How I did my FREE website

First of all, you should have a website by now and if you don't...it is time. If you can work ebay than you can work a website! In the early days of the web having a website was only for the computer geeks or companies big enough to hire the computer geeks. Now, there really is no excuse not to have one if you are active on the web.
You can get one free. There are several ways to get a free website. There are lots of companies that offer this service but of course there is always a catch. No company is going to do it all, no company is going to give you everything you want without something in return, so as you search the web please be a careful consumer when you sign up for things. Some may just want to put their logo on your site, some will keep ads on your page and also keep the revenue from those ads. Just keep in mind what you are comfortable with.
What I do:
For my main ebay store I have a yahoo hosted website. I pay a monthly fee for this one and it allows me the freedom to do what I want. Yahoo does offer a "store" feature that is more robust than what I have but they take a percentage of each sale. I've only got the hosted site and I design and do all the webwork myself. It is more time consuming but I keep more of the sale this way.
For this one http://www.powersellerdaily.com/ I use Microsoft Office Live. It is completely free. I have another site that is host by Microsoft Office Live too that I have had for over two years now and it has added more and more features over that time and there is still no price tag. To be honest, when I first signed up for it (the other site) I thought that it was going to only be a short time before they started charging, but that didn't happen.
MSOffice Live is a little tricky to customize but when it is free...who can complain?
If you are looking at my page right now thinking that it looks more like a blog than a website, you are right. It is exactly that. It is http://www.powersellerdaily.blogspot.com/
huh?
yes, THIS page is a blog, http://www.powersellerdaily.com/ is the one hosted by MSOffice Live and that one links you here. I've done it this way because blogger indexes into search engines and does alot of the blog work for me. On the actual website I am able to add more pages like "favorite sellers" and "resources" and things like that and I have a shorter URL.
MSOffice Live is pretty dull if you just stick with what they want you to do. I'm a rule breaker so I've skirted their templates as much as possible. I didn't make it easy for myself though. Once I picked the template that I thought would be acceptable I opened another browser to a WYSIWYG html editor and designed my content with the links and ads that I wanted. Then copied that html and went back to MSOffice Live and pasted it into their template. So essentially, I am using their border and background but not their text boxes and such.
This makes editing a three window process. I have open the MSOffice live control panel, my WYSIWYG html editor and the notepad document that I saved it in.
I know there is probably an easier way, but I am a stickler about having it show up the way I want it to, so I do it my way.
If you want to get a free site too, it is http://officelive.microsoft.com/ (FYI, I don't get paid for this endorsement...wish I did)

Yay, back from Vacation...sure did miss ebay!

I took 5 days off from everything over Christmas. I didn't check my email (ok, so I did...but just once and I only responded to one!), I didn't do any ebay listings, or even answer the phone. My friends think I'm rude but it was worth it. I love ebay, absolutely adore it, but taking a couple of days off is good for the soul.
Now, it is just depressing to see that low low number of sales!
I finally made a decision on which program to go with and I decided to go with Ebay's Selling Manager Pro. It is actually included in my premium store subscription! Now, I am just bogged down trying to get my inventory loaded in and learning how to use a "flat file".
I think it will definitely make 2008 a little simpler. I already love the automation for feedback and email reminders.
I'm so excited to get back to listing!

Have your Business card ready! Networking your Ebay business

When I first started 'ebaying' I did it as a hobby so I didn't really talk much about it or do any real networking. Then, for some strange reason, when I got into it full time I would only tell people about my website and not my ebay business. I would actually 'play down' my involvement with ebay. I did this for a long long time before I realized my error.
I make a living on ebay. Why would I not position myself as an expert in the field? I am not sure exactly why I did this... maybe it is because of ebay's garage sale reputation. Who knows!
The point is, that once I changed my personal outlook on this subject, my entire business improved. I embraced the fact that I was an ebayer and made sure that everyone I know, and everyone I meet, knows that I am an ebay expert. I still push my website (I pay alot less in fees there!) but I also let people know that I am an ebayer and proud of it.
Since embracing my ebay-ness I have gotten several very profitable consignment projects. I have also gotten a couple of special offers from my suppliers who were trying to improve their ebay presence.
Make sure to keep your business card handy over the holiday.
Lets say you meet someone at a Holiday party this weekend. You mention how you are an ebay expert. You get into a conversation about how great ebay is and how you can sell anything on ebay. Your new-found-friend just so happens to have inherited a complete collection of vintage widgets. How very fortunate for you!

Wish Lists - Using ebay express to boost your sales

The other day my cousin was asking me what it was like on ebay at Christmas time. She has seen all the commercials pushing ebay buyers and sellers, and of course, everyone knows that this is the season for retail.
One of the things she asked was if I had my site set up with a wish list. Hmmm. No.
Why don't I have a wish list?
She said that she keeps her "wants" in Amazon simply because she may find something that she wants but may not necessarily have the money at that time and wants to remember it for when she is ready to purchase.
I took the opportunity to pick her brain about it a little. She was mainly talking about books and CDs (neither of which are my niche) so I asked her about when she actually came back and made the purchase, was it on Amazon? or did she just use their site to keep notes and then shopped around elsewhere? She said that most of the time she didn't bother looking around because "the prices are just about the same everywhere and why should I bother?".
WOW. What a great tool. How can I put this to use in my shop? I started researching. For my website I'd have to switch web hosts which is something that I will be doing after the new year anyway, so I'll add it to my list of things that are 'must haves' when I shop for new software.
but Ebay... they are the tricky one. They are pretty strict about links that you add into your listings so using a third party is pretty much a no-go.
But what about one of Ebay's own?
Guess What!?!? Ebay Express ALREADY HAS a WISH LIST!
Most sellers I've talked to think that EE is a flop and has not really brought enough business to the table to even worry with it. I feel the same. I was actually quoted in the Wall Street Journal back in '06 about how it really did nothing for the seller other than contribute to the rise of our listing fees.
Right now, for a change, I am actually excited about Ebay Express. I may change my mind next week, but I'm going to push this wish list idea and see how it goes. It is not costing me anything other than a little time in order to educate my customers on how to use it.
First off I went and used it myself and set up a wish list of my own. Then I set up a newsletter about it, teaching my customers how to use it too. Or a the very least, letting them know it exists!
My products are not really 'gift' type products and are mainly things that people will buy for themselves and being that my target market is late 20s early 30s, I went with the angle of planning ahead for what to spend Christmas money on.
I'll keep ya'll updated on whether or not it makes an impact

Here is how to use it:

• Direct your customers to www.ebayexpress.com
• If they click the Wish List at the top right side of the page to get to the Wish List main page they will have an opportunity to search other ebayer's Wish Lists too! (you can check mine out if you want... my ebay id is shelley-faye) this is a great too to let your customers know about.
• Any item that you bring up in EE has an opportunity to 'Add to Cart' or 'Add to Wish List'
• This is the url you'll need to send your customers directly to YOUR items on EE: http://search.express.ebay.com/merchant/your-user-id

Growing Pains - Ebay business stepping up to the next level?

I am so overwhelmed right now. I am at the point with my ebay business that I need to get some help. The problem is that I want to make the right choice that is going to help most down the line, but in order to do that I need time to research. Time! The whole REASON that I need more help is that I don't have much time. Frustrating.
Up until now I have been running this whole operation solo with some sporadic help from my assistant (aka: my sister). It seems as though I have been calling on her more and I'm always behind schedule, so I need to get something permanent.
Ok, so, what do I choose? hire a shipper? Invest in more dynamic software? both?
I started this business with only $300 so I have been bare bones boot-strapping the whole time. Everything I have done, I've done on the cheap. I hate to dig into my profit margin for anything but am excited about taking off some of my workload.
My first step is to automate with software for now and reconsider hiring a shipper after the new year. So, I've spent so much time researching the software that is available for ebay sellers. This is an important step because I really don't want to invest time and money into something that I will outgrow in just a few months and then have to do it all over again. So, I've made a list of things that I am looking for in my software choice:

• web-based (I work in my studio/stockroom on a desktop at night but during the day when I am doing double-duty as a mom I work on my laptop so I need to be able to access from both)
• able to integrate with ebay.....duh!
• able to integrate with paypal
• able to print packing slips/invoices all at one time
• template with bulk editing
• cheap (because I'm thrifty....or a tightwad.....call it what you will)

Do you have any suggestions or advice?

html tips for ebay sellers. All you need to know about html code

When I first started really getting into ebay I decided that I was going to teach myself html. I purchased a couple of books on the subject and practiced and read and practiced some more. Then I realized that learning code is completely unnecessary. Well, if your business is designing templates or websites or something like that, it might be necessary for you, but for the rest of us....not necessary.
There are just too many programs and free websites out there at our disposal that write the code for us. If you just type in "WYSIWYG html free" in google and it will come up with 593,000 results!
WYSIWYG is the key. This means "what you see is what you get". Even ebay's SYI form is WYSIWYG. You may even have an html editor on your computer already. I did and didn't even realize it. Microsoft frontpage is part of some MS Office bundles and it is an html editor.
So, once you've found your editor all you need to do is grab your code.
Easy. Highlight your code then click the control button and C at the same time. Then go to wherever you want your code to be placed and click control and V at the same time.
tip: Make sure that wherever you are placing it is in the mode that accepts html and not in the wysiwyg mode.
If you have a code that you like and will use over and over, copy it into a notepad file. I'm pretty sure that all computers have notepad (It is under the accessories tab in 'programs'). Notepad is perfect for saving html files because it is simple and doesn't try to reconfigure the code to save it.
Honestly, that really is all you need to know about html! Copy, Paste and save in notepad.
And then, if for some reason you mess up your code and can't fix it, go to the html discussion board on ebay. All the experts hang out there and if you ask nicely they will fix your code for you..... no charge.
So you see, the key here is to let someone (or something) do the work for you. You have other things to worry about.

Becoming an Affiliate to supplement your ebay income

I keep a personal blog, mostly to post pictures of my kid for her grandparents and relatives around the world. But what I didn't realize until just recently is that I was actually making money on it and didn't even know!
I got a check in the mail for $45.00 out of nowhere. At first I thought it was junkmail or some sort of offer, you know the ones that have "by signing this check you are agreeing to a contract", but then I realized that it was really MY money and that I had actually earned it with virtually no effort. When I started that blog two years ago, I signed up for adsense ads by google to be posted at the top of my blog. I set it up through blogger (my blog host) and forgot all about it. The ads are pretty small and since we are so used to seeing ads everywhere, I never thought about it again.
Ok, so taking almost 2 years to earn $45 is kinda crapy, but really, what did I actually do for that money? Nothing I wouldn't have done otherwise besides that initial set up.

What exactly are affiliates? It is simple. Companies are paying you to bring customers to their site. You do their ad work for them. This is not an easy get-rich-quick thing like some people might think. If you want to make real money at this you will have to work to find creative ways to get people to click (and buy) from the advertisers that you are promoting. This takes work. No company is ever going to just give you money for nothing. You have to bring them customers in order to get paid.

As I'm sure you have already noticed, I have ads here on my blog, I'll show you how I did that so you can do it too.
My brother is of the opinion that I shouldn't put up ads because he thinks I'm "selling out" but I figure... what is the harm? You, as my readers, don't HAVE to click them. Geez, you don't even HAVE to read this!
Here is the thing though, if I am telling you about something that is truely useful and I would have told you about it anyway, why shouldn't I get a cut for sending you to that site? right? I would have sent you there anyway, at least this way I might make a buck or two for my time.
Like Skype
for instance. Ebay has made it possible to add skype chat or skype calling right from your ebay listing. This is a nifty little tool and something that I signed up for right away. I feel that the quicker I can answer my buyers questions the more likely I am to keep them buying from me rather than my competition. So, if I am going to be writing about Skype
here anyway, and sending folks to go sign up, wouldn't it be cool to get a couple of cents for each person that I get to sign up? I thought so too. (click here to read my blog post on how to add it to your listings)

Here is what I did to become an affiliate:
1. I signed up for adsense. If you already have a google account, this will be easy. They will generate "content relative" links for you. This is the one that you just post once and don't have to do anything else with. Probably the easiest but pretty limited in what you can do. You can't put it in an email and you can only insert a limited number of links. This one has nothing to do with ebay but if you keep a blog or have a website, this is an easy way to make a little extra with virtually no work. They offer a google searchbox that you can add to your website and this has been the biggest payout from google for me personally. I've got a button on this blog that will take you right to adsense to sign up, however, according to google's rules, I'm not allowed to point you in the direction of clicking it. I just have to hope that you'll find it on your own.

2. I signed up for commission junction. Here is the site http://www.cj.com/. They are the ones who gave me all these colorful ads that you see to the right. They are also the ones that I have made the most money from.

3. Started putting links everywhere that is allowed. Then hope that people click.

Ok, so how you go about posting ads is completely up to you and your business strategy. You may not want to "sell out" like my brother says, but at the very least you should be earning money off ebay by becoming an affiliate. Ebay spends BIG bucks on advertising and when you advertise YOUR ebay auctions on your blog, website or wherever (outside of ebay) you could actually make money from ebay as well as making the sale!

Here is how to do it:
1. Sign up for cj
2. click 'get link'
3. in the search box type in 'ebay'
4. you will get results for all things ebay. Find the one that is just ebay (not stores, proshops, etc.) and click 'view links'
5. you will get a pop up describing the details of their advertising payouts. Then click to apply to the program.
6. Now, once you are approved you can view the links. If you scroll here there are many options of things that you can paste on your websites and all over. These are cool and if you are going to "sell out" than copy and paste away. You would use this same process for any other company that you want to advertise for.
7. Now, get out of there and go to http://affiliates.ebay.com/ns/Tools.htm and play around with the options there. You'll need your PID (The Publisher Identification #) handy. If you read my earlier blog post about using ebaytogo you'll see that you can create that same widget from this site instead AND get paid if someone buys!

For an example click here to see my myspace page (and while you are there, add me as a friend!). See that ebay-to-go widget there? If someone were to click that widget then go to ebay and make a purchase within 30 days I would get paid for it! If it is someone who has never used ebay before and I'm the one that got them hooked, I get $25!

See what I mean about advertising anyway? You are already doing it, or should be, so even if it is just a buck or two a week....it all adds up so go sign up now!

*Important note: Do not put the ebaytogo affiliate widget (or any other affiliate link) on your ebay pages, this is NOT allowed!

10 things you need to know about Dropshipping before you list on ebay

Many new sellers or people who want to become sellers hear about drop shipping and think it is the key to making quick money on ebay. Well the truth is, it isn't that simple. There are ways to make money with dropshippers and many people do. But it isn't as simple as the advertisers make you believe.
Here are a few things you need to think about if you are considering dropshipping.
1. Know the company that you are working with. Learn as much about them as you can. Any company worth their salt will give you their information without blinking an eye.
Ebay requires that you indicate where the item will be shipped from so you will, at the very least, need the zip code of their warehouse. Call their support phone number and see how easy it is to get someone on the phone. Do anything you can do to get to know them. They are going to become your business partner. You wouldn't go into business with a person you didn't know without checking them out first, treat a dropshipper the same way.
2. How often do they ship? Ebay customers, just the same as any other buyer in the world, want to have their item as quickly as possible. You, as the ebay seller, need to know how long it will usually take so that you can write an informed listing or answer questions from potential buyers. If a buyer wants to purchase something from you and needs it in two weeks, they need to be able to calculate whether or not they would have time to purchase from you. If you aren't able to answer that question than you should not use that dropshipper. And, "ships right away" is not good enough. You need to know if "right away" is a matter of hours or a matter of days.
3. How does payment work? and are you set up for it? Most dropshippers will require you to pay for items prior to having them sent out. Do you have a credit card with consistently enough credit available to handle the volume you plan to do? Remember that paypal takes a few days to be able to transfer the money from paypal to your bank account, are you prepared to cover those few days? It would be unreasonable to expect your customer to wait during that time.
4. Returns. There will be returns from time to time and if the company you are working with doesn't allow for returns will you pick up the slack? Even if you state that 'all sales are final' in your listing, paypal can make you take a return in certain cases. Be prepared for those.
5. Quality. Do you know the quality of the product(s) that you are going to be selling? One picture of the item is not enough. You'll need to be able to write a complete description too. The size, weight and feel. If possible, get samples. You may have to buy them but would be worth it in the long run. Customers on the internet are dependant on you to describe to them what they are getting and if you are unable to do that, you won't make as much money as you could.
6. Quantity. Will you have access to the inventory numbers? If you list 100 items and sell 60, will they be able to fulfill the order? It would not be fun to have to go in an refund 40 of your 60 sales! And, even though paypal would refund the fees, it would be a real hassle to get back your ebay final value fees. Also, think of the impact that would have on your feedback! Some buyers would understand when you tell them that it is out of stock while others will leave you a negative. So, if half of those 40 we talked about, left you a negative, what would your score look like? And, more than likely it would get you kicked off ebay, or at least suspended. If you do have access to inventory levels you should check them daily.
7. Competition. This one should be a factor in all selling on ebay, not just with dropshippers. Research your competition and what kind of numbers they are actually pulling. Look at how many of this item are already listed, how many actually sell and at what price. There are many research tools out there and too many to go into here, that is for anyother blog entry. The important thing is that you do your research.
8. Know how the item will be sent. The best would obviously be with a tracking number and insured. If you want to every have repeat customers you need to make sure that the dropshipping company puts your name or company name on the label and not theirs. This may sound minor, but it is important.
You are the seller so if the buyer is unhappy or the item never arrives, or arrives broken, YOU are still responsible!
And, do they do international sales? if so, what are their policies and timeframes?
9. Don't get caught up with scams. If someone is asking you for money before ever giving you anything than more than likely it is a scam. If you think it may be legit than call them up, go in person to their offices, or ask to speak to a rep, don't just hand over your money. There are many many websites that promise lists of dropshippers for a fee. Please be aware of what you are getting before you ever hand over your money. Is a list of dropshippers what you need? You may be able to find this on your own using a search engine and a little extra time.
10. Start out slow. If you have done all of your homework and you are convinced that you will be able to make money using this company, start out slow. Don't go in and invest a ton of money designing a website and printing up business cards just yet. Start out with a dozen listings or so but no more. Sell those items, fulfil those orders and tweak whatever needs to be tweaked in your system. Then, as your feedback builds, start adding more listings a little at a time. I hear horror stories about companies that came through perfectly on the first transactions and then closed up shop leaving the ebay seller with hundreds of orders and no way to fulfill them. If things are going to go bad, it would always be better to only have a hand full of problems. Make sure that whatever you do, you do it small enough that you can recover if things go bad.
Good Luck.

Funny people on ebay Buyers AND Sellers

I use ebay to earn an income, as well as shop, and even to play. So, there are some funny things going on at that site too.
I was selling a pair of gloves. Long black gloves mainly for novelty purposes. I received a question from a potential buyer. She wanted to know if such long black gloves would look great while smoking a long cigarette. She inquired about weather or not they would inhibit the hold of a long stem. Huh? And this email was about a paragraph long and very very serious too!
Of course, I checked out her buying/selling history through her feedback and then I checked out her store. She sold empty cigarette boxes! Not even old vintage ones that might be considered collectible or maybe someone needs them to decorate the set of a play or something. These were just the ones that she had emptied. I guess you could call it recycling?
So, on that line of thinking I discovered that ebay has built a place for this:
Weird Stuff
Slightly Unusual
Really Weird
Totally Bizarre
I'm not difference between Really Weird and Totally Bizarre or the difference between Weird Stuff and Slightly Unusual either. Maybe ebay's attempt to get sellers to purchase the extra category listing?
Anyway... it is an interesting way to waste some time.