Everything Below Retail an eBay store: May 2005

The main focus of this project of mine is to point people in the right direction when it comes to selling on eBay.

This includes:

Setting up your listings
Marketing
Keywords
Finding Products
Customer Relation

And many more important topics!

Lets start with the most important step, opening an account with eBay. Sounds like a good place to me and is one of the only steps that I will talk about that is REQUIRED no matter what you think about the information you find here.

The next thing you will need to do is learn how the eBay process works. I suggest that you start by making a purchase or two before you try to sell your goodies. This will take you through the entire process of searching for what you want, bidding or using the buy it now options, payment options and dealing with the seller via e-mail. You will see from the buyer's point of view the problems that might come up as well as the good things about the eBay experience but always remember IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT IS!!!! I can't stress this enough! eBay is a great place to find modestly priced items but it is also a good place to get scammed.

I am including a link to a resource that I used when getting set up on eBay when I first started selling a couple of years ago. The information included in this ebook was very helpful in not only selling on eBay but also improved my sales on Amazon. If I had not spent last year in Iraq, I am almost 100% sure that my on-line sales would have out paced my normal income. Well, enough of that, make sure to check out Silent Sales Machine and see if any of these ideas are helpful to you.

Next, I would suggest that when it becomes time to sell for yourself the first time you start with something small that you have around the house. Look for an item that you like and is still in good shape but that you might be thinking about giving to a donation center. Look the item over to get an idea of its condition (ie. like new, scratched, dented, etc.) and then do a search for that item on eBay. This will give you an idea of how many other people are selling that item and what the current going price is for something in the same condition as yours.

Here comes the hard part......RESEARCH!!!

This is where you wade through the active listing for items that match what you are selling. You need to make note of a few things to make sure that you are listing your auction correctly.

Is the listing pleasing to the eye? (Do you like looking at the auction)
How is the text of the listing written? (Does it explain the condition of the item)
Does the listing make the item sound useful or attractive?
What category is it listed in?
Does it have bids?

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER copy somebody else's auction or take their pictures! This is a bad practice to get in to and can get you banned from eBay. After you have figured out where you are going to place your item and how you want to write the text of your listing, it is time to take a few pictures. Photos of your item are a must if you are serious about selling. They are the only way for a buyer to have any idea of what they are paying for. I suggest that you place your item on a plain background so it really sticks out and make sure it is centered in the frame so the buyer doesn't miss a thing. You can include one photo of your item for free but it doesn't hurt to add photos if your item has damage or any special marks hat might be of interest to a potential bidder. Unless you have a 3rd party picture hosting service, you will be charged for additional photos but they can be worth it.

Now comes the good stuff.....How to accept money from the buyer. Some people only accept PayPal, some only want to deal with bank checks, money orders, or their own merchant account. I suggest that you accept them all! Most eBay shoppers like to use a secure payment option that allows them to pay instantly with the belief that you will ship faster. The most popular service is PayPal and I STRONGLY suggest that you sign up for this service if you wish to sell on eBay or in any other on-line format. The main thing to remember is NEVER limit the options a buyer has to pay for your products.

I think that will do it for the first edition of this subject. I will post more on this subject over the next few days and I hope that you will feel free to send me some comments on the information that I am providing to you through these postings. I don't claim to be an expert, I am just trying to provide some helpful hints and any and all feedback is welcomed. For more information on tips to save money on your listing fees and getting every bid that you can on your items check out The Auction Revolution eBay System. The information in this book is aimed and both new and experienced sellers and will help you increase your profits and reduce the number of common mistakes most people make with on-line auctions.