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!”

Last 5 posts by Jenni Hunt

• eBay - What Are You Thinking?? - June 5th, 2008
• eBay Has Discounted Their Final Value Fees - Limited Time - May 24th, 2008
• Let's Talk About Shipping... - May 15th, 2008
• Secrets To Garage Sale Bargains... and Finding Inventory - May 5th, 2008
• Harnessing eBay's traffic - whether you are a seller or not - April 29th, 2008