Category Archives: eBay Listings

eBay Feedback – More of An Issue for Sellers Than Buyers – Example: Greenteapass

Posted on by
19

Feedback means so much to sellers on eBay...

In fact, it can mean the difference between being in business one day, and being out of business the next...

Unfortunately for the sellers of eBay, the same feedback situation is not so true for buyers who abuse the system. Yes, there are buyers who abuse the system and they do it knowing full well that eBay Trust & Safety will do little or nothing about it.

Website Blog Special

toolhaus.org

Buyers who accumulate a large amount of feedback on eBay, seem to have the ability to coast under the radar of Trust & Safety.

The account above belongs to one such buyer, yes buyer..."Greenteapass"

The feedback from this account looks more like that of a titanium PowerSeller, rather than a simple everyday buyer. This account has absolutely no feedback earned from sales.

Greenteapass has accumulated 11,436 feedback as a buyer, since joining eBay on September 11, 2006.

This equates to this buyer receiving over 20 feedback per day, everyday for a little less than 2 years. A Superstar buyer in the view of eBay executives? Look more closely at the real feedback numbers of greenteapass and the truth will be revealed. This Superstar buyer has received 147 Negative, 73 Neutral and has had 2 negative feedback removed just in the last year. (Source Toolhaus.org)

Similar feedback numbers would certainly close down all but the highest grossing sellers on eBay.

If a seller were to earn these kinds of feedback numbers, no one would argue that the seller should be pushed out of the eBay system, never to sell again... But what about buyers who do not perform as expected? Continue reading “eBay Feedback – More of An Issue for Sellers Than Buyers – Example: Greenteapass” »

You Tube Video – Branding Your Business & Marketing to Acoustic Music – BazaarVoice

Posted on by
Reply

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FCnXCju-Ag]

A fine example of creative marketing with a strong message about branding...

How can you use You Tube for your branding and business needs?

iBusinessLogic.com helped a client insert videos like this in his custom iBusinessLogic/Frooition eBay store:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSiv98UyQNg]

Cornerstone Commercial Carpet Cleaning Supply has received over 1000 hits in just a few months from this one video and they have sold several high end truck mount carpet cleaning machines.

Example of a You Tube Video Google Search result:

YouTubeVideoScreenshot

What can you advertise and promote with video?

eBay – Buy.com – Randy Smythe's Blog Scoops Story of "Partnership"

Posted on by
Reply

Randy Smythe of "My Blog Utopia" broke a significant story in his blog today.  The story invoves the not so subtle tilting of eBays "Level Playing Field".

If you have not yet read Randy's blog post, please do so now...

eBay Partners With Buy.com

Then come back here and watch what Pierre Omidyar (creator of eBay) said in plain, unmistakable language concerning his definition regarding of a level playing field in this YouTube video interview:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp2PBPOkeqE&rel=0&border=1&hl=en]

  • Level Playing Field = everyone should be given equal opportunity.

  • People by virture of their stature outside of eBay should not be extended special deals to come on eBay

From this interview of Mr. Omidyar, it seems plainly stated that as the creator of eBay, he would not approve of the eBay/Buy.com arrangement.  In fact it seems as though he had no knowlege whatsoever of this arrangement or he would never have said what he did in this very recent eBay sponsored interview conducted by CEO John Donahoe himself...

Randy Smythe should receive kudos from every corner of the eCommerce world for breaking this story through excellent journalistic ground work and by simply knowing the marketplace as the expert that he is.  In fact, it seems Richard Brewer-Hay may have had to come in on the weekend to respond to Randy Smythe's release of this story on a Saturday.  Richard quickly put together this post on eBay Ink Blog...

eBay Partners With Buy.com - eBayInkBlog.com

After I read the eBayInkBlog.com response to Randy Smythes Scoop of this story... I immediately composed, and tried to post, the following comment on the eBayInk story:

Richard,

Unfortunately I think this "Partnership" with Buy.com may rekindle the firestorm of a few short weeks ago.

Sellers on eBay will not be assuaged by the Buy.com limitation of only one listing per SKU. When Buy.com can flood the market place with 150,000 SKU's in one batch and turn those items over 8 times per month at what must be a reduced cost, we are no longer dealing with a level playing field.

If eBay plans on offering reduced pricing for bulk sellers, and that seems to be the case, then you better advise Usher and the Execs to get ahead of this story. Look for a way to offer the long standing volume "customers" of eBay a way to partake in the same offer.

Otherwise, it seems eBay is simply telling all of the sellers who are smaller than Buy.com to go elsewhere, which may be the plan, but if it is... better to tell them sooner than later.

I am not normally this direct with my posts, here or on my own publication... And I apologize for my directness. But this deal does not sit well when only one company essentially is granted a license to steal by gaining reduced price access to core search in exchange for a "undisclosed" terms.

Peddle fast Usher, I think this story will be a job to shape in your favor without more information.

Scott@TradingAssistantJournal.com

It seems no comments have been approved on this particular eBayInk.com story.  I get nothing but an 404 error when I try to add to the discussion there.  I experienced this problem with eBayInk when it was first launched and asked if I had been prevented from posting for some reason... Both Richard Brewer-Hay and Usher Lieberman returned my emails promptly saying it was a simple glitch.  I hope this glitch is repaired soon...

Read the story(s), watch the video, read between the lines...

What do you think of this new "Partnership"?

UPDATE:

3 Hours after my first attempt to post the comment above on eBayInkBlog.com the following positive comment posted:

MistyOn 05.03.2008 at 6:38 pm Said:

Richard I personally have no problem with retail competition they don’t sell what I sell, I am happy with the knowledge that we will not be crowded out.
What concerns me is their fee structure to incorporate this change to retail, I feel this is unreasonable to those of us who do not sell retail items and ask that a separate tier and fee structure be created for those of us who are not retail.

Real Estate eBay Store Created by DesignLogic for Watson Realty

Posted on by
2

eBay Stores are well known in the world of Internet commerce.  Many believe the inexpensive eBay feature known as an eBay Store is the key to drawing traffic to any eCommerce website. The positive effect of a well designed and stocked eBay stores website is well documented. 

Selling Real Estate on eBay has also been proven successful and is effective as a lead  and sales generation tool.  Therefore it seems quite interesting, almost unbelievable, that these two powerful eBay marketing tactics have yet to be joined with the creation of a well designed eBay Store for Real Estate.  Until Now...

jchalkley,Realtor-Mock-R.jpg

Jason Chalkley, a Realtor with Watson Realty Corp, has commissioned an eBay Store crafted by: DesignLogic

The unique design of this eBay Stores real estate site is expected to create an influx of interest for the Realtor's Ormond Beach and Daytona Beach real estate listings.  Each property listed on eBay will gain worldwide exposure, not only within eBay but also through increased exposure to worldwide search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN.  "This brings a whole new dimension of value to my advertising budget," said Jason Chalkley.

The image above is a "mock up" of the soon-to-be installed Jason Chalkley/Watson Real Estate eBay Store.  When the actual store is installed it will feature a cross advertising design powered by a unique Frooition software and control panel.  "Each real estate listing will interactively display similar listings from within the brokers store and it will do so on every listing through the eBay store website.  This is a crucial feature not available through any other design package to our knowledge," according to Scott Pooler (me) of iBusinessLogic & AllBusinessAuctions.com. "No matter how a visitor enters the site, they will view more than one property listing on a page. The design will encourage all visitors to surf all of the listings the realtor has available rather than simply click back to eBay or the search engine they came from when they are finished looking at the landing page." This feature is dynamically updated via the eBay API and does not need to be maintained. Simply launching new or additional listings will populate the cross selling engine that is a DesignLogic store powered by Frooition.

Jason Chalkley is a visionary when it comes to advertising real estate for his clients. He has invested in this custom designed eBay store with the express intention to draw new leads from the worldwide exposure eBay can provide.  "With the weak dollar and strong Euro, I hope to draw some European investors to my beautiful Florida beach properties through eBay," Jason Chalkley said. "Local Florida buyers will find our properties in the eBay store just as easily as foreign investors, so I see it as a win-win situation for my listings."

After the new store is installed Jason does not plan to stop with this initial phase of his real estate Internet marketing plan. Jason will call upon All Business Auctions to help him with inserting video tours of his listings as an added feature.  Jason has also started his first real estate WordPress blog with our help.  He plans on expanding his eBay listings with local area guides through digital download and possibly other real estate related merchandise in the future.

Top 10 New Years eBay Store Resolutions for Small Business Owners

Posted on by
2

Magic of New Years ResolutionsTis the season for New Years Resolutions

As a small business owner do you have an eBay plan for 2008?

Small business owners are bombarded by multiple ideas, emails and suggestions concerning how they should run, improve and increase business this time of year. Among these New Years Resolutions ideas is one which I consider to be the most likely to provide a return on investment for any business owner... I suggest any small business should research the viability of adding an eBay marketing plan, including the use of an eBay store, to the present marketing budget. If you have not already looked into the potential of eBay and eBay Stores, you should designate this as one of the top priorities for your company in 2008.

No matter if your business has an established eCommerce Internet website or not, adding an eBay business/marketing plan to your retail or wholesale operation is not only a revenue producing sales tool but also a promotional venue with an unlimited potential to increase your businesses bottom line and overall worldwide branding exposure and recognition. So lets make looking into eBay a primary New Years resolution for your company, here are 10 resolution ideas and the possible benefits of following our advice:

Top 10 New Years eBay Store Resolutions for Small Business Owners

  1. OPEN and eBay store and stock it with merchandise- This is the first step! Once you make this initial step, your business will be on its way towards gaining worldwide exposure for your brand and a robust and lively new customer base. All built in to the incredible and free built in SEO advantages of an eBay store. Question: Are you aware that more searches are initiated for products on eBay each day than on Google? In fact there are more searches completed each day on eBay than on Google's entire system and every search within eBay is initiated by a consumer looking for a product to buy. People search on Google for free information. Which place do you want your products found?
  2. Build up your positive feedback number- By building the eBay account feedback through purchases and the sales of your store merchandise new and exciting features of your eBay account will become available. Once your feedback rating exceeds 100 all of your fixed price and store listings will be gaining even more Internet exposure on eBay express and you will qualify for many other programs within eBay. When your sales exceed $1000.00 per month, your business will be listed as a PowerSeller. Powerseller status indicates to the consumer that you are a steady and reliable resource and that they can have confidence buying from you. Additionally, when your sales surpass $3000.00 per month, your business will qualify for a reduction in PayPal fees.
  3. Advertise your business locally via eBay - Create excitement and build confidence with your current customers by telling them about your new and exciting eBay store. Your customers will all know what eBay is and you will be amazed at how they will react to the news of your businesses move into eBay. Immediately you will gain a reputation for being cutting edge and Internet savvy.
  4. Set up a Trade - In / Trade - Up Program for new equipment sales - With your company eBay store and Continue reading “Top 10 New Years eBay Store Resolutions for Small Business Owners” »

eBay Changes Coming in 2008 – Are you an inefficient Seller? No Listing Fees?

Posted on by
1

eBay is in for some changes in 2008.

As sellers we all know change is inevitable and required for sustained growth in any marketplace. The changes which are reported in the article quoted below by: Richard Waters in San Francisco, which seem to be coming in 2008 may help established sellers on eBay yet hinder the newer sellers on eBay.

In Summary this is what you can look for in 2008

  • Major Revamp of eBays Core Business
  • More of an e-Commerce look and feel of the site (already in the works)
  • Testing of a new "no listing fee" model (Where have you heard about that before?)
  • Priority in the general search will go more towards "the most reliable sellers".
  • "Weeding out" of fraudulent and inefficient sellers

eBay definately needs to make some changes so I think we should all take a wait and see attitude. Of course if you are one of the fraudulent or inefficient sellers your view may be different. As a honest and efficient seller you should applaud the idea of getting rid of dead weight. eBays core revenue structure has always been bouyed by those same inefficient sellers however. eBay never really cared if your item sold the first time listed or not, because they make money either way. With a change to a no listing fee model, this will change the goal of eBay drastically. eBay will be more involved with making sure every listing is successful. This can only lead to more exciting promotion of our products by eBay.

I say stick with eBay and look forward to some exciting changes in the future. If these adjustments are actually made and done well, 2008 could be a very good year!

Tinkering with the core mechanisms of the world's busiest e-commerce site is not to be undertaken lightly. Yet John Donahoe, head of Ebay's marketplace division, is preparing an overhaul for early next year that amounts to a major revamp of Ebay's core business.

Who is John Donahoe?

  • Current President at eBay
  • Past Worldwide Managing Director at Bain & Company
  • Education Dartmouth College

Public Profilehttp://www.linkedin.com/pub/4/1b/368

If successful, it could revive the company's flagging growth while also strengthening his own standing as the likely eventual successor to Meg Whitman as Ebay's chief executive.

A former managing partner of Bain, the consulting firm, who joined Ebay nearly three years ago, Mr Donahoe has cast an outsider's dispassionate eye over some of the site's practices and found them wanting. During an interview at Ebay's headquarters in Silicon Valley, he talks with the clear and untroubled certainties of the consultant, and he has the prescriptions to match.

"A year ago, we had 14 per cent of global e-commerce, we are the largest e-commerce provider, and our home page still looks like a flea market," he says. "The world around us had changed. In particular our buyers' experience hadn't kept up." Continue reading “eBay Changes Coming in 2008 – Are you an inefficient Seller? No Listing Fees?” »

11 Most Commonly Suggested ways to Make Money on eBay and why you should Avoid most of them

Posted on by
6

eBayPardon us for a moment while we play "Devils Advocate" to explain the reasons why some of these 11 most commonly suggested methods for making money on eBay, are impractical or more accurately, are methods destined for failure.

If your goal is to start an eBay based business you should read this article.

The best way(s) in our opinion, to make money on eBay as part of an well crafted eBay business plan, will be revealed after our review of these more "commonly" touted methods.

The text in this post edited in italics is a previously compiled list of 11 common methods for sourcing products to sell and make money with on eBay. The article was originally written by a self appointed drop ship guru by the name of Mike Makler AKA "The Coolest Guy in the Universe".

Last Year over 20 Billion Dollars worth of product was sold on Ebay. (Yes Billion with a "B"). Many people are earning $10,000 or more selling on Ebay. Many more would like to sell on Ebay but they face that big hurdle - Where Do I find Items to sell on Ebay. Here are the 11 Best Places to Find Items to sell on E-Bay.

Copyright © 2005-2006 Mike Makler the Coolest Guy in the Universe

Original Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com
About The Original Author:
Mike Makler has been Marketing Online Since 2001 When he Built an Organization of over 100,000 Members

1 - Garage Sales

The Strategy that works best with Garage Sales is stop by at the end of the day and offer to buy all the merchandise they have left. You can often spend $25 - $50 and then resell on Ebay for $500 or more.

  • Why is this a very difficult way to make money on eBay? - Because for every item you spend the time to find at a garage sale you must perform several time consuming steps before that single item can be sold on eBay. Each item must be evaluated, cleaned, tested, described, photographed, categorized, listed and stored. This is a lot of time invested in each item purchased at "Garage Sales", and that time is multiplied by a factor of however many items you purchase in that lot for $50. Therefore, for each 20 item lot you purchase for $50, you will spend approximately 20 hours of your time getting those items listed on eBay. How much is your time worth? Lets say you value your time at a very low $10 per hour, now your investment in these 20 items is worth in excess of $250, not including the time or gas money spent in finding the original "Garage Sale". Will each lot or haul from these "Garage Sales" net even one item which will return your investment in time and cash? Will all of the items sell on the first listing on eBay? How much more money will you invest in eBay fee's and charges to sell these used cast off "Garage Sale" items? - Garage Saleing is a fun pass-time for the retired and a possible business endeavor for people who work at Flea Markets, but for eBay it is a losing proposition. Suggesting that eBay sellers should source product using this method is similar to suggesting to gamblers that they can get rich by playing bingo.

Continue reading “11 Most Commonly Suggested ways to Make Money on eBay and why you should Avoid most of them” »

12 easy Steps To Become a Money Making eBay Superstar Powerseller – eBay Powersellers Credo

Posted on by
Reply

eBay_Money_

12 easy steps to become a Powerseller

If you have struggled to become an eBay Powerseller, you are not alone.

It can be difficult to decipher the formula of successful eBay Powersellers. Not every "Powerseller" is a financial success but it is the term eBay uses to gauge the professionalism of its selling community.  If you are a Powerseller you may not as impressed with the title as eBay may want you to be. The best and most profitable Powersellers know marketing, copywriting, inventory and cost control techniques and they use many tools and solutions to help them automate the business as much as possible.  To be a successful and profitable eBay Powerseller is much more involved than what eBay or some eBay guru book writers may want the public in general to believe... But it can be done and the first step is to actually get on the road to become an eBay Powerseller...

First, what is an eBay Powerseller? Continue reading “12 easy Steps To Become a Money Making eBay Superstar Powerseller – eBay Powersellers Credo” »

Can anyone clean up on eBay?

Posted on by
2

Can anyone clean up on eBay?

  • If you sell collectibles like this Hummel - You could
  • If you find a niche you enjoy - You might
  • But if you're a brick and mortar business already - you will!

Brick and mortar retailers, wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers need to be aware that they already have 90% of the required ingredients to become very successful eBay and eCommerce retailers. In house these businesses already have the manpower, the sources of supply, the shipping capabilities and the product knowledge required to become a successful Internet marketing organization.

If you own or work for any kind of brick and mortar business mentioned above... You should look at adding eBay and then eCommerce to your business! Another stream of income could not be a bad thing and the brand exposure worldwide is always a good thing.

Give it a try or ask us for help!

Blogged with Flock