Using Amazon Verses eBay for Boosting Revenue, 7 Essential Facts for Today’s Market

By Tony Scorch

I have used both the Amazon store platform and the eBay store platform for many years. I have noticed that there is a serious shift in the marketplace and so have a lot of other customers. The main determining factor is in your target audience and knowing exactly where they hang out and where they look for products. Some audiences are clearly budget minded, which makes the “power of a deal” concept of eBay very enticing. Others are demanding of an excellent and uneventful shopping experience, that is where Amazon shines. These seven facts can help you make or break your goals for next year in selling anything online. Here are my findings, your mileage may vary.

1. Market share. Depending on your product line niche, you need to determine whether or not more listings show up in the search results for Amazon or for eBay. In all of the market lines I am familiar with and sell through, Amazon is clearly the 900 lb gorilla. One reason is that once a product is in the Amazon marketplace, it stays. It may show out of stock, but that page stays in the system and is indexed through the search engines. If you forget to renew an auction, it is not available in the eBay system. If you fail to renew that product in your store, it vanishes as well. This is a big factor in why Amazon will rank for that product even if they are out of stock Advantage: Amazon.

2. Stigma There is a certain stigma building about eBay and that is that most people think it is for amateurs. The Internet is becoming more trusted and people are learning how to use it effectively. Thus they are becoming smarter and more picky about who they purchase from. Amazon has built itself as a trusted partner through their customer service, they bend over backwards to take care of their customers. Advantage: Amazon

3. Fulfillment. Amazon has a fulfillment program which allows companies or individuals to send Amazon stock and let them store that item for them. When that item sells, its shows as being stocked and sold by Amazon. This helps a lot with customers trust factor, knowing that Amazon is going to ship it in a timely manner and that they really do not have to “take a chance” on a vendor they are not familiar with. This also frees up a tremendous amount of time for the vendor since they do not have to touch the item in the sales process. Amazon picks and sends the product and notifies you of the sale. This makes managing your inventory much easier and allows you to just send Amazon products to keep your inventory supplied. This means instead of sending out orders individually, you send them by the case instead. This is a huge amount of time saved. Advantage: Amazon

4. Fees. Amazon charges 15% for their fee in processing and selling your product. Our experience with eBay has been about the same percentage by the time you add up the launch fee, the final value fee and the Paypal fee. Not to mention the time you spend touching the product and getting it to your shipper or freight company. So this 15% seems to be a wash and makes fulfilling through Amazon more desirable in the sense of time management. Advantage: Amazon

5. Time Management. Looking through the back ends of Amazon and eBay Stores for inventory can take a little time. With eBay, you have to cross check with your own inventory to make sure you have what you are advertising. If you are out of inventory when you say you have it on eBay, you will incur negative feedback through eBay. You also have to make sure your graphics are stored correctly and if you use a third party software, that those pictures are active. Advantage: Amazon

6. Credibility Having a store front with your company name is a great way to boost name recognition. Although either site does not give you any real link benefit from your name, having your name out there in many venues is excellent. A lot of people still use eBay, so it is still a great place to start and get your name out there. Amazon still does not promote your name, but will list it somewhere on the product page, again the more the merrier. Advantage: Tie( both)

7. Volume The real test is in how much volume you move. Depending on your product line, this can be measured and used to figure out the best venue.eBay publishes a “HOT” list and that varies per month. If you just use Amazon’s fulfillment program, it means your product goes out all the time. It delivers sales at all times 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Advantage: Amazon

Summary

It may seem like Amazon is the clear winner, and in my opinion it is true. I have learned to use the leverage of the immense power of both companies marketing budgets to my advantage and so can you. Of course you are the real expert concerning your product line and where your target audience lives.

Tony Scorch is content provider specializing in ecommerce products such as pilot supplies and home and garden supplies. If you are interested in contacting Tony for custom content for your site feel free to send email at this address.

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In order to be truly interactive, we really should have put this post out long ago.  So we are doing it now with a call for comments and questions.  What kind of help do you need?  We are prepared to tailor special sections, articles, video, or what ever it takes to get your questions answered and get you moving on your way.  To help you with this please refer to the following sections and include that in your reply or comment.

E-commerce

• Product Ideas
• Store front platforms
• Building the site
• Hosting the site
• Finding products after I get selling my own
• How to produce my own product locally

Importing

• Where to find product
• More information
• Where to find a sourcing agent
• Importing and selling on Ebay
• How to deal with customs.

Blogging

• What topic to blog about
• Where to set up my site
• Costs
• How can I make money at blogging?
• Differences between services
• How fast can I start

Ebay

• How to get started
• Where to host pictures
• Paypal

Information Products

• Where to get them made
• What topics do I pick
• I can’t write, now what?

So now comes the fun part, if you have signed up for our newsletter, take it a step further and ask us a question.  You can email us directly at our email address.  We are all about helping you get going, especially in today’s economy.  It really helps your state of mind when you know you have something going and can constantly work on it.

Anyone can run auctions on Ebay. Some do it as a business. There is an art to looking professional as well as being organized. Knowledge is the key to this area and finding certain items from Ebay about Ebay can be kind of tricky. First you need to know what the insertion fees are going to be. After that, knowing what the final value fees and the PayPal fees are, will tell you how much margin you have for that particular product.

Make sure you use the sales information sheets included in this product to keep you organized. Whether you use Ebay to sell a product or a website, you still need to know what kind of profits you can make.

When preparing for some auctions, using an auction calculator can give you a quick and easy reference for what you can expect your profits to be. If you know the items selling price you can take the calculator and play around with starting prices and ending prices to see what your fees are going to be. There are a lot of calculators out there, so find the one that works the best for you. This particular model serves me well enough to recommend to you. Some services offer calculators with more features that you can purchase. I have found that the extra fluff was not needed for the items that I sold.

Ebay calc

http://www.ebcalc.com/

As you can see this calculator has all the same options that you are supplied with when launching your auction. You simply choose the items that you are going to use or upgrade. Notice that the PayPal Calculations is included at the bottom of the calculator. This is very handy and eliminates and extra calculation.

Here is a listing of PayPal fees as well for your reference.

If you do not feel the need to reinvent the wheel you can buy pre-made Ebay Bookkeeping systems. There are several places on the Internet that sell these types of systems. Instead of creating the paperwork you can find what you need. The only difference is when you create your own system or forms you can customize it how you like. Nonetheless, here are some very good systems that you can purchase for yourself.

Ebay bookkeeping system for $39 http://ebaybookkeeping.com/

Another link for guide

http://reviews.ebay.com/A-Simple-Bookkeeping-System-For-Ebay-Sellers_W0QQugidZ10000000002148631

Ebay forums are another good place to get some extra (free) help

http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=2000414997&tstart=0&mod=1193680835850

By Stephen Sikes

If you have been thinking about starting an eBay jewelry business, this is the time for it. The holidays are coming and people are looking for great gifts to buy for the ones they love.

Most people are also very busy. This means they are going to look for the most convenient way to shop. With today’s computerized world, that means they are often looking to make great purchases online. With a few clicks the shopping is done.

If you are the person who offers a great deal to others, you stand to make some great sales this season

Know Your Niche

The first thing you have to decide is which kind of jewelry you are going to sell:

Low End – These are items that may cost up to $50 each. These are generally no-brainer items when it comes to making a purchase and are items that will be bought by those who are young and on a limited budget as well as those who want to add a little something to a bigger gift.

Middle End – in the $50 – $250 jewelry area is middle end jewelry. These are generally for someone special and will be one of the main gifts for the recipient.

High End – For very discerning tastes comes the high-end jewelry line. These pieces are over $250 a piece and may go into the thousands of dollars. These are special presents that are very important to both the buyer and recipient.

Find Your Supplies

Once you know the kind of jewelry you want to sell, its time to figure out where you are going to get them from. There are essentially two options here.

The first is to purchase wholesale jewelry which is 50% below retail prices. These are often found through wholesale auctions on websites like eBay or from a distributor.

The other option is to purchase pieces of liquidation jewelry. These are pieces that are overstocks, closeouts or returns that have been bundled together for quick sale. Finding the right liquidation auction could land you jewelry at pennies on the dollar compared to their retail price.

Start Selling

Once you have decided on the kind of jewelry that you want to sell, it’s time to start selling. The most important thing to keep in mind with eBay selling is that your picture has to speak for the items you are selling. Make sure your photos are clear and easy to see detail in. If necessary, take more than one shot and upload multiple pictures to give your customers a clear view of what they are purchasing.

Steve Sikes is an MBA and writes articles on wholesale and liquidation auctions and how to make a profit reselling these products. He also writes articles on financial products including insurance and credit cards. To read other articles on wholesale and liquidation auctions and making a profit buying and reselling liquidation clothing, jewelry, electronics, apparel and much more, you will want to visit http://www.WholeSale611.com

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How to Start an Ebay Business

By William Brister

eBay has become a huge business with people raking in hundreds of dollars selling discounted merchandise ranging from garage sale items to new products and collectibles. Research shows that more than 700,000 people across the world make a living, either part time or full-time selling on eBay. It is interesting to note that as more people generate income from eBay, the greater the number of shoppers attracted to the site.

Most people wanting to start an eBay business come as buyers, get hooked on the bandwagon, learn the art of selling and as they clear the belongings they have set out to sell, they realize that they have started making money as well. Thus, several enterprising individuals who began as part time home based businesses have turned these into thriving companies employing numerous employees.

But just as with all small businesses, one must be aware of certain things while starting an eBay business. There is a huge market with many buyers and lots of competition. The issues dealing with finance, warehousing, payment channels and fulfilling orders also remain equally challenging.

To start an eBay business, is like investing time and effort in any other. So ensure that you have a prudent business plan just like for a traditional business. Also, make sure that it is in congruence with your lifestyle and your needs with attainable goals.

Think about the products that you are going to offer and strategize on how to buy and sell on eBay. What would you prefer to be – retail store offering a variety. or a discount merchant with specialized products? Is there anything that distinguishes you from your competitors? Select access to buying products will allow you an edge over your competition.

The trick of ‘buying and selling on eBay’ would be to buy at a low cost and sell at a premium and thus generate profits. But it’s not always that simple. You have to think carefully of your strategy for buying products at a price that’s low enough to allow you a profit margin when you mark it up to a price that is still attractive to your market. Also account for the turnover and how your profit margin combined with it will support your operations and still deliver a profit to you.

Once you have your business plan all figured out and products decided, you need to register yourself at eBay. Visit eBay and click on the “Sell” tab at the top of the homepage. Follow the step-by-step instructions to register as an eBay community member. You will have to provide your basic contact information, as well as banking information, such as credit card and checking account numbers. Once that is done, give your business a structure by filing for incorporation or forming a limited liability company.

Since it is a business, whether part-time or full time, keep separate accounting books so as to avoid creating confusion during tax season. Also get insurance for yourself and your eBay business.

Once all the preliminaries are sorted out, there are issues that need to be heeded of a more serious nature. These include paying for your merchandise, stocking goods, receiving payments from customers, as well as financing your business. Although there are many options for all of these, seek out the best suited for you. Stocking can start with garages or basements to save costs in the initial period. You can even use rental storage units and once money starts coming in think of more permanent options like warehouses. You can link up with your customers through payment companies like PayPal, which is an online payment service that enables buyers to pay for their purchases by drawing funds from their credit cards or checking accounts.

After all the logistics are taken care of, you can start your eBay business. Ensure that your web pages are well designed and attractive with good photographs of the products so that customers keep visiting. This is important, as this is the only way for a person to know what he is buying. Decide on which model you want to use to sell your goods, auction model or fixed price model. Packing and shipping need special attention to ensure repeated business. Finally, pay attention to your eBay feedback rating especially designed to help eBay buyers and sellers police each other. As you collect positive ratings, buyers will view your business in a credible light, an extremely critical aspect of eBay.

With all this you are set to becoming a successful entrepreneur on eBay!

William Brister

http://www.BusinessProGuide.com – Detailed Online Business Guide.

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By David Riewe

E-Bay and Paypal are two giant firms which are involved in sales transactions of customers. E-Bay is an online portal in which buyers could auction and bid items for sale. On the other hand, Paypal is the most popular online payment system used through credit cards. The teaming up of both firms is inevitable because E-Bay provides the goods to be purchased while PayPal provides the resources to be used.

E-Bay has indeed grown as the number one destination of online shopping through auctions. E-Bay offers a variety of choices when it comes to books, food, gadget, technology stuff, and many others. The variety and diversity of E-Bay makes it the most visited site whenever buyers are thinking of something to purchase. It is also a favorite destination for online shoppers who want to have a quality bargain of the items they want to buy. On the other hand, Paypal is the most reliable online payment system utilized whenever holding transactions. The firm claims that they have 16 million users worldwide. Despite of such successes for both firms, there are still many criticisms regarding the nature of both businesses.

E-Bay is often criticized as a portal that is not pro-buyers instead, it some people consider it as pro-sellers. Some buyers accuse E-Bay as not being true to their business and does not really live up to their word. On the other hand, Paypal does not really receive a lot of complaints but when it does, no one seems to mind. This is because their customer service department does not do their job well. No one really assists the customers and when they reply, it seems like the customer waited for 20 years before an action was done.

Due to the partnership of these two companies, many speculated that E-Bay would acquire Paypal. Many people were not in agreement to this deal because they believe that once E-Bay had acquired Paypal, the rotten service of the firm would eventually be more than worst. Aside from that, competition would also diminish in the market. Despite the said speculations, both firms deny that a joint venture or acquisition between the two companies would happen. Both firms insist that they would continue each other’s operations separately and not as a joint company. Both firms also expressed that their partnership between each other is solid but not to the point of collaborating with each other.

About the Author: David Riewe is a Publisher and Online Marketer. Visit his eBay Blog to Discover 101 Ebay Auction Tips in this FREE ebook http://www.push-button-online-income.com/ebayblog

Source: www.isnare.com

By Kirsten Hawkins

You may have noticed that many sellers list PayPal as the only payment option they accept – they simply can’t be bothered cashing checks and money orders, never mind any of the other strange ways some people want to pay. Like all things in life, though, PayPal has its advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a look at what PayPal can do for you, and what it can’t.

The Disadvantages

PayPal is very vulnerable to fraud, and it’s you as the seller who’ll be paying the price when it happens. What’s more, they do take a percentage from every transaction that you could be keeping if your buyers were paying by check.

You might also have noticed that PayPal come from the eBay school of customer service, enjoying such pastimes as hiding their phone number and only ever sending out automated responses to emailed queries. PayPal has an unusual number of campaigners against it, most of them people who’ve had their accounts frozen and had to chase PayPal for months for thousands of dollars. Some of these people recently filed a class action lawsuit against PayPal, claiming damages for lost business – and they won. This alone should make you cautious about using PayPal.

The Advantages

PayPal is quick and easy for buyers to use, and is certainly a more secure and reassuring way to accept credit cards than signing up for your own merchant account. You’ll probably also find that it’s cheaper for you.

That’s before you even consider that eBay buyers are more eager to buy from someone who accepts PayPal, as it saves them all sorts of hassle with posting payment and then waiting around. PayPal lets you give speedier customer service.

But Should You Use It Exclusively?

The most important thing about only accepting PayPal is, again, a matter of customer service: some of your potential customers might not have or want a PayPal account. Not everyone loves electronic payments – some fear them, and like eBay because it is one of the few places on the Internet where many sellers will accept payment by more traditional methods. Do you want these people as customers, or don’t you?

You might notice that some people are aware of the issues of PayPal and refuse to use it, but still want to pay electronically. For these rare cases, it’s worth opening an account at a well-known PayPal rival that has a better reputation – the current favourite seems to be NoChex (http://www.nochex.com), which offers free chargeback protection.

NoChex is quite a lot better than PayPal by most standards, but just doesn’t have the same market penetration or convenience of use on eBay. Still, there’s nothing stopping you from accepting both, just as long as you make it clear that you do on your auctions. If you find that you really prefer NoChex to PayPal, then you could offer your buyers a discount for paying through NoChex.

Once you’ve got the payment, the next thing you need to do is ship the items. In the next email, we’ll take a look at what you should write on your eBay shipping boxes.

About the Author: Kirsten Hawkins is an Ebay and internet auction enthusiast from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.auctionseller411.com/ for more great tips on how to make the most from Ebay and other online auctions.

Source: www.isnare.com