Is your eBay business not performing as well as you had hoped? Are you having auctions that do not sell? Maybe the auction is not getting noticed as well as it could. There are some simple tips you can use to improve your eBay business.
Title of the auction.
The title of your eBay auction is what draws a potential customer to click on your ad. If the title does not catch their eye they will move on to the next ad. If you are selling a baby outfit you might put a title like ‘Girls Baby Outfit’. This title does not tell you what size the outfit is, or if the outfit is for summer or winter. A customer would probably skip this ad over and go for one with more information. A better title would be something like this ‘Adorable Baby Girl Summer Outfit size 6 months’. This catches the eye with adorable and gives the information a customer would need. It gives the size and tells the outfit is for the Summer. A customer would know if this is something they are looking for by the title. The title will bring the customer in to look at the item your eBay business is offering.
Pictures, Pictures, Pictures.
We have all heard the phrase a picture can say a hundred words. This is very important for your Ebay business. A customer is ten times more likely to click on an ad that has a picture. While you can describe the item terrifically a picture can seal the deal. A picture lets the customer know exactly what to expect with the item. You will want good clear pictures of the items you are selling. This can be a huge improvement to your eBay business. Simply adding a picture or two of each item you have listed can increase the number of sales you have. If an item has a defect like a stain or hole take a picture of it. This will save you from problems with an unhappy customer later. Take pictures of all angles. Most people want to see an item before they buy it. No matter how good your ad sounds if a person can not see the item they will most likely pass it up. Adding pictures is a simple improvement for your eBay business.
The description.
The description is the next thing a customer will see when looking at your auction listing. The description will need to be very accurate to keep good feedback for your eBay business. If you do not list any problems there are with an item you can be sure the customer will when they leave your business negative feedback. They will also never return to buy from you again. The ad needs to be clear and concise. If the item you have for sale is clothing you need to tell what size it is. Is the item new or used? Sometimes people want to know if the item came from a house that had pets, or a smoker due to allergies. The customer will want to know how much the shipping will be for the item you are selling. They want to know how long they have to pay if they win the auction, and what methods of payment you accept. The customer will want to know how long after payment will you ship the item. These are all great bits of information to include in the description.
Improving your eBay business does not have to be hard. Just follow these simple tips and your Ebay business will be booming.
Another great tool is Item-Alarm. This unique FREE search tool allows you to set up specific search terms, keywords, phrases, etc of items that you want to find on eBay. Once a posting is listed on eBay, Item-Alarm immediately sends you an email letting you know that a "match" was found. Strike first, don't snipe last! Be first to get those Buy-it-Now (BIN) items before anyone else knows they are listed. http://item-alarm.com
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Spotty's Big Catch - Get Your Big Catch on eBay
Spotty the Toad, my grand children's pet toad loves to eat crickets. As I watched him, as soon as a cricket is dropped into his habitat, he immediately strikes. He doesn't wait around, he strikes first.
That reminded my of buying on eBay. I prefer to "strike first" rather than waiting to the end and trying to snipe an item.
So, the secret is to "strike first and not snipe last".
How can this be done? Glad you asked. I discovered a new online search tool called item-ALARM. Item alarm works by allowing you to set up "search criteria" for specific items that you are looking for. As soon as an item gets listed on eBay, you will be notified by email of that item listing.
Think about how many times you found a great deal on an item you were looking for on a Buy-it-Now (BIN), but as soon as someone puts a bid on that item, then the BIN goes away. What if you could be the first one to be notified as soon as a BIN item was listed, you could be the first one to purchase that item.
Check out http://item-ALARM.com and get started TODAY! It's absolutely FREE! No cost or obligation.
That reminded my of buying on eBay. I prefer to "strike first" rather than waiting to the end and trying to snipe an item.
So, the secret is to "strike first and not snipe last".
How can this be done? Glad you asked. I discovered a new online search tool called item-ALARM. Item alarm works by allowing you to set up "search criteria" for specific items that you are looking for. As soon as an item gets listed on eBay, you will be notified by email of that item listing.
Think about how many times you found a great deal on an item you were looking for on a Buy-it-Now (BIN), but as soon as someone puts a bid on that item, then the BIN goes away. What if you could be the first one to be notified as soon as a BIN item was listed, you could be the first one to purchase that item.
Check out http://item-ALARM.com and get started TODAY! It's absolutely FREE! No cost or obligation.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
My eBay selling secrets
It seems everybody and their dog are selling things on eBay these days. Although it is very simple to get up and running with an eBay sellers account, there are so many listings that could be vastly improved upon. Some of the most important secrets to eBay selling are a lot simpler than one would think.
First and most important thing is to do your homework. Find out what is selling, what is hot and what items are selling and what prices they are selling for. You can do that with Terapeak eBay Research. Watch a Terapeak eBay Research Demo.
What are the eBay selling secrets that so many ordinary men and women use to make themselves a full time income (or significantly more) on eBay these days?
It is obvious that you will have to be serious about your business if you are going to make it big on eBay - just like in any other business activity. As such there are a lot of things to consider, like a good business proposition, marketing, customer service etc.
However, for anyone trying to sell anything on eBay there are actually two "secrets" that will make a world of difference.
The eBay selling master knows that...
I remember hearing a Chinese story once, about a master doll maker; His most talented apprentice had become a very skilful doll maker himself. But, although his dolls where technically just as good as the masters, there was still something missing. Something so obvious that anyone could tell the difference, yet no one could put their finger exactly on what made the masters dolls so much more impressive.
Finally, on the masters deathbed, the apprentice asked the master what his big secret was. The master then took one of the dolls that the apprentice had made, gave it's face a gentle push so that the mouth and eyes lifted into a friendly smile.
This was the whole secret.
Now, like I said there is obviously more to it than this when it comes to selling professionally on eBay. But the two most critical elements to any eBay auction are:
Getting these right sounds simple enough, but as a customer you will still se a great deal of poorly written descriptions and non-representative images, or no image at all. This will, in most cases, make you as a potential buyer think twice before placing any bids with this particular eBay merchant.
An item description that sells
The most important part of any eBay listing is the description of the item. Get this right as a seller, and you have already won half the battle.
It is easy to understand that the description should "sell" the item for you, but don't go overboard and write a "shopping channel" style sales pitch. In fact, the most important thing is that the buyer gets as good a picture as is possible about the product, without holding it in his or her own hands.
Think about it for a moment, if you where going to bid a lot of money on something. you would definitely want to know that it's wort bidding for in the first place - right?
You want to know exactly what model, year, manufacturer etc. the item in question is. Is it used or brand new? Perfect condition or slightly damaged? If it's some kind of clothing, is it definitely your size etc.?
For whatever you are selling you want to place yourself in the customers shoes and ask yourself: "what would I want to know about this product?". Then be as thorough and honest as possible about your items peculiarities in your description. And if someone emails you with a follow-up question, be quick to respond. If you are selling a certain type of product on a continuous basis, it is naturally also a good idea to keep track on what additional questions you get, in order to further improve your item descriptions.
A great description will bring you the right kind of customers, who feel comfortable with buying from you. Make a really cryptic or outright deceitful description and you risk end up being regarded as another eBay con artist.
A picture sells more than a thousand words?
As an eBay professional you will definitely want to brush up on your skills in photography. A good picture will by no means cover up for a poor item description, but it will definitely help tip the scales even further in your favour. Leaving the picture out is simply not an option in most scenarios. Trust me, the additional effort spent on this will pay you back in spades.
It is no coincidence that most eBay PowerSellers are also pretty skilled photographers. Buing that shimmering dress or antique vase feels so much better, after having seen a picture of tha actual product.
The only situation where you could use some type of stock photo, is if you are selling some kind of brand new product that will look the same no matter where the customer buys it. Still, if the manufacturer can't provide you with attractive and detailed photos, you might want to take your own pictures anyway.
Good digital cameras are cheap these days, so every eBay entrepreneur should definitely have one.
If you are aiming for long term success on eBay, there are definitely many other things you will need to learn. But mastering the item description and photo will definitely be one of main the goals on your journey towards eBay selling mastery.
Remember to do your homework. Get eBay Research Now!
Another great tool is Item-Alarm. This unique FREE search tool allows you to set up specific search terms, keywords, phrases, etc of items that you want to find on eBay. Once a posting is listed on eBay, Item-Alarm immediately sends you an email letting you know that a "match" was found. Strike first, don't snipe last! Be first to get those Buy-it-Now (BIN) items before anyone else knows they are listed. http://item-alarm.com
First and most important thing is to do your homework. Find out what is selling, what is hot and what items are selling and what prices they are selling for. You can do that with Terapeak eBay Research. Watch a Terapeak eBay Research Demo.
What are the eBay selling secrets that so many ordinary men and women use to make themselves a full time income (or significantly more) on eBay these days?
It is obvious that you will have to be serious about your business if you are going to make it big on eBay - just like in any other business activity. As such there are a lot of things to consider, like a good business proposition, marketing, customer service etc.
However, for anyone trying to sell anything on eBay there are actually two "secrets" that will make a world of difference.
The eBay selling master knows that...
I remember hearing a Chinese story once, about a master doll maker; His most talented apprentice had become a very skilful doll maker himself. But, although his dolls where technically just as good as the masters, there was still something missing. Something so obvious that anyone could tell the difference, yet no one could put their finger exactly on what made the masters dolls so much more impressive.
Finally, on the masters deathbed, the apprentice asked the master what his big secret was. The master then took one of the dolls that the apprentice had made, gave it's face a gentle push so that the mouth and eyes lifted into a friendly smile.
This was the whole secret.
Now, like I said there is obviously more to it than this when it comes to selling professionally on eBay. But the two most critical elements to any eBay auction are:
- The item description
- A good picture of the item
Getting these right sounds simple enough, but as a customer you will still se a great deal of poorly written descriptions and non-representative images, or no image at all. This will, in most cases, make you as a potential buyer think twice before placing any bids with this particular eBay merchant.
An item description that sells
The most important part of any eBay listing is the description of the item. Get this right as a seller, and you have already won half the battle.
It is easy to understand that the description should "sell" the item for you, but don't go overboard and write a "shopping channel" style sales pitch. In fact, the most important thing is that the buyer gets as good a picture as is possible about the product, without holding it in his or her own hands.
Think about it for a moment, if you where going to bid a lot of money on something. you would definitely want to know that it's wort bidding for in the first place - right?
You want to know exactly what model, year, manufacturer etc. the item in question is. Is it used or brand new? Perfect condition or slightly damaged? If it's some kind of clothing, is it definitely your size etc.?
For whatever you are selling you want to place yourself in the customers shoes and ask yourself: "what would I want to know about this product?". Then be as thorough and honest as possible about your items peculiarities in your description. And if someone emails you with a follow-up question, be quick to respond. If you are selling a certain type of product on a continuous basis, it is naturally also a good idea to keep track on what additional questions you get, in order to further improve your item descriptions.
A great description will bring you the right kind of customers, who feel comfortable with buying from you. Make a really cryptic or outright deceitful description and you risk end up being regarded as another eBay con artist.
A picture sells more than a thousand words?
As an eBay professional you will definitely want to brush up on your skills in photography. A good picture will by no means cover up for a poor item description, but it will definitely help tip the scales even further in your favour. Leaving the picture out is simply not an option in most scenarios. Trust me, the additional effort spent on this will pay you back in spades.
It is no coincidence that most eBay PowerSellers are also pretty skilled photographers. Buing that shimmering dress or antique vase feels so much better, after having seen a picture of tha actual product.
The only situation where you could use some type of stock photo, is if you are selling some kind of brand new product that will look the same no matter where the customer buys it. Still, if the manufacturer can't provide you with attractive and detailed photos, you might want to take your own pictures anyway.
Good digital cameras are cheap these days, so every eBay entrepreneur should definitely have one.
If you are aiming for long term success on eBay, there are definitely many other things you will need to learn. But mastering the item description and photo will definitely be one of main the goals on your journey towards eBay selling mastery.
Remember to do your homework. Get eBay Research Now!
Another great tool is Item-Alarm. This unique FREE search tool allows you to set up specific search terms, keywords, phrases, etc of items that you want to find on eBay. Once a posting is listed on eBay, Item-Alarm immediately sends you an email letting you know that a "match" was found. Strike first, don't snipe last! Be first to get those Buy-it-Now (BIN) items before anyone else knows they are listed. http://item-alarm.com
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
The Best Kept Secrets of eBay Merchants
eBay has spawned some wild stories of rags-to-riches wealth. Some of those tales are true, but instant Ebay millionaires are far outweighed by the legions of eBayers who make a decent living doing something they enjoy. (And isn’t that good enough?) Still, so many of us can’t help but look at these top power sellers and wonder what they know that we don’t. What’s the secret to their success?
Some foundations of success aren’t secret at all; it still takes good old fashioned hard work and customer service to become a top seller on eBay. That being the case, there are still a few tips and tricks that separate casual hobbyists from serious eBay merchants.
#1. Keyword Managers. Keywords are all the rage these days. Web pages with plenty of relevant words will show up on web searches. Likewise, auctions with relevant, highly searched terms will show up in eBay searches. How do you know which terms buyers are searching for? There are subscription programs such as Keyword Pro and eBay Pulse that generate lists of the most frequently searched terms in any given category. Add some of these terms to your own listings to increase views. (Just be sure that the words are relevant to the actual item. Nobody likes a keyword spammer, least of all eBay.)
#2. Typo Searches. It’s a sad truth that there are some poor spellers on the Internet. When they become online merchants, they lose business because their misspelled items never turn up in Ebay searches. Luckily, www.Fatfingers.Com is a free web site that lets you search for common misspellings on eBay. For example, I searched for the term “scarf”. I was then sent to eBay’s web site, where a search was run for “sacrf”, “sxarf”, and several other typos of “scarf”. It’s amazing how many items you can find at low prices just because they were listed with incorrect spelling. Many sellers capitalize on these misspelled items, buying them low and selling them high. Let this be a lesson to prospective Ebay merchants: proofread your listings. Twice.
#3. Data Analyzers. Offline businesses use data analysis before making their decisions, so why shouldn’t you? Imagine knowing which items are selling like hot cakes and which ones aren’t really taking off. You could minimize your risk by avoiding slow sellers and snapping up soon-to-be-hot items at a discount. There are software packages that actually analyze Ebay’s data to see what’s really selling and what’s not. Hot Item Finder (www.hotitemfinder.com) is one such program. Experts agree that they can save many hours of research each week by using data analyzers. There is also a program called Auction Yen which runs analysis for Want It Now listings. It pays to know what customers really want, so these programs come highly recommended.
#4. Selling Managers. It’s vitally important to keep track of your inventory and auction listings. eBay offers a selling manager for a low monthly cost. This online tool helps sellers track and customize their listings, print shipping labels, and more. Sellers tout this one as another great time saver.
#5. Item-Alarm. This unique FREE search tool allows you to set up specific search terms, keywords, phrases, etc of items that you want to find on eBay. Once a posting is listed on eBay, Item-Alarm immediately sends you an email letting you know that a "match" was found. Strike first, don't snipe last! Be first to get those Buy-it-Now (BIN) items before anyone else knows they are listed. http://item-alarm.com
It’s no secret that you can make a lot of money on eBay. With these tips from the top eBay sellers, you’ll be smiling all the way to the bank.
Some foundations of success aren’t secret at all; it still takes good old fashioned hard work and customer service to become a top seller on eBay. That being the case, there are still a few tips and tricks that separate casual hobbyists from serious eBay merchants.
#1. Keyword Managers. Keywords are all the rage these days. Web pages with plenty of relevant words will show up on web searches. Likewise, auctions with relevant, highly searched terms will show up in eBay searches. How do you know which terms buyers are searching for? There are subscription programs such as Keyword Pro and eBay Pulse that generate lists of the most frequently searched terms in any given category. Add some of these terms to your own listings to increase views. (Just be sure that the words are relevant to the actual item. Nobody likes a keyword spammer, least of all eBay.)
#2. Typo Searches. It’s a sad truth that there are some poor spellers on the Internet. When they become online merchants, they lose business because their misspelled items never turn up in Ebay searches. Luckily, www.Fatfingers.Com is a free web site that lets you search for common misspellings on eBay. For example, I searched for the term “scarf”. I was then sent to eBay’s web site, where a search was run for “sacrf”, “sxarf”, and several other typos of “scarf”. It’s amazing how many items you can find at low prices just because they were listed with incorrect spelling. Many sellers capitalize on these misspelled items, buying them low and selling them high. Let this be a lesson to prospective Ebay merchants: proofread your listings. Twice.
#3. Data Analyzers. Offline businesses use data analysis before making their decisions, so why shouldn’t you? Imagine knowing which items are selling like hot cakes and which ones aren’t really taking off. You could minimize your risk by avoiding slow sellers and snapping up soon-to-be-hot items at a discount. There are software packages that actually analyze Ebay’s data to see what’s really selling and what’s not. Hot Item Finder (www.hotitemfinder.com) is one such program. Experts agree that they can save many hours of research each week by using data analyzers. There is also a program called Auction Yen which runs analysis for Want It Now listings. It pays to know what customers really want, so these programs come highly recommended.
#4. Selling Managers. It’s vitally important to keep track of your inventory and auction listings. eBay offers a selling manager for a low monthly cost. This online tool helps sellers track and customize their listings, print shipping labels, and more. Sellers tout this one as another great time saver.
#5. Item-Alarm. This unique FREE search tool allows you to set up specific search terms, keywords, phrases, etc of items that you want to find on eBay. Once a posting is listed on eBay, Item-Alarm immediately sends you an email letting you know that a "match" was found. Strike first, don't snipe last! Be first to get those Buy-it-Now (BIN) items before anyone else knows they are listed. http://item-alarm.com
It’s no secret that you can make a lot of money on eBay. With these tips from the top eBay sellers, you’ll be smiling all the way to the bank.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Sourcing For Cars to Sell on eBay Car Auctions
Selling high-priced items such as eBay car auctions is getting more and more popular these days. In fact, according to eBay motors, a vehicle is sold very 10 seconds, a car part or accessories is sold every second. Over 10 million shoppers visit eBay motors every month looking to buy cars or car parts.
The reason why eBay car auctions are popular among eBay sellers is pretty obvious since the profits per sale are high. You only need to sell 1 to 2 cars on eBay motors each month to make a handsome profit.
So how do you find cars to sell on eBay motors? Basically I have used 2 ways.
Car Dealers
Believe it or not, there are still a lot of car dealers who are still advertising offline via the usual marketing methods such as advertising in car magazines, posters, tv and radio.
From my personal experience, the main reason why these car dealers do not sell on eBay motors is not because they do not know about eBay. It is because they do not have technical knowledge of uploading photos, putting auction description and such. One car dealer I know of have not touched a computer in his life!
So this is where you can come in and offer your services and in return if the car is sold successfully on eBay motors, you get a commission. I don’t need to tell you even if it is a just 2 percent commission, you could still get a few hundred dollars easily.
Classified Ads
If you flip through your daily newspapers, you can probably find a lot of people trying to sell their cars in the classified ads section. Some of these people have been advertising for quite a while which could mean they did not manage to sell their cars.
You could contact them and offer to sell their car. Since they could not sell their car, it should not be too difficult to convince them to give you a shot at selling it. In return, you arrange with the car owner to receive a small commission for your work.
The above 2 methods have worked well for me. The good thing about both methods is you get to pick which cars you want to sell particularly for classified ads. If you have been on eBay motors for a while, you will realize certain types of cars sell better and more easily than others. Examples are classic or vintage cars. Basically cars that are rare or unusual.
One thing you have to note is most car dealers will probably not give you a exclusive time period to sell the car. Therefore in your auction, always state the car is on sale on other sites or other ways and that you reserve the right to end the auction early.
Be sure to check out Item-Alarm when shopping for cars on eBay. Item-Alarm allows you to enter search criteria for specific year, model, color, price, etc and as soon as a vehicle is posted on eBay that matches your criteria, you are notified by email. Check it out. Its FREE! http://item-alarm.com You can also view a short YouTube video that shows how to register and use Item-Alarm at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veY5xYpKm9c
The reason why eBay car auctions are popular among eBay sellers is pretty obvious since the profits per sale are high. You only need to sell 1 to 2 cars on eBay motors each month to make a handsome profit.
So how do you find cars to sell on eBay motors? Basically I have used 2 ways.
Car Dealers
Believe it or not, there are still a lot of car dealers who are still advertising offline via the usual marketing methods such as advertising in car magazines, posters, tv and radio.
From my personal experience, the main reason why these car dealers do not sell on eBay motors is not because they do not know about eBay. It is because they do not have technical knowledge of uploading photos, putting auction description and such. One car dealer I know of have not touched a computer in his life!
So this is where you can come in and offer your services and in return if the car is sold successfully on eBay motors, you get a commission. I don’t need to tell you even if it is a just 2 percent commission, you could still get a few hundred dollars easily.
Classified Ads
If you flip through your daily newspapers, you can probably find a lot of people trying to sell their cars in the classified ads section. Some of these people have been advertising for quite a while which could mean they did not manage to sell their cars.
You could contact them and offer to sell their car. Since they could not sell their car, it should not be too difficult to convince them to give you a shot at selling it. In return, you arrange with the car owner to receive a small commission for your work.
The above 2 methods have worked well for me. The good thing about both methods is you get to pick which cars you want to sell particularly for classified ads. If you have been on eBay motors for a while, you will realize certain types of cars sell better and more easily than others. Examples are classic or vintage cars. Basically cars that are rare or unusual.
One thing you have to note is most car dealers will probably not give you a exclusive time period to sell the car. Therefore in your auction, always state the car is on sale on other sites or other ways and that you reserve the right to end the auction early.
Be sure to check out Item-Alarm when shopping for cars on eBay. Item-Alarm allows you to enter search criteria for specific year, model, color, price, etc and as soon as a vehicle is posted on eBay that matches your criteria, you are notified by email. Check it out. Its FREE! http://item-alarm.com You can also view a short YouTube video that shows how to register and use Item-Alarm at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veY5xYpKm9c
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The Secret To Achieving 100% Feedback On Ebay
Have you ever noticed how rare it is for high volume eBay sellers to have 100% feedback. It's not like they deliberately scam 1 or 2 % of there 2000 plus customers. They've streamlined the auction process, reduced the risk of faulty products and goods arriving damaged etc.
So why are they still left with angry customers. The truth is some people are just jerks. They will bid on an item and then when you expect them to pay for it they will abuse you.
Sometimes they will be angry if the product doesn't arrive, even though you did everything you could and it was completely out of your control.
Dealing with these people is an everyday occurrence for eBay Powersellers. But there are ways to minimize their effect on your feedback.
In the initial email say something like "sometimes products will get lost in the post. If it hasn't turned up within 10 days email me and I will replace it". This will warm the customer up to the idea that well, s*** happens and there's no point getting abusive.
If the customer backs out of the sale, leave positive feedback. They will appreciate this and give you great feedback, and will be more open toward buying from you in the future.
If the customer doesn't respond to your emails, don't leave negative feedback, leave none. You've already lost the sale so nothing can be gained by you getting abusive.
It's a very rare seller who is able to bite their tongue, but the rewards far out way the small satisfaction of giving them a piece of your mind.
Be sure to register for the FREE eBay Search Tool at: http://Item-Alarm.com
"Item-Alarm™ is Your Secret Weapon to Win More Bids on eBay"
So why are they still left with angry customers. The truth is some people are just jerks. They will bid on an item and then when you expect them to pay for it they will abuse you.
Sometimes they will be angry if the product doesn't arrive, even though you did everything you could and it was completely out of your control.
Dealing with these people is an everyday occurrence for eBay Powersellers. But there are ways to minimize their effect on your feedback.
In the initial email say something like "sometimes products will get lost in the post. If it hasn't turned up within 10 days email me and I will replace it". This will warm the customer up to the idea that well, s*** happens and there's no point getting abusive.
If the customer backs out of the sale, leave positive feedback. They will appreciate this and give you great feedback, and will be more open toward buying from you in the future.
If the customer doesn't respond to your emails, don't leave negative feedback, leave none. You've already lost the sale so nothing can be gained by you getting abusive.
It's a very rare seller who is able to bite their tongue, but the rewards far out way the small satisfaction of giving them a piece of your mind.
Be sure to register for the FREE eBay Search Tool at: http://Item-Alarm.com
"Item-Alarm™ is Your Secret Weapon to Win More Bids on eBay"
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Hot Items for eBay Auctions
Many people who are trying to start an eBay business spend a great deal of time trying to figure out which items sell the best on eBay. Many of these people have elaborate systems for determining this information, and many others purchase expensive courses that teach them how to find this information as well. None of that is necessary. Everything you need to know is right in front of you - on the eBay website!
Take a look at any category, and you will see the word "hot" beside some items. These items are not marked as hot sellers randomly - there is a method to the madness! Items only get marked as hot when there have been more than thirty bids placed on the item. All you have to do is wonder around the eBay website for a while to find an item that will do well.
However, most power sellers will agree that there is more to figuring out which items sell best than this. In fact, they claim that it is a science. A great way to start your search for items that will result in a successful auction in the future is to do research on the auctions that were successful in the past. You can view old listings that have completed at: http://listings.ebay.com .
A new way to determine what items sell best on eBay is "eBay Marketplace Research." Marketplace Research will allow you to view important statistical information on the buying trends at eBay. This product contains all of the data one could possibly ever need to determine how well - or how poorly - an item will do in an eBay auction. There is a small fee for using the eBay Marketplace Research tools, however.
Another tool that will be very useful in your quest for finding hot selling items for your eBay auctions is the listing of popular eBay search terms that is found on the site. This list can be found at: http://popular.ebay.com/ . This list is divided into categories, which will make it easier to determine how popular your potential item may be.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that an item will do poorly, or that it will do well without doing your homework on the item first. Some of the strangest things sell for the highest prices, while items that would sell quickly in any other environment just sit there. Almost any eBay Power Seller will tell you that the key to a successful auction rests in the amount of research you put into the items you hope to sell.
Be sure to register for the FREE eBay Search Tool at: http://Item-Alarm.com
"Item-Alarm™ is Your Secret Weapon to Win More Bids on eBay"
Take a look at any category, and you will see the word "hot" beside some items. These items are not marked as hot sellers randomly - there is a method to the madness! Items only get marked as hot when there have been more than thirty bids placed on the item. All you have to do is wonder around the eBay website for a while to find an item that will do well.
However, most power sellers will agree that there is more to figuring out which items sell best than this. In fact, they claim that it is a science. A great way to start your search for items that will result in a successful auction in the future is to do research on the auctions that were successful in the past. You can view old listings that have completed at: http://listings.ebay.com .
A new way to determine what items sell best on eBay is "eBay Marketplace Research." Marketplace Research will allow you to view important statistical information on the buying trends at eBay. This product contains all of the data one could possibly ever need to determine how well - or how poorly - an item will do in an eBay auction. There is a small fee for using the eBay Marketplace Research tools, however.
Another tool that will be very useful in your quest for finding hot selling items for your eBay auctions is the listing of popular eBay search terms that is found on the site. This list can be found at: http://popular.ebay.com/ . This list is divided into categories, which will make it easier to determine how popular your potential item may be.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that an item will do poorly, or that it will do well without doing your homework on the item first. Some of the strangest things sell for the highest prices, while items that would sell quickly in any other environment just sit there. Almost any eBay Power Seller will tell you that the key to a successful auction rests in the amount of research you put into the items you hope to sell.
Be sure to register for the FREE eBay Search Tool at: http://Item-Alarm.com
"Item-Alarm™ is Your Secret Weapon to Win More Bids on eBay"
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Make A Living Selling On eBay
Customer service is important on eBay. Buyers rate their satisfaction with sellers, and your rating can make a difference on whether potential customers are willing to buy from you.
Customer service strategies on eBay start by providing an accurate product description. Displaying clear pictures and describing any imperfection shows the buyer what to expect. It's much better for customer satisfaction if the buyer receives a product in better shape than he expected than if you oversell and disappoint your customer.
Customer service strategies on eBay include acknowledgment of the winning bid and prompt shipping information. Use an automated response to let the buyer know you have received his bid. Acknowledgment payment quickly. Ship immediately, and inform the customer when the product is shipped. Customer service strategies include providing a tracking link to the product whenever possible.
Some eBay sellers offer free shipping as a customer service strategy. If you charge for shipping, don't charge much above shipping costs. Customers notice the postage cost and will likely complain if the shipping and handling is several dollars over. They understand the cost of materials, but they don't want to pay for your time to package the product.
Customer service strategies on eBay include a return policy. It is worth it to accept returns any time a customer asks. You can probably resell the item, and receiving a good rating is worth the cost and hassle.
Customer service strategies on eBay are not any different than traditional online stores. Make sure the product is as good as you say it is, don't inflate shipping and handling, ship quickly, and have a liberal return policy. This is the way to achieve high customer service ratings.
Getting your products at the lowest price is the best way to profit from selling items online or anywhere. The difficulty is in finding true wholesale product suppliers.
It's difficult finding true wholesale product suppliers online. Sometimes it works to contact a company you are interested in and ask for a list of distributors, but be prepared to give them a company name when you do this. They don't want to sell wholesale to individuals. Often a manufacturer's website will have the name of distributors.
If you are searching online, try narrowing down to a specific product to search for. This is more effective than looking for general wholesalers because you will not be overwhelmed with too much information.
Contact another seller, one who will not be in competition with you. Ask him how he found his sources.
eBay lists wholesalers. Some users have success with this way, others say the prices are still too high. If you look on eBay, look for wholesalers with high approval ratings.
It's not always necessary to get the absolute lowest prices. You just need prices low enough so you can make a substantial profit. You can find some very low prices by searching for clearance products in online stores or your own hometown.
Finding true wholesaler product suppliers is very difficult. Your best chance is by registering as a business and contacting the manufacturers you are interested in. Make sure there is room for enough markup to make your business worthwhile. If you find a supplier you are happy with, stick with them and make some money.
Be sure to register for the FREE eBay Search Tool at: http://Item-Alarm.com
"Item-Alarm™ is Your Secret Weapon to Win More Bids on eBay"
Customer service strategies on eBay start by providing an accurate product description. Displaying clear pictures and describing any imperfection shows the buyer what to expect. It's much better for customer satisfaction if the buyer receives a product in better shape than he expected than if you oversell and disappoint your customer.
Customer service strategies on eBay include acknowledgment of the winning bid and prompt shipping information. Use an automated response to let the buyer know you have received his bid. Acknowledgment payment quickly. Ship immediately, and inform the customer when the product is shipped. Customer service strategies include providing a tracking link to the product whenever possible.
Some eBay sellers offer free shipping as a customer service strategy. If you charge for shipping, don't charge much above shipping costs. Customers notice the postage cost and will likely complain if the shipping and handling is several dollars over. They understand the cost of materials, but they don't want to pay for your time to package the product.
Customer service strategies on eBay include a return policy. It is worth it to accept returns any time a customer asks. You can probably resell the item, and receiving a good rating is worth the cost and hassle.
Customer service strategies on eBay are not any different than traditional online stores. Make sure the product is as good as you say it is, don't inflate shipping and handling, ship quickly, and have a liberal return policy. This is the way to achieve high customer service ratings.
Getting your products at the lowest price is the best way to profit from selling items online or anywhere. The difficulty is in finding true wholesale product suppliers.
It's difficult finding true wholesale product suppliers online. Sometimes it works to contact a company you are interested in and ask for a list of distributors, but be prepared to give them a company name when you do this. They don't want to sell wholesale to individuals. Often a manufacturer's website will have the name of distributors.
If you are searching online, try narrowing down to a specific product to search for. This is more effective than looking for general wholesalers because you will not be overwhelmed with too much information.
Contact another seller, one who will not be in competition with you. Ask him how he found his sources.
eBay lists wholesalers. Some users have success with this way, others say the prices are still too high. If you look on eBay, look for wholesalers with high approval ratings.
It's not always necessary to get the absolute lowest prices. You just need prices low enough so you can make a substantial profit. You can find some very low prices by searching for clearance products in online stores or your own hometown.
Finding true wholesaler product suppliers is very difficult. Your best chance is by registering as a business and contacting the manufacturers you are interested in. Make sure there is room for enough markup to make your business worthwhile. If you find a supplier you are happy with, stick with them and make some money.
Be sure to register for the FREE eBay Search Tool at: http://Item-Alarm.com
"Item-Alarm™ is Your Secret Weapon to Win More Bids on eBay"
Saturday, May 29, 2010
How to Find Your Niche Market on Ebay
Many of us dream of working from home by selling products on eBay. But what would we sell? And how would we know if a market exists for the items we have? To avoid listing items that nobody wants, or items within an already flooded market, some research is in order. The goal of this research is to find your niche on eBay.
Many eBay sellers provide their goods within one niche. Others have a handful of niches that they specialize in. The key is to find a group of products that you're already familiar with. Perhaps you've been a collector of antiques for many years. If so, you probably know when you come across an item that could potentially sell for a good amount of cash. Likewise, you have a good idea of which items are likely to collect dust on your shelves. You can put this knowledge to work for you on eBay. Your expertise with antiques gives you an edge over many competitors.
Once you have a good idea of the niche you wish to fill, it's time for the second half of your preliminary work. Start a spreadsheet that lists the different types of items you would like to sell. Then add a monetary value to each entry. This reflects how much you can expect to purchase the item for. Be realistic; you want to lay out an accurate portrait of how much money you will be spending to build up your inventory. Optimism won't help in this circumstance.
Expand your spreadsheet to include other niche markets, just in case. These can be items you enjoy working with, have expert knowledge of, or something you've always had an affinity for and think you could be successful with. Remember: no matter what your niche is, someone will buy from it as long as you list quality items at reasonable prices. Estimate the initial cost of each item, including shipping and sales tax. Then prepare to immerse yourself in eBay as your research begins in earnest.
Go to eBay and search through the completed auctions. This allows you to see the actual price that items similar to yours have sold for. Is the average price something you could live with? Remember to factor in shipping costs. Also, pay attention to the quality of the sold items when deciding whether this niche is something you wish to pursue. Items in “mint” or “like new” condition will bring considerably higher prices on eBay than worn, scuffed items.
Now reflect on your findings. Did the completed eBay auctions fetch your target price, or were the closing bids uniformly low? Did any of the items fetch a surprisingly high amount? If you were unimpressed by your findings, go back and consult your spreadsheet; it’s time to start researching another niche.
If your observations were mostly positive, you may have found your eBay niche already. In that case, go out and start building up your supply. Don’t go overboard; you’re still in the testing phase. Purchase a dozen or so items at fair prices. Then list them on eBay.
For many sellers, waiting is the hard part. But you’ll need patience for this phase of your niche-finding project. Monitor your listings and see how they perform. If they do well, you can build up your stock even more and increase your listings. If they don’t quite live up to your expectations, you can go back to square one. Pick another niche from your spreadsheet and start researching it.
The key to finding your niche on eBay, as with many challenges in life, is simply to never quit. If you have a wide variety of interests, you’re more likely to find a profitable niche that you will enjoy filling. Think of all the things you enjoy doing, making, or collecting. Then come up with a list of ten items related to each. This sort of brainstorming is a sure-fire remedy for pushing past your seller’s block. Let your imagination roam, and you’ll carve out your eBay niche in no time.
Be sure to sign up for Item-Alarm.com -- It's FREE! Automate your searches and win more bids.
Many eBay sellers provide their goods within one niche. Others have a handful of niches that they specialize in. The key is to find a group of products that you're already familiar with. Perhaps you've been a collector of antiques for many years. If so, you probably know when you come across an item that could potentially sell for a good amount of cash. Likewise, you have a good idea of which items are likely to collect dust on your shelves. You can put this knowledge to work for you on eBay. Your expertise with antiques gives you an edge over many competitors.
Once you have a good idea of the niche you wish to fill, it's time for the second half of your preliminary work. Start a spreadsheet that lists the different types of items you would like to sell. Then add a monetary value to each entry. This reflects how much you can expect to purchase the item for. Be realistic; you want to lay out an accurate portrait of how much money you will be spending to build up your inventory. Optimism won't help in this circumstance.
Expand your spreadsheet to include other niche markets, just in case. These can be items you enjoy working with, have expert knowledge of, or something you've always had an affinity for and think you could be successful with. Remember: no matter what your niche is, someone will buy from it as long as you list quality items at reasonable prices. Estimate the initial cost of each item, including shipping and sales tax. Then prepare to immerse yourself in eBay as your research begins in earnest.
Go to eBay and search through the completed auctions. This allows you to see the actual price that items similar to yours have sold for. Is the average price something you could live with? Remember to factor in shipping costs. Also, pay attention to the quality of the sold items when deciding whether this niche is something you wish to pursue. Items in “mint” or “like new” condition will bring considerably higher prices on eBay than worn, scuffed items.
Now reflect on your findings. Did the completed eBay auctions fetch your target price, or were the closing bids uniformly low? Did any of the items fetch a surprisingly high amount? If you were unimpressed by your findings, go back and consult your spreadsheet; it’s time to start researching another niche.
If your observations were mostly positive, you may have found your eBay niche already. In that case, go out and start building up your supply. Don’t go overboard; you’re still in the testing phase. Purchase a dozen or so items at fair prices. Then list them on eBay.
For many sellers, waiting is the hard part. But you’ll need patience for this phase of your niche-finding project. Monitor your listings and see how they perform. If they do well, you can build up your stock even more and increase your listings. If they don’t quite live up to your expectations, you can go back to square one. Pick another niche from your spreadsheet and start researching it.
The key to finding your niche on eBay, as with many challenges in life, is simply to never quit. If you have a wide variety of interests, you’re more likely to find a profitable niche that you will enjoy filling. Think of all the things you enjoy doing, making, or collecting. Then come up with a list of ten items related to each. This sort of brainstorming is a sure-fire remedy for pushing past your seller’s block. Let your imagination roam, and you’ll carve out your eBay niche in no time.
Be sure to sign up for Item-Alarm.com -- It's FREE! Automate your searches and win more bids.
Scouting Local Auctions & Classifieds for Products to Sell on Ebay
If you have never sold products on eBay before, I would suggest that you start with your own household items that you are ready to part with. You probably have things in storage, items in the back of your closet, or things you don’t use anymore. You can generally get a lot more for them on eBay than you can by having a yard sale.
Once you get your feet wet with the selling process, and exhaust your personal resources, you can look to local auctions for more products to sell on eBay. Many local auctions specialize in property, personal estates, antiques, Nascar and other collectibles.
Sometimes you can even find large lots of inventory or product types, and purchase the entire lot for a discount or wholesale price. You can then sell the products individually through online auction, and flip your investment into a nice little profit.
How do you choose which products to buy, and how much should you bid?
The goal is to buy low and turn a nice profit. What I have done in the past, and would highly recommend, is that you team up with your spouse or with a friend. One stays at the computer while the other attends the local auctions, and you stay connected by cell phone. You want to keep your method under your hat by the way, so step outside to make the calls or be as inconspicuous about text messaging as you possibly can.
When you find a product that you are interested in, or that you think may do well on eBay, make a note of the model number or any specific product information. Pass this on to your "invisible partner" so that they can research the product for you.
They can look up the product to see how well it has sold on eBay in the past, and the price range that it usually brings as a high bid. This helps you to bid more accurately at the auction, instead of guessing at how well it will do online and bidding in the dark.
Your partner will need to be quick on the keyboard and familiar with eBay. You need to know how many auctions are currently running for that item, and whether the market is already flooded with sellers. They can also search the Completed Auctions to see what the high bids were when the most recent auctions ended. After a few trial runs, you can get your teamwork down to an art.
Without this Invisible Partner you may bid too high for an item that brings a lower price on eBay, or that doesn’t sell well online. Unless you know your product, and know your market (super well), it pays to have someone checking on things behind the scenes.
You can usually find out about Local Auctions by checking the newspapers. There is also a great site called http://AuctionZip.com where you can find live auctions in your area as well. All you have to do is put in your zip code, tell it how far you are willing to travel (within 30 miles, for example) and it will give you a calendar of auctions in your area.
A quick search at AuctionZip.com tells me that there are 9 local Auctions going on in my area this weekend (and I live in a very small town). Some of them are for properties, others are entire personal estates (ie estate auctions), and some of them specialize in antiques & collectibles.
Another great place for bargains is the local classified ads and online classifieds like Craigslist.com. When people are moving or just doing some spring cleaning, they often resort to classified ads to dispose of some of their unwanted or unneeded items at bargain prices. A great tool for finding these bargains on Craigslist.com is a FREE service called Craigs-Alarm.com. Craigs-Alarm allows you to enter search terms or phrases of items of interest to you and as soon as an item that matches your search perimeters is listed, you are notified by email. Getting to these bargains early is the key to making a profit.
When you tap into these resources and get a system down for buying smart, you can flip products from one auction to another for an easy profit!
Once you get your feet wet with the selling process, and exhaust your personal resources, you can look to local auctions for more products to sell on eBay. Many local auctions specialize in property, personal estates, antiques, Nascar and other collectibles.
Sometimes you can even find large lots of inventory or product types, and purchase the entire lot for a discount or wholesale price. You can then sell the products individually through online auction, and flip your investment into a nice little profit.
How do you choose which products to buy, and how much should you bid?
The goal is to buy low and turn a nice profit. What I have done in the past, and would highly recommend, is that you team up with your spouse or with a friend. One stays at the computer while the other attends the local auctions, and you stay connected by cell phone. You want to keep your method under your hat by the way, so step outside to make the calls or be as inconspicuous about text messaging as you possibly can.
When you find a product that you are interested in, or that you think may do well on eBay, make a note of the model number or any specific product information. Pass this on to your "invisible partner" so that they can research the product for you.
They can look up the product to see how well it has sold on eBay in the past, and the price range that it usually brings as a high bid. This helps you to bid more accurately at the auction, instead of guessing at how well it will do online and bidding in the dark.
Your partner will need to be quick on the keyboard and familiar with eBay. You need to know how many auctions are currently running for that item, and whether the market is already flooded with sellers. They can also search the Completed Auctions to see what the high bids were when the most recent auctions ended. After a few trial runs, you can get your teamwork down to an art.
Without this Invisible Partner you may bid too high for an item that brings a lower price on eBay, or that doesn’t sell well online. Unless you know your product, and know your market (super well), it pays to have someone checking on things behind the scenes.
You can usually find out about Local Auctions by checking the newspapers. There is also a great site called http://AuctionZip.com where you can find live auctions in your area as well. All you have to do is put in your zip code, tell it how far you are willing to travel (within 30 miles, for example) and it will give you a calendar of auctions in your area.
A quick search at AuctionZip.com tells me that there are 9 local Auctions going on in my area this weekend (and I live in a very small town). Some of them are for properties, others are entire personal estates (ie estate auctions), and some of them specialize in antiques & collectibles.
Another great place for bargains is the local classified ads and online classifieds like Craigslist.com. When people are moving or just doing some spring cleaning, they often resort to classified ads to dispose of some of their unwanted or unneeded items at bargain prices. A great tool for finding these bargains on Craigslist.com is a FREE service called Craigs-Alarm.com. Craigs-Alarm allows you to enter search terms or phrases of items of interest to you and as soon as an item that matches your search perimeters is listed, you are notified by email. Getting to these bargains early is the key to making a profit.
When you tap into these resources and get a system down for buying smart, you can flip products from one auction to another for an easy profit!
Friday, May 28, 2010
How You Can Use Completed Searches to Your Advantage
Are you an eBay seller? If so, are you successful at what you do? Perhaps, the better question to ask yourself is if you are making a profit selling on eBay? If you aren’t, there are a number of steps that you can take to increase your chances of making a sale.
When it comes to improving your chances of making a sale on eBay, your first impulse may to be change the way that your eBay items are listed for sale. For instance, it is often suggested that you upload detailed pictures of your items, provide detailed descriptions and such. While you will want to try doing so, you will also want to focus on the items that you are trying to sell. Your problem, with making a profit on eBay, might be the items that you have listed. If you have a poor quality item, you may not be able to sell it, but you would still be responsible for paying your eBay fees. In this case, you will not only be unable to make a profit, but you may also end up losing money.
When it comes to knowing which items you can profit from selling on eBay, there are many sellers who think that it is impossible to do. While it may seem impossible, it isn’t. Before actually trying to list a particular item for sale online, like an old music CD, you can check to see if that item has been sold on eBay before. If that particular item was sold before, you can also figure out exactly how much money it sold for! This will give you a good idea as to whether or not it would be worth it for you to spend the time creating your auction listings and paying eBay’s fees. Although the decision as to whether or not you still want to post your item for sale is yours to make, it may give you inside information; inside information that you will want to take into consideration when making your decision.
To perform a search of completed auctions, you will want to perform an advanced search. The link to the advanced search form can be found by eBay’s traditional search box. The only thing that you will to do differently is check the box labeled “Completed Listings Only.” Your results will include auctions that meet your searching criteria, but that have already been completed. If an item sold, its price will be outlined in green print. If an item did not sell, the asking price will be outlined, but in red print. As previously stated, performing an eBay completed search gives you the ability to tell whether or not you have a good seller on your hands.
In fact, you can not only use a completed listing search to determine if an item you already have is worth money, but you can also use this eBay tool to help you make money. If you are like many eBay sellers, there is a good chance that you are always on the lookout for great deals, bargains, or antiques. Familiarizing yourself with popular eBay items, ones that can be considered “hot sellers,” is a great way to make yourself a profit on eBay. Should you have the ability to do so, you may want to have a partner at home looking up eBay completed listings, while you are out shopping for items to sell at yard sales, flea markets, or thrift stores.
Performing an eBay completed listing search will only take a few minutes of your time. Despite only taking a few minutes of your time, eBay completed searches can help you make money as an eBay seller, not lose it.
When it comes to improving your chances of making a sale on eBay, your first impulse may to be change the way that your eBay items are listed for sale. For instance, it is often suggested that you upload detailed pictures of your items, provide detailed descriptions and such. While you will want to try doing so, you will also want to focus on the items that you are trying to sell. Your problem, with making a profit on eBay, might be the items that you have listed. If you have a poor quality item, you may not be able to sell it, but you would still be responsible for paying your eBay fees. In this case, you will not only be unable to make a profit, but you may also end up losing money.
When it comes to knowing which items you can profit from selling on eBay, there are many sellers who think that it is impossible to do. While it may seem impossible, it isn’t. Before actually trying to list a particular item for sale online, like an old music CD, you can check to see if that item has been sold on eBay before. If that particular item was sold before, you can also figure out exactly how much money it sold for! This will give you a good idea as to whether or not it would be worth it for you to spend the time creating your auction listings and paying eBay’s fees. Although the decision as to whether or not you still want to post your item for sale is yours to make, it may give you inside information; inside information that you will want to take into consideration when making your decision.
To perform a search of completed auctions, you will want to perform an advanced search. The link to the advanced search form can be found by eBay’s traditional search box. The only thing that you will to do differently is check the box labeled “Completed Listings Only.” Your results will include auctions that meet your searching criteria, but that have already been completed. If an item sold, its price will be outlined in green print. If an item did not sell, the asking price will be outlined, but in red print. As previously stated, performing an eBay completed search gives you the ability to tell whether or not you have a good seller on your hands.
In fact, you can not only use a completed listing search to determine if an item you already have is worth money, but you can also use this eBay tool to help you make money. If you are like many eBay sellers, there is a good chance that you are always on the lookout for great deals, bargains, or antiques. Familiarizing yourself with popular eBay items, ones that can be considered “hot sellers,” is a great way to make yourself a profit on eBay. Should you have the ability to do so, you may want to have a partner at home looking up eBay completed listings, while you are out shopping for items to sell at yard sales, flea markets, or thrift stores.
Performing an eBay completed listing search will only take a few minutes of your time. Despite only taking a few minutes of your time, eBay completed searches can help you make money as an eBay seller, not lose it.
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 childrens 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?
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 childrens 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?
Learn To Make Money On eBay by Jeff Schuman
So you want to sell stuff on eBay, but you have two minor problems: you don't know how and you don't have stuff. Not a problem. Keep reading for some tips to get you pointed in the right direction to learn to make money on eBay.
Before you begin you’ll need some basic equipment: Computer, Internet access, digital camera, and some space to put your stuff. That’s really all you’ll need to get started. You’ll also need shipping and packing supplies but that is addressed later.
Next you’ll need to learn how to list auctions. Go to the eBay sellers overview:
http://pages.ebay.com/education/sellingtips/index.html. This will be your lifeline. There is a plethora of information there on everything you always wanted to know and more. Don’t be overwhelmed; just take it one step at a time. You’ll see there is information on listings, on bidding, on photos, on feedback –
it’s all there.
Next you’ll need to figure out what to sell. Before you zero in on a particular niche you need some experience and some feedback. Buyers are generally leery of buying from someone who is brand new and has a feedback rating of less than 10 evaluations. While you are getting your feet wet, look around your own house first. You’d be amazed at what people buy. You could list outgrown clothing, magazines, candle holders, CD,
books, flannel sheets, recipes, the ugly old lamp that was Aunt Mildred’s, all those goofy Christmas gifts sitting in your basement, that old baby gate with a stain on it. Get the idea? You never know what someone will want.
Although you need experience, you don’t want to list something that isn’t likely to sell. Do your research first before you invest the time in putting together a listing. An easy method to use is do a “search” on eBay, then look up COMPLETED ITEMS, then sort by HIGHEST price. Then you’ll see if your Tommy Bahama
shirt is really worth anything. Or you’ll see that your old baseball cards had 23 listings and not one of them sold.
Pricing is another challenge. Again, you’ll need to do your research. See what they’re going for. Don’t have overly high expectations. You know how you feel when you go to a garage sale and you see a pair of jeans for $15 or books for $4 each. Many people come to eBay to look for a bargain. Consider how much you
have into the item. If you have an item from around the house, you may consider that something is better than nothing, so you may be inclined to start the bidding quite low. If you bought it with the specific intention to resell, you will, at the very minimum, want to break even, so take the price you paid for it and consider other costs, i.e. listing fees, final value fees (all explained in your lifeline – eBay seller overview above).
People are much more apt to bid if the bidding starts LOW. Sometimes though, you will have collectibles that are worth a chunk of money. Don’t give away that vintage postcard that is worth $56! Do your homework.
The next big question is how do you get paid? You determine what you would accept. Online payments such as PayPal (paypal.com) are very convenient. You can also decide that you’ll accept money orders or personal checks. The more options you leave your buyers, the more likelihood you’ll get more bids.
You also need to decide how you want to ship your items to the winners. Many sellers use USPS, others prefer UPS. If you use USPS and ship via Priority Mail, you can get your envelopes and boxes free from USPS. If you ship First Class or Parcel Post or UPS, you’ll have to shop around for deals on boxes or envelopes and bubble wrap or packing peanuts.
Overwhelmed yet? Yes there is a lot to learn, but it’s not nuclear science. Just take it one step at a time. It’s a
learning process. Some yahoo groups (or MSN or AOL, or whatever your preference) are great sources for support and camaraderie with others who are doing the same.
So in summary, if you want to just “start pushing buttons” and learn to make money on eBay on your own, YOU CAN DO IT. If you do better chatting with others, those resources are available too. Use what is available.
About the author:
Team-Schuman.Com contains the best make money online and make money websites available today. If you want to make money check us out here: http://www.team-schuman.com/learn-to-make-money-on-ebay.html
Before you begin you’ll need some basic equipment: Computer, Internet access, digital camera, and some space to put your stuff. That’s really all you’ll need to get started. You’ll also need shipping and packing supplies but that is addressed later.
Next you’ll need to learn how to list auctions. Go to the eBay sellers overview:
http://pages.ebay.com/education/sellingtips/index.html. This will be your lifeline. There is a plethora of information there on everything you always wanted to know and more. Don’t be overwhelmed; just take it one step at a time. You’ll see there is information on listings, on bidding, on photos, on feedback –
it’s all there.
Next you’ll need to figure out what to sell. Before you zero in on a particular niche you need some experience and some feedback. Buyers are generally leery of buying from someone who is brand new and has a feedback rating of less than 10 evaluations. While you are getting your feet wet, look around your own house first. You’d be amazed at what people buy. You could list outgrown clothing, magazines, candle holders, CD,
books, flannel sheets, recipes, the ugly old lamp that was Aunt Mildred’s, all those goofy Christmas gifts sitting in your basement, that old baby gate with a stain on it. Get the idea? You never know what someone will want.
Although you need experience, you don’t want to list something that isn’t likely to sell. Do your research first before you invest the time in putting together a listing. An easy method to use is do a “search” on eBay, then look up COMPLETED ITEMS, then sort by HIGHEST price. Then you’ll see if your Tommy Bahama
shirt is really worth anything. Or you’ll see that your old baseball cards had 23 listings and not one of them sold.
Pricing is another challenge. Again, you’ll need to do your research. See what they’re going for. Don’t have overly high expectations. You know how you feel when you go to a garage sale and you see a pair of jeans for $15 or books for $4 each. Many people come to eBay to look for a bargain. Consider how much you
have into the item. If you have an item from around the house, you may consider that something is better than nothing, so you may be inclined to start the bidding quite low. If you bought it with the specific intention to resell, you will, at the very minimum, want to break even, so take the price you paid for it and consider other costs, i.e. listing fees, final value fees (all explained in your lifeline – eBay seller overview above).
People are much more apt to bid if the bidding starts LOW. Sometimes though, you will have collectibles that are worth a chunk of money. Don’t give away that vintage postcard that is worth $56! Do your homework.
The next big question is how do you get paid? You determine what you would accept. Online payments such as PayPal (paypal.com) are very convenient. You can also decide that you’ll accept money orders or personal checks. The more options you leave your buyers, the more likelihood you’ll get more bids.
You also need to decide how you want to ship your items to the winners. Many sellers use USPS, others prefer UPS. If you use USPS and ship via Priority Mail, you can get your envelopes and boxes free from USPS. If you ship First Class or Parcel Post or UPS, you’ll have to shop around for deals on boxes or envelopes and bubble wrap or packing peanuts.
Overwhelmed yet? Yes there is a lot to learn, but it’s not nuclear science. Just take it one step at a time. It’s a
learning process. Some yahoo groups (or MSN or AOL, or whatever your preference) are great sources for support and camaraderie with others who are doing the same.
So in summary, if you want to just “start pushing buttons” and learn to make money on eBay on your own, YOU CAN DO IT. If you do better chatting with others, those resources are available too. Use what is available.
About the author:
Team-Schuman.Com contains the best make money online and make money websites available today. If you want to make money check us out here: http://www.team-schuman.com/learn-to-make-money-on-ebay.html
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Key Basics About Selling On eBay
Selling products on eBay is an easy way to make money on the internet. This article outlines some basics about selling on eBay, and what you need to do before you start selling products on eBay.
Be sure to register for the FREE eBay Search Tool at: http://Item-Alarm.com
- Know the customers you are targeting as well as the keywords for that niche. You will need to describe the products that you sell on eBay, so it is important that you know all the keywords you need to use to describe your products. This will make it easy for customers to find your products if you use your keywords.
- Do some research first about what is involved in selling on eBay. Browse on eBay website and check out what other sellers are doing. This will also help you to see products that are in high demand and the prices they are bid for.
- Decide the type of products you want to sell. This is very important because you must sell products that are of high quality and for which there is high demand. After you have decided what you want to sell, then you can establish where to get these products at good prices so that when you sell them on eBay you can make a profit.
- You must know how to start selling items. You will need to clearly describe the product, list the products under the appropriate category, and know how to communicate with your winning bidders.
- Make sure that you understand and follow the rules about trading on eBay. This will make your trading on eBay risk-free and successful. You must also know the fees that are involved in selling products on eBay. It is also very important that you know how to create your account and follow all the required steps in setting up a new eBay account and getting registered as an eBay seller.
- You must set up a payment processor so that customers can pay for your products easily and quickly. The most convenient payment processor is PayPal, so you must open a PayPal Account, which is very easy to do.
- You must understand the bidding process so that you can sell products successfully.
Be sure to register for the FREE eBay Search Tool at: http://Item-Alarm.com
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Item-Alarm Launches New eBay Search Tool - FREE!
Item-Alarm released their new eBay search tool that will help simplify your eBay searches.
Item-Alarm works by allowing you to submit search key-words or phrases and then Item-Alarm will notify you via email whenever an item is listed on eBay that matches your search term or phrase.
Item-Alarm is great for those hard-to-find items, collectibles, rare auto or motorcycle parts and any other items you want to search for on eBay.
Sometimes being first on a Buy-It-Now (BIN) item can help you win the bid and get the item before anyone else knows it has been listed.
Item-Alarm allows you to set your alert times from 15 minutes to 1 week and a variety of times in between.
To register for this FREE search tool, just goto: http://item-alarm.com
Item-Alarm works by allowing you to submit search key-words or phrases and then Item-Alarm will notify you via email whenever an item is listed on eBay that matches your search term or phrase.
Item-Alarm is great for those hard-to-find items, collectibles, rare auto or motorcycle parts and any other items you want to search for on eBay.
Sometimes being first on a Buy-It-Now (BIN) item can help you win the bid and get the item before anyone else knows it has been listed.
Item-Alarm allows you to set your alert times from 15 minutes to 1 week and a variety of times in between.
To register for this FREE search tool, just goto: http://item-alarm.com
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