Owner: Ebay Selling Guide URL:http://ebay-selling-guide.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 13:36:11 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Tips, Tricks, and Guides for boosting your eBay sales and Productivity. Site statistics:Click here
Selling on Ebay: Blog Goals 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The goal of this blog is to help those new to e-commerce become more effective sellers. I have experience selling used and new clothing, cameras and lenses, Older Nintendo Games and accessories, and most recently used books. Thus the information soon to be provided will deal with the markets I am most familiar with, Ebay and Amazon, and how to make your hobby or potential business more successful. The information I will be offering will range from getting started on ebay to advanced marketing techniques, and everything in-between. I first plan to start writing about more basic Ebay selling techniques, tips and tricks, and then I will branch out to cover such topics as buying wholesale, e-mail marketing, building a brand, and selling on multiple venues. Hopefully in the near future this Blog will become a helpful resource as a Guide to Selling on Ebay and Amazon. Answering questions for new Ebayers, and helping the more established ones become more effective sellers. Read more:Goals
Branding your Ebay Business 1970-01-01 00:59:59 When you start selling on Ebay it is best to set lofty goals for yourself and for what you plan on selling. If this is part of your business, or you are a part time seller with high aspirations it should be reflected in your username. I will use myself as an example, when I first started selling on Ebay as a hobby; I just shortened my email address and made my seller name "carl.8630" This did not really say anything about me, or what I was trying to sell. I decided that I wanted to focus more on selling clothing and then chose the more appropriate name of "notably-chic" What I am trying to hammer home here is that you should not be using a nickname for your user name. Instead you should attempt to create a brand that will reflect the products you are selling. This is especially true if you occupy a niche market and sell only one type of thing, like shoes or DVDs. Lastly, creating a brand will give you more recognition and inspire repeat business. It does n Read more:Branding
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What to sell on Ebay and Where to Find it 1970-01-01 00:59:59 First of all, sell what you have. Go through your house and take items that you think might be valuable and look them up on Ebay. It is more effective to do an advanced search and click the completed listings box, this will allow you to see all of the completed listings for your search criteria in the last 15 days.After you have made some sort of pile of items you would like to get rid of, and researched them, there is a good chance that some won't be worth selling. But going through this process will give you good practice with Ebay and a basic idea of what actually sells and what does not.Once you have sold all of the things in your house: used clothing, DVDs, books, electronics, Christmas gifts you never returned, weird glass bottles, skiing equipment, etc… it is time for you to start looking elsewhere for products.This is the part where you start selling what you know, or what you are interested in. For example, I was lucky enough to befriend an Ebay seller who makes her ow
Writing a Good Auction Title 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Now that you found something to sell on Ebay now it is time to learn how to write a good title for it (description next time)The Title
When writing a good title it is important to be specific, remember, you are trying to have as many key words as possible that might be searched for. For example, I am currently selling the Super Nintendo cartridge Donkey Kong Country. However, when creating a title for this game I will not simply write "Donkey Kong Country," but I will make it more specific. It is the first of a series of 3 games, so it deserves a 1, but also, people often use roman numerals in searches so it also gets a "I." Also, it is important to indicate which system this game was made for, as there are many other Donkey Kong items floating around on ebay. In the end it became Donkey Kong Country I 1 (Super Nintendo).When writing the title it is important to be as specific as possible, and attempt to guess what the potential bidder will search for. Sometimes this includes Read more:Auction
Comparing USPS, UPS, and FedEx Shipping Fees. 1970-01-01 00:59:59 One helpful way to make money selling on Ebay, is to avoid some of the costs of working in an online business. As you start selling on Ebay, you also have to start shipping packages to your customers. There are several providers out there, USPS, UPS and FedEX seem to be the shipping providers that are the most accessible, depending on your area.Now the tricky part comes with choosing a shipping provider. I created a table for your use in comparing shipping prices for USPS, UPS, and FedEX for their parcel post and ground shipping options. There are programs that cost 15.00 a month for this kind of information. I am such a nice guy I will gladly give it to you for free!USPS Parcel post will deliver your package in 8 daysUPS Ground will deliver your package in 5 daysFedEx
Ground also delivers in 5 daysWhen choosing a shipper, you should consider the weight of the packages you ship:If you are shipping packages that weigh under 3 pounds, or can fit in a fixed rate box or envelope, you s Read more:Shipping
How to Write an Ebay Auction Description that Sells 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Writing A TitleNobody will look at your auction description if they can not find it. The first thing you have to do is write a good title. I wrote pretty extensively about this on a previous post, it is called Writing Good Auction
Titles. The basics are:Be as descriptive as you canLead with Brand Name first, then other specifics. Many people just type "Women's Jeans 8" and the Brand name first will set it apart from the other titles. Also, I like to CAPS the brand name, "GAP Women's Denim Jeans Size 8 NWT"Don't spam keywords that are similar to your item, and don't use "L@@K," this is a waste of precious space, and nobody searches for "L@@K." If they do, you do not want their bids!Item SpecificsMake sure you provide Item Specifics, many people use the sidebar to help narrow down their searches, and these are narrowed down by the "Item Specifics." You can add these above the "Description" box in the Sell your item page. For clothing Item Specifics would be things such as Read more:Write
Tips to Save Money Listing Your Ebay Auctions 1970-01-01 00:59:59 When you start to post several ebay auctions a day, your fees begin to mount. However, there are some things you can do to save some of your money from FeEbay.The best thing you can do is to start your auction for .99 cents or less with no reserve. The reasoning behind this is that not only does it only cost .20 cents to list each auction below $1.00, but also the lower the price is the more tempting it is to buyers. Ebay sellers everywhere seem to agree that you make more money starting your bids low.However, this way of saving money should be further looked into.Let's imagine that you create 10 Ebay auctions a day, and you start them at .99 cents.The Ebay fee structure works so that items starting .99 cents or below cost only .20 cents to post.Thus your 10 auctions a day cost $2.00 a day to post, and $60.00 a month. You can see how Ebay fees add up.Now, if you start your auction for $1.00, instead of .99, as many people do this will cost you an extra .20 cents an auction. That Read more:Money
, Ebay Auctions
The Importance of Pictures in Ebay Auctions 1970-01-01 00:59:59 When constructing an Ebay auction, one of the most crucial elements you can add is a picture. The next best thing you could add to your auction description would be a second picture. Seriously, they are that important. The only way to tell what you are buying from someone is by looking at their pictures. Think of the last time you bought something without seeing it first. Exactly. Having pictures in your auctions is a necessity, and fortunately, it is an almost painless process.If this all seems like review, skip down to Adding Photos to your Ebay AuctionThe CameraIf you do not have a digital camera, and are attempting to sell on Ebay, you are doing something wrong. Buy one now! They do not have to be that good, they just have to take relatively clear pictures.You do not need a 10.4 Mega pixel SLR digital camera to sell on Ebay. You can get a relatively cheap used one, mine is a 2.3 Mega Pixel point and shoot, and it does fine. The reason you do not have to worry so much abou Read more:Pictures
, Ebay Auctions
Photos In Your Auction Title: it's worth the .35 Cents. 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Adding pictures at the side of your title is easier then adding them to your description. All you have to do is add the URL in the 3rd step of building your auction. Adding a photo to the side of your title draws something like %60 more clicks than photos without a picture.Adding a picture to your AuctionTitle
is the single best upgrade you can buy. It is much better than highlighting or making your auction bold, it further describes what your are selling, and draws more clicks.I am sure you have also noticed that some peoples pictures are bigger than others. This is because the picture it shows is a square, not a rectangle like most cameras take. Sometimes when I am spending extra special time with my auctions, getting them ready to make a lot of money, I crop a square picture and upload it just for the title.You can get a perfect square in any photo editing program by clicking, holding the shift button, and then dragging. This makes your picture more visible than your competitors, s
The Importance of Good Feedback 1970-01-01 00:59:59 When buying and selling on a community like Ebay Good Feedback
is crucial! If the first thing you do on Ebay is start selling, you will make far less money until you get your feedback rating up. This is because Ebay is synonymous with scams. There is no way to prove that the Apple Ipod you are selling is real, or you just used stock photos, other than to see how satisfied other people have been with your transactions. Good feedback creates trust in the community, and the higher your feedback, the better your auctions will sell. The place where the lack of feedback is not such a big problem is when you are selling low cost items, or when you are bidding on other peoples auctions. Few sellers will turn away bids on their auctions because they want a bidding war, and you can't have a bidding war with only one bidder.So, the best way to get good feedback is to start buying on Ebay. Buying on Ebay will also help you familiarize yourself with how auctions work, and how other sellers a
The Smurfs Are Back! New Smurf Movie 2009 2008-03-03 23:11:09 The word on the street is that there is going to be a new Smurf Movie in 2009. Rumor has it, it may be part of a trilogy. The Smurf Movie may also be in 3D (though it is unlikely the characters will be).Well, I know what you are asking, "Why are you bringing up the Smurf Movie? What do Smurfs
have to do with eBay?"Well eBay friends I will tell you. This post is a trend watch, and I am guessing that The Smurfs will be the hot new trend.I am assuming this will be similar to the Transformer trend of the past. I am sure there will be a lot of marketing to promote the New Smurf movie in the next year, so now is the time for you to take action.I recommend that while you are out at garage sales, or if you see any cool smurf items on the internet, or have any at home, that you hang on to them
eBay News and Information: Links for Mar 1 2008-03-01 17:52:38 Rob Pergoraro of the Washington Post wants to hear how you feel about the recent eBay changes.Reuters reports that eBay Sees Growing Risks in Coming Years."If these changes cause sellers to move their business away from our sites or otherwise fail to improve gross merchandise volume or the number of successful listings, our operating results and profitability will be harmed," eBay said.According to AuctionBytes, eBay may introduce a split screen to display auction results.eBay may have found a solution that will make both auction and fixed-price buyers and sellers happier: a split-screen results page that shows auction listings on one side and fixed-price listings on the other.eBay Numbers were Reported to be inflated according to pheebay.com.An apparent glitch on eBay has meant tens of th
Learn How To Sell on eBay 2008-02-29 02:08:45 There are lots of new eBay customers out there who want to learn how to sell on eBay. If this describes you, and you want to learn how to sell on eBay in a quick and easy way, I have a book to recommend for you!I just read Skip McGrath's book the, New Basic Seller's Guide to eBay. Skip Has been in the eBay trenches for a very long time, and does a very good job of simplifying the eBay selling system in a way that your grandma could understand.If you would like to learn how to sell on eBay but do not want to buy a book, I recommend that you dig around in the archives of this website, the eBay Selling Guide, or take a look at Lizard Wisdom, or TameBay.There is a lot of great information out there if you want to learn how to sell on eBay, you just have to make sure to be skeptical of your s
eBay News: eBay Boycott Causes Auction listings to drop 13% 2008-02-26 13:21:23 From USA Today:Auctionlistings
on eBay.com dropped some 13% since the strike started Feb. 18to about 13 million items, according to third-party tracking sites such asdealscart.com and medved.net. This quote misrepresents the actual effectivness of the eBay boycott. Ebay, did in fact drop 13% since Feb. 18. But if you look at the beggining of February there were about 13 million auction listings to start with. Thus, this small time frame only captures a small spike and valley in the graph. It does not actually represent how eBay is doing as a whole throught the month of February.This is another case of the Media skewing the numbers for a story.eBay reports that it has seen no difference in the ammount of auctions listed since the boycott began.
Read more:Boycott
eBay News: Forbes says dump eBay stock 2008-02-26 10:20:46 From Forbes
.comOne name the gurus no longer want in their portfolios: eBay (nasdaq: EBAY). Analysts who favor the stock point out that eBay is the No. 1 global e-commerce brand, with a presence in nearly 40 markets. And the company likes to give back to its shareholders: eBay has repurchased $3.2 billion worth of stock since July 2006 and may repurchase another $2.8 billion under current authorizations.But analysts also point out concerns, noting, for instance, that growth has slowed down in the company's two largest markets: the U.S. and Germany. EBay also has to deal with competition from rivals like Google (nasdaq: GOOG), Yahoo! (nasdaq: YHOO) and Amazon (nasdaq: AMZN), and the recently announced decision of well-respected CEO Meg Whitman to step down.EBay's shares have slipped about 18
eBay Changes: Meet the Seller 2008-02-24 13:32:05 Are you ready for the new changes at eBay? Here is an example of one of them: Meet the Seller
.It appears that if you have a low star rating for shipping time, shipping price, item as described, or communication eBay will warn your potential bidders.With this new auction format in the works, bidders will no longer have to click the feedback button to read your feedback. EBay will point out all of your faults for you.If you sell on eBay, and you have less than a 4.5 on any star rating, I really suggest that you try to find out what the problem is and fix it. Otherwise, this type of change will obviously make your bidders think twice about buying an item from you.
The Importance of reporting Non-Paying Bidders 2008-02-24 13:17:25 It is very important that all sellers with non-paying bidders file non-paying bidder alerts and final value fee credits 10 days later if payment is still not received.Filing the FVFC has better results than leaving negative feedback - a buyer with three FVFC filed from three different sellers is suspended (usually) from using E Bay. Leaving negative feedback only gets a buyer suspended when their feedback number gets into the negatives (usually -3, but sometimes even that doesn't occur).It is also important to file for the correct reason - that the buyer didn't pay. If they don't pay, don't file "mutually agreed to cancel the transaction" - that does NOT place a black mark against the buyer and allows the buyer to continue doing the same thing to other sellers.If you review a buyers feedba
eBay News and Information: Links for Feb 24 2008-02-24 12:38:58 LA Times: Ex-CEO of eBay, Meg Whitman, is looking into what it takes to run for Governor of California. She reportedly has enough capital to finance her own campaign.Newsday: eBay Strike is extended until March 9th. Some sellers and fewer buyers will prolong their boycott an extra week. Although eBay says, "There hasn't been any marked change in our daily listing volume, and we monitor that pretty closely."Forbes: Experts at Wharton consider what Donahoe, the new CEO, should try to accomplish with eBay. One recommendation is that "eBay needs to better integrate its auctions with the fixed-price shopping convenience offered at sites like Amazon.com."Online Auction Blog: Provides some examples of what PayPal scams look like, and how you can avoid them.ByIndia.com: an Indian Internet sea
How to get more people to find your eBay Auction 2008-02-23 17:48:25 When doing a search on Google for an item, it is quite common to get eBay auctions to pop up in your search results. If you want to get your eBay Auction
found on Google or other search engines, I recommend that you follow some of eBay's search term guidelines.Use Keywords - Pick three to five keywords that relate closely to your item. Ask yourself what words people
are likely to use in a search engine when looking for what you're selling. Once you have these keywords, use them appropriately in your listing title and item description.Take Care with Titles - Your listing title is a key factor in natural search. Include the most important keywords or keyword phrases in your listing title.Get the Most Out of Your Item Description - Your item's description is the most valuable tool for creati
Get Repeat Business on eBay with Free Business Cards 2008-02-18 13:24:27 If you want to get repeat business on eBay, have buyers bid on multiple items, and raise the average selling price and sell through rate of your eBay auctions, then you are going to need to implement some changes into your business.One of the easiest things you can do to increase repeat business is to put a business card in with every package you send out.I recommend making a business card with your eBay user ID on it, as well as your store's web page. This is a great way to get customers to easily remember you. In order to get extra repeat business you might want to offer a coupon code that gives them a shipping discount on their next purchase.Take control of your business card and get more repeat eBay customers. I use VistaPrints pre-designed templates to make easy and professional b Read more:Repeat
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, Free Business
Free eBay Consultation: heroptionsforyou 2008-02-17 15:19:17 Dear Readers,I am sorry that I have been neglecting my Free eBay Consultation
s. I promise I will work harder to make sure that I get to review at least two eBay Sellers auctions and stores per week. This may mean that it will take your store several weeks to get featured on the eBay Selling Guide, and Auction Help. However, if you would like to speed up this process and get your free eBay consultation in 72 hours, you can donate any amount to the eBay Selling Guide.eMail me for more info.Today's consultation will feature a store that sells men's and women's clothing, non-fiction books, and children's toys. It is run by Michelle, who seems to be...Click here to Read The Complete eBay Consultation at Auction Help
Get Higher Auction Prices With Good Ad Copy 2008-02-15 01:30:55 Do you want to get higher prices on your eBay listings? Do you feel that your items are selling for less than they should? Well it is time for you to work on your Ad Copy (Advertisement Copywriting). Writing good ad copy is a process that takes time. You may have to restructure your auctions, and re-think how you write your descriptions. But, if you want higher auction prices and a larger sell through rate, it will be worth it to learn some basics of copywriting.The first thing you need to do when copywriting is know who your audience is. Identify your target audience and then address their needs. When you are writing to your bidders you need to make your ad as personal as possible. Use pronouns like I and you, drop the we. Even if your ad reaches hundreds of people, you need the Read more:Auction
, Higher
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Three Free Products You Can Sell on eBay 2008-02-13 20:54:00 Want something for free that you can sell on eBay? Well, you came to the right spot! I have been doing some research on items that you can get for free and sell on eBay. Today I have three free things that you can find on the internet and sell on eBay.These are not going to make you a lot of extra money. But, if placed in your store, they will easily add some extra money to your PayPal account.For all of these items I recommend running a week long 1 cent auction with text and links that refer the customer to your store to buy the item now. This way you will get a lot of traffic to your store items because bidders will be interested in your cheap auctions.Here is the list of three things you can get for free and sell on eBay.Coupons: Selling Coupons on eBay is very easy. Although, si Read more:Three
, Products
Free eBay Consultation: rgilbert15 2008-02-12 20:39:16 Ron Gilbert signed up several days ago to have his free eBay consultation, but I have been putting it off because he appears to be on top of his game. Ron is a PowerSeller, has 4100+ Positive Feedback, and has 700+ items listed in his store. He is someone you should really be looking to as a great example of niche eBay selling.I urge you to check out Ron's store and several of his auctions. His user name is...Click here to Read The Complete eBay Consultation
at Auction Help
Free eBay Consultation: mom2nick4ever 2008-02-12 20:36:34 Nicolette left a note for me saying that she has only had a store for about a month. But let me tell you, this store is pretty far ahead of the curve. I recommend that you check it out! She mostly sells children's clothing, but also has some women's clothing scattered throughout.Nicolette's eBay user name is mom2nick4ever, and her store is called Wish Upon a Child's Star. The first suggestion that I would make is that Nicolette changes...Click here to Read The Complete eBay Consultation
at Auction Help
Free eBay Consultation: Our First Victim - Paulaloft 2008-02-12 20:24:12 The experiment begins. Paula was brave enough to submit her eBay store: Paula's Loft of Bridal Treasures. Paula specializes in selling Wedding Gowns, bridal accessories, and prom dresses.Paula currently has 84 store items, with the dresses starting at $39 and ranging up to $499. This is a nice spread of...Click Here to Read the Complete eBay Consultation
at Auction Help
Read more:First
Free eBay Consultation: indiansteps 2008-02-12 20:22:39 This free eBay consultation is supposed to serve two purposes. First of all, it is supposed to act as a case study in eBay selling. I am hoping that you will learn what types of things to do in your auctions and stores, as well as what sort of things you should try to avoid. Secondly, this free consultation is supposed to help the sellers by giving them personalized instruction on how they might improve or alter their selling techniques.If you are interested in a free eBay consultation, please submit your information here.Now it is time to get down to business. The second eBay seller I am going to give some tips to is Denise. She operates under the user name indiansteps, and her store is called: Denise's Bargain Bin.Denise sells a variety of clothing and accessories for men, women, an Read more:Consultation
USPS To Raise Prices in May 2008-02-11 20:48:34 The USPS has created a yearly "Price Adjusting" Ritual. The USPS just announced that it is going to raise its prices on May 12. The price of a First Class Stamp is going to be raised to 42 cents.But it does not stop there. The USPS will be "adjusting" all of their prices. Though they have not announced the rate increase for Priority or Express mail yet. Here is a taste of some of the changes they are making now:• Large envelope, 2 ounces, $1, up 3 cents.• Certified mail, $2.70, up 5 cents.• First-class international letter to Canada or Mexico, 72 cents, up 3 cents.• First-class international letter to other countries, 94 cents, up 4 cents.Let's hope that these increases are not as high as they were last year.Good luck eBay Sellers, the Feedback and Fee Changes combined with ra Read more:Prices
New Niche for eBay: It is time to go GREEN 2008-02-10 12:30:11 In the last three years there has been a large increase in the amount of companies that are projecting a "greener" image to promote a friendlier, pro-environment outlook. Some of them are obviously just using the term "green" to seem like a less evil corporation, even though they still exploit workers, and the environment.Anyway, I have not noticed a parallel shifted toward "greenness" on eBay. It seems that sellers are not taking advantage of one marketing ploy they can rightfully claim.What I am saying is, you should go Green on your eBay advertisements. Most of the small sellers find their goods at the Goodwill, and they should capitalize on this. It should not be, "yuck I got it used." It should be, "Awesome, I saved this from a landfill, I'm making it available for someone who re
Building an eBay Brand - Consistency is Key 2008-02-10 12:28:03 While doing my free eBay consultations I have noticed a pattern: many eBay sellers are not building a brand through consistency. I have seen a lot of sellers not using logos in their stores, or at the top of their auctions. Even more importantly, I have noticed a lack in auction template consistency. If you want a free logo, please just sign up here, and write "free logo" in the notes section.The best thing you can do to brand your eBay store is to have ONE auction template. There are lots of places to find a free generic template on Google, or you can have someone build one for you. The most important thing is that you use the same eBay template in all of your auctions. This is will save you time in listing, as you will not always have to add or edit all of your terms of sale.The oth Read more:Building
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