3 Keys to Getting Your Stuff SOLD on eBay {and FAST}

Here are 3 tips to getting your stuff sold on eBay – and fast. (If you’re new to e-commerce, check out this article on how to make money with eBay).

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1. Post Quality Pictures (a lot of them)

Pictures are worth 1,000 words (and in e-commerce pictures can be worth much, much more). Having the right pictures can be the difference between having someone click on your listing or not, or between between making the sale or not. Here’s what you need:

  • Use clear pictures – not blurry or old-looking. If you can see the background in the image, make sure the background is nice to look at as well.
  • The more pictures, the better. If you’re buying something from an unknown eBay seller, your confidence goes up with the number of photos of the item in question. (eBay allows 12 free pictures per listings. This is enough. You do not need to spend money on the extra images, but if you do, try an an outside app (like Garage Sale) to upload photos to your own server so you don’t have to pay eBay for the extra photos.

2. Use Keywords in your Description and Title

Keywords are hot button words that people may enter in their search bar when searching for an item on eBay. Here’s an example. Let’s say you’re selling this piece of fitness equipment.

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Would it be better to list this product as:

A) Fitness Equipment?

or

B) Home gym weight loss pull up bar fitness equipment?

The better option is Option B. Option A is not rich in keywords. Option B – although a mouthful – is more likely to get your listing found!

The best way to think of keywords is to think of what a potential buyer for your item would actually type in the search box. This buyer might be searching for a “home gym”, or they be looking for “weight loss”, or simply trying to find a “pull up bar.” These are all appropriate keywords. There is no such thing as keyword overdose. The more, the better.

As far as the title, you are limited by space. Just fit in as many keywords as you can. If there’s room, throw another keyword on the end. Never leave empty space in your description. What’s the point of doing all this? It’s for search optimization.

  • Search optimization: The idea behind search optimization is simple – The more closely your description matches that search query, the more likely for your product to show up in the results. Note: If you think a potential buyer would search for a particular brand name, that brand would definitely qualify as a keyword. Put it in your title –eg. [Eddie Bauer fleece jacket] versus [fleece jacket].

3. Time Your Listing Appropriately

There is nothing wrong with a 30 day listing, but a 10 day listing can create a sense of urgency. Here’s a tip we picked up from iwillteachyoutoberich.com –   “List your item for 10 days starting on a Thursday, that gives you two full weekends of eyeballs. Weekends typically have the highest traffic.”

These 3 strategies (posting a lot of quality pictures, using lots of keywords in your title and description, and paying attention to your listing times) are all essential to getting your items sold on eBay.

Do you have experience selling on eBay? Please share your tips below!

4 Biggest Myths to Making Money on eBay

Read this before you start a business selling products on eBay. This will help you avoid common pitfalls and clear up misconceptions about making money the e-commerce site. The following are the 4 biggest myths to making money on eBay, according to the eBay site itself, as well as my own feedback from personal experience and observation.

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4 Biggest Myths to Making Money on eBay


The myths:

1. Anybody can make money on eBay

2. Anything sells on eBay

3. It’s easy to make money on eBay

4. I can quit my job and make money on eBay


1.  This is not completely a myth…Anybody technically can make money off eBay – if they have a plan.  You can’t just put up items on eBay and expect to make a lot of money. You should treat it like a serious business. Know your numbers, like your target margins,  for example. You should study the market to understand what sells. And you should always take care of your customer base. Nothing can ruin an eBay business like bad reviews from disgruntled customers. (And there’s nothing more valuable than positive reviews).

2.  Not everything sells on eBay. Items that you can ship cheaply tend to sell much easier. But these products also tend to have smaller margins. It’s a give & take.

3. While the concept of selling on eBay, is in fact easy, the execution is not so much. It can take time to learn the art of searching for the right products, and time to build a strong seller reputation on the site.

(For a step-by-step on how to make money on eBay check out this article or for more information & formal training on running a profitable eBay business, email me at a.dymally@gmail.com.)

4. Don’t quit your job yet. While some people do make selling on eBay their full-time gig, for most, it is a cool way to make extra income, without leaving the house.

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Common Mistakes to Avoid in your eBay Business

1. Bad customer service – Because the sales transactions are completed online, and not face-to-face, it’s easy to forget you’re dealing with real people! When someone places an order with you, they are not worried about any challenges you may face with fulfilling the order. They just want the product shipped, and shipped quickly. Bad reviews can be very damaging to an eBay business. Just like rave reviews can be a big boost. Always focus on having clear communication with your customers & ship products timely.

2. Spending too much money on listings. A good description and good pictures (which are free in your listing) often go much further than a fancy border or other extras that eBay offers sellers in their listings. Don’t spend too much on your listings.

3. Not marketing your items correctly. Keywords are everything. You have to think like a consumer. Consider keywords that a customer would type in the eBay search bar, when looking for your item. It is important to put these keywords in the item heading, as well as the description. This will increase the changes of your product showing up when they do their search.

4. Stocking up on too much inventory. Stocking up on too much inventory can bankrupt your business. Hedge your losses by following this smart approach to selling on eBay (Sell first. Buy second.)

 

In conclusion:

Start small. Don’t overwhelm yourself trying to strike it rich overnight. When you get more experience you will learn how to gain a competitive advantage with smart listings.

~ To Life Without Limits ~

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How to Make Money on eBay (the smart way)

One hurdle most people have to making money on eBay is they think they don’t have anything to sell. In actuality, you don’t need to have anything to sell – you just need to know where to find it.

The Art of Drop Shipping

Mastering the art of drop shipping is the key to success with eBay.

The literal definition of drop shipping is – buying products individually from a wholesaler and shipping them directly to your customer (instead of purchasing a large amount of inventory to keep on hand & dealing with a middle-man).

So how do we use drop shipping to your advantage on eBay? Let me explain. Here is the best way to sell a product on eBay.

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How to Sell a Product on eBay (the smart way)

  1. Find a product that is popular or has a good amount of sales volume on eBay
  2. Find the same product on Amazon (or another retailer) where you can purchase it at a lower price, than the going price on eBay
  3. List the product on eBay
  4. Once it sells on eBay – then you purchase the product on Amazon (at the lower price)
  5. Have the product shipped directly to the end buyer (there is no need for it to be sent to you)
  6.  You keep the difference in price – this is your margin

You may be wondering if these steps are out of order. (Did she meant to buy first then sell? No. Sell first. Then buy).

Here’s why: This allows you to hedge your losses. Why purchase an item if you don’t know whether it can sell? Sell it first then drop ship it through Amazon (or whatever retail you’re purchasing from).

The principle behind this process is an age-old standard in the history of American business:

Buy Low. Sell High.
(or in our case Sell High. Buy Low.)

Here’s another common question.

Why would someone pay a higher price for something than they can get elsewhere?

To get that answer, we’d have to ask the millions of people that do it everyday. Most of the time, it’s convenience. Believe it or not, price is not the only thing people consider when making a purchase. Often times, they just want it fast. They don’t have the time, or desire, to search the internet for the best deal.

Obviously this process is simple in concept. But what about execution? What about actually making it happen.  Personally – eBay is not my primary focus, but I have done exactly what I’ve explained to you above. I did it for proof of concept. To see if it would work. The result? It did.

But things are always more difficult in practice, right? Right.

Words of Caution

Because it works, doesn’t mean you will strike it rich overnight. Here are some things to consider when entering the world of drop shipping and making money on eBay.

Small Margins

Your margins are typically small on eBay (not always, but often). Think about it. You wouldn’t be able to charge $80 for a product that only sells for $30. No one would buy it.

Lack of Fulfillment

Lack of fulfillment occurs when you sell something on eBay, then you’re no longer able to find the product on Amazon. In this case, of course, you’d refund the purchase price. This is rare. What occurs more often is loss on fulfillment.

Loss on Fulfillment 

Loss on fulfillment is when the price of your product increases on Amazon above the eBay price, after you’ve already sold. What do you do in this case? Well – most often you should eat the loss (as long as you can handle it). You should still fulfill the order for your eBay customer. (Remember, you’re dealing with real people here. Imagine how pissed you’d be if you bought a product on eBay, only to find out days later that it can’t be sent). I consider this risk just a normal risk of loss that occurs in any business.

Time

It can take quite a bit of time to find the right products to sell – products that have high sales volume, good demand and a suitable price gap between eBay and your retailer.

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How to Minimize Your Risks

The best way to minimize your risk with making money on eBay is to get educated then test small, like I did. DS Domination is a company that teaches people how to navigate the world of e-commerce and eBay. They show you what to look out for, how to effectively search for good products, and much more. (I learned how to make my first sale on eBay through DS Domination’s training system and videos.)

Learn More about Making Money on eBay

If you want to learn more about DS Domination or how to make money on eBay, just shoot me an email at a.dymally@gmail.com and I can send you more info.

Have ever sold anything on eBay? Tell us about your experience below. 

As always, thanks for stopping by.

~ To Life Without Limits ~

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{Inspirational Video} Necole Bitchie Weblog Award Speech

I love this girl. I’ve been following her journey for a while. In an online world filled with celebrity gossip and negativity, she managed to create an entertainment site that maintains it’s integrity, respect for people and a sense positivity and empowerment.

If you don’t know blogger Necole Bitchie’s story, she once stayed on her aunt’s couch – no job, no place, and no parents (who had passed a way a couple years prior). You may now see her interviewing celebrities and attending industry events. She is a testament in today’s world of limitless opportunity, of how you can take a laptop, a vision & a dream, and create a platform to not only build your dream lifestyle, but also position yourself to empower others.

Check out her speech at the Black Weblog Awards:

 

“Sometimes you gotta be patient. Everything happens when it’s supposed to…”

 

 

 

3 Ways to Monetize a Blog {Make Extra Money With Your Passion}

There are various ways to monetize a blog. Here are 3 primary ways you can monetize a blog & make extra money blogging about your passion.

3 Ways to Monetize a Blog:
1.   Advertising
2.   Sell Your Own Product
3.   Affiliate Marketing

 

Here’s a breakdown of each.

 

1.  Make Money Through Advertising:

If you have enough traffic (visitors) to your blog, you can charge other people to advertise on your website.  Of course, It can take quite some time to build enough traffic so that others would be willing to pay to advertise on your site.

 

2)   Make Money By Selling Your Own Product

If you’re into cooking, you could create a cookbook. If you’re into travel, you could create a travel guide. Fitness? Create a weight loss plan. Quilting? Sell your blankets. The possibilities are endless. Let’s take a look at the cookbook example in more detail.

Here’s an Example of How to Create Your eBook:

Let’s say someone loves to cook (call her Kris). Kris posts lots of fun recipes & cooking tips on her blog. By blogging regularly, even shooting some YouTube video tutorials & sharing her content throughout social media, Kris eventually gains a substantial number of visitors to her blog.

One day Kris decides to create a cookbook with her favorite recipes & simple meal ideas. She types up the recipes in a word doc. She adds some images from pics of her food that she’s taken. And then she can create an ebook cover for her cookbook.

Lastly, she converts the word doc to a PDF with a free service like this one. Now her eBook (or rather eCoobkook) is ready to go!

She charges $8 for her cookbook collecting payments through Paypal. Once someone pays, she emails the cookbook or provides an access link where the purchaser can download it from her blog. 

Alternatively, she can print & ships the cookbook. But for obviously reasons – a digital product is often preferred to a physical one (as it saves time & money).

This is an example of how you can take a passion you love to do & share anyway & monetize it online.

 

3)   Make Money Through Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is the most common & popular way to monetize a blog.  There are hundreds, if not thousands, of various affiliate marketing companies out there. Even Amazon & Wal-Mart offer affiliate marketing programs.

 

How Affiliate Marketing Works:

Affiliate marketing is simple. It’s when a company pays you for referring business to them. You’re an affiliate for that company. Most often, you are paid a portion of every sale made through you or your site.

Keys to Successful Affiliate Marketing:

  • Drive targeted traffic to your website, relevant to the topic of your blog
  • Blog regularly – consistently adding fresh/new content to build your subscriber base
  • Always provide honest opinions & reviews about products & services – never make a recommendation simply for a sale
  • To maximize earnings, the best programs should offer residual/passive income as well as have large upsell potential


Benefits of Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is appealing to a lot of people because you don’t have to worry about creating your own product and it can be lucrative, if you know what you’re doing.

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Ready to Make It Happen?

Are the wheels starting to turn? Are you getting some ideas of ways you can monetize your blog and make money online? There are really lots of ways to do it. The key is being consistent. Each method takes traffic to your blog as well as building a connection with your visitors.  This takes time.

But it’s as simple as a decision & commitment to making it happen.

If you found any value out of this post, please hit the share buttons on this page now  :)

Want to stay up to date on the best affiliate programs? Subscribe to my email list on the top right of this page. 

To Life Without Limits,

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Top 5 Reasons You Should Be Building a List For Your Small Business

How Much Money Are You Leaving On The Table?

For anyone who has a business, product or service which they promote online – whether through social media, YouTube, paid advertising, etc. – you could be leaving a tremendous amount of money on the table if you’re not “building a list.” You could also be putting your business in jeopardy. This includes those who may have a home business through a conventional network marketing business model and those who market their own products or services.

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What Does It Mean To “Build a List?”

Building a list simply means compiling a database of email addresses of your customers, clients, and/or followers. This is extremely important for any online business, but often overlooked by novices as an inconsequential assignment. It is not. In this article, I will show you not only the risk involved for your business if you don’t build a list, but also how to monetize your list and lucrative it can be.

 

How Big Business Builds a List

When you go to department store, upon checkout, what’s the first thing a clerk typically asks you? For your email address, right? In fact, they may even ask you for your email address at the grocery store, when you get an oil change and certainly it’s requested for any purchase that you make online. Why is that?

Here’s why big business asks for your email address: Having your email address allows them to send you promotions, reminders and to just stay in touch & build a relationship. It also allows them to do so for free.

It could cost millions to pay for a commercial ad spot to promote their latest sale.

But it is FREE to send that same information conveniently & DIRECTLY to your email inbox.

For many, email has become the preferred method of communication. Building a list is just a smarter and more cost effective way to interact with your customers or following.

Think of building your list or database of email addresses in the same manner & for the same reasons a major company would.
There are some other MAJOR reasons – no matter how small or how big your business – you want to start building a list. Let’s review the top reasons and we’ll go into more detail about each.

Top 5 Reasons You Should Be Building a
List For Your Small Business:

1) Free Advertising & Marketing

2) Build Relationships

3) Automate the Follow Up Process

4) Maintain Control Over Your Ability to Communicate

5) Monetizing Your List

 

1) Free Advertising & Marketing

As mentioned above, sending a promotion directly to one’s email inbox is the most cost effective way to communicate (because it’s free!) but is also extremely targeted as the people on your ‘list’  have an existing relationship with you in one way or another.

 

2) Build Relationships

Of course, we know, especially with small business, the relationship between yourself & your customer has evolved to more than just “I sell” and “You buy.” People have options. They have choices. You want to stand out from the crowd. You do so by building a relationship.

This starts by providing value to your customer base. This could be done by emailing them some free valuable, information at times. No sales pitch. Just content that would be of interest to your subscribers. It could be done by interacting. Asking their opinions. Taking polls. There are so many things you can do stand out, as not just a salesperson, but a friend. Having the ability to send emails to your subscribers plays an important role in that process.

 

3) Automate the Follow Up Process

I love automation! When you’re talking about creating real freedom in your life and with a business, you must have automation.

Would you rather follow up with leads one by one or all at once? When you build a list you can automate your follow up process using an email follow up system like Aweber or GVO. (Aweber & GVO both offer an affiliate program. At this time, I have affiliate account with each).

Using either of these tools, allows you to establish a pre-written automatic email follow up series. When someone subscribes or opts in to your list, they will automatically receive your email follows at the specified time. You can also send new broadcast messages to your entire list at any time.

 

4) Maintain Control Over Your Ability To Communicate

You are at risk! When your sole method of communication is through a free site or through social media, like YouTube or Facebook – that company is in complete control over your ability to communicate.

These sites reserve the right to delete content or even remove your entire page or channel. It seems far-fetched but I’ve seen it happen tons of times. In addition, so many changes pop on these sites all the time, you are really not in control.building a list

Lastly, when Facebook becomes obsolete (like the next MySpace) would you rather have to then rebuild your following on a new social media site? Or never miss a beat by maintaining contact with them through email?

 

5) Monetizing Your List

Did someone say “Monetize?” :-) This is the fun part, right?  They say that “The money is in the list…”

It really blew me away when I was introduced to internet marketing, how much money there was!

For a complete breakdown of ways to monetize your list visit the article Make Money Now: 3 Ways To Monetize Your List

For the scope of this article, simply understand when you build a strong, responsive list you can charge others to market to your list.  Does that make sense?

Say you’ve built an email list of 5,000 subscribers. There may be someone who doesn’t have a list that size yet. But they have a promotion they want to get out there. You many be in the same niche or market, so they pay you a certain amount of money for your to send their promotion to your email list.

Based on the size & responsiveness of their list, some people charge as little as $30, while some people charge several thousands of dollars to send an email to their list. And yes, people pay it when they have a profitable offer and it makes sense for their business!

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How Do I Begin Building a List?

While there are other ways to build a list, the best method for building a high-quality, responsive list is through blogging.

When people subscribe to your email list through your blog it is an indication that they have interest in your content. They want to know about what you have to offer! This is a long term strategy but it’s been proven time & time again to be the most effective – especially for someone new to internet marketing.

For anyone new to internet marketing or even for experienced bloggers – I highly recommend the Empower Network blogging platform. It is professionally designed, ready-to-go, hassle-free and come with 11+ high converting landing pages. I was able to build a list of almost 800 subscribers in less than 6 months through various strategies taught within the Empower Network. They also have a  lucrative affiliate program which means you can earn while you learn.

 

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For additional details on how to build your own list refer to the articles Start Your Internet Marketing Business in 3 Simple Steps and 3 Proven Strategies for Building Your List.

Now matter what, start building your list for the long term success of your business. Feel free to share your questions, comments & experiences below. What value has building a list brought to your business??

Live Life By Design,

Alice Dymally

 

If you got ANY value out of this post hit the share buttons on this page now.

 

 

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