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Hello <$firstname$>
I hope that you have all had a pleasant Christmas and are now looking
forward to a prosperous New Year. It seems that it was a pretty hectic
period for eBay with them again returning excellent results for the
holiday period.
I expect that you have seen eBay’s latest TV campaign in which
they encourage us all to sell our unwanted Christmas gifts on eBay.
I don’t know what you feel about this but I think I would be
rather hurt if I discovered someone had sold a gift I had given them,
but maybe I am just old fashioned.
Also after Christmas there was all the publicity and subsequent “me
to” offers for left over brussel sprouts. The press were quite
happy to report bids of over £1000 but I wonder if the sale
actually went through.
If you have not visited the UK Auctionline web site recently I have
just added 5 more articles and will be adding another 5 later this
week. We really are getting a large number of relevant and informative
items on the site and there are plans to add even more in the coming
months. You can find most of the articles by clicking on “The
Article Bank” or using the sites search box.
The annual “eBay Live” event is going to be held in
Las Vegas between the 13 th and 15 th June 2006. I keep promising
myself that I will attend one of these events as they sound pretty
special although I have not made it yet. I do remember that back
in around 2001 they held a European event in Germany but there has
been nothing since.
Perhaps eBay might consider holding an events around the world for
non US eBayers.
How about it ebay?
By Kirsten Hawkins
In fact, you might not even have heard of eBay stores. Read on to
find out what you’ve been missing.
eBay stores come at three levels: Basic for $15.95 per month, Featured
for $49.95 per month or Anchor for $499.95 per month (yes, that is
typed correctly: almost $500). The best place to start out is with
Basic (you can even get a month’s free trial), but if you like what
you find then you should upgrade to Featured quickly, simply because
it has so many extra features. Note that you must have a feedback
rating of at least 20 before you can get an eBay store.
But what is an eBay store? Basically, it lets you list a set of fixed
price auctions together on one page for much longer than auctions
usually last – and most sellers with eBay stores list the items at a slightly lower price. It’s
like a list of your special offers. You can put your logo on the
store and write a little about your business and policies, and your
customers can search your store for anything they might want. Buyers
can click through to your store using the door symbol next to your
name.
A good way to look at it is that it’s a little like having your own e-commerce site outside eBay where you can list your items more long term – except it’s
all done for you without you having to learn a new system. Items
in eBay stores can be listed for 30, 60, 90 or 120 days, or you can
list items permanently, paying monthly for each one.
So you Want an eBay Store Now?
You can visit eBay stores at http://stores.ebay.com.
Go there now and click the ‘Open a Store’ button on the right of
the screen to start signing up for the free trial. Then there are
a few steps to go before your store can open for business.
Step 1: Pick a theme. You can have whatever design you want on your
store, but to begin with pick something from eBay’s options that
you think would be appropriate.
Step 2: Add your store’s name, description and logo. You can pick one of eBay’s pictures for the logo or upload a logo of your own if you have one. Don’t
worry, you can always change this later.
Step 3: Choose your subscription level, and then click ‘Start My Subscription Now’.
Your store is ready! Remember that you can customise it more at any
time.
Listing items in your store is just like listing items on normal
eBay using ‘Buy it Now’, except that the durations you can choose
from for the store are much longer.
By now, you’ve probably spent enough time in eBay that you’re starting to get used to it – but
then again, you also might have been a victim of fraud by now, or
at least seen fraud happening to others. The next email will tell
you how to fight eBay fraud.
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.
Daves Note: On eBay.co.uk a basic store costs £6 a month (first
30 days free) A Featured Store £30 and an Anchor Store £300 per month
Source: www.isnare.com
By Tim Knox
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
Source: www.isnare.com
It would appear that eBay are relaxing their rules on the sale of
information products. They recently announced this in the USA and
you can expect the changes to be announced soon on ebay.co.uk. Therefore
now is a good time to be looking for suitable products and I have
just put together a package of over 39 top quality products that
you could offer on ebay.
This
is a GREAT VALUE Package For More Information
"Is Your Website Making You Enough
Money?"
It is a real change to read a top quality
website marketing book written by a Brit. In fact Michael Chaney
is a Scot who lives in Aberdeen and makes a very succesful living
on the Internet.
Even if you do not orderhis book it is
worth going to the site and viewing the 7 no cost video tutorials
that you will find on the site.
Learn What Internet Marketing Expert Michael Cheney
Does To Earn Thousands From His Sites Every Week:
http://www.websitemarketingbible.com/?cr=bizopbur
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By Dave Gammage
If you peruse Ebay a lot, you'll see a lot of members selling website businesses.
Often advertising these as "Turnkey",
they claim that the site has been making X dollars a month for the past X months.
The businesses include expired domain name searches, online auction sites,
credit repair sites and dating sites, etc. Take a look at the current bids
or prices - $1.99? What gives? If this site is making money, why would they
want to sell it??? Here are some tips to help avoid buying a waste of time.
Take a look at the domain name. Do a Google search for it. Does it show up? Keep in mind how long the seller claims the site has been in business. Go to Internic and do a Whois on the domain name...how long has it existed? Chances are less than a month.
Are there any bids on it? the number of bids is generally a good indicator on how legit this "business" is. If there's only 25 minutes left on the auction, and there is one bid for a very low dollar amount, this one's most likely a dog. If it is down to 25 minutes and there are 60 bids on it up to 500 bucks, it's most likely a keeper.
Proof of income. Some sites show a screen shot of their payment processor. Visit the website. Is the payment processor the same? For example, is the screen shot on Ebay from 2Checkout, and Paypal is the only payment method on the site? Smells fishy to me.
Most of these sites claim to be "100 Percent custom hand coded by experienced developers". Do some Googling for "website templates". Look through some of the places that offer web templates for sale. You will most likely run across the design of the website that is for sale. View the source of the site that's for sale - you may find that the seller forgot to remove the comment code that states that "This site was developed by -some template developer-" . There are actually websites that SELL turnkey web businesses specifically for sale on Ebay, and they use these templates all the time, over and over again.
If you are still skeptical, email the seller with your questions. If this site is truly on the up-and-up, they'll be honest. If not, they'll dodge your questions like a bullet.
One more thing to consider: Often these sites will come with "Dirt Cheap Web Hosting", for something like $6.99 per year. Think about it - would a TRUE e-commerce site that was getting tons of traffic and sales rely on lowest-bidder web hosting? Nope.
Now, don't get me wrong - there ARE some good web businesses available from time to time on Ebay...but with the availability of so many free website scripts and templates, they seem to be few and far between. Caveat Emptor, my friends - let the buyer beware.
About the Author: Dave Gammage is the founder of TheHomeBusinessLink, at http://www.TheHBL.com - an online community for Home and Internet business owners. His product, AffiliateManagerPro, can be found on internet affiliate marketers' computers everywhere! His weblog is at http://www.common-man-marketing.com.
Source: www.isnare.com
By Dave Bromley
If eBay’s figures are to believed only 6% of eBay sellers use the
About Me page facility. If anyone doubts the effectiveness of an
About Me page it is worth noting that over 30% of Power Sellers have
one.
There are three ways that any seller can benefit from using this
facility. First of all it is the only place on eBay where a seller
can advertise theirs or anyone else’s web site. This can be a powerful
way of directing traffic to your site, especially if your site is
related to the niche or group of products that you are selling on
eBay.
Even if you do not have a web site of your own you can generate income by directing visitors to an affiliate program that you have signed up for. You can actually place up to 3 links on your page so you could have one pointing towards your own web site and the other two to affiliate programs.
As well as providing links the main purpose of an About Me page is for you to tell potential bidders something about yourself and your business. It is a fact that most people prefer doing business with someone they know rather than a faceless stranger.
The About Me page gives you the opportunity to introduce yourself and you can even include photographs of yourself and your family.
You can also add either a complete list of the other items you have for sale on eBay or a list of your recent feedbacks and comments. These can help to inspire confidence, in bidders. If you do not already have an About Me page then you really should start thinking about getting one. There is no reason why you should not, eBay provide a very simple step-by-step tool to build your page. It's easy there are no technical skills required. All you have to do is select a layout, add your information and then preview and save your page. When you're finished, eBay will send you the Web site address (URL) to share with your friends.
Once you have built your and uploaded your page eBay will place an “me” icon next to your ID. However, do not just rely on this alone to get visitors to your About Me page. You should include a mention or link to your About Me page in all your listings. A sentence such as “To find out more about this seller visit their About Me page” or
if you are familiar with HTML you could add an actual Click Here
link.
If you are one of the 94% of sellers who are not currently using
this free facility you are missing a golden opportunity to boost
your online income. Don’t waste any more time, go and check it out
now.
A subscriber contacted me the other day about a problem he came
across when he ordered an eBay course from the USA. Having paid for
it he was a little shocked to be presented with a charge from Federal
Express for an extra £25. This was in fact a bill for £21
VAT and £4 adminstration. From my experience most small items
get through customs without a charge but you should be aware that
if you order anything from outside the European Common Market area
you could be subject to VAT and import charges.
Finally, last week I told you about the Euro Millions Lotery with
its Jackpot of over £50 million. Well it was not won last week and
has now rolled over to a massive £70 million. It is stil not to late
to go to http://www.virtulworlddirect.com and join a syndicate for
tomorow (fridays) night draw. It only costs £5 and you get a share
in 36 lines giving you a 3,600% better chance of winning than as
a single player and your share should your syndicate win the big
one, around £2 million. Not bad for a fiver.
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From Dave
What you don't have an ebay store Feedback
When it comes to eBay don't follow the herd Looking
for a product to sell Watch out
for eBy web businesses
Turn your About Me page into a cash cow
Dave's
final thoughts
Copyright & Info.
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