Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Seasonal Selling Strategies For Ebay

Writen by Paul Duxbury

When you sell on eBay, it's important to know how to take advantage of the kinds of markets you encounter in the different seasons. As a rule, the summer months are slow and the winter period is fast, but there's more to it than that.

It Depends What You're Selling.

Your sales won't necessarily be slower in the summer than in winter – they might just be different. If you're selling sports equipment, for example, you'll probably find that surfing gear sells in summer while skiing gear sells in winter. You should make sure you are aware of any seasonal variations there will be in your particular market, and plan in advance to take advantage of them.

Selling in Peak Season.

The holiday season is eBay's peak, and the best time to be selling on eBay – the December rush is relatively short, but if you play it right then you could make half your year's profit over those few days.

In the holidays, people are looking for presents, and eBay run more advertising than usual targeted towards buyers, not sellers. Target your auctions more towards new users than experienced ones, writing easy-to-understand descriptions. If you have any items that are in demand, try listing some at auction and some with high But it Now prices, to see what works best.

The chances are you'll be surprised when the Buy it Now auctions go almost instantly and the auctions rack up bids like nobody's business. It is important to remember, however, that most of these buyers will only buy from you once.

Selling Off-peak.

For the rest of the year, the market is far slower. Don't worry though – you can still make money. It's a little like being a stockbroker: you can make money whether the market is good or bad, if you know what you're doing.

Remember that your target market is a little more 'expert': you're mostly selling to people who know what they're buying, and know what they want to pay. Cater to this by providing a service suitable for these customers. Show that you know what you're selling and sell things consistently and you'll have people coming back again and again.

Here's one extra tip that you might try. If you know of items that have a consistent value, it might be worth buying up as many as you can cheaply in the summer, storing them for half a year, and selling them during the winter rush. If you're willing to give over a little space for storage, you can make a lot of profit for little effort. After all, you don't even have to take the items out of the packaging the last seller put them in.

Paul is Head of Training for a major UK Charitable Organisation with a wealth of experience in personal development, management development, e-learning and operational management. In addition he owns PK eBooks (http://www.pk-ebooks.co.uk) two sites specifically aimed at those who want to successfully sell on eBay http://www.ebay-profits.co.uk and http://www.info-entrepreneurs.co.uk

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Monday, September 29, 2008

Command Browsers To Bid With Hypnotic Auctions

Writen by Gary R. Ferguson

If you have ever watched any items for sale on an auction you site, you may have wondered why some listings get bids and others don't, or why two identical items end for drastically different final bids?

If you are the seller of one of these ignored or low bid items you are definitely not maximizing your potential sales.

With some minor changes to your listings you can create an auction that captures attention, promotes trust, and evokes action – hence a Hypnotic Auction.

A hypnotic auction works considerably different than a normal auction although when you see (experience) one you will probably not realize it, but you will be "controlled" by it.

Once you learn the techniques you will be able to recognize hypnotic auctions and create you own to command buyers to do your bidding. (Pun Intended)

A hypnotic auction in a very simplified form is the proper combination of hypnotic writing, hypnotic pictures, and hypnotic publicity.

The "inventor" of hypnotic writing, Dr. Joe Vitale, defines hypnotic writing as "anything you do which makes your readers react because of mental images you plant in their minds" or "is intentionally using words to guide people into a focused mental state where they are inclined to buy your product or service."

So what does this really mean?

This means that by choosing the words you use in your auctions, listings can greatly influence what a potential bidder will think and do.

For example, if you read the words:

Imagine eating a yellow banana…

What just happened? Did you for a split second visualize in your head, holding a peeled banana and taking a bite? You had almost no choice. Your brain just ran on autopilot and you couldn't control it for a split second.

In addition, if you like bananas, it was probably an enjoyable thought. In fact, if you had a banana for breakfast, you may have quickly remembered your state of mind this morning. On the other hand, if you dislike bananas it was probably not an enjoyable experience.

Now this was an unexciting example, but it demonstrates the power of suggestion and how certain words, phrases, and pictures can influence a person's thinking.

This is just one example of a hypnotic element you can use to create a Hypnotic Auction. There are many more which can be found at http://www.hypnoticauctions.com

Discover how you can create auctions that receive more bids and higher final prices than your competiton with the free Hypnotic Auctions Newsletter available at http://www.hypnoticauctions.com Gary R. Ferguson is an author, publisher, and on-line marketer and can be reached at me@garyrferguson.com

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Sunday, September 28, 2008

Why Adding Pictures Increases Ebay Bid Response

Writen by Jeanne Sheridan

Buyers really like pictures. The more pictures you have, the more they'll feel like buying their item from you instead of your competitor. In fact, there are plenty of buyers who will literally leave your auction within 5 seconds of arriving if they don't find a picture there waiting for them.

A little extra work on photography can pay off massively, especially if you're working on slim profit margins. But why is it so effective?

1. It shows you're serious.

Sellers who take the time to take good pictures and present them properly are much more likely to go to the trouble of providing good customer service. Buyers instinctively know this. If you can't be bothered to take a simply photo and upload it to eBay, are you really going to pack their item properly? Are you going to post it on time?

2. It makes them trust you.

Your buyers will feel more comfortable that you actually have the item if they can see that you have your own photo of it. It also reassures the buyers that your item isn't a beaten up and broken piece of rubbish.

3. It makes your auction stand out.

When your picture is displayed on the search results screen, people can see your item right there instead of having to read your title. People prefer to work visually, and are more likely to pay attention to a picture.

If you want the kind of response that pictures can bring, then here are a few simple tips to make this work for you even better.

* Bombard them with images.

eBay might want you to pay for the privilege of adding more than one picture to an auction, but if you have your own web hosting then you can do it for free. Just take as many pictures as you want, upload them to your webspace, and then add them to the auction using HTML.

It's really very simple... Just write this in your description each time you want to insert a picture: img src="http://www.your-website.com/picturename.jpg"

* Take better pictures.

You should also use an image-editing program to touch up your pictures. There are plenty of choices. Ifranview (www.ifranview.com) is good and it's also free! Adjust things like brightness and contrast to make sure that buyers get the best view of your items.

* Improve picture quality.

Get a good camera, and pay attention to technique and composition when you take the photos. Don't just throw them on your bed and take photos. A better way would be to use an empty, lightly coloured table, place it against a white or nearly-white wall and take your photos there.

Other good ways to get more people to respond to your auctions is to find the best price points. This includes starting prices, Buy it Now prices, and shipping prices. But remember... Even if your prices are good, without photos you won't get the good results you're looking for.

Copyright 2006 J. Sheridan

For more free information on ebay selling, drop shipping strategies, handling bid snipers, and to find out what's the hottest selling items on eBay, visit http://www.Ebay-Selling-Tip.com

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Saturday, September 27, 2008

Ebayyour International Marketplace

Writen by Steve Durkin

Harness the presence of eBay throughout the world to increase your sales or find new bargains. A lot of sellers on eBay tend to trade within their comfort zones without realising the potential of expanding global markets. Whilst it its true that for some sellers it is simply not practical, in shipping terms, to target international markets - for many it is an opportunity missed.

For buyers the sheer scale of items available makes international purchases an attractive proposition. On any given day there are thousands of items listed worldwide by the over 169 million eBay users across 33 markets.

Obviously when considering venturing into international markets a lot of questions will be raised and here are a few of the top points for consideration:

  • Payment
    Quick & secure payment is the top concern for most eBay sellers and when the buyer is many thousands of miles away this is never more true. Whilst it may not be everyone's favourite payment processor Paypal has enabled international trade on a scale never before envisaged. There are other methods of payment but very few if any have the instant recognition that Paypal has accumulated over the years.

  • Shipping
    Costs to ship to other countries can vary greatly depending on the distance, shipping method and the item being sent. It is avisable when creating a listing to present the shipping information so that prospective buyers can see the total cost upfront and can therefore make an instant decision. It is worth remembering when selling an item into an overseas market that the buyer may well have to pay additional duties/taxes or Customs clearance fees. You should always ensure that shipments sent by you are insured and the ability to track your consignment will enable you to provide proof of delivery should there be a dispute with the buyer.

  • Taxes & Custom Duties
    It is normal practice for buyers to pay for any taxes or duties that may arise and this together with the cost of shipping should be taken into consideration when bidding. In the UK you may find that the HM Revenue & Customs website is helpful when trying to work out what the charges may be. Similarly residents of the US may want to review the Customs & Border Protection website.

    Each country will have different tariffs depending on the type of item and by doing a little research you can avoid purchases that become uneconomical by the time they arrive at your door.

  • Local Laws/Regulations
    When considering selling items internationally it is crucial that you ensure the transaction is lawful in the countries of both the buyer & seller. eBay specifically prohibits sales that contravene the local laws of either party - educating yourself about the pertinent laws prior to sale will avoid problems later. You may find further assistance available by contacting your courier of choice who should be able to provide information regarding the paperwork needed for shipping and any restrictions applicable. It is advisable that sellers visit the eBay sites that they intend to trade on for specific details as to what that particular site considers a restricted item.

    Whilst it can certainly be daunting to make the initial foray onto the world market you can guarantee that if you don't take advantage of the opportunity your competitors most certainly will!

    For a helpful & comprehensive list of eBay International Auctions please visit: http://www.auctionlotwatch.com/ebayauctionsites.html

    Steve Durkin is a Director of Online Merchants Ltd which operates the Auction Lotwatch network of sites. Auction Lotwatch have been providing a selection of free auction tools and information to the online auction community for over five years. http://www.auctionlotwatch.com

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  • Friday, September 26, 2008

    Anatomy Of An Ebay Scam The 7 Warning Signs

    Writen by Mike Makler

    Ebay has over 8o Million Registered Users. Over 60 Million Dollars Daily on average is spent on Ebay. It is no wonder the Scam Artists prey on Ebay and it's members.

    The Most common Ebay Scam Involves E-Mail, You will receive an E-mail from Someone claiming to be Ebay requesting you Verify your Information. That is Warning Sign 1 Ebay will never send you an E-Mail Requesting Your Personal Information

    Often this E_mail will be sent to an E-Mail Address that is not the same one that Ebay has on File. That is Warning Sign 2

    The Third Warning Sign is forged Headers (From Address). This is often hard to detect without knowledge of the Internet. Many Spam filters are now setup to block E-mail that has forged headers. Ask your E-mail provider how you can block Forged Headers.

    The Fourth Warning Sign is the Greeting says something like Dear Ebay user or Ebay Member. Ebay knows who you are they will use the name you registered with.

    The Fifth Warning Sign is the threat. The E_mail will threaten to suspend your account if you don't take immediate action.

    The Sixth Warning Sign is a Non Secure Page. If you do click on the link in the E-Mail you will not be on a secure Page, No Https in the URL and no little Padlock in the lower left hand corner of your browser.

    Bad Grammar or Misspelled words in the

    If you receive an E-mail from Ebay with even 1 of these warning signs more likely then not it is a scam. Forward the E-Mail to Ebay and ask for assistance if you have any doubts.

    Ebay Fast Start Video Tutorial "The Hottest Home Business In The Past 50 Years -- Maybe Ever!" Make money with eBay and online auctions. step-by-step system for making money at home with online auctions. Learn how new step-by-step "How-To" Video. Start today! http://ewguru.com/ebayvideo

    About The Author:

    Mike Makler has been Marketing Online Since 2001 When he Built an Organization of over 100,000 Members

    Drop Shipping Your Way to Wealth Over 90,000 Items You can Sell on EBay Today
    http://ewguru.com/ebay-dropship

    Getting Started With Ebay Resource Guide
    http://ewguru.com/ebay-start

    Copyright © 2005-2006 Mike Makler the Coolest Guy in the Universe

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