Learn From 15 Ebay PowerSellers How They Raked In Over $11,726,200 Last Year Alone

Does everyone give eBay positive feedback?

At some point everyone has heard an eBay horror story. Stories much like this one:

Alan Thomasson, a student at the University of Lincoln, was looking to buy a new guitar. So, like millions of others, he went to ‘the UK’s largest online marketplace’ – eBay. Like millions of others, he browsed the items up for sale before finally deciding on a ‘nearly-new’ Fender Stratocaster. He used PayPal, eBay’s official online payment service, and coughed up the £300 needed for his new six-string. A week passed, and Alan hadn’t heard a peep from the seller. Like any other self-respecting buyer he emailed the seller and asked where his guitar was. He was told it was on the way and not to worry. Another week passed. Then another. Alan emailed eBay asking them to help with his missing guitar, but all they told him was to email the seller and work it out between themselves. Eventually Alan took matters into his own hands. He managed to find the seller’s address from one of the emails he’d received, and as it turned out the seller was a mere 30 miles away! Alan and a couple of friends (for moral support) drove to the seller’s house, knocked on his door, and asked for the guitar or the money. The seller was reluctant, but not aggressive. He took on an ‘it’s a fair cop’ attitude, and refunded Alan’s money via PayPal right then and there.

 It’s safe to say that eBay is one website Alan won’t be bookmarking!

Stories just like this one have been floating around the internet and general media since eBay was founded in California, USA way back in September 1995 – then known as ‘AuctionWeb’. The company’s founder, computer programmer Pierre Omidyar, tried to rename the website ‘EchoBay’ however the name was taken so he resorted to his second choice – the world renowned ‘eBay’. The idea of a ‘virtual marketplace’ took the world by storm and in a matter of a few years eBay was world leader of the online auctions market, spawning countless ‘clone sites’ ever since.

According to eBay’s official figures, they have a global customer base of 181 million users. That’s a lot of auctions. 78 million auctions at any given moment to be precise. With that many users buying and selling that many items, there are bound to be some unhappy customers, right? That’s exactly what this article is all about; how many people really do give eBay ‘positive feedback’?

To get a general idea, I asked a cross-section of people whether their experience of eBay had been a generally positive or negative one. Out of the seventy people asked, only 15% of them said they’d had a generally negative experience. If we look at that as an indicator of the global market, that’s a staggering 27,150,000 unhappy customers. Obviously it’s not practical to see the results of seventy as the results of the whole world, but it gives you an idea.

So, if there are so many people who aren’t so happy with eBay – where can we find them? Well, a good place to start looking would be anti-eBay website ‘FireMeg.com’. The name refers to the current CEO & President of eBay, Meg Whitman. Members of the website believe that she is the cause of much of the discontent in the eBay community, and are working towards, as the name suggests, have her fired. I talked to the founder of FireMeg.com, Josh Shaffer.

I wondered what the initial motivation behind the website was.

“It wasn’t one singular event, but rather many little issues that culminated in my decision to start the site.  My wife and I have been selling on eBay, full-time, for four years now.  I had been selling off-and-on for about four years before that.” Josh told me “I was prompted to ‘attack’ CEO Meg Whitman because many of the issues aside from glitches (fraud, scams, investments, etc.) seem to point directly back to her as the perpetuator of problems.”

Josh continued to speak about the increase in ‘seller fees’ (eBay charge users to sell their items and take a cut of the profit) over the past two years. He even claims that the biggest gripe his group has with eBay is their “lies and deceit”. This refers to eBay stating on more than one occasion this year that there would be no more seller fee increases.

Last June at ‘eBay Live’, an annual eBay convention held in Las Vegas, Meg Whitman made a speech regarding the future of eBay’s sellers. Josh was quick to point out that Meg did not once mention an increase in seller fees. Then, a month later, eBay announced a fee increase which “caught [sellers] completely off-guard”. The site ‘glitches’ that Josh told me about are also a major concern, especially when eBay phone reps have, according to Mr Shaffer, been caught lying to users. As Josh puts it “eBay’s view on glitches is until it becomes a site-wide glitch affecting nearly all of the users, both buyers and sellers, that it isn’t really a glitch.”
So, what do you think? Are eBay swindling their customers or do you think there’ll always be a few unhappy customers? Would you give eBay positive or negative feedback?

One important thing to remember in a case like this is that eBay is a worldwide company. Every day they have to deal with complaints about fraud, deception, glitches and a range of other issues. Whilst doing this they have to maintain the cost of running all of their global sites. That includes a full payroll - from web technicians to ‘Live Help’ reps.

In the world of business there’ll always be an eBay and there’ll always be a FireMeg.com. Some, much like myself, would rather sit on the fence and enjoy one of the 85% of transactions that seem to run without a hitch.

If I ever find myself in that 15%, though, you can be sure Mr Shaffer will be the first person I’ll call!

The Wrath of Google: PageRank Cuts for Link Sellers

A lot of blogs earn money by selling links. Whether you are working with PayPerPost, TextLinkAds or selling links on your own, it’s a good way to earn some cash with your blog and it is often a far sight more money than AdSense. While some bloggers do earn well with Adsense, there are plenty out there who don’t and these folks need text links to survive. But now, Google has made good on its threats to punish anyone who sells links on their blog.

In the past week, a variety of huge blogs, including JohnChow.com, CourtneyTuttle.com and Statcounter have all been penalized for selling text links. How? Their PageRank plummeted, one point in most cases, two in other cases. Now, this wasn’t actual PageRank, but toolbar PageRank, which is bad enough. Bloggers the blogosphere over are considering this a warning shot . . . the next round of punishments will likely be harsher.

So, how does this affect smaller blogs, especially those who have been waiting for PageRank in order to be able to take on higher paying text links? No one is exactly sure yet. It may be that we will be able to simply add no-follow links and continue to sell our ad links . . . that remains to be seen. You see, the apparent problem here is that people buy text links from bloggers in order to siphon off PageRank juice. While this may not always be true, it is how Google is looking at blogs for now and that means we have to be careful.

For the moment, bloggers are becoming rather paranoid and most are stopping all sales until further notice. While this is probably a good idea, it could mean drastic loss of income for anyone who makes their living off text links. At the same time, it may cause the value of text links to go up temporarily . . . a good thing for anyone willing to say “screw Google” and continue on with this type of money earning method.

Even if you decide to continue selling text links, it is advisable to go underground, at least for now. Take down your advertising page and make potential link clients contact you by email, since Google appears to be checking this. You may want to make your links unobtrusive and not obviously sponsored links, as well, though this is deemed pretty sneaky by blog readers.

In the end, whether we like it or not, Google pretty much has a dictatorship and can make these kinds of wide-scale changes that affect us all. One can only hope that there will be a solution presented shortly so bloggers the world over can continue earning with text links.

Choosing Wordpress To Host Your Blog

If you are looking to jump on the blogging bandwagon, choosing the right hosting service for your blog can be a bit of a nightmare. There are so many ways to get your own blog these days, but there are two options that seem to have the same appeal. Firstly, many website hosting services offer the opportunity to host a blog as part of the hosting package. Freewebs is a good example of this. You can host your blog as a sub domain, which basically means that the URL that you choose for your blog is tacked onto the end of the freewebs domain. Secondly, websites such as Wordpress or Blogger allow you to host your blog for free. Again, you do not get your own domain name unless you choose to buy it, but you do not have to pay for the privilege of hosting the blog with this option.

If you choose to host your blog on one of the main blogging websites, the three main players are Wordpress, Blogger and Typepad. Whereas Wordpress and Blogger are both free to use, Typepad requires a subscription to set up a blog, which many people then use to host a portfolio, as opposed to a regular blog. Wordpress is generally considered to be superior to Blogger in the hosting stakes. Wordpress offers built-in statistics, so you can easily track how many visitors your blog is getting, as well as how these people find your blog, the keywords that they type in to do so, and the links that people click on in your blogroll. Blogger does not offer this feature, and you will need to install a site meter to provide statistics on who is visiting your blog.

Most bloggers are concerned with directing traffic to their blog, and this is where it pays to make your blog search engine friendly. Wordpress is far more SEO-friendly than its competitors. There are plug-ins that you can add to do so. You can set up your blog to add meta-tags to your posts. This means that you can add keywords and descriptions to your posts that will be picked up by the search engines. The Add Meta-tags plug-in uses excerpts from your blog posts as the post’s description. You can also download the Head META description plug-in, which does a similar job. You can link other posts on your blog that are in the same category with this plug-in. It can also link posts that have related content, but are not necessarily in the same category as the post in question. If you have a tag cloud on your blog, the Keyword Tag plug-in will post links to other posts on your blog with the same tagged keywords.

Other top plug-ins for Wordpress include Akismet, which fights spam and checks trackbacks. The Google sitemap plug-in creates a sitemap of your blog that is search engine friendly, especially for Google. There are many more plug-ins available, and a good list is available here.

There are many obvious reasons why Wordpress is one of the most popular blog services, but it will ultimately come down to personal preference. There are very few other blog services that offer the same array of impressive plug-ins to make your blog more search engine friendly, and this is one of the major factors behind the popularity of Wordpress.

Learn From 15 Ebay PowerSellers How They Raked In Over $11,726,200 Last Year Alone

Essential Packaging Supplies for Your eBay Business

When planning an eBay business, it is important to give some consideration to the type of packaging materials you will require. If you select and purchase packaging materials in advance, you will be able to send sold items quickly and efficiently, as soon as your business is up and running.

Address Labels

A plentiful supply of blank address labels is absolutely necessary, so that you can quickly and easily print out your customers’ names and addresses and affix them to the packages. You can also print your own return address details on blank address labels and apply them to the back of each parcel you send.

Choose good quality address labels that will not jam in your printer. The labels themselves should be of a suitable size for the packages and parcels that you send. For example, if you send lots of small packages, relatively small address labels, which are available on sheets of 12, 14 or 16 labels, will be sufficient. If, however, your goods are sent in large parcels, you will require larger labels that will stand out when affixed to a parcel. These labels are supplied on sheets of four, six or eight labels.

Packaging Tape

Packaging tape is an essential item if you will be sending fairly heavy items in boxes and parcels. Packaging tape adheres well to paper and cardboard and provides a much stronger bond than scotch tape. You can feel assured that a package secured with packaging tape will arrive safely at its destination, even if you are sending it across the world.

It is also a good idea to purchase a packaging tape dispenser, so that you can apply and cut packaging tape more easily.

Scotch tape

You can be sure that you will use rolls and rolls of scotch tape for your eBay business, so buy in bulk and save money. A heavy duty tape dispenser, that will keep you constantly and easily supplied with tape, is a very inexpensive but worthwhile investment.

Scissors

At least one pair of good quality, hard wearing scissors is essential, as you are likely to be cutting paper, bubble wrap, tape and other materials on a daily basis.

Cardboard Boxes

If the items you sell are large, heavy or bulky, you will need a good supply of cardboard boxes. Measure the items first, add a little extra to each of the dimensions to allow for interior packaging, and then order a few individual boxes of about this size so that you can see which box most easily fits the item you are selling.

Some cardboard box manufacturers will provide you with samples, either free of charge or for just a small charge to cover postage and packing, in the hope that you will place a larger order at a later date.

Cardboard boxes usually arrive flat-packed and this means that you will have to assemble each box yourself. Ensure that it is quick and easy to do so, otherwise you will be spending more time than you can afford on the assembly of boxes.

Cardboard Mailing Packs and Tubes 

If you are selling books, CDs, DVDs or similar items, there are a variety of cardboard mailing packs on the market that enable you to package these items quickly and easily in protective cardboard. If you sell posters, prints or another paper-based item that can be rolled up, cardboard mailing tubes are also available.

Ensure that you choose mailing packs or tubes that are of a suitable size to contain the items you will send. The mailing packs will be provided flat packed and you simply insert an item, fold the cardboard around it as instructed and seal the pack with the strong self-adhesive tape provided on one size of the pack.

Polythene Mailing Bags

The main advantage of polythene mailing bags is that they are lightweight and therefore inexpensive to send. If you are selling clothing or other lightweight goods, polythene mailing bags are a good option. If you are selling heavier items, such as books, polythene mailing bags may not be strong enough.

Polythene mailing bags come in different thicknesses, usually between 60 microns and 75 microns. Experiment with a few different types of polythene mailing bag, and ask your customers how satisfied they were with the condition in which the goods arrived before deciding on which type to use.

Padded Envelopes

Padded envelopes (sometimes known as “jiffy bags”) are very useful for mailing many types of different items, including CDs, DVDs, books, cosmetics, toiletries, and so on. The integrated layer of bubble wrapping gives the item extra protection during its journey.

Padded envelopes come in many different sizes from the very small to the extra large. If you sell a range of different goods, purchase a box of padded envelopes in a variety of sizes, so that you will always be able to find an envelope of a suitable size. If you sell just CDs or DVDs, for example, you will only need to purchase padded envelopes of one size to fit each item that you sell.

Mailing Scales

Although not essential when starting your eBay business, mailing scales designed to weigh letters and parcels are useful. You can, for example, weigh your packaged item and find out how much it will cost to send before listing it on eBay. That way, you will be able to set an accurate postage and packing charge and avoid the expensive mistakes which can happen when you are starting out and you underestimate how much it will cost to mail an item.

When choosing a set of scales, ensure that it will be suitable for weighing all of the items you sell, as some scales only weigh items up to a certain limit. Other scales may only be accurate up to the nearest pound.

Bubble Wrap

For eBay sellers of large or fragile items, a jumbo-sized roll of bubble wrap is an essential item. You can wrap each item in bubble wrap for extra protection before packaging it. That way, you can be more assured that items will arrive safely at their destination.

Polystyrene Chips

For larger items that are sent in boxes, polystyrene chips are useful to protect and cushion the item against knocks and bangs in transit.

Once you have made a list of the packaging materials you require, shop around for the best deal available on the quantities that you wish to purchase. Packaging supplies can be bought from office supply companies such as Office Depot or Staples; mail order firms such as Viking Direct; wholesalers; manufacturers; or on eBay itself. Sellers of packaging supplies on eBay often offer quantities suitable for other eBay sellers at favorable prices, but this may not necessarily be the best deal for you, especially if you are ordering large quantities.

It is a good idea to take delivery of your packaging supplies before the orders start flooding in. That way, you will be able to meet demand and send items within a day or two of ordering. If you delay sending ordered items because you do not have the necessary packaging materials, your feedback rating on eBay will suffer, as people do not like waiting a long time to receive goods they have paid for. Another danger is that, if you do not have the required supplies of packaging materials, you will buy small quantities locally just to meet demand. This will unnecessarily increase your costs and adversely affect your profit margin.

Therefore, during the planning stage of your eBay business, decide on the type and quantity of packaging materials you will require for the initial stage of your business. Shop around for the best deal and purchase the supplies before starting to sell on eBay. You do not need to buy large quantities of packaging supplies at first but you should ensure that you purchase sufficient quantities to cover the expected initial demand.

Learn From 15 Ebay PowerSellers How They Raked In Over $11,726,200 Last Year Alone

Ebay Auction Titles

You may not think of your auction titles as search phrases, but I’m sure you’ve looked for items on Google and seen lots of eBay listings coming up in the results.

This fact alone should make you realise that your auction titles have the potential to grab customers that aren’t even surfing on eBay.

The key to optimising your listing titles on eBay (or any other online auction site) is to think about what search terms are likely to be typed in when someone is looking for a particular item.

For example let’s assume someone wants to buy a set of skittles for their child.  They might type in “wooden skittles” or “soft skittles” to narrow down the results to the kind of material they are after.

A general search might use the phrase “toy skittles” to eliminate any grown up versions.  “Animal skittles” or “character skittles” may further narrow down the options.

So if you are listing a set of skittles make sure your title uses as many relevant keywords as possible to increase the chances of your item turning up in search engine results.

EBay is a huge marketplace – but make sure you can be found by other internet users as well.

Stay Aware with Google Alerts

Information travels so quickly online that it is hard to keep up with many of the events that can impact your personal and professional life.  Google Alerts is a powerful and free resource that can provide you with up-to-date information sent directly to your e-mail inbox.

When you register keyword phrases with Google Alerts, you will receive free email updates that let you know when new search results regarding your registered topics are indexed.  By registering your name with Google alerts, you will be notified if your name suddenly starts showing up in the top 50 Google search results. 

What the Google Alerts service provides is a simple way for you to stay informed about new information published on the Internet regarding topics, people, and companies that interest you. 

The benefits of the Google Alerts tool are amazing.  Companies can keep track of how well they are faring in the battle for space at the top of the search engine results pages.  You can receive instant notifications of blog posts on your favorite topics.  You can even be notified right away when your favorite sports teams win or lose.

To use Google Alerts, all you have to do is create a Google account.  You can then register up to a thousand different keywords or phrases with Google Alerts.  When you set up your notification requests, you can specify the frequency with which you want to receive Google Alerts notification e-mails.

Many people set up Google Alerts for their own name, names of their friends and family members, their companies, and their competitors.  Additionally, people frequently set up Google Alerts to keep track of the comings and goings of their favorite celebrities.

The possibilities are endless with Google Alerts.  No matter what your favorite topic may be, Google Alerts provides a convenient, no-cost way for you to stay current at all times.