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.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
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"
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