A good change about the links policy…

Okay, my last post may have been a bit over the top…

With all the changes eBay has been throwing at us - it is easy to lump them all together and just be frustrated! But, eBay is still a very good opportunity for a home business… and it is an incredible source of qualified (read: ready to buy) customers!

As I have been looking at this new link policy more closely (if you don’t know what I’m talking about - see previous post from June 5th)… and there is a silver lining - that might actually turn into a ‘gold’ lining ;-)

Although you can no longer include links to outside websites from your About Me page… look at what you CAN do that wasn’t allowed previously.

As a seller, you ARE allowed to:
Link to ANY page on eBay or an eBay property including PayPal, Half.com and StubHub

Let’s think creatively about this…

Previously, if you were selling an adorable outfit, you weren’t allowed to link to another listing you had up of shoes or a cardigan that matched… Now you can cross-promote like crazy! This is good news!

I’ve always encouraged cross-promoting… but, eBay has limited how you could do that before. I recommended including a shipping special if the bidder won multiple items to encourage them to look at other listings you might have had up at the same time. NOW, you can actually link directly to specific items you have listed! If you play this one right… you should start seeing an increase in bidders winning multiple auctions.

Here is how I would play it out…

• Get organized and list complementary items at the same time… same size, matching, other items that buyers would be interested in if they are coming to just one of your auctions
• Continue to include a shipping special and link directly to the other items that you think they bidder would be interested in. Be specific… “I have the perfect cardigan sweater that matches this here… and don’t forget if you win more than one auction shipping is only $5!”

eBay - What Are You Thinking??

It looks more and more like eBay is shooting themselves in the foot… and although I am a firm believer in the idea that if you think creatively, you can find a way around just about anything - it seems like eBay keeps making it tougher and tougher.

The most recent changes announced to eBay sellers is to eliminate the ability to link to any outside website/page from the About Me page and eBay Blog. They have always had this policy in place for actual listings… and many have gotten around it by including a link in their listings that point to their eBay About Me page. Then, on their About Me page, they would promote their non-eBay website by offering an opt-in of sorts to a newsletter or service.

No More… according to eBay.

So, how can you take advantage of the traffic from eBay to grow your non-eBay business?
Here are a couple of ideas…

First of all, you can make your eBay ID your website address or something similar - be sure to follow eBay’s rules when choosing an ID. A friend of mine uses: auction-moms-newsletter as her ID. If you google Auction Moms Newsletter, her site for her other business will come up.

Another MUST DO… is to follow up with your current customers - It is even more critical to have a follow up system to collect names and email addresses of your eBay customers. Be sure to not have all your eggs in one basket - get your customer list off of eBay by offering them discounts, coupons, or a free report on something they might be interested in (they are all over the internet if you google ‘free report’ and the topic you are considering)… whatever you need to do- do it. I highly recommend you find a strategy that works for you to get the names and emails of your customers.

It’s hard to say what eBay will do next - but, by keeping a list of customers and actively communicating with them will ensure that if you ever choose to go somewhere other than eBay… they will go with you.

(You can view eBay’s announcement here)

Stay tuned… there are a few things that are actually GOOD about this announcement that I’ll be covering net week…

Jenni

eBay Has Discounted Their Final Value Fees - Limited Time

Cool eBay news… through June 1st you can get 15% off your Final Value Fees when you offer Free Shipping on eBay.com.

If you haven’t tried offering free shipping before - this is a great time. The best way to take advantage of this is to be sure to use the shipping offer to entice your bidders to look at other auctions too! I would put large - bold letters at the top of your listing announcing the shipping special… and then be sure to include a link to your other listings so it is easy for your bidders to see what other auctions you have running.
Here are the details from eBay: http://pages.ebay.com/promo/15FVF0523/

Enjoy!
Jenni

Let’s Talk About Shipping…

I was just interviewed about selling children’s items and toys - and I was a bit surprised by how much interest there was in the topic of shipping. I really shouldn’t have been surprised though… because I think there is quite a bit of confusion - and perhaps it is even a ‘controversial’ topic in the eBay world. If we are to be successful sellers, however, we must address the topic.

First of all - let me give you a little background. I listed my first stroller that I bought at a yard sale for $15 on eBay in 2003. It sold for over $100 and… the rest is history ;-) I was hooked!

It didn’t take long for me to realize that research was key to my success as a seller… research to determine what the hot sellers are - but, more importantly, research to determine which selling strategies were making the most impact on final selling prices.

In 2004, I started my first newsletter, HuntedTreasure, which provides a weekly report of 25 hot items in the children’s item market. For over 4 years I have spent hours on a weekly basis burying my head inside eBay and learning what sells… and how to sell it.

Time and time again I have noticed that shipping can play a HUGE factor in the success of a seller.

I think the thing to remember is to look at the big picture. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen the same (or similar) item listed and the one with lower shipping ends leaps and bounds higher than the other.

Remember, unless your bidder is a seller – they probably don’t really have a clue how much it costs to ship the item they are considering. They usually assume that the seller is adding on to the shipping to make a bigger profit – whether this is true or not, is really not the point.

It is a psychological game really…

There can be two items – one with free shipping or a shipping special of $5… and the other with the actual shipping cost of around $10 or $12 for an item… and usually the auction with the lower shipping will get a higher bid – and I would say that more often than not, the difference in the ending price is more than the difference in shipping. So, look at the whole picture – you might lose something in shipping, but, you will likely make up for it in the ending price of the auction.

Along those same lines, I highly recommend running some sort of shipping special for your listings. List items of the same size or for the same age group at the same time and then have a shipping special like:

Win more than one auction and only pay $5 shipping for all of it!

Or

Win 3, shipping is FREE!

This accomplishes two things for you…

1. It gets your visitor looking at your other listings – and not just browsing… but, looking to buy so they can get better shipping rates.

2. It is great fuel for the bidding war fire! More people will be competing for your items as they all want to take advantage of the discount

Test is out – you might be surprised!

Secrets To Garage Sale Bargains… and Finding Inventory

I’ll be the first to admit that I am a garage sale addict! I’m not quite as bad as my mom (love you mom!)… but, I have a hard time passing up those colorful signs with ‘SALE’ written all over them.

I haven’t always been like this - it started after when my first born was a newborn. We had moved to Oregon from California to be closer to my parents… and then we were unemployed for 18 months… my mom was eager to ’show me the light’ - and we went out to garage sales every Friday and Saturday looking for treasures for this new little addition to our family.

By the time I was pregnant with my second child I was a garage sale PRO! I knew the best neighborhoods to scout out… I could tell just by driving by if there were going to be treasures for me… and I always found the most amazing deals!

(Like my sit and stand stroller - $15…
or entire Gymboree/Gap wardrobe for my daughter for $20…
or incredible Pottery Barn bedding for $10…
A Medella Pump-In-Style, Like New - for $40!
Or, one of those beautiful round cribs - with a mattress and complete bedding for $100…
I could go on and on…)

But, I really got the bug once I started selling on eBay. That Sit-And-Stand stroller I found for $15… I sold it on eBay for over $100! Or, the round crib I mentioned I picked up for $100… I sold it for over $500 on eBay.

Not only are garage sales a great place to pick up used baby gear and clothes for your own personal use when funds are tight… they are the perfect place to pick up eBay inventory.

Below I share 4 tips to keep in mind when you are out and stumble on something you think might be a nice seller for you…

But… before I get to them, I am very excited to share a special treat I was able to work out with Sherah over at www.Auction-Moms.com.

I just finished reading Sherah’s ebook, Secrets To Garage Sale Bargains - man, every year I read it and find a new tip to apply to my yard sale shopping. It is full of great ideas…

Learn things like:
- Which weekend is the best to catch hot moving sales
- Tips for getting a good deal even if your best offer is refused
- Why saying, “Will you take $1 for this toy?” is a no-no.
- Find out the magic words to seal the deal… almost every time!
- When the best time is to hit the sales for the best deals

The ebook sells for $17.99 - but, I was able to work out a special deal with her to offer it to for only $10. This special price is only good through Wednesday, May 7th… so you will need to act quickly.

You can read more about Secrets of Garage Sale Bargains here (don’t order it from that page though!).
But, DON’T ORDER IT FROM THAT PAGE or you will be paying too much!
Sherah has set up for my readers to get a very nice discount HERE:

Now… about those tips…

eBay is the best place to research in order to learn what sells and what doesn’t sell; however, applying these tips will help you find inventory without even opening a web browser.

1. Watch for retired or out of production/print items. I have found that VHS videos can resell very well… especially if it is out of print (OOP) and not yet available on DVD. Other items that are no longer available new are perfect for reselling on eBay.

2. Pay attention to movies that are coming out that are remakes of older tv shows or series’ and watch for items that are related. For example, Speed Racer is about to be released… but, it was a cartoon series long before the movie was in the works. Watch for toys, videos, anything related to the original series.

3. Look for things that have replacement parts. Games and toys that are popular but are likely to lose parts easily. These pieces can resell very well.

4. Talk with kids - or better yet - take a child shopping with you and pay attention to what excites them. Every Christmas I have found that some of the best predictors of the best selling toys are KIDS!

These are just a few tips to help you find inventory… but, I have to say - yard sales are great when money is tight… you can get some amazing deals on children’s items - and they are usually not very used because kids grow so quickly. The season is just starting and whether you are an avid garage saler… or just looking into the idea - the Secrets To Garage Sale Bargains is a must read for getting the best deal!

Harnessing eBay’s traffic - whether you are a seller or not

There is no getting around it…
eBay is one of the most visited sites in the world. And, these aren’t just visitors… these are people looking to BUY something. It makes sense to me that every business owner consider eBay for qualified leads… even if they are not an eBay seller!

Ebay has a little known secret… classified ads. These are not auction listings… and actually have a different set of rules that apply to them. The cool thing is that these classified ads show up in search results RIGHT ALONG SIDE auction listings! AND… you can include an email address and phone number in your ad.

Think about how much you are willing to spend on advertising… What would you pay for a banner on a top website advertising your site or services? Now, consider the amount of traffic that website gets for the price.

Right now, eBay only charges $9.95 a MONTH for a classified ad… if you place the ad strategically (use solid keywords, etc.), for under $10 you will have access to massive amounts of traffic – AND – this isn’t just any traffic… these are qualified leads! People looking to BUY!

Learn more about classified ads here: http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/f-ad.html

To complain… or just get creative

eBay has made some huge announcements these last few weeks… many have come as a surprise to sellers. Whether you agree, disagree, or don’t care ;-) … These changes will likely impact the way you run your eBay business. Although I’m not too thrilled about the changes, I think I’ve learned that it doesn’t really profit me to complain about them… or even put much effort into trying to change eBay. Besides, there are plenty of sellers already doing that.

On the other side of the coin, I have learned that eBay has a goal – and that is to grow in profitability. Even though their profits come from sellers (buyers don’t pay fees to bid, etc.)… they view the buyers/bidders as their customers and are doing what they believe they need to do to keep these customers happy. If this is truly the case… then, eBay’s customer and my customer are one in the same. By working to retain and bring in new customers, eBay is working for me. Yeah, they are making things more difficult for me (raising prices, changing feedback policy, changing payment options, etc.); however, if I can find a way to stay within eBay’s policy and work with these changes, I’ll be that much more successful.

I guess it is a mindset… we can choose to complain about things that we really can’t change – or, we can let our competition do that, and focus our own energy/efforts on how to grow our own business for bigger profits.

I think this applies to all business models actually… unless we are truly running our own business… or as long as we are ‘working’ for someone else, changes will be made that are out of our control. We can choose to fight it every step of the way… or roll with it and get creative about how we increase profits.

EBay’s Increase In Final Value Fees… A Good Thing?

I was writing an article on this topic… and it turned into an 8 page report. You’ll find an excerpt below… Click here for the entire report about how eBay’s increase in final value fees can be a good thing.

When I shared with my husband how eBay was changing it’s fee and feedback structure… his first response, “Why not go to another auction site?” Are you asking yourself the same question? The thing is… not only is eBay currently the largest and most visited auction site… eBay continues to reward its buyers. So, guess where the buyers (customers) are going to go… eBay! From a business perspective, doesn’t it make sense to go where the customers are?

What if I said – hang in there… it might not be so bad! What if there was another way? Look at it this way… what if you could figure out a way to USE eBay to build a business or revenue stream and not have the fee increases or some of the policy changes affect you to a point where you might consider leaving eBay all together? What if you could make money on eBay without selling?

There is. Seriously.

It might take a little ‘thinking outside the box’ – but, there are many ways to sell on eBay and build a business around eBay… and not be hurt by some of these changes. In fact, I’m going to show you how eBay’s increase in final value fees could be a GOOD thing! Go ahead… read that again – I’m going to show you how eBay’s increase in final value fees could be a GOOD thing!

First – Let’s look at a way to make money selling on eBay without really selling anything… huh?

Are you familiar at all with affiliate programs? An affiliate program is when someone has a product they are selling and then pays others a commission (or referral fee) if they sell the product for them.

EBay has an affiliate program. The way it works is… after you sign up to be in their program, you get a special ‘affiliate’ link. This link has a code embedded in it that enables eBay to track who sent the referral to them. If the person who clicked on your special ‘affiliate’ link purchases, you get a percentage of that sale… that’s it – you don’t take the pictures… you don’t list the item… you don’t ship it… In fact, you never deal with the customer… but, you still make money from it.

But, wait – it gets better! There are a couple cool kickers to this strategy…

Kicker #1 – the affiliate link is cookied for 7 days. This means that if the person who clicked on your link to get into eBay doesn’t buy the item your link pointed to – but browses around and within 7 days buys something else on eBay YOU GET A COMMISSION! Even if they leave eBay and come back 7 days later… YOU GET A COMMISSION!

Kicker #2 – (this is where the higher final value fee can be a GOOD thing for you) eBay bases their commission on the final value fee of the item sold. EBay just raised their final value fees… If you are making any money through eBay’s affiliate program – this is actually GOOD news because it means higher commissions!

This is just a bit of what is in the free report… learn how to take advantage of eBay’s affiliate program and get into any niche making money on eBay without every selling a thing. Click here to sign up for the free report… Enjoy!

eBay just dropped a bombshell…

Many expected eBay’s policy change announcement last week to include higher fees… but, they actually lowered them! Of course, it isn’t all good news for eBay sellers - but, it really depends on how you look at it. Over the next few weeks we will look at these policy changes in more detail and discuss what this means for sellers. We will look at the good… bad… and the ugly - starting with the good :)

eBay has LOWERED their insertion fees by 5 cents! This is great news for those who are just learning or would like to do some testing in their market. One of the best ways to take avantage of this is to use your auction listings to drive customers elsewhere… to your eBay store, your About Me page (and then to your non-eBay business), your website, etc. If you look at your auction listing as an advertisement or marketing tool - this means same amount of advertising with lower fees… very nice!

eBay has made gallery pictures FREE! Of all the extras eBay offers for your auction listing, the gallery pictures tend to bring in the biggest return on investment. I have always recommended that sellers invest in a gallery image (the little thumbnail that shows up next to the title of your item in the search results)… Most bidders browse through the search results by glancing at the thumbnails - I believe that you really can’t compete with other sellers if you don’t include one. Although the gallery image option almost always paid for itself… now with the FREE price tag, there is no excuse for sellers to NOT include it! :)

Well, like I said, it isn’t all good news though… eBay has raised their final value fees by 2% - but, hold tight! Next week I’m going to share a way you can benefit from this fee increase… seriously.

(Click here for a detailed report of the eBay announcement) 

What Kind of Seller Would You Like To Be?

We discussed a bit about how sellers seem to fall into three categories:

1. hobby seller

2. business seller

3. marketing seller

And a couple of you have shared that you are hobby sellers… I’m curious - what kind of seller would you LIKE to be? Are you interested in having an eBay income? Or, do you just want to sell to get rid of ’stuff’ here and there? Do you run another business that you would like to market through eBay - but don’t know how?

We are headed into the New Year (who am I kidding - it’s HERE! Happy New Year!!)… what kind of changes would you like to see in your business that might include eBay? I’m planning out the year and would love to hear where you want eBay to take YOU…

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