Dumpster Diving for eBay Profits" which can be found at: http://shmyl.com/ciaa

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Is Selling On eBay Just A Hobby Or A Real Business

Is Selling On eBay Just A Hobby Or A Real Business
Tim Knox

Small Business Q&A with Tim Knox

Q: I made extra money selling things on eBay last year. These
were items I picked up at yardsales mostly. My husband says I
am responsible for paying income tax on the money I made, but
I disagree. This is just my hobby, not a business. What do you
think?
-- Gladys A.

A: With so many people selling on eBay these days this is a
question I get all the time. To many eBay sellers the thought of
running an actual business is about as appealing as getting
negative feedback, so they go out of their way to convince
themselves that selling on eBay is really "just a hobby" and
therefore, should not be susceptible to income tax laws.

While you might think selling on eBay is just a hobby and the
extra money you're making is not reportable as income, depending
on the circumstances, the IRS just might disagree with you.

The IRS rules are clear: you must pay taxes on all personal and
business income and that includes money you make selling on eBay.

In its most basic sense, the IRS rules mean that if you buy a
vase at a garage sale for $10 and sell it on eBay (or elsewhere)
for $20 you made a $10 profit and therefore must report it as
income and pay Uncle Sam his fair share.

In reality, if you are a casual seller who only sells a few
items on eBay every now and then it's doubtful the IRS is going
to lose much sleep over the few bucks you make.

However, if you consistently sell on eBay the IRS may deem your
activities to be business oriented and you will be required to
file a Schedule C and claim the income.

The IRS uses a number of factors to determine if a hobby
is really a business. These factors include:

1. Do you carry on the activity in a business-like manner?

If you conduct your eBay activities in a business-like manner,
i.e. you keep business records, track profit and loss, keep a
separate checking account, etc. then whether you think so or
not, your hobby is really a business.

2. Do you spend considerable time working on your hobby?

If you put considerable time and effort into your eBay sales, the
IRS may contend that you do so for profit and not fun. It seems
the folks at the IRS don't believe in doing things strictly for
pleasure. My guess is, neither do you. If you weren't making
money selling on eBay I doubt you'd bother getting up at
4 a.m. to hit all those yardsales.

Then again, maybe you would... :o)

3. If you depend on income from your eBay activities for your
livelihood?

If so, it's a business, not a hobby.

There are a number of other factors the IRS uses to determine if
a hobby is really a business, but that covers the basics.

You can learn more at the IRS website at www.irs.gov.

What's eBay's take on all this?

eBay is vehemently opposed to anything tax related (especially
the forced collection of sales tax, which is a whole 'nother
issue). It's understandable that eBay is not a fan of the IRS
since trying to enforce tax rules on buyers and sellers would
undoubtedly be detrimental to the way eBay does business.

eBay does not does not issue 1099 tax forms to sellers, nor does
it report seller's sales figures to the IRS. eBay considers itself
a faciliator, i.e. they provide a marketplace in which buyers and
sellers come together to do business.

However, since eBay is not directly involved in the transactions
that take place between buyers and sellers, it would be impossible
for eBay to report sales figures. Furthermore, eBay does not
track if a seller actually gets paid by the buyer, so they have
no idea how much money actually changes hands, making it
impossible for eBay to issue accurate 1099s to sellers.

On the bright side, if you do sell on eBay as a business you can
deduct a number of business expenses, including the cost of
inventory, listing fees, shipping, envelopes, packing materials,
etc. You might also be able to deduct things like the purchase
of a computer for business use, office space (even if it's a
home office), office supplies, and more.

I'm not accountant (nor do I play one on TV), so please do not
take any of this as tax advice or legal opinion. Talk to your
accountant if there's any doubt as to whether you should or
should not be paying taxes on your eBay earnings.

Here's to your success!

Tim Knox
tim@dropshipwholesale.net
For information on starting your own online or eBay business,
visit http://www.dropshipwholesale.net

Small Business Q&A is written by veteran entrepreneur and
syndicated columnist, Tim Knox. Tim serves as the president and
CEO of three successful technology companies and is the founder
of DropshipWholesale.net, an online organization dedicated to
the success of online and eBay entrepreneurs.

Related Links:
http://www.smallbusinessqa.com
http://www.dropshipwholesale.net
http://www.30dayblueprint.com
http://www.timknox.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Is The eBay Fee Increase Actually Good For Business

Is The eBay Fee Increase Actually Good For Business
Tim Knox

Fee Increase Leaves Some Sellers Angry, Others Thrilled

Much of my email from readers this month concerned the recent announcement from eBay that it will increase many seller fees on February 18, 2005. Since many business people use eBay?s online store system as their primary ecommerce point of sale, it?s no surprise that most of the emails I received were of the angry variety.

One email in particular caught my attention because it urged me to visit a website to sign an online petition protesting the fee hike. The email directed me to http://www.petitiononline.com/ebayfee/petition.html and upon further investigation I found that 22,548 digital signatures had already been collected (as of this writing).

Thank goodness not all of them had my email address.

This will be the fifth rate hike in as many years for the auction giant and should really come as no surprise. Price hikes are a normal course of business. It was the size of the hike that has many sellers upset.

The rate hike involved the following fees:

A basic eBay Store will now cost sellers $15.95 a month, a 60% increase from the current $9.95 a month.
Closing commissions on most items sold through eBay Stores will increase by 50 percent.
Gallery photo fees will increase from 25 to 35 cents.
The Buy It Now fee will jump from a flat fee of 5 cents to 10 cents for items priced over $10 and 25 cents for items over $50.
Final value fees will rise from 5.25% to 8%.

Many of the emails I received pointed out that small sellers are making very little profit as it is so the increase in fees will only serve to drive these sellers completely out of the eBay business. Some sellers accuse eBay of purposefully trying to run them off, but I doubt that?s the case. eBay has no reason to drive away the small sellers, but that realization never occurs to those who feel they are being priced out of the market.

Not everyone is too concerned over the fee increase. Jim Cockrum, eBay Powerseller, publisher of ?Creative eBay Selling News,? the world?s largest newsletter on creative eBay selling, and author of one of the best selling eBay books of all time ?The Silent Sales Machines Hiding On eBay? has other opinions.

-- http://hop.clickbank.net/?powerpak/silentsale

?I don?t see the eBay fee increase as a bad thing,? Cockrum said in a phone interview. ?I actually see it as just the opposite - it's a good thing because eBay is eliminating my competition for me. Who leaves eBay when eBay increases seller fees? It's not the customers (or shoppers). They don't go anywhere since they aren't affected. Only a handful of the weaker sellers leave eBay when fees go up.?

Cockrum recommends that sellers use eBay in non-traditional ways to build their online businesses so that future fee hikes will not have an affect on their e-business.

?Selling on eBay continues to be one of the more popular ways to make money online, though very few people are getting rich with an eBay business alone,? Cockrum said. ?Many Powersellers don?t make enough profit to cover their costs. The key to really making money with eBay is not in selling items at auction, but to use eBay to drive customers to your other online ventures. If you do that, the rate hikes do not affect your bottomline nearly as much.?

Not everyone shares Cockrum?s enthusiasm. Many small sellers think the government or a regulatory board of some kind should get involved to help keep eBay fees in line. This probably won?t come to pass anytime soon, but who knows. I can remember when a little company called Microsoft had free rein before they killed off all comers and came to monopolize their market. eBay seems to be headed in the same direction.

The threat of regulation may be the reason eBay is now attempting to smooth the ruffled feathers of the miffed masses. eBay announced this week that they would give a one-time $15.95 credit to eBay store owners and reduce minimum listing fees for inexpensive items from 30 cents to 25 cents, effective immediately.

Too little, too late? Could be. Many sellers believe that eBay may be writing its own obituary with such stringent price increases and such little thought for the smaller merchant. The online petition predicted the long term effects of the fee increase to be:

Smaller sellers will stop selling on eBay and try to sell somewhere else online. They will never have the chance to expand themselves on eBay.
Larger sellers may consider starting their own online store or sell elsewhere.
Prices of auctions will increase. Buyers will turn back to retail stores. The idea of eBay is that you can find things cheaper there, even when adding shipping and handling together.
Discourage new sellers, decreasing competition (which is what the eBay market thrives on for pricing).

Only time will tell if the predictions come true, but for the short term many smaller sellers are closing down their eBay stores and moving up the street to Yahoo.com.

Here?s to your success!

Small Business Q&A with Tim Knox

Small Business Q&A is written by veteran entrepreneur and syndicated columnist, Tim Knox.

Tim's latest books include "Small Business Success Secrets" and "The 30 Day Blueprint For Success!"

Related Links:
www.smallbusinessqa.com
www.dropshipwholesale.net
http://www.30dayblueprint.com
href="http://www.timknox.com" target=new>http://www.timknox.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Is There Life After eBay

Is There Life After eBay
M A Dorman

Almost all sellers recognize that eBay is where the traffic is. And in auctioning, where the traffic is, the money is also.

So why bother with any place but eBay? Because eBay is also the place of highest fees and not always the best place for your items.

Not all of your products may be best suited for listing on eBay. The ROI is just not attractive for items with a small margin. Then too, eBay limits your ability to attract potential buyers to your web site so that you can up-sell or cross-sell. Their restrictions and myriad rules narrow your opportunities and may even cause you to be unwittingly suspended from that site!

If not eBay, then where? There are many other avenues or venues for auctioning, selling, generating leads, gaining exposure, and converting inventory to cash. Let's talk about other auction venues first.

There are literally hundreds of auction sites, sales sites, and classified ad sites, many of which are free to list on. Some few are even free when you sell. Of course, most of the upgrade features are extra and are to be paid for by you.

Let's start with those other auction sites. These are generally allotted into layers or tiers based on number of items listed, number of members and/or traffic density.

There are only a few second tier sites. These are considered second tier since they have size, name recognition and some appreciable traffic - thus better sell through rates.

The first one that should come to mind is Yahoo Auctions. Listings are only 5 cents and there are occasional Free Listing Days (FLD). A small core of loyal members prefer it to eBay, citing lower fees and good sell through rates.

Next is Amazon Auctions. Listing is still free, but the final value fee (FVF) is steep, particularly for those lower cost or low margin items. Again, a small core of loyal members find it a good place for upscale books and items where the FVF doesn't cut quite so deeply into the profit.

Below this level are the third tier, general sites. These sites come and go although a handful have been around for several years without making the big time. Each has a loyal group of followers or boosters. Most are free to list with a small or medium FVF.

Some of the current third tier sites are: ePier, SellYourItem, TopNotchAuctions, AuctionSaloon, Bidroo, PriceFire, and Bidway. Due to lower traffic, most sellers set their opening bids at an amount that is acceptable if each item gets only one bid. Most sites have options for free relisting of unsold items for a set number of times.

Lastly, there are niche sites for specialty items appealing to a specific group of buyers or collectors. Each site has a personal touch with a good core of loyal followers. Many of these sites are also free to list with a nominal FVF.

Niche sites include those catering to folks wanting pagan items, toys, Snoopy/Peanuts collectables, guns, cookbooks, beads, and books. Some sites are ePaganAuctions, AuctionWitch, Nuts, JustBeads, and PixieToys. Again, the upgrade features are paid and free relisting is a desirable option.

The majority of these second and third tier sites allow links to your web site, your own banners and general promotion of your company. Each site is different, so read the house rules before you list.

Listing at these other sites can accomplish several objectives: free parking of items that don't do well enough on eBay to warrant the listing fees, better prices in a niche market when the right buyer comes along, and greater seller name marketing of your web site or company.

Lastly consider the old admonition - don't put all your eggs in one basket.....

M A Dorman is a verteran of the on line auctioning and sales venues, specializing in Books, Martial Arts Gear, Collectibles, and Business & Industrial goods.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Market Research Means Money

Market Research Means Money
Jason Carr

I recently made a critical mistake in my progression towards business success. I had decided that I was going to make some money with an online store. After a bit of brainstorming, I picked a few things that I thought might be good to sell online. I then started to look for suppliers. This may seem like a reasonable course of action, but it is not. It is missing a key component of any business plan: Market Research.

Competition is involved with any business. Even if you make your own, unique product, similar products will compete against yours. But the existence of competition is not necessarily bad. The fact that online retailers are selling items similar or identical to your own means that people want your product. Competition is only bad for you when the market is becoming saturated.

Check the electronics market for a good example. Electronics go for rock-bottom prices online because there are so many stores that sell them. The difference in prices between stores often comes down to the cost of shipping. Competition in this area is extreme.
Electronics dealers depend on volume, and very good suppliers, to make their money. Small retailers cannot sell at those prices and turn a profit.

In order to be successful it is essential that you know what you?re up against. If you are selecting your products, then you need to know which stores already sell those products. You need to know how many stores there are, how much they are charging and, if you can find out, how well they are doing. Could you sell for less (if only a little)? What are other ways you could differentiate your store?

If you already have your product, then you need to know where and how your competitors are advertising. Are they concentrated in one location? Are there good places that they have overlooked? How much is it going to cost to compete with them for prime ad space?

So where do you begin? The answer is Overture. Owned by Yahoo, Overture is one of the largest pay-per-click advertising services. What you need for research are two tools in the Overture Advertiser Center. The first is the Search Term Suggestion Tool. This tool allows you to look up a keyword, like ?digital camera?, and find out how many searches there were for that term last month. The tool will also suggest a list of related terms, like ?digital camera review?.

The number of searches per term comes from Overture?s partners like Yahoo, MSN, AltaVista, CNN, etc. This is critical information because it tells you whether or not people are looking for your product online and, at the same time, shows you how they are searching for it. This indicates a certain interest for your product.
You may be able to judge the amount of interest by the number of searches for your terms. For example:

Digital Camera ? 1,337,422 (high interest)
Used Car ? 890,346
Mountain Bike ? 133,553
Blender ? 26,648
Bubble Gum Machine ? 1,502
Chapstick Raspberry Vanilla ? 25 (very low interest)

Tip: Users searching for ?digital camera? are not necessarily shopping for one. They may just want information.

Also: If people are searching on Yahoo and MSN, then you can bet that even more people are searching for the same things on Google.

The second tool Overture provides is the View Bids Tool. This allows you to take the keywords that you found and see how many ads there are for each term and how high the bids are (higher bids get top listings). This can help you judge your competition.

For example, at the time of this writing there are 131 ads for the term digital camera. The top bid is 79 cents. Bubble gum machine has 13 ads with a top bid of 49 cents. Chapstick Raspberry Vanilla has no bids on the term which means that the top spot could be purchased for the minimum price of 10 cents per click.

Google is your likely next step. To my knowledge, Google analysis tools are only available to registered advertisers. However, it is easy to find your competition on Google. Simply enter your search term and check the right side of the results screen. Those ads are from the top advertisers. Checking subsequent pages will reveal the entire list of advertisers for that term.

Tip: Sometimes advertisers target your term, but don?t sell your product. Read the ads and visit the sites to get a more accurate idea of your direct competitors.

The natural results (the normal, non-ad results) of your search are important as well. Check those to see the top ranked sites in your market. Users are much more likely to click on the natural results than they are the ads. The stores at the top of the list are likely to be well established and may represent some solid competition.

Visit your competitor?s web sites and see what they are selling. Get names and site locations. This may seem time consuming, but it will help with future research. Check for site quality, organization, and ease of use. If their site is ugly or hard to navigate, that can work to your advantage.

Next, check out Yahoo Shopping. Retailers setup stores with Yahoo?s services and are then included in Yahoo Shopping?s listings. This can be a good way to get fast traffic. For market research, it means easy access to competitor sites. On the Yahoo Shopping main page, do a search for your product (Braun blenders for example). The results show sponsored ads and normal listings. The sponsored ads come from Overture, so you should already be familiar with those.

The normal listings come from Yahoo Product Submit results and Yahoo?s web-crawler database. What is important in this list is displayed just below the top sponsor listings and just above the normal listings. There should be two numbers: Number of products and the number of stores. ?Braun blenders? shows 989 products from 76 stores (at time of writing). Those numbers give you an indication of how many stores you?re up against.

Finally, visit eBay. Find the eBay Stores area (located in the Specialty Sites box on the homepage at time of writing). Enter your search term to see how many eBay stores are selling your product. ?Braun blenders? shows ten items in eBay stores. The search may show regular listings below the store results. These results can give you some idea your product?s popularity as well as the feasibility of selling it on eBay.

Remember, some competition is good because it shows that there is an interest in your product. Too much competition is bad because it means low profitability. The spot where you can make good money is somewhere in between. A solid business plan built on thorough market research will certainly boost your chances significantly.

Jason Carr is a small business owner, dedicated student of e-commerce strategy, and producer of BeginBiz, an online resource for those looking to start an internet business. Check BeginBiz for more help with your market research, advertising, web hosting, or domain registration.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Nine Simple eBay Selling Hints

Nine Simple eBay Selling Hints
Terry Gibbs

Some of these eBay hints will save you money, others will result in higher prices. Either way, these will help you run more profitable eBay auctions.

1. Write a simple description and do not clutter your auction with unneeded items like animated Gifs, and colored backgrounds. Remember, you are selling not entertaining.

2. Charge a flat rate for shipping, and mention the shipping costs prominently within your auction description.

3. Write a title that accurately describes your item. Use manufacturers name and model number within the title if applicable.

4. Write a detailed description that allows prospective bidders to make a decision about purchasing the item. A basic tip is the description can never be too long as long as it is describing the item.

5. Include large clear photographs. Invest in some lights and a quality camera. Your investment will pay for itself in higher eBay selling prices within only a few auctions.

6. Host your own pictures. By hosting your own pictures, you will save money, and, more importantly, be able to use as many pictures as you need to adequately show eBay bidders your item. This is the simplest thing to do, and yet 70 percent of eBay sellers ignore this simple tip.

7. Optimize your images for the web. Many sellers use the highest resolution settings on their cameras and generate huge files that download very slowly. Computer monitors only show 72DPI, any extra detail is just a waste of the bidder's time.

8. List your item in the most appropriate category. Many buyer's only search eBay by looking at listings within categories. If you are not in the right eBay category you will not be seen by lots of potential bidders and you item may end up selling for less than it's worth.

9. Systemize your eBay selling. Using a system to sell on eBay will lower the amount of time spent selling each item, and insure you don't forget any important activities.

The Auction Revolution explains all of these hints in greater detail. Find out more at: http://www.auction-revolution.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Remove These Objections and Watch Your eBay Auctions Fly

Remove These Objections and Watch Your eBay Auctions Fly
Brian McGregor

"Objection" is a term taken directly from sales and marketing training, and it is important you understand the significance of objections to your sales process.

Objections are those points, sometimes small issues, which make a bidder or a buyer think again about going for your offering.

In your auction description you need to remove as many of these objections as you can.

These are the kind of objections which your prospective buyers will have.

Objection 1

Is the seller trustworthy?

The buyer usually doesn't know you. If they're serious bidders they will check you out. How will they do this?

a) A good Feedback Rating will be one way they assess you. Be determined in getting your feedback up, and making it all positive.

b) They might also click through to your About Me page. This page gives you the opportunity to convey your personality and your honesty.

One of eBay's standard About Me page formats lets you display your recent feedbacks - always useful - and also your other auctions, again useful. This is in addition to anything about yourself which helps to show what a sincere and genuine person you are.

And finally, if you have a web site from which you sell products or services, you are allowed to place a direct link to it from the About Me page. This is in marked contrast to your auction description page, where eBay does not allow direct links to web pages. So, create an About Me page and incorporate the points mentioned.

c) A prospective bidder may wish to ask you a question. As you will know, there is a standard eBay facility whereby a bidder can ask a seller a question. You should really welcome questions. Why do I say this?

Well, if a bidder asks you a question, first of all you know they are interested in your offering. They wouldn't have wasted their time on typing out their question to you if they weren't. So, by asking you a question they are qualifying themselves in as a real prospect. And you now have the chance to directly influence them in your reply to their question. Depending on the nature of their enquiry, you have the opportunity to convey your integrity, honesty, credibility, fair mindedness, helpfulness, expertise, knowledge, other appropriate products etc.

So, if questions are such good things, why not make it easy for the bidder to ask one? Always have some text in your auction description offering to answer any questions, with a link to your email address. If you have a little knowledge of HTML coding you will know how easy this is to do. It is far better than simply relying on buyers finding the standard "Ask the seller a question" link provided by eBay.

d) You might consider a moneyback guarantee, if it's appropriate and you can "afford" it.

Why would you or should you do this?

Well, when you think about it, in online auctions, the buyer is normally asked to take all the risk. They usually pay the seller up front - before the item is delivered to them. The risk is all theirs that the seller doesn't perform.

To some buyers, particularly on higher value items, this risk is so high that it can cause them to have second thoughts about bidding. You know you are trustworthy, but they don't. By offering a moneyback guarantee you are offering what is known as "risk reversal". You are taking the risk off your buyer. In effect you shoulder the risk.

I know this works, because I use it myself. In thousands of auctions I've run, I can count on one hand the number of people who have invoked my money back guarantee.

If you can practice "risk reversal", it will help your auction success rate, and it is vital on Dutch auctions.

Objection 2

How do I pay?

Always maximise the number of payment options you will accept.

You should provide different types of payment options for your buyers:

PayPal
Nochex
FastPay
Cheque
Postal Order
Banker's Draft
Bank Transfer
Cash

You can accept credit/debit cards on your auctions if you open accounts with relevant payment processors. These enable buyers to pay you with a credit/debit card even though you aren't a business, and you don't have what is known as a Merchant Account.

As you probably know, PayPal is owned by eBay. Therefore eBay make it really easy for you to take PayPal payments from your buyers. But don't forget other payment processors, like Nochex and FastPay. It might just be that your interested buyer only has a Nochex account, or a Fast Pay account.

Opening accounts is free. Paying anyone via PayPal, Nochex or FastPay is also free - which is why so many auction bidders and buyers use them. There are charges for you as a seller, however, and these are incurred when you receive money and/or when you transfer money from/to your PayPal, Nochex or FastPay accounts from/to your own bank account. Check out the respective fees via their web sites.

In my experience, the rates of charges are reasonable for giving you the significant advantage of being able to accept credit/debit card payments on your auctions.

If you are selling low value items, say less than ?3, it may be prudent to add a small sum or percentage to the final sale value to cover this.

Speaking personally, I never ask the buyer to incur additional charges for using PayPal, Nochex or FastPay. (You will now realise why - it's called removing an objection!) I take the view that buyers who wish to pay by credit/debit card should not be discouraged in any way - and a surcharge of this nature might just prevent them from bidding or buying.

If you don't have PayPal account and you'd like to create one, click here.

If you don't have Nochex account and you'd like to create one, click here.

If you don't have a FastPay account and you'd like to create one, click here.

As I mentioned, they're free to set up.

Objection 3

Is delivery expensive?

Always fully describe your delivery details within your auction description. Be up front about delivery costs.

If bidders or buyers aren't given this detail within the auction description, they may become suspicious that the seller is hiding something, and therefore decide not to bid. There have been occasions where sellers have sold items at what appear to be cheap prices, but have inflated delivery costs to compensate, or even over compensate. Never do this!

There is no reason why you cannot say up front how much P&P will be. You can find out the real delivery costs of the company you plan to use. You can get these details from their website.

Once you have the postal costs you can add the appropriate handling and packaging costs, and there you have the figure to let your buyers know in advance that you're not hiding anything.

You have just removed another doubt in your prospective buyer's mind.

Objection 4

What happens if the item arrives damaged?

In your auction description you should cover your policy in relation to damages and insurance.

If you're selling higher value items you may wish to consider using a delivery service which includes insurance. Remember, even though the buyer has paid for it, the item is your property until it is accepted by the buyer. So if it is damaged in transit, this is your responsibility. You will have to arrange a replacement or a refund, and claim your costs back via your insurance.

Don't forget, if you do need to have enhanced insurance cover, it is perfectly reasonable to include this is in your delivery costs as shown in your auction description.

Objection 5

How professional is someone who has multiple spelling errors?

It is very unreasonable for any bidder to overlook your auction just because you have spelling errors. Isn't it?

However, they may believe someone who won't take the trouble to get their spelling correct might be equally unprofessional elsewhere.

You and I might consider that stance to be unreasonable. With spell checkers available, however, there's no reason to have any spelling errors creeping through on your auction page.

So, spell check your auction description page - please.

Objection 6

What do I do now?

You should always "ask for the order". In other words, suggest to your prospective buyer that they make a bid today for this valuable, rare, stunning, limited edition item!

And remind them that when they win the item they will be enriched by the strongest benefit you have already identified to them in your auction description.

Objections - Summary

If you spend time removing these objections, you will be repaid handsomely. I can guarantee you will receive more genuine bids for each of your auctions than if you had left these points hanging for the bidder to ponder and make assumptions.

brian@workwinners.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Selling Effectively on Ebay Motors

Selling Effectively on Ebay Motors
Cherie Szilvagyi

Remember back when selling online was a new experience? Dealers tried everything to sell their vehicles online. Today?s market has expanded to include several hot online marketplaces but there is the largest online marketplace, Ebay. Ebay has evolved into an online solution for everything from whole towns to your favorite paperback book. Big or small it doesn?t matter, Ebay has everything for the savvy consumer.

Vehicles are plentiful on Ebay. Ebay sells a vehicle every minute for the savvy seller willing to invest his time and money in listing his vehicle online. Just how effective is selling on Ebay? A vehicle sells once every minute on Ebay that is very, very effective. Do all vehicles sell that are listed on Ebay? Actually, less than 10% of the vehicles listed on Ebay actually sell.

What are the companies doing that are selling effectively on Ebay? Is there a secret to their success? Consider that a digital camera and some basic design skils is all you need to sell on Ebay. Of course you also need a vehicle to sell. Which vehicle and how much will it sell for? How to type up the description so that that savvy consumer will want to purchase your vehicle?

All of these questions are asked each and every day by savvy individuals and auto dealers all across the United States. A company has come along that can help with your selling situation and take the work out of listing on Ebay Motors. That is right! No work for you! They take the pictures and handle your vehicle sale from start to finish. While handling emails and phone calls in a professional manner to produce a proven sales result.

A Consulting company called www.AutomobileClearingHouse.com has proven that they can sell cars on Ebay with a sell through factor much higher than the average consumer on Ebay. Take the work out of selling your vehicle on the world?s largest marketplace. Check out their website and see how easy selling a car online can be.

?We are commited to selling online. Let us put our extensive experience to work for you.?

Cherie Szilvagyi is the CEO of AutomobileClearingHouse.com and is a leading powerseller on Ebay Motor. See this new alternative to selling online at www.AutomobileClearingHouse.com.
cheries001@yahoo.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Selling Niche Items on Ebay

Selling Niche Items on Ebay
Stephan Miller

A website is great to have for residual income, for presence, to have a place called home on the internet. I admit I love it. Instead of hunting for sites to host my pictures and software for free, I have a place and it is all mine. But nothing beats eBay for instant, in your face sales.

Its like having a mall with millions of visitors a day built just for you. I mean, you could sell used vacuum cleaner bags and walk away with a bag full of money a week later if only you knew how to list your auctions with the right title, right ad, and right type of features or even no features. For examples of what can and has been sold on eBay, check out these sites.

http://www.disturbingauctions.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ebayweirdnesscollectorclub

No features? Yes, you can make a consistent weekly income by listing auctions with no features. I have done it. You just have to find a niche and your customers will hunt for you. No extras will be necessary.

What type of products would qualify as a niche item? Lets say your hobby is scrapbooking and you have just written the perfect ebook on the subject. You know it will sell, but how do you go about selling it. You could put up a website, spend weeks submitting it to search engines, and then, maybe months later watch sales start coming in. That's great for the long term. In fact its something you should do.

But, if you want to start getting sales sooner, list it on eBay. It takes some work to do it right though. You will need to figure out what search terms your customer will be using to find your auction. Then search both the current and completed auctions to find out what your competitors are doing to get their bids. Or download a tool to do it for you.

http://www.profit-ware.com/hotbid/

Okay, what if the search terms you entered comes up with few searches or none. Well, this is a sign that hell just froze over. But if it does happen, can you spell "jackpot." You will need to find closely related search terms that actually will come up and use them along with your rare terms. Think about what other items your ideal customers will also be buying and mention them in the body of your ad. Don't spam though. Write your ad like you are speaking face to face to your customers and you can't go wrong.

Check out your competitors features. Did they highlight? Did they choose Bold? Did they spend the extra money and category feature the auction? I did this once on a niche product that I was selling and actually made less money than when I didn't choose to feature the item. But you will have to test your results. Why spend extra money that you don't have to?

Also, study the title of the auction and the ad itself. Remember that the default search on eBay is title only, so make sure you pack your title with keywords that you know people will be using. But don't go overboard. You can always tell when a seller is trying to spam the search engine instead of providing a descriptive title provides their customers with the information they need.

The days when you could put up a text ad and sell are over. Well, maybe not. But at least put in the extra effort and design an HTML ad. It lets your customer know that you are actually running a business and that the image your products present matter to you. Turbo Lister is great if you are just starting out. You can also find more free HTML editors on the resource page of my site.

http://www.profit-ware.com

Learn some ad writing techniques. If you are selling an info product or software, the mini-site model works great. It will provide your customer with all the information he or she needs to make a buying decision. Also learn hypnotic writing and NLP. I am not saying that you have to do all of this at once. Just pick up as you go along.

Just to get started, do your marketing research and list your ad and wait for sales. Yes, it will become addictive, especially after you get that first bid. You will set your homepage to your "My Ebay" page and check it every few minutes. I did.

Stephan Miller is a ebay seller, freelance programmer, writer, and webmaster at http://www.profit-ware.com Home of Hotbid Auction Market Analyzer
support@profit-ware.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Selling on other sites than ebay

Selling on other sites than ebay
Paul Cohen

People are finding out that there is an other site than ebay to sell there car or motor .
It is www.52marketplace.com
If you place your car on www.52marketplace.com you can state a fixed price or you can give a starting price to start the bidding. Unlike ebay the auction has no timeframe so you decide when to end the auction. Sniper software will also not work on www.52marketplace.com so you don't have to wait until the last 5 minutes to see the bids. Also a nice thing is that if someone has placed a bid higher than the highest bid the person that has been outbid will receive an e-mail with a notice that his bid is no longer the highest bid and that he can place a new bid. Now thats how it should be! Interactive bidding.
Furthermore it is possible to place your ad on top of the list again.What is the advantage?
Iff people are searching for a specific type of car your ad is shown on top of the list and that is where you want to be. Maximum result, maximum exposure. You can place the ad on top of the list as often as you like.
At this time you can place your ads for FREE.
Try it and tell your friends. This is a new concept of selling and it is getting more popular.

empl. marketing EMOG Online Business

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Small Business Q & A Cut Start-Up Costs By Using a Dropshipper

Small Business Q & A Cut Start-Up Costs By Using a Dropshipper
Tim Knox

Q: I'm starting an online specialty shop that sells gifts and home
accessories. I want to be able to have items dropshipped to customers
through my site. I already have a Web site and a domain reserved,
but I don't have a lot of money to get this going. Can you offer
any insight?

A: Setting up relationships with companies who will ship merchandise
directly to your customers for you-- dropshippers, as they're called
--is an excellent way to start your e-business and, if done properly,
doesn't have to be a costly endeavor. There are literally hundreds
of companies out there that will dropship products for you, everything
from gifts and housewares to power tools and furniture.

In a nutshell, here's how dropshipping works. You set up an account
with a dropshipper (or multiple dropshippers who offer different
kinds of products) who provides merchandise that you can sell on
your Web site. The dropshipper typically supplies you with images
and product descriptions that you can use to build your online
store or feature on static HTML Web pages.

You can locate dropshippers with the new e-book The 2003 Guide to
the Top 400 Dropship & Wholesale Companies. YOu will find it at:
http://www.dropshipwholesale.net op400.asp.

When a customer places an order for the product on your site, he
or she pays you for the product. You, in turn, place the order
with the dropshipper and pay them for the product. The dropshipper
then ships the item directly to your customer under your company
name. To your customer's knowledge, the product was shipped by you.

Dropshipping offers many advantages to the shoestring online
start-up. You don't have to pay for an item until it sells, and
your customer pays you, so your personal cash outlay for the product
is zero. You never have to handle or warehouse the merchandise,
as order fulfillment is handled by the dropshipper. You can also
offer a wide variety of items from multiple dropshippers, and your
end customer is none the wiser.

Dropshipping does have its downsides. Since you do not actually
stock the products featured on your site, you have no control over
inventory management, product availability, order fulfillment,
shipping processes and so on. Still, if you do your homework and
establish a good relationship with a reputable dropshipper, the
problems you experience should be few.

Your goal should be to find a dropshipper that will ship items one
at a time instead of requiring that you purchase a fixed minimum
number of items each time (single-unit purchases vs. minimum-order
purchases). With this arrangement, you don't have to invest your
limited cash reserves in inventory that might not sell (and that
sits in your garage for months).

Thanks to the stiff competition the Web has created, many dropshippers
will now do business with you without requiring that you pay a setup
fee or have a tax ID number. You simply set up a reseller account
(you're the reseller) and start marketing the products on your site.
Account registration can often be done online at the dropshipper's
Web site. With this process, you can literally be selling products
within minutes of setting up your reseller account.

Be warned, however, that some dropshippers are not as reliable as
others. Also, be aware that some companies who claim to be dropshippers
are really middlemen who have positioned themselves between the online
merchant (that's you) and the real wholesale merchandise distributor.
These middlemen will eat into your profits and usually don't offer
much in the way of customer support and service. They can actually
hurt your business more than help it, so make it a point to do
business only with--and directly with--established, reputable
dropship companies.

Spend the time to research the dropshippers doing business in your
particular product category, and try to get feedback from their
current customers. Remember that your customer doesn't know (or care)
that the product they are purchasing from you really comes from a
dropshipper. If there is a problem, your customer will come back
to you for resolution, not the dropshipper, so make sure that the
dropshipper you use has a policy for resolving problems quickly.

Setting up an online store that offers merchandise from dropshippers
doesn't have to be expensive or time-consuming. However, this brings
up the age-old question: If I build it, will they come? The age-old
answer is: Only if you let them know you are there, but that's
another column.

Here's to your success!

Tim Knox
tim@dropshipwholesale.net
For information on starting your own online or eBay business,
visit http://www.dropshipwholesale.net

Tim Knox as the president and CEO of two successful technology
companies: B2Secure Inc., a Web-based hiring management software
company; and Digital Graphiti Inc., a software development company.
Tim is also the founder of dropshipwholesale.net, an ebusiness
dedicated to the success of online entrepreneurs.
http://www.dropshipwholesale.net
http://www.smallbusinessqa.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Taking Paypal on eBay

Taking Paypal on eBay
Terry Gibbs

Accepting Paypal as a payment method might increase your selling prices and your profits. This depends on what you are selling. I sell collectibles to collectors. My clients are like junkies. They will buy regardless of the payment options, so not offering Paypal won't make much difference in the final selling prices.

If you sell items with high competition, accepting Paypal will make your auctions more attractive. This also holds true for impulse buys. Plus, you can get paid instantly through Paypal.

Here's a few suggestions for increasing your profits by accepting Paypal:

1. Select accept Paypal in the auction listing process to get the Paypal logo into your auction. You can put in the auction description that you accept Paypal, but unless you use the Paypal logo some buyers will miss this Payment choice. Many buyers look specifically for the logo and expect to find it in certain areas of the auction listing.

2. If you only accept bank account transfers, and do not accept credit card payments through paypal be sure to mention this in your auction description and the payment types area. Even after you mention this, you will get credit card payments from some Paypal users. This causes confusion with buyers.

3. One problem that may come up is your shipping schedule. I ship once a week. Some eBay buyers feel that I should drop everything and go to the post office as soon as they send me money through Paypal. This used to cause problems.

Now when a buyer sends me money, I quickly email him and tell him when to expect his item. Because I ship on Thursday or Friday, I can tell them their item will be delivered by the next Tuesday, if not earlier. Instead of telling the buyer I will ship the item on Friday, I tell them to expect it on Monday. This changes the buyer's focus from when I will ship to when they will get the item.

One last thing before I finish up. I recommend eBay sellers use guarantees. If you take a credit card through Paypal, and later refund the buyer's money, you will be out the Paypal fees if the refund is done more than 30 days after the initial transaction. You need to require your buyer to return the item quickly.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Ten Fast Ways To Sell Your Products

Ten Fast Ways To Sell Your Products
Catherine Franz

Always give a reason for the sale; this is for credibility.

1. If you have old inventory, give a closeout sale.

2. Return sales. Sometimes called a scratch-and-dent sale. Offer any less than perfect inventory at a special discount. Always mention the character flaw with the product -- the corner?s bent, label glue scratch somewhere.

3. Only one or two left. Sell them for half price. Post on eBay. Combine them with another product, change the price to cover half of the orginal price.

4. Discount sale. You could create one or two-time seasonal discount sales. Use Ikea?s model of a sale only once a year. How about holidays, the President?s birthday, or the company?s X year sale. Auto dealers have over used this and people don't pay much attention to them any longer.

Be careful not to do the same.

5. Use Amazon?s model and offer free shipping for orders over $X. Alternatively, offer free shipping with limited dates or if they upgrade.

6. Have higher priced items for sale? Offer a special payment with automatic billing to their credit card.

7. Add ways to provide samples. Free trials, free previews, with automatic delayed payment after X days if they don't return the product by that date. To screen customers, charge a small fee like a delivery fee, postage, or an amount you pay for processing their credit card.

8. Offer a pre-sell price. Product not ready, book at the printers or currently in the mail to Amazon? Sell it anyway. Offer a pre-production price. Just be careful on your dates.

9. Has someone purchased a similar product or smaller version? Offer them a "special" customer offer.

10. Use the "if you buy now, we'll give you two for the price of one" offer. This offer has worked well in Sunday morning TV ads, why not for yours. Tell them they can give the other away for a Christmas or birthday gift. Whenever you solve two problems with one offer, you have gotten their
attention. This works the same as a bonus offer.

Catherine Franz is a Marketing & Writing Coach, niches,
product development, Internet marketing,
nonfiction writing and training.
Articles: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

The Down Side Of Using Drop-Shippers On Ebay

The Down Side Of Using Drop-Shippers On Ebay
Robert C. Potter

Ok, let me just say right up front that I am not against drop-shipping! I love the concept. If you are dealing with a particular wholesale drop-shipping distributor that is serving your Ebay ambitions well, then hold onto that company with bonds of steel, for truly good drop-shippers are hard to find!

Drop-Shipping sounds like the utopian business model. No up front investment in inventory. You don?t have to carry packages to the Post Office, United Parcel, or Fedex. All you have to do is set up your own business, auction, or retail website and advertise the products that the company provides. Once the orders come in, you forward it to the drop-shipper and they send the product directly to your customer.

But, the devil is always in the details. Dropshipping is best suited for a stand alone E-Commerce website, mail order, or catalog advertising venue. If you are considering using a wholesale drop shipper for your Ebay auction, then you might want to take a step back and let me provide you with some ?points to ponder.?

Back ordered products..The reality is that drop-shipping companies run out of product and will be back ordered. Ebay bidders purchase product in ?real time.? They are under the impression that the item you auction, is the item they bought, not a product that is subject to shortages.

One or two customers might be understanding about the situation, but most will not. If you happen to run out of product on a regular basis then your negative feedback rating will go through the roof, and your reputation will suffer.

One way to combat shortages is to buy a pallet of product in advance, and have the drop-shipper store it in their warehouse so that you are assured of an ample supply. This method sort of goes against the idea of Drop-Shipping (buying the product in advance) but if you are selling on Ebay, you would be best served by employing this method.

Also, if possible, find a drop-shipper in your area, or within a comfortable traveling distance. If you run into any supply or shipping problems, then you could be on hand to visit the facility, should any shipping or logistic concerns
arise.

Fees..Some dropshippers will charge you a sign up, or entry fee of about twenty five to fifty dollars just for the privilege of selling their product. You are also charged a ?processing fee? for sending the product to your customer.

The ?price for processing? can range anywhere from seven to twenty dollars per item, depending on the type of merchandise you are selling. These expenses, plus Ebay fees, can take a big chunk out of your bottom line. Finding a product that can bring you a profit, as well as offseting these types of expenses, can be a delicate balancing act.

Circumventing your customers..While I do not believe that this is a pervasive practice among drop-shipping companies, anecdotal evidence has suggested that some unscrupulous enterprises can cut you out of the sales loop. They could they easily substitute your return address for their company logo, selling directly to your customers.

Market saturation..One of the largest wholesale drop-shippers in the county is the B&F System, BNFusa.com. A lot of Ebayer?s started selling their products, one in particular, called Giovanni Navarre leather jackets. At first, it was a profitable item. After a while, everyone started selling the same product. Too much of the same supply, creates market saturation, ultimately destroying profit potential for the seller.

The Giovanni Navarre leather jackets are still being sold on Ebay today, but I doubt that they still provide a very profitable return for the seller. Even though B&F carries over 500 products in 14 different categories, they are intimately familiar to the Ebay community. You could probably make a great profit from just about any B&F product if you were to sell them off line, and out of the auction arena.

When a company becomes too well known to the general public it becomes almost impossible to make money from products that have flooded the marketplace. In addition to finding a drop-shipper who is close to home, it might be a good idea to find a DS company that is not well known to the Ebay market, or who?s products have not been scattered all over cyberspace.

These days however, it is hard to find drop-shippers that will cater to the smaller seller. Most will find it more profitable to sell in volume than by the piece. The larger wholesale dropshipping distributors are used by retail catalog operations. To get involved with the larger operations, you would have to be doing a tremendous sales volume.

If you still want to pursue drop-shipping as a source of supply for your Ebay auction, then I would suggest that you read other opinions, and become as educated as you can about the drop-shipping company you do business with.

A good and inexpensive start to finding drop-shipping companies is the Drop Shipping News: http://www.drop-shipping-news.com . Remember, when
it comes to Ebay auction selling, ?own what you sell.? Never leave customer service, or your feedback rating in the hands of other people!!

Robert C. Potter is a wholesale and retail surplus products specialist. He is the author of ?The Ultimate Guide To Products For Resale!? Over 300 Wholesale
& Surplus Supply Sources For Ebay Auction Sellers, E-Commerce Websites,
Flea Market Vendors, and Retail Store Owners! You can find his 160 page ebook
at: http://www.productsforresale.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

The eBay Home Biz Acid Tes

The eBay Home Biz Acid Tes
Rob Spiegel

For those thinking of starting an Internet-based business, you're lucky to
live in an age and country of immense possibility. You can launch from home
with little capital. You can even test your idea part-time before quitting
your day job. The task of launching will require some imagination, research
and the willingness to adapt to a market, but it doesn't require nearly the
risk business start-ups required in the recent past.

Launching a business used to be a monster task. When I started a publishing
business in the mid-1980s, launching an enterprise involved raising capital,
finding investors, buying equipment, leasing office space, hiring employees,
developing a marketing plan, creating and implementing sales strategies,
developing fulfillment operations and filling out tons and tons of paperwork.
If you did everything right and ran into a streak of good luck, you had about
a one in four chances for success.

The 1980s were a good time for business start-ups compared to earlier periods
when the prospects for small business success were dim indeed. There was a
point in the early 1970s when business academics predicted the end of small
business. With the development of chain retailers and with the mass
manufacturing of consumer and industrial goods firmly in the hands of large
corporations, there was little room in the American economy for a small
company.

Then came the niche market. Whether it was gourmet food products, natural
fabric clothes, or special interest magazines, consumers showed a willingness
to buy highly specialized products that fell into corners too small for large
manufacturing and distribution. Enterprising niche marketers were able to
identify and serve specialized groups of fly fishers, hot sauce collectors
and heirloom-seed gardeners who were willing to pay a premium for specialized
products. An explosion of small niche companies sprang up to serve these
high-end consumers.

The key to niche marketing was highly specific expertise. In most cases,
proprietors of niche businesses were fellow enthusiasts who were part of the
niche community. These entrepreneurs knew how to find their customers and
knew how to serve them because they were one of them. Yet these small
companies still had the burden of creating catalogs and building shipping
operations, not to mention investing heavily in direct mail lists and postage.

The Internet has magnified the niche trend. Suddenly the cost of reaching the
special-interest community has been drastically reduced. Instead of creating
a storefront or direct mail catalogs, specialized retailers can launch Web
stores. There is more competition in an Internet niche than their was in the
catalog niche, but the cost of competing effectively on the Web is
considerably lower than competing with catalogs and pricey mailing lists.

Plus, you can do it from home. Plus, you can test the business before you
commit full-time to the idea.

eBay has provided a wonderfully convenient testing ground for specialized
retail businesses. Thousands of small entrepreneurs are using eBay to find
customers and build communities of niche consumers, all without buying
mailing lists that are 98 percent useless at best. I saw this firsthand over
the summer as my thirteen-year-old son used his babysitting money to buy and
sell video games.

Many of the game retails were entrepreneurs who had Web sites displaying full
lines of goods. They would buy games in quantity, sell them in eBay auctions,
then invite their customers to their Web sites for additional sales. The cost
of obtaining a potential customer was virtually nil. All they needed were a
few products to sell on eBay and a few more products at their Web sores.

The beauty of testing a business idea on eBay is you don't even need the
ability to take credit cards. You can ask your customers to use PayPal
(www.paypal.com) to transfer dollars (without transaction fees) from their
checking account to yours. You can trade in collectible-like used products,
buy cut-out products or purchase new goods in large quantities to sell below
retail price. You can do it from home part-time. If it works, you're in
business. And your odds for succeeding now are better than even.

Rob Spiegel is the author of The Shoestring Entrepreneur's Guide to Internet
Start-ups (St. Martin's Press) and Net Strategy (Dearborn). You can reach Rob
at spiegelrob@aol.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

The Ebay Powerseller secrets to save you from the 3 P's

The Ebay Powerseller secrets to save you from the 3 P's
Rob Noble

""
1100 words. Formatted to 60 characters.

You may publish this article free of charge in your ezine,
web site, ebook or print publication so long as the
copyright notice and the resource paragraph (at the end of
the article) are included.

Rob Noble
Email: ByRobNoble@robnoble.com

---------- Article Begins Below This Line ----------

THE EBAY "POWERSELLER" SECRETS TO SAVE YOU FROM THE 3 P's
Copyright 2003 Rob Noble

I'm just amazed that more people don't realise it! Ebay has
a secret that makes it THE best market in the world ?
offline or online! In fact it's THE best market EVER. Do I
sound enthusiastic about Ebay?! I do! good - I love it.

Let me give you an example of why I love Ebay.

Years ago I set up my very first business to help me pay my
way through college. It was a stall selling antiques (well
more like rubbish!) in Camden market in London (yes, sorry
I'm a Brit!).

When I started I didn't have a clue. I went through all the
junk I'd collected over the years and put that as "stock".
Then I went to a number of auctions, rooted about in boxes
and bought some that looked "promising".

Then I rented my stall (5.30am to get a spare table) set up
my "stuff" and waited. 9 hours later, after watching person
after person perform the 3 P's (Pick up, Put down and P***
off! - apologies for the language but it IS the official
term amongst UK dealers) I began realising that my items
only appeared promising to ME!

During this time of sitting stiffly, trying to disappear
into my jacket both to keep warm and from sheer
embarrassment, I noticed that certain dealers seemed to act
like magnets. People didn't simply go to them to perform the
rites of the 3 P's, they actually lingered, discussed and,
joy of joys - reached into their wallets and bought!

Over the weeks I ventured over to these stalls and hovered
while I watched the magnificent spectacle of customers
parting with cash! Eventually even I couldn't help notice
that certain items seemed to be selling more regularly than
others, and, as some of the dealers took pity on an earnest
young man (I developed a helpless sort of pitiful look that
worked a treat!) I began to learn the business of buying
items that people actually WANT to buy. And miracle of
miracles came the day when I actually made more profit than
I was paying in rent for the stall!

The absolute, sheer, magnificent beauty of Ebay is you don't
have to go through all that. I don't think there can be any
market, of any kind, where so much information is available
to the public. Because Ebay allows you to SEARCH COMPLETED
AUCTIONS for free! And that is an advantage no other market
allows. Everything you could possibly need to know is there,
available to you just for the time required to root it out.

Now imagine, if back then, at Camden market I had been
allowed the same advantage.

Firstly, before going anywhere near an auction, I could have
had a good look at WHAT KIND OF THINGS WERE IN DEMAND. The
dealers attracting all those people at the market had learnt
over the years what kind of items were ready sellers and
what was likely to sit there for months tying up valuable
space and capital. With Ebay you can search the completed
auctions looking at the relative "SELL THRU RATES"
(percentage of sales to total number of auctions) and
condense those years of trial and error to a few days or
weeks of evening study.

Next, I could have saved myself a very large amount of
money. The other thing those dealers had learnt was that
"PROFITS ARE MADE WHEN YOU BUY"! If you pay too much for
your item, even though it's in demand, you lose! Again Ebay
completed auctions help you condense years of hard knocks
into a few evenings research into discovering your items
"ASP" (Average Selling Price).

Are you beginning to realise the extraordinary advantage of
Ebay?

How about this - what if while I was sitting there, in
Camden market (believe me, I had lots of time to spare!) I
could have had a crystal ball that let me see the details of
every one of the sales that were going on around me. Not
just what KIND of things were selling or at what average
price, but what brands sold most, what colors, years of
manufacture, sizes etc. and what prices encouraged more
sales than others. Advantages that not just allow me to
match what the other sellers were doing but to take the best
knowledge from each and merge it.

Just imagine!

I wouldn't have had to perfect my "take pity on me" look!
With a window into every detail of the most successful
dealers sales - even before I paid my first weeks rent money
or paid for my first auction purchase - I could have been
king! I could have set up my stall on that first, early
morning, knowing without a doubt that I had the items that
buyers were looking for at prices they were willing to pay.
My goodness, what I would have paid at that time for that
kind of advantage!

This, of course is just the tip of the iceberg - there is a
whole list of vital business information that can be learnt
from the Ebay completed auctions. For a fuller listing you
can see most of them at ProfitFacts for Ebay Auctions
http://www.profitfacts.com.

I estimated that, given my eventual earnings on that Camden
stall - after I had served my enforced apprenticeship ? This
kind of vital market research would have saved me close to
$12,000.

But the real value of this amazing Ebay data isn't reserved
for antiques. There is an even greater potential for dealers
in new items. Product that can be easily bought in bulk for
a market known to exist, at a price known to sell.

So what is it going to be for you? suffer the 3 P's or take
the opportunity Ebay offers, and condense what would take
years of experience to learn in any other market.

Rob Noble
http://www.profitfacts.com

Rob Noble has had a varied business career including dealing
in antiques, owning a printing company, Venture capitalist
for a private investment consortium, trading index futures
and for the past two years - full time businesses on the web.
He is now CEO of ProfitFacts for Ebay a brand new service
which "tracks who's making big money on Ebay, how much they're
making and how they make it".

------------------ End of Article ------------------

Rob Noble
http://www.profitfacts.com

Rob Noble has had a varied business career including dealing
in antiques, owning a printing company, Venture capitalist
for a private investment consortium, trading index futures
and for the past two years - full time businesses on the web.
He is now CEO of ProfitFacts for Ebay a brand new service
which "tracks who's making big money on Ebay, how much they're
making and how they make it".

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

The Effects of eBay on American Merchandising

The Effects of eBay on American Merchandising
David Espino

With one brilliantly simple idea, eBay was born just a few short years ago.

From its humble beginnings in the Collectibles business, it went on to achieve the lofty heights it enjoys today.

As eBay has continued to grow to over 30 million registered users, it has transformed the ability of individuals (as well as Corporations) to move product of all kinds.

eBay is now a place where virtually any item imaginable is available, for the right price.

With a few clicks of your mouse, the doors to the world marketplace are opened for you.

Similarly, with a few clicks of your mouse, the entire world can be viewing your merchandise for sale.

It is this awesome power that eBay gives to you, for a small fee.

Is it any wonder that large institutional sellers, such as the U.S. Postal Service, J.C. Penneys, various Police Departments and all types of Corporations have discovered the power and efficiencies of selling on eBay?

The drawback for the smaller seller is that, as more and more individual and institutional sellers sign on to sell on eBay, the supply of similar items will increase.

This increase in supply results in a decrease in demand, and with that decreased demand, lower ending bid amounts and lower profits for all sellers.

This has already begun to happen in some categories as ending bids continue their slow trend downward.

As sellers begin to see profits eroding due to too many sellers "playing the game", the question of the day seems to be, "What is the best thing to sell on eBay?"

The simple (and somewhat facetious-sounding) answer is, "Whatever people are interested in that is not currently selling on eBay in mass quantities".

More often than not, success on eBay results from a seller taking on a niche that they are familiar with and enjoy. Many of the top eBay sellers have built their entire business around a niche that they enjoy, such as a certain type of collectible, or a certain hobby, interest or sport.

If you take this approach, not only will you be happier doing that which you enjoy, but listing items will not become a "chore", it will be an enjoyable experience.

As eBay continues it’s trend-line of massive growth, sellers must be increasingly aware of three things that will ensure opportunities for growth and success:

Opportunities for new products to sell
Alternative venues in which to sell their products
Advanced marketing techniques that can leverage their time and money

Ultimately, it is this extra awareness that will determine who the winners are in the game of Online Auction sales.

David Espino is the Author of Beyond eBay and Life In The Dot Com Lane.
To receive a free excerpt from the book - Beyond eBay, visit www.HomeBasedBusinessowner.com
Email: dave@HomeBasedBusinessowner.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Top Ebay Selling Tips

Top Ebay Selling Tips
Ebay Steve

Hey kids - EbaySteve here again! I just want to share with you guys'n'gals a few little tip-ettes and tricks that I personally have always found to be Steve-tasticly good for pulling in the greenbacks with the help of the mighty Ebay. Number one on EbaySteve's list - know your market!. Check Ebay for similar items BEFORE you start knocking up yours - a title search is the best way to do this - you want to find completed items sorted by price. These are the ones that actually sold - i.e. the seller got it right!

EbaySteve would never even CONSIDER an auction without checking out the competition first! Oh yeah! This gets us to ebaySteve's next super tip - decide on your price now. As you kiddies will know, you can set a 'Buy it Now' price on your auctions - this is generally what you think an item is actually worth (at least to you - ebaySteve often wastes a happy Friday afternoon searching the 'Bay for "domain" auctions - some of these wutangs think a 90-letter domain in greek is worth millions! Hah! call the dumbo police!).

Remember, ebaySteve says that your opening bid (the price you want to start the auction off at) should be MUCH lower, or everyone will think you are Pennywise the Clown. Don't ever forget, once an auction gets going, it can take on a life of its own, and setting a low start price is the easiest way to stimulate that initial excitement, especially on an item in mucho grande demand (like ebaySteve's used socks, for example!). While we are on this one, don't bother with secret 'reserve' prices. If you don't know what your item is worth, you shouldn't be selling it!

EbaySteve's next tip? How are your potential buyers gonna find your auction? They will search for it. That means you have to get your keywords into your auction title! No point having a title that bangs on about 'great opportunity, never to be repeated bargain' etc etc if yo forget to say '1967 Ford Mustang' too! EbaySteve super-tip - don't bother with punctuation, or silly characters - if you waste your title with that stuff, they'll never find you in the first place! Only mis-spell if it is likely to be searched for, because Ebay search finds exact matches. If you need more space, use a subtitle. These cost a cool 50 cents, so ebaySteve says use 'em on items below about $25.

When they find it, will it scare them away? There are, unfortunately, a number of auctions on the mighty Bay that scare ebaySteve! Choose your colors and font sizes carefully - the one thing you do NOT want is for everyone else to think you are a fruitcake. Even though ebaySteve likes fruit, and cake, he doesn't like 'em together. OK? Oh yeah! You will also need at least 1 good quality photo of your item. Try and make it a little 'different' from similar auctions - if everyone chooses the 'stock' photo, how do potential buyers differentiate between you? BUT, make sure it ain't bigger than 40 or 50k - plenty of people are still on dialup, and they won't bother with you if the page takes more than 10 seconds to load. And fer crying out loud, make SURE you allow payment via Paypal - it is Ebay's very own payment method, and by far the best. They charge only a TINY commission on your sales, and you will find buyers take you MUCH more seriously if you do. No harm in other payment options too, just start off with Paypal! (Super extra important tip - only allow Paypal payments from members with a CONFIRMED address. Helps to cut down on fraud and refund requests).

Payment tip - ebaySteve has in the past had problems with spam filters - there's nothing more annoying than to get an offer but miss it because your darn email system 'binned' the mail! Have a special email account for auctions (if you start getting too much spam, open up a new one). It's also worth mentioning in the text of your auction that potential buyers should 'whitelist' your email address. In the worst case, you can always contact other ebayers with the Contact Member form.

Auction timings - choose to start and end an auction during daylight hours (for your target audience!). These auctions statistically generate higher prices because bidding continues right up to the final bell. Use http://pages.ebay.com/turbo_lister to list your items quicker - it costs, but only a tad, and will help you get the whole process moving fast. That's about it fer now, Bayers! Keep it real!

Ebay Steve owns the way cool site www.ebaySteve.com the super site for free advice on making money with ebay, the world's greatest auction house.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Turn Rusty Junk Into eBay Gold

Turn Rusty Junk Into eBay Gold
Pete Egeler

Turn Your "Rusty Junk" Into eBay Gold!
by Pete Egeler

Often times people to stop to realize the income potential of their "junk". And, when they DO decide it might be worth selling, they never give eBay a second thought.

As I preach over and over again to my clients, don't ever think that you have something that nobody else would want, unless you've really taken the time to do a little eBay research.

I've sold my wife's old tea pots, bowls, AOL CD's, books, etc. that we no longer had a use for. And, it usually brings a lot more cash to the table than a yard sale or flea market sale would.

Most items in good condition will bring a pretty fair price on eBay if you take just a bit of time to locate the correct category for that item.

Then again, there are times when you may have something that really doesn'tlook all that great. What should you do then?

Well, depending upon what it is, you may want to sell it "as is."

Case in point is a lamp I'm getting ready to auction.

It's obvious that this lamp is old. It doesn't work (that I know of,) and it has a bit of tarnish on it. But, I'm NOT going to try and "spruce it up" before I put it up for auction.

Now I don't know squat about lamps. But I DO KNOW, that this particular lamp was made in the early 70's. About 1972 I think, and the WORST thing I could do is try to "clean" it to make it more presentable.

I'll dust it off, and take a couple of pictures, but it will be sold "as is."

Why? Because someone that DOES know about lamps, will exactly how to clean this particular item up in the CORRECT manner, so as not to damage it.

They will know it needs work, and they will know what, and how to bring it back to the condition it should be in.

One of the "biggies" these days is the "country" look in home decor.

People especially like to add old tools, etc. from "the farm" to their
homes as part of their "country" decor. You'll find that they want everything from old harnesses, to plow shares, to shovels, watering and milk cans, etc.

So, look around. See what you might have stashed away in the corner of your garage, in your attic, etc. Don't want it any more? Just drag it out, dust it off, and sell it on eBay.

Someone is sure to be looking for just the item you no longer want.

======================================================
Pete Egeler is the author of "Dumpster Diving for eBay Profits," and a twice-monthly newsletter entitled "DDNews." You can check out either of these by visiting his web site at: http://shmyl.com/ciaa You can also email Pete at:pegeler@glorymountain.com for more information.
======================================================

Pete Egeler is the author of "Dumpster Diving for eBay Profits" and editor of the newsletter, DDNews.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Unique Selling Proposition On Ebay

Unique Selling Proposition On Ebay
Greg Hayes

If you have dabbled at all in the world of Internet marketing, you may have heard the term "unique selling proposition" or USP. USP is a technique that Internet marketers use to set themselves apart from the competition. Internet marketing is highly competitive and highly saturated. In order to be successful, it is vital that the Internet marketer present himself as being unique and different from his competitors especially when many of them are selling the same products.

It is also just as vital to have a unique selling proposition on Ebay. I am amazed at the number of Ebay sellers that are either unaware or just don't care about the importance of having a unique selling position. A case in point: A while back, I was researching some products on Ebay from a wholesale company called B&F System. B&F System is a wholesale only company that carries a variety of brand name products. One of the brands they carry is called Maxam. I came across several Maxam leather jackets on Ebay while searching ended auctions. Now here's the kicker. About a dozen or so of these leather jacket auctions were exactly the same. They all used the same image of a guy modeling the jacket that was captured from the B&F website. They even used the exact ad copy used by B&F!

What was the result? Only one of the sellers was able sell any jackets. The top bid was only $26. And since he purchased the jackets from B&F for $20, he made about $5.00 profit after Ebay fees. That's a slim profit for an item that normally retails for $95.

Always keep in mind that the amount of effort you put fourth on you auctions will be in direct proportion to the amount of return you get from your auctions. The sellers who put up the jacket auctions put fourth little effort by using stock photos and ad copy from the B&F website, and therefore received little or no sales from their auctions. The sellers in this case might think that using stock photos makes their auctions look more professional. It's just the opposite. These auctions look very amateurish. Using a picture of someone modeling a garment will not entice people to bid on your auction. Using three or four high quality pictures of the actual item along with a detailed description will entice people to bid. Remember that buying apparel off the internet is not like buying music CD's or software. You don't need to worry if a CD will fit. You don't need to see multiple pictures of a box of software to know what you'll be getting. However, when selling apparel, good quality pictures and a detailed description are vital. You should use a good quality digital camera to take pictures of the item from different angles. If you're selling jackets or coats, include a picture of the lining as well. In your description, don't just say it's a large size. Give measurements of the garment including overall length, sleeve length and chest size. If you're going to specialize in apparel, it would be a good idea to purchase a form or clothing dummy to model your apparel. Doing these things will go a long way in setting you apart from the competition and establishing a "unique selling proposition."

What ever you're thinking about selling, always look at your competition and think about how to set yourself apart. Remember that unless you're selling antiques on Ebay, there's always someone else who's trying to sell the same thing you're selling. Establishing your USP will put you on the road to Ebay success.

Greg Hayes is editor of www.mammothprofits.com/AuctionWealth.
Mammothprofits is the website devoted to
helping others filter out the scams and become successful in an Internet home business

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Using eBay to market your ecommerce website

Using eBay to market your ecommerce website
Scott Touchton

eBay is now the world?s largest marketplace, so why not use this to the advantage of you and your website? By creating an easy-to-use eBay Store and listing some of your more popular items at a small discount from the price on your website, you can drive traffic from eBay back to your website as well as creating sales and revenue for your company through eBay. eBay?s Store fees are nominal and can usually be paid off from the profit of just a few small sales a month. eBay's Stores are set up to where your item can be relisted automatically saving you your valuable time and making the maintenace of your eBay Store effortless.

eBay does have rules about advertising for a site outside of eBay within an Item Description, but with some creative writing and your imagination you should be able to work around these while still providing an outbound link from your Item Description to your own website. One way of doing this is to use a link to your website saying that eBay users can click on it for more product information about the item that is for sale on eBay.

You can be found by more eBay users by being as descriptive as possible in the Item Description and by using as many keywords as possible that describe your item and industry within the Item Title.

Not all eBay users search through eBay Stores for products, so I use a combination of eBay auctions in a bidding format and my Buy It Now eBay Store inventory so that my products are easy to find no matter how someone is searching on eBay. I also include my email address and toll free number in all of my Item Descriptions and on my eBay Store Front so that eBay users can contact us directly.

Scott Touchton is an employee of www.SpecialtyHardwareOutlet.com which is a Birmingham, Alabama based decorative hardware outlet.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Using Internet Auctions To Promote Your Local Business

Using Internet Auctions To Promote Your Local Business
Sharon Fling

Here is a little-used but highly effective way of reaching
potential customers, even in your local market: online
auctions.

A growing number of businesses are using auctions to attract a
steady stream of customers. By listing on an auction site such
as eBay, your business will be exposed to an audience of 22
million people in over 100 countries. But more importantly, it
can reach the people next door.

The small listing fees are a small price to pay for the kind
of exposure you get, especially on the granddaddy of all
auction sites, eBay. There are small businesses out there that
get 80% or more of their sales from eBay.

And not all of the sales happen on eBay - you can use your
"About Me" page to drive traffic back to your web site. Then
you can get your prospect's email address and sell to them
directly, saving yourself some listings fees and commissions.
And with eBay's feedback system, potential customers can get
bona-fide firsthand testimonials from your previous customers.

If you want to sell multiple items, you can set up a Dutch
auction. To make sure you earn a profit, you can set a minimum
price, known as a reserve price. You can also set a "Buy It
Now" price, which allows someone to buy the item immediately
without waiting for the auction to end. And finally, you can
set up your own eBay store for as little as $9.95/month.

There are many tips and tricks to eBay auctions -- so many
that there are a slew of books and services and software
programs just for helping people to manage their bidding and
selling activities. Check www.geolocal.com for auction
resources.

As far as reaching your local market, major cities are set up
as regions on eBay. Consumers can easily search by region and
category at http://pages.ebay.com/regional/hub.html -- "eBay
Local Trading." This is where people will go if they want to
buy something locally, such as furniture or something
expensive.

A recent development has made it even easier for your local
customers to find you. AltaVista -- one of the major search
engines -- announced a deal to feature listings from its
shopping-comparison guide on eBay. According to AltaVista's
senior director of global product marketing Gannon Giguiere,
"We can now allow consumers to compare Web, localized brick
and mortar stores and auction listings with a single glance."

I buy lots of stuff on eBay. A few weeks ago I went looking
for sheepskin slippers and saw a lovely pair up for auction. I
could tell that this was a business, so I contacted the seller
directly. I knew from past experience that we might be able to
work out something and sure enough, we made a deal for 2 pairs
of sheepskin slippers.

Let's review this seller's transaction:

- She got a sale and a proven customer for her 30 cent listing
fee on the original pair of slippers (which she sold later
on, gaining another customer) - She paid no listing fees or
commissions on the 2 pair of slippers she sold to me - She
can add me to her mailing list; if I'm happy with the
slippers, maybe I'll buy another pair in the future as a
gift or whatever. (p.s. I bought 2 more pairs later) - I
would never have found that business if those slippers hadn't
been listed on eBay. Her sheepskin business doesn't show up
in the first few pages of search engine results, which is as
far as most people will look.

Do you see the power of eBay? I also bought my Palm Pilot and
a new computer from local vendors that I found on eBay. Plus
I've bought lots of computer programs and educational toys
from auctions by business owners. As a frequent eBay buyer and
seller, I can tell you now, if you're not on eBay, you're
leaving money on the table.

There are other auction sites out there - Yahoo, BidBay,
uBid.com - but none of them comes close to eBay in terms of
volume. About 1.4 million items are up for sale every day, in
every imaginable category, including services, cars, houses.
Somebody even tried to auction off a kidney once, but eBay
caught them and put an end to it.

Keep in mind that people who go to auction sites are looking
for deals, so don't expect to get full retail. You may even
have a sell a few items at cost. But when you think about all
the money you can spend on ads in the local paper and get NO
results, it's a small price to pay to get the email addresses
of proven customers. The eBay feedback system works both ways
you can check and see what kind of customer they've been in
the past.

All in all, online auctions are goldmines. If you're selling
anything at all, especially consumer products, you should
definitely check out eBay.

Sharon Fling wrote "How To Promote Your Local Business On the Internet", and publishes the ezine "Local Business Today." Subscribe and get a free ebook on local marketing. Visit www.geolocal.com or mailto:subscribe@localbizpromo.com?subject=TRAART

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

USP on eBay

USP on eBay
Greg Hayes

It is also just as vital to have a unique selling proposition on Ebay. I am amazed at the number of Ebay sellers that are either unaware or just don't care about the importance of having a unique selling proposition. A case in point: A while back, I was researching some products on Ebay from a wholesale company called B&F System. B&F System is a wholesale only company that carries a variety of brand name products. One of the brands they carry is called Maxam. I came across several Maxam leather jackets on Ebay while searching ended auctions. Now here's the kicker. About a dozen or so of these leather jacket auctions were exactly the same. They all used the same image of a guy modeling the jacket that was captured from the B&F website. They even used the exact ad copy used by B&F!

What was the result? Only one of the sellers was able sell any jackets. The top bid was only $26. And since he purchased the jackets from B&F for $20, he made about $5.00 profit after Ebay fees. That's a slim profit for an item that normally retails for $95.

Always keep in mind that the amount of effort you put fourth on you auctions will be in direct proportion to the amount of return you get from your auctions. The sellers who put up the jacket auctions put fourth little effort by using stock photos and ad copy from the B&F website, and therefore received little or no sales from their auctions. The sellers in this case might think that using stock photos makes their auctions look more professional. It's just the opposite. These auctions look very amateurish. Using a picture of someone modeling a garment will not entice people to bid on your auction. Using three or four high quality pictures of the actual item along with a detailed description will entice people to bid. Remember that buying apparel off the internet is not like buying music CD's or software. You don't need to worry if a CD will fit. You don't need to see multiple pictures of a box of software to know what you'll be getting. However, when selling apparel, good quality pictures and a detailed description are vital. You should use a good quality digital camera to take pictures of the item from different angles. If you're selling jackets or coats, include a picture of the lining as well. In your description, don't just say it's a large size. Give measurements of the garment including overall length, sleeve length and chest size. If you're going to specialize in apparel, it would be a good idea to purchase a form or clothing dummy to model your apparel. Doing these things will go a long way in setting you apart from the competition and establishing a "unique selling proposition."

What ever you're thinking about selling, always look at your competition and think about how to set yourself apart. Remember that unless you're selling antiques on Ebay, there's always someone else who's trying to sell the same thing you're selling. Establishing your USP will put you on the road to Ebay success.

Are You Tired of the scams and the get-rich-quick schemes? Greg Hayes is founding editor of http://www.mammothprofits.com/. Mammothprofits is the website devoted to helping others filter out the scams and become successful in a home based business.
ghayes@mammothprofits.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

Where Do They Get the Stuff They Sell

Where Do They Get the Stuff They Sell
Natalie Williams

When I fist began researching how people made money on eBay, I wondered what we all probably wonder... "Where do these people get all this stuff they sell?" I was under the impression there was this one big answer, one particular place, where everyone purchased their merchandise and sold on eBay. I've come to realize there are many different places and many different ways that people acquire items to sell. Here are a few:

1- You may already have a physical retail store somewhere and the items you sell on eBay are the same items you sell in your store. You are using the same distributors you normally use. Why is it that we never seem to walk into a Walmart and think "Where does Walmart get all this stuff they sell?" They set up accounts with the companies that either manufacture or distribute the product they sell.

2- Sell your personal items from around the house.

3- Go to yard sales, pawn shops and thrift stores. Buy inexpensively and sell the items on eBay.

4- Set up accounts with drop ship companies. These companies usually sell a lot of different types of products for usually 10%-25% below retail cost. You can advertise an item for sell (on eBay, to your friends, an online store, wherever). Once you sell the item and collect the money for it, THEN you purchase the item from the drop shipper who in turn will ship the item directly to your customer. You never have to have inventory in your home. Normally, your customer won't know it didn't come from you. This is called "Blind-Drop Shipping".

5- Buy in bulk from a wholesale or liquidation company. You would normally pay about 30%-40% below retail for the merchandise.

6- Most wonder where these people are getting the laptops and good electronics they sell and actually make a profit. Quality, New merchandise.... Here it is: They have set up accounts with the manufacturer of distributor of that product. They became a legal business, obtained licensing, built a credit history and purchase in bulk. Also, there are a few companies I have listed that pay you commission on your sales. So say I sell a laptop for $1400, which is the same price the company sells it to me for... I don't make a profit from the sell to my customer, but I make $100 commission for selling the laptop.
Decide on what product you would like to sell and then find out who manufactures it. You can usually find that information right on the packaging of the product. Contact that company and express that you would like to retail their product and how would you go about setting up an account. You will need your business licenses. They will never sell to an individual. If you have a company telling you they are the manufacturer of a product or that they are going to sell to you wholesale, but they do not ask for your license, then they are not telling the truth.

Natalie Williams
Founder of the Online Sellers Association http://www.cidicon.com/osa
Author of the OSA eZine
http://cidicon.com/osa/Newsletters/issues/04-21-03.htmm

Posted by Dave Bromley at 12:00 PM

May 10, 2005

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE IN NEW WAYS

Carol Woods

One of the quickest ways to increase the income from your home business is to develop new products or services which relate to the products you are already selling. This works for two reasons: first, you have the opportunity to sell the new products to your existing customers (if they were interested in the original product and this one is similar or relates in some way it will likely also be of interest to them); and second, you can leverage the skills and knowledge you are utilizing with your current product to develop the new ones, which saves time and effort on your part.

I have some examples below which will help you understand what I mean. But first, a little structure:

Generally speaking your products will fall into these categories:
?selling goods
?selling services, where you physically do something for another person
?selling information, where you document how to do something and then package and sell it

Start thinking about your current primary product or service, and jot down ideas on how you can sell goods, services and information that relate to it. Don't judge your ideas at this point; you want to get a lot of ideas down and you will refine them later. Try to come up with at least 20 ideas.

Here are a couple of examples:

1.Current product: You sell your children's outgrown clothing on eBay. New product ideas:
?Goods: buy clothing at garage sales and discount stores to sell on eBay
?Goods: create crafty baby item (bibs? Blankets?) and sell on eBay
?Services: offer to sell other people's outgrown clothing or garage sale items on eBay for a percentage of the receipts
?Information: write a book on best ways to sell on eBay

2.Current product: You create and sell quilts. New product ideas:
?Goods: develop a new product (baby quilts?) and sell it via the web, to local boutiques, or on eBay
?Goods: purchase sewing notions on closeout and develop sewing kits to sell
?Services: sew items to order for others
?Information: develop a book of quilt patterns or gift ideas to sew
?Information: document the tips you've learned through years of sewing which a newcomer can use to do professional work more quickly

3.Current product: You are an attorney and do legal work for small business owners. New product ideas:
?Goods: doesn't apply in this case
?Services: develop a fixed-price package for specific services you are often asked to do - for example, a"new business startup package".
?Information: write book of legal tips for business owners

Got it? Then, get out a piece of paper and get started!

(c) 2002 Carol Woods

Carol Woods is the editor of Work at Home Income, a weekly publication of Income Building Blocks. IBB offers free ideas, information and inspiration for moms who work at home - or want to! For lots of free ideas to help you find a work at home job or start a home based business, visit us at http://www.income-building-blocks.com and sign up for Work at Home Income!

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:40 PM

An Introduction To eBay Consignment

Terry Gibbs

After I started selling on eBay, I was approached by friends without computers who wanted me to sell their items for them. They had heard stories about the outrageous prices items some ebay auctions brought. They knew I could get more money for them on eBay than they could get selling the items themselves. An added incentive to them was I did all the work. All they had to do is say"I don't want this anymore, sell it for me;"and within a few weeks I converted their castoffs into cash.

Consignment Selling Is The Perfect Way To Start Your Own eBay Business.

There are no set up fees or investments. You won't need to risk your own money buying items to resell. You don't need a detailed knowledge of antiques and collectibles. You only need to know how to find the right category, write an adequate description and take some high quality photos.

Free eBay Seller's Guide

Get code for this ad
at banners and images

On eBay the END USER is the buyer and will always pay more than a dealer would. Even after paying a consignment fee, the seller makes more money.

Things You Need To Succeed With Consignment Sales:

3. You'll also need to perfect ways to get items. At first your friends and co-workers will provide you with a good stream of salable items. After a while this stream will dwindle and you will need to go out and find consignors. This is not as difficult as it may seem. Remember, by consigning with you, the seller gets more money than they would otherwise.

Learn more about ebay consignment at:http://www.iwantcollectibles.com/consign5.html

Terry Gibbs is a collector/dealer of old toys and trains, and teaches others how to buy and sell antiques and collectibles. Gibbs is the author of two best selling eBay books"The Auction Revolution,"and"The Complete Guide To eBay Consignment Sales."He has also written numerous other books about buying and selling antiques and collectibles. Learn more at his website:http://www.news.iwantcollectibles.com.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:38 PM

21 Success Strategies of eBay Powersellers

David Espino

The online auction giant - eBay - has exploded on the Internet scene. Currently boasting over 29 Million members, eBay is one of the most visible and far-reaching Internet companies in existence, with a large segment of the population either using the service, or at the very least, aware of it. Among the eBay sellers, there is a designation given to approximately 4% of the people. These are eBay's"Powersellers", a group of sellers that is distinguished by the amount of volume they produce. The entry-level Powerseller, the Bronze level, does at least $2,000 a month in eBay sales, maintains a 99% positive feedback level and maintains their eBay account current. Higher award levels are granted at the $10,000 level, (Silver level) and at the $25,000 level. (Gold level)

What are some of the strategies and techniques that these Powersellers use?

As someone who achieved Powerseller status a little over a year ago and continues to study other Powersellers, I've compiled a listing of the 21 Success Strategies of eBay Powersellers.

Powersellers are serious - Powersellers treat their eBay business just like they would any other business. They are dead-serious about it. Look at any Powerseller operation and you'll find organized systems and"assembly-line"techniques being used. While a Powerseller may not have invested thousands of dollars into her operation, she treats it as if she has.

Powersellers are focused - A Powerseller is focused on listing, packing and shipping, often on different days of the week. Their focus is as intense as that of a Corporate Executive or an Olympic athlete, because they are juggling various activities at the same time.

Powersellers are organized - The Powerseller is organized, otherwise they wouldn't make it to the level of Powerseller. Since Powersellers do a huge volume of listing, packing and shipping each month, they must develop processes to ensure that the items sold are delivered within a reasonable period of time and that customer satisfaction is always at the forefront.

Powersellers delegate - Powersellers delegate because they have to! Their volume dictates that they hire an assistant to do some of the more repetitive tasks that don't require the Powerseller's attention. This way the Powerseller can focus on the important money-making tasks of product acquisition and marketing.

Powersellers use assembly line techniques - The Powerseller has developed smooth running systems to make sure that product fulfillment is accomplished as quickly and efficiently as possible. This may involve setting up a large 4' by 8' table with bubblewrap and packing materials at one end, products in the middle, and boxes, labels and packing tape at the far end.

Powersellers use Dutch auctions - Many Powersellers have graduated from selling one-of-a-kind knick-knacks found at yard sales and are now selling a volume of the same item through Dutch auctions. In a Dutch auction, a seller can place a large number of the same item up for sale. The bidders can bid on one or more of the item, but the highest bidders will be first in line to actually get or"win"the products they bid on. So there is a possibility that if someone bid too low, they might not get a product. A Powerseller uses Dutch auctions often because it is a huge time-saver. This is a true"assembly line"auction from start to finish. The packing and shipping goes a lot faster when the same item is being packed and shipped over and over again.

Powersellers do efficient work - Another trait of the Powerseller is that they are extremely efficient, knowing that time is money. A Dutch auction is a great example of this efficiency. In the same period of time that it takes to list one item, you are listing dozens, or even hundreds of items! This time-efficiency is a powerful way to leverage your time and profits.

Powersellers"Bulk List"their auctions - Bulk listing your auctions using a bulk listing software or auction management service will dramatically organize your time and allow your eBay operation to run a lot more smoothly. There are various options in this area, from eBay's own"Mister Lister"to Blackthorne software to Andale, and Auction Watch auction management services, there are a lot of options for you to look into. These services allow you to list your auctions at your leisure and then schedule them to go live on a certain day and time. This saves you the hassle of having to list your auctions on the particular day that you want them to go up.

Powersellers use clearly focused photos - Powersellers have acquired their status by using clear photos or scans of the items they are selling and making sure that the photos show all flaws. In effect, along with all of the other skills they have acquired, they have also become semi-pro photographers! Many have built a"mini-studio"with optimum lighting and background, that is available at their beck and call for those quick shots when they need to e-mail an additional photo to a bidder. The Powerseller usually has both a Digital Camera for photographing 3-dimensional items and large items and also has a scanner for the paper items and flat items.

Powersellers use headlines with key words and no fluff - A Powerseller resists the temptation to use"fluff"words like"L@@K","WOW"and"MUST SEE". Instead, the Powerseller uses descriptive words in the headline, realizing that the headline is the"ad for the ad". A Powerseller is also"search engine savvy", realizing that keywords in the headline are picked up by the eBay search engine. They are sure to load the headline with descriptive, key words that help the bidder determine if the item is what they are looking for and keeps out the"fluff".

Powersellers write thorough and detailed item descriptions - A Powerseller has achieved their level by maintaining a high ratio of positive feedback. This is primarily accomplished by having clear and accurate descriptions of the items so that the bidder can clearly"imagine"the item as if it were sitting in front of her. The art of writing a great item description involves an interesting mix of using"selling words"(such as"beautiful","fantastic","intricately designed","gorgeous","spectacular","powerful","colorful", etc.) along with describing the flaws in the item. A great description should entice the bidder to bid while at the same time providing full and complete disclosure of the item's condition. Your test of whether you have a great description or not is if it answers the following two questions well:

A. If I were to compare the description to the item, while holding the item in my hand, would it be an extremely accurate description? or would I have good reason to return the item?

B. Does this description entice me to place a bid on the item?

Powersellers give"Benefit of the doubt"customer service - Customer service is such a cliched catchphrase in American Business today. In the eBay auction world, it is mandatory that you implement a very meticulous level of customer service. Powersellers have a clear reflection of their level of customer service in their feedback profile. One glance at any eBay seller's feedback profile and you have an instant snapshot of that individual's customer service rating. (Imagine if regular"brick and mortar"stores had a feedback rating posted at the front door!) This public feedback rating is both your best advertisement (if you provide great customer service) and can also be your downfall. (if you don't) A Powerseller is constantly aware of this"sign at the front door"and places a high priority on giving stellar customer service. I call it"Benefit of the doubt"customer service because even in those instances where the customer is clearly wrong, the Powerseller doesn't argue or get into an emotional"war of words", she simply refunds the money or reduces the shipping cost or sends an unexpected gift with the package. The Powerseller realizes that business and ego don't mix, they leave their ego on the table - they go on to build lifetime customer relationships.

Powersellers have their own websites - A Powerseller realizes that business conditions change. On the Internet, business conditions can change literally from quarter to quarter! Because of the transient and high-speed nature of change in the Internet business, the Powerseller realizes the value of having their own storefront on the Web. They have either built a website themselves or have had someone build a site for them. They have developed a following and a customer base through their eBay auctions that can help sustain them even if dramatic changes come about on their main selling venue. As eBay continues to evolve and change - applying restrictive and invasive policies - this will become more of a priority for all eBay sellers, not just Powersellers.

Powersellers make it easy for bidders to pay - By offering a variety of payment options, Powersellers make it easy for winning bidders to pay for their items. They offer to accept Checks, Money Orders, all types of credit and debit cards through PayPal, Billpoint, or their own Merchant Accounts. By offering a wide variety of payment options, they open up their market of available bidders and end up with higher ending bids as a result.

Powersellers offer discounts on multiple items - Whether it is a discount on shipping multiple items or a discount on the actual price of multiple items, Powersellers realize the value of a good customer and treat that customer special. Unexpected discounts tell the customer"You're special"and build a reciprocity that keeps customers coming back or searching the Powersellers' auctions.

Powersellers are always on the lookout for great deals - The Powerseller is the consummate"deal-maker". Whether it's at an antique store or at a swap meet, the Powerseller is always thinking about things they can re-sell. They find that pop-culture collectible and buy it. List it the same day and see the bid amount grow and grow. Part of the thrill of selling on eBay is"taking a shot"and listing items that you are not familiar with. Seeing the items shoot up in price is a fun and enjoyable hobby!

Powersellers do not mind making money! - A Powerseller has no"issues"with making money. Many Americans have been brought up with the notion that the only"respectable way"of making money is by working at a job for thirty years. Sales and selling is looked down upon. The Powerseller is way beyond that. They have a healthy attitude towards making money and it becomes like a"hobby"to them! As new and strange as it may appear to the more traditional types, selling on eBay is one of the easiest and most lucrative ways to make a part-time income. The alternatives to selling on eBay are either too time consuming or too unrealistic. This"new"way of earning an income is powerful and realistic.

Powersellers enjoy their work-at-home lifestyle - Powersellers love the fact that they get to work from home while the rest of America sits on the freeway, waiting for their fellow"worker-bees"to move. The freedom of having a Home Based Business is something the Powerseller relishes and appreciates. This enjoyment of the lifestyle has many tangible benefits - better health, freedom of time, being able to spend more quality time with kids, attending their school functions and field trips, better scheduling of time (around the rush hours) and an overall feeling of well-being. There is no doubt, working from home is the wave of the future.

Powersellers are willing to invest in their business - Whether it means investing in a high-speed cable modem or DSL connection, high-quality computer components, including digital cameras, monitors, keyboards, etc. or whether it means buying a"Featured Auction"listing which will drive further traffic to their other auctions, the Powerseller knows how to use their money wisely. There is a difference between wasting money and investing money in your business. An eBay Powerseller knows when to"invest"money into their business. Basically, anything that saves you time or saves you money is an investment in your business. As an example: A digital camera is a huge time-saver over taking traditional 35 mm photos and then scanning them.

If you go the scanner route, here are the steps you must take:

Buy film. (this takes driving time and money)
Shoot the photos.
Get the film developed. (this takes driving time, waiting time and money)
Inspect the photos for clarity and re-shoot, if necessary. (this takes additional time and additional money)
Scan the photos (additional time)
Crop and edit the images
Upload the images to your webhost

The same actions using a digital camera are much more efficient:

Shoot the photos. (film purchase not necessary)
Inspect the photos for clarity and immediately re-shoot. (no additional cost)
Crop and edit the images.
Upload the images to webhost.

The investment in a digital camera is one of the best ways to become a more efficient eBay seller! I paid a little over $700 for my digital camera about two years ago, it was the best time and money-savings investment I've made!

Powersellers stay up-to-date on auction trends and changes - Because Powersellers take their business seriously, they constantly keep themselves up to date on the latest industry trends and changes. They do this by buying books about online auctions, participating in eBay Message Boards / Forums, and staying tuned to the eBay Announcements Board. They don't want to be caught off guard with a new change or new policy that might affect their business.

Powersellers are always looking for better ways to do things - Whether it's listing auctions, packing and shipping, getting organized, or expanding their business, Powersellers are always looking to improve their online business. This is the nature of all successful business people, they want to improve their business constantly.

As the 4% of eBay sellers known as Powersellers continue to improve their processes, here’s hoping that the above strategies will be helpful reminders in improving yours!

David Espino is the Author of Beyond eBay and Life In The Dot Com Lane.
To receive a free excerpt from the book - Beyond eBay, visitwww.HomeBasedBusinessowner.com
Email:dave@HomeBasedBusinessowner.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:24 PM

April 18, 2005

How to Make eBay Pay You $25,000.00 per month

Anthony Samuel

There are many ways to take your business to the next level. There are a lot of strategies you could employ to bring in an extra $25,000.00 dollars each month. Unfortunately, few of those strategies are free, and even fewer promise to work for you as hard as the eBay Affiliate Program. The eBay Affiliate Program will be your business ally, equipping you with easy cash flow and more business tools than you can imagine.

The Program works with all kinds of businesses. No matter how long you have been in business, what kind of business you are in, what level of expertise you have, the eBay Affiliate Program can work for everyone.

The Program is by far, the most innovative and successful program on the Web. Members of the Program benefit from the ever growing eBay website, and earn money quickly just for referrals (as much as $45 per referral). Some of the most successful eBay Affiliate Program members have earned over $100,000.00 per month, and over a million a year. The only stipulation for joining is that you have a website.

The Program is designed to make it's affiliates successful, and they provide what you need to maximize your earning potential. You do not have to pay to become a member of the program ? they pay you! Simply follow the five step enrollment process, and you will have access to the best business practices, a set of guidelines that the eBay Affiliate Program has put together to help you maximize your earning potential.

You will also have, within your reach and at your disposal, a variety of tools to make your site more effective and to reach your full eBay earning potential. With the Editor kit, you can dynamically display eBay listings. With the Flexible Destination Tool, you can instantly create traceable affiliate links to any eBay URL. You will also have access to the Product kit, Keyword Linking Tool, API Affiliate Tier, Dynamic Landing Pages, buttons, banners, logos, and more. These tools are free for you, and will optimize your web site to become a money-making machine.

The eBay Affiliate Program provides every member with a newsletter full of information and tips. The Program takes their obligation to their affiliates seriously, and they continue to provide you with new and updated tools to support your earning potential.

Using the natural search, paid search, content site, and newsletter models, many websites are running their businesses while also tapping into the eBay Affiliate Program Resources. With the eBay Affiliate Program, you still have time and resources to run your business, but you benefit from the reputation and success of the market phenomenon that is eBay.

If this sounds enticing, check out the eBay Affiliate Program. You may be meeting your next $25,000.00 per month business partner.

Anthony Samuel is a successful entrepreneur with over 15 years home based business experience in, Internet Information Marketing, Real Estate, & Stocks. Visit his website http://www.sanjen.com for the internet's top money making opportunities.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 05:43 PM

How To Find A Whole Lotta Product

Neil Bartlett

Whether you are a beginning auction seller or advanced, you
are always faced with the age old auction question:

"What Do I Sell Now?"

I want to cover an area on eBay that most sellers tend to overlook
or they don't even know exists. These categories can provide you
with a great source of products to sell, they are called the
Wholesale Lots categories.

Most major category groups contain a section labled Wholesale
Lots, this is usually listed at the bottom of the group list.

If you go to eBay's main category listing page and drill down
into a major category you will be able to see if that category
has a Wholesale Lots sub-category. It is usually the last
sub-category listed.

eBay Category Listing Page:
http://listings.ebay.com/pool1/listings/list/overview.html

Take Jewelry & Watches for example, their Wholesale Lots group
is category 40131.

What does this have to do with product sources?

A lot of the sellers in these categories are people that have
collections or large lots that they are to lazy to break up, or
they want to just get rid of the whole lot at once, however,
if you look at the pieces in the lot and calculate out what
they could be valued at individually you can see the true worth
compared to what they are being offered for.

So next time you are searching through a specific category, see
if there is a related Wholesale Lots section and spend the time
looking, you never know, you just might find a truck load of
goods that will keep you in merchandise for a long time.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Neil Bartlett is the author of How To Find The Perfect Money
Making Auction Product. He developed the Perfect Product eBook
to help both beginning and advanced auction sellers answer
the age old question "What Do I Sell Now"?

How To Find The Perfect Money-Making Auction Product is located
at: http://www.auctionhotlist.com/perfectproduct.htm

Posted by Dave Bromley at 05:41 PM

How To Cut Your eBay Fees By More Than 90%

Mike Nalbone

Now, are you ready for the REAL TRUTH about selling on eBay?

It's simple; don't list too many items for sale using their auction format. Instead, set up one of their stores. The cost starts at just $9.99 per month.

Why is this a good idea?

Let's do the math:

If you list an item for sale using the auction format, the cost is anywhere from $.35 on up to several dollars PER AUCTION. What's worse is that the auctions are only good for 3, 5, 7, or 10 days.

BETTER WAY: Sell the item in your eBay store. The listing price is just 2 or 3 cents per item...and get this...They're good for a FULL 30 days! For example, I recently sold a $500 item that I listed in my eBay store. The listing cost me a whopping 3 cents! The same item, if I'd sold it using the auction format, would have cost me several dollars!

Using eBay's Auction format to list 500 items at a minimum of $.35 each = $175.00 (and these are only good for 7 days each so you'd have to list them 4 times each per month) $175 x 4 = $700.00

List the same 500 items in your eBay store @ just $.03 each = $15 + the $9.99 monthly store fee = $24.99 and they are listed for a full 30 days each!

You save $675.01 per month! HOLY SMOKES!

I'm sure you can clearly see the benefit here. Of course you will want to sell a few CHEAP items using the auction format to try to generate interest & drive customers to your eBay store where they will buy MORE from you. Make sure every auction listing contains a link to your eBay store & TELL THE CUSTOMER TO VISIT YOUR STORE. Sell 10 or so of your 3 or 4 or 5 dollar items as auctions...just enough to get some traffic to your store.

Now, what is it that the REALLY successful PowerSellers do?

They maximize the "back-end" sale.

What this means to you is that once a customer has bought from you, the hard part is over. Now having done business with you, they TRUST you to deliver the goods. You MUST & I REPEAT, MUST try to get that customer to buy again & again.

Never, ever, send a package to a customer without including a sales flyer, catalog or some other special offer in the package to try to entice them to make another purchase. Email them a special offer every week or so.

You NEED repeat customers. Going after the lone, one-time sale is a losing battle. You will not be successful unless you get them to buy again & again & do this with every person you deal with.

Send a thank-you note via postal mail or eMail to every customer & use that opportunity to SELL THEM SOMETHING ELSE.

Another tip:

Sell CONSUMABLE items. You know, stuff that people need to order fairly often. Like socks, t-shirts, work gloves, food items, towels & linens, printer ink cartridges, sell shipping materials to other eBay sellers. You will get REPEAT orders from these customers for months and even years to come.

Mike Nalbone is editor and publisher of The Thynker Home Business Tips newsletter which reveals proven tips, tools and opportunities for growing a successful homebased online business. Sign up free at http://www.Thynke.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 05:39 PM

Finding eBook Writing Topics On eBay

Jeff Smith

I was speaking to a good friend of mine who operates many businesses online and he just happened to mention that he gets many of his ideas from eBay.

Even more intriguing, he told me that he could tell how much of a given product was selling on eBay.

Now, I don't know about you, but I've been trying to figure out how to tap into eBay sales information for months now - but there just doesn't seem to be any way....

Until, this know-it-all let me know the simple, yet highly effective method he uses...

**************************************************
SIDEBAR:

Learn how Terrance turns 57-minutes each week into
huge monthly income from eBay -- as much as
$8,175.55 Per Month!

http://www.highertrustmarketing.com/part/terrance
***************************************************

First, it is worth noting that you can get a summary of the hottest categories selling on eBay. While this is somewhat useful in locating trends and broad areas of interest, there is a more useful way to use the auction center to test your own ideas.

Start by searching eBay for your keyword term + ebook.

For example, if you are trying to test "dog training", then you would enter "dog training ebook" in your
search.

In most cases you will find at least one example, and in many cases you will find lots of different ebooks listed.

The next step is to select a few examples that match closely to your idea or topic area. Bring the auction up, and now for the trick...

eBay provides great detail into auctions by member, including a complete detailed list of auctions and outcome by member.

So, what you want to do is simply scan the members holding active auctions - selecting the option "search all auctions by this member" and viola, you will get a picture of activity from this member.

Using this information you can judge if there are two sales of their product each day or 20. The idea is not to get an actual, accurate count, but rather a sense of how many copies are moving through their auction.

You may be shocked by some of the results you see. Any existing ebook, report, course, training, audio or video that has activity daily - especially with multiple copies sold daily, will help to validate your market and topic area.

Resources mentioned in this article are:
eBay Hottest Posts: http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/whatshot.html

Terrnace Smith's "Sell Books and Videos" site: http://www.highertrustmarketing.com/part/terrance

Jeff Smith is dedicated to helping you turn your knowledge
into highly desirable, hot selling information-based
products (eBooks, booklets, seminars, courses, etc...)
Through his highly acclaimed site:
http://www.highertrustmarketing.com you will find exactly
what it takes to create and market high-profit infoproducts.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 05:15 PM

Effective Online Car Sales on Ebay Motors

Cherie Szilvagyi

Remember back when selling online was a new experience? Dealers tried everything to sell their vehicles online. Today?s market has expanded to include several hot online marketplaces. The largest online marketplace is Ebay. Ebay has evolved into an online solution for everything from whole towns to your favorite paperback book. Big or small it doesn?t matter, Ebay has everything for the savvy consumer.

Vehicles are plentiful on Ebay. Ebay sells a vehicle every minute for the savvy seller willing to invest his time and money in listing his vehicle online. Just how effective is selling on Ebay? Actually, less than 10% of the vehicles listed on Ebay actually sell. A selected few dealers sell at 80 to 100% of their online car sales.

Who are the auto dealers that are selling effectively on Ebay? Is there a secret to their success? Consider that a vehicle, digital camera and some basic design skills are all you need to sell on Ebay. Which vehicle and how much will it sell for? How to type up the description so that the internet savvy consumer will want to purchase your vehicle?

All of these questions are asked each and every day by savvy individuals and auto dealers all across the United States. A company has come along that can help with your selling situation and take the work out of listing for a car dealer on Ebay Motors. That is right! No work for you! They take the pictures and handle your vehicle sale from start to finish, while handling emails in a professional manner to produce a proven sales results.

A Consulting company called www.AutomobileClearingHouse.com has proven that they can sell cars on Ebay with a sell through factor much higher than the average auto dealer on Ebay. Take the work out of selling your vehicle on the world?s largest marketplace. Check out their website and see how easy selling a car online can be.

?Committed to selling online, put our extensive experience to work for you.? At www.AutomobileClearingHouse.com, their moto says it all!

Posted by Dave Bromley at 05:10 PM

eBay Tips

Gillian Tarawhiti

This might not seem important, but in terms of selling on eBay it?s important to understand what you are doing and what you bidders are talking about.
Seller?s Tips

?Be a Professional: Present yourself as a friendly professional. Make sure your descriptions and policies are clear. Make sure your auction is inviting and friendly. Strive for efficiency in very aspect of what you do. If you?re lacking in a system of organisation your whole business is going to be threatened.

?Keep it Concise: Avoid lengthy descriptions or worded sales pitches. Although these approaches might work elsewhere, they have no place in online auctions.

?Include a Photo: Photos add to authenticity. Try to include one if you can. Remember to keep it focused and relatively compact.

?Answer Questions: Include an email address and answer questions promptly and thoroughly. People will buy from sources that they can trust.

?Finish It Up: Don't drop your buyers at the moment of purchase. Be prepared for follow up emails and inquiries. You may have the sale now, but you might not in the future.

?Don't Be a Stranger: Don't keep yourself too anonymous. Anonymity creates suspicion and suspicion is the auctioneer's worst enemy.

?Ship it Right: Don't rip people off in the shipping. Try to bundle items together and package them properly.

?Your auction headline and item description: Your headline is your advertising and your item description is your salesperson. On the web, how you?re potential buyer perceives you and your product is everything.

?Use Power Words: Be sure to use the power words in your auction title (headline) Rare, Unique, Powerful, New, Unusual, Stunning, Top Notch, First Class, etc. Just be sure not to exaggerate. Don?t call something ?rare? if it is not. Remember 65% of eBay bidders find what they are looking for by using the search function.

?Search Lising on eBay to see what is selling: Go to http://pages.ebay.com/buy/index.html to see what is being listed and sold on eBay. The number is parentheses after the category title is the number of auctions for a given item.

?Set up a PayPal Shop: PayPal offers a service to all of their users called PayPal Shops. A PayPal shop is nothing more than a link to your eBay

?Set up a web site and use eBay to drive business to it: Every eBay seller should have a web site. Remember sales you make from your web site do not incur eBay fees. eBay has cracked down on sellers using auctions to drive hits to their web sites, but there are still some loopholes and techniques you can use without running afoul of eBay. These details are explained in this book

?Learn to sell information products on eBay: People will pay good money for information they can use. If you can write reasonably well, and you have a topic you have some expertise in, you can probably write a reference guide or ?how-to? manual and sell it on eBay.

?Create an Opt-in newsletter: Create an on-line newsletter for your customers. Instead of sending the newsletter out, just send out the table of contents with a link to a page on your web site where the newsletter is posted. This drives traffic to your web site, which is the whole point. Your newsletter should also include a link to your active auctions.

The most effective method to drive traffic to your auction, and ultimately to your own website.
eBay Keywords? is a powerful online marketing tool that brings buyers right to your listings through targeted ads linked to "keyword" search terms

https://ebay.admarketplace.net/ebay/servlet/ebay
How eBay Keywords work?

If you have some internet background then you would have heard the term pay-per-click (PPC).

Here is a short lesson on PPC.

PPC is basically paying for traffic legally. You bid for the highest position on a keyword or phrase on search engine(s).

eBay Keywords are based on the same principle, in that you bid to be on the number one spot for your keywords.

You bid the maximum cost-per-click (CPC) that you are willing to pay when a user clicks on your banner ad.

I will not go into depth regarding this option but will say that driving people to your auction is a good thing. I would highly recommend doing so.

Auction Lingo

?"As Is": Also known as "as is, where is" and "in its present condition." Typically, this is a sign that no return privileges will be granted.

?Bid Cancellation: The cancellation of a bid by a seller. During online auctions, sellers can cancel a bid if they feel uncomfortable about completing a transaction with a particular bidder.

?Bid History:: A historical list of all the bids made on a particular auction during or after the auction.

?Bid Increment: The standardized amount an item increases in price after each new bid. The auction service sets the increment, which rises according to the present high bid value of an item.

?Bid Retraction: The legitimate cancellation of a bid on an item by a bidder during an online auction.

?Bid Rigging: Fraudulent bidding by an associate of the seller in order to inflate the price of an item. Also known as shilling and collusion.

?Bid Shielding: Posting extremely high bids to protect the lower bid of an earlier bidder, usually in cahoots with the bidder who placed the shielding bid.

?Bid Siphoning: The practice of contacting bidders and offering to sell them the same item they are currently bidding on, thus drawing bidders away from the legitimate seller's auction.

?Bulk Loading: Listing a group of different items in separate lots all at once using an online auction site's bulk loading tool.

?Buying Up Lots: The practice of buying all quantities of an item during a Dutch auction. This is typically done for resale purposes.

?Caveat Emptor: The Latin phrase meaning "let the buyer beware."

?Cookie: A piece of information sent from a web server to a web browser that the browser software saves and then sends back to the server whenever the browser makes additional requests from the server.

?Deadbeats: High bidders who fail to pay for the item they won.

?Dutch Auction: The seller is offering multiple, identical items for sale.

?Escrow: Money held in trust by a third party until the seller makes delivery of merchandise to the buyer.

?fdbk/fk: Feedback. One user's public comments about another user in regard to their auction dealings. Feedback comments cannot be removed or changed once submitted to an auction service.

?Featured Auctions: Auction listings placed prominently on the home page and category pages of an auction service. Sellers pay for this prime placement.

?Feedback Padding: One user posting fraudulent positive feedback about another user and his or her auctions.

?Final Value Fee: The commission charge the seller pays to the auction service after his or her item sells.

?FVF Request: Final value fee request.

?Grading: The process for determining the physical condition of an item. Different items have different grading systems.

?Initial Listing Price: The opening bid price a seller attaches to his or her auction.

?Insertion Fee: A fee paid by the seller to the auction site in order to list an item for auction, calculated as a percentage of the opening bid or reserve price.

?Lot: A single auction listing.

?Market Value: The highest price a property will bring in the open market.

?Maximum Bid: The highest price a buyer will pay for an item, submitted in confidence to an online auction service's automated bidding system to facilitate proxy bidding.

?Minimum Opening Bid: The mandatory starting bid for a given auction, set by the seller at the time of listing.

?NARU'd: A auction user term to describe users whose memberships have been discontinued. NARU is the acronym for "not a registered user."

?Neg: Short for "negative user feedback."

?Net Cops: Auction users who actively attempt to report instances of fraud, such as shilling or bid shielding, to online auction sites.

?NR: Short for "no reserve." This indicates in the item description line that the auction has no reserve price specified.

?Opening Bid: The seller's opening bid, which sets the opening price.

?Outbid: To submit a maximum bid that is higher than another buyer's maximum bid.

?Proxy Bidding: Decide the maximum you're willing to pay and enter this amount. eBay will confidentially bid up to your maximum amount. In this way, you don't have to keep an eye on your auction as it unfolds. If other bidders outbid your maximum at the end of the auction, you don't get the item. But otherwise, you're the winner--and the final price might even be less than the maximum you had been willing to spend!

?Registered User: A person who has registered as a member of an online auction service. All online auction services require registration prior to buying and selling.

?Relisting: The relisting of an item by a seller after it has not received any bids or met its reserve price. Typically, the first relisting is free.

?Reserve Price: The minimum price a seller will accept for an item to be sold at auction. This amount is never formally disclosed.

?Retaliatory: The user term for retaliatory negative feedback, posted by one user in response to another user's negative feedback.

?S&H Charges: Shipping and handling charges.

?Secondary Market: The buyer market for second-hand goods. Online auctions serve the secondary market.

?Shilling: Fraudulent bidding by the seller (using an alternate registration) or an associate of the seller in order to inflate the price of an item. Also known as bid rigging and collusion.

?Sniping: Outbidding other buyers in the closing minutes or seconds of an auction.

?Starting Price: The mandatory starting bid for a given auction, set by the seller at the time of listing.

?Terms of Service: A legally binding agreement that outlines an auction site's operating policies. All registered users must agree to a site's terms before using the service.

?User Info Request: A request for a user's background information, which provides personal information, such as a phone number.

About the Author
Gillian Tarawhiti, is Founder and CEO of Community Training Centre, an Australian-based Internet Marketing firm that works with individuals and organisations
? 2004 Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or on your web site so long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided to www.millionairerippleeffect.com.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 05:05 PM

eBay Success

Jonathan R Taylor

Everyone has heard incredible stories of people making big money on eBay selling stuff from their attic or "junk" they pick up at garage sales. While these stories make the most skeptical of us tingle at the thought of easy money, hard work and determination are the key words for selling on eBay. Sure, there is always the "fly by the seat of your pants" approach, but if you are serious about making money on eBay, my wife, Rachel, has learned what doesn't work on eBay from countless hours of trial and error. She has written the following advice for those of you who are serious about making a profit with eBay:

1. FOCUS - Choose something to sell that you already know about; preferably something that you love! When you are already familiar with an item, you don't waste time wondering whether it will sell or how much you should pay for it. My experience with garage sale shopping and hoping that I picked things that people wanted to buy was a total flop because I didn't know what I was looking for. I ended up with piles of stuff that I couldn't sell and wasted lots of time looking for garage sales. Those of you who have done this, know the total frustration of a wasted Saturday morning.

2. RESEARCH - The other option is to research on eBay what is already selling and then find a cheap source of that item. Garage sales are a good way to find stuff if you already know what you are looking for. Call ahead to garage sales that are listed in the paper and ask if they have what you are looking for. Don't waste your time and gas poking around town looking for sales that don't have what you want! Garage sales work best if you know a lot about antiques or collectibles. These items sell well on eBay, but they only work for people who know what they are looking for and how much antiques and collectibles are worth. Other things that sell well on eBay are items that have a model number or item number or an ISBN number (this is for eBay's sister site Half.com which lists books by ISBN numbers - this is great for selling old textbooks or out of print items!) People go to eBay looking for deals on electronics, brand-name clothes, video games, computers, and software. Things that can be easily identified with words sell well on eBay. Things that do NOT sell well on eBay are things that don't have a hard and fast description; items that need to be touched or smelled or rely on aesthetics to sell. Home interior items are examples of things that DON'T sell well on eBay. People who shop eBay are looking for something specific. If they don't already know about what you are selling, they aren't going to just browse eBay's categories looking for your items. Use this as a guide when choosing what to sell. The best way to find cheap sources for these items is to work out a deal with a wholesaler. This way you get the best possible pricing and you can still make a profit! Because, remember, people shopping eBay are looking for a deal!

3. CONSIDER DROP SHIPPING - This is the best possible method that I have found for making eBay a profitable enterprise. (Unless you are going the route of antiques and collectibles) Drop shipping eliminates the need for storing your items, packaging, and shipping them. This ate most of the profit that I would have made because it took so much time to do all of this. And most of us don't have an empty room we can devote just for storing stuff for eBay and even if we did, we have to come up with a system for inventory. You end up with a lot of the headaches that traditional businesses have to deal with. SO, the BEST way that I have found to make eBay profitable for the average person is this:

research what is selling on eBay
go to the library and go through a copy of the business directory and find WHOLESALERS that sell the product that eBay goers are looking for
contact the wholesaler and work out a deal with them
ask for great pricing in exchange for you selling their product
as part of the deal, arrange for them to ship directly to your customers
So, basically, you are acting as a retailer for them. They benefit, by getting sales with no overhead, and you benefit by being able to be competitive on eBay and not having the headaches of storing, packing, and shipping! It is a wonderful win-win agreement!

If you do choose the antiques and collectibles route, there are great resources out there to teach you how to do it as profitably as possible. My favorite is Starting an eBay Business for Dummies.

And, as a resource to market your eBay auctions for even better profits, I would definitely recommend Seth Godin's book Permission Marketing. It is a MUST for growing your eBay business and keeping customers coming back to your auctions again and again. The key is turning strangers into friends and friends into customers!

Jonathan R. Taylor, specializes in helping people in every stage of their lives to find more meaning and purpose in their work. He believes that to find that purpose and meaning, a person's interests, skills, passions, and goals must integrate seamlessly with their work. To get more great advice, subscribe to Jonathan's newsletter at www.careercalling.com!

Posted by Dave Bromley at 04:57 PM

Ebay Steve's Top Tips for successful selling on Ebay

Ebay Steve

EbaySteve would never even CONSIDER an auction without checking out the competition first! Oh yeah! This gets us to ebaySteve's next super tip - decide on your price now. As you kiddies will know, you can set a 'Buy it Now' price on your auctions - this is generally what you think an item is actually worth (at least to you - ebaySteve often wastes a happy Friday afternoon searching the 'Bay for "domain" auctions - some of these wutangs think a 90-letter domain in greek is worth millions! Hah! call the dumbo police!).

Remember, ebaySteve says that your opening bid (the price you want to start the auction off at) should be MUCH lower, or everyone will think you are Pennywise the Clown. Don't ever forget, once an auction gets going, it can take on a life of its own, and setting a low start price is the easiest way to stimulate that initial excitement, especially on an item in mucho grande demand (like ebaySteve's used socks, for example!). While we are on this one, don't bother with secret 'reserve' prices. If you don't know what your item is worth, you shouldn't be selling it!

EbaySteve's next tip? How are your potential buyers gonna find your auction? They will search for it. That means you have to get your keywords into your auction title! No point having a title that bangs on about 'great opportunity, never to be repeated bargain' etc etc if yo forget to say '1967 Ford Mustang' too! EbaySteve super-tip - don't bother with punctuation, or silly characters - if you waste your title with that stuff, they'll never find you in the first place! Only mis-spell if it is likely to be searched for, because Ebay search finds exact matches. If you need more space, use a subtitle. These cost a cool 50 cents, so ebaySteve says use 'em on items below about $25.

When they find it, will it scare them away? There are, unfortunately, a number of auctions on the mighty Bay that scare ebaySteve! Choose your colors and font sizes carefully - the one thing you do NOT want is for everyone else to think you are a fruitcake. Even though ebaySteve likes fruit, and cake, he doesn't like 'em together. OK? Oh yeah! You will also need at least 1 good quality photo of your item. Try and make it a little 'different' from similar auctions - if everyone chooses the 'stock' photo, how do potential buyers differentiate between you? BUT, make sure it ain't bigger than 40 or 50k - plenty of people are still on dialup, and they won't bother with you if the page takes more than 10 seconds to load. And fer crying out loud, make SURE you allow payment via Paypal - it is Ebay's very own payment method, and by far the best. They charge only a TINY commission on your sales, and you will find buyers take you MUCH more seriously if you do. No harm in other payment options too, just start off with Paypal! (Super extra important tip - only allow Paypal payments from members with a CONFIRMED address. Helps to cut down on fraud and refund requests).

Payment tip - ebaySteve has in the past had problems with spam filters - there's nothing more annoying than to get an offer but miss it because your darn email system 'binned' the mail! Have a special email account for auctions (if you start getting too much spam, open up a new one). It's also worth mentioning in the text of your auction that potential buyers should 'whitelist' your email address. In the worst case, you can always contact other ebayers with the Contact Member form.

Auction timings - choose to start and end an auction during daylight hours (for your target audience!). These auctions statistically generate higher prices because bidding continues right up to the final bell. Use http://pages.ebay.com/turbo_lister to list your items quicker - it costs, but only a tad, and will help you get the whole process moving fast. That's about it fer now, Bayers! Keep it real!

Ebay Steve owns the way cool site www.ebaySteve.com the super site for free advice on making money with ebay, the world's greatest auction house.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 04:55 PM

eBay Gold

Greg Hayes

Internet auctions are relatively new having been around since the mid 1990's. There are several Internet auctions including Yahoo Auctions and UBid. But of course the undisputed king of Internet auctions is Ebay. Ebay has over 100 million registered users making it one of the top 10 most visited websites in the world.

I discovered Ebay way back in 1998. At first, I was strictly a buyer. I was amazed at the thousands of items that could be found on Ebay. Just about anything you can imagine can be found on Ebay. And there were more incredible bargains to be found than at any other ecommerce website or brick and mortar store I had ever visited. After about six months or so of buying, I began selling items on Ebay. I had an extensive collection of unbuilt as well as built plastic model cars. I began placing the models on Ebay with starting bids of $5.00 and no reserve. To my surprise, people started jumping all over these model kits. Some of them sold for as high as $70.00. It was at this time that I realized the enormous money making potential of Ebay. The key to being a successful seller on Ebay is selling items that people want. There are a number of ebooks on Internet auctions that tell of the importance of a great headline and a killer ad for your auction. While this is true, it is also important to remember that the best ad in the world will never sell an item that no one wants. The items that do well on Ebay are unique or interesting items. Antiques, pottery, collectables and high-end apparel are just a few of the items that will bring high bids on Ebay. If you can easily find the item at Wal-Mart, chances are it will not do well on Ebay.

There are a number of wholesalers around the country that you can buy merchandise from to sell on Ebay. But before you buy, do your homework. It's very tempting to buy a bunch of electronic widgets that sell for $2.00 a piece. You might think you can buy 20 of the $2.00 widgets and then sell them for $12.00 a piece on Ebay and make a killing. Unfortunately, you discover that no one is bidding on your widgets despite the fact that you have started the bidding at a mere $6.00. In fact, there are very few people that are even viewing your auctions. The end result is you are now stuck with 20 widgets that no one wants. The first mistake here was not doing a search of widgets on Ebay to find out if they're hot or not. The second mistake was trying to sell an electronic item. Yes, I know there is a huge market for electronic gadgets. That's the problem; the market is too huge. It is already saturated. How many times a day are you bombarded with offers for the latest and greatest cell phone or digital camera? If you try to sell in this market on Ebay, you're encroaching on Best Buy's turf, which means you'll be smashed like a bug. On the other hand, how many offers do you receive for NASCAR collectibles or Gucci shoes? Or how about die cast models? These are the hot items on Ebay. These are in demand items and more importantly you can sell these items without competing against Wal-Mart and Best Buy.

If you're new to Ebay, the first thing you need to do is to build positive feedback. Feedback is vital to your success on Ebay. Potential buyers will read your feedback in order to determine if you're an honest seller. If you have high numbers of negative feedback, many buyers will look elsewhere. Take a look at some of the Ebay Power Sellers feedback. Many of them have feedback in the thousands with a rating of over 99% positive. It's no secret how these Power Sellers became successful on Ebay. They take care of their customers. This means they'll have plenty of repeat business.

When you first sign up with Ebay, you'll have zero feedback. Most buyers will shy away from an Ebay newbie with zero or very low feedback. Start building your feedback rating by selling personal items from around the house that you no longer want. This is a good way to get the feel of using Ebay and to build positive feedback. You should invest in a good digital camera. Good clear pictures are an important selling feature on Ebay. Remember to describe your items accurately and honestly. Do not try to trick or deceive buyers in any way. You can't afford receiving negative feedback this early in the game.

I came across a perfect example of a deceptive seller on Ebay a while back. The seller had sold a pair of slightly used shocks for a 2003 Chevy pickup. He used Ebay's Buy-It-Now feature to sell the shocks for just one cent. Wow! What an incredible deal! But wait a minute. The unwary buyer forgot to read the entire auction. The shipping charges were a whopping 60 bucks! The result was a pissed off buyer and negative feedback for the seller. This was an obvious attempt on the part of the seller to make money on the shipping costs. He was banking on the fact that the buyer would not read the entire auction and would simply assume the shipping charges would be reasonable. Do not use deception in your auctions or try to make money on shipping costs. If you treat your customers the way you expect to be treated you will never go wrong and you'll be well on your way to building a reputation as an honest top-notch seller.

If you happen to get a few non-paying bidders, resist the temptation to leave negative feedback for these individuals. Leaving negative feedback will only result in possible retaliation by the non-paying bidder and negative feedback for you. Once again, you do not want any negative feedback this early in the game. Buying items off of Ebay is another great way to build positive feedback. When you win an auction, pay for the item promptly. The result will be positive feedback for you. Most buyers will not care whether your feedback came as a result of buying or selling as long as it's positive.

After you've built a feedback rating of least 25, you'll be ready to start purchasing wholesale merchandise to sell on Ebay. Remember what I said about doing your homework before buying merchandise. If you have your eye on a particular item you think might sell on Ebay, first do a search of that item on Ebay to find out what people are bidding if anything on the item. If it looks hot, at least 7 or 8 bids, then it's probably a good bet. If it doesn't appear to be getting many bids, you should steer clear. You can also do an advanced search for auctions that have already ended. It's a great way to find out the final bid price for a particular item. A few extra minutes of research can save you from a giant headache down the road.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 04:50 PM

eBay Auctions - How to Create a Compelling Title

Ian Stables

(C) 2005 Ian Stables

"The 37 Effective Ebay Ad Writing Secrets"

Secret 7
How to Easily Create a Compelling Auction Title
Very effective! Think for a moment the questions that you would like answered. I bet you're really interested anytime you see anything offering the answer. Imagine your question is 'Is there an easier way to get to work?'. You might express it as 'I wish there was an easier way to get to work'. But it means the same thing. You see a headline that says 'New Easy Way To Get To (where you work)'. Would you be curious? Of course you would.

So it makes sense to ask yourself what questions your target customer has which you can provide the answer. Then construct your headline as the answer.

Examples:

Customers question
'What can I buy for my wife's birthday present?'
Your item
A quality ladies wristwatch
Your headline
'Just What The Lady Wants - Quality Wrist Watch'

Customers question
'How can I study less and still remember?'

Your item
A new way to study faster and remember everything
Your headline
'New Way - Study Faster and Remember Everything'

Customers question
'What can I sell on Ebay?'
Your item
A guide on what to buy and where to find these items at car boot sales
Your headline
'What To Buy and Where To Find Saleable Ebay Items'

Customers question
'I'd write and sell ebooks but don't know how'
Your item
A simple way to write an ebook
Your headline
'The Easy Way To Write A Saleable Ebook'

Peoples questions often begin with How, Which, Who, Where, When, What and Why.

Ian Stables is the author of "The 37 eBay Ad Writing Secrets" - How to easily COMPEL people to buy your stuff on eBay. To see contents visit http://ebayadsecrets.tripod.com/

For sale as an ebook.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 04:42 PM

Auction Power Releases New eBay Members Only or Subscription website www.AP8.com

PRWEB

eBay Auction Membership site. Including How to, checklists, videos all geared toward successful online auction selling

(PRWEB) April 28, 2004 -- Auction Power Has just released their Subscription website or Members-Only website. The website is a detailed collection of information about eBay and online auctions and is avaliable only to people who subscribe. Most of the subscription websites post new articles several times a week have an active discussion group and are run by, hosted by and/or moderated by a dedicated expert on the subject.

As the name implies, these sites are only open to members.

Members log in 24 hours a day with their username and password where they can read articles, join discussion posts, ask questions and put their feedback and questions in the discussion board.

Why subscribers are ready to pay.

The Internet has enabled people with similar interests to find each other and form online eBay, computers, or model railroading, the Internet enables you to connect to others who share your areas of interest.

Subscription websites cover every subject you can imagine:
Hobbies (Golf, fishing and everything else.)
Health and Fitness
Diets (South Beach, A different site for every diet you can imagine.)
Business (There is a different site for every kind of business you can think of.)
Investing
Cars (eBay motor or eBay motors.com.)
Boats (A different site for each model.)
Trains
Travel
How to (Sell on eBay.)
Adventure
Computer games
Computer programs
Dating
Children
Finance
Sports

Subscription websites are priced from free to over $4,000 a year -- most falling in the $4 to $89 price range. Subscribing options range for one month, three months or one year.

Here are some of the compelling reasons for the growth in the subscription website portion of the Internet:
?Concise to the point information on the topic of interest
?No sifting through advertising
?Active Discussion Groups.
?Update to date news and trends

Here is a sample of what a subscription website looks like:
http://www.AP8.com(How to sell successfully on eBay and online auctions.)
http://www.SWEPA.com(How to start and run your own Subscription Website.)
http://www.SmallBusinessWebsite.com(Showing small businesses how to really make use of their websites.)
http://www.auctionmoneymakers.com(eBay Training)
http://www.auctioninternet.com(eBay Tips)
http://www.auctionnewsflash.com(eBay and online auction information)

Information on the Internet is free, but the quality non-Spam data now requires you to pay a small fee.

A lot of people realize this and are glad to pay for information that is NOT available to the general public. That's why subscription websites are growing in popularity.

Posted by Dave Bromley at 04:00 PM

AUCTION TIP A Basic eBay Listing Template

Chuck Smith

A good auction listing must not only read well, but must look professional. Here?s a quick, easy template anyone to make their listing more professional

Do you know what drives me nuts on eBay? When I view an item up for auction and the listing has no style whatsoever. There?s just a long scroll of text that gives only the briefest explanation of what the product is and why I should buy it.

Writing a good auction listing is a topic for another article, but I can help those of you who want to spice up the look of your auction listings with a simple template that will work in the eBay?Sell an Item?system.

First, I want to go over a couple of HTML?tags?so you know what all the funky little letters in the brackets (><) are for. But don?t worry?I?m not going to try and teach you HTML. I just want to show you a litte to keep you from messing up your listing.

First, an HTML TAG is just a quick way for you to let a Web browser know how you want your web page to look like when it is displayed in your Web browser. That?s it.

======================== HTML TAGS =========================

HEADING TAG: This tag designates that the text is a heading and should be larger than the page text. You can designate different sizes of headings (I use heading2 below - <h3>).

FORMAT: Starts with <h3> and ends with </h3>

PARAGRAPH TAG: This tag lets you format a block of text, complete with a break in between paragraphs. The break is always there, and you cannot start a new paragraph on the very next line.

FORMAT: Starts with and ends with

LINE BREAK TAG: This tag is like a carriage return on your word processor or typewriter. This tag will allow you to start on the very next line.
NOTE: You cannot use more than one Line Break Tag in a row?HTML ignores them.

FORMAT: Put a at the end of the line

BULLETTED LIST: This will allow you to create a nice list of items with bullets in front. Great for showing off some features, since people tend to skim pages.

FORMAT: Start the list with <ul> and end with </ul>
Each list item gets a <li> in front of it

======================== HTML TAGS =========================

That?s it for the HTML tutorial. That wasn?t so bad, was it? Now, here?s a quick template you can use to spice up your eBay listings. Just cut and paste the text below (in between the?CUT HERE?lines) into the Notepad program on your PC (located under?All Programs>Accessories?in the Start menu) and edit the information in ALL CAPS.

++++++++++++++++++++++++ CUT HERE ++++++++++++++++++++++++

<h3 align="center">Helvetica, sans-serif">YOUR
INTERESTING HEADLINE</h3>
 
 
 
AN INTERESTING SUBHEAD 
 
 
HERE, YOU CAN EXPLAIN THE MAIN BENEFITS OF THE ITEM. 
MAKE IT A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION (2–3 SENTENCES).
 
 
ANOTHER BENEFIT PARAGRAPH.
 
 
SOME FEATURES IN A BULLETTED LIST:
 
 
<ul>
 
<li>FEATURE 1</li>
 
<li>FEATURE 2</li>
 
<li>FEATURE 3</li>
 
<li>FEATURE 4</li>
 
</ul>
 
 
USE THIS PARAGRAPH TO WRAP-UP. YOU CAN STATE THE PRICE 
OF THE ITEM IF THEY BOUGHT IT IN THE STORE (I.E. I SAW 
THIS PRODUCT FOR $97 AT THE LOCAL STORE). YOU CAN ALSO PUT 
IN SOME CLOSING COMMENTS (I LIKE THIS ITEM, BUT I DON'T 
HAVE ANY MORE ROOM IN MY BASEMENT).
 
 
PAYMENT TERMS: PUT YOUR PAYMENT METHODS HERE.
 
 
P.S. ADD YOUR ABOUT ME PAGE HERE<a href="http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/YOUR_EBAY_ID/"> 
About Me</a>
 
 
Thank you!

++++++++++++++++++++++++ CUT HERE ++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Once you?ve changed the text and saved it from Notepad, just copy all of the text and paste it into the listing window on eBay. This will be the?Item description? form that comes up after you?ve picked a category. You can preview the description by clicking on the?Preview Page? link below the window. If you?ve done everything correctly, it should look great!

By using this simple template, you can immediately vault the professionalism of your listings above and beyond what a lot of eBay-ers are putting out there right now. And that can result in more sales, at a greater price, for your online auction business.

About the Author:

Chuck Smith is the creator of the Auction Rookie web site.
This site is dedicated to helping people start and run a successful online auction business. Visit his site to
get a free report on?How to Get Started Selling on eBay.?
http://www.auctionrookie.com or
mailto:csmith@auctionrookie.com

-------------------------------------------

Auction Rookie?Tools and Tips for Online Auction Success Visit http://www.auctionrookie.com for a FREE report on ?How to Get Started Selling on eBay.? Comments or Questions? mailto:csmith@auctionrookie.com
(c) Copyright 2003, Chuck Smith. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Chuck Smith is the creator of the Auction Rookie web site. This site is dedicated to helping people start and run a successful online auction business. Visit his site to get a free report on?How to Get Started Selling on eBay.?
http://www.auctionrookie.com or
mailto:csmith@auctionrookie.com

Posted by Dave Bromley at 03:35 PM