Follow the eBay Leader

DAILY DISTRACTION #2: HOW-TO VIDEO Create Free Twitter Background

2009-11-04T15:32:00.001-06:00

Jazz up your Twitter profile by creating a custom background. It's FREE & very simple!

Deal4it Delivers New Interactive eBay Experience

2008-03-27T22:58:00.001-05:00

Nice article from the eBay Developers Program blog

Deal4it Delivers New Interactive eBay Experience

by Sunny Li of eBay Developers Program

Remember the good old days when you are greeted by a sales person as you walk into a store to shop? Well, experiences like that are certainly uncommon in the online shopping world, and eBay is no exception. But thanks to Deal4it.com, that’s about to change.

Deal4it has found an ingenious way to integrate human interactivity into the eBay shopping experience by embedding Rich Interactive Video (RIV) into the listing gallery canvas. Various professional actors will then talk to the shopper in the form of greetings, encouragements, etc.

Read the rest of the eBay Blog posting here

eBay's Best Kept Secret - Saturday, March 1, 2008

2008-03-01T10:48:00.006-06:00

What are you good at and what do you know? Did you know that Information Products are some of the hottest selling items on eBay? Why not share your knowledge and make some money in the process? Today's eBay Best Kept Secret will focus on how to do just that.

There are many ways to compile information and one of the most popular ways is to write an eBook (electronic book). Most ebooks are written in PDF format and sent digitally through email, or via a download link within a web page. There are many services, such as Payloadz that will handle everything for you, including storing and distributing your eBooks. Fetch is also a website that provides seamless delivery of your digital goods.

eBooks are a huge seller on eBay and throughout the internet and a very economical way for you to self-publish. They are easy to distribute and there are hundreds of programs available that will help you create them in PDF format, including Adobe Acrobat and I highly recommend the FREE tutorial to get you started. Once you create your first eBook, get it listed on eBay and begin to market it in other areas of the internet. One of my all-time favorite websites is WebSource.com and you could literally spend days perusing all of their pages and FREE tutorials, especially if your the techie or geeky type like me.

If you are a statistical or analytical type, then you may want to compile a report to sell and this information is very useful, so don't sell yourself short. Some examples would be "What are the best-selling items on eBay?" or "What are the ten most searched for items on eBay?" How about "What are the top 100 or HOT 100 keywords used by eBay sellers?" You get the idea.

Pandecta.com also has a fabulous FREE tutorial on "How to create information products to sell on the internet." I highly recommend it if you are serious about selling information. If you have been on eBay for any length of time, then I'm sure you know who Skip McGrath is, as he is known as THE eBay Guru. Check out his article "What is The PERFECT eBay Product???" Skip also has a foolproof system about how to create and sell your information products on eBay.

I have saved the best for last and if you are not familiar with Lisa Suttora and her website, WhatDoISell.com, then I recommend you get there as fast as possible! She is the queen when it comes to finding products and inventory to sell on eBay. Lisa also teaches classes every year at eBay Live and sits on their Powerseller Panels to discuss sourcing product to sell on eBay. The $19.95 monthly subscription to WhatDoISell.com may be the best money you've ever spent and that is no exaggeration. Check it out for yourself!

eBay's Best Kept Secret - Thursday, February 28, 2008

2008-02-28T11:52:00.004-06:00

One of the questions that I get asked most frequently is, "Where can I find products to sell?" My stock answer, "If I told you I'd have to kill you," but all jokes aside, we must first decide on what product you are looking for. It is always best to stick with something you know about, as this makes for smarter purchases and it is important to remember that "you make money when you buy, not when you sell."

What in the wide world of sports am I talking about? If you purchase the product at a good price, then you are sure to make a profit, provided there is a market for your product. Have you done your market research and if not, why haven't you? There are some powerful and comprehensive programs that will do all the work for you and their information is based on eBay's historical data. The two most widely used by eBayers, worldwide, are Hammertap and Terapeak and both do an excellent job, providing detailed seller reports by keywords, categories and even by seller. Great way to check out the competition!

The sources for products to sell on eBay is virtually unlimited and the possibilites are endless, therefore, I will only mention the ones that I can personally attest to. Let's start with the basics, your attic, closets and garage. We all have STUFF that we no longer use, or need. Get rid of it and put some extra money in your pocket! Garage sales, estate sales, flea markets, auctions, trade shows and your local newspaper.

If you're thinking about kicking it up notch, in the words of Emerial Lagasse', then you may want to think about a reputable dropshipper, wholesaler, or liquidator. There are many companies who claim to be wholesalers, but you really need to ask lots of questions before making important decisions about your suppliers. Try calling the manufacturers direct and they will refer you to a local distributor in your area.

When it comes to dropshippers there are only two that I know and trust, Doba and Worldwide Brands and both are eBay Certified Solution Providers. Dropshippers will do all the work for you and even provide you with the photographs and copy for your eBay listings. Once you sign up as a member, there is no cash outlay until you sell the product. Once it's sold, you pay for it and they ship it to your customer with your company name on the package. The profit margins are usually less, but so is the workload.

Liquidators are also a great way to get inventory for your business and you won't have to buy massive quantities to get started. My absolute favorite is Liquidation.com, who is a national company and they have warehouses in most major U.S. cities, so you may be able to avoid the shipping cost by picking it up from their warehouse.

Check out local government auctions by doing a basic internet search. eBay also has many wholesale categories and once you become a Powerseller, you will have access to eBay's reseller marketplace. The list goes on and on, but this should be enough to keep you busy for a while, so please check back tomorrow for another eBay Best Kept Secret!

eBay Best Kept Secret - Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008

2008-02-27T08:54:00.003-06:00

Did you know that eBay will pay you $25.00 for every new person that you get to sign up. It's true! It is as simple as signing up for their Affiliate Program through Commission Junction and posting your eBay link on your website, MySpace, FaceBook, Blog, etc.

Imagine getting four new recruits a day. I don't know about you, but I could use and extra $700.00 a week in my checking account! Best thing of all.....you don't have to work for it. This is passive income and just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to earning residual income with eBay and it's Affiliate Program.

Most major companies have an Affiliate Program and if so, they will pay you a commission every time someone goes to your website, clicks on their link and joins and/or makes a purchase from them. Affiliate Marketing is the way of the future and there is no end to the amount of money one can earn as an Affiliate Marketer.....IF, you're willing to work hard.

Affiliate Marketing is NOT a Get-Rich-Quick scheme, however, you CAN get rich if you are determined and have a content rich website that provides valuable information to it's readers. The birth of this blog came after recent eBay announcements regarding major fee increases.

As they say, necessity is the mother of all inventions and I had to find a way to offset my fee increases, so I can avoid the corporate 9-5 rat race. The thought of fighting rush hour traffic makes the hair on my neck stand up.

I first became interested in Affiliate Marketing several years ago, when one of my eBay students told the class about earning $10,000 in three months. The student had three websites and was using Pay-per-Click marketing, which I'll cover at a later date.

After hearing about this amazing opportunity, I began Googling Affiliate Marketing and read everything that I could get my hands on. There are many gurus out there in the world of Affiliate Marketing and I only have a couple of favorites. My absolute favorite is Rosalind Gardner and her Super Affiliate Handbook is the best-ever and extremely easy to read and understand. Her Affiliate Business Blueprint is an e-course and a Must Have if you're serious about making money as an Affiliate Marketer.

Today's "Best Kept eBay Secret" is about earning $25.00 every time a new person joins eBay by clicking on a link from our website. Now what are you waiting for?