I know - ebay has been around for a long time, and everyone should be online selling things! Well that is not the case, and there are still tons of people out there looking for information about how to start selling on ebay. There are many sites out there that discuss this topics, and there are also tons of ebooks you can buy to try and help get you statred. I am going to give you the tips I have about getting started on ebay for free.
If you want to try out ebay and see how it works, sign up for an account. It is free, and there are no obligations. Most people start by selling junk from their attic, basement, or garage. When I got married, my wife went through all of my stuff, and basically told me it all needed to go. I instantly had a bunch of stuff to sell on ebay. Maybe this same situation is familiar to all of you.
People also collect stuff from friends, relatives, and neighbors. They also searhc free sites for free stuff like freecycle and craigslist. I have even hear of people going down to swap meets, salvation army, second-hand stores, and other they buy charity shops to stock up on inventory. They buy stuff cheap, and mark it up on ebay!
Selling stuff on ebay is not as easy as it looks, as it requires that you keep an inventory of products, that you write descriptions about your products, that you photgraphy your products, and that you upload all of this information to ebay for other people to see and bid on. It takes some time and effort to craft a message and an ad that is appealing to people and makes them want to purchase your item.
However, you are certain to make a profit because the initial items were effectively free if you collect in the ways that I describe above. Once you are into the swing of it you'll want to specialise. One of my tenants exclusively sells computer goods on ebay, and one of my neighbors goes to local auctions and buys pottery to sell on ebay.
This is where the skill comes in. You need to build up your knowledge of what things are worth and where/how to sell them for maximum profit. You need to set your shipping charges realistically so they cover your costs without ripping-off buyers and pricing your items too high to be competitive. Many people set a low selling price, but a high shipping price - this is not a good idea, so avoid doing it.
I recommend that you check out some auctions and charity shops to see what is available that interests you and could be sold online for a profit. Anything that might have a favorable niche market is a great idea to sell! You might be able to tie this in with selling new products but the profit margin tends to be smaller and the competition is fierce for selling new products, so I would recommend that you stay away from that for a while. Perhaps you have a local factory that sells sub-standard products cheaply. "Slight seconds" used to be common in the clothing industry and even in home improvement industry products.
Whatever you choose, the work will be hard, so it ought to be something for which you can develop a passion. There are millions of eBay sellers but there are still lots of possibilities that they haven't thought of yet! Selling on ebay is not a way to get rich quick, but a good way to establish a long-term income stream. Of course every good business idea gets copied so, when that happens, you write an ebook about it, sell that and move on to something new!
At the same time as selling on eBay you should create a simple web site. Create an eBay "about me" page and put a link to your web site from that page. (eBay does not allow you to put your web site link in your auction pages). On your web site you can put lots of information about you and about your products. This will attract visitors and you can either direct them to your eBay auctions or set up your own "shopping cart" on your web site.
I recommend using paypal, google's shopping cart, Mal's E-commerce, or shop-script as they are some of the best ecommerce platforms available, but they all require some basic understanding of HTML.
One more suggestion: make your auctions memorable! I remember when this guy put this wedding dress online, and it spread so fast around our office, and to everyone I knew because it was funny and uncommon. I can guarantee you that guy sold that dress. Take a look at this auction page here(PDF document).
Thursday, June 19, 2008
How to start selling on ebay
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Google AdSense: 7 Tips For Creating Sites That Make Money
Having a Google AdSense site is a great way to make money. And to create an AdSense site, all you have to do is have a Google AdSense account (which is free), a website or a blog (which is free), and some articles (which are free if you write them yourself). Once you get your site up and running, the AdSense ads will be targeted to your content.
Therefore, those looking for your content will come by, read your articles, and have a high probability of being interested in the targeted ads. Every time someone clicks an ad, you get paid! That is, as long as you have designed your site to maximize AdSense clickthroughs!
Let's look at seven tips for creating AdSense sites that create money.
#1: Keyword Density
Before you place ads on your site, be sure your keyword density is good. You will want to be sure that the right kinds of ads are placed on your site. A free way to determine what the ads will look like on your site is to go to http://www.resultsgenerator.com/adsense/ and type in your keywords. You will then be able to see exactly what ads would show on your site.
If you don't like what you see, then you know that you need to make changes to your keywords! You can get keyword suggestions from Results Generator from Overture or from the free trial version of Word Tracker.
#2: Focused
Not only will the ads be based on your keywords, but they will also be based on your content. You definitely want your keywords and your content to match as closely as possible.
#3: Write Often
The more information you have the better. Why? Because the more content you have, the more visitors you get. Many people suggest that you write a new article every day since no one wants to come back to your site to find the same old messages!
#4: Choose The Right Format
AdSense allows you to choose many different ad formats. Research has shown that wider ads are more successful. The top three formats are:
" 336x280 large rectangle
" 300x250 medium rectangle
" 160x600 wide skyscraper
Additionally, the 468x15 horizontal ad link under the navigation bar is also a good bet.
#5: Color Counts
You have the option to create a Google AdSense ad in any color of your choice. The best thing to do is to make your ad blend well with your site color scheme. You should make the border color and the background color the same color as your web site. You will want your text color to either be black or the color of your main content.
When creating your Google AdSense ads it is recommended to use the color scheme and style of your website so that the ads blend in well. Ads without background color and borders perfom better than ads within borders with background color.
#6: Position Counts, Too
It is well known that visitors to a website scan the site to determine if it is worth reading. You definitely want them to see and scan your AdSense ads. Therefore, the best place to put them is in the top left part of your page or directly under your headlines.
#7: Increase The Number
AdSense allows you to use up to three AdSense units on a page, two AdSense search boxes, and one unit of ad links. Using all that you can increases the chances of earning money.
Keep these seven tips in mind when creating your AdSense site and you will find that your clickthrough rates increase, thus increasing your money making potential.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Make Money online with Click Ads
ClixsenseLast month I discovered another site that is free to join and use and helps you earn some extra cash. It is called Clixsense. The only thing you have to do to earn some extra money on this site is click on ads. You are not required to sign-up for anything or complete and offers to get paid. There are no catches, just simply click on the ads and watch your account grow.To join Clixsense you must be 16 years old. This program is open to International Members and US. If you are an International member you should take advantage of this site because most paid to read ad sites don't include other countries.When you log in to your account you will have ads waiting for you. They range from .01-.10 each. If you choose to upgrade you will get more ads and they will be worth more each. Upgrading is optional and not required to earn money with this site. Just click on the ad you want to view and a new window will pop up. You must view the ad for 30 seconds and then you can close the window. Don't worry they will let you know when the time is up.To sign up click HERE
Make $30 a month with SendEarnings
Sendearnings.com is an excellent way to may a few dollars while sitting home doing nothing. Just for signing up to this online survey company, I received a $5 bonus. I then began participating in a few surveys that paid $1 each. In less than a half an hour, I earned $7. Sign Up Here
Signing up for this service is rather simple. You simple click on to the website, give your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. A confirmation e-mail will be sent to your e-mail address. This sometimes goes into your bulk or span folder, so look for it shortly after you sign up. In order to earn any money at sendearnings, you must confirm your e-mail address. Sign Up Here
The surveys for sendearnings are simpler than those on some other paid survey sites. They actually seem legitimate and do not direct you to countless of other websites. They will occasionally send you e-mails from their advertisers. If you click on these e-mails and visit the sites, you will also receive a small bonus from the survey company for doing this. It is important, to remain an active member of SendEarnings to continue to visit the websites of the sites advertisers. You don’t need to purchase any products or provide information. Simply click on and click out - it’s that simple. Those who don’t visit the websites are normally put on the “inactive” list and not eligible for pay. So be sure to check your spam folder every other day or so from the sites advertisers. Sign Up Here
Only one user for the site is permitted per household. You cannot make up “fake names” and use the same computer, either. Your IP address will be tracked and will result in you getting kicked off the site. Sign Up Here
I was actually impressed by the first paying survey I did for SendEarnings. It was all about gym shoes and although it asked dozens of questions, it was about a topic I knew something about and a product that I often purchase.
There are dozens of free surveys in which you can participate in SendEarnings. In addition to answering survey questions, participants can refer other members to the site and earn a bonus if they sign up to do the surveys. More money can be made by continuing to visit the sites’ advertisers.
Payment is made once a month, but for not less than $30. Once you have earned $30 in your account, you can request payment. Payments are sent to your house via check or money order and there is a $3 fee if you request a money order.
Those living outside the United States can also sign up for this service, however they do need to speak English as this is the only language available on the site. WebTV users are also permitted to participate as well. Sign Up Here
Once you have made $30, you can request payment from the site. However, do not expect it to come quickly. Most of the survey sites I have visited take about 30 days to send out payments to individuals. You also must continue to be a member in good standing in order to get paid, so bookmark the site and visit it each day. And be sure to pay attention to the e-mails you receive from the site. They will not only earn you a percentage of the profits, but will keep you an active member of the account.
Members of the site can purchase a “Gold Membership” which gives you extra benefits including unassigned referrals. When I signed up for the website, I did not do so through a referral, so my referral bonus went to a Gold Membership member.
Once you have completed a survey, it can take up to five days to show up in your earnings account, although some survey payments show up immediately. In many cases, it takes a while to confirm the survey. I have found that this is the way of most survey companies. Sign Up Here
For the most part, I found Sendearnings.com to be a reputable online survey site. Although the survey process was a bit lengthy, there were no “hidden agendas” and the survey stayed right on target. It reminded me of taking a survey at the mall. I definitely recommend Sendearnings.com to anyone who is thinking about taking surveys at home for extra money. Sign Up Here
How to make at least $30-$40 per month with survey site
You can make at least $30-$40 per month by filling out daily surveys and offers on CashCrateWhat Is It?CashCrate is a Get Paid To program where you get paid for signing up for various surveys and completing offers. There are many offers that are free, and some are Trial Offers. What you want to do is completely up to you! I only sign up for the 100% free offers and I do not pay for any of the offers. You can though, and earn even higher money potential! Companies want your feedback and opinions and are willing to pay money for that. Cashcrate receives money for promoting these companies and passes on 75% of that money to it’s members who sign up for and complete surveys and offers. Every day there is a daily survey available. You earn $.80 for completing it and can take up to 2 daily surveys a day, so if you complete the daily survey and nothing else you could make $48.00 a month. That is in addition to the money you can earn by completing offers and other surveys. So go here now and sign up! CashCrate. Members are paid monthly, and you have to earn at least $10.00. Go to CashCrateand Sign Up for Free on the homepage. Log in and go to the Member’s Area. There you will see a short tutorial. Click on that for simple instructions on how to start completing offers. And do the daily surveys and make 48$ a month like i am doing. That’s it! It’s easy to Sign Upand start and watch your earnings grow!
