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Browsing Posts in eBay

Do eBay Auctions Work ?

December 9, 2011 No comments

eBay

A common question I am asked time and time again is ” Do eBay Auctions Work ? ” This questions comes very often from both new sellers as well as those who have been selling online for many years. But to answer the question fully we need to look at the full picture and not just a snap shot.

When eBay first started all those years ago and you asked me the the same question Do eBay Auctions Work,  I would have given you the biggest yes of all time. In fact in the very early days Auctions were the only way to go, but as in anything time changes and things move on. eBay introduced Buy It Now, Best Offer. But they still have the Auctions as the heart of their business ( yes honest they do ).

But as eBay matures and grows into a mid teenager, we have to take at the look at the question Do eBay Auctions Work, with an open mind, and also be mature business people and say it depends on what you are selling and the market you are selling in and selling to. And yes there are times when auctions do not work and their are times where they are the best way to go.

During the last few years eBay have introduced free listing days and weekends to different groups of sellers and each free listing special have it’s own rules and regulations and these do need to be read as to what is what, and is not for now as they are always different. But what these free listing offers do is give people a chance to list items at auction for zero expense.  And what this does is very often flood the market with items and this often makes it very hard to sell, due to the vast numbers of items on the platform.

Now hands in the air here, and I have not used eBay auctions for some time, but last week one of my Trading Assistant clients asked me to sell some collectable bears for them, yes you guessed it at Auction/ Now as I sell as a business, I do not get free listings, so I listed all her bears at the starting prices she wanted……………….I made sure different bears finished over the past week with the final bears to finish on Sunday.

Do eBay Auctions Work ?……………….Well so far all the bears I listed have sold and some for high amounts. So I can tell you eBay Auctions do work for the collectible bear market. Yes this is due to different reasons, : Rare items, Collectible and numbered items. But this category had a rabid group of followers, who want that rare bear when it comes up for sale and they are willing to pay high prices.

But do eBay Auctions work for just anything, sadly I have to answer it depends. Yes you might be able to just put up anything and as long as the title is good, picture is good and the description is good you may be able to sell items at auction. But I would suggest you if you sell general items I would suggest use Buy It Now with a few auctions to bring in the interest.  Yes this still works.

So in closing ” Do eBay Auctions Work ? I will say yes as long as the market buys items at auction, you will need to do your homework and do some research, and if you find your buyers buy at auction then use it time and time again if not you could be throwing money away.

Andrew Milburn Is An eBay And Amazon Consultant based in the UK

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Introducing Baby-Merc

December 2, 2011 No comments

Introducing Baby-Merc

As an eBay Consultant I have the honour of working with some great clients and over the coming weeks and months I would like to introduce you to some of them. This week I would like to introduce you to Baby-Merc  Baby-Merc are a vibrant young company based in Poland.

  Baby-Merc supply baby prams and travel systems including a wonderful sledge that    lets parents take their babies out even when there is snow on the ground. This is great  news as very often parents are unable to take normal prams out in the snow.

Baby-Merc are going from strength to strength and are continually looking for ways to improve their business and offer their customers 5 star customer service and they pride themselves in offering top quality prams at affordable prices while keeping the babies safety at the top of the list.

To help my clients grow, if you know anyone who is looking to buy a top quality pram at affordable prices please send them to :

http://www.baby-merc.co.uk

Andrew Milburn Is An eBay Consultant Based In The UK

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Christmas What’s Next ?

December 1, 2011 No comments

Yes you read that right Christmas…………..What’s Next. I have not gone mad, honest. But in the retail market place and yes if you sell online you are in the retail trade then you always need to be thinking what’s the next trend, what’s the next season. What’s next should always be on your mind and in your business plan.

Although we are at the start of December, all your planning should have been done and dusted for the Christmas / Holiday selling season. So what should you be planning right now – Well this does depend on the niche you are selling in and also the lead times on the products you source and buy. But let’s look at this as a normal niche with no major lead times etc.

So what seasons should you be thinking about and marketing as soon as the Christmas Day Supper has been eaten. ?

Sorry it is too late for anything to do with New Years Eve – this should have been thought about along with Christmas. The top ones that I can think of straight away are -

  • Valentines Day
  • Mother’s Day (UK)
  • Easter
The above three are all good money earners, but you will need to be on the ball, get the stock in or use drop-shipping and begin to market as soon as possible. Valentines Day can be a good earner if you target the right buyer. Men hate going to shops to buy anything, so if you can target the man and help him with the buying process you will have a customer for life and not only that you will find him telling all his mates again and again.
So how could that work ? You could set up a separate page on your site with hints and tips to help the man with the buying process. You could also give them hints and tips on what to buy and of course all the hints and tips would be for products that you sell in your eBay store. Easy…….Simple……..But the profits could be huge.
Some other important dates that you need to have in flashing lights is the Queens Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. Two reasons why you need to note the dates  : 1) They could effect your sales – Make sure you do not have listings ending at major times or events 2) Is there a product you can source and make a profit from.
Those two events if you play your cards right could mean massive, massive profits, but you do need to know what you are doing. Yes you can buy a pallet of Jubilee Stuff and yes if marketed and priced right sell it all. But get it wrong and you will be left with all the stock. So please be careful.
In closing Christmas What’s next……………..A lot.
A New Year
Another 12 Months
2 Major events
And the list goes on and on
Get up and take action…and when someone say’s to you you watching TV after Christmas Dinner, smile and say no, I am lauching my families future.
Take care, sell loads and have fun.

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eBay, Education

eBay or Amazon

November 27, 2011 No comments

Take The Experts With You

A very popular question that I get asked is “eBay or Amazon” and yes once again I have to answer it depends. Regular readers will by know be used to me saying it depends, but as you learn more about the science of selling on platforms such as eBay and Amazon you will get to learn that it will depend which one you sell on, by the items you are product sourcing.

You see eBay as long as it is legal and allowed will allow you to sell most items on the platform no matter what the condition is as long as you are open and honest in the listing and the description. But Amazon on the other hand will only allow you to sell media items in any condition – again you need to be open and honest with people and tell the condition the item is in. But other items have to be either new or in same cases if it is a collectable item (signed item) then you way be allowed to sell older items on Amazon. But for items other than media it is best to source new items only.

Also prices will vary from the different platforms and as you get used to sourcing and selling you will soon get to know what sells best on the different eCommerce platforms such as eBay and Amazon (and please remember there are many others out there, for example Etsy is suitable if you sell craft or antique items). This is due to the fact that the different platforms each have a different type of buyer. With their own likes and dislikes.

When you are looking at where you will be planning to sell remember that if the product is suitable why not list on both the eBay and the Amazon sites, by doing this you will be giving yourself better exposure for the items you will be selling as you will be appearing on both of the selling platforms. But if you do sell an item on both of the sites, please remember that if it sells on one to remove it from the other one straight away, without fail, if not you will be selling something you do not have.

Happy Selling

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eBay, Education

Tips For Marketing Your Business Outside Of eBay

November 25, 2011 No comments

One of the questions I am asked time and time again is do I just need to put my listing up on eBay and will they do all the marketing. Well I am sorry to say “it depends”. Sorry if that was not the answer you were expecting but it does depend on what you are selling and in what section of eBay you are selling in.

Yes eBay will help you all they can with the promotion and marketing but at the end of the day you will need to drive traffic to your listings. Most of this can be done within eBay……………….using proper keywords, some basic SEO will go along way. And when you couple this with free delivery and a good picture you will go along way to getting traffic to your listings.

Now you can help this along by doing some reviews and guides and posting those on eBay. Both eBay and Google will pick these up and it can help with some extra traffic to the site. Moving along from that you can write some press releases, articles and send them out to sites online and offline.

And again how much you do will depend on the value of the items you are selling. If you are selling a one of £4.99 item then all the extra work might not be worth it. But if the item is worth thousands then some extra work will pay off. And if you have been asked to sell a large collection of items for someone famous then as much offline and online marketing as you can do will bring the viewers and from the viewers will come the buyers.

So weigh up what the item or items are worth and then spend some time if needed doing promotions off eBay. Also if you have an eBay shop you will need to spend sometime just promoting your eBay shop both online and offline, as you cannot and should not rely on eBay doing all the work.

Have fun and get out there and promote yourself and your business everyday both online and offline.

 

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eBay, Education

Tool Tuesday – Paper and Pen

November 22, 2011 No comments

This weeks chosen tool is your good old fashioned paper and pen. Yes you did read that right no fancy gadgets this week we are going back to basics. And no I am not one of those people who dislike gadgets far from it I love them and I am always wanting to try new apps out  or visit gadget shops to see the latest and greatest new item. So why go back to the old fashioned paper and pen ?

Take The Experts With You

Why Paper and Pen ?

  • We all should have a to-do list, and if possible we should have this done the night before – this is because we can wake up in the morning and get straight to work and not have to think what needs to be done. And yes I know we can do this online, I do, but also I have a handwritten list right beside me. And the reason why I suggest paper and pen for this is because once you have done an item you can cross it off by hand. There is something that makes you feel good, when you take your pen and delete an item – doing this action online just does not work.
  • Carrying a notebook around with you when you are out and about. This will allow you to jot thoughts down, product ideas, catchy titles, phone messages. And the list goes on and on. Yes again most can be done with a smartphone, but have you tried talking on phone and entering a note at the same time ? Comments below.
  • If you look at the top business people around the world they will always tell you to carry a Pen and Pad around with you. Now this can be a scrap of paper right through to a leather bound note book and also Filofax type products again the list is endless, but what these top people say is where possible also write on yellow paper this is due to the brain working better with yellow – don’t ask me, I just know it works.
  • Also the act of writing something by hand helps your brain focus and remember better.
Sorry if you were looking for something high tech today, but as they say at times it is good to get back to basic from time to time and this week we have followed that route and gone back to the good old fashioned paper and pen.
Andrew Milburn Is An eBay and Amazon Consultant Based In Lichfield Staffordshire.

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eBay, eBay Tools

More Product Sourcing Tips

November 21, 2011 No comments

More Product Sourcing Tips

Product Sourcing is one of the common questions I get asked time after time. And I have covered it a few times in my blog, but it is a topic I love to talk about and as a seller online (and for those who sell offline)  it is one of the most important items that you need to be doing all the time. If you stop product sourcing then after a time you will have run out of stock and ideas for new lines and products.

So what is product sourcing ?

Product Sourcing is simply going out and doing research in the field (This can also be done online or looking at newspapers and magazines) but getting out there and visiting trade shows, charity shops, thrift stores, antique malls and stores to name just a few. Of course if you only sell new items then you will need to do your product sourcing at Trade Shows. But if you are one of those traders who sells anything, then have an open mind and soon you will see products that you can sell all over the place.  So Product Sourcing is finding new products and product lines to sell in your eBay shop or Amazon FBA.

How to do Product Sourcing

Simply get out there and go places. Carry a note book or smart phone where you can note down what the product is, the maker or importer and price. Yes you can make other notes but those are the main ones. When you come home just do a Google search for the product and make enquires and if you like what you hear buy some product and see how it goes. Be-careful and do not buy too much stock, the last thing you want is to have stock that does not sell. Just tell the import or maker of the item that you are looking to test the item, but if it sells you will be back for more. Always be honest with these people and they will be honest with you.

Another thing you can do is source products from other countries, yes this takes a bit longer and takes your product sourcing to another level, but the returns can be well worth it.  I will be offering a product sourcing business to my friends who live outside the UK, if this is something that will interest you please get in touch by sending me an email to info”myauctionempires.com  and put Product Sourcing in the subject part.

So what are you waiting for, put your product sourcing hat on and get out there and start product sourcing and looking for new products and ideas for your business.

Andrew Milburn is an eBay and Amazon Consultant based in the UK.

 

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5 Tips For Staying On Track During The Holiday Season

November 17, 2011 No comments

Take The Experts With You

As an eBay and Amazon seller one of the questions I am often asked is how do you keep on track during the busy buying period such as Christmas and the Holiday buying season. In simple terms do not panic, keep yourself focused and on track with your goals and business plan.  Keep up to date with your shipping and things will work out, but below I will list some ideas that I hope will help with keep focus and not too stressed over the Holiday selling season.

While you are busy listing during this busy period get someone you can trust who can go over your listings and just check all the spellings are Ok. When you are busy it is easy to mis-spell something or add the wrong picture etc.

  • Be on top of answering your questions, make it a daily task to have answered all the questions by the end of the day. If not those buyers will move on to another seller and you could loose sales. A good tip is to have standard templates so it is just copy and paste and all you need is too add names and item numbers.
  • Have all the shipping materials to hand and order new ones before they run out. Also ship every day.
  • Keep organized – Have today lists, project lists all in place. Keep items in places where you know, where they are. When you get an order you need to know where to find the items you have listed. If you have to spend 30 minutes every time an order comes in you will soon get behind. Yes time is money.
  • Give your self some me time – take a walk, go out for a meal just have some fun and have some me time and this will refresh you and recharge your batteries for the next round.
Every year sales are up for this huge buying period, and if you have stocked your store and got the process in place we will have a cracking sales time. Stay focused…………….keep calm……………ship daily………………..and stay organized.

 

 

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What Is Failure In Business

November 15, 2011 No comments

The other day while talking with someone about selling on eBay and Amazon they asked me a question or was it more a statement. “I have got this idea for a business, but can we be sure it will not fail”. Well this got me thinking…….. What is failure in business ? This all depends on what you see as failure in business or life. But to be fair years ago I saw it as not achieving the goals you had set your self or losing money or worse your business and house. But as time went on I started to see it as something different.

So let’s look at this from some different angles. Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, but did it work the first time ? No of course not, it took him many tries and failures before he got what he wanted? Some would have seen him as a failure in business and life, but he saw each failure as a step nearer to the finished product. Abraham Lincoln failed in life and business not once but many times…………but each time he got up dusted himself down and learnt from the failures and moved on.

And if we look at business people all over the world, the ones who come up with new ideas and new products will have had more failures than successes. Some we hear about and others we don’t, but we do see is a finished product that would not have been there if they had not had the failures in life and business. Did Apple think one day iPhone……………………no it was a process and within that process many failures, but the finished product was fantastic. Take a look at Google each day the teams launch new ideas in the world of search some get thumbs up overs last a few months, while others come through. Do companies such as Google see these failures as failures, no they see them as a learning curve. Where did we go wrong and what can we learn to improve the product or idea.

The same goes for your online business if a product or idea does not take off or does not sell, please do not see this as a failure in business and give. Spend some time and ask questions such as what went wrong, why it went wrong. And then learn from these failures and apply what you have learnt and move on.

It is proven time and time again the more failures you have the stronger you will become, and yes you may have to go through a few dozen products to find the winner, but each time a product does nor sell you learn lessons and being in business is a journey. So please never look at failure in business as failure. Look at it as a learning curve, learn from these mistakes and failures and will become a stronger person and also have a strong and profitable business. So what is failure in business ? It is a stepping stone to finding that product or service that will sell.

 

Take The Experts With You

 

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Meeting Those Goals

November 14, 2011 No comments

Take The Experts With You

Meeting Those Goals

We all know we should write down goals, but very often we write them down and then sit back and wait for something to happen. I am sorry to say by writing the goals down is not something magic, you will not wake up one morning and find all those goals completed by magic. But what you will find is that over time as long as you do something each day you will be meeting those goals time after time.

Time after time I am asked for a magic wand to help people meet those goals have taken time to write out, but when I ask them what steps they have taken today in meeting those goals, I very often get a blank stare and they often say well I have been too busy playing on Facebook. – Now before I get loads of emails Facebook is good for business but we need to use it in a proper way and if we do it will help you big time in meeting those goals you have set.

So let’s look at a quick example on meeting those goals. You have a goal of listing 300 items on eBay a month, now that is a lot of product, but if you know it is realistic for your lifestyle, lets break it down bit by bit. In fact 300 items is only 10 items a day, and if you say your eBay listing time is 5 hours a day, that is 2 items an hour. Yes simple, but by breaking them down bit by bit you will be meeting those goals day after day.

Also when you have met the bigger goal of 300 items in a month give yourself a treat. Maybe a walk or a meal out or Take Away. But as an incentive of meeting those goals put that reward in the goal sheet. For example “I have listed 300 items – reward a meal at your favourite place. And once you feel at home and meeting those goals each month, set yourself some higher ones, but please do over stretch yourself for this will not help you if you are unable to meet the goals each and every month. Yes your goals need to stretch you every time, but if you fail to reach them time after time, then you will soon give hope of ever meeting those goals.

Stay focused, write the goals down, break them into easy to reach chunks and very soon meeting those goals will happen and it will seem like it has happened by magic, but this is only because you have put the hard work in. Now go and start meeting those goals.

 

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