by Danny Brown on February 11th, 2008
Take a moment to think of buying and selling online, and chances are the first answer to come to you will be eBay. It’s not surprising – from small beginnings, the popular online auction site has become synonymous with buying and selling online. So much so that even the music satirist Weird Al Yankovic wrote a song parodying the site.
However, as good as eBay is, it’s not for everyone – with restrictions on what can be sold and rising fees, a small business using eBay as a means of selling products can cost quite a bit extra, depending on... Read more »
by Carrie Hinkel on February 6th, 2008
There are plenty of success stories and "Powersellers" on eBay, but what about the sellers who failed? What did they do wrong and how can you learn from their mistakes when starting your own eBay business?
The top reasons eBay sellers fail
They don’t accept credit cards or Paypal � Not accepting Paypal is pretty much a death wish for any eBay seller. Paypal is convenient, easy, and most eBay buyers and sellers use it. If you plan on selling on eBay, sign up for free at Paypal.com.
They have low or poor feedback � Buyers are many times hesitant... Read more »
by Veronica Stone on December 21st, 2007
Are you an eBay seller looking for ways to improve your auction listings? There’s nothing that jazzes up an auction more than great photos. Taking good photos can mean the difference between selling an item for a good price and one that’s barely acceptable.
That’s why it’s so important to master the art of taking professional auction photos.
If you’re serious about selling on eBay, you need to purchase a digital camera. The one exception would be if you’re selling an item that can be effectively scanned on a flatbed scanner, such as books, magazines, DVD’s, CD’s, etc. Most other... Read more »
by Danny Brown on December 10th, 2007
Like any small business, eBay store owners can have peak times and quieter times for their sales. A fishing store may see busier times in the Fall or Spring, and an eBay golf store may have most of its business in the warmer months. However, one area where every eBay store owner can have a busy period is during the Holiday season. That’s why it’s always worthwhile to have a plan in place, to maximize your eBay holiday sales.
Start Early
If you look at the most successful magazines, they always plan their big stories 8-12 weeks ahead of publication.... Read more »
by Veronica Stone on October 12th, 2007
Imagine your business going from a street corner, where it’s possible that hundreds or even thousands of people see it everyday, to eBay, where millions will see it. Imagine going from the potential of a hundred customers a day to a potential of thousands. There are obvious benefits to migrating your offline business to eBay. Besides the potential to make a ton more money, there are also staffing issues. With an offline storefront, you obviously need employees to make things work. They have to be there to handle customers, take orders, ship them out, etc. With eBay, it’s automatic. All... Read more »
by Skip McGrath on September 19th, 2007
I probably receive more emails on this subject than any other. Buyers want to start selling but just can’t figure out what to sell or how to get started.
If you are a new seller, my first piece of advice is to clean out your garage or attic. You need to gain some experience selling before you go off and purchase a large lot of wholesale merchandise.
Start by selling used goods, small appliances, wedding gifts you never use, old books (non-fiction one are best), used sporting goods, clothing items (that great leather jacket that doesn’t fit you any more... Read more »