eBay Seller Central - Sales, Marketing, Selling Tips for PowerSellers

2009-11-28T08:38:00.001-08:00

eBay Sales Map - Holiday: Black Friday 2009 http://ping.fm/bNV1Z

2009-11-27T10:22:00.001-08:00

Facebook Marketing: IKEA's Genius Use of Photo Tagging http://ping.fm/cRdV6

2009-11-25T11:27:00.001-08:00

“He does the work of three men: Larry, Curly, and Moe.” http://ping.fm/JCA1R

2009-11-13T15:17:00.001-08:00

Elgan: Online publishing for the cheap and lazy http://ping.fm/SmiuZ

2009-11-11T16:56:00.001-08:00

4 Social Media Stories: The Good, Bad and Ugly http://ping.fm/9shEz

How to Set Google Chrome as Your Default Browser in Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows Vista - Important for eBay Pages

2008-09-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

This post, which shows you how to change your default browser to Google Chrome in Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows Vista, may not initially appear to fall under the marketing category... however, I'll explain further in a minute. It's important for eBay sellers, too, not just marketers in general.

Google Chrome is the new browser from the folks at Google. If you're looking for reviews of the browser, check here: Awesome Google Chrome Review, Summary of Google Chrome Reviews at UK Telegraph (includes TechCrunch, Walt Mossberg, CNET, Gizmodo reviews and more), andGoogle Chrome Review from PC World.

So, Google Chrome is pretty cool and very fast when compared to other browsers like FireFox and Internet Explorer. I like it, and I wanted to set it as my default browser on a couple of the machines here.

Here's the correct process for doing this manually on Windows XP, 2000 and Vista (thanks to Mozilla):

Setting default browser manually

You can set the default browser in Windows 2000 (SP3+) Windows XP (SP1+) and Windows Vista using the "Set Program Access and Defaults" feature (renamed "Set Program Access and Computer Defaults" in Windows Vista). [2]

Windows 2000: "Start -> Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs -> Set Program Access and Defaults"
Windows XP: "Start -> Control Panel -> Add or Remove Programs -> Set Program Access and Defaults -> Custom"
Windows Vista: "Start -> Default Programs -> Set Program Access and Computer Defaults -> Custom" [3]

(Windows XP/Vista: Click the icon to the right of "Custom", to expand the category.)

You will see Internet Explorer and other installed browsers listed under "Choose a default Web browser" . Select "Mozilla" (Suite), "SeaMonkey" or "Mozilla Firefox" (in some cases, "Mozilla Firefox" may not be listed; to add it back, reinstall Firefox [4]).

If the above doesn't work or if the "Set Program Access and Defaults" feature isn't available in your Windows version, you can manually set the default browser by selecting it as the the default program for individual file types and protocols as follows:

Windows XP and earlier: Open the Control Panel from the Windows Start menu.
- In Windows 2000 and earlier, or if Windows XP is using the Control Panel "Classic View": Click on "Folder Options -> File Types".
- In Windows XP, if using the Control Panel "Category View": Click on "Performance and Maintenance". Then, click on "File Types" in the left column under the heading "See Also".
Windows Vista: Click the Start button, open "Default Programs" and then click "Associate a file type or protocol with a program". [5]

Assign the following protocols and file types to the browser you wish to set as default:

URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol
URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol with Privacy
URL:File Transfer Protocol
HTML File
HTM File (optional)

Note that you may find the URL protocols listed above under extension "N/A" or "(NONE)".

The reason I think it's important for marketers to install and use this new browser are many:

You need to know how your Web pages and eBay listings look in this new browser - If you don't have consistency across all four major browsers (Safari included.. perhaps Opera deserves a mention, too), you're not communicating consistently.
If anything doesn't render correctly you need to fix it ASAP. I surfed to JCrew's site yesterday, and a lot of their images don't render in Chrome, while they do quite nicely in the other browsers.
Users are hopping on the new Chrome browers in huge numbers. They're installing it like mad because of Google's exposure. Again, if your sites don't look good on Google Chrome, you may have a problem on your hands. This applies to things beyond just generic looks, as well... like shopping carts, Java script, widgets, sign up forms, AJAX and so forth.

Take a look and make sure you're good on Google Chrome.

The Obvious "Secret" All World-Class eBay Sellers Obey

2008-05-14T15:39:00.000-07:00

Home-based eBay sellers are constantly assaulted by temptations, distractions and diversions. The Tivo is full of your favorite recorded shows. Your children need some sort of assistance. The fridge beckons. A new article (or blog post!) grabs your attention. All these things take you away from your most profitable activities – which include listing, site design, promotion, PR, branding, direct mail and so forth.

Everyone talks about how “ACTION” is so important. But, beneath that little secret is the real one – “The START.” The start is crucial to action. Starting something -- anything -- is often the eBay seller’s biggest challenge. There are so many reasons not to start. But the accumulation of false starts, and start denials eventually adds up to poor performance and results. The mind that doesn’t start is the bad mind at work. It’s the same one that doesn't want to get up at 5AM. The one that goes for chocolate rather than broccoli.

If you start something.. anything.. however.. it eventually produces good stuff. A plan, process or outline that’s in place helps guarantee good stuff. Because, everyone knows that some do’ers do the wrong thing. That can be very dangerous.

There’s a science that studies “bad actions,” and it’s covered quite well in a book called Deep Survival. This is where people make rapid, “blink” decisions in survival situations and fail miserably (usually resulting in death). Fortunately eBay is a more forgiving environment. If you fail, you get tons of data that shows you where you went wrong. And you can always fix things and try again. That’s not so when you’re climbing Everest.

Now.. in the interest of starting something, I’ll clam up and let you launch that next critical action.

Fear, eBay and Jack Canfield

2008-05-13T06:49:00.000-07:00

I read the following Jack Canfield article this morning. It’s a good general piece, but it’s also particularly useful for new eBay sellers or even eBay veterans that need new ways to make money, test products, open new markets and innovate. Part of your job as an eBay seller is to be creative. Creativity requires boldness and a healthy approach to fears. The article offers useful strategies for moving past fear and/or using it to guide your decisions and creations. I especially like the “taking a 2-year-old to the market” analogy.

Putting Fear in Its Place
by Jack Canfield

As you move forward on your journey from where you are to where you want to be, you are going to have to confront some of your fears. Fear is a just a natural part of living.

Whenever you start a new project, take on a new venture, or put yourself out there, there's usually some fear involved. Unfortunately, most people let fear stop them from taking the necessary steps to achieve their dreams.

Confronting your fears is a very necessary step in achieving success.

There is simply no other way.

Fear can be a helpful emotion, as it tells you when you need to be extra careful, keenly aware, and cautious. Fear is not an emotion that is telling you to stop. In fact, it's telling you just the opposite!

Acknowledging your feelings of fear helps you know when you are stepping out of your comfort zone. It points your awareness to areas where you could improve and grow.

Successful people also feel fear. Yet they don't let it get in the way of anything they want to do--or have to do. They understand that fear is something to be acknowledged, experienced, and taken along for the ride. They have learned, as author Susan Jeffers suggests in her must-read book, to "Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway®."

(Susan Jeffers has been a friend of mine for twenty years now, and her work, which is very powerful and transformational, has helped millions of people overcome their fears and move forward to create success in their lives. I highly recommend her as a resource.)

You see, fear is more of a signal that we should stay alert and cautious. We can feel fear, but we can still move forward anyway.

Think of fear as a 2-year-old child who doesn't want to go grocery shopping with you. Because you must buy groceries, you'll just have to take the two year old with you. Fear is no different. In other words, acknowledge that fear exists but don't let it keep you from doing important tasks.

Also realize that so many of our fears are self-created. We might frighten ourselves by fantasizing negative outcomes to any activity we might peruse or experience. Luckily, because we are the ones doing the fantasizing, we are also the ones who can stop the fear and bring ourselves into a state of clarity and peace by facing the actual facts, rather than giving in to our imaginations.

If a fear is too great for you to overcome, try breaking it down into smaller challenges.

Try starting out doing the parts of the project that don't scare you so much. You need to give a speech in front of a large group? Try giving your speech in front of a small group of people who care for you. Work your way up until you are able to feel the fear but still move forward. As you do, you will build your confidence and eventually you won't feel fear surrounding those issues because you'll have done them enough to count it as a skill.

As you move toward your goal, don't attach yourself so much to the outcomes.

Keep moving toward your dream doing everything you can to create what you want, then let it go and see what shows up. Sometimes the universe will have a better idea in mind for you and present a better opportunity when you were expecting something completely different. Don't let fear keep you from moving forward. Even if the horrible outcome that you imagined happens, the universe will always provide for you another way to succeed. So be on the look out!

Trust that no matter what occurs, you are smart enough and strong enough to keep looking for, and attracting, opportunities.

If you are willing to try new experiences in spite of your fears, then more new experiences will present themselves for you to try. And the more you try, the more you are likely to succeed!

For even MORE inspiration about overcoming your fears, you can learn from this Video Clip of Me on YouTube discussing some tactics you can use right away!

Jack Canfield, America's Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com

What All eBay Sellers Should Know About Blog Post Timing

2008-05-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

Most progressive eBay sellers are now blogging to sell products, educate customers, manage public relations, and provide customer service. Most simply post when they can.

A new study discovered that there are advantageous and disadvantageous times during the day and week to blog.

Ah data analysis. I love it.

In a nutshell (hey, I’m in a nutshell get me out of here)… here’s what they found:

After lunch, between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM (PST – Pacific Standard Time) is the best time to post on any given week day. Between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM is also good (after work). Thursday is the best day.

What’s the worst time to post? Between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM PST on the weekends. Everybody’s out doing something else. That makes weekends a good time to get posts together and then schedule them for posting on weekdays in the optimal time slots.

Now get out there and post.

eBay Sourcing Resource - How to Reliably, Quickly Find Good Products

2008-03-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

Online auctions are still a great way to make money online, but you have to be very careful about your pricing and you need to have reliable, genuine sources. One of the toughest challenges is finding a steady supply of high-quality, genuine goods at a cost low enough for you to turn a decent profit (after you subtract all your expenses and fees). While many sites claim to offer listings of wholesalers for eBay sellers, in reality, most of the information you will find is either out of date or untested.

It helps to have a community of peers and expert power sellers to sort through all the supplier information out there, so you can get feedback about what suppliers are reliable and who will work with small home based businesses and individual auction sellers. While you can find wholesalers in every part of the world, even just by looking in the phone book, most of them probably won't fit the bill for your average eBayer.

One option to find product sources is SaleHoo. SaleHoo describes itself as a global product sourcing community. Its updated directory has over 5,000 wholsalers and dropshippers for almost every type of goods. More than just a simple supplier list, SaleHoo has some advanced functionality. It gives you the information you want and it never makes you jump through any hoops to get the details, unlike other directories. You can organize and save favorites, and you can instantly search the SaleHoo forum database for community entries about a particular supplier. The supplier page also allows you to go straight to the whois database for more information, and it also allows you to register a complaint or leave feedback.

SaleHoo's forums are very active (over 40,000 registered members) and there is a lot of good information that is shared and posted by experienced sellers. The forums focus heavily on auction selling, so if you're just looking to get products for your own online store or shopping cart - there's not quite as much value. But overall, SaleHoo is probably worth checking out, particularly for people new to eBay selling.

Conversational Writing and eBay Descriptions - Marketing Mojo

2008-01-24T10:17:00.000-08:00

We talk a lot about conversational voice and tone in these pages. Conversational style engages and persuades people. That's the gist of it.

A lot of businesses still shy away from this type of writing in their Web sites, eBay listings and marketing collateral.

I came across validation for the conversational approach in another book (which is great, by the way). It's called Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas On Presentation Design and Delivery.

Here's a quote from the book (p. 83):

"When you are in a conversation with someone you are naturally more engaged because you have an obligation to participate. You are involved. Formal speech and formal writing devoid of any emotion whatsoever is extremely difficult to stay with for more than a few minutes. Your conscious mind has to remind you to "stay away, this is important!" But someone who speaks in a natural, human, conversational style is far easier to stay engaged with."

I urge you, as always, to write with conversational tone and style. That means speaking as if in a one-on-one conversation, adding emotion, using imagery, and communicating as you would with a friend.

Me Blogging About RSS Photo Feeds -- Are You Blogging about Your Products?

2008-01-12T10:00:00.001-08:00

If you’re interested in technology trends, I wrote an article for D-Link about RSS photo feeds. This kind of application is simple, like ring tones – hence the title of the article. Yet it’s so much more clever and elaborate.

I write blog posts for D-Link from time to time, and this is the latest one. Which reminds me… are you blogging about your products and services? It’s a great way to communicate with consumers, explore new ideas and uses for your products, and learn from your user/consumer community.

Downright Fascinating Social Media and Web Commerce Trends

2008-01-10T14:20:00.000-08:00

The following is important fodder for eBay sellers, ecommerce sites, and general Web commerce audiences. It’s even fascinating to the lay person. That said,…

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee wrote a great article on Web trends in the November 26, 2007 issue of InformationWeek. There is so much going on in this market.. the mind reels. Here’s a taste from the lead:

“The old days of companies tightly controlling a marketing message are gone…The interactive forces of the Internet - including social networking sites, online discussion boards, and blogs - are arming consumers with tools that can quickly and exponentially spread the word to other would-be customers if a product stinks or a company blunders... Companies such as Charles Schwab and OnStar are creating Internet platforms to literally read the minds of consumers, seeking out insights that directly drive their new product strategies.” [my emphasis]

This reminded me of AdWords, of course. AdWords is great for driving business or clicks to your site via general advertising techniques. However, what a lot of people don’t realize is that AdWords is a great tool for testing promos, floating new ideas, and reading the minds of consumers. And it’s cheap!.. given the right niched-out keywords.

The article details various ways companies like FedEx, eBay, Schwab and others are using the social connectivity of Web 2.0 (I hate saying Web 2.0, but I did, shame) to their advantage. FedEx’s CIO Rob Carter says, (paraphrased from the article) “The explosive growth of this connectivity has been ‘completely underestimated’ in how it will affect society and markets.” I concur.

The article also talks about some fascinating new trends, like having your Second Life avatar or character purchase things for you or book reservations for you online. I know, that sounds crazy. But think about it. Why the heck not? If you build the right character, with all your tastes, desires, wish lists and so forth, why not set him free on a shopping spree? I’ve never played Second Life, but I assume there are vendors in there, like Amazon.com. (If you know how this works, please comment below and enlighten us.) FedEx’s Carter comments in the article, “Second Life has enough momentum to make us wonder: What if this identity I’ve built could spill over into my daily life and get things done for me?” Your avatar would be like an information robot – tuned to all your preferences and guided by “business rules” that determine decisions.

Carter extends the concepts further, saying, “The greatest opportunities lie in socially networking corporations together – horizontally, across business processes, which don’t necessarily live within your four walls anymore.” Great example = Gaming like Second Life supporting commerce like FedEx and Amazon.com.

The article describes how some companies like OnStar use Nielsen BuzzMetrics to analyze how they’re performing in “consumer-generated media.” This is another hot topic, worthy of another post, probably.

There’s a cool story about Dell’s celebrity advertising campaigns, too. I’ll blog more on that later, too.

In the mean time, read the article. It’s a mind bender.

Online Advertising Trends Toward Social Media

2008-01-08T09:56:00.001-08:00

Andrew Chen remarks on increasing CPMs for online advertising. Traffic and advertising is moving toward User Generated Content (UGC) sites like Facebook, MySpace and Flickr this year. Costs are low, and targeting is very granular. Are you advertising in social media? Comment to share your experiences.

clipped from andrewchen.typepad.com

The quick summary in terms of the pros and cons for CPMs increasing:

Pro: Technology and optimization is improving

Pro: More ad dollars are moving online

Con: The amount of available inventory is increasing

My quick take: the problem is not just that the amount of available inventory is increasing - more importantly, this inventory is concentrated in social media, UGC, and all that fun stuff.

Product Reviews, Social Media and New Online Buying Trends

2008-01-04T11:17:00.000-08:00

The following comes from the Online Marketer Blog:

“Not only are 1 in 4 internet users consulting reviews before purchasing offline, but they are willing to pay more if the service is ranked as excellent. It seem that after the year of exuberance that was all about Facebook and twitter, business is finally getting around to answering the question of how social media effects ROI.

“..Users that [sic] sort the list of products by customer ratings spend 41% more than users who search with other methods like popularity or price… Emails that feature customer review content receive 50% higher clickthrough rates.”

Here’s the main article, titled Good For Consumers (And Businesses): Social Media Gets A Glimpse Of Measurable ROI.

So.. for online marketers, it’s now more critical than ever to be building review/social functions into your Web sites and product pages. Customer service performance counts bigtime, too, of course.

And, as consumers, we have to make sure we maintain clear, critical thinking when checking product reviews. I’d like to see some some numbers about the veracity and integrity of online reviews. How much of it is “bro” reviews? How much of it is genuine? Are really nasty reviews the result of competitor campaigns? That would be interesting, yet difficult to quantify.

Leveraging Paid Search and Organic Search

2008-01-02T06:22:00.001-08:00

The information you gather from paid (PPC) search advertising campaigns complements organic search .. and vice versa.

clipped from searchengineland.com

Commit to integrating your organic and paid search efforts by leveraging data from each. Maximizing the value of integrating your paid and organic efforts requires leveraging data between the two. To start, review keyword data between campaigns to understand which terms are performing best. Most likely you will find that it takes more time and effort for certain terms to rank organically. During that time, be sure to leverage paid search to purchase your laggard terms.

Facebook-MySpace Advertising

2008-01-02T06:12:00.001-08:00

Well-designed ads based on granular interests seem like a natural on FB. I've seen some success in my own profile. Spam, too, though.

clipped from clickz.com

The year was littered with major ad-related initiatives from dominant players MySpace and Facebook, mostly met with industry acclaim. Yet despite advances, most social marketing budgets going into 2008 remain small, and most campaigns small-minded.

Target Niche Audiences with Facebook Advertising

2008-01-02T06:04:00.000-08:00

If you haven't tried advertising in Facebook yet, it might be worth a shot. Facebook is the social network site that brings friends together according to interests, existing connections, networks and groups.

You can place ads and display them to anyone on Facebook based on demographics, interests, hobbies and so forth. It's a good way to reach very targeted audiences. User information is current, updated often, and accurate.. unlike a lot of direct mail lists, which can be outdated, inaccurate and expensive.

Since Facebook doesn't tie results to exact searches, your ads are not as granularly exact as something like Google AdWords. However, you can reach really targeted audiences for very little money. If you're selling archery gear on eBay, for example, you can run ads that only display to people who list archery in their profiles.

Barbara Boser writes more about Facebook advertising pros and cons here.

Driving eBay Traffic with Link Tagging and Urchin Tracker Scripts in Google Analytics

2007-12-18T06:36:00.000-08:00

This is an advanced tip that concerns Google Analytics and link tracking. If you don't know what those are, I'd suggest taking some time exploring Mark McLaren's site, McBuzz.com (you can ask him questions, too, of course). McBuzz has a good mix of resources concerning SEO, SEM and Google Analytics. He offers video tutorials, articles and so on.

Ok - so link tracking.. or more specifically, Urchin Tracker scripts for Google Analytics. First the why: As an eBay seller, you want to figure out exactly where your traffic is coming from and which links on your pages are getting clicked. You can do these kinds of things with regular Web pages and Google Analytics. This is especially useful in situations where you educate customers and prospects about your particular products and industry on a "normal"/outside-eBay Web site and then drive them to your listings in eBay.

There are several ways analyze traffic. This post covers just a couple (and links to an article that shows you exactly how). Google Analytics is very robust and does more than what's covered here. With GA, you can set up goal pages, track conversion success, and figure out exactly what's working on your sites.

Let's say you want to figure out who's clicking on what links in your site. Google Analytics works if you set up pages within your site as conversion goals/targets. However, if the links are external, you can't place the Urchin Tracker code into someone else's page. If that's something you'd like to track (which is often the case with eBay listings), then take a look at the following link for the solution. This is from Sulli's Google Analytics Tips and Tricks by SkiSulli. He shows you the right script to place into your pages and recommends some ways to set it up. As you'll see, he also shows you how to make this work for email or "mailto:" links. If you want to figure out how many people are clicking on your email address link (and when, how fast, etc), then this is a great solution.

You can then track all of this activity automatically from within Google Analytics. As you get a better sense for what's driving traffic to your listings, you can then tweak your pages to get better conversion rates and more business to your eBay listings and stores.

Good eBay Marketing Starts with One Little Thing

2007-12-13T08:36:00.000-08:00

This may seem like a strange thing to say - coming from a guy who wrote a book on eBay marketing, advertising and sales. Yet, I'm going to say it anyway.

1) Put down the eBay books and articles.

2) Open up TurboLister (or whatever other listing interface you use).

3) Start listing.

Do it.

All the preparation in the world can't make up for the things you learn and the skills you develop by doing.

If you can't think of anything specific to do right now, start with something small. Go through some of the previous posts here and pick *one* thing to do. Tweak a listing, write an AdWords ad, take a better photo... get that first thing off your list and then move on to the next. Do, do (dah, dah, dah).

I should add another entreaty: try it. Trying new things helps you grow, and you often stumble on better ways of "doing it." Discovery is serendipitous. Meander, test, think, re-jigger, and evaluate. This is the way to innovation and improvement.

Happy selling - and happy holidays to you, too!

Good things,

Phil

Simple, Timeless eBay Marketing Techniques

2007-12-12T06:40:00.000-08:00

Whether you're writing for eBay listings or writing SEO copy for your Web site or writing SEM copy for a Google AdWords landing page, there are always some very simple, timeless things you need to do. Here they are in stripped down, bare bones bullets:

* Write strong headlines

* Describe benefits before features

* Use specific subheads

* Write about the reader (not about yourself or your company)

This is simple marketing copywriting 101, but sometimes we need to remind ourselves what the basic techniques are.

Strong headlines contain delicious offers, benefits and intrigue. Benefits sell the dream before the hardware that produces the dream (and the relationship between the two). Specific subheads are key because many readers scan the page and follow subhead stories before diving into specific sections of your body text. Finally, when you use the word "you" and talk directly to and about the reader, you make better connections and sell more effectively. Nobody wants to hear about the genius behind the product. They want to know how it's going to help them specifically.

eBay Address and Billing Glitches

2007-12-03T05:18:00.000-08:00

I recently received a question about eBay shipping charge and address glitches:

The ebay system seems to have a glitch in it. I had a buyer insist that the invoice did not show my mailing address. I checked all my settings and it should show up on every invoice. I figured she just made a mistake, but then I sent her an invoice and copy to myself and the address did not show. Also, I have sent invoices where the shipping charges changed on discounted shipping. Once again, I thought there was some error on the other person part, until I purchased multiple items from two different ebayers and found that once I clicked on Pay Now, the shipping charged either defaulted to the charge for one item or added all shipping charges w/o the discount. I ended in all cases having to pay thru Paypal directly instead of thru ebay.

Have you heard of this happening to other sellers?

The following link addresses the issue: http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y07/m09/i11/s02

Apparently eBay and PayPal have fixed the issue. See: http://www.ebaychatter.com/the_chatter/2007/09/paypal-ship-to-.html

Does anyone else have experience with the shipping charge issue in the 2^nd part of the question?

Thanks,

Phil

Driving eBay Sales with Google AdWords Tactics - Post #1

2007-11-28T17:09:00.000-08:00

If you've ever tested Google AdWords campaigns to any extent, you've probably noticed some interesting things. One of them is that ad titles that include the keywords that were searched for typically outperform all other ads when it comes to CTR (click-through rates). WARNING: Remember, CTR is not your goal – conversion is. However, increasing CTR is one way to boost conversions… if the complete AdWords strategy and content approach is correct.

Ok – so let’s say you’d like to increase CTR. There’s a way to automatically insert the keywords searched for into your AdWords ad title. It’s generally referred to as Dynamic Keyword Insertion. The recipe follows.

First you need to group your AdWords keywords into appropriate ad groups. If you sell music CDs, for example, you might group by classical, pop, country, mod, punk and so forth. Once those groups are set up, you’re ready to design your Dynamic headline.

Use the right and left squiggly brackets on your keyboard {} to do this. It’s shift-bracket on most keyboards. The headline you type in for classical CDs should look like so:

{KeyWord: Classical CDs}

In this case, “Classical CDs” is considered alternate text. If one of your AdWords keywords is “Beethoven CDs”, the searcher will see the title “Beethoven CDs” come up as the title of your ad. Classical CDs is alternate text, because if the person searches for a classical CD phrase that’s longer than 25 characters (the Google limit), then they get the generic alternate text. For everything that’s under 25, however, they get titles that mimic exactly what they searched for.

WARNING #2: Don’t make your keywords that are inserted highly popular or “hot topics.” You can rack up a huge AdWords bill this way.

For some types of selling, this strategy isn't necessarily a good thing. If you have a long sales cycle that depends on some information exchange or a phone consultation, for example, your approach would be different. But for many B2C and B2B goods that are sold on eBay, it’s a great idea, because you don’t have to make unique titles and ads for every possible combination of keyword you’re bidding on.

What the Best eBay Sellers Realize

2007-09-20T06:40:00.000-07:00

"[The best marketers] realize that whatever is being sold (a religion, a candidate, a widget, a service) is being purchased because it creates an emotional want, not because it fills a simple need."

This from Seth Godin's "All Marketers are Liars."

I ran through a few examples in my head to make sure this concept holds up. It certainly works with sneakers, vacation homes, and sports cars. But with something like toner cartridges it doesn't seem so insightful. (I love the toner example, because it's such an unappealing, unemotional, commodity purchase. It's just one of those things you have to buy. And you buy it grudgingly.)

With toner, you don't have much of an emotional stake. However, if you consider the context of this particular quote -- it's about how people pick up the particular data they need from ads, eBay listings, commercials and so forth, and then "fill in the blanks" -- you'll see another kind of emotional angle to the purchasing decision.

People create stories out of the information given, but those stories spring not so much from raw, reliable facts, but from a story they've been telling themselves for a while (a worldview, Godin calls it). When I search eBay for toner cartridges, for example, I realize that I'm not really going to find the cheapest deal out there -- even though that's what I'm looking for. Sure, I want to know that it's the right toner for my printer, it's reliably manufactured and so forth. What I'm really looking for, though, is some reassurance that my decision will be 80 to 90 percent solid. I get that emotional support by looking at the keyword titles, making a snap judgment about the listing page (the way it's laid out, presented, etc.) , reading the description copy, and checking the seller's feedback.

My decision will be based on how much trust I have in the particular company or individual listing the toner. I may even revisit a previous seller who has kept in touch with me via emails, promotions and so forth (this is another topic however).

So if my internal story about what a competent, reliable, trusted seller is matches up with what I see on the listing. I'll probably buy from that seller. Especially when I see that all variables (like price) are equal.

Trust is the emotion I'm connecting with. I need some low-level facts, but I'm taking a small leap of faith by placing my order.

The purchase fills "a simple need" but the mechanism by which I convince myself is something more akin to a psychological response. If you think about it, I’m also telling myself a story about how I think eBay is a good place to buy ^2nd party toner cartridges. (Printer manufacturers tell another story – making consumers fear purchasing non-manufacturer cartridges.)

Think about how your own listings are communicating with browsers and shoppers. Are you conveying the right messages and "feel?" What kinds of snap judgments do your customers come to? Analyze this process, and then come up with some new description templates. With just a few words, you can move your listings from bland and cold to connective and motivating. You can even experiment with a short benefit keyword in the titles (if you have space).

Phil Dunn is a marketing consultant and co-author of The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing (McGraw-Hill, 2005). His eBay blog, http://ebay-marketing.blogspot.com offers tips, tricks and strategies that help people generate eBay sales now.

eBay vs Real World

2007-09-19T04:49:00.000-07:00

Selling on eBay is a lot like selling in the physical world, except you're confined to this little browser window. It doesn't have depth like a real window display. Your salesperson can't emote with her arms or kick the tires to show the customer durability. The right marketing and presentation approach, however, can help you achieve the same persuasive and emotional results.

Lots of photos coupled with an ironclad guarantee is as good as kicking the tires, for example. By writing clear, strong benefit statements you can connect directly with customer desires. That's a form of emoting. If you describe your product and make the effort to close throughout the description, that's better than most retail sales staff efforts. Think about it. You have to train sales staff and then keep on them to make sure they're presenting merchandise properly. With an eBay description, you write it once and then the same presentation is viewed by multitudes (hopefully). You can even tweak it and improve upon it and measure the performance of your changes in terms of bids and purchases.

There are a lot of upsides to selling on eBay. You can build relationships via the Web and eBay that you might not otherwise been able to develop. You can easily cross-promote, getting varied merchandise in front of the customer immediately. That's not something that always possible in the physical world. As Martha Stewart would say, it's a good thing (as she curses her probation tracking bracelet).

P.S. Amazon.com knocked 32% off the cover price of "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing" (McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

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How to Write a Better Headline than This One - eBay Sales Rely on Title Hooks

2007-09-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

When selling on eBay, your keyword description isn't the only chance you have at creating a title. You can also create benefit-oriented titles that emphasize keywords much less in the body of your description. Just use HTML to create larger fonts and dark colors if you insist on using color in the title.

Why do this? Because titles draw in readers and buyers. As David Ogilvy is famous for putting it, "Your headline is the ticket on the meat." (paraphrased) The headline draws in those who would be interested, compelled, in need, etc. It's the first test that filters out those who are hungry for meat and those who are not.

The headline needs to include benefits that pertain directly to the needs of the reader and the features of the product, of course. That's the practical side of the process. The creative side involves catching the attention of passers by.

I read a headline in the newspaper this morning that stopped me in my tracks. It was very creative and it got me to read an article that I wouldn't have read in a million years given another less interesting headline. Here it is: "Women Get Shot at Hunting." Clever, ay? The article was about how a national program gives females a chance to learn about the sport.

You might say that the title isn't selling anything... but I'd say otherwise. Newspapers sell entertainment and information to curious readers. If they don't make the reader curious, they fail. They succeeded in this instance.

So.. I urge you to get creative, test out headlines and track your eBay sales to figure out which headlines draw in your meat buyers. Do simple A-B testing to test headlines against non-headline descriptions. Or test distinctly different titles head-to-head. Even the smallest insights will offer tremendous value and move you toward more sales and profits.

eBay Selling Webcast Turns Some Heads (and ears)

2007-09-18T04:38:00.000-07:00

If any of the posts on this blog tickle your fancy (surf around for a bit, surely you’ll find something you dig – and stop calling me shirley), you’ll want to check out StartUpNation’s Webcast on eBay marketing.

You can hear me in person and get some quick insights into eBay.

Tune in here.

P.S. Amazon.com and Walmart.com have the lowest prices for "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing" (McGraw-Hill, 2005)

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eBay Seller Words of Wisdom from Thelonius Monk

2007-09-17T05:22:00.000-07:00

"The only cats worth anything are the cats that take chances.”

-- Thelonius Monk

Half the celebrated marketing coups you hear about originated with individuals that stepped outside the lines and took some risks. They didn’t sit tight and produce pedestrian advertising campaigns. They didn’t check their personalities at the front door and produce bland marketing campaigns.

Think about Starbucks, MTV, Tivo, Miller Lite, Google, Tazo Teas, and Fox Broadcasting. They didn’t stick with conventional wisdom and invent products that toed the line.

Are you taking chances? Are you adding creativity and originality to your listings? Do you care about how people feel when they enter your eBay store? Do you look for newer, better, more interesting products to sell?

The person that answers “yes” to these questions is pulling ahead of the pack, getting higher bids, and charging a little bit more for their products.

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Big News for eBay Sellers (and buyers)

2007-09-07T04:43:00.000-07:00

eBay Launches Data Mining Tool

The Motley Fool investment site posted an article about eBay’s new buyer and seller database mining features. If you haven’t heard about this, it’s worth your while to check it out.

“..the twist here is that instead of marketing its information to data-hungry corporations, eBay's new service is aimed at the same growing community that it is drawing the data from in the first place.”

That means you, sellers! Some buyers will use this, but it’s the sellers that have the most to gain. The opportunities are endless. And this may put some pressure on 3^rd party software parties like DeepAnalysis and SmartCollector. eBay is encroaching on their existing tools.

Any thoughts? Excitement? Enthusiasm? Let us know what you think of this development, and tell us how you intend to use it (if at all).

P.S. Amazon.com knocked 32% off the cover price of "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing" (McGraw-Hill). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

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advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

eBay Description Writing Lessons from Home Depot’s Catalog

2007-09-06T07:23:00.000-07:00

The following are some descriptions written about Home Depot’s storage baskets and boxes. As an eBay seller, it’s useful to look at these professionally written pieces from time to time.

Keep a few things in mind while you read them. 1) The same function could be accomplished with some cardboard boxes or shoe boxes, 2) Chances are, no one but the owners of these boxes will ever see them, and 3) They cost $35 to $50 each.

Description 1: “Woven antique black finish baskets offer creative and stylish storage solutions for everything from sweaters and laundry to office supplies and refuse. All liners are washable natural-colored cotton canvas.”

Description 2: “Soften the look of your work space with these casual, yet highly functional basket pieces.”

Description 3: “These canvas ‘drawers,’ complete with handles, are cleverly designed with an inner covered-wire frame that keeps the lining taut.”

Now – let’s think about these descriptions and what kinds of things, other than practicality, are going on.

The first one injects the concepts of creativity and style – both important emotionally-driven motives. In a world where we can all get enough food, water and shelter (usually), creativity and style come into play. Even if no one sees these boxes but the owner, the owner will feel creative and stylish. The person might even tell someone about their cool new baskets.

The second description gives a nod to functionality but not before talking about softening the work space. That sounds like a benefit. Who wouldn’t want to work in a soft, un-harsh work place? They also give the reader an idea about where to use these things – in the workplace, of course (an area, by the way, that can be Spartan and unappealing). Functionality comes into play. This is a benefit, but not something that could stand on its own. It’s better to add the emotional adjective casual and sell the “softening” idea.

The third description introduces the words “cleverly designed.” The adjective clever could certainly be transferred to the user/buyer. A buyer might subconsciously say, “If I buy these things, I’m clever, too. The way I create my office or closet is clever. I have an eye for these sorts of clever products.” The description writer wants to associate a positive and smart adjective with the products and does a good job.

These descriptions are short. They are to the point. Some specs follow, but the emotionally connective prose comes first. That’s important. You should be doing the same things with your eBay listings. Use these descriptions as models, and check out the descriptions in the other mail you receive.

The writers of these catalogs are the professionals. They get paid big bucks to create images and emotional connections. It may seem simple and pedestrian at first glance, but there’s a real art to it. It’s not difficult, but you have to pay attention to the emotions you want to convey and choose the best words for the task.

eBay Cha-Ching: Why Titles Are So Important for Marketing

2007-09-04T04:54:00.000-07:00

There’s something I don’t like about my book The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing. It’s the title. I’ll tell you why and what it has to do with eBay listings in a second.

I was involved in creating the title little, but the publisher deferred to its in-house experts and came up with the final version.

Technically the full title of the book is The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing: Creative Strategies to Boost Profits Now. I like the 2^nd half of the title better than the first. Why? Because it offers a picture or a feeling about what the reader or buyer is going to get from the book. It’s tangible and specific – profits, boost, now. But that’s immaterial. The main title is the real issue.

First, let me tell what you what elements I like about the main title. I like the 7 Essential Steps part. That concept works for me, and I’d encourage you to use similar formats when informing your eBay audiences. Visually, numbers are interesting in titles, and taking a few steps in order to achieve a goal sounds pretty easy and organized. People like that. “If I do x, I’ll get y.”

I don’t know if Essential is absolutely necessary, though. I’m on the fence about that one. I also like the word Marketing in the main title. It sets the book apart from all the other noise that’s out there and focuses the target audience onto a fairly specific topic.

Now, what do I not like? I don’t like the word Successful. To me, it’s very vague and general. If I’m reading a book title, I want to know exactly what’s in it for me… immediately. Especially with a business book. Otherwise, I’m moving on. I also need to be attracted by something unusual or interesting. There’s nothing interesting about “Successful eBay Marketing.” It’s just bland.

So what should a title do? If you’re selling a book or a lunch box or a cell phone, what do you want your title to do? First you want it to attract eyeballs. Then you want it to convert the eyeballs’ brain into a buyer.. or a potential prospect at least.

This concept of attraction and conversion is discussed in much greater detail by Sean D’Souza in his PsychoTactics newsletter. It’s a good resource with lots of insider marketing information. And it works.

First you attract, with a unique or unusual title. Then you convert with the big benefit. My title might have been better with one of the following treatments, for example:

eBay Seller Smarts: How to Increase Profits and Save Time Listing with Proven Marketing Techniques (unique main title, two specific benefits)

eBay Cha-Ching: Ring the Online Cash Register with Proven Marketing Tactics (unique title, benefits implicit, clear images)

How does this relate to eBay listings? Well, you have two opportunities to use titles like these. Once in the keyword title, and again within the text of your listing. I’ll warn you against using this title attraction/conversion technique in the keyword title however. If you have room for it, give it a shot. (Testing will show the truth of the situation.) But you’re better off using the keyword title for just that – keywords. Those are gold, and you need to make sure everything is there and accounted for – this is where you cast a wide net.

However, you can use the technique on the listing page itself. Place a big title at the beginning of your description. Use one that sticks with the customer and gets them thinking about how your product is better, faster, sexier, etc. Translate that to what specific benefit they’ll reap.

If you do this effectively, your listings will instantly attract more interest and be set off from all the other returns that the prospect has looked at. It’s about differentiation. eBay is a competitive marketplace, but it’s not that difficult to stand out. With a little care and planning, you can get a distinct edge.

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eBay Buyers - Be Afraid, Very Afraid

2007-09-03T05:35:00.000-07:00

When considering the value of your products, pay special attention to buyers’ fears. Fears also indicate benefits, and, they can be intimately intertwined with dreams. With Tivo, for example, customers fear advertising mind control while dreaming of convenient TV watching. With soap, they fear stinking while dreaming about attractiveness.

When you get right down to it, hundreds of thousands of successful products are associated with fears. Here are some common fears that have spawned countless products:

* “I’m afraid that a robber will break into my house” (home alarm systems)

* “I worry about my health” (health insurance)

* “My car is making funny noises and I’m afraid it will break down on a lonely country road” (auto protection services)

Think about all the information that’s out there today. If your product relates to the health/diet field, you already have a huge repository of scientific (and pseudo-scientific) information to draw on. Go to Yahoo! News and search the Health category by any keyword and behold the fear. Googling can turn up all kinds of fears related virtually to any product.

P.S. Amazon.com and Walmart.com have the lowest prices for "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing" (McGraw-Hill, 2005)

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eBay as Entertainment - De-Mystifying Angelina Jolie's Bra, a Mutant Steak Chunk and an Anti-Oprah Winfrey Helmut

2007-08-31T05:17:00.000-07:00

Not only is eBay an auction medium.. it's rapidly becoming an entertainment medium. It's almost like a goofy cable access QVC show that knows no bounds.

There are people selling Angelina Jolie's bra and panties from the movie "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." Someone's selling animal crackers in compromising positions. There's a "gross valved steak chunk" that was found in a can of soup.

One guy's even selling a a PBR helmut that's designed to keep him from watching Oprah (that's who I'm guessing he's referring to).

So what's the point? Wildness and entertaining stuff is viral. If you can strike it big with a humor piece that also features gallery views of your other eBay auctions or eBay store offerings, you can make some dough via the humor email circuit and the sites that track this stuff.

Be careful that you don't offend your users, though. A misstep could cost you some customers.

DISCLAIMER: I don't endorse any of these sites or condone their taste. Just a little fun before the weekend starts.

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eBay Product Feature Positioning - Don't Try to Make Out at the Beginning of a Blind Date

2007-08-30T04:23:00.000-07:00

Quite a few eBay listings start with bulleted lists of features.

In boxing this would be called leading with your chin.

In the dating world, I’d describe this as trying make out with a blind date when you first pick her up.

Feature lists are important to listings, but you don’t want to lead with them. In the dating scenario, you want to go to dinner first, discuss your strengths, values and career/interests. You see if your date is interested (and vice versa). Then you save the physical feature list (your make-out skills) for last.

You make a connection first. Then you close with the goods.

The same goes for eBay listings. Connect with the prospect’s dream first. Sell them on the idea of a new image, better health, a more productive work day, the promise of status or sexiness, or a money-making/profit proposition. Make the emotional connection and show them that you can offer these incredible, life-changing benefits.

Then you slam-dunk the sale with a feature list. Show them all the things your product has that make it equal to or better than a competitive product.

These kinds of descriptions can be as long or a short as necessary. It depends on what you’re selling. If you’re selling a boat, the list could be quite long. If you’re selling printer refill cartridges, chances are the benefits and feature list will be small.

In any event, don’t try to make out at the beginning of the date. Wait until you’ve established a connection.

Do You Have the Guts to Sell?

2007-08-28T04:13:00.000-07:00

Marketing Plans Should Challenge the Marketers

“If you don't believe in your product, of if you're not consistent and regular in the way you promote it, the odds of succeeding go way down. The primary function of the marketing plan is to ensure that you have the resources and the wherewithal to do what it takes to make your product work.

Chapter 1 of The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing covers this in-depth, and it points out the unique areas you need to tend to as an eBay seller.

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About.com has a lot of great resources for business people. I've been there dozens of times for specific small business information pertaining to marketing, legal, advertising and operational advice.

They plugged this blog and the 7 Steps eBay book recently, and it's been great for book sales and site traffic. I just want to publicly thank Mr. Scott Allen for checking out the blog and rating it so highly. He even rated some of my posts to give readers some indication of what he thought was valuable.

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Do You Have An eBay Marketing Question?

2007-08-27T05:59:00.000-07:00

In order to make this blog a little more dialogue-oriented, I’m adding a new feature (a conceptual feature, I should say).

Up to this point, the blog has acted as a soap box or megaphone of sorts. A one-way broadcast.

Now, I’d like to open the room up to questions.

Are there specific eBay questions that you’re having a tough time answering? I’ve got a network of eBay PowerSellers and business leaders that can answer just about any question related to the eBay site, marketing products, shipping, and providing excellent customer service. If I can’t answer your question directly, I’ll bring in subject matter experts.

Give it a try – email me with a question (dunn@qualitywriter.com). Or post a question as a comment. Be sure to make it specific, and please add your insights if you’ve researched it a bit but don’t have the complete answer yet.

As we get more minds together, I think everyone stands to learn even more.

P.S. Amazon.com knocked 32% off the cover price of "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing" (McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

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Google - eBay War Affecting Ads, Sales and Profits?

2007-08-24T12:49:00.000-07:00

So eBay and Google are in a cat fight. The former just suspended AdWords purchasing because of a party Google launched in protest of eBay's decision not to allow eBay sellers to utilize Google's checkout service (during eBay Live).

Here are some additional links describing the brouhaha:

http://tinyurl.com/ysj52j
http://tinyurl.com/yo7hna

What does this mean to you, the eBay seller? Will limited Google AdWords advertisements impact the exposure your products get outside of eBay? Have you been able to track or measure this?

I'm very interested in any observations you have on the subject and any impact you've seen in the market place. Please comment below. Thanks.

eBay Marketing

2007-08-24T05:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I go to the local coffee shop – Diedrich’s. Yesterday was one such day.

They had an odd piece of information up by the register in a holder. You can see it below – I scanned it. They had 30 or 40 of them stacked in a stand-up paper/brochure holder. The piece itself was printed in B&W on a standard 8.5X11 piece of paper. Super low tech. Very non-threatening (from a marketing perspective). It’s a story about how coffee got started. Take a look.

Kind of interesting. A conversation piece. You might tell your friend or wife about it after you stopped into the shop. It’s something to read while you’re waiting for your latté.

It’s not trying to sell anything. But it leaves you with a positive feeling about Diedrich’s.

Essentially, I think its purpose is to spread the word about the particular patron’s trip to the coffee shop. You might come home from work and tell your wife that “goats discovered coffee.” This is one of those fun, Cliff Claven-type factoids. You tell her the story and where you saw it. Then she thinks, “I love going to coffee houses, maybe I’ll go tomorrow.” This type of effect is probably working for Diedrich’s as we speak/read.

I like it – nothing to sell but some information that’s connected to the establishment. The word will get passed on, and the brand will be mentioned.

Can you think of stories that are not your own that you could co-opt for marketing or customer information purposes? Try it out. Find some stories that relate to your eBay products or eBay store and fashion them to your liking. Pop them into shipped packages. Send them to your newsletter subscribers.

P.S. Amazon.com knocked 32% off the cover price of "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing" (McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

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Selling Via Education - 6 Critical White Paper Tips

2007-08-22T04:55:00.000-07:00

Delivering white papers over the Internet is a great way to communicate in-depth information to highly targeted audiences. White papers also offer companies the opportunity to build marketing lists…. But, you’ve got to write them first. Some tips for producing first-rate white papers follow:

1. Offer a solution. Many white papers waste all kinds of time and ink on theory, probability and speculation. Good white papers establish well-defined problems and offer easily understood solutions. Leave the pontificating to the industry analysts.

2. Reduce marketing language to a minimum. These days, this tip even applies to marketing materials. The more you economize your exposition and eliminate hyperbole, the better.

3. Support assertions with evidence and examples. Tangible, mentally vivid examples help pull readers through long pieces of text and provide them with ammo when they go to present your assertions to somebody else. Metaphor is also helpful (for example, ammo).

4. Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them. Classic business presentation structure.

5. Use graphics, charts and pull quotes. White papers tend to be long. So, help the readers along with visual cues and graphics that complement the text and illuminate your explanations further.

6. Watch the length. Less than 15 pages is preferable for a given topic. If you find that your page count is hurtling toward novella length, consider breaking the project into several separate but related white papers.

P.S. Amazon.com knocked 32% off the cover price of "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing" (McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

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If you're running a home business

2007-08-21T05:52:00.000-07:00

If you're running a home business (eBay or otherwise) you need to constantly pay attention to marketing, network with people who can help you succeed, and stay inspired week in and week out. Des Walsh has a blog called Thinking Home Business that helps with all of these home biz aspects.

Surf around that site for a bit, and I'm certain you'll find a handful of insightful business tips that you can apply directly to your eBay business. Walsh brings a lot of other good resources together at the site, and he acts as an excellent information filter.

There's a lot of garbage out there that gets cycled and re-cycled through blogs. This one helps you weed through it all and increases the chances that you'll stumble onto something really useful. If you're looking for accurate, reliable, actionable small business information, watch this blog every week.

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Darple an eBay-like Web

2007-08-20T05:14:00.000-07:00

Darple is an eBay-like Web site that allows bidding on multiple items.. without buying multiple items. When you win an item, your other bids for similar items are automatically withdrawn. It's pretty cool. My local paper wrote an article about it this morning. eBay should be doing this. They'd get a lot more activity, and pricing would reach realistic levels quickly because serious buyers would be able to rapidly place bids without worrying about ordering multiple items. As a buyer, you wouldn't have to spend so much time surfing eBay itself and mulling over choices. You'd just search, bid and wait for everything to shake out.

Do you think a feature like this would boost or erode pricing levels on eBay? That's the most interesting question, I think.

Please comment below and let me know what you think. Thanks.

Dale Carnegie's eBay Marketing Connections

2007-08-18T04:32:00.000-07:00

"There are four ways, and only four ways, in which we have contact with the world. We are evaluated and classified by these four contacts: what we do, how we look, what we say, and how we say it."

- Dale Carnegie

Though Carnegie was actively presenting his self-help courses and books in the early half of the 20^th century, you can certainly apply this little bit of wisdom to modern day eBay listings.

What we do: Are your eBay customer service policies, follow through, and shipping practices consistent and helpful? Do you keep the marketing and sales promises you make?

How we look: What do your pages look like? Are they typographically legible? Do they use sound layout and design strategies? Do the photos look good and represent the products accurately?

What we say: Is your copy connecting with the needs and desires of customers? Is it simple, conversational and free of hyperventilating exaggeration?

How we say it: What is the tone of your description copy? Does it fit your audience? Are you closing throughout the copy?

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Coca Cola, Oprah Winfrey and Wendy’s Use eBay to Cozy Up to Customers

2007-08-17T04:20:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, USA Today ran an interesting article about how big brands are using eBay to build buzz around their products and sell related products.

This got me thinking. Is there a way to hitch your eBay wagon to the bigger brands and cash in on some bigtime promotion and publicity? Could you be the kind of vendor who sells the “Zero-inspired jewelry” that’s mentioned in the article? Are there other avenues into this market?

Also – can you use the popularity of certain trends, fads and well-known advertising campaigns to gain visibility with your eBay products? Remember a while back when I blogged about How Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie Can Help You Connect with Customers? I think we’re talking about something similar here.

Let me know if you have similar ideas or approaches that have worked. I’d be happy to get into your successes (and failures, too) here on this blog. It will help all of us.

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The Care and Feeding of eBay Customers

2007-08-16T05:58:00.000-07:00

"Be it furniture, clothes, or health care, many industries today are marketing nothing more than commodities -- no more, no less. What will make the difference in the long run is the care and feeding of customers."

-- Micheal Mescon

This is true on eBay as well as in the brick and mortar marketing world. Customers need attention, sustained dialogue, service and respect.

P.S. Amazon.com and Walmart.com have the lowest prices for "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing" (McGraw-Hill, 2005)

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Bob Bly, eBay Marketing and 1985

2007-08-14T04:09:00.000-07:00

“Maintaining a dignified image or getting people to remember your message is not important. The only thing that counts is how many sales or inquiries your mailing generates. The more responses, the more successful the mailer.”

This is Bob Bly writing in 1985 (The Copywriter’s Handbook).

The same ideas apply to eBay listings. The listing itself is a direct sales letter, or a piece of direct mail. It doesn’t come in the mailbox, but it does show up on search results in eBay (unless the keyword title has been botched somehow). You need to test what works and tweak your copy and presentation until you hit on a combination that brings in more bids and better margins.

Check the “completed items” box when you search for items sold to see what kinds of items you (or anyone else) has had success with. Or use one of the many auction analysis tools that we discuss in the book – The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing.

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Dermatology and eBay Selling

2007-08-13T13:04:00.000-07:00

If anyone tells you that doctors aren’t salespeople, consider dismissing what that someone has to say from then on.

I know, most doctors get into the profession to save lives and comfort the sick, but part of that process involves persuasion. And today’s system of drug and treatment development has placed heavy sales pressure on doctors. Some resist it, but many improve the revenues of their practice by playing the game.

Case in point: I went to the dermatologist to have a mole looked at, and I went home with a hole in my head and a tube of lotion unrelated to the hole in my head.

The mole was “suspicious looking,” and the lotion is used to treat something called rosacea – redness of the face brought on by all kinds of things including avocados, chocolate, alcohol, stress, and hot weather. All things that I’m fond of. Maybe not stress.

Anyway, the lotion was a classic cross-sell – the kind you should be proposing to your eBay customers. When someone’s is getting ready to check out, offer them additional items related to their initial purchase. In my case I came in for potential skin cancer removal. They cross-sold me some cream to deal with something else skin related.

A need was filled (I guess – I didn’t think my face looked red), and I was sent home with some free samples of the lotion. This is another good marketing tactic – send them home with a sample. Works great in the medical field, with food, beverages and puppy dogs. The classic example is called “the puppy dog sale,” where the pet store says you can take the puppy home for a day or two to see if you’re ready for the challenge. Invariably you become attached and keep the puppy.

Try some puppy dog sales and cross-sells with your own business. Throw in some free samples in a shipped package, suggest complementary items before checkout. You’ll boost sales in the process.

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

eBay Sales and the Coffee Shop - Profit Stories

2007-08-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I go to the local coffee shop – Diedrich’s. Yesterday was one such day.

Kind of interesting. A conversation piece. You might tell your friend or wife about it after you stopped into the shop. It’s something to read while you’re waiting for your latté.

It’s not trying to sell anything. But it leaves you with a positive feeling about Diedrich’s.

I like it – nothing to sell but some information that’s connected to the establishment. The word will get passed on, and the brand will be mentioned.

P.S. Amazon.com knocked 32% off the cover price of "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing" (McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

Apply Value-Add Strategies to Your eBay Auctions

2007-08-10T12:34:00.000-07:00

The following is from Dr. Robert Cialdini's Inside Influence Report:

"...advertising campaigns that inform potential clients of the real-world threats that your company’s goods or services can alleviate should be accompanied immediately in time by clear, specific, effective steps they can take to reduce the danger.”

The whole article is very intriguing. Take a look at this article, and see if you can apply some of the wisdom to your own eBay listings and descriptions. The right application of this research will immediately increase sales and improve your eBay selling overall.

All of this relates to something the marketing business calls "value-add." By adding value to your products (whether it's through bonuses, additional information, or your specific expertise), you differentiate your products and gain greater market share and mind share.

Here's something else that Cialdini notes: "Potential customers are more motivated by fear than the opportunity for gain." Now that's intriguing. It goes against traditional marketing philosophy that stresses positive benefits. Usually we're taught to list all the great things that the customer will experience after purchasing the product. The sale, however, relies more on the fears that motivate the buyer in the first place. Cialdini has the data to back it up.

If you're serious about the science of marketing and persuasion, I highly recommend reading Cialdini's books (or listening to his audio resources). The level of detail is deep, and the insights are numerous.

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

The Crazy eBay Price Reversal Axiom - Compliments of the Kellogg School of Management

2007-08-09T13:53:00.000-07:00

There’s some new research in that confirms what a lot of eBay sellers have already learned through price experimentation…

With popular items, if you start prices low, you gain more bidders and stand a better chance of selling your item at a higher final gavel price. With not so popular items, it’s better to establish a higher price, since you may not get many interested shoppers

This is from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. The Minneapolis Star Tribune recently ran an article on the subject – The psychology of selling on eBay. The original paper, "Starting Low But Ending High: A Reversal of the Anchoring Effect in Auctions," was co-authored by Adam Galinsky, associate professor of management and organization at Kellogg.

What other special cases do you notice? How do you approach pricing unique items on eBay? Please share your insights and comments below. We’d love to learn from your experience.. mistakes.. discoveries. Thanks.

Read "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing"(McGraw-Hill) to learn more about eBay selling psychology.

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

Use Interesting Information to Improve Your eBay Item Descriptions

2007-07-25T12:12:00.000-07:00

Information is interesting. People who are shopping have an almost insatiable appetite for it, too. Think about it. Whenever you buy something, you also pick up some information that you pass along to friends. I recently bought a car which was previously a church van. The salesman told me about it, and it made the car a little more attractive (they just shuttled church-goers around and never towed anything with the vehicle). I tell people that Jesus now rides shotgun with me.

When you buy Snapple you get a little extra information under the cap -- those "facts." They don't really relate to the tea, but they're fun, and they reinforce the fun aspect of the Snapple brand.

There's all kinds of interesting information about the products you sell on eBay. All you need to do is do a little creative Googling. Or, perhaps you already know some interesting things about your products. Make sure that information is in your descriptions. Also, add more value to your products and entertain your customers with relevant information. When people buy things, especially expensive things, they want a rich experience (and that includes complementary information). Think about wine -- this product category has a huge contextual information element. Year, location, country, producer, history, grape variety, process, esoteric descriptions, fruit descriptions, etc.

You may be asking, "What if I sell something like toner or RAM? What kind of interesting information can I build into my auctions?" This is where you have to get creative. You can package your shipments with famous quotes or inspiring messages (kind of like Snapple). You can just put them on the packing slip template, too. You can include practical information and tips that help people get more life out of their toner cartridges or improve their memory performance. There are lots of possibilities. The main point is, you're adding more value and engaging the customer in something interesting that they will associate with your store/product.

Speaking of interesting facts, here are some nifty ones that came through my email this morning. Enjoy:

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW --- BUT PROBABLY DON 'T

1. Money isn't made out of paper, it's made out of cotton.

2. The Declaration of Independence was written on hemp (marijuana) paper.

3. The dot over the letter I is called a "tittle."

4. A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.

5. Susan Lucci is the daughter of Phyllis Diller.

6. 40% of McDonald's profits come from the sales of Happy Meals.

7. 315 entries in Webster's 1996 Dictionary were misspelled.

8. The 'spot' on 7UP comes from its inventor, who had red eyes. He was albino.

9. On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents, daily.

10. Warren Beatty and Shirley MacLaine are brother and sister.

11. Chocolate affects a dog's heart and nervous system; a few ounces will kill a small sized dog.

12. Orcas (killer whales) kill sharks by torpedoing up into the shark's stomach from underneath, causing the shark to explode.

13. Most lipstick contains fish scales (eeww).

14. Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn't wear pants.
15. Ketchup was sold in the 1830s as medicine.

16. Upper and lower case letters are named 'upper' and 'lower' because in the time when all original print had to be set in individual letters, the upper case' letters were stored in the case on top of the case
that stored the smaller, 'lower case' letters.

17. Leonardo DaVinci could write with one hand and draw with the other at the same time. (Hence, multitasking was invented.)

18. Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood

19. There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos.

20. The name Wendy was made up for the book Peter Pan; there was never a recorded Wendy before!

21. There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with: orange, Purple, and silver!

22. Leonardo Da Vinci invented scissors. Also, it took him 10 years to paint Mona Lisa's lips.

23. A tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion will make it instantly go mad and sting itself to death.

24. The mask used by Michael Myers in the original "Halloween" was a Captain Kirk's mask painted white.

25. If you have three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies, you have $1.19, you also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar (good to know).

26. By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you can't sink in quicksand (and you thought this list was completely useless).

27. The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law, which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.

28. The first product Motorola started to develop was a record player for automobiles. At that time, the most known player on the market was the Victrola, so they called themselves Motorola.

29. Celery has negative calories! It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with. It's the same with apples!

30. Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying!

31. The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher.

32. Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Public Libraries.

33. Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space because passing wind in a space suit damages it.

34. George Carlin said it best about Martha Stewart. "Boy, I feel a lot safer now that she's behind bars. O. J. Simpson and Kobe Bryant are still walking around; Osama Bin Laden too, but they take the ONE woman
in America willing to cook, clean, and work in the yard, and they haul her off to jail."

How to Drive eBay Marketing Efforts with Google News

2007-07-24T15:23:00.000-07:00

Help for Publishers

This link is an FAQ that Google offers, explaining their news gathering processes. As Google proceeds to take over the world, it's advisable to get into this system as early as possible.

Google News is basically a search engine for news articles. It only crawls legitimate news sources that are reviewed by living, breathing Google employees, though.

If you already have a Web site dedicated to news about your products - excellent. Make sure your articles are showing up in Google News by clicking the first FAQ item and using the "site:" operator. This will instantly show whether or not your articles are being crawled by Google News.

If you don't have a news site for your eBay product expertise, consider starting one up. You can re-purpose blog posts to read like news articles, publish press releases to the site, and hire budding journalists to write about your company/products/services/authority.

When you get into the Google News system you'll increase exposure, turn up promotional opportunities, and get free coverage from all kinds of media outlets. This is good eBay marketing.

Like most things "search," the trick is to focus the news site on a tight niche and focus on those keywords (e.g. collectibles, china, dishes, cups, plates, 20th century, etc.). If your topic/site/expertise is underrepresented on Google News, your chances for clearance are good. Once you get the green light from Google News, you'll be a cut above all the bloggers out there.

Pay Attention to Meta Descriptions: HTML Tip for eBay and Ecommerce Sites

2007-07-24T05:22:00.001-07:00

The following comes from the linked article - "Organic Landing Pages: A Case Study." It's so important to make sure your meta descriptions are in order, because that's usually what comes up in Google's description below the title of your site or item listing when someone searches for products on Google. Place meta descriptions in your templates and pages so searchers will be able to read a clear description of what you're offering (one that matches the terms they were searching for).

Here's another article on the same subject: http://www.echievements.com/articles/2504

clipped from searchengineland.com

Most search engines will either display the meta description under the search result or they will excerpt a portion of more relevant copy from the page itself. Just as much thought goes into crafting PPC ad copy, care should be taken to craft both optimized meta descriptions and optimized landing-page copy for organic search. That way, regardless of what description the search engines choose to display, you'll be covered. After all, it really doesn't matter where your rank if no one wants to click through to your site.

Edit Your eBay Photos Online - A Great Photoshop Alternative

2007-07-23T06:22:00.000-07:00

Picnik - edit photos the easy way, online in your browser

If you're looking for a fast, easy to edit photos with an online application, this is a great tool.

Since it's free, it's much cheaper than Photoshop... and it's very powerful. Certainly powerful enough to cover all of your eBay photo needs. It's fast, too.

With Picnik, you can crop, auto-fix, sharpen, adjust colors, eliminate red-eye, re-size, change exposure, and rotate your photos all in one simple interface. It's amazing - photo editing has come a long way.

You can open photos directly from flickr, picasa and facebook, too.

This particular software is also a great example of a Rich Internet Application (RIA). I'm guessing that it's AJAX -- Asynchronous JAvaScript and XML. Very slick, seamless software experience.

Quick Blogging Tool for eBay Marketers that Blog - Blogger Bar :: Firefox Add-ons

2007-07-22T05:44:00.000-07:00

Blogger Bar :: Firefox Add-ons

This is a handy little tool that allows you to write quick blog entries about a page that you're visiting. I used it to create this post. You simply click the "blog this" button, and it pops up your Blogger account, with the title and link fields all set.

As an eBay seller, you should always be blogging, posting and generally writing about your products and personal expertise to generate interest in your business. This makes it quick and easy.

The more you tell (even indirectly), the more you sell.

Google - eBay War Affecting Ads, Sales and Profits?

2007-06-30T06:25:00.000-07:00

Good-Unexpected Things and eBay Marketing

2007-06-21T05:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes “marketing” is just that
simple – it's getting things out into the market. On eBay, we often
get all caught up in how things are presented, what color the font
is, how many photos there are, etc. Yet, many of the best eBay
sellers merely push product out into the market and see what sticks.

I'm not saying that presentation isn't
important. Heck half of my book, The 7 Essential Steps to Successful
eBay Marketing is about presentation. It's just that the initial
action – putting “stuff” out there – is perhaps more
important. It's the initial movement that starts the inertia.

Robert Von Oech wrote about this this
morning in his post on “Good-Unexpected Things.” Read it and
you'll get a better sense of where I'm coming from.

Marketing is participating.

Have a great day & happy selling.

Darple, eBay and Bidding Without Fear - Good Model for eBay Sellers

2007-06-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

AdWords and eBay Tips for Higher Click-Through Rates (CTR)

2007-05-01T06:18:00.000-07:00

Google AdWords works a bit like eBay. When you bid for keywords, you pay once cent more than the bidder below you -- rather than your maximum bid.

So, when you set a maximum bid, you usually never pay that price. Instead, you almost always pay less.

Why is that important? If you pick the right keyword combinations and achieve decent click through rates (CTR), then you'll find your AdWords costs coming down. You'll gravitate to word combinations that are popular, and you'll pay that one cent more than the next guy -- thus putting you in a good position at a low cost.

The key, though, is nailing that CTR. With a low CTR, you'll be lumped in with ads that are paying lower prices. With high CTR, the popularity of your ads guarantees lower prices. That's how Google AdWords is set up. They want your ads to be clicked on frequently, and you're rewarded for that with lower prices. That's how you can get to the point where you're one cent higher than the next guy.. but at a fairly low rate in the first place.

I know this sounds a little confusing. My advice is to experiment and play with it. Make sure you focus on CTR. Re-write your ads and measure the CTR success of each ad variation. Find out what produces high CTR, and put your money there. You'll end up paying lower prices for your AdWords.

Trust, Marketing, eBay and Site Optimization

2007-04-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

I read an interesting article this morning about how trust is really what you're after when marketing on the Web.

We talk about this quite a bit in the eBay Marketing book. Everything is moving in this direction. Google and social networking sites are getting smarter. It will be more and more difficult to game them in the future.

Check Your eBay Description Copy and Outshine the Competition - Fast & Easy Writing Quality Checklist

2007-04-24T06:52:00.000-07:00

Whether you like it or not, selling on eBay requires writing. Some of us are better at this than others. One thing is clear, though. Those who use persuasive, clear communication get more $$$ in their PayPal account. That's the bottom line.

The following is a checklist I use to polish finished descriptions, flyers, direct email, direct mail, and all other kinds of customer-directed marketing copy. Whether your description is one paragraph or 20, this list will help you sell more, faster, and at a higher profit margin.

Post-Writing Quality Control Checklist

* Set the thing aside and let it sit for least an hour
* Read it again and flag stumbling spots
* Break up paragraphs to increase pace (variety is the spice of life). Go with short graphs first, then vary the amount of lines from 3-5. Sprinkle in some one line paragraphs, if possible.
* Break long sentences into two simple, shorter ones
* Eliminate extra words
* Eliminate “thats"
* Eliminate words with “tion” “sion” “ance” “ate” “able” “ment”
* Eliminate excessive adjectives
* Eliminate passive voice (this includes “is” “are” “can” etc.)
* Eliminate cliches
* Make cannot and is not into contractions for conversational tone
* Pay particular attention to commas, making sure they’re right (right for the particular customer, too)
* Make sure bullet lists start with either a “How to” phrase or a number or a powerful verb or…
* Write rhetorical questions into your copy that can be answered in the affirmative (YES!)
* Make sure you have some numbers for impact (specific numbers are better than generalized ones). Keep the % and the numbers themselves. Don’t spell out.
* Proof read on paper and mark it up
* Read it aloud

How 'Keeping It Real' Improves eBay Sales

2007-04-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

When writing for the Web, for eBay, or for brochures and advertising copy, there are traps you can fall into. For example, your copy can begin to feel and sound *salesy.* This can be bad, because most of us - as consumers - have a built in aversion to overt sales-sounding pitches, attitudes and smarm.

Let me clarify something here. I don't think that there's anything wrong with "sales." This is one of the time-honored traditions in our culture that just so happens to make a lot of people wealthy. Look around you, and you'll see that the best doctors, lawyers, landscapers, babysitters, hair dressers and.. yes.. automobile purveyors are the best salespeople. It's about communication, relationships, confidence and competence, really.

It's also about being genuine. For small businesses, genuine-ness is fairly easy to capture because just a few people are running the show. Goals, strategies and capabilities are fairly clear. It's a little tougher for bigger organizations, where departments and "too-many-cooks" scenarios drive marketing communications.

Pushy, sales nuance -- the kind that we cringe at as consumers -- creeps into copy for a variety of reasons. As sellers (on eBay or anywhere else), we read all kinds of articles and blogs on how to be persuasive and infuse copy with energy and passion. Somewhere along the line the passion train goes off the tracks, though. Preposterous adjectives creep in, outrageous claims invade the pitch, and customers start to imagine diamond pinky rings on used car salesmen and the buddy-buddy demeanor of the time-share "service representative."

What's the trick to avoiding this scenario? Get real. Eliminate excessive adjectives from your copy (some copywriters say eliminate them all!). Find your genuine voice. Picture the prospect in front of you and be totally honest. Sometimes writing allows us to hide behind the words and say things we wouldn't typically. Treat your description as a casual conversation, and imagine a critical consumer in front of you who's just about to say "B.S" to your next claim. Then start writing your pitch/description/title/headline. The more real and factual you are, the more you will sell. That is a fact. And you'll avoid all the negative back-end karma that comes with over-promising and under-delivering.

Warning: Don't write less just because you have to keep it real. Remember, "the more you tell, the more you sell." Just don't over-hype things. If 100 people come to your listing or product page, several will be live, enthusiastic, closable prospects. These people don't want short descriptions and half-assed information. They get pumped up by all the details... so provide them. You'll do a disservice to your product if you don't.

16 Rules to Live By - eBay Sellers Take Note - Thanks to Bob Parsons

2007-04-19T07:16:00.000-07:00

I have this article bookmarked, because I like the 16 rules. Good stuff that I think applies to entrepreneurs of all kinds and eBay sellers, of course.

Set aside whatever opinions you have of Bob Parsons -- I know he's somewhat controversial, but I dig the 16 rules.

The following article is included with the permission of Bob Parsons and is Copyright © 2005 by Bob Parsons. All rights reserved.

==================================================

“Robert, they can’t eat you!” My rules for survival.

Over a year ago, I was asked by BizAz Magazine (a local Phoenix magazine) to speak at one of its “Business Beneath The Surface” breakfast meetings. As part of the event, participants have the option of submitting questions to the speakers, which are then answered during the breakfast.

One of the questions directed towards me was, “What advice do you have for someone who is just starting a business?”

I liked Clint Eastwood's rules.
Also at that time, I happened to pick up a copy of Men’s Journal. Clint Eastwood was on the cover and an article featured 10 items called “Clint’s rules.” I found his rules to be interesting. They were things like, “You are what you drive,” “avoid extreme makeovers,” and things like that. As Clint Eastwood is a pretty easy guy to respect, I thought the whole rule thing was pretty cool. And the more I thought about it, I realized that over the years I had accumulated a number of principles (or rules) that I tried very hard to adhere to -- and these rules (in many ways) have become the foundation for whatever successes I’ve had.

So, a few weeks before the meeting, I sat down and started typing -- in no particular order -- the rules I try to live by. At the breakfast meeting, I read my rules at the end of my presentation. The response was amazing. I was swamped with requests for copies of the rules. An edited list was published in the Arizona Republic newspaper a few days later. I was even called and interviewed by a local radio station about the list.

Since then, some of the rules have been edited, some consolidated, and a few new ones added. Despite those changes, the list of rules I presented that morning are pretty much what appears at the end of this post.

My rules come from the significant life events I've experienced.
As I write this, I am now 54 years old, and during my life thus far I suspect that I’ve encountered more significant life events than most people ever dream about. Here’s some information about me:

I grew up in a lower middle class family in Baltimore’s inner city. We were always broke. I’ve earned everything I ever received. Very little was ever given to me.

I’ve been working as long as I can remember. Whether it was delivering or selling newspapers, pumping gas, working in construction or in a factory, I’ve always been making my own money.

Not all of the life events were happy ones.
I was stood up to be executed twice during a robbery of a gas station where I was working when I was 16. To my amazement, my would-be executioner could not muster the nerve to pull the trigger. This saved both of us. I lived, and while he went to jail, he did not go there forever. Eventually, in spite of other witnesses of that and other crimes, I was the only one who testified against the two perpetrators. They both received major jail sentences.

I was with a United States Marine Corps rifle company in Viet Nam for a short while in 1969. As a combat rifleman, I learned several key life lessons that resulted in some of the rules I try to live by. I learned first hand how significant a role “luck” or karma can play in our lives. The rifle company I was assigned to, Delta Company of the 1st Batallion, 26th Marines, operated in the rice paddys of Quang Nam province. We operated on the squad level (7 to 10 of us, depending on casualties), and most every night we left our command post and went several kilometers out into the rice paddys and set up in ambush. While there are many who saw significantly more combat action than me, I did see my share. After 5 or 6 weeks, I was wounded and medevaced to Japan. I returned to Viet Nam several times after that, but came back as a courier of classified documents. Although I requested (at least twice) to return to my old rifle company, the transfer was never approved.

After the Marine Corps, I used the G.I. Bill to attend college, and graduated from the University of Baltimore with a degree in accounting. I attended college mostly at night. After college, I took and passed the CPA exam. I worked only a few years as an accountant. The lion’s share of my career has been spent as an entrepreneur.

I've been very lucky when it comes to business.
I started a successful business division for a company called LeaseAmerica. During the four years I was involved with this business, it grew to 84 employees and wrote over $150 million dollars in small office equipment leases. Its success helped redefine how business in that industry is now conducted.

Not long after I started the division for LeaseAmerica, I started a software company in the basement of my house. I started it with the little bit of money I had, and named it Parsons Technology. I owned this business for 10 years, grew it to about 1,000 employees and just shy of $100 million a year in sales. Eventually, we sold Parsons Technology to a company named Intuit. Because my then-wife and I were the only investors, and the company had no debt, we received the entire purchase price.

Shortly after selling Parsons Technology, my wife and I decided to go our separate ways and did the customary “divide everything by two.” I then moved to Arizona and retired for a year. This was a requirement of my deal with Intuit.

Retirement was not for me.
Retirement wasn’t for me, so after the mandatory year passed, and using the money I had from the sale of Parsons Technology, I started a new business. This business eventually became The Go Daddy Group. I started this business from scratch, did it without acquisitions, and developed our own products. In the process, I came spooky close to losing everything I had, and actually made the decision to “lose it all” rather than close Go Daddy. Today, Go Daddy is the world leader in new domain name registrations, and has been cash flow positive since October 2001 (not bad for a dot com). As of this writing, I continue to be the only investor in Go Daddy.

Throughout all of these life events, I came to accumulate a number of rules that I look to in various situations. Some of them I learned the hard way. Others I learned from the study of history. I know they work because I have applied them in both my business and personal life.

And one more thing.
I’ve read many times that original ideas are rare indeed. This is particularly true when it comes to the rules herein. I can’t imagine that any of my rules represent new ideas.

My contribution is that I’ve assembled these ideas, put them to work in my life, and can attest -- that more often than not -- they hold true.

While I put my 16 rules together in response to a business question, I've been told by others that they can be applied to almost any pursuit.

Here are the 16 rules I try to live by:

1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone. I believe that not much happens of any significance when we’re in our comfort zone. I hear people say, “But I’m concerned about security.” My response to that is simple: “Security is for cadavers.”

2. Never give up. Almost nothing works the first time it’s attempted. Just because what you’re doing does not seem to be working, doesn’t mean it won’t work. It just means that it might not work the way you’re doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn’t have an opportunity.

3. When you’re ready to quit, you’re closer than you think. There’s an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: “The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed.”

4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be. Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of “undefined consequences.” My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, “Well, Robert, if it doesn’t work, they can’t eat you.”

5. Focus on what you want to have happen. Remember that old saying, “As you think, so shall you be.”

6. Take things a day at a time. No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don’t look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.

7. Always be moving forward. Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.

8. Be quick to decide. Remember what the Union Civil War general, Tecumseh Sherman said: “A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow.”

9. Measure everything of significance. I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.

10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate. If you want to uncover problems you don’t know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven’t examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.

11. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you’re doing. When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.

12. Never let anybody push you around. In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you’re doing as anyone else, provided that what you’re doing is legal.

13. Never expect life to be fair. Life isn’t fair. You make your own breaks. You’ll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).

14. Solve your own problems. You’ll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you’ll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: “You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others.” There's also an old Asian saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: "A wise man keeps his own counsel."

15. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.

16. There’s always a reason to smile. Find it. After all, you’re really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: “We’re not here for a long time; we’re here for a good time.”

A special word of thanks.
I owe a special thanks to Brian Dunn. When I first wrote these rules down and was thinking about compiling them into a book -- that book, like most books I suppose, has been half-done for a while :); -- Brian read them and suggested a title. His suggestion was, “They Can’t Eat You.” I like Brian’s suggestion for two reasons: 1. It reminds me of my Dad. I sure miss him; and 2. It’s true. No matter how difficult things get, you're going to be OK. It's very important to realize that. Thanks, Brian.

eBay Design and Listing Comprehension - Another Marketing and Layout Tip

2007-04-19T06:07:00.000-07:00

When you sell on eBay, the text should be designed to communicate.

Pretty obvious, right?

Well, some people make choices that work in the opposite direction. They choose fonts, colors and layout designs that hinder rather than enhance communication.

I'm going to touch on just a few tips here relating to background colors and font color. There have been a number of studies that back up the information that follows. If you’d like more detailed background info, I highly recommend reading “Type & Layout: Are You Communicating or Just Making Pretty Shapes” by Colin Wheildon.

1) Black text set on shades of grey makes for difficult reading.
2) Dark text on color tints makes for difficult reading.
3) Brightly colored text on light color tints is “the enemy of comprehension.”
4) Don’t use reverse – white or light text on a black or dark background. Especially with bigger chunks of text. People just can’t comprehend and retain the information very well.
5) Contrary to some “old school” assertions about black text on white background, it’s ok to put black text on light color tints. The light color can attract attention, in fact. Just don’t let the tint get too heavy. The darker the tint gets, the more reader comprehension suffers.

From “Type & Layout”:

“It is impossible to avoid the fact that comprehensibility of colored text increases as the color gets closer to black.”

Mark Twain Knew the eBay Spirit of Fun, Risk, Adventure

2007-04-19T05:48:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about eBay sellers is their pioneering spirit. When you go to events like eBay Live (in Boston this year - June 14-16) or the Professional eBay Sellers Alliance (PESA) (in Chicago - next week April 24-26), you meet all kinds of original, enthusiastic, ambitious folks that are selling the darndest things and having so much fun.

We talk a lot about business planning, strategy and positioning here (and in the 7 Steps eBay Marketing book), but some of the most important ingredients to eBay success are adventurousness and attitude. You need to like what you do, of course, and you need to take some risks, explore new product lines and continue to learn. Those who have their eyes and minds open to new opportunities and unique products that complement their wares inevitably prosper with their sales.

Keep this in mind as you're slogging through shipping chores and balancing the books.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain

The Universe Wants eBay Sellers to Develop a Niche

2007-04-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

"The Universe" (some call this Google) wants you to develop a niche market. We discuss this concept at length in The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing. I come across it every day, however, in one form or another.

Basically, the sooner you narrow your selling focus to a particular product line, a particular service delivery model, or a particular mode of selling, the sooner you'll start differentiating your business and finding your market. You'll start finding the people and customers that are meant for you. The fact is that you're not going to hit home runs in the "Wall Mart" game where you sell everything under the sun or anything that comes across your desk.

Niche helps you focus your expertise and zero in on customers like a laser. It also helps you climb the Google rankings (for ecommerce sites, Google Base listings, Froogle position, and linked eBay listings).

The sooner you develop your niche, the sooner you start making recurring dough. Think about it.

Constant eBay Marketing Connectivity with Free Wireless/Wi-Fi Resources

2007-04-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

A successful eBay business requires constant connectivity. You need to answer emails, post items for sale, and manage marketing activities like cross promotitions, blogging and customer service.

So.. you need to have Web access everywhere. Here's a great resource for free Wi-Fi hotspots in California. http://www.wififreespot.com/ca.html

I used it out in Palm Desert last week, and it was great. I quickly found a nifty little spot called Buzz Cafe. Their Wi-Fi was superb, with great throughput and reliability connectivity. I even worked before they were open out in their parking lot at 5:30AM. Pretty sweet. Great Chai Tea, too.

If you have any other resources, be sure to post them here.

Generally, I know that Panera and some Diedrich's coffee shops have free Wi-Fi, too. Caribou Coffee, as well.

7 Web Copy Disasters - eBay or Otherwise

2007-04-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

This post features a unattributed list of Web copywriting sins. I don’t know where I found this, but I like it, so I thought I should pass it along. If you know where it comes from, please let me know. I’d like to give it proper attribution and congratulate the author on their insights.

Also, if you know anyone else who could use this kind of weekly marketing tune up, please send them here or have them sign up for the weekly newsletter at http://www.qualitywriter.com/blog. Thanks.

Enjoy! - Phil

SEVEN DEADLY WEB COPY MISTAKES

Words on the web are a different animal than words in print. As a copywriter, I watch the trends. And YOU need to be aware of online behavior too. That is IF you want potential clients to read what's on your website. Studies show a full 79% of Internet users SCAN the page rather than read word for word. What does that mean to you? It means whatever they DO read had better be GOOD. Here are 7 web copy mistakes you need to avoid.

Mistake #1: OPENING WITH FLASH

Open with a bang, but not with Flash. If you don't know, Flash is a program by Macromedia that shows mini movies. Graphic artists LOVE Flash animation. They think it's pretty and high tech. Internet cruisers hate it. They can't wait to find the "Skip Intro" link. That's because Flash stands in between them and the information they're hunting for. See, studies show when folks are online they have a need to feel "active." There are millions of pages of information out there. And they aren't so sure yours is the best use of their time. Flash slows them down. So trash the Flash. And go with stronger copy instead. [note from Phil: I use an Anti-Flash plug-in for Firefox, so when flash is on a page I don't see anything but a play button. I think this is gaining popularity -- and causing more problems for designers that rely on Flash.]

Mistake #2: NO COMPELLING HEADLINES OR SUBHEADS

In print, eyes go to the picture first. Not so online. Research shows the first thing web users see is a headline. Now, remember what I said about scanning? Eyes drift down the page looking for easy-to-pick-up words. Well, the headline and subheads should effectively tell scanners what's on the page without having to dig into the real copy... like a quick summary of the entire page! Headlines get the attention. The first subhead identifies the problem of your target audience. The next wows them with the solution - YOU! This way scanners can gloss over the content and get the whole story with the headlines and subheads. Once they're hooked, they can go back and really read your copy.

Mistake #3: OPENING WITH "WELCOME TO MY HOME PAGE"

You're wasting valuable real estate if this is your first phrase. It may be the first and last thing a site visitor reads. Don't forget why web users visit you in the first place. It's all about THEM. Not you. Something THEY need got them to your site. Figure out what it is. Identify the benefits, or emotional buttons in your copy. People WANT to know they're in good hands. OR that they made a smart purchase. Do them a favor. Convince them with benefit-laden copy.

Mistake #4: NOT BUILDING COPY AROUND KEYWORDS AND PHRASES

Quick lesson. Keywords and phrases are what Internet surfers type in to a search engine, like Google. The search engine comes back with a list of related sites. Surfers tend to click over to sites at the top of the list. Search engines put the sites with relevant keywords HIGHER on the list. They find those sites by reading the copy on your web pages. Get it? So figure out what words your target market would type in to find you. Those are your keywords. Now build them into your copy.

Mistake #5: NOT ENOUGH WHITE SPACE

You can guide the eye where you want it to go... if you have a path. Don't clutter up the page with too many confusing options. Or slow-loading graphics. Use strategic white space to pull your reader through your copy from start to finish. Remember, reading on a computer screen is tiring on the eyes. In fact, online reading is 25% slower than reading print. So make it easier. Break up your information into bite-sized pieces. Use short, snappy sentences. Paragraphs with one thought and one thought only. And use bullets liberally. You never know which is the magic one to turn a reader into a customer. Make your copy scan-able.

Mistake #6: BORING THE READER AWAY

Your message has a heck of a lot of competition. People don't have to read your copy unless they want to. YOUR job is to keep them engaged. Let me let you in on a little secret I learned from marketing genius, Joseph Sugarman - the purpose of copy is to get you to read the first sentence. Then that sentence should get you to read the NEXT sentence. And so on. And so on. And so on.

Ever hear of the "Bucket Brigade?" This term comes from the times before fire departments got organized. If there was a fire, villagers lined up down the streets. One end of the line started at the water source. The other end was at the blaze. To put out the fire quickly, they passed buckets of water down the line. Briskly. Without letting up. Without slowing. Imagine that pace when you're writing your copy. Each sentence leading you into the next.

Mistake #7: UNDERESTIMATING THE IMPORTANCE OF COPY

Copy describes what you do and persuades the reader to take some action. But what really makes copy invaluable is its ability to build a lasting relationship with your reader. Whether you're there or not. 24/7. Good copy is friendly. Informative. Establishes rapport. Grows trust and loyalty. It deepens the connection between you and your audience. Once you have that bond, you don't have to bother convincing them how great your product or service is. They're READY to sign up!

eBay Marketing, Twitter and Woot - Building Social Networks, Mircro-Blogging, Sourcing Product

2007-04-02T08:38:00.000-07:00

What on earth is twitter and why is everyone talking about it?

Ok - let's define first. To me, twitter is a mini-blog social network. You create an account, make posts about what you're doing in 144 words or less, and follow friends who do the same. It's yet another place to follow those you know and trust and maybe add some others that you're not sure about yet. You can do it via Web, cell phone or any other IP connected device. Some of the post can be inane time-wasters, but like all things Web, people are being creative and making good use of it. Here's the WikiPedia definition of Twitter.

So what's the eBay relevance? A guy I follow on twitter wrote a blog post about applying twitter to Woot and eBay. Essentially, you can use twitter as a sale broadcasting medium, much the same way use MySpace to do the same thing. The key is that the information needs to be "newsworthy." There has to be some timliness to it. It can't just say, here's my eBay store. Something like, "I'm uploading five new hammocks to my eBay Store -- scored em cheap" is more appropriate. Like anything else marketing, you need an audience. You'll need to build a twitter friends list and cross promote your twitter page in your other marketing materials, in emails, on your web sites, and in your eBay listings and Store.

Here's a good quote to put it all into perspective. It's from Patsi Krakoff's Next Level Tips Blog: "I rephrase this concept found on several wise sites: technologies don’t drive anything. Rather, they enable people to do things they have always done, only better, faster, or cheaper. The most effective and successful social networks are addressing universal human needs using an improved technology component.

It’s not important that you familiarize yourself with all the latest social media tools, neither should you be on the leading edge of all the cool trends.

However, it is important that you and your business connect with people, both your internal and external customers. It is still and always will be about relationships, credibility and trust.

Now there are new ways to create those relationships."

Now, how about sourcing... As I was reading the article on twitter and Woot, I couldn't help but think about sourcing. A place like woot could be a great resource eBay product. The prices look good, and with these twitter updates, you could swoop up a bargain and flip it on eBay quite easily.

Any thoughts? Does anyone have experience with any of these ideas? Please share here. Thanks.

Why eBay Stores Could Be Doomed

2007-03-25T07:11:00.000-07:00

eBay Stores offered many sellers an easy to list fixed price goods and move unsold auction items to a static listing with cheap fees and long durations (e.g. 30 days or good til canceled). But the model could be doomed, because of simple findability trends.

Let me put that a little more simply. If buyers can find your goods easily – outside of eBay.. through search engines, for example – you don't need the eBay platform to sell (or Amazon, for that matter). Google AdWords make this possible, and a new Google service called Pay-Per-Action for AdWords makes the AdWords expense model even cheaper for ecommerce sellers. GigaOm wrote about this findability trend in one his most recent posts, titled “Is Amazon.com catching the eBay Disease.”

The trend here is one of ease. It's now easier than ever to set up ecommerce sites with services like GoDaddy. It's easy (and often cheaper than eBay fees) to advertise via Google AdWords and other site-targeted online advertising services. And, if Google Pay-Per-Action for AdWords helps sellers target customers in an even more granular and accountable way, then the whole eBay Store concept becomes irrelevant. You can list your fixed price goods on a basic ecommerce site, and then easily drive traffic to your goods via Web sites and resources that are directly relevant to your products. Your ads pop up all over the Web (and in Google searches). More importantly, they pop up where they are relevant.

I know that a lot of you are going to say that eBay Stores were never really relevant. That point is well taken. But this Pay-Per-Action idea is quite attractive, don't you think? The program is in limited beta right now, but it should launch soon.. so I'd be very interested to hear feedback from people who try it out. Please comment here to share your experiences.

Please let us know your thoughts about this whole topic, too. I know that a lot of eBay sellers already use AdWords to drive auction sales. How is it working out for you? Any tips, tricks, experience gained?

eBay Radio Interview: Sell Mo Better by Cultivating Loyal, Enthusiastic, Super-Satisfied Customers

2007-01-30T14:51:00.001-08:00

eBay Radio had me on last week to discuss customer satisfaction and retention topics. Here's the link to the interview with Griff.

That Friday, myself and Janelle Elms held an eBay Community Workshop on the same topic, but we covered much more than was allowed on the 8 minute eBay Radio Segment. It's called eBay Customer Satisfaction and Retention (brilliant!). There's tons of new info and insight.

Thanks & Enjoy!
Phil

50 eBay Seller Tips - Advice, Pointers, Insights

2007-01-16T20:17:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across some useful tips while surfing the eBay community discussion boards today. Some are obvious, but there are quite a few that are intriguing. Good reinforcement and review, plus some I haven't thought about. Check out the comments, too. People added some tips (and some junk, too).

eBay Pricing Strategies - Lowest Price for Highest Final Value?

2007-01-03T11:15:00.000-08:00

Dr. Robert Cialdini's site, Inside Influence Report, has an interesting article on eBay, auctions and general bidding processes that occur in the regular world. It talks about how bids with low starting prices tend to generate higher final sale prices than bids utilizing high starting prices. The research is based on a study by a couple of social psychology researchers.

The article offers three general insights that you may already have observed in your eBay dealings, namely:

1)Lower starting prices encourage participation by as many bidders as possible
2)Increased traffic and bidding generated by low starting prices acts as “social proof” to other prospective buyers. In other words, the prospects notice that something must be good because of how many people are crowding around it.
3)Those who get into the bidding early invest time and effort updating their bids and following the auction. This makes it more likely that they will commit to winning the auction and bidding up the item.

The researchers also noted that when traffic to a listing was limited (due to something like a misspelled word in the item description), lower starting prices were less effective – thus bolstering their social proof observations.

Bottom line: Auctions need traffic, and they should start out with low prices in order to attract the optimal number of bidders. Perhaps this is why eBay stores are so tough to get off the ground. Those of us who have been successful with auctions cringe at the idea of fixed prices perhaps.

What's your experience? Do your observations support these findings? Chime in and let us all know. Thanks.

Spinnish – The New Language of Idiocy and Why You Should Fear It

2006-12-22T10:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I was reminded of the crazy language that passes for “marketing” and “communication” these days. I came across this article on Spinnish -- http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061221/tc_nm/web_life_wordsmiths_dc_3

We've all been bamboozled by this kind of double-speak – do any of these look familiar:

cultivate
disintermediate
drive
e-enable
embrace
empower
envisioneer
evolve
action-items
mindshare
paradigms
schemas

There are so many. The article offers some insights into the new illiteracy confusion trend. I liked this one: “www means wretched writers welcome.”

Anyway, try to stay away from confusing, trendy words. Everybody can speak the basics and almost everything can be described in simple terms. Avoid complexity, and you'll end up looking smart.

Stanford University did a study on intelligence perception that proves this out, in fact. Their research showed that people who write and speak in short sentences (while using short, simple words) are perceived as more intelligent than those who get crazy with big words and grammar complexity. It makes sense.. those who communicate well impart their knowledge more efficiently and effectively. (Ouch -- 'efficiently and effectively' sounds like worn marketing-speak... sometimes it's tough to avoid it.)

For more straight forward business and marketing advice, check out The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing(McGraw-Hill).

marketing, writing, writer, advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

The Crazy eBay Price Reversal Axiom - Compliments of the Kellogg School of Management

2006-09-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

There’s some new research in that confirms what a lot of eBay sellers have already learned through price experimentation…

Read "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing"(McGraw-Hill) to learn more about eBay selling psychology.

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

Visualize Your eBay Visitors with CrazyEgg.com

2006-08-21T22:17:00.000-07:00

I found a cool new site by reading articles on Digg. It’s called crazyegg.com, and it helps you “visualize your visitors.” You put a little piece of script at the bottom of the pages you want to track (the free version includes two pages). That script tracks the clicks visitors perform at your site, so you get a visual reading of where things are happening. There’s even a ‘heatmap’ filter that shows you the hot spots on your pages.

You’d normally do this with logs, of course, but the idea is quite novel. By seeing the spots that are hot, for example, you can play with ad placement and email marketing sign up form placement. There are all kinds of eBay marketing applications, of course.

I should warn you that the site seems a bit hard-pressed to keep up with the traffic generated by the Digg article. I’ve been having some timeouts as I test it.

Please let me know what your experience is with this tool. I think it’s kinda cool and would love to hear your input.

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

Predicting the Future with eBay Market Research Tools

2006-08-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

I'm re-running a popular article today. It's by guest writer Jen Cano, a certified eBay Consultant. Without further delay...

I Can Predict the Future (with Auction Research)

Part 1

By Jen Cano, Certified eBay Consultant and Senior Editor for HammerTap

I know how to predict the future. I’ve been able to do it ever since the first time I sold on eBay. A couple of years ago, my job was to write a series of articles on the journey of an eBay beginner—me.

Part of my assignment was to use HammerTap’s DeepAnalysis, auction research software, to help me decide what to sell and when. I researched candles and lotions of all kinds. The research results proclaimed that the auctions with For Every Body scented candles had performed very well, while those with For Every Body lotions hadn’t done so hot.

So, rebel that I am, I decided to ignore the research and list both. In short, my candles sold with a 100% profit margin, while my lotions didn’t sell at all. Even when they’d been listed three times.

Now that I’ve told my story, I’ll have to revise my initial statement. I know how to read the past to predict likely outcomes. I know how to use auction research software to predict the future.

What Can Research Reveal about the Future?

Auction research software tools, such as DeepAnalysis, search eBay to find a group of closed auctions that match the criteria you enter. Then, they give you statistics about how the auctions performed and which listing elements were the most successful.

A research tool that lets you narrow your research to include only auctions that match your exact criteria also allows you to:

Find out what sells.
Reveal what you need to do to increase your chances of selling.
Help you increase the profit you make on every auction.

Find Out What Sells

Research will do more than tell you whether a particular product is likely to sell and for how much. Quality research tools will also let you save and compare research files, so you can decide which brands, styles, products, sizes, and etc. sell best.

Once, I compared large lots of boys Gap clothing to smaller lots to see which lot size performed the best. The difference was staggering. Only 70% of smaller lots sold, while 93% of larger lots sold.

Incidentally, at the same time, I discovered that Gap clothing outperformed Old Navy by a wide margin, as well. And, I was able to narrow my research even further to discover which size and type was the most successful.

About the Author

Jennifer Cano is a certified eBay consultant and Senior Editor for Bright Builders, the makers of HammerTap. She is also an editor for eBay Radio.

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

eBay Cha-Ching: Why Titles Are So Important for Marketing

2006-05-11T09:10:00.000-07:00

There’s something I don’t like about my book The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing. It’s the title. I’ll tell you why and what it has to do with eBay listings in a second.

I was involved in creating the title little, but the publisher deferred to its in-house experts and came up with the final version.

Technically the full title of the book is The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing: Creative Strategies to Boost Profits Now. I like the 2nd half of the title better than the first. Why? Because it offers a picture or a feeling about what the reader or buyer is going to get from the book. It’s tangible and specific – profits, boost, now. But that’s immaterial. The main title is the real issue.

First, let me tell what you what elements I like about the main title. I like the 7 Essential Steps part. That concept works for me, and I’d encourage you to use similar formats when informing your eBay audiences. Visually, numbers are interesting in titles, and taking a few steps in order to achieve a goal sounds pretty easy and organized. People like that. “If I do x, I’ll get y.”

I don’t know if Essential is absolutely necessary, though. I’m on the fence about that one. I also like the word Marketing in the main title. It sets the book apart from all the other noise that’s out there and focuses the target audience onto a fairly specific topic.

Now, what do I not like? I don’t like the word Successful. To me, it’s very vague and general. If I’m reading a book title, I want to know exactly what’s in it for me… immediately. Especially with a business book. Otherwise, I’m moving on. I also need to be attracted by something unusual or interesting. There’s nothing interesting about “Successful eBay Marketing.” It’s just bland.

So what should a title do? If you’re selling a book or a lunch box or a cell phone, what do you want your title to do? First you want it to attract eyeballs. Then you want it to convert the eyeballs’ brain into a buyer.. or a potential prospect at least.

This concept of attraction and conversion is discussed in much greater detail by Sean D’Souza in his PsychoTactics newsletter. It’s a good resource with lots of insider marketing information. And it works.

First you attract, with a unique or unusual title. Then you convert with the big benefit. My title might have been better with one of the following treatments, for example:

eBay Seller Smarts: How to Increase Profits and Save Time Listing with Proven Marketing Techniques (unique main title, two specific benefits)

eBay Cha-Ching: Ring the Online Cash Register with Proven Marketing Tactics (unique title, benefits implicit, clear images)

How does this relate to eBay listings? Well, you have two opportunities to use titles like these. Once in the keyword title, and again within the text of your listing. I’ll warn you against using this title attraction/conversion technique in the keyword title however. If you have room for it, give it a shot. (Testing will show the truth of the situation.) But you’re better off using the keyword title for just that – keywords. Those are gold, and you need to make sure everything is there and accounted for – this is where you cast a wide net.

However, you can use the technique on the listing page itself. Place a big title at the beginning of your description. Use one that sticks with the customer and gets them thinking about how your product is better, faster, sexier, etc. Translate that to what specific benefit they’ll reap.

If you do this effectively, your listings will instantly attract more interest and be set off from all the other returns that the prospect has looked at. It’s about differentiation. eBay is a competitive marketplace, but it’s not that difficult to stand out. With a little care and planning, you can get a distinct edge.

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

eBay as Entertainment - De-Mystifying Angelina Jolie's Bra, a Mutant Steak Chunk and an Anti-Oprah Winfrey Helmut

2006-05-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

Not only is eBay an auction medium.. it's rapidly becoming an entertainment medium. It's almost like a goofy cable access QVC show that knows no bounds.

There are people selling Angelina Jolie's bra and panties from the movie "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." Someone's selling animal crackers in compromising positions. There's a "gross valved steak chunk" that was found in a can of soup.

One guy's even selling a a PBR helmut that's designed to keep him from watching Oprah (that's who I'm guessing he's referring to).

So what's the point? Wildness and entertaining stuff is viral. If you can strike it big with a humor piece that also features gallery views of your other eBay auctions or eBay store offerings, you can make some dough via the humor email circuit and the sites that track this stuff.

Be careful that you don't offend your users, though. A misstep could cost you some customers.

DISCLAIMER: I don't endorse any of these sites or condone their taste. Just a little fun before the weekend starts.

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

Pain Motivates More than Gain - eBay Selling Secret #42

2006-05-05T08:32:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing

We’ve talked a lot about benefits, and they are very important. However, here’s a little secret that’s emerged from psychology research, and it directly relates to scarcity: Customers desire benefits, but they are even more motivated by the prospect of losing something. That “something” could be any number of things:

• The winning bid itself.
• Freedom of choice. (For example, a lot of people buy different kinds of athletic shoes for different sports and exercise routines. They want the flexibility and the freedom of wearing the best shoe for the right occasion.)
• An opportunity. (For example, a bargain, a chance to make more money, a shot at personal improvement, or a chance to acquire some rare, coveted object.)
• An experience. (For example, tickets to sporting events, plays, and other activities.)
• An insight or educational experience. (For example, instructional CD-ROMs, classes, seminars, or “Webinars.”)

You need to hammer on benefits, of course, but then supplement them with unique benefits that bidders or prospects stand to lose if they don’t make an offer on your merchandise or service.

Here’s an example. This is a bit of text taken from an eBay listing for a tree irrigation device: “Give your trees a hug and yourself the gift of knowing you’re doing your best for your precious trees and saving time and money at the same time.” There’s a lot of emotion here—with the gifting and looking out for your trees pitch—but the seller also indicates that you’ll spend more time and money if you water your trees without the device. The seller could have been even more forceful, saying something like, “Don’t throw away precious money and waste your afternoons watering large trees. Use our device and you can get in that golf game and afford drinks at the 19th hole.” If you don’t have this thing, you’re going to miss out on all that fun.

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

New Site Showcases Marketing Deception – eBay Sellers Take Note

2006-05-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

If you want to understand what kinds of customer service and marketing practices drive customers and prospects crazy, take a look at this new site: http://www.everydayhogwash.com/

It’s a site that gathers stories about customer service nightmares, legal fine print, marketing deception, and broken promises.

This could be a really good resource for getting into the consumer mind-set. Obviously, there will be some garden variety cranks showing up with comedy routines, a la “what’s the deal with airplane food.” However, I suspect that they’ll be gathering some good stories that honestly uncover the real nonsense that goes at some companies.

How does this apply to eBay? Well, you’re in the customer service business if you sell on eBay. Your shipping terms, payment terms, description tone, restrictions/legalese and more all have an effect on prospective buyers and bidders who’ve already won the item. All this stuff impacts your future ability to gain market share and build biz.

Check back with this hogwash site to see the latest results. They’re getting quite a bit of media attention, so I’m guessing that they’ll start to rack up some nice stories soon.

While you’re there, take a look at the ads that run on their pages. Pretty savvy marketing if I don’t say so myself. The site is sort of a blog that produces stories about how customers are getting hosed. Then they turn around and promote advertisers whose sole “brand” or marketing concept is to provide service that counters those trends. The example I’m seeing today is their ad for SunRocket, “The No Gotcha Phone Company.” This is a nice little business model. We’ll see if it works.

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

Future Shop - Fascinating Look into the Future of eBay and Buy-Sell Culture

2006-02-25T08:15:00.000-08:00

I’ve been reading a really interesting book on eBay and how auction culture is changing the way we use goods and shop. It’s called Future Shop – written by Daniel Nissanoff. Nissanoff is one of the early Web visionaries that “got it” and got rich in the process. He started one of the first online b2b exchanges, called PartMiner. It was a a half billion dollar company at one point.

The book talks about how the auction culture is reshaping the very definition of “consumer.” We’re shifting from a mass-marketed-to culture to a participatory buy-and-sell culture. Nissanoff considers this shift a huge opportunity for all kinds of business people, calling it an “economic juggernaut.” Businesses like I Sold It On eBay and Trading Post help facilitate this new buy-and-sell culture. All kinds of analytic services that help people figure out what to buy and sell (and when) are cropping up, too.

Nissanoff explains, “anyone who understands how to maximize the value-to-utility life cycle of their possesions will be rewarded with a more prosperous but less costly lifestyle.”

I’ll post more about Future Shop as I read on. It’s fascinating stuff.

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

eBay Marketing Radio Show - Free MP3

2006-02-15T21:57:00.000-08:00

As you may recall, I was a guest speaker on Conversations with Experts last week. The interview went really well, and since I was talking fairly quickly, I was able to get in a lot of good info in a relatively short period of time (1 hour). If you like audio, you can grab the file and slap it on your MP3 player or iPod.

I posted the file on my web site here: http://www.qualitywriter.com/radio

The original site, www.ConversationsWithExperts.com, has all kinds of other business topics and speakers. There are some really great presentations. It’s worth checking out.

The lead-in description of the topic is below:

How to Build an eBay Business that Generates Repeat Sales and Loyal
Customers

Wednesday, February 8, 2006, 8:30 p.m. ET
Guest Expert: Phil Dunn, author of “The 7 Essential Steps to Successful
eBay Marketing”

In recent years, eBay competition has become fierce. Tens of thousands
of new sellers have entered the eBay marketplace, including large-scale
retailers with the edge of professional marketing expertise and
power-house corporate experience. The eBay market has also been flooded
with small-time sellers, who sell at low margins for little profit and
make it difficult for other sellers to compete with their prices.

To succeed, you need pay attention to how you “market” your products.

In this discussion you’ll learn how to:
Understand buyers and position your products for faster, higher margin sales Present products more persuasively (in visual and in written form) Create urgency and sweeten the deal Differentiate your business from competitors Cultivate loyal customers and build positive feedback

Discover what makes buyers choose one item over an identical one, and
learn why customers come back to trusted sellers time an again.

Phil Dunn is co-author of “The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay
Marketing.” He’s also a marketing writer and strategic consultant for
Fortune 500 companies (Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Pitney Bowes, Toshiba
Medical, IKON) and eBay businesses. With persuasive writing and
time-honored marketing approaches, he has sold everything from $22
haircuts to $50,000 cars to $1 million software licensing agreements.

Register: www.ConversationsWithExperts.com
<http://www.conversationswithexperts.com>

Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Off-line Hosted by Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff.

Please read our book in the local library for for free. Or get it for 32% off the cover price: "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing"(McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

Feb 6 Web Seminar: How to Build an eBay Business that Generates Repeat Sales and Loyal

2006-02-07T21:50:00.000-08:00

I’ll be the guest speaker on a Webcast this evening @ www.ConversationsWithExperts.com

Pop in and have a listen or catch the archive.

Description below:

How to Build an eBay Business that Generates Repeat Sales and Loyal
Customers

Wednesday, February 8, 2006, 8:30 p.m. ET
Guest Expert: Phil Dunn, author of “The 7 Essential Steps to Successful
eBay Marketing”

In recent years, eBay competition has become fierce. Tens of thousands
of new sellers have entered the eBay marketplace, including large-scale
retailers with the edge of professional marketing expertise and
power-house corporate experience. The eBay market has also been flooded
with small-time sellers, who sell at low margins for little profit and
make it difficult for other sellers to compete with their prices.

To succeed, you need pay attention to how you “market” your products.

In this discussion you’ll learn how to:
Understand buyers and position your products for faster, higher margin sales Present products more persuasively (in visual and in written form) Create urgency and sweeten the deal Differentiate your business from competitors Cultivate loyal customers and build positive feedback

Discover what makes buyers choose one item over an identical one, and
learn why customers come back to trusted sellers time an again.

Phil Dunn is co-author of “The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay
Marketing.” He’s also a marketing writer and strategic consultant for
Fortune 500 companies (Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Pitney Bowes, Toshiba
Medical, IKON) and eBay businesses. With persuasive writing and
time-honored marketing approaches, he has sold everything from $22
haircuts to $50,000 cars to $1 million software licensing agreements.

Register: www.ConversationsWithExperts.com

Conversations with Experts: How to Build Your Business On and Off-line Hosted by Denise Wakeman and Patsi Krakoff.

Please read our book in the local library for for free. Or get it for 32% off the cover price: "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing"(McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

eBay Questions Continued: Managing Inventory & Listing Managers

2006-02-07T21:19:00.000-08:00

Q: When an item having an inventory has had one sale and comes up for a change it has to be deleted as the system doesn't allow any changes to be made on that item.

A: Yes, the inventory thing doesn't accommodate changes . . . you need to use a listing management service to take care of that (see below).

Q: Figuring TurboLister might be the way to revise a couple of hundred listing and save time i updated my old version... only to find it kept crashing, thesolution was to spend hours downloading updates and i'm hoping today it willwork.

A: I agree that Turbo Lister is pretty buggy and does tend to crash alot. I still use it, since I'm used to it and just suffer thru the occasional crash and tedious updates. (Are you using a dial up modem? If you switch to cable or dsl, the updates download very quickly). If it continues to eat at you, you may want to look into other bulk listing managers like mpire, vendio, channel advisor. There's a pretty good review of available services at: http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/pages/ams

Thanks Amy Balsbaugh for these answers!

Please read our book in the local library for for free. Or get it for 32% off the cover price: "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing"(McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

eBay Questions Continued: Cross-Promotion Items Changing

2006-02-03T20:41:00.000-08:00

Q: My cross promotion items change when there's been no reason for them to change and the eBay default is to promote the highest $ item which usually is a turn off to buyers who are shopping for the lowest priced item... The system tells you half of your items have automatically been revised, but it doesn't tell you specially which ones have been revised. What’s up with this?

A: It's easy to manage your cross promotions so that you can control which items will automatically pop up in your cross promotion boxes. From the "Manage Your Store" page, select the "Default Cross Promotions" button. The first page you'll be linked to lets you manage your general categories that get cross promoted. For my own business, I always cross promote from the same category. However, depending on what you sell, you may want to cross promote from other categories. (e.g. If you sell bowling balls, you may want to cross promote to your bowling shoes category).

If you scroll down to the bottom of this page, you'll find a link for "Cross Promotion Preferences" where you can specify that you'd like your lowest price items to be pulled up automatically, as well as specifying other preferences as well.

If you want your cross promotions to be constant and never changing, you can always manually set your cross promotions to specific items. Once the item listing has been created, open the item page and click the "Change your Cross promoted items" button. This will link you to an interface that allows you to select specific items to appear in your cross promotion boxes.

Thanks Amy Balsbaugh for this answer!

Please read our book in the local library for for free. Or get it for 32% off the cover price: "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing"(McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

Today Show Newspaper/Media Segment Bumped

2006-02-03T08:31:00.000-08:00

... Again. I didn't see it on at 7:15 AM. I think the Red Sea ship sinking may have scrambled their schedule.

I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, I'll post the answer to another eBay question. To follow..

eBay Questions Continued: Finding the Right Categories

2006-02-02T22:40:00.000-08:00

Q: Item specifics keep changing so I have to search each time to find a proper category. What’s the deal?

A: This is a pain. But it's worth the effort since many buyers search in specific categories instead of eBay at large. It's extra effort, but it's time well spent to find the right category for your item. Depending on what you're selling, the "item specifics" have varying degrees of usefulness. For some categories, it’s good to occasionally leave some of the item specifics blank.

Please read our book in the local library for for free. Or get it for 32% off the cover price: "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing"(McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

UPDATE: NBC’s Today Show Visits eBay Author and Blogger

2006-02-02T15:56:00.000-08:00

The Today Show piece is scheduled to air tomorrow, Friday February 3 at 7:15 A.M.

The topic is "people who don't read (physical) newspapers." They got enough footage to make me either look like a whiz nerd or a total idiot. We'll see how the editing process goes.

I tried to insert "ebay author" and "ebay marketing" into my answers as much as possible. I hope some of that makes it into the piece -- or that they identify me correctly. I think they're going to paint us as an All-American family -- just consumers and everyday folks. We'll see.

Please tune in or Tivo, and be sure to pass the word along to others who might be interested.

My Best -
Phil

Phil Dunn - (949) 515-3510
Marketing Writer, Author
http://www.qualitywriter.com
http://ebay-marketing.blogspot.com
http://www.qualitywriter.com/blog/
http://www.allbusiness.com/blog/eBayEdge/11217/

P.S. Amazon.com knocked 32% off the cover price of "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing"(McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

Say What? Even More eBay Shipping and Handling Questions Answered

2006-02-01T22:36:00.000-08:00

Q: If I try not to have a return policy, it seems like the eBay system fights me. What can I do?

A: If you don't want to have a return policy, it's OK - however, you should just make your policy state "All Sales are Final." If you don't want to click the "Returns Accepted" button, it's perfectly OK. Your listings will work fine without it.

P.S. Amazon.com knocked 32% off the cover price of "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing"(McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

More of Your eBay Shipping and Handling Questions Answered

2006-02-01T22:26:00.000-08:00

Q: Is it true that I can’t use the shipping calculator unless I’m offering UPS shipping? The nearest UPS shipping center is 12 miles away from me, so I’m hesitant to offer it.

A: You can use the calculator for USPS as well. When you're creating your listing, just select the USPS service or Services you'd like to offer from the shipping calculator setup. Or, if you ship alot, you may look into setting up a UPS account. They'll come to your place to pick up your packages and then you won't need to make the 12 mile trip.

P.S. Amazon.com knocked 32% off the cover price of "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing"(McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

eBay Marketing Discipline Compliments of the U.S. Army

2006-02-01T14:08:00.000-08:00

One of the best funded, best organized outfits in the world is the U.S. Army. That’s why it’s often useful to pay attention to their mailings and advertisements. They hire some of the brightest minds in the advertising/marketing world. I recently received a piece of direct mail from them that was very instructive.

I wrote about it for AllBusiness – another venue for my blogging topics. If you’re interested in seeing the piece itself and reading a little about my observations, check it out here: An eBay Marketing Lesson from the U.S. Army -- The Most Compelling Brochure I've Seen in a While. I related the article to eBay, but the concepts are transferrable to just about any industry/situation.

P.S. Amazon.com knocked 32% off the cover price of "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing"(McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

Alito, King and the State of the Union crowded me off the sched for tomorrow. (Wed)....

2006-01-31T20:30:00.000-08:00

The Today Show segment got bumped again because of big news today and tomorrow...

I'll post again when I get the word about the new time slot/day.

I swear it really did happen.. a crew was here and everything... ;-)

Should air Thurs or Fri..

'Today Show' Appearance Time Rescheduled for Wednesday at 7:16 a.m.

2006-01-30T20:38:00.000-08:00

The air time got shifted - it's now this Wednesday morning - Feb 1st.

More specifically, at 7:16 a.m.

NBC’s Today Show Visits eBay Author and Blogger

2006-01-30T08:29:00.000-08:00

An NBC News crew was at our house yesterday. An interview with me will be on the Today Show tomorrow, Tuesday - Jan 31st (with family/home footage). The producer said it will probably be in the 7am to 8am segment.

The topic is "people who don't read (physical) newspapers." They got enough footage to make me either look like a whiz nerd or a total idiot. We'll see how the editing process goes.

I tried to insert "ebay author" and "ebay marketing" into my answers as much as possible. I hope some of that makes it into the piece -- or that they identify me correctly. I think they're going to paint us as an All-American family -- just consumers and everyday folks. We'll see.

Please tune in or Tivo, and be sure to pass the word along to others who might be interested.

My Best -
Phil

Phil Dunn - (949) 515-3510
Marketing Writer, Author
http://www.qualitywriter.com
http://ebay-marketing.blogspot.com
http://www.qualitywriter.com/blog/
http://www.allbusiness.com/blog/eBayEdge/11217/

P.S. Amazon.com knocked 32% off the cover price of "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing"(McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

Incensed at Google Adsense: eBay Sellers Angry and Not Going to Take It Anymore

2006-01-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

Ina Steiner’s excellent eBay information site AuctionBytes ran an interesting story today about Google Adsense ads that appear at the top of eBay listings.

Seems that when shoppers come to eBay listings from Google they’ll now see an ad at the top of that eBay listing that encourages them to go to other listings.

“One seller asked: ‘Why would I want to have a "store" and promote it , like a business should, just to have eBay tell my customers to "look elsewhere" when they came to look at My Product?’”

Let’s keep an eye on this story and see how it develops. I’m guessing that the program won’t last long in its current state.

Speaking of keeping an eye on news stories, there’s a nifty Google News alert feature that allows you to track stories. You put in your keywords and they’ll email you when stories that relate to the terms show up on the wires (Can I still say wires or am I dating myself?).

P.S. Amazon.com knocked 32% off the cover price of "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing"(McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

Overcoming That Impersonal eBay Feeling

2006-01-24T14:50:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing

A Little Personality Goes a Long Way
Another drawback for customers shopping online is that the Internet can feel a bit impersonal, isolating, and detached from reality. You can achieve the opposite effect by implementing a few simple strategies to personalize your customer interactions. Small efforts to reach out to customers in such a way can reap huge benefits in customer satisfaction.

Consider the appeal of an old-time general store, with a friendly proprietor who knows her customers by name, treats everyone with sincerity and warmth, and conducts her affairs with dignity and honesty. Retail corporations spend millions trying to cultivate the mom-and-pop vibe. This is where

Figure 6-2 Selling Manager Pro’s e-mail interface features pull-down menus with e-mail options and click-and-send efficiency to save you time and effort.

small businesses have a distinct advantage over their larger counterparts. If you are, in fact, a mom-and-pop–style business, that exact vibe is an easy and natural one to convey. Cultivating personalized interactions helps build your eBay brand, too. It gives your customers a solid, positive feeling about your personality and how it is reflected in your business.

A simple way to inject personality into your business is through youre-mail correspondence. If your business does a small enough volume, you may have the luxury of writing a personalized e-mail for every customer interaction. However, as soon as you begin to sell in any sort of increased capacity, you need to automate those communications while still conveying a personal and friendly demeanor. It’s easier than you may think to accomplish this.

Edit E-mail Templates in Selling Manager Pro
eBay’s Selling Manager Pro provides you with prefabricated e-mail messages for a variety of situations. However, the standard text provided in these messages is a bit sterile and cold. You can revise the templates to use your own voice. Simple efforts to make the text more personable greatly improve customer perceptions of your business. It also disguises the fact that you are essentially sending form letters to your customers.

You can customize your e-mail messages in a myriad of ways. To begin, click the edit template hotlink of Selling Manager’s e-mail. Figure 6-3 shows the edit template interface. Use the pull-down Insert menus to create macros that automatically insert your customer’s name, a link to the item listing, shipping calculators, and dozens of other options. Edit the text itself to convey your personality, and use a friendly tone and style. Add colloquial greetings—a cheerful "howdy" suits some sellers. Consider messages specific to seasons or holidays, such as "Warm wishes for a Happy New Year." A little flattery is always nice, too: "It’s been a pleasure doing business with you" is a timeless classic.

Take some time to find your "voice," and rewrite your e-mail templates to communicate that style. Your customers will notice and appreciate the effort, and it will increase their satisfaction in your business transaction.

Tip: If you use a third-party listing management service over eBay’s Selling Manager Pro, be sure to explore all options available for automating and customizing e-mail correspondence with your customers.

P.S. Amazon.com knocked 32% off the cover price of "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing"(McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

Top 6 Ways to Boost eBay Traffic on ‘The Streets’

2006-01-21T11:49:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing

Real-World Ways to Boost Traffic
The brick-and-mortar world is the one with the dirt on the sidewalks and the clammy-palmed handshakes. It’s not a show on MTV or the glass monitor, e-mail introduction world of eBay. The real world is a great place to promote your eBay Store.Top 6 Ways to Boost Traffic on ‘The Streets’

• Make sure your eBay Store URL is printed on your business cards, letterhead, stationery, thank you notes, invoices, car bumper sticker, holiday cards, and promotional post cards. Recall our discussion of the eBay Stores referral credit from Chapter 2? Any outside links from these sources will result in a 75 percent credit off your Final Value Fees for store inventory purchased.

• Talk up your business with anyone who is willing to listen. Uncles, grandparents, delivery people, Rotary Club poo-bahs, and parole officers should all hear about your enterprising business. Give them business cards, get their addresses (real-world and cyber), and invite them to attend your talks on digital photography (or whatever niche it is you’ve developed to sell goods).

• Send prospects and former customers already on your mailing list promotional items that bear your URL and store logo/name. The usual promo items include pens, t-shirts, sticky notes, and coffee cups. You can get creative and offer more intriguing items, though, such as toys, fans, fly-swatters, CD holders, and other items.

• Offer gift certificates. Every restaurant and many retail stores do this, so why shouldn’t you? It allows customers that like what you offer to foist your wares onto their unsuspecting friends and relatives. Certificates can be created in both real-world and cyber forms.• Conduct seminars and informal talks about your area of expertise. If you can get press coverage, you’ll expand your reach even farther.

• Write articles for trade magazines and local papers, and submit press releases to any media outlet that might cover your type of business and customer/product profile. Don’t be afraid to think big. You’d be surprised at how many newspapers, radio stations, and even TV programs are interested in fresh, interesting angles on commercial enterprises and the people who buy from them.

P.S. Amazon.com knocked 32% off the cover price of "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing"(McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

New Site Offers Insight into Customer Minds

2006-01-12T08:47:00.000-08:00

There’s a new Web site that gathers stories about customer service nightmares, legal fine print, marketing deception, and broken promises. If you want to understand what kinds of customer service and marketing practices drive customers and prospects crazy, take a look.

I’m thinking that this could be a really good resource for getting into the consumer mind-set. Obviously, there will be some garden variety cranks showing up with comedy routines, a la “what’s the deal with airplane food.” However, I suspect that they’ll be gathering some good stories that honestly uncover the real nonsense that goes at some companies.

How does this apply to eBay? Well, you’re in the customer service business if you sell on eBay. Your shipping terms, payment terms, description tone, restrictions/legalese and more all have an effect on prospective buyers and bidders who’ve already won the item. All this stuff impacts your future ability to gain market share and build biz.

While you’re checking out the hogwash site, take a look at the ads that run on their pages. Pretty savvy marketing if I don’t say so myself. The site is sort of a blog that produces stories about how customers are getting hosed (and the content is provided by readers, BTW). Then they turn around and promote advertisers whose sole “brand” or marketing concept is to provide service that counters those trends. The example I’m seeing today is their ad for SunRocket, “The No Gotcha Phone Company.” This is a nice little business model. We’ll see if it works.

P.S. Amazon.com knocked 32% off the cover price of "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing" (McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news

On eBay, As with So Many Things, It’s About Overcoming Ego

2006-01-10T17:00:00.000-08:00

When you’re writing listing descriptions or even your About Me page, there’s a golden rule that applies: You must orient the copy toward the customer, and cast your ego and pitch aside for a moment. In other words, avoid “me, our and it,” as in my company, my product, our greatness, and position your talk in term of “you, your needs, your fears and your benefits.”

This is especially important in lead paragraphs. And, if you can write fairly well, you can continue it throughout the copy and make all your points and features directly relevant to your audience.

Acknowledge the difficulty, pain or dream of the shopper. Treat the exchange as a one-on-one encounter and talk about that person directly (even though your listing will be seen by thousands). Write as if you’re writing an email to a friend. Ask questions. Acknowledge feelings and emotions – as if you were Oprah or Barbara Walters empathizing and connecting with people.

Here are a couple examples of wrong and right approaches:

Wrong:
“You are bidding on a Cartier ladies tank francaise watch. It’s solid 18K yellow gold set with original Cartier top quality round cut diamonds on sides of face. It has a deployment style bracelet, and comes with two extra links.”

Fortunately there are lots of these kinds of descriptions on eBay. I say fortunately, because that means you can do a little bit better and look like a dream in comparison.

Right:
“These gorgeous and incredibly brilliant earrings are sure to please any taste! They are specially handcrafted to let the sparkle of the Ideal cut Diamonds light your face with inner glow. Be envied!!”

This set-up will work well with features and specs that follow. The lead makes a one-to-one connection with the reader, bringing up those intangible benefits that jewelry provides, and then they go on to offer all the details.

The thing is, almost everyone else selling jewelry is writing it like the first example. The net effect is that shoppers think they’re shopping apples to apples. But the fact is, you can’t possibly compare jewelry in an apples to apples manner. People need to understand what specifications mean what – as in, what benefit do I get out of a certain color rating on a diamond? If you can explain that, then you’re a big step ahead of the competition.

The trick is to get your self out of the way. Stop presenting items as if they’re part of your ego, and present them as if they look gorgeous on the person trying them on (pretend). This doesn’t work if you’re selling hard drives, of course.. kidding. It does, actually. The same rules apply. Get out of the way. Explain specs in terms of benefits (negative or positive), and allow the shopper to start to feel good about the product on their own terms.

P.S. Amazon.com knocked 32% off the cover price of "The 7 Essential Steps to Successful eBay Marketing" (McGraw-Hill, 2005). Walmart.com sells if for 36% off!

ebay, selling, sales, seller, marketing, writing, writer, book, books,
advertising, copywriting, journalism, media, news