The Ecommerce Mom's Guide To Earning Money On The Internet

Trading on Craigslist

2010-03-08T19:04:00.000-08:00

There are several good ways an online retailer can utilize Craiglist. Whether you are buying things to resell on other sites or selling your own wares, Craigslist has a bustling community of buyers and sellers and is almost always free.

For those of you not familiar with craigslist, it is a site with on line classified ads. It is set up so you can search just in your local area (or in any other local area.)   To get to your own local area on the site, select your country, your state and then your town or the nearest town listed.

You will then find the site broken down into several sections. There are sections on housing, jobs, personals, and my favorite--"for sale." You can browse this section by catagory and find things you may be able to resell for a profit on eBay. Do your own research or use my favorite eBay selling tool, Terapeak, to see what the market value is before you buy.

Craigslist is also a great place to sell. I use it mostly to see bulky or hard to ship items.  When we remodeled our kitchen, I sold our oven for $250. Not bad--and it was wonderful not having to pay selling or listing fees, the sales price was total profit.

Craigslist is also where many folks are going to advertise their garage sales.  Use a combination of your local paper and craigslist to learn about all the sales. There is even a section on craislist where people give stuff away--this is a section you want to check often because the good stuff moves quick.

Creating an eBay Listing Title: 55 Very Important Characters

2010-03-02T08:49:00.000-08:00

When listing an item for sale on eBay, there are several important things to consider, but probably the MOST important aspect of your listing is what you put in the listing title.

You get 55 characters to use to help your buyer find your item. If you use these characters inefficiently, there is a good chance your listing will be seen less frequently (or not at all) and therefore will sell for less than you want.

80% of buyers search using eBay's "best match." This is the default search method when a buyer doesn't select another search method.

"Best match" is a somewhat secret and difficult to decipher logarithm created by eBay to assist buyers in finding what they are looking for. "Best match" criteria seems to change frequently, but it always matches items first and foremost on keyword matches.

If your title doesn't contain the EXACT word that a buyer is searching with, good chance the buyer will never see it.

So, when listing your item for sale, think like a buyer. Buyers do not search for a "cute" plate or a "must see" blender, so do not waste your words with these adjectives. Buyers might search on New or NIB, so make sure to include the word new if it describes your item.

Before creating your title, search for your item like a buyer. What words did you use? That is a good start for your description.

Now, can you think of other words someone might use? Make sure to state the obvious, Nike SHOES or Kitchen Aid BLENDER. If your item has the possibility of being looked for in both singular and plural forms, write it out both ways. For example "Hummel figurine figurines" when listing a group of figurines.

Include a common misspelling if you have room. Also include synonyms. Carhartt Carhart jacket coat.

Do not worry about how your title reads. The title needs to get your listing to show up; it doesn't have to be pretty. Kitchen Aid Toaster Stainless Steel 4 four slice toast will get a lot more eyeballs than Kitchen Aid Toaster *MUST SEE* works well Sharp!

Serious sellers spend time testing and tracking listings to see which keywords work best. Terapeak offers keyword suggestions and shows what other sellers are using and how successful various keywords are.

Flea Marketing 201

2010-02-26T15:19:00.000-08:00

EBay has earned it's place in cyberspace as the world's largest rummage sale. It is a great place to resell vintage and preowned items. The profit margin can be huge when you know what to buy.

Some great ideas for finding second hand inventory were given in earlier in Flea Marketing 101.

Here are some more things to look for when shopping for eBay inventory:

Scrapbooking Supplies (Creative Memories)
Stamping Supplies (Stampin' Up)
Games for Wii, XBox, DS
Digital Cameras (even broken can be sold for $20-30)
Vintage Phones (color and style matter here)
Electric Rollers (Richard Caruso Brand or Remington certain colors)
Hooked on Phonics Sets/Learn to Read, Write or Do Math Sets
Unopened, unused makeup (Brand names)
Perfume (Brand Name, can be opened or used)
Dance and gymnastic costumes and shoes
Sport Shoes, Cleats (Brand Names)
Longaberger Baskets
Pier One Pottery and Dishes
Fishing Gear
Board Games (intact and complete with instructions)

Always get items as cheap as possible. If you are at a personal sale, strike up a bargain. If you are shopping the thrift markets, go on discount days or shop for items that are on sale.

Make sure to use Terapeak Price Report or do your own research on eBay to see what items are selling for.

A resource that will pay for itself over and over again is Garage Sale Goldmines.

Ebay Pricing Strategies

2010-02-23T01:55:00.000-08:00

The final selling price of your products has everything to do with how you price your item to get that first bid.

There are many ways to list products and many strategies on getting the highest possible final price. After reviewing dozens of successful selling strategies and selling thousands of items on eBay, the process of pricing can still be a matter of "gut" feeling, especially when I'm listing a product for the first time.

There are several things to look at as you develop your own pricing strategy.

Is the item a commodity or a unique, one of kind item? A commodity, for this purpose, is something that sells over and over on eBay for the about the same price. Look at final selling prices on eBay by checking the "completed listings" box under "advanced" search or use a research tool like Hammertap or Terapeak. My favorite tool, Terapeak, will help you Price your eBay Items for Success.

If your product is easy to find and sells often on eBay for around the same price, consider listing it in a fixed price format or putting it in your eBay store. Most easy to find products are not going to end higher in an auction than what they typically sell for. If it is not a commonly purchased product (i.e. there is a good chance a week or 10 days could pass without the right buyer searching for it), a fixed price or store listing is also a good idea.

If your product is unique or collectible (but not so unique that 7 or 10 days could pass without someone searching on it) or "hot", an auction format will work quite well. There are many strategies when it comes to the starting price in auction formats, but generally the lower the starting price, the higher the ending value. Many auctions start at just .99 even when the expected closing fee is in the hundreds of dollars.

Use Terapeak or your own research to see how many items like yours have sold in the last week. If there are at least three or four closed sales in the previous week, you are probably pretty safe with starting your auction low.

It can be hard to follow this advice, but study after study has shown that low starting prices drive the most interest and end at the highest price. Use Terapeak and notice the opening bid and the ending price.

If there are only one or two closed sales in the previous week, you might want to consider listing it a the lowest possible price you will take. That way, if only one or two buyers are watching and bidding on your item, you don't lose your shirt.

Remember to pay close attention to the day of the week and the time of the day auctions end in your research. Your auction will close exactly 3,7 or 10 days after you list it depending on how long your auction runs. Evenings are generally the best time to have an auction end (consider the time across the country--you don't want potential bidders to be asleep when it ends) and Sunday evenings generally get the highest prices. The Sunday evening suggestion is general, however, you will find that different products do best on different days.

Even after you develop your strategy you will need to keep doing your research and testing your own methods. EBay is changing constantly and the best strategy for today may not be the best strategy in the future.

Creating Multiple Streams of Internet Income: Writing For Pay

2010-02-17T19:26:00.000-08:00

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket."

We've all heard that quote, but what does it mean when it comes to earning money in general and earning money on line in particular?

It means getting streams on income from as many different sources as possible. If you sell on eBay, have several different products or suppliers. Don't get too comfortable when one line is doing great, be sure to have another one in the works. Markets change fast and you need to be evolving right along with them.

The same goes for suppliers. Have at least two or three main suppliers, that way you are less affected when one changes prices or policies.

It also means selling "wide." If you only sell on eBay, consider also selling on Amazon. Start building your own web site. When you sell on multiple sites, you have the opportunity to earn more. You are also less at the mercy of any one site's rate changes.

It is important to also consider completely new revenue streams. Many online people earn money writing articles. There are great opportunities to share your knowledge and earn some money at the same time.

One place you can earn money writing is the Examiner. You can apply to become an examiner in just about any area. They offer pay based on traffic and ad revenue. They also have a great referral program. For every new writer you send them, they will pay you $50!

Writing on line is a great place to share the knowledge and expertise you have about your niche or what you sell. Check out the Examiner and please tell them I sent you.

Retail Resale--Risk Free Ebay Inventory

2010-02-14T16:31:00.000-08:00

If you live in an urban area of any significant size you have a great opportunity to acquire inventory (risk free) to sell on eBay. Many eBay sellers earn decent money reselling items purchased at their local stores.

Many online shoppers live in rural areas or in foreign countries and don't have access to the stores we take for granted. They especially lack access to sales and to clearance items. This is where an eBay seller can help out! You do the digging and find the bargains and sell it to them on eBay.

Here are some tips to get started:

1.) Stick to name brands. They sell much better on Ebay and are what people search for.
2.) Look for clearance and deeply discounted items. EBay items usually sell for 10-20% below retail, so you will need to buy things discounted at least 40%.
3.) Make sure you list it as "new" and mention in your description that it is "new with tags."
4.) Research before you buy. You may need to make two trips, to see what is on sale and compare it to the completed listings on eBay. A smart phone helps out here.
5.) Save your receipts and pay attention to return policies; this makes it simple to return unsold items.
6.) Store Suggestions: TJ Maxx, Marshalls, American Eagle, Hollister, Abercrombie, DSW Shoes, Outlet Malls

Last Spring, I walked into Walmart and noticed the Twilight Board Game for sale. I knew the Twilight books and new movie were very popular. I bought a couple of the games to see if I could sell them on eBay. They were $15 at Walmart and I put them on Ebay for $30. By the next morning, both of the games had sold. I returned to Walmart and bought all the games they had in stock. It was a nice week for me on Ebay thanks to that one item.

If you have any "retail resale" success stories, I would love to hear about them!

Creative Ebay Auctions

2010-02-08T19:22:00.000-08:00

My six year-old daughter loves Zhu Zhu pets and she loves shopping on Ebay. Tonight she was shopping on Ebay for a new mechanical hamster to add to her collection. She came across some cute, tie dye Zhu Zhus. At first, I thought the manufacturers of this latest toy obsession were capitalizing on their luck and the Zhu Zhu craze by offering a wider range of hamsters. Upon closer inspection, however, I learned that these are CUSTOM MADE Zhu Zhus that are being sold by a creative ebay seller.

I LOVE IT! Some of these little guys (around $8 at Walmart) are going for $40-$50 with their custom paint jobs.

Zhu Zhu pets were THE toy to buy and sell on ebay this past holiday season. Sellers who were able to get the pets were easily able to triple their investment reselling them on Ebay. As the holiday season came to a close and the supply of hamsters caught up with the demand, the ebay value of these guys eroded quickly. It was fun while it lasted.

However, this creative seller is taking the Zhu Zhu obsession to the next level. By adding a little paint and a little time, she is to making the Zhu Zhu unique and capitalizing on the latest toy trend.

Seeing sellers like this one is inspiring. There are hundreds of popular products that could be improved or customized and sold on ebay. Using the advanced search option in ebay and the words "custom" or "refurbished" can get your gears rolling.

Scratching your way out of the price battle; how to sell commodities online at a decent profit

2010-02-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

Selling online is tough stuff--don't let anyone pretend it isn't. Selling commodities, or anything that is plentiful and sold by a lot of people, is especially tough. The price wars can be vicious with sellers undercutting each other until the only winners are the customers.

I have been selling a lot of a particular product during the last few weeks at a fair profit. I found the product quite easily (at my local box store) and was surprised when I listed it that no one else was selling it. My assistant was ecstatic, we were selling several a day. I knew it wouldn't last long; it was only a matter of time until my competition caught on and listed it too. It happened a couple of days ago--I knew we had been "found out" before even doing the research because sales came to a screeching halt. I found him (or her) rather quickly, they had under priced me by one penny!

Now, no one accuses ebay shoppers of being loyal. They are usually on ebay for a bargain and the lowest priced product usually wins. I get that. But it is still frustrating.

What are the options when this pricing war starts? How can you stand out from your competition without slicing your margins?

1.) Stand out from your customers with great photos. If everyone is using the same stock photo, do something different to yours to make it a little different. Add text advertising your money back guarantee or add a border or use a different picture. Buyers are more likely to click on a listing that appears unique.

2.) Bundle your product in a different way. Sell two instead of one or include an accessory or two. Add value to YOUR listing.

3.) Give away free information relating to your product. Even if the information is easy to find, your taking the time to print it off and include it can add value and make your product worth more.

4.) Provide excellent customer service. Make your listing crystal clear and answer all questions right away. Brag about your customer service in your listing. Maintain the best feedback you can.

5.) Stay a step ahead of your competition by staying on top of the product lines. Introduce new items and get some sales in before you have a lot of competition. Offer the accessories and add-ons that other sellers don't carry. Be creative with your product mix.

Above all, DON"T GET DISCOURAGED! Ebay is a dynamic, fluid marketplace and creative and persistent sellers will always find a way to persevere.

Ebay's "About Me" Page

2010-02-02T18:49:00.001-08:00

Ebay's "about me" pages are a GREAT place to tell your buyers about you and your business. Buying online can be impersonal and faceless and this is one way to connect with the people you are selling to. Take a few minutes to let them know who you are and what your business is about.

Your "about me" page is your chance to highlight your experience in your niche, your dedication to customer service and your selling policies. Make it personal and professional at the same time.

Buyers are probably not curious about your favorite TV shows or where you shop(unless it relates to your niche,) but they DO want to know when and why you are selling on ebay. Be honest--buyers don't mind if this is a part time job you perform between diaper changes and carpool runs. Tell them about yourself and keep it positive.

You are allowed to tell buyers about your own website or encourage them to sign up for your newsletter, but make sure never to bash ebay or ebay policies.

Post a picture of your family or your pet. You will never meet your customers in person and most buyers like to know something about who they are buying from.

Jim Cochrum at My Silent Team has extremely creative ideas about how to use ebay's "about me" pages to grow your sales and your customer base.

The Ultimate Ebay Book...

2010-02-02T10:33:00.000-08:00

I have read every single book in my library and dozens more about ebay and how to sell on ebay. Many books offer insight and ideas, but one book shines as the best all-around guide for beginning, intermediate and advanced ebay sellers. It is Skip McGrath's Titanium Ebay.

This book offers some basics on getting started, but then it moves quickly into a hands on list of how, when, why are what to sell on Ebay. He has an entire chapter dedicated to researching markets, with specifics on how to tell if there is enough opportunity in a niche for a new seller to move in. He also has an entire chapter dedicated to finding inventory at auctions and another to working with wholesalers. The entire book is sprinkled with his success stories and ideas that have worked for him over time.

This book sits on my nightstand and has been my guide throughout the last year of learning to sell on ebay.

This is the ONE book you don't want to miss as a new (or intermediate) ebay seller.

Two EASY Ways to Get Your Listings Found in Google

2010-01-31T12:57:00.000-08:00

Feel like your listings might be invisible in the tangled and complex World Wide Web? Wondering how to get buyers to find YOUR product amongst the millions of listings on the Internet?

Figuring out how the Google spiders operate is no easy task. Without overwhelming yourself or your budget there are two very simple things you can add to your ecommerce listings that will help them get "noticed" by the search engines.

First, label your pictures with keywords. The search engines pay extra attention to pictures and having your labeled with a keyword or a keyword phrase gives you extra "points." Naming your picture is an easy way to add value to your listing.

Second, put a keyword or two at the end of your listing. Search Engine spiders pay extra attention to what is printed LAST on your page. A quick sentence stating the name of your product or the benefits of your product using keywords can also increase your score.

Do you ship internationally? If not, you should!

2010-01-30T10:20:00.000-08:00

Uggg--customs forms, foreign languages and long shipping times. Who would want to bother shipping internationally? Ebay sellers who want to sell more and make more do!

Ebay is global and it makes financial sense to ship your items worldwide. If you don't already offer international shipping, this change alone could increase your sales.

Buyers from around the world have access to your listings on the ebay US site but if you choose, you can gain even better foreign exposure by listing directly on the foreign Ebay sites. Look for the option in the List Your Item form on ebay.

If you are concerned about customs regulations, you can research particular countries and their restrictions on USPS.com. You can also let your buyers know right in the listing that they are responsible for knowing if an item is allowed through customs.

If you are concerned about shipping time, Canada and the UK are relatively quick. Australia is slow but reliable (the packages eventually get there.) France and Germany are quite slow and somewhat strict with customs. Brazil is VERY slow.

If you are worried about shipping times, start out shipping just to Canada and the UK.

Remember, foreign ebay buyers cannot affect your "top rated" status, but they can still bang you with negative feedback. Ship super quick and remind them of the expected time of arrival. Most overseas buyers realize that shipping times may be long. If you ship quickly and answer any questions, they are usually pretty patient.

I've always shipped internationally and am surprised to find sellers that don't. The best way to take advantage of ebay's huge audience is to sell to all of them!

FREE Things You Can Sell on Ebay

2010-01-29T17:10:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of things you can sell on Ebay for no monetary investment--just a little bit of your time and energy.

SERVICES: There is a section in ebay titled "Specialty Services." Browse through it to come up with ideas. Do you have skills that may be in demand? Do you do copywriting, edititing, proofreading? Perhaps you have great design or HTML skills. What do you (or have you in the past) gotten paid for and how could you incorporate that into something to sell? Perhaps you are a whiz with accounting or taxes, you could list your services for online sellers or small businesses. Every one has skills that are unique or worth paying for. Get creative here!

TICKETS: Look at Ebay's section of tickets. Hundreds of tickets sell above face value every day on Ebay. You can buy tickets for a hot show or sporting event, it can be in any city, and resell them as the event gets closer. Watch what similar tickets end up going for and buy carefully. There is a lot of money to be made in ticket sales but make sure to study the market.

OTHER PEOPLE'S STUFF: You can quite easily become a trading assistant officially through ebay and be listed to do consignment sales. You can also solicit consignment sales on your own. After approaching friends and relatives, get creative. Call people who have items listed in the classified or on Craig's list. Many of these sellers want to unload their stuff but don't have the patience or inclination to sell on ebay. Consider approaching small businesses in your area. Offer to list slower moving items and split the profit. There are hundreds of small shops in every metropolitian area, you might be able to get a nice source on unique inventory.

Keep your eyes open and your pocketbook closed when first selling on ebay. There is a lot of potential profit out there at NO COST to you!

Quick Cash Generating Ideas!

2010-01-28T19:08:00.000-08:00

Need to jump start your cash flow? There are endless ways to make some quick money. My cohort at My Silent Team, James Jones, has written a great ebook, entitled "101 Emergency Cash Generators." Members at My Silent Team have access to this book for free, or you can get your own copy for free right here. 101 Emergency Cash Generators

This ebook is LOADED with creative ways to generate money online and offline. It would be impossible not to make money using James's ideas. A few of my favorites:

Cash Generator #43 Garage Sale Sale Traffic Guru
Lots of people have garage sales every weekend. Their biggest challenge is getting traffic to the garage sale. Offer to solve this problem for them. Use the local newspaper to find where the garage sales are. Approach the garage sale host during the week prior to the sale. For $25, offer to place a bunch signs within a 10 mile radius. Have the signs printed up in advance leaving the date and time blank. Have the signs made up in advance leaving the date and time blank. If you score ten Garage Sales in a weekend, you can generate close to $250. (Remember to take the signs down when you are finished.)

Cash Generator #48 Professional Lint Remover Last year more than 15,000 house fires were started from the lint in people's dryer. Most people do not even realize lint buildup can be a problem. They often call their local appliance repair shop because they think the dryer isn't working right, when the problem is actually lint buildup. Cleaning dryer lint is quite easy (but most people have NO CLUE how to do it!) You need some simple tools--a vacuum cleaner with a hose and a chimney sweep with an extension pole (check you local hardware store.) To clean the dryer, disconnect the vent from the back of the dryer and run the chimney sweep all the way to where the vent goes outside. Loosen all the lint. Then vacuum it out.

This should be a very easy service to sell considering the safety issue. If you are not comfortable going door to door, you could sell it through flyers or ask the local appliance repairman for a referal. I imagine a person doing this in my neighborhood could CLEAN UP! Make sure you look very non-threatening and have a business card available.

Emergency Cash Generator #71 Christmas Wrapping This is one I have thought of before. I HATE to wrap. I find myself super busy at Christmas time and would gladly shell out a few dollars per package to have my gifts wrapped. Mr. Jones suggests marketing especially to men and advertising where men hang out, barber shops, dry cleaners, bars. There is money to be made here!

These are just THREE of the 101 GREAT ideas in the book 101 Emergency Cash Generators. There are dozens that will appeal to any personality.

Using Your Ebay Store

2010-01-24T19:07:00.000-08:00

Yeah! I love my ebay store.

No matter where this ebay journey takes me, there will always be time to scour garage sales and put treasures into my ebay store to wait for the right buyer. It seems like just as I tire of looking at them on my shelf, and wonder if they are ever going to find a home, someone comes along and snags them.

This weekend a buyer plucked a group of five coffee cups out of my ebay store. He paid $20 for them. They cost me a total of 50 cents. I LOVE that profit margin!

The math:

Sale Price $20.00
Handling Charge: $1.00
Inventory Cost: .50
Store Carrying Cost: .18 (six months in the store at .03/month)
FVF & PayPal 3.00
PROFIT: $17.32

Lynne Dralle, AKA the Queen of Auctions, clued me into the coffee cup idea. She is an expert at figuring out what to buy at local garage sales to sell on ebay. I have learned a lot from her and highly recommend her as a teacher if you want to sell collectables.

She has written many great books and has an entire "boot camp" dedicated to helping sellers learn how to find antiques and collectibles and sell them on ebay.

Take a look at Lynne's book right here

Brainstorm Session: What To Sell on Ebay

2010-01-23T12:32:00.000-08:00

N
What Can I sell on Ebay?

After selling on ebay for over a year this is still the biggest question in my mind and still the number one discussion point on the forums I follow. The answer to this question is unique to each seller and changes constantly. Even the largest Ebay sellers are constantly adjusting their inventory mix and product line to stay up with trends and ahead of competition.

The most successful ebay sellers constantly think about product sourcing. They don't sit in front of their computers 24/7 to come up with great ideas, they generate these ideas in their everyday lives.

Lisa Suttora did a wonderful job getting me into the product sourcing mindset. She has a powerful course called the Power of Ten Product Sourcing. Lisa has been a huge mentor of mine and has helped hundreds of ebay sellers find their way. You can look at her powerful course right here.

Power of 10 Product Sourcing

You have to start looking at everything as a potential ebay product.

Look closely at product displays in your local Target or at the local mall. What are the stores highlighting? Is there a market on Ebay for these products?

Look at Sunday advertisements in the newspaper. How are they bundling the products? Stores have to stay on top of trends and they are going to show off their best sellers. You can even source ebay inventory right at your local store. Keep in mind that everyday USA products are hard to come by in other parts of the world. UK and Canadian shoppers will pay a premiumm for US products that they cannot buy at home.

Start seeing every situation as a chance to gather product ideas for ebay. Your trendy friends probably know the latest purse or perfume fad. Take note of what they are wearing and where they are buying it. You might be able to pick up the same item at Marshall's or TJ Max or even second hand and resell it on ebay for a profit.

Watch the teenagers. Look at what are they wearing, carrying and watching on TV. They have enormous buying power and noticing what is popular among teenagers can lead to great ebay ideas.

Pay attention to new release movies. Hot movies can generate a lot of affiliate products that do well on ebay. When the Twilight series was popular, I bought Twilight Board Games at Walmart and sold them for a nice profit on Ebay. I also bought Twilight perfume at retail and turned a nice profit on ebay. Keep in mind that some movies are released in the US prior to release worldwide. These can sell quite well on ebay. International fans love to get their hands on these movies before they arrive in their towns.

Look for items unique to your local area to sell on ebay. Do you live in a college town? Your local stores probably carry products with the team logo that will sell on ebay. If your team is having a good year in sports, these can be especially hot items. Is there a food or product made locally in your area? Items that are hard to get nationally or internationally are going to have a lot less competition on ebay.

Consider selling information products. These are great money makers that you can sell over and over on ebay at almost 100% profit. You have skills that not everyone has. Can you sew, build, repair small appliances? Do you know how to clean efficiently, organize a shed or schedule a household of eight? People are willing buy information on ebay to learn how to do things they cannot do themselves.

Flea Marketing 101

2010-01-22T13:13:00.000-08:00

Get there early and be ready to bargain. Scour through the entire sale, picking up your "maybes" as you go along. Use your phone's ebay application for items you aren't sure about. Keep the following list in your mind (or in your pocket) when looking for inventory to sell on ebay:

Anything with tags: If you can list an item on ebay as "new with tags," the value increases. Name brands and trendy items will do best here.

Books: Focus on non fiction and "coffee table" books. Avoid fiction books unless you can get them super cheap (10-25 cents each.) Books are easy to sell on ebay, half.com or on amazon. Learn more about selling books with a great and reasonably priced ebook loaded with tried and true ideas for book sellers. I bought this ebook a few months ago and it has paid for iteself several times over.

Winter Coats: Children and Adult. Name brand and pristine condition coats sell well on ebay. Brands to watch for: Gap, Hollister, Abercrombie, Anne Klein, Roth's Child, Gymboree.

Shoes: Name brand and in top notch condition. Depending on the brand, plan on getting $10-20 pair on ebay.

Dishes: Bought in a set (aim to spend $25-$35) and split into lots of 2 or 4, these can have an excellent profit margin.

Toys--current or vintage: Condition matters here, but there is a huge market for toys on ebay. Vintage toys can do quite well. I bought two "See and Say" plastic toys at a garage sale recently for $1 each and they each brought around $15. I also sold a lot of old Lincoln Logs for around $70.

Coffee Cups: Look for Starbucks or Trader Joe cups. Think trendy and nationally known. Coffee Cups do very well on ebay.

Lynne Dralle (the queen of auctions) has buying and selling second hand items down to a science. I've listened to several seminars with her and she is helpful, fun and willing to share her ebay secrets. She has been selling on ebay for over 10 years and makes a good full time living selling unique and antique items on ebay. She explains the particulars and gives great advice on exactly what to watch for when shopping to resell items on ebay. Check out her book:

Another resource that is highly recommended comes from an accomplished ebay seller. If you are looking to become an expert at flea bay markeing check out Garage Sale Goldmines to learn all of the tricks.

Creating an Ebay Listing That Sells

2010-01-20T18:38:00.000-08:00

Putting together an ebay listing that sells--sounds simple enough, right? Well, yes and no. Click mentality studies show that you have 3-5 seconds to grab someones attention before they click off your listing. Use these simple tips to grab their attention and make the sale.

Anyone can take a picture and put together an ebay listing, but in order to get the most conversions and the best money in your ebay listing, you need to learn a few tricks that have been tested and proven to work.

EBAY LISTING PICTURES

Your ebay listing should have a clear picture and at least one picture in the copy (the description page.) Even if you use the same picture for both places on your ebay listing, a buyer likes to see the picture as he/she reads the listing description.

Make sure your picture is clear and on a plain background. Use good lighting for your ebay listing picture. There are phototents available right on ebay to help you with this process.

You can use a number of different photo hosting places and get that second picture for free by copying and pasting the "a ref" tag into your ebay listing while it is HTML mode. I like Photobucket, it is free and very easy to use. Check it out for yourself:

Photobucket

EBAY LISTING TEXT

The listing text should be very quick and easy to read. Use bullet points and a lot of white space in you ebay listing text, especially in the top part of the ebay listing. If you have extra information that doesn't call for bullet points, put it in the middle and keep in in brief paragraphs. Remember our attention span is short and our hand is on the mouse button.

Do not center the text in your ebay listing. It makes it harder to read and is awkward.

Do not use all capitals or too many explanation points in you ebay listing. All capitals on the Internet = shouting. Don't shout at us.

Tell the customer what you can do for him, not what you cannot do for him. Policies should be spelled out in your ebay listing, but in a positive manner.

EBAY LISTING TEMPLATES

The fancy scrolls and pretty borders are not required to sell on ebay. Don't spend a lot of time or money worrying about your ebay listing template, especially when you are a begining ebay seller. Buyers are not looking for pretty templates, they are shopping for what you are selling.

EBAY LISTING TESTIMONIALS

If you can find testimonials about your product, use them. People love to hear what others are saying about products. If you do not have access to reviews, use reviews or feedback on you as a seller. People love testimonials.

Remember, you have just 3-5 seconds to catch your buyer's attention. Catch their attention and then keep them on your ebay listing page with clear pictures and great copy.

Running A Successful Ebay Auction

2010-01-18T18:03:00.000-08:00

Ebay's outrageous and unique idea of auction format selling has been fascinating marketing professors across the globe for 20 years. Millions of auctions have been tested and retested. Determining a "perfect" ebay auction strategy is probably impossible.

Out of all this research, though, we have learned a few basics that usually lead to successful ebay auctions.

A few tricks of getting the most money from your ebay auctions:

1.)Pay attention to when the item will end. It will end at exactly the same time as you list it in one, three, seven or ten days. Most bidding happens in the last 24 hours of a listing. If your item ends when most of your bidders are sleeping, you lose out on the ending excitement and bidding.

Consider your audience when you decide your ebay auction ending time. Video games will do better ending in the mid to late evening and office supplies might do better ending in the afternoon.

Sunday afternoon and evenings are known to bring in the highest money and Tuesdays and Saturdays are known as slower ebay days.

If you do your best work at odd hours, pay the extra dime to have your auction end at a good time.

2.)Have a Good Title. This seems obvious, but to get traffic to your ebay auction, use only keywords in your title. The title is what people search on. You have just 55 characters in your title, every one matters. Don't waste characters with words like "cute" or "must see." No one searches ebay auctions on cute. If you have a word that might be spelled two ways, spell it both ways. If you have a number use the digit and spell out the number. Think like a buyer searching through ebay auctions. If your item is new, please state that. I have seen many ebay sellers skip this money making word. For every buyer willing to click through to see if you item is new there are ten who will pass it by.

If there is something you must say and it isn't a keyword and doesn't fit into the 55
characters, buy the subtitle for $1.50. Subtitles are good investments and make your ebay auction stand out.

3.)Take good pictures and write good copy. You want to answer all possible questions up front in your ebay auction. Use a photo editor (I like photobucket and the price is right--free) and insert extra pictures into your ebay listing for free. Your pictures should describe the item as if there is no text and your text should describe the item as if there is no picture. Take the time to write a great description. Measure the item and give the measurements.

Don't worry too much about templates or graphics. Your ebay buyers are interested in what you are selling, not in how pretty you can make an ebay listing page.

4.)Proofread Please! Dozens of expensive items are given away every week on ebay because of typos. Double and triple check your spelling. There are ebay sellers who make a living buying and reselling things from ebay auctions that are listed with mistakes. Don't let your item be one of their finds.

5.)Price your item right. If it is "hot" and a great seller on ebay, you probably want to start it low. Thousands of sellers who have launched millions of ebay auctions will tell you that a low starting price leads to a higher ending price. You are building excitement. Once you get a bid on your ebay auction, your auction gets a lot more attention than an auction with no bids. People who place bids are invested and want to win. Your goal is to have as many bidders as possible fighting over your ebay auction.

Many sellers, especially new sellers, get nervous with this ebay auction strategy. You can get burned. If you cannot take that chance, list it at the lowest possible amount you will take.

The exception to the low start price strategy comes if you have a slow moving or highly unusual item. In those cases, you might want to try it out on auction at a price close to what you expect and then move it into your ebay store or put it up in a fixed price format if it doesn't sell.

6.)If you are putting several similar items up for auction, list them on different days. You do not want to compete with yourself. Since most bidding happens in the first and last day of ebay auctions, maybe stagger them with each starting on a consecutive day. That way if a bidder "loses" the first item, he can go on to win another. It also gives bidders a chance to bid on all of your auctions. If they end only minutes apart, they may not have the time or inclination to bid on both.

Ebay auctions are exciting. They add anticipation and uncertainty to the selling and buying process. Using simple ebay auction strategies can make your ebay auctions successful.

Niche Market Ideas are Everywhere!

2010-01-17T19:04:00.001-08:00

Looking for great ideas for niche markets? Still trying to figure out what to sell online?

Step away from your computer and leave your phone at home.

I know, it sounds crazy and counterproductive. I know, you have tons of research to do and blogs to follow. But try it for a day. You might be surprised at the results.

Us Internet people tend to forget the entire world is still spinning. People are living in offline worlds. Occasionally, we need to join them. See what they are talking about. Notice what gets them excited. And notice where they are spending their money.

I took my four daughters skiing today. It was super expensive and there were about 101 things I wanted to work on instead for my business. But they love skiing and this weekend my dad was generous enough to offer to come alone to help with the logistics of the skis, poles, boots and four beginning skiers. So I reluctantly left my computer and my ecommerce life behind and took the kids skiing.

But I kept my eyes open. I noticed potential niches everywhere. Skiers spend a lot of money and they are also in a group that updates their equipment and gear often. Whether you sold in a wide niche like "ski equipment" or a smaller niche like "goggles," there are a lot of ideas right there. That isn't even considering the bulkier and more complicated ideas like "chair lift parts" or "rental equipment software."

Judging by the long lift lines, this is a niche that has a lot of potential.

I also noticed the small shops in the town we stayed in. There was an entire shop dedicated to clocks and clock repair (I still marvel at how these brink and mortar shops survive!) But what an idea, clocks! One I had never thought of.

In order to get the inspiration you need to stay current and focused, it is important to get out and engage in the offline world. I know, it isn't as impersonal and anonymous as the tweets we leave and posts we comment on. But, we cannot forget that the offline world is where a lot of the action (and ideas) are.

Ebay Powerseller Essentials--Tools of the Trade

2010-01-15T10:53:00.000-08:00

Aiming to be a powerseller? Planning on building an ecommerce empire?

If your answer is yes, and I hope it is, you need to set up your home office. Even if your house is bursting at the seams, claim a corner for yourself and start gathering the tools you will need to succeed.

Ebay and Ecommerce Essentials:

1.) A digital camera. Pictures are essential to selling online. Your camera doesn't have to be the latest or greatest, but it needs to be digital and reliable.

2.) A permanent workspace. Find a dedicated spot in your house and devote it to your business. The kitchen table is practical and works well between meals, but you are going to need a space you don't need to set up and take down. Even if all you can manage at first is a small corner and a card table, set it up to stay.

3.) A good computer and printer. If your computer or printer is slow or out-of-date, make plans to get a new one. Your computer is a key element of your business.

4.) A dedicated shipping station and a good scale. Again, even if all you can squeeze out is a table, set up your packing supplies and scale and use the space just for shipping. Shipping will go much quicker and leave you time for selling.

5.) A standing order with the Post Office. Decide how often you are going to be shipping and arrange to have packages ready for the postman on certain days. Avoid the post office as much as possible. You are too busy to drive and wait in line.

5.) A support network. Get out there (in cyber space) and follow some blogs. Join a site for support and ideas. Make sure to follow the The Ecommerce Mom. I find Jim Cochrum's My Silent Team to be an excellent resource. Another site definately worth its weight in gold is Lisa Suttora's What Do I Sell.

6.) Feed your brain. Eat up books on selling, marketing and entrepreneurs. Read positive thinking material. Think like a winner and feed your brain winning thoughts. I DEVOURED Gary Vaynerchuk's recent book Crush It. He is passionate and excited about media marketing and living your dream. Check out his amazing book:

Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion

Check out his video: (kid alert--adult language)

Gary Vaynerchuk Video

You can also buy his book right here:

Top Ten Reasons to work at home

2010-01-13T10:27:00.000-08:00

It takes a lot of courage to exchange your pumps for slippers, but once you do the pumps may always feel a bit too tight.

Top Ten Reasons To Work At Home

10.) The Commute Fourteen inches of snow on the ground and commuters are slipping, sliding and swearing their way into their offices. The commute at home involves stepping over the cat and navigating around the laundry.

9.) The Food It isn't exotic and the service is lacking, but lunch is always cheap and close.

8.) The Music Chosen according to your mood. Played as loud as necessary.

7.) Wardrobe No worries here, deciding between sweats and jeans takes only a minute.

6.) Colleagues The best co-workers imaginable; silent, agreeable and furry.

5.) The View Whatever you make of it. Laptops are portable.

4.) The Boss Nowhere in sight.

3.) The Breaks Can be taken whenever and where ever you choose. Pillows and blankets are encouraged.

2.) The Evening Meal Can be started during one of the above breaks. No Five O'clock rush to get through. No stress at dinner time.

1.) Meeting the Afternoon School Bus The absolute best part of the workday.

People are Talking: Feedback and Ebay

2010-01-12T09:10:00.001-08:00

"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything."
Mark Twain

The Date: Early 1990's
The Place: Tech Alley, CA
The Characters: Pierre Omidyar and his girlfriend, trying to come up with an online auction system to sell her extra Pez dispensers
The Dilema: Getting buyers and sellers to trust each other to send money and merchandise through the mail
The Solution: Feedback

Ahhh...Ebay feedback. The positives, the negatives, the neutrals. The powersellers, the colored stars, the "top rated." No other site places this much emphasis on feedback.

If you are going to play on Ebay's playground, you are going to have to follow Ebay's rules. And Ebay loves feedback; it is a required game on their playground.

The easiest way to succeed on the site is to always keep feedback in mind. Keep it in mind when you list, when you send emails and when you ship.

A few tips to ensure positive feedback:

1.) List Carefully. Buyers will be inspecting the item closer than you. As tempting as it is to gloss over minor flaws (and it is tempting!), it is far better to make any problems clear in the begining.

1.) Ship Quickly. Yes, they are buying online, but nobody likes waiting. Shorten their wait as much as you can.

2.) Communicate. Answer all emails. Send a small note in the package saying "thank you." Follow up and see how they like their stuff.

3.) Fix any problems. If your buyer has a problem, make it better. Most buyers on Ebay are honest. If they say the item arrived damaged, it most likely did. Refund the money or ship another. If you think they are lying, fix it anyway and then block them from buying. The impact of a "negative" is much worse than taking a small loss.

4.) Admit your mistakes and don't make excuses. It is tempting to blame the blizzard, the computer or the HINI going through your house. Try not to though- buyers don't want your story, they want their stuff.

5.) Realize you cannot avoid negatives entirely. Take a deep breath and some time before responding. Respond, but don't get into a back and forth with the customer. Nothing is uglier than reading through feedback and seeing an argument. If you made a mistake, admit it. If you didn't, explain it. And then move on.

I imagine Omidyar had no idea where his feedback concept would lead.

Trash to Cash--what is my stuff worth?

2010-01-10T15:44:00.000-08:00

Gather your junk and start a business. Who would have thought? Ebay makes this idea possible. The great thing about starting in ecommerce is the necessary investment is almost zero.

Once you have a pile of items from around your abode to sell, grab a computer and a pencil and start your research.

To do research on Ebay, utilize Ebay's advance search option (next to the main rectangle on top of Ebay's page) and then check the box with "completed listings."

You will now see all of the listings for whatever you typed into the search rectangle for the past 30 days. If the price is in green it is showing a sold item, if it is in red, the item ended without selling. Pay attention to what the item ended at if it did sell--this gives you a ballpark figure on what you can expect.

If there is wide fluctuations in price on sold items, review the listings for the highest and lowest items and see if you can learn anything. Were the items listed in a fixed price or auction format? Did one have a higher starting price (this is hard to determine, but you can "guesstimate" from the number of bids an item received.) Did one seller have substandard feedback (below 99%?)

Also review your current competition. How many other sellers are selling the same thing you are selling? What prices are they asking?

If you do not find anything that matches the item you are researching, do not dismiss it. Check other sites for value ideas, Amazon is a great source for research. You will only be able to check the asking prices but this will give you an idea.

Keep in mind that you may be able to add value to your listing by grouping it with similar items. The reverse might also work. An entire set of dishes brings less than the pieces do sold in small groups.

Once you have a good idea of what you can expect when you list the item, make a quick sticky note with this information. Include anything interesting you have learned in the research. You might note if the items sells mostly at auction or fixed price. You can jot down whether it is a common item or a rare item. Place it right on the item. This will save you valuable time when you start listing.

Now is when you decide if the item is worth your time to sell. When I started, and even now, I am willing to accept a profit of two or three dollars from something I already own. Especially if the item is easy to package and ship and especially if I have a lot of similar items to sell. Those small sales can add up quickly.

If you need to build your feedback score every single sale is going to help you do that. Buyers will review your feedback and the more recent successful sales you have, the better off your chances of selling.

Don't forget to make a list of heavy or bulky items to consider for Craig's List.

Make two piles--one of items worthy to sell and another of items that can be donated. Do yourself a favor and do not return any these items to your closet:) If you are willing to part with them today, you will not miss them tomorrow.

Get excited, you are about to start earning money on the internet!

Ecommerce Beginings--Tap into your $5000 in Free Inventory

2010-01-09T15:17:00.000-08:00

Did you know that most sellers on ebay start out without any investment? They don't rent a building, they don't hire any employees, they don't hire an attorney and they don't buy any inventory.

Every serious seller I have met and read about started out by selling things they already own--the castoff items that are gathering dust right in their own homes.

This is one of the most awesome things about Ebay--it costs almost nothing to begin.

The average household has $3,000-$5,000 of salable inventory around the house. Start looking around. Clean out the cupboards, the garage, the bedrooms and the closets. The stuff you spy that you know is on its way out--to the garbage or the goodwill--is your first inventory.

Until you get more experience, look at every item as a possibility. Dismiss nothing until you do research. Belive me, you will be surprised at what the Ebay market can bring. Don't think that anything is too ugly, too old or too useless for ebay. You will be amazed (I still am) at what people will buy. Even broken electronics have a market on Ebay--people with the skills to repair them often buy them to repair or for parts. I recently sold a broken digital camera for $20. Remember, don't discriminate! Old, used toys also have a great market on ebay--I sold a lot of mismatched old Lincoln Logs on Ebay for $70 this past December. Keep your large bulky items in mind for Craig's list. I have sold every single thing I've ever listed on Craig's List.

Researching the market is a big part of the learning process. At this stage of the game it is best to research as many different things around your house as you can. When you start to find "winners" or items with a market it may lead you to other items in your house you hadn't thought about. You need to go through this exersize to start learning the value of a variety of things. You will eventually get an eye for what will sell and what won't.

Even after a year of selling full time on these two sites, I still list items that I am skeptical about. There are still surprises with these items. Just today a children's book sold on Ebay for $5 that I had originally sent to our Goodwill box. That covers my starbucks expense for tomorrow!

This is your "free" inventory--there is no cost, except your time, to this inventory. It is the easiest kind of inventory. You will learn a lot from these items.

Enjoy the search. Some of my best finds around my house in 2009:

1.) Used double oven (older but working) sold on Craig's List for $250.
2.) Rusty wagon sold on Craig's List for $35
3.) Used and broken digital camera sold on Ebay for $20
4.) Lot of gently used maternity clothes sold on Ebay for $165
5.) Used American Eagle Jeans sold on Ebay for $20
6.) New but unused software sold for $20
7.) Books and CD's--we have sold approximately $900 worth of books and CD's we were no longer using this year on Ebay.
8.) Lot of gently used American Eagle Sweatshirts sold on Ebay for $20
9.) Miche Bag with three covers, gently used, sold on Ebay for $85
10.) Wooden children's puzzle sold on Ebay for $8.00

No one of these items was particular amazing, but overall these items really added up. By selling items from around your house you start to learn how unique and large the Ebay market is. You also start to learn the intricacies of listing, selling, shipping and dealing with your only Ebay boss--your customers. You start making some money that you can use to grow your business later on.

After salvaging as much as possible--group the items and start to do research. It makes the most sense to do your research all at once, or at least to research several items at a time. Use the "advanced search" option on Ebay and check the completed listings. This will tell you if your item has sold in the previous 90 days. You can also check current listings. Some of your items may not match exactly to what has sold on Ebay, but you can use these previous sales to get a feeling for how an item might do.

Keep in mind that grouping like items often adds value. If you have several pieces of clothing in a similar size, it often makes sense to sell the clothing in a lot. Grouping is a great idea for items in many different catagories; a person may not be interested in just a fishbowl, but add some acquarium plants and a bottle of fish food and you have an attractive listing. Keep this idea in mind for all like items--one Danielle Steele book is ususally worth $1, but a lot of 20 books might sell for $15.

You will have to be creative with guessing value, but you can usually get an idea using the Ebay "completed listings" tool. Use sticky notes to note prices and then regroup your items into two piles, a donation pile and a listing pile.

I recommend considering anything that is awkward or heavy to ship for Craig's List. You will not have the benifit of research but it costs nothing to list or sell here. I have sold every single item I've ever listed on Craig's list.

Overall--enjoy yourself. As you go through this research you will tap into a vatiety of catagories and markets within Ebay. You will begin seeing different things and sensing the value of them. You will begin thinking like an ecommerce entrepreneur. Tap into your $5000 in absolutely free inventory and have fun!