As a buyer you are trying to find bargains i.e listings with the best price (Buy It Now Items) or listings with the fewest bids (Auction Items). Generally these listing are the ones that get the least amount of visitors, and most of the time it is because of missing keywords (Product Serial, Manufacture Name...etc) in the title field. Thus, the key is finding listings that contain misspelled keywords or listings that are missing important keywords in the title field. Since the default eBay Search box only searches the title field, you can often increase your chances on finding deals by checking the “Search title and description” check box.
The next thing you will need to know is the "Art Of Gaging An Item Price on eBay". A nifty way to find the going price for an item is by looking at the ended listings. To search for ended listings, simply click "Advanced Search" link found under the upper right hand search box. And then check the "Completed listings only" check box before beginning the search.
Always “Find Reserved Price Auctions”. You will be amazed at how many people just don’t bother bidding when they see the reserve price tag, most of times the reserve price is less then 10% of the item going rate which means huge savings. Remember however to place your bid in the last 10 seconds.
A nifty way to save cash on items is by offering sellers an end bid early option. The key here is that you will have to find recently listed item (less then 100 views) and from sellers with fewer than 50 feedbacks. Try to keep your initial offer to no lower then 10% of the regular eBay price (See Gaging Item Price).
If you are a pro on eBay then you will mostly likely only bid twice on an item. The first bid is optional and it meant to take the item out of the “Buy It Now”, since you will be more likely to win the item at a lower price through an auction. The second bid should come on the last 10 seconds of the auction, this maybe longer if you are on dial-up
You can tell a lot about your competition (fellow bidders) by looking at their previously won items to see their bidding pattern. You will be amazed at how many people keep their last bid to a whole dollar, meaning you only need to add a cent to snipe them in the last 10 seconds.
You will be more likely to win an item at a lower price on a weekday then a weekend. The reasoning is simple, less competition, most people with jobs will be unavailable or less likely to bid, and thus increasing the probability of winning the item at a lower price.
Did you know eBay occasionally issues Paypal coupons that could save you anywhere from (5 % -10 %) when paying for your eBay items.
You can save a lot from buying from sellers with little or no feedback. But again the key is knowing your seller so you don’t get burned. Here is what I do before I place a bid, first I email the seller, asking him/her about the condition of the item. If he/she replies back then I check the email headers to get the remote ip address, I then go to a WHOIS database and verify the location of the seller. If everything is OK so far, I contact the seller through telephone to verify the item, its condition…etc. Remember that eBay only covers up to $175, so it’s best to ask for insurance and always ask for shipping with tracking. Also I found its best to stick with Paypal as payment option.
As a buyer you need to be aware of the following points:
• Be suspicious of sellers with low rating.
• Be suspicious of sellers using stock pictures (pictures from manufacturers website).
• Sellers who use free email (Hotmail, GmailScience Articles, Yahoo..etc).
• Sellers who do not accept Paypal.
• Sellers who do not reply to email.
• Low rating sellers with 1 day listings.
Saturday 24 January 2009
eBay Listing Tips
Believe it or not, the success or failure of your eBay Store comes right down to your listing practices. Listing your items for sale seems like tedious work, however you must take your time and do it correctly to maximize your sales potential. By using these strategies, you will be able to get a larger audience to your eBay Auctions and the potential to gain more sales and higher ending bids!
Consider multiple auctions for spelling variations - If you have multiple quantities of the same items for sale, consider having two or more listings with different spelling variations of the product in the title. For instance you could either be selling "tshirts" or "t-shirts".
Include only keywords in your title - Never waste your space by including the words like "LOOK" or "WOW". No one searches for those terms and you are just using up space instead of your valuable search phrases. Make sure you keep your title using the major searchable keyword phrases only.
Include keywords in your description - A lot of people search by description too so make sure you repeat your keyword phrases in your description as well. However make it easily readable and not just a bunch of random words lumped together.
Include lots of details in your description - People want to know exactly what it is you have for sale. Include "too much" information just to be sure, otherwise you could lose a potential bid! Even things like dimensions, wattage, color, and details like that are very important! Don't make the seller chase you down by having to ask a question, it's very frustrating to them.
Learn to use HTML or an HTML editor - Listers who lump all of their text into one paragraph sell 30% less than people who break their paragraphs up and make it more readable. Also avoid using all capital letters and just make it all around easy on the eye.
Talk to your potential bidders as a friend - These people are bidding on an item from a total stranger. Don't talk to them with "business talk" in the description, talk as if you were chatting with a friend. It builds up trust.
Add color and graphics - Don't go overboard with too many things that takes the listing too long to load, but adding some color and graphics will enhance the listing and make it more appealing.
By using these very simple techniques, you will have a better eBay Auction. You will get more bids, thus driving your sales higher and you will have a higher chance of success in your eBay Auction Business!
Consider multiple auctions for spelling variations - If you have multiple quantities of the same items for sale, consider having two or more listings with different spelling variations of the product in the title. For instance you could either be selling "tshirts" or "t-shirts".
Include only keywords in your title - Never waste your space by including the words like "LOOK" or "WOW". No one searches for those terms and you are just using up space instead of your valuable search phrases. Make sure you keep your title using the major searchable keyword phrases only.
Include keywords in your description - A lot of people search by description too so make sure you repeat your keyword phrases in your description as well. However make it easily readable and not just a bunch of random words lumped together.
Include lots of details in your description - People want to know exactly what it is you have for sale. Include "too much" information just to be sure, otherwise you could lose a potential bid! Even things like dimensions, wattage, color, and details like that are very important! Don't make the seller chase you down by having to ask a question, it's very frustrating to them.
Learn to use HTML or an HTML editor - Listers who lump all of their text into one paragraph sell 30% less than people who break their paragraphs up and make it more readable. Also avoid using all capital letters and just make it all around easy on the eye.
Talk to your potential bidders as a friend - These people are bidding on an item from a total stranger. Don't talk to them with "business talk" in the description, talk as if you were chatting with a friend. It builds up trust.
Add color and graphics - Don't go overboard with too many things that takes the listing too long to load, but adding some color and graphics will enhance the listing and make it more appealing.
By using these very simple techniques, you will have a better eBay Auction. You will get more bids, thus driving your sales higher and you will have a higher chance of success in your eBay Auction Business!
Sunday 18 January 2009
Being Successful in Affiliate Marketing
The best way to be successful in affiliate marketing is to understand the goods and services you are selling and match these goods and services to the correct audiences online. When you conduct research online, you will notice that people who have the same tastes in clothing, food, hobbies, and other pursuits congregate in the same areas. These areas are popular websites, chat rooms and open forums, and blog sites. Before joining any affiliate marketing program, you should investigate popular markets online to see what people are interested in buying. Once you have a better understanding of these groups, then you can choose a company to work for. This will make selling products much easier.
Depending on the time you have to devote to affiliate marketing, you may be able to join more than one program as long as the programs do not promote competing products. When you work for more than one company, your chances to increase your profits are much higher. By catering to different audiences online, you will be able to maximize your profits in very little time. For many in the affiliate marketing business, understanding the products and markets is the key to their success.
In addition to placing ads in various places online, you can also create your own website and market that as well. Your website can entice customers to purchase products from the company you are working for by providing additional information, articles, and other items. You can also prepare a monthly newsletter so customers will return often to purchase additional products. This will mean additional commissions each time you are successful in attracting repeat business. Marketing your website and the products are all you need to be successful in this field.
While there are many other home business ideas you can take advantage of, affiliate marketing is one of the most fun. As you conduct research, you may get your own ideas for products to sell online. Once you know how to find markets, you can begin targeting more markets in order to increase your earnings. Those who become experts in affiliate marketing are able to bring as much as they want each month. Being able to control your income and work the hours you want to work are just some of the big rewards you will receive when you join an affiliate marketing program. Companies reward those who perform well by offering them higher commissions, the ability to train others and earn a commission off their sales, and much more.
Depending on the time you have to devote to affiliate marketing, you may be able to join more than one program as long as the programs do not promote competing products. When you work for more than one company, your chances to increase your profits are much higher. By catering to different audiences online, you will be able to maximize your profits in very little time. For many in the affiliate marketing business, understanding the products and markets is the key to their success.
In addition to placing ads in various places online, you can also create your own website and market that as well. Your website can entice customers to purchase products from the company you are working for by providing additional information, articles, and other items. You can also prepare a monthly newsletter so customers will return often to purchase additional products. This will mean additional commissions each time you are successful in attracting repeat business. Marketing your website and the products are all you need to be successful in this field.
While there are many other home business ideas you can take advantage of, affiliate marketing is one of the most fun. As you conduct research, you may get your own ideas for products to sell online. Once you know how to find markets, you can begin targeting more markets in order to increase your earnings. Those who become experts in affiliate marketing are able to bring as much as they want each month. Being able to control your income and work the hours you want to work are just some of the big rewards you will receive when you join an affiliate marketing program. Companies reward those who perform well by offering them higher commissions, the ability to train others and earn a commission off their sales, and much more.
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