Getting eBay PowerSeller Status In 3 Months - Advice From An eBay Employee And Powerseller - By Danny Gard

eBay has become the world-wide market place for those who want to retire, work for themselves or have a second income. Selling on eBay is simple, but becoming a power seller with regular repeat customers is the difficult, but fun part.

To become a PowerSeller you have to sell a $1000 worth of merchandise on eBay while having over 100 positive feedback, and maintain that trend for three months.

To do this in three months is very possible, as long as you follow some general guidelines.

1. Don't start selling until you have at least 10-25 positive feedback

I would buy some small things until you have at least 10 feedback, most eBay shoppers are very leery of newbie sellers

2. Sourcing

Whatever you decide to sell make sure you have more than one reliable source. Also, this from an eBay employee who has seen more sellers get burned than he cares to remember, DO NOT GO WITH A DROP SHIPPER such as DOBA or WorldWideBrands.

3. Find when the biggest seller of your product ends his auctions, set your ending time for the same time as his, and start your auctions lower.

4. Answer all calls and emails.

Most sellers as they become bigger stop answering emails and calls. It sounds insane, but it happens. Don't fall into that trap.

5. Include payment instructions, shipping requirements, about us, return policy in your description page.

The less questions the buyer has, the more likely they are to buy

6. Include every letter possible of your 60 keywords on each item.

Only use words that buyers would naturally put in the search.

7. If you open a store, I would put 4 items in the auction for every 10 items in the store.

Store inventory is very cheap to list but is not normally found in the eBay auction search. On your auction items I would include lines such as "for more of this item...or for a different size...or to see similar items...go to my store"

8. Create a custom page.

Your custom page should be about your products and big sales since every word is keyword searchable on Google.

9. Frequently send out sales to your email marketing sign-ups if you get a store.

You will need the repeat business.

10. Ship ASAP!

Those who ship quicker than others get more business.

To make your business successful as a new eBay seller these steps are vital. If you decide to become an eBay seller good luck! You will enjoy your new success.

Danny Gard is an eBay PowerSeller and employee of eBay. He specializes in teaching eBays biggest sellers on how to increase revenue and traffic. His personal website, which sales the nets best tee-shirts, can be found at http://www.shibbyshirts.com.

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Tips For Selling Your Items On eBay - By Lydia Quinn

Everyone has items in their home that take up valuable room or are no longer needed. Why not sell those items in the world's biggest marketplace, get money for them AND free up some space? Here are some tips for selling your items on eBay:

Do Your Research

Before pricing your item and writing your description, make sure to search eBay first for exactly what you are selling. Take note of how much the item and similar items are currently going for in the last 30 days by searching the completed auctions as well. You'll also want to take note of the titles and descriptions of the auctions that sold for the highest prices so that you can incorporate similar information.

Category

Choosing the right category is also crucial to getting a sale. Pick the wrong category and buyers may not find your auction. Take advantage of eBay's category search form to get the most appropriate category for your item. Also, take note of the highest priced auction in the last 30 days and consider using the same category that that auction used.

Description

A good description of your item is absolutely essential to a successful auction. Be honest about the condition of your item, has it been used gently or does it have a lot of wear? Or is it still in the original box? Other important information to include would be the dimensions or size of the item, brand name, age, material it's made with, features, benefits and, of course, exactly what's included in the auction. Also be clear with the shipping cost, your return policy, and payment policy.

Photos

Photos are another extremely important element to any online auction. Try to include multiple photos showing multiple views and angles of your item. If you're selling an item that can be opened or has multiple uses, consider taking a picture of it each way it can be used. Make absolutely sure your item is in focus when you take the picture. Take photos in a well lighted area, with a neutral background. Avoid using a flash if possible, to avoid any glare. Once you have taken your photos, you should crop out any unnecessary areas. In your photo or graphics editor, be sure to resize the photos so that they don't take too long to load and save the photos in the JPG format. When taking photos of your items, take many shots, so that you can decide which is best. You can also make use of the sharpness and brightness features of your editor to further fix or enhance your photos. Most of all, make sure that your photos accurately depict your item.

Communication

During the auction, answer any questions promptly and post the answers on your auction, if appropriate. After the auction, follow up with the buyer promptly by sending an invoice and keep the communication lines open should they experience any problems.

Follow these tips for your eBay auctions and you're sure to have a successful selling experience.

Lydia Quinn writes for eBayBar.net, where you can search eBay, register for an account and find the most watched and most popular items on eBay. Visit us at: http://www.ebaybar.net/

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The Perfect Ebay Buyer - Fact or Fiction? - By Ty Wigal

I have been a Powerseller on eBay since the late 90’s. During the journey I have learned many things and have experienced the very extremes of humanity, from the utmost in decency to the most absurd and asinine behavior known to man. At the peak of fun and prosperity on eBay (which I feel are days never to return), I experienced a level of sales that resulted in eBay fees totaling to what most Silver Powersellers do in gross monthly sales. Currently, I have a greatly reduced presence on eBay, but still maintain several modest stores that are in the Silver to Gold Powerseller range. Over the past years, I have formed a great number of well earned opinions. This discussion answers a simple question that every eBay seller should pose to themselves: What should be expected from an eBay buyer?

A common misconception shared by many buyers on eBay is that once they have paid for a transaction, their job is done. I have paid you “oh so quickly”, so just where is my feedback, you silly seller? Don’t you know how eBay works? This belief is held not only by the ever present crowd of “newbie” buyers, but also by veteran buyers with large numbers of feedback. These veteran buyers are generally not experienced in selling but still feel they are eBay experts. I believe that payment is only the first step. I believe that too many over-zealous sellers have enabled buyers to falsely hold expectations beyond the realm of reality for volume sellers. Many buyers simply do not understand what a seller goes through to make a transaction work. Smaller sellers may not ever reach the rather minimal volume of one thousand a month in gross sales for 3 consecutive months to reach the level of a Bronze Powerseller.

Many of these smaller sellers are stay at home types that eagerly await an actual buyer. With a completed payment comes much, much gratitude and an eagerness to provide a pleasant experience for the buyer. In fact, whatever the buyer wants the buyer can have. The buyer wants shipping charges below actual costs or even free. The buyer wants the shipment to leave instantly after payment, which is to include weekends and holidays. The buyer wants the absolute lowest price possible, again, as close to free as possible. The seller may just do everything they can to accomplish this ideal for the buyer. Bottom line? Profit? Well, what does that have to do with anything? Thousands of transactions like this happen every day on eBay. Hence some eBay buyers’ expectations being held beyond the realm of reality.

If these smaller sellers can be set aside, we can consider the Bronze and Silver powersellers. I consider these the true heart of Ebay. These sellers probably have a different perspective than the average eBayer. They most certainly have more insight than the eBayer who has never sold. They have a more consistent volume of sales to contend with as they face the many challenges of internet based selling. They have met these challenges by understanding their buyers and have put systems and processes in place to serve their buyers. If they are meeting the powerseller requirements with many small to medium transactions, they probably will agree with the following assertions.

* The buyer must please read the listing. Again, read the listing. The whole listing. A reasonable amount of information is available for the buyer’s enjoyment and education.

* The buyer must please, after reading the listing, comprehend and understand said listing and the terms set forth within.

* The buyer must please understand what the item is. It is described in the listing. Accurately described.

* The buyer must please understand what the shipping terms and charges are. They are described in the listing. Accurately described.

* The buyer must please understand that the above mentioned shipping terms will affect the delivery time. If the least expensive method is used then delivery time will be slower than the more expensive options.

* The buyer must please understand that shipping services and packaging cost money.

* The buyer must please understand that once the package leaves the sellers possession, the seller has no control over the package. It will arrive when the decided upon carrier and method completes the delivery. Persistent emails will not change this fact.

* The buyer must please pay on time and without having to have their hand held throughout the entire purchase. Many previous buyers have accomplished payment without any interaction or custom step-by-step instructions. Payment can be accomplished by walking through the steps.

* The buyer must please conduct themselves in a reasonable and respectful manner at all times.

* The buyer must please maintain reasonable, two-way communication at all times.

* The buyer must please have a working email address that accepts emails from the seller. Spam or bulk mail folders must please be checked if emails are not being received.

* The buyer must please not conduct any type of fraudulent activity. Please do not charge back, steal from, cheat or blackmail the seller.

* The buyer must please leave positive feedback if the transaction has been completed in a reasonable way and according to the terms stated in the listing.

* The buyer must please understand that the world is not perfect and mistakes happen to everyone.

* The buyer must please communicate any dissatisfaction to the seller and allow for things to be remedied in a fair and timely manner.

* The buyer must please understand the transaction is not completed until feedback is left by the buyer. This indicates to the seller that the buyer is satisfied.

* The buyer must please understand that feedback is a voluntary opinion. Feedback is not a requirement on the part of a seller. Seller’s feedback is not a right for the buyer. Please do not pester the seller for feedback.

* The buyer must please understand that they are not the only buyer on earth and that their concerns will be dealt with as soon as possible.

A buyer that meets the above criteria is indeed a perfect buyer. This is the type of buyer that any business, on or off of the internet, should appreciate and strive to keep. The vast majority of buyers on eBay are the perfect buyer. I would personally say that well over 90% of those we encounter make the grade. What about those ever abundant and joyful buyers that come up a bit short of ideal? Well, that is another discussion for another day. Please stay tuned.

Please comment at
target="_new" href="http://wigglewigal.com/2007/08/03/a-powersellers-perspective-ebays-new-feedback/">wigglewigal.com

Ty Wigal is an internet entrepreneur, author and co-owner of WiggleWigal LC, an umbrella company for numerous online ventures and websites including:

wallpapertrends.com

target="_new" href="http://www.fauxthewalls.com">fauxthewalls.com

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How to Start an eBay Store and Use It Creatively - By Dana E. Smith

Consistently ranked as one the twenty most popular websites, eBay is a magnet for both buyers and sellers. From a seller’s point of view, it’s a marketing dream. Tens of thousands of people visit eBay every day and most of them are eager and willing to buy something if you have what they want. Better still is the fact that there’s no tooth-and-nail competition for top search engine listings here. Just eBayers in substantial numbers, all looking for something to buy. Your job is to determine what they want, find it, post an auction and make money.

That being said, there’s no doubt that some eBay sellers are much more successful than others. Most sellers start out selling personal items from around the house that they no longer want. Once that well runs dry, the wheat separates from the chaff. It’s the sellers who really understand eBay who go on to Power Seller status and more.

Really successful eBay sellers seem to excel in several different areas. They know how to pick and source hot products and are very selective with respect to the products they sell. Power sellers also know how to write good ads. They know what people want to hear and they give it to them. Finally, successful sellers never stop learning how to put eBay to work. The more you learn about eBay and some of the tools it has to offer, the more you can earn.

One of the good examples of this is the eBay store. There are many good reasons to start an eBay store. Once you have your own store, it’s a lot easier to cross promote items and get your wares in front of more potential buyers. It will also cost less to list items and you can even automate the whole listing and feedback process using a tool like eBay’s own Selling Manager or Selling Manager Pro.

In a certain sense, however, an eBay store is more about marketing that it is about selling directly. If you can make this marketing mindset your own, you can use it to make profits on eBay that go far beyond your earnings from actual auctions. This mindset is about building a relationship with your customers, which really means building a list of contacts who will go on to buy from you time and again.

One way to accomplish this with an eBay store is to use the feature that allows visitors to sign up for your store newsletter. This gives you the chance to send email to anyone who signs up on a once-a-week basis with information about new products, discounts or other special promotions. You also get to add a link to your newsletter opt-in page on every auction you run. As your list grows, you can market to it and earn more money than you can with auctions alone.

As an eBay store owner, you can also add a link to your auctions that allows other eBayers to add your store to their list of favorites in their “my eBay” profile. Once someone adds your store to their list, eBay will automatically email them a list of your auctions once a week at absolutely no cost to you. It’s a great way to stay in touch with potential buyers and ultimately sell more products.

These are just a few examples of how the creative use of an eBay store can help you build an eBay business that will grow profitably for many years to come. Of course, you won’t find these strategies on eBay itself because eBay provides help mostly on the nuts and bolts of setting up a store. Fortunately, there are a number of excellent online resources that explain how to start an eBay store and how to use it creatively.

You'll find more valuable tips on target="_new" href="http://ebay.homebiz2000.com">how to
start an eBay store in this inexpensive, 65-page guide. Also, here's a creative
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Adopt An eBay PowerSeller -Teach eBay PowerSellers Strategies To Enhance Their Business Models - By Shawn McGee

PowerSellers are some of the most well-respected and busiest eBayers. By definition they sell a lot, that's what makes them PowerSellers. Consistent volume sales, positive feedback, and eBay policy compliance are what qualifies an eBayer for PowerSeller status.

But just because a seller sells a lot and follows the rules does not a successful entrepreneur make. For instance consider a PowerSeller who sells clothing:

• She would have to sell plenty of blouses to reach even $1000 in sales per month for three consecutive months (a requirement to become a PowerSeller).
• Her margins selling low priced items of clothing would no doubt be razor thin. There would be many pressures pushing down profit margins: competition, eBay fees, shipping costs, etc.
• She would have to spend a good portion of her time on customer service: listing items for sale, answering questions, and shipping merchandise.
• Her feedback score would be vulnerable because of the sheer number of transactions she completes.

Is this a good business model? I don't think it is. And I would argue that there are many more PowerSellers struggling to make a profit, let alone a living, than you think.

Many too many PowerSellers struggle under the conditions I just mentioned. Even under these conditions there are substantial profits to be had when a comprehensive strategy is implemented. Unfortunately far too many PowerSellers:

• Do not have a comprehensive business strategy.
• Have no back end sales program.
• Do not leverage the About Me page. In fact many PowerSellers do not even have an About Me page. (Too busy shipping blouses no doubt.)
• Do not properly optimize many of the tools and opportunities made available on eBay.
• Do not maximize selling opportunities with current customers.
• Do not make the most of auction visitors who decide not to bid.

Now, this is where you come in. With a solid understanding of business strategy, marketing, and eBay you can bring a new, more profitable point of view to struggling PowerSellers. You can provide consulting to hardworking entrepreneurs who would greatly benefit from simple adjustments to their business plans.

You do not have to be an expert in all things eBay to provide valuable help to PowerSellers. You only need to be able to implement and execute specific techniques well: techniques that will complement and enhance what the PowerSeller already does.

If you have already engineered a successful business model on eBay or elsewhere, consider offering to help eBayers implement your approach. If you are not yet capitalizing on a successful and/or unique business model, I strongly urge you to learn effective techniques and begin putting them to work for you and others.

THE eBay REPORT provides tips, tricks, and techniques for people looking to make the most of their eBay experience. We provide a healthy dose of resources, news, humor... and we do a little something with eBay feedback that gets the kids talking.

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eBay Basics - Four Focal Points For Beginners - By Steve Dempster

So you want to make a business out of eBay? Maybe you want to make the move from casual 'clear-the-attic' selling to a focused business approach? If that's the case, the following four pointers should help you achieve just that.

1. Decide what you are going to sell. This may seem obvious but it's a massive pitfall for the unwary. It' is so easy to become sidetracked and lose focus of what you decided to sell in the first place!

Say you have decided to sell animal figurines. Say - it might be a good idea to do those cute Disney figures too! And why not have a look at those Royal Worcester vases while you're at it? Take this road and pretty soon you will end up as a general retailer of ceramics and porcelain. Any idea how much stock you'll need for that?

So point one is: stick to your chosen niche. Do this, be ruthless and single-minded about it. Heck, you're a beginner, not Wal-Mart!

2. Keep a tight control on profits. Now, this might seem self-evident but never, ever forget those 'hidden' costs that erode your margin. These include eBay and PayPal charges, postal charges, packing costs and (if any) the cost of borrowing.

Also, if you are selling a line that consistently gives low returns at your auctions - drop it. You may be selling carloads of this particular line but remember the old saying - 'turnover is vanity, profit is sanity'. What does this mean?

Simply, it means that you should avoid the temptation to keep a line selling merely to boost your turnover. It's no good turning over a million dollars if you have to sell a million items to do it with a profit of five cents an item! Although this may well give you a 'profit' of $50,000 this would be gulped down by those charges above. Much better to turn over $100,000 with a thousand items at $100 each on a margin of 40% - that's $40 per item! Less work and more money in real terms!

3. Adopt a professional attitude. What does that mean? Well, it means that you should be consistent in everything you do - all your listing should have the same template, similar items should be described in the same way, descriptions should be as accurate and as full as possible - and honest! - and, perhaps above all, photos should be clear, well-lit and in focus.

These factors will set you head and shoulders above a huge proportion of the competition. I cannot stress enough that by following the simple rules above your sales will improve overnight. Buyers are people and people are creatures of habit. They will soon come to recognise your unique way of presenting your goods and, providing that you take care of them, these same customers will return time and time again.

4. Don't give up! This may seem obvious but you would be amazed at the number of would-be eBay moguls that give up at the first sign of a bad week. I have news for you - unless you are very, very, VERY lucky you will not make a full-time business out of eBay overnight. You may never make a full-time business out of it - ever. One thing is certain, though - give up on it and you cannot possibly make anything out of it!

The secret to eBay success is simply to keep at it! Sure, you must monitor your sales items, your profits and also present a businesslike face to the world - but you must also have the determination to go into this thing for the long haul. Sure, the internet is full of schemes that promise you overnight riches but I'll ask you this: do you know anyone, or know anyone who knows anyone - really - that has come good off these schemes? No?

eBay is truly one of the few businesses now in operation that presents a totally level playing field to the newcomer. It costs you exactly the same to list and sell item 'A' as it costs a 20,000+ feedback powerseller to list it. So remember - choose your market, control your profits, be professional and NEVER GIVE UP!

Steve Dempster writes informative articles for the web and is also a confirmed eBayer. To learn more about levering your eBay sales, take a look at A New Life 4U or target="_new" href="http://www.theinvisibleedge.co.uk/page5a.html">pay his shop a visit

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