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September 25, 2008
Travel Opportunities are Everywhere
We're told almost daily that the economy is in shambles, or some other unflattering commentary about our national plight. Clearly workers who lose their jobs and many homeowners are individually facing an income and mortgage crisis. But does financial instability typify the average American home? It's an intense subject of debate during this year's Presidential campaigns.
If, however, the number of people taking expensive vacations during the summer and beyond are indicators of family financial health, we may be at least a little better off than some news stories convey. Either way whether struggling with money or well off, people clearly love to travel and take vacations as time and personal finances allow. A growing percentage are much more cautious about finding creative vacations ideas, such as a Grand Canyon helicopter tour, family vacations in Michigan, student travel deals, Ohio theme parks, and so many more ideas that are only subject to one's imagination.
If you can afford the time away, you will find some very nice vacation packages and lodging options right on eBay. There are hundreds, and several that I spotted look like sweet deals whether available by auction or BIN. You just need to be a little flexible in your destination. If you can do that, you will accomplish two desirable goals at the same time - an enjoyable vacation trip and one that is affordable. If you are looking for a little fun time away, take advantage of your opportunities right online.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:22 PM
September 22, 2008
Dripping Power Community Forum Is Back Online
We are happy to report that our community forum is back online after a "vacation". This web forum is specifically for our students and ezine readers who wish to use auctions to make money. But it's much more broad than that.
Approximately four years ago we began using eBay and simple techniques like article marketing to generate long term income. Our monetary goals were modest - only $10 per day for each small website that we constructed. But our long term goals were much more ambitious: to generate multiple streams of income that would endure over time. This is what we teach in our Auction Genius Wealth Plan. However, we soon realized that building a website to last involves keeping it "live" with new activity, new content, new treasure to intrigue our readers. Thus the Dripping Power system was born.
So, we have a new home for our community forum and all honest and serious online sellers are welcome. Spammers take note, though: this web forum is monitored and you will NOT be getting free junk links.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 10:41 AM
September 18, 2008
Treatments for Diseases and Ailments
With the relatively recent (earlier this year) eBay requirement to list downloadable electronic products - such as eBooks - in classified ad format, the number of information products in eBay has plummeted. No doubt this was the main intend with the policy change. eBay had previously been littered with thousands of low-quality electronic products.
But the shame of it is that there is so much valuable information on myriad subjects which will no longer be available in the world's greatest auction site. Many people will never miss, for example, "How to Make $1 Million in a Month." However, there is more vital information that will now need to be sought elsewhere. Practical medical knowledge is usually among those info products that are handy.
So now if you seek facts on a whole range of treatments such as remedies for menopause, treatment for depression, diabetes medical supplies, or even acid reflux food to avoid, well, you will likely no longer find it in eBay. You now need to seek them through a competitor. And that's disappointing.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 11:12 AM
September 15, 2008
The Membership Site: Using Member Sites To Increase eBay Profits, Part 2
The membership site has become an awesomely powerful tool for increasing my eBay profits, but not the "old" kind of member site that requires constant maintenance and effort. It's just too labor intensive for me. I prefer a newer kind of membership website that involves autoresponder emails on a regular basis.
1) Recruiting members:
I found my members from a Craigslist free ad so all I"paid" was some time.
2) What I offered my member site subscribers:
I offered them a free autoresponder series. Since I'm in experimental mode, I'd rather not share that series quite yet with the readers of this list (I don't want YOU to be guinea pigs! :-) but here's one that is just like it, except on a different subject and isn't advertising a member list:
http://metabolism-on-fire.com/loseweightfree.shtml
===> Why It's Almost IMPOSSIBLE To Fail With This Autoresponder Series ...
This autoresponder series is on weight loss and if you want to sign up for it, feel free - even if you're skinny! The point isn't the emails - it's how I use lots of autoresponder series as money makers. Every single message has an offer. Right now there are 34 messages but I have another 52 to add when I get around to it. It is mailed every week so that will be a total of 86 messages or almost two years of contact. Naturally, people will unsubscribe along the way or not read the messages and some people will never buy anything. However, I can COUNT ON sales from this autoresponder series and it's like a "free" membership site - once it's done, it's done and I don't have to do any more work on it.
{Continued in The Membership Site: Using Member Sites To Increase eBay Profits, Part 3}
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 10:52 AM
September 11, 2008
The Clothes on Your Back - And More
There is an awful lot of "stuff" we purchase that is simply for fun, aesthetics, or other non-essential reasons. Certainly there's nothing wrong with that. But in contrast, there are indeed those categories of purchases that fit within the context of true needs. Clothing is one of them.
In the U.S., owning and wearing one basic set of clothing is both impractical and unfulfilling. There are so many colors, styles, and patterns of clothing that help us all to define who we are. Some range from basic specialty needs - such as big men's clothes and tall maternity jeans - to apparel that is a little more style oriented, like vintage tee shirts and custom dress shirts - and more.
You'll find it all in eBay. Whether your goal is to purchase clothing for yourself or sell what you have to others who have similar preferences, the auction marketplace offers and allows options beyond comparison. If the clothing choice you want isn't available today, it likely will be a few days later - though it stretches the imagination that your preference would not show up immediately. So unless you simply enjoy the time in shopping malls (ugh!), first search for your apparel online. It'll save you a lot of time.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 9:56 AM
September 7, 2008
The Membership Site: Using Member Sites To Increase eBay Profits, Part 1
For years I've been saying that selling on eBay just isn't that hard. But successful selling is done in niches and now that you've got a customer list, what do you do with it? One of the huge shames on eBay is that most sellers only get one paycheck from their buyers. One way I've been solving this problem recently is with a membership site.
Rhe hardest task in marketing is getting that customer. Once they've bought from you {always assuming you're honest and treat them fairly} getting them to buy again isn't that hard. Right now "continuity" programs are in the marketing news. That means getting customers into your sales funnel with an inexpensive product and then selling them progressively more expensive products in the same niche.
That's a great model, but there's a problem - what if you don't have those higher priced products to sell? Honestly, I haven't had any answer to that question in some niches and I know it's costing us money. I've had no answer - until the membership site concept that I mentioned in my last newsletter. Since then I've had a chance to learn more about the member site and I'm happy to share what I've learned.
What's Happened With My Membership Sites?
In my last issue I recommended a membership course that I am taking. You can read the details here. How has that turned out?
Well, I have my first membership site with 67 members at $7.95 each. Not much money - only $532.65 per month. But I don't want to grow it yet since this is my 'experimental' group and I have a lot to learn. Here's how I did it. {Continued in The Membership Site: Using Member Sites To Increase eBay Profits, Part 2}
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:14 PM
September 4, 2008
Diseases and Key Knowledge
There are so many diseases afflicting humanity, it's virtually impossible to keep track of them all. No wonder health care is such a political football in the U.S. So when information is available to track their symptoms, this at least provides a level of familiarity to the average non-medical citizen.
We all some some fundamental familiarity with more common diseases like clinical depression, Alzheimer's, anorexia, arthritis, and so many more. But for most diseases that have names which can barely be pronounced, more organized and categorized information is needed.
eBay hardly serves a hard core wealth of medical information, but it does offer a number of resources for auction that can provide insights to anxious people who begin to experience abnormal symptoms which don't lend themselves to simple explanations. Some of the material I see out there doesn't necessarily look current - which is a down side of purchasing static material in a field that constantly changes. This is why medical software or website information that are routinely updated would be great options - especially if subscription options can be purchased in eBay.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 11:32 AM
September 1, 2008
eBay Shipping Changes: New Shipping Charges For Those Who Sell On eBay
eBay shipping changes were recently announced and one of the biggest changes is maximum shipping charges in certain categories. If you are going to sell on eBay in these categories you cannot charge more than those fees specified by eBay in:
* Books
* DVDs & Movies
* Music
* Video Games
For example, the maximum eBay shipping fees for individual books is $4 for most categories. Or the charge for DVD, HD DVD & Blu-ray or VHS (doesn't anybody REALLY buy those anymore?) is $3.The maximum for CDs is $3, whereas $4 is the max for video games.
Sigh. Just like the octopus of government that seems to grow daily, eBay rules are the same. Those who want to sell on eBay must tale the new eBay shipping fees into account when selling in this popular entertainment category.
Posted by SydneyJohnston at 12:41 PM
