secrets of ebay millionaires

If you are going to start selling on eBay, you are going to need to know your S**T. At a first glance it doesn’t seem like it costs to much to list something on eBay until you start to add it all up. I will be going through the various eBay listing fees and give you some ideas to chew on next time you are creating your auctions.

Subtitles: To have a subtitle under your main title costs an extra $0.50. At first you might think - “hey, good idea…I can get more information right out in front of the buyers!” But did you realize that your subtitle is NOT searchable when someone does a basic search? The ONLY time subtitles are searchable is when someone clicks the box “Search Titles and Descriptions”. From watching average eBay buyers (aka my aunts and assorted friends) I can tell you that I have never seen one of them tick the “Search Titles and Descriptions” box until I pointed out to them how using it would increase their search results. I love how eBay twists the description of subtitles to make it seem like they are such a big benefit. They say “Subtitles are searchable as part of item description, but not item title searches.” It is worded in such a way to make you think using it will increase exposure. So, am I saying subtitles are a waste of money?

No, sometimes they are worth it. Are you selling a big lot with mixed brands and/or items? Then I can see the use of the subtitle being a good idea. Just keep your big keywords (better brands, sizes, etc) in the title and put your supporting information in the subtitle.

Duration: Listings running 1 to 7 days do not incur a duration fee. Running an auction for 10 days will cost you an extra $0.40. If you have an item you think will benefit from a 10 day auction you may be willing to pay this fee. Personally I do not run 10 day auctions. but only because I do not look at or even bid on anything that isn’t closing within 24 hours. It is just a matter of personal preference.

Starting Price: The price you start your item at determines how much your insertion fee will be. This is a place where you can definitely save yourself some money. Do you have an item you know will sell and will sell at a high price? Then there really is no reason to start the bidding at a high dollar amount. Doing so will cost you an increased insertion fee. Let’s say I have a NWT pair of Ralph Lauren pants that I know will sell for a least $20.00, possibly more. What price would you start them at? I see people start similar auctions for around $14.99; that equals a $0.60 insertion fee. I would start the auction at $9.99 and only pay a $0.40 insertion fee. I know the product is going to sell for more than the opening bid so I save myself $0.20 by starting it lower. If you are thinking to yourself “big deal, it is just a quarter”. Well multiply that twenty cents by 40 listings. Now you have saved yourself $8.00 in insertion fees! Pay attention to where the insertion fee break points are and try to put your starting price in the lowest acceptable bracket so you can save yourself some money each month on those insertion fees.

Reserve Price: The fee for using a reserve varies and is refundable if your item sells. How it works is if you start an auction at $9.99 and set a reserve of $19.99 you will pay an insertion fee of $.40 AND you will pay an extra $1.00 for using the Reserve option! There are two sides to using a Reserve. If the item sells you get that extra $1.00 back. If the item doesn’t sell…well then you are out a buck. For most items I do not see the point in using a reserve. But when it comes to high ticket items like computers, electronics, collectables, etc using a Reserve may be a good idea. Starting the bidding low gets the item looked at and churns up interest. Having the Reserve in place gives you a safety net so your item won’t sell at a lowball price.

Buy It Now: The BIN option is a cheap little way to get something sold quickly. I love BIN and for just a nickel it is well worth it. But use it only if you know your merchandise.

You don’t want to put up the latest hot item that everyone in the world wants with a BIN. You want people to bid and you want the price to climb and climb! Use BINs on items where you know you will get what you are asking for and you are not short changing yourself in the process.

eBay Picture Services: Well for obvious reasons I think using eBay’s picture hosting services is the biggest rip-off there is. Your first picture is free and after that they charge you $0.15 per photo in your listings! Let’s run a bit of math here so you can see how eBay really sticks it to you when you host pictures with them. For example we will say a seller runs 10 auctions a week and in each auction they put in 3 photos. Their first photo is free; photos 2 & 3 cost them $0.15 a pop or $0.30 a listing. Here is our math: 10 auctions multiplied by $0.30 for the extra photos is $3.00 a week in fees. Each month our seller is forking out $12.00 to eBay just to put 2 extra photos in each of their auctions!! Ok, time for some shameless self-promotion: do you realize that by using an hosting service you can get MORE photos in each of your auction listings and pay LESS money each month!

Listing Designer: I love eBay’s promotional line on the listing designer “Add an attractive theme and layout for $0.10″. Um, attractive is not the word I would use for them - and yes, I know I am biased. Let’s use our pretend seller again who lists 10 items per week. They will be forking out an extra $4.00 a month in fees for the Listing Designer on top of that $12.00 a month in photo fees. Why would a seller want to pay eBay $16.00 a month to have so-so templates and only 3 photos in each listing? Whatever option you choose is up to you, just don’t waste the money on the Listing Designer ok, it is hooey!

Gallery: I go back and forth on the gallery feature. It is only a $.35 but that can add up. Here is my philosophy on when to use it and when to skip it. Are you selling something that everyone who would be interested in buying it already knows what it looks like? Then what is the point in using the Gallery? Are you selling something unique? Here is a good time to use the gallery. The title may not be enough to draw a person in to read your listing. Having that gallery picture there becomes a big asset.

Gallery Featured: This little puppy will cost you $19.95 so you had better be darn sure you are going to make a good profit on your auction. Are you selling a really big lot and it is going to go for some big money - Gallery Featured is going to get it noticed by a lot more buyers if they do a view by gallery.

Bold: To be honest I can’t think of one good reason to use the bold feature. You want to waste a buck? Here is the place to do it.

Highlight: If I offend someone by saying this I am sorry; $5.00 to highlight a listing title!! Insanity! What totally kills me is how eBay feels that this is a fair price to charge! Stop one second and think back to the last time you did a search on eBay. Did you notice any highlighted listings? Nope, me either. If they were there they sure didn’t stand out.

Featured Plus: My opinions on Featured Plus are somewhat similar as they are for Gallery Featured. It will cost you $19.95 but if you are selling a really large lot that is going to go for some big money or are selling a unique and desirable item it may be worth it. The benefit of Featured Plus is it is going to be at the top of the page when people view by category or do a search.

Home Page Featured: I don’t see the value in Home Page featured. I never look at the items on eBay’s home page. I either go to a category or do a search. The few times I have looked at the Home Page Featured Listings they have been for wacky stuff like “Fat Burner Pills” or “Natural Viagra”.

Gift Services: You too can pay a quarter to have a little gift icon next to your listings! Ok, sarcasm off. For most sellers this isn’t necessary and is a waste of money. Do you sell jewelry, collectibles, etc? Then using this feature near a gift giving holiday may be worth the quarter. My thinking is if someone is coming to eBay to buy a gift it doesn’t matter two hoots to them if an item has a gift icon next to it or not. It’s not like they are going to say; “Gee, I would really like to buy that charm bracelet for Mary’s birthday but there isn’t a gift icon next to it so I will have to pass”. So there are the types of fees you can incur when creating your listing and some stuff to think about next time you put something up for auction. Remember, you sell on eBay to make money for YOUR bank account not for eBay’s. Choose your features wisely and use only those that makes sense for the item you are listing. If you are not careful you will find you have “fee’d” yourself to death and have not made a decent profit - or worse yet you haven’t made one at all!

“Auction Listing Templates” three little words that will scare the crap out of the most seasoned eBayer. What are “Auction Listing Templates” ? They are to put it simply window dressing. They are the little extras that make your listing stand out from the rest.

To be honest a listing template is just a simple one page website. The problem is most eBayers are not web designers, they are everyday people like you and me. Ebay has seen the problem and added something called “Listing Designer” that offers some basic window dressing for a price.

I came accross this site www.biggerbids.com that provides auction templates of good quality and image hosting for FREE. There is also a paid service.

If you want to make money online with eBay, consider opening an eBay Store. According to a 2005 eBay survey, 75% of store sellers experienced an increase in sales after opening an eBay Store!

Here’s how it works. You pay a monthly fee to “rent” your own dedicated web space on eBay — so the focus is on YOU and your products. Organize all your items into searchable categories. And watch your sales flood in. Ca-ching!

You don’t have to be a PowerSeller or be super-advanced to open a store, either. To qualify, all you need is a feedback score of 20, OR be ID verified (eBay.com), OR just have a PayPal account in good standing.

Here are some quick tips on how to make money online with eBay stores:

Display and organize all your items in one place. Customers can browse through all your listings without being distracted by your competitors’ listings… which translates to more sales!

Get a unique URL so you can promote your store on and OFF eBay.

Personalize your web space with your own logo and store name.

List your items for 30 days at a time for one low insertion price. 

Get free sales and traffic reports so you can fine-tune your sales process.

Send email promotions to newsletter subscribers or people who marked you as a favorite seller.

Subscribe to Selling Manager Pro and automate many of the repetitive tasks that take up so much time.

There are three levels of eBay stores, each offering more opportunities for personalization. If you’re just getting started, the basic level (at $15.95) per month is probably all you’ll need.

One drawback to owning a store is that your inventory items don’t show up in the regular listings unless there are fewer than 30 regular listings for that item. So you need to keep listing using the auction or fixed-price format to attract traffic to your store.

Nonetheless, eBay Stores are probably the best way to get exposure on eBay and gain valuable repeat customers.

Of course, opening an eBay Store is just one way you can increase your sales and make money online with eBay. If you’d like to learn ALL the top tips on how to make money online with eBay — using the same strategies PowerSellers are using to earn MILLIONS of dollars per year with their eBay businesses

People are flocking to the internet by the millions, seeking a way to make money online. Some are only looking to make extra money to help pay bills, provide for their children’s college, or supplement their retirement. Many are seeking to make enough money to quit their job and make a fulltime living from home.

While all these goals are certainly achievable online, you need to know the facts about making money online. Without knowing the facts, you will be victim to the myths and lies that are prevalent in this industry.

The Facts:

If you are new to internet marketing, full of hope and excitement, you may not want to hear this, but 95% of all internet marketers fail. Is it really that hard to make money online? No, but it’s not that easy either. The good news is that you can be part of the 5% that are successful.

But you need to know why 95% fail, and more importantly, you need to know what the other 5% do differently to succeed.

So why do 95% fail? Well, there are many reasons people fail online, but here are the top 3 in my mind:

Ignorance: People simply have no clue how to make money online. There is a huge learning curve in this industry.

Can you imagine what would happen if hospitals recruited surgeons off the street without experience? What would the mortality rate be? At least 95%! Starting an online business without knowing what you are doing is the same thing. Ok, so nobody looses their life from a failed business. But you could easily loose your life savings. You should make educating yourself in this industry one of your top priorities.

Lack of Driving Desire: Many people dream of the financial freedom they can have through their own online business.

But few are ready to make the commitment necessary to realize their dream. This business takes work. It is an emotional rollercoaster full of ups and downs. If you don’t have a real burning desire to drive you through the obstacles and challenges, you will not make it. Rate your desire to succeed from 1 to 10. If you’re not at least an 11, forget it.

Now I’m not trying to frighten you out of your dream, but you need to be honest with yourself. This is a great business. It not only rewards you with financial freedom, it really develops you personally as well. The best reward this business gives is the person you become in the process.

But you have got to want it so badly that you will do whatever it takes to succeed.

Disillusionment: People fail when their unrealistic expectations are not met. They become disillusioned and quit. In fact, the only way you will ultimately fail is to quit.

As long as you keep learning and applying what you learn, you can ultimately succeed. This is the key to success in any endeavor. But the minute you quit, you fail. So don’t quit.

Now let’s talk about what it takes to have a successful home business online?

Essentials for Success:

Education: I know I already mentioned this, but it is that important. Building an online business without knowing what you are doing is like performing surgery on yourself.

You’re going to get hurt. I’m not saying you can’t do anything until you learn everything. In fact, a big part of your ongoing education will come from doing.

Simply invest time and money in your education as you go.

If you are going to use traffic exchanges, learn about how to use them effectively. If you are setting up an auto responder, read what you can about auto responders and how to write an effective series. And if you are going to use Google AdWords, you had better learn how first.

Don’t deprive your education because you don’t want to pay for a book, course, guide, or whatever. If you learn just one thing from a course that helps make you money, then that one thing will be worth far more over time than the cost of the course. One of my favorite sayings goes, “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance”.

Mindset: Your thoughts are real things, and they are powerful! But they can destroy you just as easily as they can serve you. Invest in a copy of Napoleon Hill’s best seller, Think and Grow Rich. Read it. Successful People are always reading.

You need to learn to control your thoughts and emotions in this business. You need to be positive. You will face many disappointments and challenges on the road to success. It really matters whether you believe you can succeed or not.

Because whichever way you believe, you’re right.

Never blame someone else or some program for your lack of success. Take ownership of your success. Your success is entirely dependent upon you.

A Hot Product or Service: This may seem obvious, but if you are going to be successful, you need a product or service people actually want. It needs to be something of real value. Stay away from fads that only last a short while.

You don’t need your own product or service. You can sell someone else as an affiliate. Or you can build a business reselling digital products. Whichever way you go, it’s important to due your due diligence. Research the demand for your product/service.

A Target Market: This goes hand in hand with a hot product/service. If there is a demand for what you are selling, then there is a market. But who is your market.

Who would want your product? It is important to identify or “target” your market as precisely as possible. Otherwise, you will waste valuable resources marketing to people with absolutely no interest in your product or service. Don’t try to sell steak to a vegetarian.

Define your market by asking questions. Some questions to ask are: What’s their gender? How old are they? What do they do for a living? How much money do they make? Where in the world do they live? Define your customers as completely as you can.

Lights a cigarette…. Puff

Myths:

Get Rich Quick: Many people think that they are going to get rich quick online. It takes the average person 3 to 4 years before they start to make any real money online.

Do you have to spend 3 to 4 years to make real money online?

No, you can do it much quicker if you know how. It’s just that it takes the average person 3 to 4 years to learn how.

It also takes time to develop a large network of contacts and steady traffic to your website.

The simple truth is that building a long lasting, profitable business online takes time and effort.

You Have to be a Computer Geek: You don’t have to be a computer geek.

However, you should have basic computer skills. I would also suggest investing a little time in learning HTML. What is HTML? HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the language that browsers read.

Websites and many emails are written in HTML. You don’t have to master HTML, but a basic understanding is very helpful.

You Have to Invest a lot of Money: You don’t need a lot of money to get started. You do of course need a computer and an internet connection.

But beyond the hardware, you can start for next to nothing. However, to reach your goals you will need to invest more money.

The key is to focus on your plan and stay in your budget. Expand your budget as you begin to earn some money. Reinvest everything you earn at first. This way you can start a business on a shoestring budget and use your earnings to build it big.

Lights a cigarette…. Puff

Lies:

Money Without Work: There is no such thing. Even a crook has to work to rob you. Here’s a very true saying: “The only place you can find money before work is in the dictionary.” An honest business requires an honest effort.

Scams: There are all kinds of scams out there that prey upon the desperate, ignorant, and greedy. It is important to do the proper due diligence before joining any money making program or service. Here are a few tips to help you spot and avoid these internet lowlifes:

One thing that should get your B.S. alarm ringing is outrageous claims.

We all know that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Yet we still fall for wild promises. If someone tells you that for a price you can make $10,000 in a month, RUN. If they guarantee it, RUN FASTER. Evaluate claims with your own good sense, and don’t let greed get the better of you.

Another sure sign of a scam is if there is no real product or service of value.

Whenever you talk about multi-level marketing, someone always asks the question: “Isn’t that a pyramid scheme?” The truth is, almost all effective organizations, whether business or government, are pyramid shaped. This is so for the same reason wheels tend to be round. It really is the most efficient structure.

What makes a pyramid scheme a scam, is that there is nothing of real value flowing down the pyramid, only money flowing up. Everyone at the top makes money, everyone else pays for it. I only deal with programs that offer a product or service that I find valuable.

Check their customer service. Send an e-mail, or call them. If you get no response, run and never look back. Even if you get a response, what kind of response was it? Was it timely? Did it answer your question adequately, or did it just refer you to a FAQs page? The hallmark of an honest, well run business is great customer service.

Check their reputation. Check with the Better Business Bureau, and see if there have been any complaints filed against them. Also checkout what the forums have to say about them. You can do a search on the program to find posts that mention the program in question.

You need to use a little discernment here. Remember, 95% of all online marketers fail. They fail because of laziness or lack of knowledge. When they fail, many of them blame the program and blast it in the forums. So if one or two people cry scam, it may just be a case of sour grapes.

Well I hope this is of help to you in your quest for success. Remember, anyone can be successful online, if they will follow 8 simple rules:

1. Study to learn everything you can about this business.
2. Apply what you learn.
3. Set realistic long and short term goals.
4. Make a plan to achieve those goals.
5. Work hard towards executing your plan.
6. Stay positive.
7. Be consistent.
8. Don’t Give Up.

See you on the beach!

Lights a cigarette…. Puff

eBay Subscriber Graber

This report is perfect for any person in any niche in any part of the world. If you’re looking to rapidly build a listing using eBay, this report is exactly what you need. It’s fast, effective, and 100% ethical.

What I’m going to explain is a simple method that you can use to build a massive list using eBay and $0.01 auctions.

I have not seen this exact method used by any other eBay marketer nor have I seen any other reports on it. It’s unique and elegant.

There are a few things to get out of the way first then we’ll dig into the method. I’ll assume that you know how to set up an eBay auction.

1. I’m also going to assume that you have an auto responder ready. In particular, you should have an opt-in form ready to go.

2. Finally, I’m going to assume that you know how to set up a web page, download links, and related internet basics.

How the Method Works: Step-By-Step

What you’re going to do first is set up one or more $0.01 auctions. Obviously the more auctions you run, the more sales you will have, and the more opportunities you will have to capture email addresses.

Next, after the buyer makes a purchase, you are going to provide that buyer with a link to a page. Do not send the buyer the $0.01 product by email and do not provide the buyer with a direct link to the $0.01 product download.

You’re going to send the buyer to a page that has two simple options. The first option is an invitation to join your list (opt-in list) and the second option is a link to the “download page” although it isn’t really a download page.

To encourage the buyer to opt-in, be sure to provide an incentive. Offer one bonus and of course, mention that they will get their $0.01 product as well. If the buyer opts in immediately, give that buyer the $0.01 product but also three bonuses. In other words, give them the bonus you promised but also two more bonuses. In total, they will get the $0.01 product plus three bonuses.

If they buyer does not opt in, then they will be forced to click the second link to the “download page” mentioned above. What you do now is hit them up with another one time offer. You will offer up all three bonuses mentioned above. In essence, this is a second one time offer. It’s very much like a last chance offer. If the buyer opts in, you give them all three bonuses as promised as well as the $0.01 product. Of course, they will also have the option to simply download the $0.01 product.

WHY THE METHOD IS SO POWERFUL

Most marketers realize that the One Time Offer is powerful. The magic of the Simple eBay List Building Method is that you’re hitting the buyer with TWO One Time Offers. If they choose to opt in the first time, they get unexpected bonuses and you over deliver. If they choose in to opt in the second time, you know they are hungry for more and it doesn’t cost you anything extra. Your three bonuses are already set up to go in either case.

But there are at least two more reasons the Simple eBay List Building Method is so powerful. It is completely ethical and above board. You’re not forcing users to opt in to get the $0.01 download. This gives buyers a sense of relief. At the same time, it builds excitement. To get more, they do nothing but opt in to your list. They get a total of four products for just $0.01 - that’s pretty hard to beat.

The cost to you, of course, is next to nothing. Giving out one product or four products is really not much different; it’s really not a big deal. It isn’t hard to find low cost or free products to give away.

The other big reason that the Simple eBay List Building Method is so powerful is that it does help weed out a bunch of people who would opt out shortly after they are forced to opt in. Allow me to explain…

If you force your buyers to opt in to get a product, this generates ill will. No one likes to be forced to give away their email address, even for a penny. It’s human psychology at work. However, people are more than willing to give away their email address for a freebie. The Simple eBay List Building Method is so powerful because you have not one, but TWO opportunities to hit up a buyer with potential freebies.

In short, you’re building a better list and you’re creating a positive exchange with your customer base and list members. You have to love the power of using TWO One Time Offers!

Bonus: Using The 10,000% Choice

This is a simple and fun way to get people to make the choice you want them to make. It also gives them the illusion of control over the decision to be made. Here’s how it works…

After a person buys a $0.01 product from you on eBay, send them a link to a decision page. On the decision page you give the buyer two simple choices. You have two choices…

1. Sign up for the newsletter and download your $0.01 report instantly. If you do this, I’ll also give you a FREE report. I highly recommend that you make this choice!

2. If you don’t want to sign up for the newsletter then simply request a refund. In fact, I’ll give $1 back if you DON’T sign up for the newsletter. That’s a 10,000% return on your $0.01 investment. But, it means you won’t get the $0.01 report, you won’t get the bonus, and you won’t get the newsletter.

Why The 10,000% Choice Is So Powerful

First, this “obvious” choice makes the buyer feel empowered. They feel like they are in control of the situation. Either choice will feel like a good choice. They either get a bonus or $1 falls out of the sky.

Second, even in the worst case scenario, you’re only losing $1. This won’t happen very often but when it does, it’ll have little impact on your PayPal account.

Third, this is definitely a very cheap way to build your list. If they opt in, the only costs are the eBay auction fees. Of course this assumes you have a couple of free bonus reports available to give away.

Fourth, it’s ethical because you’re rewarding the buyer in both scenarios. In fact, even if they make a choice against your wish (i.e., they don’t opt in to your list), they are still benefiting. Yet the cost to you is negligible. There’s no blackmail. In fact, it’s a game