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May 14, 2008

Do You Understand What eBay Is?

Do you understand what eBay is? Most people don't. And in fact, it sounds like an odd question. "Say what???" When I go to seminars I sometimes ask the audience what eBay is. They always give me an "Aren't-YOU-stupid?" look and finally someone will say that eBay is an 'auction site'. But it isn't. eBay itself doesn't auction anything. Instead, eBay is an advertising medium. And that's all it is.

Folks talk about having an "eBay business", and of course it's a convenient way to speak about the subject. But it's no different from saying "I have an organic search engine business" or "I have a Google AdSense business". You have a product and you use eBay to find buyers for that product.

So who cares? Isn't this just a word game? No, not really. Understanding that eBay is simply an advertising venue helps us put eBay prices in perspective. In fact, eBay is THE biggest advertising bargain anywhere. I have looked and looked but I can't find any site, anywhere, with eBay's kind of traffic and such bargain prices.

Example: you can list an item on eBay for $.15 - and that ad remains for up to one week and 50 million people might click on your auction {if that happens, please let me know ASAP!}. The minimum price on Google AdWords is $.25 - and that's per click, not by the week.

o, yes, eBay is aggravating, annoying, indifferent, etc. - but it's still the best advertising bargain in town!

Posted by SydneyJohnston at May 14, 2008 12:03 PM