Power Words Generate Sales

Whether you have a website or an eBay Auction business the goal is to entice your visitors to become buyers. As explained in my book, experts both online and offline agree that the way to do this is by using Power Words in your ads. So, what are Power Words?

Power Words are the words experts use to create emotions in their readers. These words give the reader a visual picture and creates an urgency to buy. Below you will find some of the most important Power Words used by experts. These words have been tried and proven over and over again to attract and motivate visitors to become buyers. Use these Power Words in your headlines, on your website sales pages, and in your eBay Auction pages to generate more sales.

FREE
Web surfers are often looking for a freebie. So if you can include a “FREE trial” or give your visitors something for free, this will entice them take a closer look. Try saying “FREE Online Traffic!”.

YOU
The word “You” makes your headline or sales copy more personal. Your visitor will relate to what he/she is reading, thus creating an image in their mind. The word “you” will help your visitor decide to become a buyer. Use sentences like, “Do you want to make a serious income online?” or ” You can leave the rat race behind!”.

NEW
Anything that is “NEW” always attracts attention. Use sentences like “New information never before shared with the public!” or “New product never before seen in America!”.

PROVEN
People want to be told that a product or information they are considering buying is “PROVEN” to work. Use sentences like, “5 Proven Steps To…” or “A Proven Technique for…”.

GUARANTEE
Your visitor is going to want to know that your product is guaranteed to do what you say it does. And that you have some sort of guarantee in place, so be sure to tell them you do. Try saying things like, “100% Satisfaction Guarantee!”

ACT NOW
You always need to tell people what you want them to do next. One way of doing this is to use the words “Act Now!”. This tells them they should not delay. “ACT NOW! Don’t miss this incredible offer!”.

LIMITED TIME OFFER
If your product has a price that is only for a “LIMITED TIME” let your visitors know. Using the words “LIMITED TIME OFFER” will entice your visitors to “BUY NOW!” so they don’t miss out on the great offer you are providing them. By the way “BUY NOW” is another set of Power Words you can use.

LATEST
We all search for the “LATEST” info or the “LATEST” gadgets we can find. The word “LATEST’ will grab your visitors attention. Try sentences like, “Get the Latest Techniques on…!” or “The Latest Information on…!”.

HOW TO
Today people are really into doing it themselves. We all want to learn “How To” do better in our business, our jobs and our lives. To entice your visitors to have a closer look use “How To” to describe what your product can teach them.

INSIDER
If you are an expert on any topic then you have the “Inside Scoop” on that topic. So tell your visitors that you are an “INSIDER”. Try, “An Insider’s Guide to…” or “Insider’s Secrets that will…”.

These are just a few of the Power Words that could make a huge difference in your sales when marketing your product or service. Use them on all your sales content to attract attention and convert more visitors into buyers thus increasing your bottom line.

Copyright - Joe Clare

Joe Clare is a successful eMarketer and Author. He has written numerous articles on eBay and how to make money online. Check out his eBook “eBay Marketing Wholesale SourcePak” plus FREE Articles, Hot Tips and Advice on how you can make a Serious Income with Online Auctions. http://www.ebooksnsoftware.com

E-bay Auctions: Sell Better, Spend Less Tip #1

Just about everyone alive today has heard of E Bay.com, but most people don’t realize the sheer size and complexity of this Auction beast. Do you have something to sell? Then read on for the single most important tip to Selling better and Spending less.

79 million searches are done on E bay each day. Yes that is a very large number of searches, large enough to contain very valuable selling potential, but there are also around 19 million items on E Bay.com alone on any given day. After you have time to take this in please continue reading this article.

How can I sell more effectively? How can I lower the cost of my auctions? These are good questions with many answers, but I will cover in my opinion, the most important and effective e Bay tip of all.

More Pictures!!!

It is a proven fact that the more pictures taken of an item, the better it will sell. Not only will you get more bids, but you will get a higher final price.

The Problem.

You will never list as many pictures as you should because E-bay by default charges per picture. This causes you to ask yourself, do I really need another picture? This kind of thinking is bad for business. You should instead be asking yourself, how many different pictures can I take of this item? This brings us to the problem. Ebay charges you for every picture they host. So more pictures = more expensive auction.

The Solution

The single best thing you can do as a seller is to look into paying for an Unlimited Picture Hosting Service. These services will host an unlimited number of pictures for you and some are very easy to use. Let me show you an example. My favorite is FoamTemplates.com.

FoamTemplates.com give you unlimited uploads and they are very easy to use. And even more imporantly, they don’t restrict how many times your picture can be seen! This is very important. It is very annoying to view an auction and see that Bandwidth exceeded message. Foam Premium costs around $8 a month and includes a really nice template maker that allows you to design your whole auction on the FoamTemplates webpage. It even gives you the option to thumbnail your pictures if you have very many so your viewers don’t have to scroll 3 miles down to see your payment information.

If you see any other services that come close to this, please contact me and let me know and I will compare them. Hope this tip will save you as much money as it has me!

Joe Regan is a freelance writer for various websites.

More FOAM Information:

Free e bay.com Auction Image Hosting for your Auction Picture Hosting Needs. FOAMTemplates is compatible with E-bay and other online Auctions. Free E Bay.com Auction Template Maker allows you to design custom auction templates for auction sites including but not limited to E-Bay. Any Html auction service will work. We also offer a members only section with enhanced features such as unlimited picture uploading, and auto thumbnailing. Thank you for your interest. - FOAM Team

An Emerging Market in eBay Consignments: The eBay Trading Post (Part II In A Series)

In 2002, the eBay consignments business was born, referred to by eBay as the Trading Assistant Program.

It’s possible that eBay didn’t foresee just how much they would benefit form their eBay consignments program. Designed to unite experienced eBay sellers with people who want heir merchandise sold on eBay without having to do it themselves, the Trading Assistant program has enjoyed enormous success.

As big as eBay had become — larger than all other online auction venues combined — they were still missing out on a large segment of the population; the technophobes. These people would sell goods on eBay if they had access to a computer and a digital camera, and had the time and inclination to learn how to run an auction. But they either don’t have the technology or they lack the desire to become auctioneers, or both. Since they’re not on line, they’re not likely to learn about Trading Assistants who advertise primarily through eBay. And even if they saw the ads, they probably wouldn’t trust them.

You see, people active in the online community are already comfortable with the environment, which has an element of anonymity. But a non-computer person is more likely to want to deal with a real, brick-and-mortar retail business. They may not trust someone who runs auctions out of their home.

How to reach these people? Introducing the concept of the “Trading Post”…

A Trading post is to eBay consignments what the typical consignment shop is to the average community. It’s a drop off location that allows consumers to drop their stuff off and have it sold for them as a service. It’s a retail location that markets itself to consumers as a local, experienced ebay consignments seller — a Trading Assistant with a brick-and-mortar store.

While any ebay trading assistant can establish an ebay consignments service out of a retail location, only a Trading Post can put the eBay brand on their physical storefront.
(A trading assistant can only advertise inside their store). With this privilege comes a higher standard, ie, eBay has “raised the bar” on their requirements.

A Trading Post must meet the following additional requirements:

-Offers a staffed drop-off location or storefront with regular drop-in hours, so that clients can visit the location without calling ahead.

-Has a feedback score of 500 or higher

-Has at least 98% positive feedback

-Has sales of at least $25,000 on eBay each month

Online, clients can search for Trading Posts specifically, and Trading Posts may receive priority placement in search results. (Yes, even some online clients prefer the retail setting). Also, Trading Posts are displayed with a special icon next to their User ID. If you’re a Trading Assistant who also meets the requirements, you automatically qualify as a Trading Post and do not need to take additional steps.

Walt Duflock, Director of the eBay Trading Assistant Program and a real life trading assistant, has announced eBay’s intention of having “secret shoppers” and “customer satisfaction surveys” to see if there are certain Trading Post locations eBay would like to support more than others.

Regardless of your status on ebay, there are tools that everyone can use to build their success as TAs, available on the ebay site. I’ve found many of them quite valuable. For example, among their efficiency tools, they recommend using contact management software. eBay regards this as a great tool for getting “a better understanding of how many prospects it takes to actually create one new client and how long it takes for a client to go from initial contact to hiring you as a TA.”

And as far as support, some of the Trading Posts have become so large that they no longer rely on eBay for help. Some have developed their own proprietary systems for tracking customers and inventory, and managing their auctions. The largest and most successful ebay consignment business will even get you started with your own franchise which includes the use of their proprietary systems. All you need to come up with is $55 K plus operating expenses.

But, never fear. You can start your ebay consignment business on a shoestring, and this is how the majority begin. Since 1998, eBay and similar auction sites have been growing by leaps and bounds. eBay consignments are still in their infancy, but I predict a very bright future!

© Copyright 2004 Carolyn Schweitzer DDS. Dr. Schweitzer was a family dentist for 20 years and is now owner and editor of several websites. You can learn more about where to find specific links to the Trading Assistant and Trading Post programs by visiting her website at http://www.netbrainer.com/site/500041/page/449460.

Internet Marketing Resources

Will you honestly be where you want to be one year from today?

Will you honestly be any closer to financial freedom?

Will you be manifesting your dreams?

If you don’t like your own answers to the above questions….I will help you take the steps to get you on the right path toward your financial situation forever…If you plan on getting different results in your life, you obviously need to do something different than you’ve been doing.
Yes, you can keep dragging yourself out of bed to that meaningless, never ending day job, put in those miserable long days at your job. Yes, you can keep hoping and praying that one day some how get ahead and make something substantial for yourself.

But why on Earth would you bother putting yourself through all this.Why not put a stop to all that misery right here and now. It’s a matter of simply investing in you and finding out how easy it is to create more than one income stream. With this time-tested program in your hands, you’ll begin to discover the real, genuine secrets to bringing in about wealth and freedom. Take a moment to think about this. Let’s wrap this up. I’ve perfected a very unusual internet money-making system, The ideal in this business gives me up to $2,778.50 in a single day! I really believe you can learn to do the same, and bring in same income or even more it’s up to you. Consider this if you continue in the same direction your in now, where will you be?

I recently started the internet resource business, because I want to help people find their dream, and make the future financially secure for them and their families. And to give them a pride in themselves. So they can acheive their goals in life, and help other people acheive their goals as well.

The Lazy Man’s Guide To Making Money on eBay

I’ll be the first one to put my hands up and confess that I am terrible with a lot of things that occur in the daily course of making money on ebay or running a business.

Costs, budgets and cash flow? Yep. Really bad.

Making sure the customer gets what they asked for? I’m no better at that either.

If it wasn’t for my other half (or as she refers to herself, the ‘better half) there would be a lot of angry customers venting a lot of anger in my in box.

I like to stick to what I feel I excel at…..Coming up with ideas.

I know what my strengths are, and I also know where my weaknesses are. So keeping track of things, and actually sending things out to people that have paid me - that’s not much good for me. Someone else needs to do that, or else it won’t get done.

Sitting behind a computer trying to look busy is how I spend most of my days but don’t actually do very much at all.

My speciality is to come up with new angles, products and research various other ‘things’. Creation of new ideas in marketing and (here’s a word people don’t really like) in selling.

So what’s that got to do with making money on eBay? A lot!

You see, my main focus on the site is in marketing more effectively, because I know that’s where my strengths are. Not only does a mastery of good eBay marketing mean I can concentrate where my strength is (i.e. marketing)… it also makes things a lot easier.

In short, being good at marketing on eBay can help you - in a big, big way. Should you become an eBay marketer? I think so. It will help you tremendously.

How Can Good Marketing Help You Make Money on eBay?

Here are some of the ways ‘good marketing’ can help you:

It can mean far more powerful descriptions. This is HUGE. Descriptions can certainly make or break you. A new approach in describing products, a twist on a staid concept, powerfully convincing’ copy’ … all these things can make or break your business. Good marketing knowledge/salesmanship can convince people to choose your listings over others, and your listing over doing nothing at all. This is very important. And that’s why becoming a good marketer is critical.

It can help you tremendously when sourcing products. Not only can it help you when communicating with potential partners, but a knowledge of marketing can help you ‘dream up’ crafty ways of sourcing all sorts of products.

Another thing, also related to sourcing. You can use ’smart’ marketing to get people to come to you with product, in relation to selling on behalf of others.

It can help you after you’ve sold your products on eBay… when you’re expanding your business into other channels… whether that’s retail, the larger internet or wherever else. Again, solid marketing skills will help you massively.

It can help with your listings. I’ve touched on this when referring to descriptions above. If you gain a better understanding of marketing… or your prospect… same kind of thing… you can understand how you might better attract more customers, by listing in more categories and so on.

I can’t think of any more right now, but there will undoubtedly be many more ways in which learning how to be good at marketing will tremendously help you make more money on ebay - or any other business, for that matter!

Believe me: marketing is good to know if you’re an eBay trader.

Important: Pick What You’re Good At

I’ve come to realise something else too. Since I was good at marketing, I had to select those eBay businesses where I was able to use my marketing skills… in short, use what I was actually good at.

Let me be a bit more concrete. Let’s say that you want to sell a branded product, such as Apple iPods. Admirable goal. But my marketing… what I was good at… wouldn’t have been able to help me very much if I chose this route. Maybe that category is tied up with established re sellers, and there’s little I can do to break into it.

So, I have to choose another category of product where I CAN use ‘what I’m good at’…
For example, those items where I can use lengthy descriptions to ‘beat’ my competition (who maybe aren’t as good at marketing as me), or where product sourcing is much easier if you’re a good marketer.

Examples? If I choose to sell vitamins on eBay, I reckon I’d be good at that, because there’s more marketing leverage available to me in a category like that (lengthy descriptions etc.). I’d be playing to my strengths.

So, should YOU get better at eBay marketing? Maybe you should. Because when you do, things can get a lot easier… and you can blitz (certain) other sellers in a heartbeat.

If you do want to ‘get good’ at this and maybe build it up so good marketing is one of your strengths, then the best thing to do is start reading the material on this subject.

Me? Whenever I get interested in something, I end up getting interested in a big way. So I become something of a junkie.

If you’re interested in learning more, there are literally hundreds of good books on any given topic. One of my favourite authors is Joseph Sugarman, who really knows how to position products. If you want to blitz the competition, you can start with his book Advertising Secrets Of The Written Word.

Remember these words and getting marketing. Go on, make some REAL money on ebay!

Sign up for my free newsletter and free 7 day e-course ‘How to make more money on eBay’ at http://www.proebayer.com.

Question: How Can I Sell Used Books On Multiple Web Sites And Boost My Cashflow?

QUESTION: I’ve been selling used books on Amazon Marketplace for a few months and would like to expand to other sites. What is the best software program that would enable me to list my books on more bookselling Web sites? I’d like to be able to track all my transactions and sales tax.

ANSWER: Back when I started five years ago, the Seller Engine software (www.sellerengine.com) was available for a one-time fee of $150. Now it’s much more expensive, available only as a subscription service, about $40 a month. And it sounds as if you need more capability as far as bookkeeping, etc., which is not handled by Seller Engine.

Personally, the only software I’ve used for handling my Amazon business is Seller Engine and Intuit’s Quicken personal-finance software. I have a business checking account where I can download all my transactions from my bank, and assign them to categories such as books, postage, mailing supplies, etc. This has worked fine for me, but it only allows me to view my total sales.

To figure my sales tax obligation, I use a Microsoft Excel worksheet containing my individual Amazon Payments transactions. I sort the transactions by state in my worksheet, then get a total.

It sounds like you may need more capability. If you need to track sales tax and the amount of each transaction, you may need to integrate Intuit’s Quickbooks small-business accounting software with one of the Amazon inventory-management programs.

Every few weeks it seems another software startup is launching a new service for selling on Amazon Marketplace and the competing bookselling sites. There’s a wide range of capabilities and fees for these products, so you may want to consider what sort of price range is acceptable.

I know some of the Amazon seller software products will let you export all your transaction data, which could then be imported into Quicken/Quickbooks. And many of the newer programs will allow you to list the same inventory on multiple Web sites.

Here are a few of the most popular vendors, try plugging these product names into Google:
Bookrouter, Aman for Marketplace Sellers, BookHound, FillZ, Art of Books, Prager Software, Readerware, SellerMagic, BookSku, and MonSoon.

See a real-time list of the most highly sought after used and collectible books.

Read more free articles on selling used books profitably online: http://www.weberbooks.com/selling/selling.htm

Steve Weber is author of “The Home-Based Bookstore: Start Your Own Business Selling Used Books on Amazon, eBay or Your Own Web Site” (ISBN 0977240606). Got a question for Steve? Send to: steve_weber@yahoo.com

eBay and How to Buy Part 2: Once the Listings Appear

Once the listings appear from your keyword search terms box on the eBay Home Page, it is time to shop. Most important is to give yourself time to look at the different options before deciding which item to click on and check out. There are millions of item available on eBay at any hour of the day, make sure to do your price shopping before deciding what to purchase. It is apparent that narrowing down your search terms is as important as educated price comparison.

Price comparison is made simple online. When in the average retail chain store, one has to find tags, turn over items to locate pricing and sometimes just ask. Online shopping definitely takes the guesswork out of pricing. With eBay, the different product choices appear with the picture (if included), the current price and shipping costs. This also includes the end of auction or fixed price time and with a simple click you can find detailed product specifics and information about the seller.

When scrolling through the listings for your product, scroll down through the listings before deciding which one to click on. A picture can do as good as a thousand words for most shoppers and it is simple to see what quality of seller and listing you are going to see just from the gallery photo. When choosing a product, look for set shipping rates on the listings.

The more advanced seller knows that set shipping rates or free shipping is the way to go for online sales. It is best to try and buy from someone who knows what they are doing on eBay, has sold many items, has a high positive feedback rating from eBay One who has a detailed product description is best so that you know exactly what you are purchasing when you send your money.

When comparing prices, keep in mind that with the auction listings, many can be deceiving due to the time of start of the auction. If a listing has just started and has many days left, the price could inflate drastically as bidding nears close. With Buy It Now listings, the price is set with a button in order to purchase now, pay now and have it shipped quickly. This is more like shopping in your average online store, can save time and money with some great deals available. Most eBay Stores feature all Buy It Now listings and shopping in these stores can make buying easier with the knowledge that you are also buying from a reputable seller.

Price comparison is important on eBay, because it is a competitive market. While one price might look extremely low at first glance, you may find something 10-20 percent less just by putting in the time to really search through eBay for the perfect product. Price varies no matter which product you are searching for. Take your time to search and the monetary rewards will really justify it.

Amy Lieberfarb has been in the office furniture and interior sales industry for 11 years and currently runs two online websites dedicated to Office Chairs and Furniture. Providing information on how to pick the right ergonomic chair and featuring hundreds of different chairs, the site is very informative.

http://stores.ebay.com/liebswholesale

Specializing in Office Furniture and Ergonomic Chairs.

http://www.liebswholesale.com

Please see her websites and her many other articles for more information on ergonomics and proper positioning.

She is an expert in most things office chairs and is an eBay Gold Level Powerseller with years of experience and great positive feedback from all of her loyal customer base.

Taxing Your eBay Profits

As a small business person-slash-advice columnist I dread the first quarter of the new year. Not because in my mind my own business fortunes start at zero again every January or because I have already dismissed every New Year’s resolution I made when the clock rang out the New Year.

No, the reason I dread the first quarter of the new year is that my email box floods with questions about business taxes and the IRS, my two least favorite subjects on earth. It’s not that I am opposed to paying my fair share of business taxes. It’s that I consider the IRS to be a little like Beetlejuice, the movie demon who appeared only after his name was called three times in a row. My fear is if I write too many IRS columns their dark agents may appear on my doorstep, ready to drag me away to an uncertain fate.

Oh well, one must do his duty no matter the consequences, so here we go….

Q: I am starting a small retail business. While talking to a potential supplier last week he asked for my EIN number. I had no idea what he was talking about, so I told him I would have to get back with him because I didn’t have the number handy. What is an EIN number and why do I need one? — Robert P.

A: Robert, do you remember the old Johnny Rivers song “Secret Agent Man?” There was a line that said, “They’re giving you a number and taking away your name.” An EIN isn’t as cool as a secret agent number, but it works much the same way when it comes to your business’ relationship with the IRS. Instead of identifying your business by name, the IRS identifies your business by EIN.

EIN stands for Employer Identification Number and is also known as a federal tax ID number. The EIN is a nine-digit number that the IRS assigns to businesses and is used to identify taxpayers that are required to file various business tax returns.

Does your business need an EIN? According to the IRS the answer is yes if:

· Your business has employees

· Your business is a corporation or partnership

· You file returns for Employment, Excise, or Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms tax

· You withhold taxes on income (other than wages) paid to a non-resident alien.

· Your business has a Keogh plan

· Your business involves trust, estate, real estate mortgage investment conduits, non-profit, farmers’ cooperatives, or plan administrators.

Applying for an EIN is a relatively painless task. You can apply online at the IRS website (irs.gov), apply by mail or telephone, or if you do business in a state that participates in the Federal Employer Identification Number project you can apply through you local IRS office (sorry, Alabama is not one of them).

You will need an EIN number prior to filing business returns with the IRS, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to obtain one. For more information on EINs and your business, consult your accountant.

And while we’re on the subject …

Q: I made extra money selling things on eBay last year. These were items I picked up at yardsales mostly. My husband says I am responsible for paying income tax on the money I made, but I disagree. This is just my hobby, not a business. What do you think? — Gladys A.

A: With so many people selling on eBay these days this is a question I get quite a bit. In fact, I have plans for a future “eBay and taxes” column, but I believe your question is more, “is it a hobby or is it a business?”

Again, I went to the horse’s mouth (at least I think it was the mouth) for the answer. According to the IRS there are a number of factors that help determine if your hobby can be considered a business and thereby make you susceptible to the IRS tax rules governing business.

Do you carry on the activity in a business-like manner? If you conduct your eBay activities like a business, i.e. you keep business records, track your profit and loss, keep a separate checking account, etc. then whether you think so or not, your hobby is considered a business.

If you put considerable time and effort into your venture, the IRS may contend that you do so for profit and not fun. It seems the folks at the IRS don’t believe in doing things strictly for pleasure. My guess is, neither do you. If you weren’t making money selling on eBay I doubt you’d be bothering getting up at 4am to hit all those yardsales. Then again, maybe you would…

If you depend on income from your eBay activities for your livelihood, it’s a business, not a hobby.

There are a number of other factors the IRS considers to determine if a hobby is really a business, but in your case I think that covers the basics.

For detailed answers to any tax question you should consult a qualified accountant or tax attorney. God forbid you rely on a guy who is afraid to mumble the letters “IRS” three times in a row.

Small Business Q&A is written by veteran entrepreneur
and syndicated columnist, Tim Knox.
Tim’s latest books include “Small Business Success Secrets”
and “The 30 Day Blueprint For Success!”
Related Links:
http://www.smallbusinessqa.com
http://www.dropshipwholesale.net

The One Sure Fire Step to Success On EBay

Ebay is a huge business. Ebay is spinning off cottage industries faster then the top 10 Sitcom’s combined. Last Year more then 20 Billion Dollars changed hands on Ebay (yes Billion with a “B”). Here is the one SureFire Step to success on EBay.

Many people are earning a 6 figure income on Ebay. Many more are earning steady income’s of 500 to 5,000 Dollars a month. All of theses people took the one sure step to success on Ebay. Without this one step nothing else matters.

The step of course is to get started. That’s right go to Ebay set up a sellers account and sell something. Sell anything. If you don’t take this first step then you will never be a successful Ebay seller,

The best way to get started as a seller on EBay is to find some items around the house you no longer want or need. Register as a Seller on Ebay and post these Items for sale on Ebay. The amount of the sale doesn’t matter. This is a learning experience. It is a Trial run, a Pretest just practice. After your first sale you may want to list a few other items for sale.

By the time you have sold 3 or 4 of those old household items you will be an E-Bay Pro and you will be ready to use other methods to sell items on E-bay.

About The Author:
Mike Makler has been Marketing Online Since 2001 When he Built
an Organization of over 100,000 Members

Drop Shipping Your Way to Wealth Over 90,000 Items You can Sell on EBay
Today
http://ewguru.com/ebay-dropship

Getting Started With Ebay Resource Guide
http://ewguru.com/ebay-start

Weekly Tips and Tricks Newsletter
http://ewguru.com/etips

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

Manage Your Time To Increase Proftis on eBay

At times things can get a bit hectic while trying to run your eBay business. You have so many things to do like managing your lists, collecting payments and shipping your products out to customers. You need to develop a system that works so that you get the most production out of the time and money you have invested into your eBay business. This article will offer you some tips to keep in mind when trying to manage your eBay business and make things run smoothly.

Using Templates - Most professional eBay sellers use templates for all the auctions they post. By using a professional looking template you can increase your selling price and make buyers take you more seriously. If you’re not experienced enough with computer to create your own templates then you should consider paying someone to create a few for you. When you are using templates, not only do your auctions look more professional, but it saves you valuable time as well. You simply plug all the information for the specific item you are selling into your template and you’re ready to go. No longer do you have to worry about formatting and making it look nice because that’s already done for you.

Have a Listing Strategy - Most potential buyers will look at your other auctions as well. You want to make sure to list similar items at the same time. This way if they look at one of your items, but it’s not quite what they’re looking for, they may like another similar item that you posted better. This gives you more than one chance to get a purchase from that person. You can also post items that compliment each other and possibly get two sales from the same person. You can even offer a deal on shipping if the customer purchases both items.

Group Items Into The Same Listing - Maybe you have an item that you’re not sure will sell. You can try to group this item with a better item and list them together. You can throw the additional item in as a bonus. This can help push a buyer over the edge to bid and can even raise your potential sales price.

Sell By The Season - It’s important that you are selling items that are good for the season that you are selling in. You don’t want to be selling beach towels during Christmas or winter jackets during July. Keep in mind that you also don’t want to sell an item during the peak because then you have more competition, try to get your item up before the rush of the season hits.

Think About Potential Questions - You want to provide as much information in your description as possible. The more potential questions you can answer in your description, the better. This way you’ll spend less time replying to emails from potential customers. If a customer has a question, many times they will just move onto another auction and won’t even bother asking you. So you need to try to anticipate any potential questions and make sure they are answered clearly in your auction. Keep your terms and conditions very clear as well. These include: shipping rates and options, discounts, payment method and so forth.

Create A Mailing List - Set up a mailing list or newsletter that your buyers can sign up for. This way you can contact them whenever you have a new item listed. Remember that your customer list, is your most valuable asset. If they have already bought from you and you made sure they were satisfied, then you have a pretty good chance that they will buy from you again if you treat them right.

Smart Shipping - You can now purchase and print your USPS and UPS labels from home online. Just use your PayPal funds to pay for postage and drop the boxes off at the post office, or you can even schedule a pick up from your home. This saves you time because you don’t have to go wait in line at the post office, and we all know there is always a line! You can set it up so that your buyers are automatically given a tracking number as well.

Your Feedback Rating - Your feedback rating is the most important part of your eBay business that you need to maintain. The better your feedback rating, the more you can sell your items for. Protect your feedback rating, no matter what the cost. This is one of those things where the customer is always right. It’s your job to make your customers happy, so do whatever it takes.

By using the tips that I have given you in this article you have the potential to increase your profits on eBay. You will also give yourself extra time to do other things in your life. When running your eBay business, you want to always be looking for ways to streamline and automate your business, so keep your eyes open for those opportunities. The tips in this article should put you on the right track.

This article was written on behalf of eBayBusiness.net by Webmaster and Internet Marketing Specialist Jason Cooper. Visit http://www.ebaybusiness.net and download 3 Free eBay Business eBooks today! (c) 2006, eBayBusiness.net. This article may be reproduced in all venues so long as the content and by-line are reprinted intact and all links are set live.