Boutique Bargains & Beyond {Blog}
The Latest News On What's Selling on eBay & Amazon | Recent eBay & Amazon News and Updates
Christmas is this weekend, already! Anyone else feel like it came a bit faster this year. I am almost ready, just need to finish wrapping presents. I’m going to enjoy the weekend with my family and then start setting my goals for the new year.
I hope everyone had a successful and profitable Christmas season on eBay. Any particularly successful sales? Would love to hear about them, leave a comment below.
This is something almost any eBay seller can relate to. I work every day with eBay sellers, coaching and helping them through their eBay challenges.
Sometimes, the solution to an eBay problem can be solved simply by having a second set of eyes to look over the item listing, to help bring that final piece of the puzzle into focus.
Other times, it may be that you are needing a little nudge from someone else to keep you motivated to keep selling.
Here are some of the phrases I most often repeat to others when I am helping to motivate them:
“Take baby steps!” – It is quite common to get fixated on the end result before you actually get started with a project. The result in their mind is a grand accomplishment that brings lots of success, wealth, and happiness. There is nothing wrong with thinking big, everyone does it. Just be sure to remember the little steps you will need to take to get to your grand finale. Take some time to map each little step, this is more motivating than just skipping ahead to the end and stumbling backwards to have to start over again. Especially, when you cross of each accomplishment along the way!
“Look at how far you’ve come! I’m so proud of you!” – It feels great to look back and think about how far you have come in your eBay selling. Remember how you used to have a hard time with little things that you now breeze through. Remember that first eBay sale, and how it made you feel. Taking the time to remember what you have accomplished can motivate you to accomplish more.
“Keep your focus crystal clear!” – I know the money IS motivating! But, what is it that drives you to stay focused to keep moving forward and keep improving your eBay business? This could be your kids, saving for a vacation, being able to quite your day job, financial freedom, or maybe even a few of those combined. Whatever your reason for motivation, keep it in focus and don’t lose sight of it no matter what.
“I support YOU” – Be supportive and/or have a support system! I can’t even begin to tell you how many spouses don’t want their significant other selling on eBay. I can relate. My husband wasn’t always behind me on this either. Since then we have worked through it and he supports everything I do online. He tells me to “Do whatever it takes.” Those four words are VERY motivating for me! There are many eBay community groups, forums, Facebook groups, and people on Twitter who are die-hard eBay fanatics, providing lots of people who are willing to listen and offer support to the beginner and advanced eBay sellers. Support is extremely important and extremely motivating in every way.
I’m always here to help you – send an email, leave a comment, Tweet away. Send me a message if you have a question or just need help getting out of a rut!
If you have thoughts on how to help motivate others, share it by leaving a comment below.
I hope this helps you keep motivated!
Are you ready for your eBay store to get noticed?
After putting in the hard work of listing your items and doing the product research, there is just one more step to complete.
Marketing. It can take time to establish a following and a reputation for quality, but have a plan from the beginning can help speed things along. Here are some tips to help get your marketing efforts headed in the right direction.
What is Marketing?
For those who aren’t sure what marketing is, it is how you let others know about the products you have for sale. Think about companies such as Nike and Coca-Cola. These are reputable brands, however they had to present their products to the public in a variety of ways to get noticed.
Online marketing strategies for websites can also work if your only online presence is with an eBay store. Some marketers may even use eBay as a sort of test market, before they decide to take the next step to a website just for selling their products. eBay charges a few fees for their services, but these are nominal when you compare it to the money you can make selling on eBay. Remember, it usually takes money to make money. So, if you are serious about creating a profitable business sooner or later you will have to spend a little money.
Spread the News – Start with word of mouth, or viral marketing. Let your friends and family know about your new eBay business venture. Send them emails that include links to your auctions so they can see what it is you have been busy doing.
Email – There is also another use for your email. Each time you send an email you can include a signature line. Use that signature to link to your auction listings or eBay store. Just add a tagline like, “Come and see what is new on eBay!”
Customer Feedback – Ask for feedback from your buyers. By increasing the amount of positive feedback, you elevate your standing on eBay. Most people will leave feedback anyway, but send them an email to follow up after you ship your products as a customer service gesture to gauge their satisfaction and remind them to leave feedback.
Business Cards – Order some business cards and use them. Add your business card to each package you ship, this can help to keep your name fresh in their minds. For electronic informational products like eBooks and special reports, include a business card resource box on the last page of the product.
Reward Repeat Customers – Offer coupons and other promotions to your repeat customers. By offering a discount to customers when they next bid or make a fixed price purchase, they are more likely to come back. A shipping discount is always popular and is well liked by many eBay buyers.
Freebies – Adding a little something extra for free is always appreciated. For example: you sell a bicycle. Add a bicycle pump or stickers (for a kid’s bike) as something extra for the buyer to use. Include your web address or logo where applicable.
Each of these ideas combine to help create a marketing plan. If you have a separate website, the number of marketing strategies you can use increases. Don’t confine yourself to just one form of marketing. Develop a well thought out marketing plan and follow it through each step to reach your maximum success with your eBay store.
You might just be selling on eBay as a way to make some extra money. Not really selling enough to consider it a full time wage, but enough that maybe you are ready to take it to the next level.
Have you considered earning a full time income on eBay? To do so, you will need to build up your inventory – and some savings to help maintain the volume of sales that are needed to get to that next level.
Carefully consider what you have already found successful with your eBay sales. For example, if you have been selling part time for a while you may already excel in selling the gently used items from your own home. Whether that is gently used toys, clothing, appliances, etc.
Maybe you have already developed a good eye for what will sell on eBay in that area of “gently used” items. If that is the case, then expand on it! Put your skills to good use and build the inventory in your store to include some new hot products that are selling well on eBay.
One great way to do this is by helping others. Take any unwanted gently used items off their hands and then flip the items on eBay for a profit. Most of the time people are happy just to be getting the items out of their homes, and any amount they get is appreciated. Make sure to use your best discretion, take into consideration listing fees and final value fees.
Help friends go through their kids’ piles of books and toys, writing each item down. Spend a day researching them, and then break the items into different groups including:
Donate – Any toys that are not complete, broken or are otherwise not worth selling.
Sell on eBay – This can include any working toys that are in good condition, complete book sets, gently used clothing, video games, etc. These items should be things you have researched or are familiar selling and you know are likely to give you a good return on your investment.
Sell on Craigslist – Use Craigslist as an alternative selling market. Especially for delicate, big and/or heavy items that would be difficult to ship. The turn around time is usually pretty speedy.
Hand-Me-Down – Items that can be donated to schools, family and/or friends.
Go at your own speed, and remember that you will learn as you go. To be on the safe side offer to pick up items or have a secure location for dropping them off.
This is one way to boost your income with a little investment. Share your eBay ideas for success.
Some days it may feel like all you have been doing is sitting at your desk for hours. Some days you may even feel that as you get ready to end your day, you haven’t really accomplished anything. That is never a good feeling, and when tomorrow comes you will begin the day feeling like you are already behind on work…right?
Many people who join the work from home force, have this common false impression. They went into it thinking that it was going to be easy to work from home. The truth is it’s not easy. It takes a lot of control, focus and a clear plan to be able to achieve a productive work day from home. Because, you most certainly didn’t decide to work from home just to put in 80 hour work weeks and still not see your kids. Did you?
Remember to take breaks and refresh your mind.
Keep to a schedule, even if you are working in your pajamas! By working in smaller amounts of time, you will be able to stay focused on direct tasks. Set a timer or cell phone alarm, anything that will remind you to walk away from your computer and be done “working” for the day. Or designate breaks throughout the day, even just get out of the house for an afternoon with your kids
If you have a hard time sticking to a daily or weekly routine, I suggest seeking assistance with your scheduling. Try spending about 30 minutes with someone else discussing what you need to complete each week. Think of it as a weekly coaching session to help you keep on track. Maybe even sit with an eBay buddy. Develop a schedule that maps our what you need to accomplish each day. Try to maintain the balance between your work and your family – do not over extend yourself.
Get organized and stay on task.
Many people get there best ideas when they are away fro their desks. Ever had a great idea while relaxing in bed, taking a shower, or driving your car?
Be sure to write them down right away, while they are still fresh in your mind. It’s best to get them down on paper or even as a note in your cell phone. A clear mind leads to a productive day!
There is a ‘notes’ feature on most cell phones, and it is a great tool that is readily available, so start using it. It especially comes in handy when pen and paper are out of reach. Most cell phones even have the option to email, so send it as an email to yourself!
Later, once you are prepared to sit down to work, set up an organized plan. Tackle small amounts of tasks to complete in allotted amounts of time. Maybe allot an hour or two each. Try your best to stick to your schedule and don’t over budget your time, otherwise you will find it difficult to get anything accomplished.
Work on each task one step at a time!
It is a common thought that once a task in completed you will be raking in the sales. That is easier said than done! Just take your time and do it right. It can take several years for many online businesses to get established, so be patient!
I hope you are having a good holiday season. I’ve just been sitting her in a good mood and thinking to myself, “this has been such a good fall.” My oldest daughter is now in school, and my baby girl is growing happy and healthy! I’ve been taking time to spend with my girls every chance I get, including a short family trip recently. It FEELS GREAT! It is time that I will never get back. In my heart I knew it was the right thing to do.
It has taken me a little more time to realize that I should be applying the same gut feeling I have about my family, to my business also. I mean I think of my business as my ‘other baby’, don’t I?
Unfortunately, when I first started out I went through a lot of trial and error. I will even admit that I got caught up in the ‘next big thing’ that came out every week and in the end all I had was a lot of useless information that didn’t even really apply to anything that I was working on. After I tried working on a few of those projects from the information that I had received, the results were nothing but a big let down. How many times was I going to set myself up for yet another fail at someone elses benefit?
I got smarter and became more focused. Now when I receive the latest ‘get rich quick’ email, which were always a BIG waste of my time, I am ready to delete and even unsubscribe from every one of them. There is no such thing as ‘get rich quick’. I learned that lesson.
Is there anything you are wanting to know more about when it comes to eBay? Leave me a comment or send me an email and I will do my best to help you out.
As we all know, the holiday season has become a major shopping season also. But there is one way to easily avoid facing the traffic and hassle from your holiday gift buying – eBay. Shop from the comfort of your own home, with the added bonus of having fun in the process.
The Perfect Gifts
If you already know the types of things that your family and friends like, then start with eBay’s categories to get ideas. With just a few clicks you will be shopping, and at great bargain prices.
Shopping on eBay allows you a neat way to come up with gift ideas. Consider an item that the person you are shopping for has recently bought for themselves. Type that item description into the search box on eBay and find out what category it is in, then just click on that category link and take a look at everything there. You instantly have a large list of things that the person would doubtless like to have. If you know the person well, it shouldn’t be too hard to sort through the results and find a truly special and unique gift for them.
Check Out Their History
When the people you are gift shopping for are also eBay users, you another tool available for helping you determine what to get them. To do this you will need to know their eBay usernames, then you can take a look at what they have bought recently on eBay. This should help you in figuring out what kinds of things they are interested in or may want.
You can use this approach by clicking on Advanced Search from eBay’s main page, then select Find A Member on the left-hand menu to view that eBay user’s history. Just type in their username and you will get their user page, which will have a list of item numbers of all the items they have bought. Pick an item number, copy and paste it into the eBay search box to find out what that item was. You now have an almost foolproof list of ideal gifts for that person.
Don’t Be a Last-Minute Shopper
To avoid disappointments and upsets, don’t use eBay for your last-minute holiday shopping. Prices tend to be high and you have the added risk of not receiving your gifts in time.
It seems that every year there is some must have toy that every child wants and the stores inevitably sell out of. Then suddenly that toy appears on eBay – for a premium price. Holiday shoppers end up paying many times the gift’s original value, and may still not have it in time for the big day. Try not to get caught in this snare.
It ‘Tis The Season
Holiday shopping time is a peak time for eBay sellers, because millions of people are shopping on there. A large percentage of these shoppers are inexperienced with eBay, and they tend to drive up prices above the norm. Avoid the temptation to overpay for an item just because it is the last one you could possibly receive in time, or because just because others are bidding high. Know when to cut your losses, stop bidding, and just head to a local store to buy something else.
Keep Jolly
eBay is best not taken too seriously. Approach it as you would a game, and try not to get too disappointed if you lose. It can begin to feel a bit like gambling, but when that really rare gift for someone special shows up on your doorstep just in time for Christmas, it can be well worth it.
Having a goal to strive towards is invigorating? Many eBay sellers have the same goal. The one that sticks out to me is breaking outside of the eBay walls and be able to open your OWN retail location. Whether that means an actual store location or an online presence. If that is your goal, just go for it!
Be Consistent!
One of the obstacles that I have discussed in the past about eBay selling was consistency. Be sure to work at a pace you are comfortable with. Your business isn’t going to grow overnight. Working long hours and pulling all-nighters is only going to make you feel overwhelmed and increase the chances of giving up. You can’t and shouldn’t expect yourself to list hundreds of items to your eBay store in one day. BUT, if you work consistently at listing a few items each night (or whatever you are comfortable with) – your goal of filling your eBay store with inventory will be accomplished before you know it! An added bonus to listing items this way is that it will keep the Search Engine traffic coming. If you do not keep a constant flow of listings the traffic decreases, and eventually so will your sales.
Stay Focused
I am a very schedule oriented person. If something is a minute later than I have scheduled – it can throw my entire day off! I’ve been improving on not letting certain things bother me – but when it comes to my focus on my business, then I must keep to a strict schedule. It allows me to stay focused and accomplish what I need to get done in a reasonable amount of time. Placing your focus on one thing at a time will ensure that you put 100% into each thing that needs to be done. This helps to ensure that everything is done right the first time – and that feels good!
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! As everyone knows tomorrow is the traditional day of incredible sales, if you are up to it there are many great deals to take advantage of. Be sure to know what is selling this year before you make your plan of attack. To help you out here are the top selling items on eBay this week and the predicted top toys for 2011.
eBay Popular Searches
1. android tablet
2. ipad
3. ipod
4. hp touchpad
5. shoes
6. iphone 4 unlocked
7. iphone 4
8. coach handbags
9. hello kitty
10. kindle
Popular Toys for 2011
1. Sesame Street Let’s Rock Elmo
2. Xia-Xia Hermit Crabs
3. LeapPad Explorer Learning Tablet
4. Hot Wheel Wall Tracks Starter Set
5. Angry Birds Knock on Wood Game
6. Silly Hair Jewel Sparkles Doll
7. Nerf Vortex
8. I Am T-Pain Mic
9. Poppin’ Park Elefun Busy Ball Poppers
10. Lite Sprites
11. Alien Conquest (LEGO)
12. Bogo
13. Air Hogs Hyper Actives
14. Fijit Friends Interactive Toy
15. My Keepon
Auction sniping – is to wait until the last possible moment before an auction closes to enter your bid, in the hopes of outbidding other sellers that don’t anticipate such a move. Auction sniping is not a violation of the eBay rules and is widely considered fair practice in auction bidding.
So why snipe? The main reason I am writing about this is to give you some tips on how to ‘auction flip’ by taking advantage of misspellings. This is a great strategy for purchasing items for very little and then resell them to make a profit! It can also be a great way to acquire inventory. It is also a superb way to obtain name brand clothing items for your own kids and then sell them later.
I suggest using a program such as typohound.com or fatfingers.com, there are many others also. Think of commonly misspelled words. For example you can check out: Hanna Anderson, Oilily, Gymboree, Baby Lulu – all of these are highly sought after brands. I like to look for my favorite brands, items that I know sell well, and even items that I prefer buying for my kids!
Make sure you do your research before you purchase ANYTHING, unless you already know from experience that it’s an item that sells well for you. I like Terapeak for eBay researching, but there are other programs that you can use also. Sometimes you can get enough information to make a decision about reselling or not, by using the eBay completed listings search. Once you have the search listings in front of you, sort by ‘ending soonest’ so that your turn around time is shorter.
Do not bid on anything just yet – doing so will only help to drive up the ending price. I suggest using a sniping program such as Gixel.com – unless you know you will be able to physically be at your computer to bid at the last minute. If you plan on bidding on numerous items, then you may want to use a sniping program to ensure you don’t miss out on any last minute bidding.
I’ve tried using SMS to my phone and proxy bidding, but it is much easier to use a program that does it all for you! Enter a price that you are comfortable paying and you’re done! Good luck and share any successes you have.
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