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Last edited by Anthony; 07-11-2006 at 01:02 PM.

** Make $100 a month for NO WORK! **

Yes, I know, it looks like one of those typical spam e-mails you receive every day. But it's not.

I thought I'd just share with you how I'm making extra "pocket money" simply by using an old web site that doesn't (didn't) earn me any money because it's too much out of date.

1. You need a web site with well-established "traffic" (= lots of visitors each day). If not, you have to build one. All you have to do is write about 50 pages, each with information about a different subject. How do you write 50 pages??? One at a time! The more pages you have, the more money you'll make. Ensure that ALL pages are linked from a common index page so the search engines can find them. Make sure the index page is referenced on any other web sites you own or have access to. Get your friends to add a link from their sites.

You can scan information from old magazines, books (preferably more than 50 years old so copyright problems are unlikely). Or you can scan stuff in with permission of the author. Or take something already written and carefully rewrite it so it looks nothing like the original (you have to be pretty good to do that and get away with it!) Or use something that you wrote yourself - did you keep your school books, college notes, that article you wrote for "Practical Fishing" magazine ten years ago?

2. OK, you got your web site. Now sign up for Google "Adsense". (Hyperlink to Google deleted).

Google will first "vet" your web site. If they approve it, you are in business!

Copy the Google "Adsense" code onto each web page. When someone views the page, it automatically notifies Google which puts a relevant advert on your page. (To begin with, it may put totally irrelevant adverts in place of the Adsense code. But, once your page has been "spidered", the adverts are relevant to the text on your page).

3. Register your web site with (at least) the Google search engine. I found the most effective way to do this is to generate a sitemap.xml file and register this file with Google. (Search "Google sitemap" for more information). All my sites have been fully indexed by Google within 7 days by using this method.

4. Whenever someone clicks on an advert, your Adsense account gets credited with a few cents. Dependent on how much the advertiser is paying Google, it's sometimes a LOT of cents!

5. Now, you can determine what adverts appear on your page by altering the text. This means that, with practice, you can get the highest-paying adverts. In addition, you can *exclude* certain adverts. For example, you may not wish adverts to appear from a rival company whose web site is (for example) www.made-this-up.com (not a real URL).

So you go to your Google Adsense control panel (web page) and type in "made-this-up.com".

Adverts from that site will no longer appear on your pages from the next day onwards.

I did this with my obsolete site. I earned MORE than $200 in the first two months, which Google posted to me in the form of a US dollar "check" at the end of the second month. (Google also lets you select an option for payment to go direct into your bank account).

Go and do thee likewise. I'm a Yorkshireman by birth and this is money fer nowt! (It's also an extremely valuable tip, fer nowt!)

Here's another suggestion if you are good at writing. Write "How To" books. This is an old fashioned idea but it still works! I've been selling eBooks (files for download) for several years and they bring in more than £2000 pocket money a month. I received a number of requests for a new eBook. People wanted to know "How to Use a Multimeter". It took me a few hours last week to take the photos, crop and resize them and write the text. I'm charging only £1 for this eBook and it's already earning me an extra £10 a week (and rising). That's £520 a year. Couldn't YOU use a little extra pocket money? The "secret" is to ask people what they want and give it to them. I'm a technical author but you don't have to write technical stuff. Write about what interests you (and your customers).

Martin

http://www.marketingtips.uk.com

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Last edited by Martin; 10-11-2006 at 08:41 AM.

Hi,
Do you have a website, were you sell products? Then I think this article will help you. In this article I will provide steps and tips on to how to attract customers to your website.

Communication
Keeping in contact with customers is very important. When ever they have a question or query you should reply ASAP, and if you don’t, then the customers might become inpatient and change there minds about buying from you.

Even a simple newsletter is good enough. Newsletters can inform people about your website e.g., what discounts you have available and when’s the next time your going to maintain your site. If you do this regularly then customers know that you are very reliable as you keep in contact mostly all the time.

Not a newsletter? Well you can even send an email about updates of your products, e.g., what new products you have in stock and what’s sold out.

Want to go even further? A Forum would help you even better. A Forum can make a huge difference, as they are fast, quick and easy to use.

MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger can also help. There’s not much work you have to do for it. Just make an email address (on hotmail or yahoo) and then download MSN Messenger or Yahoo Messenger, and then you’re done!

You don’t just have to use the Internet to communicate; you can give customers a telephone help line, or even allow them to send you letters through the post.

Products
You should first research different types of product categories, as you might already know; Computers Products, Video Games/Consoles and Electronics are big and are selling everywhere. You can pick any category of your choice but the main thing it must do is make sales and force people to buy from you.

Products that you are selling should be marked at competitive prices. They shouldn’t be to low, as you might not get enough profit, and they shouldn’t be too high as customers would think they are too expensive.

Product descriptions also play a vital role. If customers don’t know what they’re getting then there will be confusion all the way round. So you have to make sure that you put enough detail into Product Descriptions.

Product titles also should be clear. They are the first things that customers look at.

Advertising
Again, advertising is another major step in getting sales. The best way to get started is to submit your store to major search engines such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, and AltaVista etc. Free Search Engine Submission doesn’t really help a lot, so you should normally go for the paid submissions, but it’s up to you.

Then you can move onto other things such as posting flyers, adding your site to signatures of emails and forums etc.

Logos and Slogans
Logos are very important as well. A good-looking logo makes your company look good and professional. A simple, old and boring logo can drive customers away from your store. A good logo doesn’t have to be a fancy picture, with multicolour text, it can be anything. But it must stand out from the rest; people must recognise it and should be unique and simple.

Slogans are phrases or words, which sound catchy and represent a company. Well know slogans such as Mc Donald’s (I’m loving it) & Pizza Hut’s (You do the Maths, we do the Pizzas) are remembered very well as they are catchy and they stick in your head all of the time. Before making up a slogan, you have to make sure that you, yourself can remember it and that it sounds catchy.

Store Layout
The looks and feel of your store also do affect your sales. If you have a very poor design then there’s a very high chance that customers won’t buy from, but if your layout looks professional then customers would go for it.

Even by placing a PayPal or a Nochex logo, customers see that you are using safe payment methods, which use high security.

You should also place some information about what you’re selling on your Main Page. Pictures of your products also help

Hope this article helps people out.
PS: The article was posted on this thread: Article on how to attract customers

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Many people dream about working at home in their own business - it's the next step
in the American dream. You have the opportunity to be your own boss, create your
own hours, and truly become the master of your own success and prosperity. There
is no dependence on tenure, pension or promotions, and the money you bring in is
directly correlated to your efforts - not a predetermined salary. Pretty powerful stuff.

There are many different types of home businesses online, to include network
marketing, direct sales, and affiliate sales. All of these allow you to work at home in
YOUR comfort zone. But, all of us who have been in the industry for awhile will tell
you that, although there are a multitude of business building and marketing
approaches you can take, there are a set of groundrules that are consistent across
all industry lines. In order to be truly successful, these must be followed.

1. Treat Your Business Like a Business - NOT a Hobby: I have seen so many
people fail in their business because they do just the opposite of this. How much
does a hobby pay? NOTHING - enough said.

2. Be Consistent: Pick a single marketing approach and master it before moving on
to something else. If you are running an e-zine campaign, commit to submitting adds
every week - not every month or when you feel like it. You must be consistent if you
want to be taken seriously.

3. Make a Schedule and Stick To It: You don't need to work 12 hours a day, 7 days
a week to be successful in your business, but you do need to need to work and the
schedule needs to be established. What would happen if you only showed up to
your current job ‘every so often’? How long until you were fired?

4. Advertise & Market: You cannot grow (or even start) a business without this. It
amazes me that people think they can put $10 into a home business and then put
$10 more into advertising and expect to be rich in two weeks. Doesn't work like that.
People won't know about your perfect product or ground breaking opportunity
unless you tell them about it.

5. Stay POSITIVE: There will be challenges - do not even doubt this and don't be
surprised when they come up. The important aspect of this is how you choose to
react to these challenges. If you get down every time you're presented with a
roadblock, you won't get too far. Do not let negativity steal your dreams. Get around
and stay around positive people. Do this in your personal life and in your business.

6. Keep Learning: You should make a point to read at least an hour a day. The
latest criminal thriller does not count...I'm talking about books that will educate you
on how to drive your business and personal development forward to the next level.
Look for books on network marketing, personal development, leadership, etc. A
great place to start is John Milton Fogg's book, The Greatest Networker in the World.

7. Create a Budget: Especially if you are just starting out, you have limited funds to
spend on advertising. You need to know exactly how much you can spend each
month and exactly how much certain forms of advertising will cost you. Focus on the
things that will create a bigger bang for your buck. In the beginning the money will
be slow to come in...understand that and plan ahead.

8. Write Down Your Goals and Identify Your WHY: This is probably one of the
most important items on this list. Without clearly identified goals, you will have no
idea where you are going. If you don't know where you are going, how will you know
how to get there?

9. Stay Focused: Do not lose sight of your goals...you must focus your attention and
energy on these every day. Do not let little things or the 'latest and greatest'
product distract you.

10. Dedicate a Work Space: You must have a space (no matter how big or how
small) that you can call your own while you are working. Lock the door, turn off the
TV and focus. Don't let anyone or anything enter that space that will cause
distraction.

If you can master these 10 things, you will be that much closer to becoming
successful in your home business. Welcome to a truly wonderful and inspiring
industry.

Wanda

This is a repost of my article from this thread: Why a whois isn't always a good way to judge a company's lifetime..

I keep seeing time and time again people falling into the trap thinking the date on a whois record is an accurate record of how long a company has been trading and also that any of the contact details are genuine.

Wrong, plenty of factors can determine why a company would appear as new when in fact they could have been trading years.

They could have only just decided to launch an online presence to legitimately attract more customers to their business.

For reasons beyond a companies control they could have lost their original domain name due to an unscrupulous webhost holding the domain name to ransom for one reason or another forcing a company to choose a new domain name.

Also contact info on whois, not wise to solely use that as a means of tracking down scamming individuals for starters they could simply choose to use the name of their registrar as a contact so you would have no way of tracking them down, unless you got the law involved in some way.

Even though it is now illegal to give false contact information, people will still do it.

Now onto Limited companies.

Just because a company sets themselves up as a limited company doesn't automatically make them a legitimate entity, they can still scam you all it means is their personal assets are protected from the limited company being dissolved or liquidated, well that's the case for the UK anway, unless it can be proved that the company has acted dishonestly.

So you can within reason just shut one limited company down walk away and start another one the next day even.

The companies house website is NOT an indicator as to whether a limited company is legitimate or not just tells you that they are a limited company registered in the wales, scotland or england.

However if the status on the companies house websites says that their accounts have been overdue for quite sometime then that should start some alarm bells ringing.

I would also run a credit check on any supplier you think you would like to do business with.

The Christan prayers ask the Lord to give "This day my daily bread". Not withstanding the fact that man does not lives by bread alone , one needs to think about tomorrows bread and jam today.

If you think i have lost the plot - no not yet!

I am thinkng about the ways i got into whole sale business and now moving at a gingerly phase to some thing bigger and bigger every week. I started the whole think reading a book at the Harrow Library about "Space clearing". I got to work quickly in clearing this stuff and the first thing i got rid off were the books that were gathering dust on the shelves. Then went some computer games and mini discs. After this i aquired some more books to sell from India . They were very poor quality and i think i had a very tollerent customers who gave me a grades atleast for the content of the books rather than the form.
If realised for the first time in my life that i can really sell something and make money! The first paypal credit brought so much happiness that no money can buy. Then i started to buy Mini disc and sell them for a profit. They seem to be doing well. I added more products and they are doing quite well.
This brings me to my subject of tomorrows bread today. In all my busy schedule of earning money for the day I am constantly on the look out for products that i am going to sell next week, next month and next year. Each product at a higher plane than the one before. A lot of efforts and research is needed to bet on the Winning horse and the same is true for products. I am sure of being rewarded in time if the research and analysis is good. What this research also brings is awareness of what is happening in the market place.
There is no better business school than what one can experience in life.

And so my advice to any budding entrepreneurs is to go out there and do it because there is plenty of opportunities around. One will be lucky if all products turn out to be a hit. Be humble in learning from the failed ones. Business is about turning weakness into strenghts and threats into opportunities.

Best of luck and think about tomorrows bread today.

Sukumar sivaraman
www.jpbliss.com

After ten years of on-line business, the continual email questions were getting me down. Same old questions and same old spelling mistakes, punctuation errors, grammatical errors and "tx-spk". The writers were clearly idiots. I was answering them in an offhand, often abrasive manner - probably losing business. Treating your potential customers like idiots is NOT the way to riches. So I decided to advertise for an assistant.

My mailing list is pretty specialised (Digital TV) so I have only 7000 recipients. However, when I asked if anyone would be interested in handling ALL my technical enquiries for just £200 a month I got FORTY TWO applicants!

By posing a series of test questions, I whittled it down to a shortlist of two and made my final choice.

This guy has been great. He is easily earning his money. He's both knowledgeable and polite and he gently pushes the enquirers towards the products that they need to buy.

And I'll tell you another little story - also absolutely true. I decided to change my accountant because the one I used was dependable but not proactive. I took my account records round to the office and they told me they'd send me a letter of confirmation.

They did; my neighbour brought it to me. Not only had they miscopied my address - they'd got my name wrong, too!

I was livid with anger. How could I trust them with my accounts if they couldn't even COPY my name and address off my business card, I asked them. Of course the manager blamed it on the receptionist who had typed the letter. But that's just passing the buck. If the girl can't copy, she shouldn't be presenting the "company front" to the customers. I gave the business back to my original accountant. They lost out because they gave a useless girl the most important job and then tried to defend their actions. (If they'd admitted the mistake and apologised, they might still have kept the business. But they chose not to).

So think carefully about how you answer your customers. Are you helpful and respectful or abrasive and rude like me? If the latter, you need a new "front man".

Martin


http://www.marketingtips.uk.com

1. Collectibles

Hot sellers on eBay are collectibles such as coins, stamps, or dolls. You can check out the collectibles category to get a better idea of what people love to buy. Anything that will move up in value would fall in this category.

2. Consumables

This popular category would include anything that people use and then would need to buy again such as lotions, perfumes, camera film, candles, etc.

3. Information Products

In this category, you would sell anything that can be sent on a CD or floppy disc or downloaded from the Internet. This is another popular category.

4. Start at Home

When you first get started, it can be a little unnerving. The best option is to start by looking around your own home. Think of items that you would sell in a garage sale. However, instead of pricing each item and lugging it outside hoping for a nice sunny day, you can advertise them on the Internet.

5. Just eBay

Although there are several other quality auction websites, eBay is by far the most popular and most successful. Although you could start using all the other sites, by spreading yourself out too thin you take the risk of getting things mixed up. In reality, it is better to use eBay and focus your attention and efforts on this one site. You will not be disappointed.

6. Look Around

Navigate through each section to familiarize yourself with all the different pages. You will find a site map and help tab, which are very useful tools. It will take a little time to get used to the site but start by looking. As you start selling, navigating will become much easier.

7. Quick Response

When you have an item listed on eBay and a potential buyer contacts you with a question, respond quickly. It is important and actually critical to your success to check your account several times a day. Answering a question could be the difference between you getting the sale or the buyer going elsewhere.

8. Trustworthiness

It is extremely important that you handle your account with integrity. The number of positive comments and amount of stars earned are what will be the deciding factor for many buyers. Be professional, polite, and stand by what you sell.

9. Accuracy

When you list your item(s) on eBay, write an accurate description. You do not have to write long paragraphs of rambling information but provide exact measurements, colors, condition, etc. Be extremely precise when it comes to your description.

10. Buyer Contact

Once your item(s) have sold, be responsive to the buyer. Contact them in a quick manner, thank them for their purchase, and provide the required information for payment.

11. Sending Items

In your description, provide accurate details regarding shipment. Make sure the item(s) are sent within the time you stated. In many cases, people purchase something for a specific purpose and if you do not ship it when stated, not only do you mess up their schedule for the item but you have probably lost a customer and opened the door for a negative feedback.

12. Professional Wrapping

When you wrap your item(s), wrap it professionally in nice, clean tissue paper. If breakable, be sure the item is wrapped with bubble wrap as well. Include a business card with your website information, name, address, or a printed out statement showing the item(s) name, item(s) number, price paid, and a small hand-written note thanking the buyer for their purchase.

13. Payment Options

The more options you can provide potential buyers, the better your chances of making the sale. Your options are PayPal, which is an online payment service under the Ebay umbrella, personal cheques, money orders, or cash. Remember that you will have buyers from around the world so an online payment service is extremely helpful.

14. Shipping / Handling

You should always charge actual shipping costs. Several options can be added to your account that provides the actual costs. Another option is to state that you will provide actual shipping at the end of the auction, based on the destination zip code. Overcharging customers for shipping and handling is frowned upon and will result is unhappy customers.

15. Insurance

Insurance is usually a good idea but in general, it should be an optional feature, with the decision left to the buyer. Remember two important things about insurance. First, insurance is VERY inexpensive. Therefore, in your description, you should state how much insurance would cost and recommend it. Second, you should also state in the description that if insurance is not purchased, you are not responsible for lost or damaged items.

16. Go the Extra Mile

You want every customer to be a happy customer. If you have to do a little more research on shipping, or negotiate on price, remember that the customer is the reason you will have success. Therefore, be prepared to go the extra mile in providing them with superior service every single time.

17. Auction Price

Set your auctions low, which will help encourage more bidding. The more bidding you have, the higher the price will ultimately go. In addition, if you add a “Buy Now” option for your auction, keep this set at a reasonable rate as well.

18. Listing Category

When you choose which category to list your items, choose wisely. You will find some categories that are similar yet just enough different that it could make a big difference in how your item(s) is sold. Look at other items listed and choose appropriately.

19. Sell by Lots

If you have two or more of one item, you can list it as a “lot.” For example, if you had five bottles of suntan lotion purchased from a salvage store for .50 each, and you decided to list them on eBay for $1.00 each, rather than list each one separately, another option is to sell them as a lot. Often times, people perform their search based on lots. However, if you had one bottle of suntan lotion, one bottle of regular lotion, and one bottle of aloe vera, you would want to list them as their own item.

20. Completed Items

Look through completed items to research the prices paid by buyers for other auctions similar to yours. This will provide you with a better idea of what a good asking price would be if you were not sure where to start.

21. Photographs

While auctions without photographs can and do sell, auctions with photographs sell much better. People like visualizations and want to see what their money is getting them. Make sure your photograph is clear, focused, and depending on the item (such as rings, shoes, etc.), offers more than just a straight view.

22. Competitor Analysis

Just like any other business, you need to know what your competitors are doing. This will help you make the best possible decision when it comes to your own auction. Before listing your item(s), do a search for the same type item(s) to see what their descriptions looks like. Find different aspects from different sellers and use them to form one comprehensive site for yourself.

23. Turbo Lister

If you have trouble listing your item, use eBay's service, Turbo Lister, to help you get your items listed with ease. This is just one of many outstanding services provided by eBay.

24. Size and Weight

If possible, stay with items that are smaller and lightweight. Remember that whatever you sell, you have to ship. Items such as furniture, lawnmowers, etc. are generally sold through a manufacturer or wholesaler. As an independent seller, you want to sell items that are easy to manage.

25. Shipping Options

Set up accounts with several overnight couriers such as Federal Express and UPS. Once again, the more options offered, the better your auction will be received.

26. Weighing

In order to provide accurate details and help in determining shipping costs, you need to know exact weights. The best option, which will save you many unnecessary trips to the post office, is to purchase a inexpensive quality scale for weighing your packages.

27. Postage

Instead of always running out of stamps or having to run to the post office to ship a smaller item, fill out the information located at stamps.com where you can print stamps directly from your home computer.

28. Shipping Rates

A quick and easy way to determine shipping costs is by visiting iship.com. This will allow you to provide shipping information to the buyer quickly, which in turn prompts quick payment.

29. Reserve Auctions

Instead of listing your auction starting at a minimum bid, you might try setting a low reserve price, which attracts some bidders. Once your item(s) sells eBay then refunds your reserve auction fee.

30. About Me

This important page needs to be completed. This is your opportunity to brag to your customers about the excellent service and amazing products you provide. Tell buyers about your guarantees, your integrity, and anything you like to encourage buyers to check out your auctions.

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31. HTML Code

If you want to bring life to your auctions, you should try using HTML tags. A strong recommendation by eBay is to avoid flashing animations since they actually create a distraction from your items. If you do not know how to use HTML, eBay offers an HTML tutorial page or you can hire someone to do this for you for a reasonable fee.

32. Weekend Listings

To increase your chance of selling your item(s), work the amount of time you choose for your auction (7 or 10 days) to end on a weekend (there are some exceptions listed further down). The reason is that more bidders visit eBay on the weekends and since people jump in at the last minute to get a bargain, you increase your chance of a sale.

33. Headlines

Do not add symbols such as asterisks (***) in your headlines. Although they may add a little punch to your headline, they also mess up how your auction is posted since asterisks are a part of HTML code. In fact, if you use asterisk, there is a high probability that your auction will not even show up.

34. NetMechanic.com

If you have a photograph that is too large for eBay's specifications, you can shrink them down using netmechanic.com. When you first get started, working with photographs can be a little challenging. Do not give up – eBay offers this service for this very reason.

35. Checkout

If you choose to use eBay's checkout system, make sure every box is checked when you list your item(s). This option can be helpful when used correctly, but can also be confusing.

36. Community Boards

Pay attention to the community boards provided by eBay. They offer valuable information and helpful tips that can ultimately save you time and effort.

37. Flaws

Advise potential buyers of any flaws in your products. If you are selling a plate that has a small chip, mention this in the description. If you are selling fabric and it has a small tear, disclose this information. The majority of eBay buyers are looking for bargains, which means minor defects can often be overlooked. The worse possible scenario would be to keep a flaw hidden and then have to deal with handling returns as well as losing a buyer.

38. Negative Feedback

Unlike other sites that use a feedback system, eBay's feedback is sacred and taken very seriously. Negative feedback is never removed. Therefore, if you leave negative feedback rather than trying to handle a tough situation between you and the seller, this could give you a bad reputation. If people see that you consistently leave negative feedback because your buyer did not pay as quickly as you like or whatever reason, buyers will be leery of buying from you in fear of getting negative feedback themselves should something go wrong.

39. Second ID

One of the great features on eBay is the benefit of having more than one ID. If you will be doing a lot of selling, this doubles or triples your chance of selling and setting up different types of auction sites.

40. PO Freebies

If you use the Priority Mail option through your post office, they will provide all your supplies free. This would include boxes, labels, and tape. Best of all, they deliver all these supplies directly to your door. In addition, go to USPS.com or UPS.com and request mailing supplies.

41. Post Office Box

Rather than use your home address, rent a mailbox at your local post office. This maintains the security of your home address while ensuring that everything comes and goes out of one place. These boxes are very inexpensive and well worth the small investment.

42. eBay Canada

When you get ready to sell items on eBay, consider signing up for eBay.ca (Canada). The Canada site is not as large as the US version of eBay so there are considerably fewer listings, which means that you have a greater chance of selling your item(s) since there is less competition.

43. Excluded Items

Although eBay accepts just about every type of item, there are a few exclusions such as explosions, corrosive material, etc. Before you go through the entire process of listing your item(s), make sure you are not listing something forbidden by checking out the do's and don'ts listed on eBay.

44. Category Guide

Use eBay's Category Guide, which is a helpful tool to ensure you place your auction item(s) in the appropriate category.

45. Auction Title

Just as using a strong title for a book, your eBay auction title needs to captivate buyers. You are allowed 45 characters for your title and you need to use common words that will draw attention. Use this space carefully and to your advantage. Think of words that will be easily found when people conduct a search. For example, if you are selling six yards of fabric you could say something like, “Stunning material – Don't miss this great bargain.” If you are selling fishing poles, try something like, “Love to fish? GREAT buy on fishing poles!” Since the search option on eBay looks for specific characters, you should try to list the item both singular and plural. As an example, for the fishing poles, you could list the auction as, “Fishing Poles – Get your fishing pole now!” Avoid wasted words such as WOW or Look Here. Buyers are looking so there is no need to tell them to look. Again, as buyers looking through the listings, the titles are what will capture their attention. Make your impression a strong one!

46. Abbreviations

Saving space in titles can be important if you have a longer description. Look at other auctions selling the same type of merchandise to get an idea of the types of abbreviations that will work. As an example, you could write, “Do U love to fish?” or “Gorgeous material 4 sale.”

47. Buyer's Questions

When you write your description try to think of questions buyers may have so your description will answer as many possible questions as possible. This will save time in relaying messages back and forth. This would include the manufacturers' name, condition of the item(s), special features, warranties, color, defects, etc.

48. Focus

Before you post your photos, make sure they are focused, aligned, centered, etc. A bad photo can stop the sale of your item(s) just as a good photo can help make the sale. In addition, if there is a difference, even slight, in color from what the actual item is and how it shows in the photo, be sure to describe any discrepancies in detail.

49. Pricing Methods

If you find that starting a price low and building is not working for you, try various pricing methods to find the one that you are comfortable with using. A great feature now offered by eBay is fixed pricing, which is something many people like to use.

50. Page One

The very first page is the sell form where you will find three choices. This is a valuable forum where you will determine your pricing method. Do not skim through this page but read all the detail and make good choices.

51. Writing your Description

To ensure there are no typographical, grammatical, or punctuation errors, you can use Notepad or a word processor to write the text. This will allow you to check for any errors. Once you are satisfied with the text, simply copy, cut, and past into the eBay description space.

52. Auction Duration

You will need to choose between listing your item(s) from 3, 5, 7, and 10 days. The most popular choice is 7 days but the option is up to you. If your item(s) is something that sells fast on eBay, you can lower the number of days whereas if it is a higher priced item you might want to push the date to 10 days, which will provide more time for the bigger spenders to find your auction.

53. Buy-it-Now

This is a feature offered by eBay and once you qualify, you can have one price where people can buy the item(s) “now” or they can continue bidding until the auction ends. If a buyer chooses the “buy now” option, the auction ends. Many buyers enjoy the convenience this option offers.

54. Location!

It is important to list the city and state where you are located. Not only does this help the buyer determine shipping to make sure you are not overcharging them but if you are selling larger items such as furniture, automobiles, or appliances where the buyer would have to pick the item(s) up, it would let them know if they want to bid based on location. As an example, if you have a refrigerator for sale and you live in New York, someone from California is not going to drive clear across the country just to pick up the appliance whereas on the East Coast might.

55. Photo Domains (Contact me for a new service waiting to be launched )

Use one of the many photo domain services if you need help getting your photo uploaded. This is a simple solution helpful for beginners to experts. If you know how to use FTP (file transfer protocol), you can even enter your web address where your images are stored allowing buyers to click on the URL and view the items. This is especially beneficial if you have an entire eBay store full of goodies.

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56. Photo Size

Keep your photos 25K or less. This will allow buyers to download quickly and not get annoyed waiting to see your item(s).

57. Photo Gallery

The gallery option is yet another great eBay feature. For only $.25 you will be provided with a thumbnail picture of the item at the top of your listing. When potential buyers click into your auction, instead of having to scroll down to the bottom of the page to see your item(s) they can get a glimpse of it immediately at the top. This is yet another way of providing customer service. Buyers remember these types of things and appreciate the convenience offered. If they do not buy from you now, the chance of them buying in the future is elevated.

58. Counter

eBay provides the option of using a counter on your auction site. This helps you track the number of people visiting your auction. If you find that you have many hits but no one is buying, you might need to adjust your description, photo, etc. To make this even more appealing, it is free.

59. Payment Page

On the fifth page, the payment option page, you only need to check one box – “see item description” box. Since you will have outlined your payment options in your description, this reduces redundant information. This is easy to use and highly recommended.

60. Buyer pays Shipping

For the question as to who pays for shipping, you will have the option of who pays for shipping, you or the buyer. Always be sure you have the “buyer” box checked. Otherwise, you will end up with all the charges on your plate.

61. Shipment Location

Be sure to consider where you will ship to carefully. You will have buyers from around the world but you can limit where you will ship. Some people prefer to ship to the US, Canada, and European countries while others ship anywhere. The option is completely yours but keep in mind that there are some differences in how you wrap the package, the currency exchanges, and communication barriers between you and the buyer.

62. Page Six - the most inportant page?

This is an important page in that you will see the summary of your auction. This is your last chance to make any changes before your auction goes public. Take your time to read through everything two or three times before hitting the final button. Sometimes having a friend or co-worker scan through your information can help find things tired eyes miss.

63. Corrections

Once you post your auction, if you see an error that would make a huge difference in the sale, there is an option on eBay where you can add information. Although you cannot go back and correct the actual error, you can point out the error and provide the corrected information. Using the fabric scenario, if you were selling 12 yards but in your description, you said 2 yards that would make a big difference in the bidding. In your additional information, you could state, “My apologies – in my original description I stated this auction was for 2 yards. The actual amount of fabric is 12 yards. Thank you.”

64. Communication with Buyer

It is your responsibility to contact the buyer at the end of the auction congratulating them on winning the item(s). Issue an e-mail requesting their shipping address. Once they provide that information to you, let them know when the shipment will go out, which should coordinate within the timeframe provided in your auction description. If you know the shipping charges, advise them in this same e-mail. Once payment has been made, send another e-mail to the buyer confirming that you received their payment and that the item(s) will be shipped on X day via (US priority mail, UPS, Fed-Ex, etc.). Once you have a tracking number, send that to the buyer as well. This will allow them to follow the tracking themselves.

65. Package & Shipping Tips

eBay is in the process of creating a Package and Shipping Tips page that will help you with the entire shipping process. This should be up soon and will be yet another valuable tool for sellers and buyers alike so keep your eyes open for this.

66. When to List

The time of day you list your auction is important. The start time will be the same as the end time, which is why it is so important. If you want your auction to end at 10:00 p.m. on a Sunday night, you need to have the auction start at 10:00 p.m. For this reason, be sure to set the start time accordingly.

67. Do your Homework

In addition to researching what other people are selling similar items for, you need to conduct your own research outside of eBay as well to determine the going rate for your item(s). As an example, if you are selling artwork, jewelry, or collectibles, you need to state in your description the going price. Although you may or may not get that price from the buyer, it shows buyers that you have done your homework and will stand a little more firm in your price. It also tells buyers that they are getting quality for a good price.

68. Seller Assistant Pro

When and if you get stuck in the process, use eBay's Seller Assistant Pro, which is yet another valuable tool offered to help you find all the answers to your questions.

69. Appearance

The appearance of your auction is important. Auctions that are designed with loud colors or hard to read fonts can push buyers away. Use colors and fonts that are easy on the eye. Remember that not everyone will have perfect 20/20 vision so you want to make sure the fonts can be read by all buyers. It would be the same for graphics – a few added to the auction is fine but too much is a distraction. You want your auction to interest buyers not lose them in all the fluff.

70. Jargon

Although you may have tremendous knowledge of something you are selling, not everyone will. Avoid language that is too techie and stay away from acronyms. Keep the language simple and easy to read.

71. Consistency

If you will be auctioning off several items or you plan to auction items on a long-term basis, keep the look of your auctions consistent. Over time, you will develop several buyers that follow your auctions because of the quality of your items and professionalism. They will become accustomed to seeing information laid out in a certain way. Keeping your auctions consistent will help them navigate easier and therefore you will make a quicker sale.

72. Youth Auctions

Auction items that focus on youth such as games, collectibles, clothing, body jewelry, etc. should end during the week or on a Sunday night. Ending them on Friday or Saturday nights is not a good choice since they are generally not home on these nights and therefore, the bidding is not as good.

73. Retirement Age

If your auctions include items that would appeal to people around retirement age or moms and dads that stay or work at home, the best time to end your auction is mid-morning during the week. This is the time when older people spend most of their time on the Internet and the ideal time for parents who have smaller children taking a nap.

74. Item(s) Use

Tell the buyers what the original use of your item was. For example, if you are selling lawn and garden items, you should express that you purchased them for your home but then moved to an apartment or whatever the case. This helps confirm to the buyer that the item(s) is fine –the circumstance for its use changed.

75. Accessories

Some people fail to include information about accessories. This is very important since many times people are looking specifically for the accessories/attachments that go along with the item(s). What if you were buying a weed eater but had a bad back? You need one that has a good shoulder strap. If the buyer visits your auction and finds the weed eater, you are selling to be exactly what they are looking for and the price is right but there is no strap, you have lost a sale. Include all accessory/attachment information even if you think it has no value.

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