Ebay Secrets Blog

Archive for July, 2010

Great to see one of our first eBay Ink Social Media Sellers, John Lawson (@colderICE), give out tips and tricks to selling on eBay. Watch the video here…

Cheers!
RBH

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I recently caught up with the CEO of Shoply, Liad Shababo.  Shoply is an innovative ecommerce platform aimed at getting people selling online in the simpliest way.  Well Amen to that.

Please tell us a bit about Shoply.  What’s it all about?

Shoply is all about making it free, quick and easy for everybody to open their own shop and start selling online.  Our goal is to democratise ecommerce by tearing down the financial, skills and psychological barriers to selling online.

Shoply comprises 2 main components, the first being simple and empowering software which allows you to open your own shop in a matter of minutes. The second is a centralised marketplace which aggregates products across all our sellers and syndicates them in a global marketplace driving traffic for our sellers and making search and discovery for buyers quick and efficient.

eBay charges a sales commission so do you.  For an entry level seller these are similar (approx 8% for eBay vs 6% for shoply).  Why should a seller use you and not eBay, given that eBay has millions of members worldwide.

Unlike eBay, Shoply provides sellers a full rich shop which they have complete control over. Sellers can customise the look and feel, they can integrate it with their existing website or blog as well as with Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms. Shoply allows sellers to sell physical good and digital goods as well as services. For individuals and small businesses looking to sell online whilst maintaining their own identity, complete control of their buyers experience and within their existing online presence (be it their blog or Facebook page etc) – eBay just isn’t an option.

What is the target market for your service?  As Shoply does not allow any customisation of the shopfront other than a logo, won’t this put off all but entry level sellers?

We’re looking to help the millions of individuals and small businesses who want to open a shop but lack the skills, finances and confidence to do so. Whilst we’d love to work with power sellers and larger businesses, our offering is targeted to the lower end of the market, people looking for a quick and easy solution to their problem of how to open a shop online.

In regards themes, Shoply will shortly release multiple themes as well as a complete theming API allowing sellers to customise the look and feel of their shop to their heart’s content. Shoply already allows sellers to integrate their Shoply with their blog, website and even Facebook page.  We believe we stand alone in terms of customisation and integration options we provide our sellers with.

You talk about how you drive traffic to your customer’s stores, presumably via the marketplace.  What do you actively do to drive traffic?  What kind of traffic can sellers expect for your sales commission?

We generate traffic for our sellers in multiple ways we also provide them with powerful marketing tools which allows them to drive traffic themselves. Whether through our syndicated marketplace, directory, Facebook integration, SEO, embeddable widgets or forthcoming affiliate scheme we are constantly striving to drive traffic to our sellers.

Do you find that social media is a big driver of sales for your customers.  In my experience it is very difficult to generate sales through sites like Facebook and Twitter

Social commerce continues to go from strength to strength and I think the trend will continue in the future. A lot of our sellers already have existing presences on Facebook and Twitter. We help them leverage their existing contact base to drive sales. A fan of your Facebook page or a Twitter follower is likely to browse and perhaps purchase from your shop if they know about it. At the moment we are working on building awareness of our sellers shops through their existing networks. As we scale we’ll commence driving new sales from social media sites.

What are your plans for the future.  Will you be integrating with other platforms e.g. eBay, amazon?

We would like to integrate with many other platforms but our core focus is on keeping is simple and easy for sellers to open and run their own shops.

We’re not prepared to add features or functionality which come at the expense of our core customer experience.  Our vision for Shoply is to be a software provider and sales generator for sellers and marketplace maker and curator for buyers.  We believe that everyone can benefit from Shoply as a buyer, seller or both. Ubiquitous social platforms have arisen for blogging, friends, business relationships, micro-blogging, location etc – we feel social commerce has been left out. We’re looking to change that and become the ubiquitous social consumer selling platform.

If you found this post useful, why not buy me a coffee!

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There are lots of ways to get traffic to your website or blog  –but most of them deliver junk traffic.  I once paid $2000 for a service that delivered 120,000 visitors to my website and did not make one sale!  Who wants that?

I want quality traffic from visitors who know what to expect when they click on my link. That is how you make money online!

If you had all the quality traffic you ever wanted for FREE, do you think you could make money online?

Of course you could… me too!

Well today is a great day for both of us.

My friend Ryan just released his FREE 2010 Perpetual Traffic Report:

http://budurl.com/McGTrafficReport

This free report changes everything when it comes to web traffic and if you don’t read it you will soon fall way behind the pack.  Ryan has figured out a way to use Google’s own tools against them to get FREE organic traffic any time he
wants. It’s truly amazing.  This is NOT about paying for traffic.  This is about getting free organic traffic from Google, Yahoo! and Bing.

Get your free report right now while it’s still FREE… Yes, this is part of something I am promoting, but I promise, even if you don’t purchase anything, these free reports I am going to send you over the next few days are very valuable themselves and well worth reading if you have a blog or a website of any kind, or if you are trying to build niche affiliate websites.

http://budurl.com/McGTrafficReport

I would love to know what you think, so once you have read the report please post a comment here on my blog.

Skip McGrath

P.S. In the report Ryan also tells you how to get his valuable Cherry Picker Software (AMAZING) for Free –no strings attached, just for reading the report.

Don’t wait.  Grab your free report now:
http://budurl.com/McGTrafficReport

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There are lots of ways to get traffic to your website or blog  –but most of them deliver junk traffic.  I bought a program once for $2000 that delivered 120,000 visitors to my website and did not make one sale!  Who wants that?

I want quality traffic from visitors who know what to expect when they click on my link. That is how you make money online!

If you had all the quality traffic you ever wanted for FREE, do you think you could make money online?

Of course you could… me too!

Well today is a great day for both of us.

My friend Ryan just released his FREE 2010 Perpetual Traffic Report:

http://budurl.com/McGTrafficReport

This free report changes everything when it comes to web traffic and if you don’t read it you will soon fall way behind the pack.  Ryan has figured out a way to use Google’s own tools against them to get FREE organic traffic any time he
wants. It’s truly amazing.  This is NOT about paying for traffic.  This is about getting free organic traffic from Google, Yahoo! and Bing.

Get your free report right now while it’s still FREE… Yes, this is part of something I am promoting, but I promise, even if you don’t purchase anything, these free reports I am going to send you over the next few days are very valuable themselves and well worth reading if you have a blog or a website or any kind or if you are trying to build niche affiliate websites.

http://budurl.com/McGTrafficReport

I would love to know what you think, so once you have read the report just post a comment on my blog.

Skip McGrath

P.S. In the report Ryan also tells you how to get his valuable Cherry Picker Software (AMAZING) for Free –no strings attached, just for reading the report.

Don’t wait.  Grab your free report now:
http://budurl.com/McGTrafficReport

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There seems to be an almost ever expanding number of shopping voucher sites around and so it is nice to come across one which is well constructed.  Shoppingvouchers.co.uk is an attractive, usable  site with a good range of frequently updated offers.

Unlike many other voucher sites this site is that it offers free listings for merchants.  Freebies are my kryptonite so I was powerless to resist!

If you found this post useful, why not buy me a coffee!

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• Magnitize is a free service where you can get a personal website to act as your home base for connections to Twitter, Facebook and any other websites you have.  Its sort of like having an online business card.

• Karen was sitting in a workshop at the Amazon conference and asked if anyone knew of a research tool that would show you what goods were actually selling for on Amazon like the eBay completed search does.  Several people shouted out “Competitive Eye.”  Here is what Competitive Eye says about their service:

“We provide your competitor’s actual delivered pricing. The actual pricing that matters to you and your customers. The pricing that helps you make the most out of your marketing efforts as well as a host of online tools and reporting giving you the big picture. The big picture necessary to make the best, well informed business decisions. A complete set of tools, reporting and beneficial analysis in one easy to use package.”

• I was speaking with Stephanie Inge who is an eBay and Amazon seller and who runs the eBay Group in Dallas Tx. she turned me on to a great educational site called Wiz IQ.  Wiz IQ is a site where you can create online seminars or complete courses where people can listen in live or watch at a later time. and they have a set up where you can not only do this for free –they have a system where you can market and charge for the courses.  I plan to start using Wiz-IQ to create bonus seminars for my products.

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What is The Complete eBay Marketing System?

The Complete eBay Marketing System by Skip McGrath is a complete course for selling on eBay. Look at all you get:

You get a truly impressive 300-page step-by-step workbook packed with 6 POUNDS of information you can use, today! I will ship it to you via UPS Select and you should have it in your hands within two or three business days to most of the US.

And that is not all you get:

• Access code for my Confidential Master File of Wholesale Suppliers
• My monthly Newsletter
  
• Special Bonus Report – Wholesale Sources Within 50 Miles of Your Home
• My PowerSellers Resource Report – a $67.00 Value. The report includes valuable discount coupons and free trial offers from important third-party products and service providers.
• Video on Niche Marketing
  
• Auction Timing Report – Beat the big guys. Learn how to come up Above your competitors every time.
• Online Auction Photo Secrets – Learn how anyone can take professional looking photos for eBay listings that really sell

And, you get my No-Questions-Asked, Unconditional 100% Money Back Guarantee. You can’t lose!

Order Your Complete eBay Marketing System Now and GROW Your eBay Business!

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The mobile applications just keep on coming… Today, eBay announced the eBay Fashion app for the Apple iPhone, delivering a personalized shopping experience where shoppers can browse, buy—and virtually “try on”—items from the world’s largest online selection of new, designer, branded and vintage merchandise—virtually anytime, anywhere.

I’m going to download the app later today and test its ability to find pretentiously ironic t-shirts to add to my collection. In the meantime, here are some videos and a list of features highlighting the new app.

Cheers,
RBH

Features of the App include:
• A Personalized Closet allowing users to add, store and curate favorite fashion finds in one place.
• An Outfit Builder enabling users to mix and match items from their Closet and virtually try them on to create unique looks.
• Social Media Sharing functions enabling users to share favorite fashion finds via Facebook, Twitter, and email.
• Direct entry to the eBay Fashion Vault offering instant access to new, fixed price clothing, shoes and accessories at great value through exclusive, limited time discounts on coveted designer brands so users never have to miss a sale.
• A Virtual Style Gallery showcasing the latest trends and fashions on the home screen in a slide show format. Users simply tap the picture of an item they like to search for similar items available on eBay’s Marketplace.
• A customized eBay account view from the fashion perspective through My eBay (Fashion), only displaying fashion listings to help users plan their wardrobe.

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All,
We’ve been working on a program behind the scenes here at eBay that I’m hoping will help promote all of the great online sellers that are embracing social media tools as a way to augment their presence online, ultimately promoting their stores and sales. It’s something that we’re hoping to build upon over the coming months so I’m launching with 6 “eBay Ink SM Sellers” while we iron out some of the potential kinks. I am excited to launch with the following 6, social media savvy individuals…

@ColderICE
@PowerSellingMom
@thesavvyseller
@galleriagifts
@auctionwally
@katskloset

You can view the page by clicking HERE.

You can follow the eBay Ink Social Media Seller Twitter feed here: http://twitter.com/ebayinkblog/smsellers

I’m providing our SM Sellers with badges that they can put on their blogs, websites, etc. to drive traffic to their social media seller profiles and/or their ecommerce stores…

About the program:
The adoption of social media tools over the past 24 months has been unprecedented. It has given individuals the world over, the ability to create strong, impressive brands online that had been otherwise reserved for large companies and budgets. This has never been more evident than in the world of ecommerce. A large group of online sellers have embraced these new social tools to enhance their reach online and, ultimately, increase traffic to their online stores and content. It’s no surprise, really, social networking is part of eBay’s DNA. One could argue that the first online social network back in 1996 was the introduction of AuctionWeb/eBay.

Over the past 2 years we’ve been seeing an emergence of individuals taking these social media tools to the next level and transferring their entrepreneurial instincts to the world of Twitter, Facebook, blogging and podcasting. As a result, I wanted to start highlighting some of these sellers here on Ink; ask them questions about how they got started; and see if they could share some of their tips and tricks. This list is by no means exhaustive and I intend to grow it regularly over the coming months and years. If you feel you should be considered as an eBay ink Social Media Seller, please contact us at ebayink@ebay.com.

Let me know what you think and please let me know if you’re interested in joining the program.

Cheers!
RBH

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I sat down with Todd Lutwak, VP of Seller Experience for eBay earlier today to talk about the initial feedback we’ve been hearing coming out of the third and final Seller Release of 2010. Here you go…

Cheers,
RBH

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2010 eBay Fall Seller Update

eBay announced major changes to the platform and new selling policies changes  today that will roll out in September. Most of the changes will launch between September 7 and September 13.  eBay is calling the changes Seller Release 3.

As usual eBay is putting a positive spin on the announcement.  Here is what eBay VP Dinesh Lathi has to say about the announcement:

“Updates coming this fall will help you take full advantage of the increased holiday traffic, maximize sales, and streamline your operations. As promised, we’re continuing to consolidate changes that impact your selling into two or three releases per year with lead time to adapt. This is the third and final release for 2010.”

The changes fall into 3 main categories:

Changes to the selling platform:

• New  rules for iPod/MP3 players, GPS, and DVDs Starting mid-September, listing with the eBay catalog will be required in these subcategories (Auction-style and Fixed Price, including Good ‘Til Cancelled). Pay no Insertion Fees when you list or relist with the catalog.
• eBay Listing Analytics application gives you new insight into how your listings are performing: impressions, clicks, sales.
• Bulk-edit more fields, revise up to 500 listings at once with new functionality in the eBay bulk edit and relist flow.
• Get your unpaid items re-listed and back in front of buyers fast with auto-relist option in Unpaid Item Assistant.  Choose to exempt some customers from the automated process.

Shipping Policy Changes

• Industry-standard shipping terms —Economy, Standard, Expedited, and One-day—used to describe domestic shipping services. Shipping options displayed prominently along with estimated delivery time on the item page and in checkout.
• Shipping to Alaska and Hawaii, APO/FPO addresses, and special US areas such as Guam and Puerto Rico:  Exclude these buyers or show exact charges based on their location.
• Pass on your shipping discounts to buyers with the Shipping Calculator: Specify one domestic and one  international discount.
• Low-cost shipping insurance: Available exclusively with eBay label printing.

Buyer Communications

• Updates to reduce  and manage buyer contacts: Ask a question link moved down on item page; Automated Answers turned on for all sellers.
• Enhancements to My Messages: Use it as your central inbox for buyer email with out-of-office reply, customized email signatures, and message filtering.

eBay has created a Seller Checklist for more information about how these updates affect you.

Most of these updates are positive, but I am always leery about the automated system changes as they often launch with hidden glitches that can drive sellers crazy.  We will just have to wait and see.

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Watch this space for a new traffic building system for your website or blog. I am working with someone who is producing a complete traffic system to build quality organic traffic from search engines.

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The Complete eBay Marketing System by eBay PowerSeller Skip McGrath is the only complete printed eBay business course that teaches you how to start and run a successful and profitable eBay business.

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