Before You Sell On Ebay, Take The Most Important Step

Author: Isaiah Hull

Before You Sell On Ebay, Take The Most Important Step

If you want to earn a full-time income selling on Ebay, you must take the first and most important step in all successful business ventures: you must accept that it is possible.

This probably sounds really trite--and maybe it is, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less true.

Talk to anyone who now earns a full-time income selling on Ebay and they will undoubtedly tell you two things: the first is that anyone can do it; and that is true. Over 430,000 people currently sell on Ebay to earn a part or full-time income. And the second is that the hardest part is getting started. This is also true.

As with any type of business, whether it be on the Internet or in the brick-and-mortar world, the mindsent that the entrepreneur brings into the venture is absolutely crucial to its success.

If you, the entrepreneur, give up in the face of challenges, assuming you aren’t skilled enough to persevere, you will never know what benefits overcoming those challenges could have yielded. Instead, you will slowly chip away at your options until you are powerless and without confidence.

As a network marketer and the owner of three Internet businesses, I have seen dozens of people struggle and give up because they doubt they can actually achieve what other people have. Many of them give up on the very presupice of a breakthrough because they lack the confidence to work through problems and overcome challenges.

I personally have struggled with this more than once selling on Ebay. I have been so frustrated at times by bad luck and seemingly insurmountable challenges that I was ready to give up. . .only to have a major breakthrough several minutes later.

So, unless you aren’t curious enough to wonder where you could have been if you had just persevered that extra few hours--or extra few minutes--I suggest that you factormotivation and attitude into your Ebay selling.

Whatever it takes, make sure you accept that you can reach your goal before you start selling on Ebay. If you don’t, you will find yourself putting all new ideas on the backburner or writing them off as impossible.

About the author:

http://www.wor kathomerightnow.net/ebay.html - Written by Isaiah Hull, author of ""How to Profit on Ebay In Seven Days Without Spending A Single Penny."" For a limited time only you can get a pre-publication copy of his book for ONE-FOURTH the post-publication price!

Choosing The Right eBay Auction Category

Author: Robbin K. Tungett

eBay is divided up into hundreds of categories and sub-categories and once you've decided on an item to list, you must decide what category you will list it in.

For example, let's assume you have a Tonka truck that you had as a child. Do you place it under toys, collectibles, or automotive? And, once you've decided on one of those three, you still need to decide what sub-category you will list it under.

Choosing the category and sub-category you list your item in is not a trivial decision. It can mean the difference between making a sale and no sale at all. It can mean the difference between multiple bidders and only one bidder.

Here are some tips to help you select the best category and sub-category for your item:

1. Begin by checking all the categories that your item might fit into. This may take some time, but it's time well spent. And, as you become more experienced you won't need to spend as much time on this in the future. Look at each category and ask yourself:

-> Are there other similar items for sale here? -> If there are, do they have bids? -> How do final prices in this category compare to those in other categories?

2. Look at completed auctions. Search completed auctions for Tonka trucks. In what category and sub-category have they sold well?

3. Don't make the mistake of thinking you should list your item in a category where there isn't much competition. The reason there aren't many similar items listed in that category is probably that there aren't many buyers there either.

4. Along the same lines, don't automatically list an item in a category just because it has lots of listings. You don't want to place your item in a dead category. Lots of listings are fine as long as most of them are resulting in sales.

5. Look at active auctions in the categories you're considering. Depending upon what the item you are selling is, if there are already a large number listed, at times it may be to your advantage to wait a week to list yours. One of the nice thing about eBay is that auctions don't last all that long.

6. Undecided between two categories? When you write your auction you have the option of listing your item in two different categories or sub-categories. There are times when this may be to your advantage.

7. If you have several of the same items, then try them one at a time in different categories so that you can test how they do in each one. This way you can inexpensively test which category works best for your.

About the author: Robbin K. Tungett is online marketing and eBay veteran of 8 years. She is most widely known for her eBay expertise and her website http://www.AuctionRiches.com. Please visit her blog at http://www.AuctionHerald.com.

The advantages of easily selling information products on eBay

Author: Marius van Dyk

Everyday more and more people are making a living out of selling information products on eBay. They set up an automated information products business, because it does not require much time nor money and it can bring great returns.

What is an information product? As its name indicates, is a product full of information, which is normally sold as an ebook. This information can be about anything (although you obviously want to sell an ebook in which people will be interested), from how to sell your used car to magic tricks; the scope is inmense.

Browse on eBay by searching for ""ebook"" and ticking ""search in both item title and description"". You will see what is being sold at the moment: ebooks about UFO phenomena, how to get traffic to your website, how to read music, body-building, even the Bible.

You can choose to do a bit of research on a topic that people would be interested in and put together an ebook, or you can sell public domain information, like the Grimm brothers fairy tales, Kafka's works, or Poe's poems.

Why information products? What is the added value on selling information products? It has many advantages both for you and for your customers. It avoids the three ""S"": stocking, selling, and shipping. You do not need to spend anything on production nor in shipping costs. Pretty much all you need is a computer and conexion to the Internet. You do not need to do much selling, other than writing your listing: you put it on eBay and the customers buy it without you having to say anything. It is advisable to keep account of the information products you sell.

Why automated? Setting up an autoresponder system allows you to have the sale completed without you having to ""be"" there. Once the payment received confirmation email comes into your email address, with the autoresponder system the customer immediatley gets their email with the downloadable ebook.

This is obviously very convenient for the customer and for you. They obtain instant gratification, it works like in a shop: they pay, and they get what they want immediately. You can be spending your time in any other thing in that time, as you know that they will get their product thanks to the autoresponder. In the listing, tell the customers to send you an email if they have problems downloading the ebook. The only thing that you need to do after the sale is check your email for possible enquiries. Not much of your time.

Creating (or finding) and selling information products is a very good investment. And I say investment because you spend your time and effort once putting down all that information you have researched, or the public domain content you have found. Then you do not need to do any other thing than listing the item over and over again, being that part of your catalogue of items to sell.

The little amount of time and money required is making many eBayers set up eBay shops and gain an income out if. It can be developed part-time, at your convenience, it does not depend on timetables and you are the boss. Why not start selling information products on eBay today?

About the author: Marius van Dyk is an eBay Silver Powerseller and editor of AuctionBuyingTips.com. His latest ebook ""Auction Information Empires"" shows you step by step how to create your own information products business on eBay. To find out more, go to http://www.auction-buying-tips.com/ebay-secret.html.

10 Benefits Of Opening An eBay Store

Author: Robbin K. Tungett

Whether you are just getting started or are an experienced eBay Power Seller, having an eBay Store is a wonderful way to reach potential customers you may not get through eBay auctions.

Here are some benefits having an eBay Store can provide your business:

1. More Profits - According to eBay, sellers with eBay Stores see an average of 25% increase in their total sales within three months of opening store. You will also save on listing fees since store fees are significantly lower than auction fees on eBay. EBay also offers storeowners promotional offers and free subscriptions to some of its services.

2. Regular Customers - People who buy from your eBay Store are more likely to turn into regular customers if you provide excellent customer service after the sale.

3. Professionalism and Credibility - A professional looking eBay Store makes you look more professional as an on-line seller. An image of professionalism adds to your credibility in customer's minds. As an added benefit, an eBay Store gives you access to eBay's Business Resource Center, where you can download templates for professional looking business cards and much more.

4. Save Time - eBay Store special features, such as longer listing periods and automatic re-listing, will save you time.

5. You Have Your Own Website - When you open an eBay Store you have a unique URL you can promote both on and off eBay. Your eBay Store will be picked up by search engines just like other websites are.

6. You Can Personalize Your eBay Store - With eBay store customization features you can control the look and feel of your store. You can create up to 20 categories to fit your individual inventory. Buyers will see what you want them to see, how you want them to see it.

7. Your eBay Store Has It's Own Search Engine - Include your own Search box in your store and buyers will be able to find exactly what they are looking for when they are in the buying mood.

8. Special Promotional Tools - With an eBay Store you can cross promote other items you choose to buyers and you can choose what items to cross promote. You also get access to eBay Stores Email Marketing Tool - a great way to keep in touch with your customers. Additionally, if your store qualifies, you receive free monthly eBay Keyword listings.

9. Free Monthly Reporting - All storeowners receive free monthly sales reports that recap your sales activity by category. You get information such as monthly gross sales, conversion rates, number of buyers, etc. Plus, if you have a Featured or Anchor Store, you receive overall eBay marketplace data to benchmark your sales against other eBay sellers. With Accounting Assistant, you can export date from your eBay and PayPal accounts directly into QuickBooks.

10. The First 30 Days Are Free - eBay offers a free 30-day trial.

About the author: Robbin K. Tungett is online marketing and eBay veteran of 8 years. She is most widely known for her eBay expertise and her website http://www.AuctionRiches.com. Please visit her blog at http://www.AuctionHerald.com.

Ebay, How I nearly got tricked out of £170

Author: Stephen Hill

I am not sure how many people have had bad experiences on Ebay, I hope not too many. I was having a great time on there until some man tried to defraud me out of £170.

I had been buying and selling on Ebay for a number of months without any problems at all. If I ever bought anything that cost over £100, I would offer to meet the seller somewhere, normally just off the motorway and this was working very well. I managed to pick up some real bargains and also managed to offload some of my unwanted items which I either had no interest in anymore or that I had no longer a need for.

Good things apparantly have to come to an end and unfortunately it did with Ebay.

I was looking to purchase a mobile phone and saw an advert for a buy it now phone with the asking price low but not extremely low.

There was a mobile number to phone if I had any questions. I therefore rang him, his name was Tony and asked him the general type questions. He sounded and seemed really nice, however stated that he was unable to meet me as he was unable to drive as he had not past his test.

His house was a long way from where I lived and reluctantly I agreed to pay via a bank transfer. He assured me he would post the phone, that very day via Royal Mail Special Delivery to arrive by 11am the next morning. He seemed very genuine, they always do your thinking and that was that.

Next morning have a guess what arrived, yes nothing at all, nor the next day, nor the next.

I tried e-mailing him, texting and ringing his mobile phone, guess what, there was no reply.

I realised what a fool I had been, however decided to go to the police. They were very helpful and half an hour later I had a crime number however was warned that it was very unlikely I would ever see a phone or recieve a refund of my money which was £170.

Outside the police station I sent Tony a text with the police crime number. To my shock he phoned me straight away swearing at me but eventually agreed to refund me the money, if I stopped the police action against him.

I was very lucky, I am sure many other people as the police stated, never get their money back.

Stephen Hill

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About the author: Stephen Hill runs a speech centre in Birmingham, England. He has a number of of websites at:

stuttering treatment

stammering information

stuttering cure

Getting Your Price On eBay While Keeping Your Fees Down

Author: Robbin K. Tungett

When you have the right item - something that has wide appeal and is in high demand - you can usually safely save on your eBay listing fees by simply using a low starting bid and letting multiple bidders run the price up. As long as there are five or six bidders, or more, you will more than likely get a final price that you are happy with.

Unfortunately, while this is the ideal scenario, for a large number of items in many categories, this just isn't always the case. Many items on eBay have less than intense demand or they appeal to a very narrow niche. When this is the case, different listing techniques are needed.

In the past, many sellers used a reserve to protect items. But, over the years reserve fees have significantly increased and using a reserve has lost it's appeal to many sellers. This means you must find different techniques to get the same results without paying exorbitant fees. Here are three different approaches you can take to accomplish this.

Use a high opening bid

This may seem like an obvious technique to replace a reserve bid, but actually it's not that appealing. If you have an item you feel you need to get $50 for, you can protect it with a $49.99 opening bid, but eBay is still going to charge you $1.20 for that protection.

High opening bids also have a way of discouraging bidding. The result will often be either the auction ends without any bids, or a bidder will snipe the auction in the last seconds and buy your item for it's starting bid. Neither of these is a desirable outcome.

Listing in two categories with a low opening bid

True, listing in two categories will double your listing fees. But, if you keep your opening bid at $9.99 or lower your listing fees will still be only $.70.

This technique can be especially successful when you have an item that a buyer isn't consciously looking for, but would be interested in buying. Let's say you've acquired a nice illustrated catalog of William Hoosier kitchen cabinets form 1917. The obvious place to list it is in Books>Catalogs where it will attract quite a bit of attention. But, by also listing it in Antiques>Furniture>Cabinets>Armoires, Cupboards>Post 1900 you are able to put it in front of many bidders who would have an interest in it, but wouldn't be actively looking for it.

This can be a very effective technique because it greatly increases the chances that your catalog will be found by more potential buyers. However, your catalog still won't be protected, and there are some items that don't have cross-category appeal.

Using a low opening bid with the option of a price revision

This technique keeps your listing fees low and also offers some price protection for your item. Here's how it works.

Start your auction at a low opening bid and be sure to monitor it daily. If it starts getting bids from several buyers you don't need to do anything. However, if several days go by and it just sits there without a bid, you simply revise the opening bid to an amount more in line with what you need for the item.

This effectively returns you to the first tactic we discussed, but you will have avoided giving the item away; while at the same time given it a chance to attract attention.

About the author: Robbin K. Tungett is online marketing and eBay veteran of 8 years. She is most widely known for her eBay expertise and her website http://www.AuctionRiches.com. Please visit her blog at http://www.AuctionHerald.com.

How Professional Ebay Auction Templates Can Boost Your Ebay Sales

Author: Thomas Haselhorst

Do you like to sell on eBay? It’s easy and fun, isn’t it? In fact, it’s one of the easiest online business you can start almost overnight, without any major investments. That’s the best thing about it. But do you also know that only the minority of the people selling on eBay are really successful and that most of them quit after a little while or run it only as a hobby. Yes, that’s true. Hard facts, but the truth. So, what are the secrets of those successful eBay sellers? Well, the most important thing to become successful is a unique product. That’s the first thing. In case you don’t have a unique product, you can sell products which are in high demand, eg. children clothing, designer clothing, digital cameras, etc. But you have to keep in mind that your item has to compete with 100 similar products – maybe even to a better price. So if you are selling products which are highly competitive, then your sales letter has to be DIFFERENT. No, not only different, it has to be UNIQUE. And not only unique!! Your listing has to be PROFESSIONAL.

Let me tell you about our experiment. We have tried various listings for the same item. And what do you think which listing got the most bids? Right, listings with a professional UNIQUE design end up with 30-40% more bids. Can you imagine that? It was exactly the same item. Just the design of the sales letter can make a massive difference in the end price you may get. It’s just amazing. We have saying in German: “Das Auge isst mit”. The translation is something like: “If it looks nice it has to taste better”. Well, as we know this is not always true though, but that’s the psychology of our human brain. If the overall impression of the food is good, an impulse is sent to the brain: This has to taste good – I want to try that. It’s the same thing with buying in a shop or on eBay. If the auction website of the item you are looking at looks nice, the product has to be good and it’s more likely that you click on the “Bid now” button. We have seen that many times and especially with our little experiment.

So, if you use professional looking eBay auction templates for your listings, you will be surprised how this may boost your eBay business. Try to modify your templates and see which perform better. You will notice that a tiny change can make a huge difference. Keep track which templates has generated what prices and compare after a month. You’ll see that some templates do really well and some don’t. Be creative and modify your templates. But be careful! Don’t overdo it though with bright colours an a dozen animated gifs. No, that’s not what the buyer wants to see. They want to have a clear and honest description and a good picture. If the overall design is professional, believe me – it’s more likely that they place a bid. And at the end of the day – that’s all it counts, doesn’t it?

About the author: Thomas Haselhorst is webmaster of http://www.auction-de sign-for-free.com and http://www.monster-ebook-s ale.com

An eBay Computer Purchase

Author: GEORGE W. CANNATA

An eBay purchase that turned sour.

A story of fraud, deceit, and broken promises.

Let me preface my statements by saying that I think eBay is great.

I’m a handicapped senior citizen and it’s been a boon to me to be able to shop the Internet and particularly eBay.

In nearly six years I’ve had two problems both to do with non-delivery. One incident was insignificant as it involved a $5.00 purchase and was quickly remedied.

It only deserves mention because it was my first purchase, and because I complained about non-delivery the vindictive seller gave me a negative feed back, which remains on my record to this day.

Some months ago I purchased a computer through eBay. It was a very good price, but not so low as to arouse suspicion.

I paid through Paypal using a credit card.

I had checked the seller's feedback record, which was perfect. Next day I received an acknowledgment and a promise to ship in a day or so.

I waited for a week or so, then followed up the shipment. The seller, Ann apologized and said that she was a government attorney, on call and had been called out of town unexpectedly. She said she was on the road and on her return home would advise me the status of the order.

About a week later I received an email with an email with a UPS tracking number and an expected delivery date. The date was somewhat extended, but I accepted it, as it was coming across country.

When the PC didn't arrive as expected I sent Ann another email. Her response was another apology and she said that her father had died and she was in another state for the funeral and would look into the matter upon her return, also that due to the inconvenience she was going to refund half my money.

More time elapsed and after several email inquiries I received an email from Ann's husband stating that on her way home from the funeral she had been in a car crash and was hospitalized. He said he was not involved in the transaction, but on her instructions was looking into the matter, and would see that I received not only my computer but also a full refund.

Naturally many weeks had elapsed by this time. I was beginning to become suspicious and checked their feedback record when suddenly there appeared six or seven bad reviews. On a subsequent check they made their feedback private so it couldn't be accessed.

By then it was too late, the next thing I knew their email was suspended. When I contacted eBay they gave me Ann's phone number. When I called the phone number their service had been disconnected.

I was unable to get an address from either eBay or Paypal. I reported this case of fraud, deceit and broken promises to eBay and Paypal. Both had time limits, which had expired, so they were unable to help me, so I turned the matter over to my credit card company.

Fortunately, I had used a protected credit card, and I was within the prescribed time limit.

I don't know what transpired but I subsequently received a notice from Paypal that they had credited my account. Eventually I received a full refund.

Lessons Learned:

* Always uses a consumer-protected credit card. Do not ever use your checking or savings account even though Paypal encourages you to do so.

* Make sure you have a consumer-protected card, some do not have this feature, and be aware of the time limits, and other restrictions.

* Do not accept stalling tactics even if they seem legitimate. Paypay has a 30-day limit. EBay's is 60 days, or 90 days in some cases. Put in a claim immediately, you can always retract it.

* Be careful when checking feed back, make sure you’re getting reports from buyers not sellers. eBay has made it easier to do this now.

These people had deliberately purchased a lot of small items to build up a positive feed back record.

I have seen a tutorial that advocates doing it for new sellers who have no feed back record .

* Follow tour instincts, I had ignored a lot of danger signals. ---DON'T DO THAT---use your common sense---If you suspect foul play, Take immediate action.

Remember that scam artists are very good psychologists. They know how to appeal to your sensibilities.

Beware---They're Pros they make their living that way. Fraud and deceit are their tools of trade.

About the author: By: George W. Cannata Owner and publisher of the web site:http://www.caveatemptorus.com You have permission to publish this aticle in its entirety without changes and it must contain all links and credits to the author.

Mistakes To Avoid In Your Ebay Auctions

Author: Evelyn Lim

Online auctions continue to grow in popularity as an easy and efficient way to make money on everything from unwanted household items to rare and expensive collectables and even to bulky items like cars.

Log on to eBay and you will see countless auctions on any item you can imagine. As eBay auctions grow in popularity, it becomes harder to make money with your auction because it often gets buried or overlooked with all the competing auctions in the same category. Therefore, to make money on your auction, it is important to set your auction apart and avoid common eBay auction mistakes. Here are 3 important areas that you must take note of:

1. Wrong product category or product category not specific enough. Not doing enough research. As it is relatively simple and inexpensive to auction an item, many sellers simply do not put in enough effort researching the market. The result is that the auctions are put up in the wrong category. This would be tantamount to pitching your deal to the wrong market.

However, if you are marketing your product in traditional channels and paying money for your promotions, you are likely to do a lot more research and legwork. If you want to earn a serious income, then you should not treat your eBay auctions any differently.

To research, find the best eBay category to put your product auction in. If you are selling coins, eBay shoppers do not have the time to search all 38,000 plus auctions put up under the category of coins. You need to define your product category as specific as possible. You will then target the true eBay shoppers that are likely to be interested in your auction.

2. A blurred or ugly looking image. Be sure your eBay auction has a clear professional looking image. Pay heed to the saying “A picture speaks a thousand words”. Also, don’t forget to ensure that your image file size is not too large. If the image takes minutes to download, the typical eBay shopper is bound to skip your auction.

3. Incomplete and unclear product description. Be sure to give a detailed and precise description for your eBay auction item. For instance, you can give exact dimensions of the product or give specific details about the condition of the second hand item. An incomplete or unclear description is not likely to attract bidders for your item.

All in all, the best exercise I can suggest is to visit your Ebay auction and honestly ask yourself if you would be even tempted to put in a bid for this product.

If the answer is no or even probably not, then change it. If you are passionate about your auction and take the time to make it professional, your auction is likely to stand out. Make the effort to do it right and you are likely to have successful auctions.

About the author: Evelyn Lim is an online publisher of a FREE newsletter aimed at helping aspiring home based business owners. She also hopes to educate her readers on skills to acquire multiple sources of online income. To subscribe to her newsletter, please visit http://www.e-BizMap.com or her blog at http://www.EvelynLim.com .

Taming the eBay Search Engine

Author: Robbin K. Tungett

If you know what you’re doing, you can quickly find what you’re looking for on eBay – and the more you know about how buyers find you, the easier you’ll find it to be found. Here are a few golden searching rules. 

Be specific: If you’re searching for the first edition of the original Harry Potter book, you’ll get further searching for ‘harry potter rowling philosopher’s stone first edition’ than you will searching for ‘harry potter’. You’ll get fewer results, but the ones you do get will be far more relevant. 

Spell incorrectly: It’s a sad fact that many of the sellers on eBay just can’t spell. Whatever you’re looking for, try thinking of a few common misspellings – you might find a few items here that have slipped through the cracks. 

Get a thesaurus: You should try to search for all the different words that someone might use to describe an item, for example searching for both ‘TV’ and ‘television’, or for ‘phone’, ‘mobile’ and ‘cellphone’. Where you can, though, leave off the type of item altogether and search by things like brand and model. 

Use the categories: Whenever you search, you’ll notice a list of categories at the side of your search results. If you just searched for the name of a CD, you should click the ‘CDs’ category to look at results in that category only. Why bother looking through a load of results that you don’t care about? 

Don’t be afraid to browse: Once you’ve found the category that items you like seem to be in, why not click ‘Browse’ and take a look through the whole category? You might be surprised by what you find. 

Few people realize just how powerful eBay’s search engine is – a few symbols here and there and it’ll work wonders for you.  

Wildcard searches: You can put an asterisk (*) into a search phrase when you want to say ‘anything can go here’. For example, if you wanted to search for a 1950s car, you could search for ‘car 195*’. 195* will show results from any year in the 1950s. 

In this order: If you put words in quotes ("""") then the only results shown will be ones that have all of the words between the quote marks. For example, searching for “Lord of the Rings” won’t give you any results that say, for example “Lord Robert Rings”. 

Exclude words: Put a minus, and then put any words in brackets that you don’t want to appear in your search results. For example: “Pulp Fiction” –(poster, photo) will find items related to Pulp Fiction but not posters or photos. 

Either/or: If you want to search for lots of words at once, just put them in brackets: the TV example from earlier could become ‘(TV, television)’, which would find items with either word. 

I hope this little primer helps you with your eBay searches. Whether you're searching for an item you want to purchase or you're researching products and competitors, these little tips should help. Don’t get too tied up learning the ways of the search engine, though: a surprising number of eBay users don’t search at all, preferring to look through eBay’s category system and save their favourites in their browser.

About the author: Robbin K. Tungett is online marketing and eBay veteran of 8 years. She is most widely known for her eBay expertise and her website http://www.AuctionRiches.com. Please visit her blog at http://www.AuctionHerald.com.

The Powerful eBay Bidding Strategy That Claims A 99% Success Rate.

Author: Ian D. Major

Don't you just love it?

You've found that special item on eBay that you've just got to have!

No If's Ands or Buts, you've got to win that item.

You've checked and double checked the ""End Of Auction"" time and date and you're at your computer, signed in and raring to go at least 30 minutes before the auction ends.

You're happy to beat the latest bid and with nervous fingers you tap in the amount you're willing to pay.

Then you read those dreaded words-

!You Have Been Outbid!

Now you remember, there are sneaky eBayers out there who use deviously cunning tricks, like placing high hidden bids and proxy bidding.

You heard somewhere that you should wait untill the closing minute of the auction before placing your bid.

Great, theres still 20 minutes to go, time to grab another cup of coffee.

Back at your computer you count down the final minutes, how can 5 minutes seem to last so long?

You constantly hit the refresh button so that you can check how long there's left to go.

At last the final minute of the auction arrives.

You tap in the next highest bid and hit ""Place Bid"". You're waiting for that page. The one that says'

!Congratulations! You Won The item!

But your heart sinks when yet again you see those dreaded words-

!You Have Been Outbid!

This cant be right! They cant do this to you! It's just not fair!

But wait, theres still 15 seconds left to go.

You frantically type in a higher bid and you're greeted with-

!Listing ended!

No. No, It cant have ended.

But it has.

Does this scenario sound familiar to you?

I think every eBayer has experienced this at some time or other.

I know I have!

There has to be a simpler way. And there is.

Enter the Sniper.

SniperWare, as it has become known, is a program that will place a last second bid on your behalf.

Many of these types of Auto-Bid Programs claim a 95% to 99% success rate at placing the winning bid.

No more sitting staring at your computer counting down the minutes to try and place that winning bid because with Sniperware you simply enter the details of the auction you want to bid on, the maximum bid you are prepared to make and that's it.

You don't even have to be at your computer. You don't even have to be at home come to that.

SniperWare generally comes in two flavours.

1. Web Based With a Web based program you will usually pay a small fee per use (although you are not usually charged anything if you fail to win the auction). Most of the on-line programs will allow you to make the first few Snipes at no charge.

2. Downloaded Sniper Software. In this instance the Sniper Software Program is downloaded onto your own computer. The upfront cost is more but there are no ongoing fees and many of these programs can be downloaded on a trial basis for free.

There are many Sniper programs to choose from. Just go to your favourite Search Engine and type in ""Sniper Programs"".

My personal choice, having tried several, is PowerSnipe and I have won some great auction using this particular program.

You can try PowerSnipe for free for 30 days and more information on PowerSnipe can be found at the end of this article.

So if you don't want to see those dreaded words-

!You Have Been Outbid!

Get Sniping.

About the author: To get your free trial of PowerSnipe visit:-

http://www.powersnipe.com/?af=majorian

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Four Reasons Why You Should NEVER Use Animations In Your eBay Auctions

Author: Sydney Johnston

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Earn Money on eBay Even Without Stuff to Sell

Author: James Dillehay

Although most people know eBay as the online marketplace for buying and selling all kinds of goods, eBay also provides a backdoor income opportunity for website owners ready to monetize their site traffic.

Even if you don't have an item or sources of products of your own to sell on eBay, you can earn money through eBay's affiliate program by serving pages with auction listings specifically organized around any eBay category, according to James Dillehay, author of Sell Your Crafts on eBay.

An affiliate is an independent contractor who agrees to send traffic to a merchant who sells a product or service and pays the affiliate a commission of each sale.

eBay developed a sophisticated affiliate tool called the eBay Editor Kit that allows you to build highly targeted interactive graphic banners which list specific types or categories of items for sale.

Which Categories to Target

Let's say you have a family oriented web site with an article page(s) on wedding-related topics. As an eBay affiliate, you can insert code they provide through an easy- to-use toolkit online that allows you to serve up current auctions on wedding dresses, wedding favors, wedding supplies, or any other category you choose.

Another example would be a site providing visitors with facts of interest on actor, John Wayne. At the bottom of a page about John Wayne's movies, the site owner/eBay affiliate can place code which serves up all current eBay listings for John Wayne movie DVDs or video tapes.

If this sounds too complex, relax. You don't have to be a programmer or a geek to get this to work. The eBay Editor Kit is an interactive form available to affiliates which allows for quickly entering in your affiliate ID code, product category(s) you want to serve listings for, and a few other details. Using the affiliate interface, I've created code to generate targeted eBay listings and placed it on my web pages, all in less than two minutes.

How Much Does It Pay

The program pays affiliates between 40% and 70% of eBay's revenue (not item sale price) on all winning bids or Buy-It- Nows within 7 days of an affiliate action and up to $20 for each new active registered user who arrives from your affiliate links. These rates may change at any time but were current as of this writing.

Why Would Anyone Click

The more targeted your site traffic, the more likely people will click-through to specific auctions. Studies show ads related to your page content get higher response rates.

Since using the eBay Editor Kit and placing graphics displaying targeted auctions, my recorded click-through rate has averaged between 50% and 70%. This compares to a typical click-through rate on my other affiliate links of between 2% to 15%.

The Ultimate Market Research Tool

The beauty and ease of the above system is you can serve your customers great deals on items they are specifically searching for and earn money in the process. But that could just be the beginning of profits for you.

With the sophisticated tracking statistics available to you as an affiliate, you can track which types of eBay listings get higher click-throughs, higher closing bids, and learn about items that sell best throughout the year.

You can then pick and choose best-selling items for your site's traffic, find inventory at wholesale or closeout sources, and then list your own eBay auctions which you already have evidence of sales history. You'll earn lots more than you would have just as an affiliate.

You should note that it is against eBay's affiliate policies for you to use eBay Editor Kit to link to your own eBay auctions.

To become an affiliate for eBay, your web site must be approved. Your site must get steady traffic, look good and all the links should function. Typically, eBay is interested in well designed, high traffic sites to partner with. To apply, go to www.cj.com, Commission Junction and search for eBay.

About the author: James Dillehay is author of eight books including Sell Your Crafts on eBay, Over 200 Tactics, Tips and Tricks to Profit with Your Arts and Crafts Items from eBay's Millions of Buyers. His books have been recommended in The Chicago Tribune, Family Circle, Better Homes & Gardens, Country Almanac, Working Mothers, The Crafts Report, Sunshine Artist, and many other magazines and on HGTV. For more information, see http://www.craftmarketer.com.

Artist Marketing - Selling Your Art on Ebay

Author: Kelli Swan

Artist Marketing - Selling Your Art on Ebay

As an artist, you've probably already realized that the ""creative"" end of your profession is handled. It's the ""marketing"" of your work that is the challenge! In a previous article, I covered some of the key points of traditional Artist Marketing through participating in Art Shows and Festivals. This article will cover one online approach to marketing your work -- Selling on Ebay.

As a venue for selling Art, ebay is a much debated issue. Some artists say that ebay devalues an artist's work and that one should never sell their work on ebay. This is certainly a valid opinion -- a large percentage of ebay buyers are looking for bargains. That being said, here is another way to look at it: selling work on ebay to obtain exposure and advertising of one's work, along with making sales. Let's face it, there is no way to get around the fact that MILLIONS of people visit ebay everyday with the express intent of SHOPPING. It is unlikely that any other online site for marketing artwork will generate that volume of traffic.

A few years ago, before many artists entered the ebay marketplace, competition was light and making money on ebay a bit easier. Presently, ebay has grown to the point where jumping in and making a living selling your art exclusively on ebay would be challenging at best. If you can approach ebay as part of a comprehensive marketing strategy, as opposed to ""putting all of your eggs in one basket,"" the ebay experience can be quite valuable.

As far as selling prices go, yes, often times ebay prices are below other markets. If this bothers you, stop now -- ebay may be a waste of your time. However, if you don't mind having some pieces sell for less than average, the ebay experience can simply mean well spent Advertising Dollars in addition to income. And what about those customers who paid full price for your work? Business is business. Your response, should they ask, can be that you dedicate a limited number of pieces to auction for advertising purposes. (Countless artists have donated their work to fundraisers, with zero input on the final selling price.) If you are going to ""protect"" the value of your work, you have to market it...

The actual ""how to"" of listing items on ebay is quite simple, though time consuming. There is no need for a ""how to lesson"" here, as every aspect of the ebay selling process is explained through onsite links to additional information. Any questions you have about fees, guidleines, etc. can be found right on ebay with a little patience.

The ""philosophy"" of the approach is up to you. I will suggest some guidelines for making ebay part of your over all marketing plan:

If you already have your own website, or plan to start one, great. Ebay can be used as a method for getting people to your main site. While you can't advertise your website on an auction page, you can mention your site in the ""About Me"" section of your Seller Preferences. Also, you can mention your site in correspondence email to anyone who contacts you through ebay or wins one of your listed items. Ebay is quite particular about Sellers advertising other websites (ebay would of course prefer that all business transact through them!) so make sure to exercise care and only respond to those who contact you first. (See the ebay User Agreement for details.)

If you don't maintain your own website, or even if you do, you may want to consider opening an ebay store. It's relatively inexpensive, with basic stores starting at $15.95/month, you can list as many items as you like in the store. Listing fees for store items are far less than listing fees for auction items. Of course, there is a catch -- only auction items show up at the top of a search when folks go looking for items to buy. So, your store items will seldom be found by the average shopper. However, you can advertise your store on your ebay auction pages. So one approach is to continually keep several items up for auction, and loudly declare that you have many more available in your ebay store (active links to your store help!) Also, you will find that after items have been in your store for a period of time, they may be indexed on Google and Froogle! Given the intense competition for site ranking on Google, an ebay store is a great way to get your work out there to be seen.

It probably goes without saying that you will need to post a picture of your artwork, and that image quality is very important. Try to avoid sitting your painting or sculpture on the sofa and just snapping a picture. Well displayed and well lit images will help a great deal. Also, you will need to consider how you plan to ship the item before listing it. Ebay will require you to enter shipping options and pricing that you plan to offer to the winning bidder. You will also need to decide if you are willing to ship internationally or to US-only destinations.

A final note on listing your items, whether at auction or in an ebay store: remember to chose quality KEYWORDS! This is most important in the Title line of your item. Put yourself in the buyer's shoes. Few people are probably looking for ""Look at this very pretty view of flowers in a vase."" A much better title, littered with popular search words, might be: ""Floral Painting, Still Life, Art Print, Limited Edition."" Ebay provides a list of popular ""Keywords"" to assist in your homework.

One great way to prepare yourself for entering the ebay market is to BUY something on ebay! In this case, try buying a piece of art. This will give you experience from the Shoppers perspective on searching, bidding and winning an item. You can use your likes and dislikes of your experience to create a plan all your own!

About the author: Artist and Graphic Designer Kelli Swan specializes in Pencil Drawings and Graphic Design Services. Her artwork is available through http://www.PencilPlace.com. Kelli's Graphic Design Services are listed at http://www.CygnetGraphics.com and her new site with Animal Lover Gifts, including Horse Lover and Dog Lover Gifts, is http://AnimalLoverGiftPlace.com.

7 Ways To Promote Your eBay Store

Author: Roger Mayne

The recent fee increases for eBay Stores have resulted in a large number of eBay Storeowners closing their stores because they didn't feel they could absorb the increases and remain profitable.

The majority of eBay Storeowners, however, simply absorbed the increases and continued to run their stores in a highly profitable manner. The primary reason they were able to do this was because they didn't just throw up an eBay Store, put a few items in it, and let it sit there. They had been promoting their stores all along. Promoting your eBay Store is vital to ensure it maintains continued profitability.

Here are some ways you can go about promoting your eBay Store for continued maximum profits:

1. Link To Your eBay Store In All Your Auctions - Every auction you list should include a link to your eBay Store. While eBay automatically includes a link to your store in all your auctions, you should take a different approach. Make sure your store has similar items in it, and then link to that specific item with links such as ""Can't wait for this auction to end? Click here to Buy It Now!""

2. Link To Your eBay Store In All Your Invoices And Other Correspondence - Everything you send to your customers, or potential customers, should include a link to your store. You can do this in two ways:

- Include a link to your eBay store in your email signature block. For this to be most effective, don't just link to your store. Make them want to click on the link by linking to a specific item or items related to the content of the email.

- Include mentions of your eBay store within your email itself. When a customer writes you with a question about a specific item, don't just answer their question. If you have a similar item or items in your store tell them about it and include a direct link to it within the body of your email. Just be careful not to make the email look like an advertisement. Use a soft-sell approach and mention the item in a way that doesn't interfere with the flow of your response.

3. Submit Targeted Keyword To Pay-Per-Click Search Engines - Submit your site to pay-per-click search engines such as Overture.com. Select keywords that will attract narrowly targeted buyers. When doing this, your goal shouldn't be to attract as many clicks as possible, but rather, to attract as many tightly targeted clicks as possible. Write your pay-per-click description in such a manner that it draws people who want to buy your item to your store. You do not want to attract ""browsers"" as they will just eat up your PPC budget very quickly.

4. Use Your Store's Monthly Sales Report As A Promotional Tool - Study the information included in your monthly sales report for your store to determine what promotional methods are working and what ones aren't. Increase your efforts in the areas that are working best for you and either drop or revise those that aren't doing so well.

5. Let Your Store Promote Itself - eBay has a store search page that works very similar to a regular search engine that some eBay buyers will use. Others will use actual search engines such as Google, Yahoo, etc. Because of this, it's important that you let your store promote itself by targeted keywords in the appropriate places:

- Your eBay Store name should describe what you are selling

- You are allowed to have up to 20 customized categories within your store. Use the keywords that your potential buyers will search for as your category names.

- Use keywords in your eBay store description that accurately describe what you are selling. Just be sure to insert them into your description in a way that's user-friendly and doesn't appear as blatant advertising.

6. Use eBay's Cross Promotion Features - eBay provides storeowners with cross-promotion features but most sellers don't use them wisely. Make sure you are showing the right product to the right buyer at the right time. Ensure you are cross-promoting the proper items not only in your listings, but also in your Bid Confirmation and your Purchase Confirmation pages.

7. Make Use Of The Email Marketing Tool eBay Provides - eBay's Email Marketing feature allows you to build an opt-in customer list very cheaply. Encourage buyers to opt-in to your mailings by promoting your newsletters in your store and in all post transaction communications with buyers. Just ensure that you use the tool wisely and don't send messages to your subscribers so frequently that they view your newsletters as Spam. Optimally, you shouldn't send more than two or three newsletters a month.

About the author: Learn how to turn your hobby into a full time income with the power of eBay! eBay power sellers spill their guts for the first time ever in this easy to read ebook! http://www.ebayhotitems.com

Bananas - Your Source of eBay Packing Materials!

Author: Mike Ralph

This is the most boring stage of the process and subsequently where some eBay sellers let themselves down. If the buyer receives thier purchase poorly packed and broken then they are not going to be happy and will want a refund and more importantly never buy off you again which will have negated all the hard work that you put into the previous stages of your professional auction listing.

Packing is not difficult but if you get carried away then it will impact greatly on your profit, all items fall into two categories:

Envelope Packages - always use padded envelopes as these will protect your items properly

and

Box Packages - always use a sturdy box and ideally wrap the item in bubble wrap

As I mentioned packaging costs can impact on your profit, however, if you carefully work out what is required when you are calculating the shipping charge then this cost is covered by the customer as they pay the shipping charge. This doesn't mean use the first supplier of packaging that you can find as the shipping charge will have an effect on the listing and the customers perception of you, the customer assumes that the shipping charge relates only to the postage cost and not to the packaging costs so when they see that they paid more than the actual cost of postage they assume that you are ripping them off and this will ruin anyone's professional image.

There are numerous suppliers of packaging available, with some very good suppliers available on eBay itself. However there are other alternatives, your items do not have to go out in box's that are plain or covered in your logo (if you have one). Customers will not mind as long as thier item arrives in one piece.

My advice would be to become a recycler, when you visit the store keep a look out for boxes that you can use to pack your items and also for packaging materials to secure the item with within the box. The stores are more than willing to let you take these(always ask first) as they only throw them away or recycle them themselves.

I am going to let you in on a big secret, there is a great source of FREE BUBBLE WRAP that anyone can get access to. All it takes is one word :

BANANA'S

Banana's are the single biggest selling fruit in superstores and every box of them comes packed with a sheet of bubble wrap within to protect the delicate fruit. All you do is ask your local produce department manager in your local store to save it for you and hey presto instant FREE packaging. Do not worry about the banana smell tainting the bubble wrap as the bananas are removed from the packaging before they are ripe (the stage they start to smell) as the stores like to ensure a customer life of the product and as such sell them just as they are ripening. Trust me, try it and see.

When you are packing the item, always put a thank you note in to ensure that the customer knows you are grateful for thier purchase and this will also raise your image within their mind. Always use a good strong tape on the box and ensure all flaps are taped down and that no one can gain entry to the box without cutting the tape. When you are putting the customers address on the box I would recommend that you type it out on the PC, firstly it looks more professional and also not everyone can read your writing and this will only cause delays in the mail.

It is also advisable to always get proof of postage from the mail or better still send it recorded, this acts in two ways... it provides a means of tracking the delivery so that you know the customer received it (helps against fraudulent 'not received' claims) and it also provides a insurance cover against loss and damage. The relative costs are minor compared to the piece of mind it gives you and the customer.

The next stage is to develop this after sales one stage further.. please read want money for nothing?

About the author: Visit ebay information central to use the FREE resources to develop your online business.

Negating Negative Feedback on eBay

Author: J. Stephen Pope

Negating Negative Feedback on eBay by J. Stephen Pope

Taking some pride in my one hundred percent positive feedback score on eBay, I was horrified to see a negative feedback appear against me.

What had I done wrong? Had I overlooked an auction win and failed to deliver product as promised? Had I given poor, slow service? Was I rude to the auction winner?

Certainly, if I had been guilty of any of these things, the negative feedback may have been deserved. But, wait a second! The auction had just ended!

Within minutes (perhaps seconds) of the auction`s end, I was being awarded negative feedback. Not only did I not receive any chance to fulfill the order or to right any wrong that I may have committed, I also received an e-mail from the perpetrator threatening to have me suspended from eBay if I didn`t meet certain demands.

This wasn`t fair! Obviously, I had been victimized by an online bully. (You would honestly think that people had more productive things to do with their time.)

What could I do about it? I e-mailed eBay and told them my story. I mentioned how libel was a cause for civil action. I forwarded to them the e-mail extorting me. Extortion is a criminal offense.

Happily, eBay took action. The negative feedback that appeared on my member profile was almost immediately removed. eBay also took disciplinary action against the suspected abuser.

Yes, it took extra time and effort to deal with the problem, but isn`t your reputation worth it?

RESOURCE BOX:

J. Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc., http://www.popeconsultinginc.com/ has been helping clients to earn maximum business profits for over twenty-five years.

For valuable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/

About the author: RESOURCE BOX:

J. Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc., http://www.popeconsultinginc.com/ has been helping clients to earn maximum business profits for over twenty-five years.

For valuable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, visit: http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/

8 Collectible Dolls That Sell Well on eBay

Author: Sydney Johnston

8 Dolls That Sell Well on eBay

From the beginning, eBay's primary growth came from the collectibles market. There are two basic models for eBay sales:

1. Currently available consumers goods. This is a price- driven model, and although smart sellers can earn above- average prices, buyers are there looking for a bargain and price is the #1 consideration.

2. Other buyers are collectors, looking for one-of-a-kind unique items that they can't locate elsewhere. Here, price isn't as important as it is with consumer goods. The power of this market is obvious because, before eBay and the Internet, most collectors were confined to a local market.

Dolls have always been big sellers as eBay collectibles and eight of them are especially strong sellers:

1. The Cabbage Patch Kids began in 1978 and are never ""sold"". They are 'born' at Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia and proud parents pay an 'adoption fee'. The Cabbage Patch Kids were one of the greatest toy phenomenons of the later 20th century. At one time, it was a common sight to see grown women shopping and lunching with their babies in hand. In restaurants, the Kids had their own chairs and were always appropriately dressed for the weather.

2. Precious Moments began in the early 1970s when creator Sam Butcher began drawing the endearing teardrop-eye children as gifts for family and friends. Today Sam's Precious Moments artwork is among the most recognized in the world, and eBay prices reflect this popularity.

3. Madame Alexander dolls were created in 1923. These beloved dolls range from Charlie Brown to babies and children to elegant dressed women to glamorous and famous women like Greta Garbo and Judy Garland. With all the varieties of costumes, a single doll can be a 1920s flapper as easily as a member of the court of Louis XIV.

4. Lee Middleton dolls, according to legend, are so real in appearance that grown men sent for a rescue squad to save ""the baby"" from a locked car! Mistaken identity is supposedly a frequent occurrence and the dolls have been counted as ""passengers"" on airplanes and rescued from store countertops to prevent the 'baby' from falling. As one happy owner says, ""These dolls are so lifelike it's uncanny.""

5. American Girl dolls are loved by millions of little girls (and grown ups, too!) They are not only from different times and places, but are ethnically diverse: Felicity from colonial Virginia; Josephina from the 1830's in New Mexico; Kirsten is ""a pioneer girl of strength and spirit growing up in Minnesota in 1854""; Addy is alive in the 186o's, having escaped from slavery with her mother; Samantha is ""a bright Victorian girl living with her wealthy grandmother in 1904""; Kit is growing up in 193os, during America's Great Depression; Molly lives in the 1940's while her dad is away at war; Kaya is a Nez Perce Indian living in the northwest.

6. Hasbro dolls are one of the products of the gigantic Hasbro company, who claim to have been making toys for eight generations, including famous games like Monopoly, Scrabble and Clue.

7. Bratz dolls, unlike older dolls like Madame Alexander and Cabbage Patch Kids, have no long history as favorite toys or collectibles. Nevertheless, their price has astonished eBay sellers and the Bratz collection was one of the 'super hits' of the 2003 holiday season and sales have been strong ever since.

8. And, no surprise, Barbie is the best-selling doll on eBay. Since Mattel has recently announced that Ken and Barbie will no longer be an ""item"", dolls from the 'good old days' when the name ""Barbie"" was rarely heard without 'Ken', will inevitably become more valuable.

Anyone who loves and understands the doll market, can do very well selling dolls on eBay. They've been strong sellers for the 10 years eBay has been in existence and are almost certain to remain popular for years to come.

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

Using Online Ebay Auctions to Promote Your Website - Confessions of a True Traffic Junkie

Author: Michael Turner

If you are looking for traffic to your e-commerce site, you should look no further than Ebay. The reason for this is Ebay is an online auction site that has a huge following and millions of hits on a daily basis. Because of this, if you have your products and services being auctioned off on Ebay, your storefront can be linked to the auction which increases your site's visibility. Here are a couple benefits Ebay auctions can provide:

1. You'll Have More Links

It is affordable to auction things off on Ebay and the price could come out of your advertising budget. Regardless of how you pay for it, you will have temporary web space where you can provide all the links you want to your website, photos, descriptions of products, or anything you like. These links will accomplish two things. The first thing they will accomplish is they will help you get higher rankings with the big search engines so other people will click on your site, increasing your traffic and ultimately sales. The second thing these links will accomplish is they take the visitor who is currently shopping and interested in your product right to the description, giving them the option to buy. Regardless of whether or not anyone buys your products online, you will have links to your site which will prove successful in driving traffic. You can re-list your Ebay auctions as often as you like and have as many auctions going at the same time, as well. This is a great way to sell products primarily, and secondarily a great way to promote your website.

2. Guaranteed Targeted Traffic

Most people work hard and long hours trying to develop links and joint ventures to their site to get better rankings. However, with Ebay you don’t have to ask permission or link back, you just pay a small fee and there you go. You have another link to your website, you have a website that is as popular as they get, targeted traffic interested in your products and services, and all for a very small fee. Actually, the small fee you pay to get your link and product on Ebay is probably less than the amount of money you lose trying to develop joint ventures. So, consider Ebay and other auction sites when trying to get more links to your website, not to mention selling products.

And above all, Ebay is easy. You can learn how to use the interface in no time at all and before you know it not only will you sell some of your products and services online, you will generate so many targeted leads for such a low cost you will wonder what took you so long to try it.

About the author: Michael Turner reveals step-by-step how you can increase search engine traffic in his free 7 part mini-series. Grab it now at http://www.powertraffictactics.com/

The Top Ten eBay Buyer Personalities!

Author: Joe Clare

In my years of selling on eBay I have come across all sorts of people. For the most part these people have been very nice and easy to deal with. Having said that, there are always a small percentage, like in any business online or offline, who you'll have some degree of problem with. As explained in my book ""eBay Marketing Wholesale SourcePak"" you will need to be as polite as you possibly can and have a little patience when dealing with these people. Below you will find my Top Ten List of eBay Buyer Personalities and how to handle them.

10 - The Manipulator: There will be times when you have an auction end with no bids. When this happens watch out for the Manipulator. This is an individual who will email you once you auction ends wanting to purchase your item off eBay at a ridiculously low price. He/she will often try to manipulate you into believing the product will not sell but he/she will be glad to take it off your hands. Forget about them! Do Not sell the item to them. Instead relist the item for auction on eBay with a new headline. If he/she wants it bad enough, they will have to get the item through your auction. And trust me 99% of the time your item will sell.

9 - The Impatient Buyer: This is someone who has won your auction today and is wondering why it wasn't shipped yesterday. This individual wants what was purchased fast, real fast. Just have patience, be polite and explain your shipping policy to him/her. Getting the product out quickly with a thank you note for purchasing will give you a happy customer.

8 - The Disappointed Buyer: There are some people you just can not please, not even if you were to stand on your head. They will be disappointed no matter what you do. Sometimes these people can be down right rude and take up a lot of your time. Learn to recognize this type of person and don't get caught up in an on slot of emails. Remember that time is money, and once you have done all you can do to rectify their problem move on. If the emails continue simply ignore them.

7 - The Invisible Buyer: This is someone who has won your auction but you never hear from them. Ever! They pay you right on time without any problems. So you send the product they won off to them. And that's it! They do not leave feedback, and do not return any emails. They just disappear into thin air. If you send a couple of follow up emails asking if they received their item and requesting positive feedback and you get no response, just forget them and move on.

6 - The Interrogator: This individual could drive you crazy. It's not their fault, they just have questions. Lots of Questions! For these people even if every question imaginable is answered in your auction description, they'll still manage to find a reason to email you a question. Be weary of this type of individual they can, and will waste a lot of your time if you let them. On your first email to them be polite, answer their question then refer them back to your auction description telling them all the answers are there. Suggest they read it again. Don't get caught up in email after email. Always remember that time is money, and if you've done your auction description correctly there should be no questions left to ask. Your auction surfer should be ready to make a bid.

5 - The Late Payer: This customer has no clue about deadlines and they really don't seem to care about them either. Their attitude is you'll get paid when I am ready to pay you. You will need to set guidelines for when payment is due. If payment is not received you may choose to give your buyer one extension. Be specific giving him/her a date as to when the balance is due. Also tell them if payment is not received by that date you will have no other choice but to relist the item for auction. Sometimes a month or so down the road you'll end up getting a check in the mail from this person with a note as to why they were late. Simply return the payment with an explanation that the item was re-listed as he/she failed to meet the payment deadline and it has been sold to someone else.

4 - The Deadbeat: There is no buyer more irritating than the one who is always telling you the check is in the mail. Of course the check never arrives. Unfortunately there is not much you can do about this. Like above give them a deadline and if they don't make it relist the item for auction again.

3 - The ""I'm Sooo Confused"" Buyer: This customer does want to buy from you. Really, they do! If they could only figure out how! How to bid, how to pay, how to... All this high tech computer stuff is just way to confusing for them. Have patience and be polite. Explain what they should do next. If you find no matter how you explain things it just doesn't register with them, suggest they read over eBay's tutorials. Remember your time is money and you can only spend so much time with any potential customer before you must move on.

2 - The Spender: This individual can spend a lot of money with you. And often will return as a repeat buyer usually purchasing a little of everything you have up for auction. This person will also spend $100.00 in merchandise in order to save $10.00 on shipping. Bless him/her!

1 - The Perfect Customer: This individual is simply a Happy Person. He/she has won your auction and they are just ecstatic about it. The great thing about this type of buyer is if you run into a problem they are always understanding and easy to deal with. If looked after correctly, very often these people will become a customer for life. Now, don't we wish all customers were like this.

So, there you have it. The Top Ten eBay Buyer Personalities. If you already sell on eBay I'm sure you will recognize some of these personality traits in your own customers. If you're just getting started with your eBay Auction Business no doubt you'll be running into these people soon. Whatever personality your day brings you, always be patience, polite and just have fun with it.

Happy Selling! Joe Clare

About the author: Joe Clare is a successful eMarketer and Author. He has written numerous articles on how to make money on eBay. Check out his Articles, Hot Tips and Free Auction Mini Course and discover for yourself, how you can make a Serious Income with Online Auctions. http://www.ebooksnsoftware.com

Finding Products to sell on eBay

Author: Nowshade Kabir

Do you know how many people in US are earning their livelihood with the help of eBay? According to a new survey conducted on July 2005 by ACNielsen, a leading research firm, an astounding 724 thousand Americans respond that they rely on eBay for their main or supplemental income. Apart from these professional sellers, another 1.5 million people confirmed that they generate additional income by selling goods on eBay. Last year alone, around 150 million registered users have sold over US$ 34 billion worth of goods on eBay. Isn’t it amazing?

Why entrepreneurs are flocking into eBay? Some of the reasons are quite apparent.

• Starting a business on eBay is easy and quick

• You don’t require large investment

• Anybody can start an eBay business, no special skill is required

• You can sell virtually anything on eBay

• With your eBay business you can have flexible work time

• You have a ready-made market of over 150 million people and counting

• eBay get 1.5 billion page views each month. You get access to this massive traffic almost paying nothing.

So, there is no wonder that anybody with slightest penchant to have their own business will jump into this great opportunity. But, there are two major problems that many of the would-be eBay sellers encounter. The first is what to sell and the next is where to find it.

What to sell?

According to Forrester Research, a major research company, this year, categories with products purchased by women will have the most growth in online retailing. Some categories are already getting more than ten percent of their overall sales through the Internet, which include: computer hardware and software, tickets, travel, books, consumer electronics, cosmetics and fragrances, toys and video games, and flowers, cards and gifts. While choosing items to sell on eBay, you should also explore the features available on eBay and other places on the Internet that show items people search and items people actually buy. eBay has a complete section called “Seller Central” dedicated to delivering utmost information to help you succeed in selling products through eBay. Two links from this section should interest you. One is What’s Hot (http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/whatshot.html) and the other one is Category Tips (http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/sellbycategory.html).

When you go to the subsection ‘What’s Hot’, check out the following three areas:

Hot Items by Category

This is a comprehensive report of categories, and products within a category by the ratio of bid to listings growth rate in PDF format. The report gets updated monthly and shows which products have increased demand in comparison to last month. Super hot products, for example, have over 35 percentage point difference between bid growth rate and listing growth rate. According to the latest report, by the way, Sunglasses for men, in particular Prada sunglasses are super hot.

eBay Pulse

This is another area where you can see the top ten searched categories, ten most widely watched auctions, list of stores with most active listings, and other cool stuffs on daily basis.

eBay Summer Catalog This is a new subsection. It’s a real catalog with pictures and average price of products. In each category of products there is a list of top ten summer trends. You, definitely, should check this out if you are planning to start selling now.

In Demand On the page “Category Tips” under each category you will see a link under the name “In Demand”. This area will show you a list of ten most sold items of this category as well as most searched items for each subcategory.

You might also like to see what people buy on non-eBay part of the Internet. The Shopping.com Consumer Demand Index (CDI) (http://www.shopping.com/CDI/cdi.cmp) makes a weekly list of most sought after items. This list could give you the needed glimpse to the future market trend!

Where to find items to sell on eBay

Your own home

If you are just planning to start selling on eBay, your first option is to go through your attic, closets and garage. Find those long stashed items that you will probably never need. These may include: books that you will perhaps never read, CDs that you out grew, gifts that you received but did not like much, the list can go on! Take them out, brush them off and post them on eBay for sell.

Flea markets and garage sales

Every body knows that garage sales and flea markets can be real treasure troves! Well, now you can look at them from a business point of view. Your sales experience with own home items, hopefully, will help you understand what will sell well and what won’t. Don’t go for any costly items as yet.

Local liquidators and auctions

Classified sections of local Newspapers’ week-end editions are good place to look for estate auctions. While buying items from local auctions determine what are you going to buy and for what price beforehand and stick to them no matter what! At an auction there is always a risk of getting carried away!

Go visit some local business liquidators. These are excellent places to find items for bargain price.

Drop shippers (http://ezine.rusbiz.com/article/39)

When a manufacturer, wholesaler, distributor or importer, after receiving an order from their retailers, individually pack and deliver the product to the customer of the retailer with retailers address as shipper, this selling technique is called drop-shipping. This is an excellent way to find products to sell on eBay. Drop ship source directory (http://www.worldwidebrands.com/wwb/?8188) is the place to go if you are looking for drop-shippers.

eBay

eBay itself can be a great sourcing place for you. Check out wholesale items and eBay business marketplace from your chosen fields. In order to find wholesale listing, while searching a product select “Items listed as lots”. You can buy goods in wholesale and then sell them piece by piece and make decent money. Of course, you have to develop good knowledge of the products before doing this.

If your business has grown and you are considering importing products to sell on eBay, read my article “Importing Products to sell on eBay” (http://ezine.rusbiz.com/article/52).

The bottom line is there was never a better time to start a business. If you feel this is really your cup of tea, just go for it!

About the author: Nowshade Kabir is the founder, primary developer and present CEO of Rusbiz.com – a Global B2B Exchange with solutions to create e-catalog, Web store, business process management and other features to run a business online. You can read various articles written by Nowshade Kabir at http://ezine.rusbiz.com .

How to win on eBay

Author: Christine Breen

How to Win at eBay

I've bought over 100 items on eBay over three years and am ready to share my knowledge of how to win at eBay and buy from reputable sellers.

1. You can find anything on eBay. When searching on eBay I suggest first doing a general search such as ""ionic breeze"" and checking what the items are going for. I noticed the items by companies with eBay stores were selling much higher than those by individuals. This is true for all categories. So don't be scared of buying from an individual as it could be much cheaper.

2. Before bidding look at the seller's rating. I only buy from those with 99% or higher ratings.

3. Next check the shipping cost. Quite a lot of eBay sellers are willing to sell their high priced item at NR or no reserve but make the money back with outrageous shipping costs. How do you know a shipping cost is too high? When checking out the auctions for your item such as ""ionic breeze"" keep an eye on the shipping cost. The average cost for shipping quadra ionic breeze machines seems to be $20. If someone is charging $30 then you know you're getting had on the shipping. I make my maximum bid less on those auctions where the seller is charging too much for shipping.

4. To have less search results to wade through limit the search by using the minimum and maximum amounts setting. Think of what you'd really like to get the item for and put it as the maximum amount. By combing the listings for ""ionic breeze"" I've found it is possible to get a Sharper Image Ionic Breeze Quadra for $50 if I buy it used from an individual or reconditioned from a business. That's ok with me as I just want to pay less than what Sharper Image is charging!

5. One of the most important tips is to read every word in their auction page. People sell broken items on eBay. Some of the auctions for ionic breezes looked great but in between their text stating how great ionic breezes are, how much square feet it covers, was the sentence that the item was broken. Imagine how I'd feel if I had bid and won only to find out I didn't read the auction carefully! Yes it's a nasty way to do business selling items that are broke and tricking people into buying them. But if you bid you legally have to pay for it.

6. Ask questions before you bid. If the auction does not state how the item is being packaged then ask. I once bought a wall mounted barometer, temperature, humidity item that was shipping in a shoe box with no packaging! It was busted, glass shattered. So make sure you ask how they are going to ship it and what packaging they are going to use.

7. Also ask if the item works, do they have the manuals, does it still have a warranty if ownership is transferred, are items sanitized, does it come from a smoke free pet free home? You need to ask these questions as it's ""buyer beware"" on eBay.

8. The cheapest prices on items is during the summer when people are on vacation and not stuck at home during the winter. The worst time to buy is before Christmas. Everyone is trying to outbid each other for a gift. The prices are unbelievable!

9. After spending time doing the legwork I mentioned above, you'll find that a few eBay sellers seem to be ideal to buy from. Add them to your favorite seller's list. Then it's easy to go straight to their store, or items for sale page, and bid on what they have. You've already checked them out so don't forget who they are!

About the author: Learn more about eBay at ebay resources and this article at ebay info

How To Profit Using Ebay's Saved Search Feature

Author: Tim Knox

Did you know that eBay will help you locate products you can buy cheap, then flip for a quick profit? No? Then listen up, because I am about to let you in on a little known feature of eBay that can literally stuff wads of cash in your wallet in less than 24 hours.

This is an eBay tool that I use every day to locate products that I can buy and resell or buy cheap and keep for myself and my family. And the great news is you can use it, too.

What is it? It's eBay's Saved Search feature and you can use it to start making money tomorrow.The Saved Search feature that will let you set up a saved search criteria and eBay will let you know when an auction that matches your search criteria has been posted.

Let's say you're on the lookout for a Pete Rose card to complete your collection. You could troll eBay every day on your own and to see if anyone has listed such a card or you can set up a saved search and make your life a lot easier.

Here's how it works....

Got to http://eBay.com and sign into your account. If you do not have an eBay account all you need to do is set up a free buyer's account.

After you're logged in, type in your search criteria into a search window. For this example we will type in Pete Rose. Click submit and you will get a page of search results that match your search criteria.

At the top right of the search results listing you will see a link labeled ""Add To Favorites."" Click the link.

On the next page you will see ""Create a new search"" or ""Replace an existing search.""

If this is a new search select the ""Create a new search"" button, give this search a name (the search term you used will be in the Search Name box by default, in this case ""Pete Rose"").

You can select to receive a daily email if there are new items listed that match your search criteria.

Click ""Save Search.""

Now you will receive an email every morning with new items that have been listed that match your saved search criteria.

If the search term Pete Rose is too broad you will receive notifications for every auction that has the term ""Pete Rose"" in the title or description. You can always narrow the saved search by adding ""Pete Rose Card"" or something more specific. Just don't get too specific or you may miss items that you'd be interested in.

How can you use the saved feature to make money on eBay?

Easy, you set a saved search to let you know when something has been listed for sale that you might buy and sell for a higher profit. For example that Pete Rose card might have been listed by someone who is willing to sell it cheap or doesn't know its real value. You could buy the card, make them happy, then sell it for a higher price yourself. This is how commerce works, folks. You buy cheap, you sell high.

Let's look at another example. Let's say you have an eBay shop that sells designer shoes. Naturally you would want to know when someone else lists designer shoes for sale because they may be a competitor you need to monitor or just an individual who has a closet full of designer shoes to sell cheap.

You set up a saved search with the keyword ""designer shoes.""

Each time an auction is posted with the term ""designer shoes"" in the title or description, eBay will let you know.

You can immediately check out the auction and if the shoes can be scarfed up and sold for a higher profit, you made money.

I think you would be amazed at how many Powersellers are using this secret TODAY to find merchandise they can buy and flip on eBay.

You should do the same.

If you'd like to learn about other ways you can profit with eBay click here.

About the author: Tim Knox Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker http://www.prosperityandprofit.com http://www.dropshipwholesale.net http://www.smallbusinessqa.com http://www.timknox.com

Save Time And Money Thanks To eBay

Author: Lori Osenbaugh

eBay is one of the world's largest market places with over 35 million visitors per day. That first sentence is worth repeating because I want you to realize that eBay gives you the ability to reach a customer base of millions and millions of people which is beneficial to you. Say Goodbye to garage sales and hello to eBay.

You don't have to become a major power-seller or wholesaler to take advantage of eBay and what this mega marketplace can do for you. All you need is a computer with Internet access so you can setup auctions for all that stuff laying around the house you've been wanting to get rid of by selling it or giving it away, so why not eBay it?

eBay auction VS garage sale

First lets talk about garage sales. Holding a garage sale consists of getting all of your items ready to sell and placing them on display in front of your house or on your driveway for neighbors and lookers to purchase. You or someone you know and trust needs to be physically present at all times to sell the items as your front yard has now become a small storefront. In other words you have to sit at home all day after getting everything together and promoting your garage sale which is a lot of work especially considering what you can accomplish with less time and effort on eBay.

Time & Money

Just about everybody is looking to save time and money which is exactly what eBay does for you. eBay is a much larger market and can attract many more potential buyers than a garage sale can. The very reason that there are more potential buyers creates more of a demand for your product, toy or whatever you are trying to sell. eBay commands more dollar for your product than a garage sale for this very reason.

eBay also saves you time because once you have setup your auction it does most of the work for you. You don't have to be present to sell the item, you don't have to be home to get paid electronically and you don't have to be there for somebody to see your auction because your potential buyers can look at your item for sale from the convenience of their own computer which saves you precious time.

eBay also gives you the ability to accept different payment methods such as PayPal, money order, check or cash it is up to you what payment methods you wish to accept. Garage sales simply do not offer this sort of flexibility with time and money.

Quick tips Shipping can be a hard one to get used to - so make sure that you either A. get a postal scale (about $20 at Office Depot) or B. have the post office weigh the packages before you list. Take it from me because I have lost so much money on shipping because I would just 'guesstimate' and that simply does not work. I would recommend always making the buyer purchase Insurance and tracking. I had an issue where a customer said she never got her package and I didn't insure it. We decided to wait a couple of weeks then figure it out, she actually wanted me to refund everything to her, which I didn't feel was fair but was willing to do it because I believe in customer satisfaction. Fortunately the package finally showed up after three and half weeks (and I sent it Priority Mail). You want to only send to the buyers address if it is registered with eBay. A couple of years ago a gentlemen contacted me to buy a $250 wireless antenna, he said he was traveling and asked me to send it to his satellite office. He paid me through PayPal, I always thought that was safe and would automatically include coverage. Two months went by and then all of the sudden Paypal took $250 out of our account without warning or explanation, when we called them they said that one of our eBay transactions was fraudulent! It turns out the man used a stolen credit card, PayPal told us we were out of luck since we did not send to his confirmed address. Lesson learned. Always state the terms of your auctions, it is good to come up with your terms to use at the end of every auction that states your policies, if you combine shipping, the payment methods you accept, etc. Also, think of a refund policy. I give a full refund, or for instance my sister-in-law gives purchase amount back but not shipping, those sort of policies are up to you as a seller. I use Turbo Lister, a free software program, that makes it so much easier to get multiple auctions setup simultaneously. If you do it directly from eBay it seems like it takes forever to enter each one. Turbo Lister is a free download and is available in Seller Tools at eBay. A way to save money; I always use the free template from eBay. It's not really anything fancy. You can choose to get those cute little borders and clipart on each auction but it costs more money. It's proven that ultimately it doesn't matter to people, they want what you are selling. Your first picture is free after that they are .15 cents for additional ones. So I always try, when possible, to use only one picture. Sometimes if it is a big clothing lot or a large dollar item I will only use more pictures. I also make sure to try and write a great description so potential buyers know what they are getting and are excited for their purchase. Something that works; I will sometimes utilize the 'Buy It Now' features (they cost extra) but I put the BIN price higher than I would normally expect to get and when somebody really wants an item, they would rather pay the higher price than risk missing the auction end without winning the item. There are many times where this has benefited both myself and the buy it now bidder. If you are doing a local pickup or have special instructions for your auction make sure you include those instructions ALL OVER your auctions. The mistake I made one time was only putting local pickup only on just the shipping description and the winning bidder did not notice that. Now I plaster special instructions like that everywhere. Remember that people love fast shipping so when you do sell try to ship the item out as soon as possible after auction ending. Your customers will love fast shipping. I also include a note thanking them and sometimes I include a bonus item. That's just some of the fun and benefits of selling on eBay.

About the author: Lori 'Cookie' Osenbaugh sells on eBay in addition to being a licensed Realtor® and Pampered Chef Consultant. You can custom search for Colorado homes at http://www.preferreddenverhomes.com or search Lori's Pampered Chef online at http://www.pamperedchef.biz/cookieo