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November 30, 2007
Online Auction Software: A Review Of Terapeak Software For Online Auctions
Terapeak's online auction software provides eBay research truly is outstanding. In fact, it's the best service I've found and I've checked out a lot of them! Here is just a sample of what you get with Terapeak:
Figure out the best time to sell. Obviously, we all want to list our goodies when we will receive the highest prices so Terapeak will help you to figure out when buyers spend the most, the best day of the week and even the best hour for selling.
Learn from the best sellers. No matter what the market or category, Terapeak will allow you to figure out who the top sellers are and see what they're doing. Obviously, just copying ("stealing") isn't the way to go. But we can compare our methods and see how we can improve.
More reasons to choose Terapeak ...
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:31 PM | TrackBack
November 27, 2007
Recall List For Toys
In the US there is a well-publicized recall list for toys. These are of special concern, of course, because children should be the most protected members of our society since they can't take care of themselves.
In this country, the US Consumer Safety Product Commission is responsible for alerting citizens to unsafe merchandise, food, etc. Here's a 'for instance' ... a doll stroller from Lan Enterprises that severed the tip of a child's finger.
eBay tries to enforce these product recalls on its site and has specific policies about recalled items. For more information, check out eBay's policies.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 1:31 PM | TrackBack
November 25, 2007
Is The eBay Affiliate Program Valuable - Or Not? {Part 2}
Create RSS feeds of your eBay search results, and add your affiliate link to it before sharing with your visitors and users. These feeds provide users with live eBay listing information, such as a gallery image, price and end date and allow them to add items to their eBay watch list. You can display up to 200 eBay listings that are dynamically updated in real time. Customize your Editor Kit to match the content and look of your site
5. Keyword Linking Tool
http://affiliates.ebay.com/ns/Keyword.htm
The is the easiest tool for multiple keywords tracking and will track up to 5,000 keywords at a time. Links can be generated by keyword searches or unique identifiers such as ISBNs or UPCs. The link go to the corresponding search-results pages.
In addition, if you submit a list of ISBNs, UPCs or MPNs (Manufacturers Part Number), you can build links to search results or links pointing to the Product Details Page for each of the products.
6. Product Kit
http://affiliates.ebay.com/ns/ProductKit.htm
You can customize each Product Kit to match the content and look of your site. Some of the customizable features include:
* Search term
* Product Category
* Tools size (in pixels)
* Number of items displayed
* Product Kit design, color & look
There are two kinds of product kits:
Basic: which uses standardized templates
Advanced: are much more "customizable" but also require more skill & knowledge to create
What We Like
The eBay affiliate program is available to non-US residents which has a big appeal for many international affiliates. A common gripe about US-based affiliate programs is that they're only available to US & Canadian sellers.
eBay sells such a huge range of products that it's possible - even easy - to find appropriate merchandise for almost any website. For web owners and affiliates who are desperate to monetize their sites, the eBay affiliate program can be a very welcome addition, indeed.
What We Dislike
The eBay program is much more cumbersome to work with than, say, AdSense. With AdSense you simply add the same piece of code to every page and Google handles the ads for you. eBay requires much more personalization and individual attention.
Granted, the ads displayed on an AdSense page are sometimes disappointing, but we have no more control over eBay content than Google content.
An example: I have a collection of articles on "eBay Motors" ... cars, motorcycles, boats and other high-cost products. But when attempting to use the eBay ads, almost all of them were very low dollar amount car parts ($10 and under) or even small toys for children. The amount of money I would have made was too pitiful to even consider.
The biggest drawback of the eBay program is profit. There are rumors of affiliates making $100,000 per month with the eBay affiliate program. That might have been true in the early days of eBay when growth was explosive. However, that is no longer the case. Yes, eBay is still growing but signups are infrequent compared to the "good ole days".
In addition, the percentage of eBay fees brings only miniscule revenue unless you can drive major traffic.
SUMMARY: there are affiliate programs that are considerably more profitable and easy to administer than the eBay one.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 2:17 PM | TrackBack
November 19, 2007
Is The eBay Affiliate Program Valuable - Or Not? {Part 1}
To become an eBay affiliate, join through CJ.com. It is, naturally, free to join and it pays in two different ways.
1. The affiliate will get paid for every new member who (a) registers for eBay for the first time (b) confirms his or her registration (c) goes onto eBay and places a bid or uses BIN to purchase an item within 30 days of the original registration.
2. The affiliate also gets paid a percentage of eBay's fees. It's important to be clear that this is not a percentage of the item cost - but a percentage of the eBay fees, which has been a point of confusion for some affiliates.
For instance, let's assume your new member spent $100 and your total monthly volume is $497.38 so your payout is 55% (see chart above). You don't get 55% of $100 ($55) but 55% of the eBay fee of $3.94 which is $2.16.
"What Formats Are Available?"
1. CJ Banners & Links
http://cj.com
You can get banners & links on CJ like this one:
These are very generalized links and almost all lead to the home page of eBay. Obviously, these sorts of links are not as powerful as those that lead to specific products based upon the content of your website or web page.
2. Flexible Destination Tool
http://affiliates.ebay.com/ns/FlexTool.htm
This is much more targeted than the general eBay links provided through CJ. With this Flex tool, affiliates can create affiliate links to any page(s) on eBay and receive credit for sales & signups. All that is needed is your CJ PID number. Here is a sample
This link contains my ID and goes directly to the "Bird & Wildlife Accessories" page.
The Flex tool also generates a plain link, naturally, so that I could, for example, make a picture clickable:
3. Editor Kit
http://affiliates.ebay.com/ns/EditorKit.htm
eBay's 'Editor Kit' will create listings that look much like Google Adwords. There are multiple options such as style, fonts, font colors, number of listings, etc. And there is a provision for what happens when an Editor Kit returns no search results.
{PART 2 TOMORROW}
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 1:15 PM | TrackBack
November 17, 2007
Discount Broadway Tickets: Selling Discount Tickets For Broadway Shows Is Quite Lucrative
Here's an eBay item idea for 'ya: discount Broadway tickets. Actually, selling discount Broadway tickets on eBay is one of the more interesting eBay business opportunities, providing you're already an insider and you have easy access to the most interesting tickets at discount prices (not an easy thing to do if you're not from the New York City). Selling them on eBay, even at discount price, is worth doing as the tickets below illustrate.
Why? Because "discount" does not necessarily mean cheap. Broadway tickets are a rare commodity and in most cases the demand is much greater than the supply. As a result the prices you can hope for are much higher than the base ticket value.
eBay limitations on discount Broadway tickets
eBay has regulations about the resale on tickets and it's smart to know what those are before you get involved in any kind of ticket sales. And just to make it clear: selling such items as discount Broadway tickets for a set price is nonsense - especially if normally you could hope for much better prices. Put them on the auction and enjoy the maximum profit (even if you start at the discount price, you can hope to get much more than that).
Just keep in mind that eBay and the State of New York put some limitations on Broadway tickets. In short, you can't sell the ticket for more than twice its nominal price. You have to sell them to the bidders who get closest to that price and ignore all bids that would get past that level.
The bottom line: while getting discount Broadway tickets is not an easy thing to do, even a small initial discount will give you a potentially large profit, especially on sold-out plays.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 2:07 PM | TrackBack
November 15, 2007
Job Hunting & Career Search or eBay
People spend a lot of time searching for just the right job and career, maybe even through the US Career Institute, only to be deeply disappointed later with any number of issues from the job location to a difficult manager to working conditions, low pay, and plenty more.
Though certainly not easy or a quick path to wealth, eBay definitely offers to a person with an entrepreneurial spirit a terrific opportunity to work for yourself, set your own hours, determine your work environment, and earn whatever your hard work and smarts allow with no wage or salary ceiling.
Typical job opportunities, such as working for the US Postal Service or as a dog trainer (or whatever) may offer relative stability or decent income, but little compares with the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and fun (the Four "F's") of working for yourself.
eBay affords us such an opportunity. I say go for it!
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:52 PM | TrackBack
November 13, 2007
Satellite Radio Costs: Understand All Your Different Costs Before Investing In Satellite Radio
Satellite radio costs are a major concern to millions of consumer because unless you have been living under a rock, you know what a satellite is. But how many people have heard about satellite radios? In short, satellite radio is a subscription radio service. Similar to cable television, with the difference being it provides a wider range of stations that aren’t available on the typical AM/FM radio.
There are plenty of questions to consider about satellite radios such as “How does a satellite radio work?” and “What kind of equipment will I need to buy?” and more but this articles will try and answer the question that is usually most important to most consumers “How much will Satellite Radio Cost?!” This can be a slightly tricky question to answer because the cost of satellite radio is divided in two: installation/activation costs and then the monthly subscription fees.
Activation Fees ...
Activation fees refer to the amount of money that is spent on the satellite radio of your choice to start the service. With a little bit of time spent researching you can find many promotions that will allow you to save up money, activation fees vary, being able to make the activation by internet or by phone.
To be clear, if you activate your satellite by phone, you will pay $15. If you choose Sirius satellite for $14.99 by choosing XM and for WWW activation, the cost is somehow lower at $5 with Sirius and $9.99 with XM.
The monthly subscription fees are described in full blow, but, we must say that recent media campaigns are dropping dramatically, in some cases Sirius and XM are offering free activation to new customers.
Estimated Cost & Fees for a Car Dedicated Installation ...
If you intend to install a satellite radio in your car, you might want to consider buying a new satellite-read car stereo. Many local dealers will offer built in car satellite radio but there is still the problem of getting a necessary satellite radio receiver. And they may be costly. It is possible in some cases to use the existing car stereo that doesn’t support satellite radio. How, you ask? There are two common ways of connecting the receiver to the available non-satellite radio. Option on: use the radio inputs (in most cases the CD) and install a control unit for tuning up the satellite radio streams. Second: install a satellite radio receiver that broadcasts the satellite radio signal in FM frequency. The place to install the receiver will depend: under the seat, in the trunk etc. taking care of connecting receiver to satellite radio antenna mounted on to the car’s exterior.
There is a minimum cost of $350.00 and a maximum cost of $600, outlined below:
Activation Fee: $10
Antenna: $60
Radio: $125 to $250
Labor: $80
Receiver: $75 to $125
Dedicated Home Installation Fees ...
If you decide to go with this option, it will mean you have to install a dedicated stereo receiver unit (similar to a regular AM/FM receiver). Additional costs include an antenna at the price of $60. Approximate pricing for installation of a dedicated stereo receiver unit:
Activation Fee: $10
Antenna: $60
Receiver: $150 to $300
Portable Unit Fees ...
Portable units allow the ease of using your brand new satellite radio wherever you are, but, in every room of the house you have to have a home kit (antenna, output cables and power supplies.) The price is usually at or around $400.00
Activation Fee: $10
Home Kit: $140
Boom Box (2) $100
Receiver $120
Subscription Fees ...
As for subscription fees, it will depend on whether you own a XM or Sirius Satellite Radio.
Subscription fees for a Sirius Satellite Radio are paid $12.95 monthly, with a low adjustment if you subscribe for a year or two. The highest amount of Sirius radios that can be activated on one account are 3 for $6.99 each per month. Business subscriptions are $24.99 a month. For $499.99 you can get a Sirius lifetime subscription.
With a XM Satellite Radio the monthly fee is $9.99. But some channels still need to be paid separately such as Playboy Radio which is an additional $2.99 a month. Business and commercial subscription fees are $24.99.
Armed with this information, you can figure out your satellite radio costs and make an informed choice.
= = = = = = =
For more about satellite radio ...
Sirius Satellite Radio: An Overview Of Satellite Radio From Sirius
Satellite Radio Q & A: Have Questions About Satellite Radio? Here Are Some Answers
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 1:34 PM | TrackBack
November 12, 2007
How To Do eBay Research For Free
Once the realization of the power of eBay dawns, almost any affiliate marketer will be eager to get involved. But obviously, it's critical to first ensure that there is demand on eBay for whatever you want to sell.
For example, the sale of wine isn't allowed. Yes, decorative wine bottles can be sold, but not their contents. So if you're interested in a wine program, eBay won't be useful.
But the good news is that eBay research can be done for free, right on the eBay site itself. The best way is through eBay's "Completed" auctions which can be accessed from the front page of eBay. There are two reasons why only this data is valid:
1. Current auctions don't provide accurate results. In general, what happens with an auction is that (assuming there is demand) first there is a spurt of bidding at the beginning. Generally, these are buyer newbies who don't yet realize that by bidding early they are simply bidding up the price.
Then near the end of the auction, there is often an intense and crazed bidding war, known as sniping. eBay has made it easy for this war to occur by allowing any buyer to automatically bid up to a pre-set limit. For instance, you might be willing to spend $100 for an item but the current bidding is only $12.50. You can instruct your eBay account to begin at the $12.50 level but continue to bid until it reaches $100, at which point bidding stops.
2. In addition to auctions, eBay offers instant payment options for buyers who don't want to wait until an auction ends. The most common way of doing this is with eBay's Buy It Now (BIN) option. However, when a BIN is chosen by a buyer, that listing disappears.
Therefore. looking only at current listings will give a very incomplete view of what's actually going on in an eBay market.
However, eBay has made it easy to get accurate results with its "Completed Auction" option.
How To Use eBay's Completed Auctions
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 3:06 PM | TrackBack
November 9, 2007
"I Am An Affiliate Marketer So Why Should I Give A Rat's A** About eBay?"
If you're like most folks, you think eBay is just a giant garage sale or flea market. (Isn't that the place where they sell those Beanie Babies?)
And if you follow "traditional" eBay marketing - the kind that has YOU working for EBAY - then you're right that it's a waste of time. But in truth, eBay is a playground for affiliate marketers ... just as long as you don't do what everybody else is doing.
So let's see how affiliate sales on eBay might work with an Xbox 360 which is available through the Buy.com affiliate program which you can join through Commission Junction.
Buy.com pays 5% commission on games and toys. Therefore, your affiliate commission would be $24. Let's see if that would be profitable on eBay using traditional auction marketing methods ...
A Typical Auction ...
The Xbox 360 Elite is hot, hot, hot on eBay, just like everywhere else on the Net. But let's keep in mind that eBay buyers have a bargain mentality. They demand good - make that great - prices on everything, including the Xbox.
On the other hand, because of eBay's bargain reputation, there are sellers who just assume that the posted prices are great and aren't savvy enough to do their homework. This definitely can work to the advantage of a seller.
Let's assume that an affiliate marketer wanted to use the Buy.com Xbox and auction it on eBay - Would this auction be profitable? Would it be worth the time of an affiliate marketer?
SHIPPING COSTS: The shipping costs are reasonable so the seller probably broke even on shipping. We can't know exactly since we don't know where the buyer lives.
EBAY COSTS:
1. Listing Fee: the opening bid on this auction was $2, so it cost the seller $.40 to list his Xbox
2. Final Value Fee: it the merchandise sells, the seller pays additional money. In this case, the cost is $16.10
3. eBay has a boatload of "Features" that - naturally - run up your eBay bill. In this case the seller chose:
* Bold: $1.00
* Highlight: $5.00
* Border: $3.00
* Gallery Picture: $.35
PAYPAL FEES: since we don't know who the buyer is, we can't know the exact amount but if the buyer was in the US the cost is 4.9% + $.30 or $23.82
Total: $49.67
Oops! That was definitely a losing transaction! With total fees of $49.67 and an affiliate commission of $24, that means the the seller LOST $25.67!
See why by reading the entire article here
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:53 PM | TrackBack
November 6, 2007
Discount Disney World Tickets: Selling Disney World Tickets At A Discount On eBay
The idea of selling discount Disney World tickets on eBay is an excellent one. There is a strong demand because the Disney resorts are enormously popular. And being in warm climates, they're open year round, so it isn't a seasonal business.
Advantages of selling discount Disney World tickets:
1) First, both the keyword phrase "disney world tickets" and the vacation itself are popular enough to attract a lot of potential customers.
2) Secondly, the tickets are very easy to ship and store, minimizing your operating cost.
3) Finally, they are a kind of a product everyone would consider buying at least once in their lifetime, making discount Disney World tickets one of the universal eBay products, with a potentially high sales rate.
The main problems with selling Disney tickets ...
1) However, there is one huge problem - inventory. If you're thinking about starting such a business, let's make it clear: you will need to be somehow associated with the business and the travel agencies that have been growing around Disney World if you want to be able to sell at any discount.
2) Another problem is the fact that it is quite hard to prepare a good listing, since all pictures of Disney World are copyrighted and you are forced to concentrate on the images of the hotel included in your offer which seriously limits the advertising effects. Discount Disney World tickets might be interesting, but without any images of the fun awaiting inside, bidders will be less tempted to place high bids.
Nevertheless, it is still a good idea, especially if you own or you are an affiliate of some travel agency that has discount Disney World tickets in their offer. This way you will be able to increase the sales by using eBay as an additional source of customers while you will be sure that you won't be left with 50 unsold and worthless Disney World tickets that you bought for a few thousand dollars a month earlier.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 4:27 PM | TrackBack
November 4, 2007
Prada Purses: Authentic Or Replica Prada Purse?
No one needs to have dozen authentic Prada purses to be fashionable, although maybe such celebrities as Jennifer Anniston and Ivana Trump would disagree.
But there are many "regular folks" who want high style fashion with famous designer names, and legions of these turn to eBay as a place to find an affordable Prada purse or other high-fashion item.
Although we often think “fake” while saying “replica”, oftentimes replicas are virtually the same as authentic Prada purses, only with no famous logo on them. eBay strictly prohibits replica Pradas, or any other designer fashion. But, of course, there are tens of millions of items on eBay at any one time and no one can possibly catch every infraction of the rules. It is critically important for sellers, as well, because if they're caught selling fake Prada purses, their businesses are finished. Sometimes honest sellers are fooled, themselves, so how can we spot the differences and protect ourselves from fakes?
The price of a Prada purse:
If the price is "too good to be true: - it is. Don't believe it. Expect - and demand - proof:
Prada receipts
Prada logo on the purse
Prada insignia attached to the purse
Here is an example of a suspicious Prada purse auction on eBay. The ad says:
A suspicious Prada purse auction
1. However, the seller has only 5 feedback points, meaning they are a new seller with no reputation and almost no transactions to his name.
2. There are no pictures of receipts, logos, or any kind of proof - only the seller's "guarantee".
3. Further, the auction says, "All orders are shipped via Hong Kong Postal Service". Almost every replica bag comes from Asia and this has a high probability of being a fake.4. In addition, the seller isn't a member of any organization like Square Trade or other authenticating service.5. How valuable is that guarantee? If the seller is dishonest, then it's useless. Does this mean the auction is crooked? Not necessarily. I would just use extra caution in this one and consider an escrow service as protection. If the seller won't agree to escrow, it's a certainty that it's a Prada purse auction to avoid.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:22 PM | TrackBack
November 3, 2007
Prada Laptop Bag: Designer Laptop Bags From Prada At 1/3-1/2 The Cost
Ok, you’ve decided to buy a Prada laptop bag. Or some other brand name laptop bag if that matters. You want to be as fashionable as it’s possible, so you chose Prada. And you’re going to pay any price for a fashionable high quality laptop bag.
Sometimes it is better not to buy brand name goodies. Everything depends on two factors: reasons for the purchase and the amount of money you have.
Considerations for buying Prada or not ...
1. You’re buying all your clothing at Prada boutique and you want a Prada laptop bag to match. It’s a good reason, too.
2. You want to look fashionable while working. It is a good, maybe even the best, reason for purchasing a Prada laptop bag – high quality and fine design will tell a lot both about your taste and your account. But let’s face it: no one will pay much attention to the logos if it really looks good.
3. You need a laptop bag and this one just looks good. In this case you should consider eBay. It has a huge selection of Prada products, as today's count shows ...
While it may not be the 'Prada capital of the world', so to speak, it definitely is the discount Prada center because it has more choices, at lower prices, than anywhere else on the Net. Unless you’re a millionaire, money will be a factor while shopping and so we naturally want a bargain - we just don't want cheap stuff.
Bargain = yes!
Cheap = no!
So, let's look at an example ...
Here is the Prada V158 Laptop bag for men for sale on eBay. Note the $144.95 price.
Yet let's take a look at this same V158 on some other Internet sites:
And this ad is from a site that claims to be one of the premier shopping spots on the net, in terms of bargains:
Clearly, eBay is THE place to buy a Prada bag. Buyers rejoice! Designer fashion at reasonable prices (for designer goods, that is!)
And what about sellers? The Prada laptop bag has a fairly high demand on the Net, yet the supply is quite limited. Therefore they're a great market because demand is always high for designer fashions, bags, shoes and the like.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:06 PM | TrackBack
November 1, 2007
Inflatable Mattress: What To Look For In An Inflatable Mattress
An inflatable mattress can be a very practical purpose, as well as an indulgence. There are two reasons to consider an inflatable mattress:
If you are an outdoor type, and you camp or own an RV, for instance, an inflatable mattress is quite practical because it is easily portable since it's lightweight and handily folds into a compact bundle.
Some folks need a spare bed in their home for guests and an inflatable mattress is perfect since it inflates easily but stores in a (relatively) tiny space.
Members of my family researched inflatable mattresses and narrowed their choices down to the Coleman brand Quickbed and the Aero brand Aerobed. Money isn't really a problem when considering either bed because these mattresses are so much cheaper than the normal coiled or foam mattress so almost anyone can buy one without straining their wallet too much.
When choosing an inflatable mattress here is what to look for:
1. Your mattress shouldn't need constant re-filling if you intend to leave it set up. Naturally, air is going to escape over time but it should be months, rather than days. The worst possible scenario is if a guest wakes up in the morning sleeping on the floor! Whoops. The really cheap, no-name mattresses are much more vulnerable to this problem.
2. It must be easily filled. I experimented with one mattress that was pumped by my foot mashing up and down in a particular spot. It was an inflatable mattress that I needed to buy for its exercise potential. That is, I was exhausted by the time it was only partially filled. Not good. Using a pump is much easier and more efficient, although cheaper pumps also work by quickly moving your foot up and down. That's just fine for my exercise ball, but a strain for a large mattress, particularly if you want a queen or king sized ones.
{For the other four considerations concerning an inflatable mattress, read here ...}
