I cannot touch it so make it easier for me to buy!
I have been looking at a few items on eBay recently. The majority of the sellers only offered the gallery photo with poor descriptions.
How as a buyer will this help you to make your decision to purchase? Sellers need to provide detailed descriptions, measurements in metric and imperial and photos of EVERY angle and close-up detail.
Just stop and think when you go shopping in a store. You pick up the item and look at it, don't you? Making your listings the next best thing to being able to touch it, WILL increase your sales.
Most likely your digital camera takes video, so video your product, upload to YouTube and add the video to your listing - now that is so buyer friendly!
Classic example. I recently purchased a White MSi Wind netbook sight unseen. This was a $600 AUD purchase, something I have never done before as I do like to touch a computer before buying. So what what me buy online without touching? Here is a video of a typical unboxing:
Of course unboxing may not appropriate for you, however, I am sure you can be clever with how you demonstrate your products.
So you tell me EXACTLY how much it should be???? Fed up with you PEOPLE who think i SET the prices of POSTAGE, take it up with WWW.AUSTRALIAPOST.COM.AU it is $4 it's COST will be $2.75 I supply Envelope time fuel, i bet you are one of these idiots who wants shops to sell to you for COST don't bother trying to bid you will be BLOCKED
- *angelus.*
My query was the postage price as the soft cover book is A5 size and not thick. Rather than explaining to me why she set it at this price, I received the above, aggressive response. The seller does combine ship and sells other cooking books. This was her opportunity to up sell but instead she decided to personally attack me.
Example of a more suitable response: I understand the $4 price seems a lot however I am covering my processing costs. If you purchase a second book of the same size I am more than happy to include it in the same package without extra cost to you. I hope you can understand my position.
This seller even has her mobile cell phone number in her listings - not a clever move when you start insulting people.
There are three other eBayers selling the same book so I will purchase from one of them instead.
It is up to you as a seller to make the most of every sale. Straight after the sale or when the auction has ended, contact your buyer and start cross-selling. Send them links to other items you have for sale and tell them you WILL combine ship or better still, create a special listing just for them and offer a discount on your current prices as a sign of goodwill and to reward for purchasing more than once.
Examples:
Digital camera - offer a memory card, batteries, mini-tripod, case, digital photography books Ladies leather shoes - offer shoe inserts, leather cleaner or a clear shoe box Notebook computer - carry bag, screen cleaner, memory card, software, wifi mouse Jewelry - jewelry cleaning solution, jewelry box, matching item to what they purchased
Get what I mean? Think what else may be needed by your customers and instead of them going elsewhere to buy, remind them you sell these items and if you do not, start thinking how you can bring new products into your range to help increase the average customer spend rate!
Classic example. Years ago when I would sew for my children, I do not know how many times I forgot to get the matching thread and buttons etc. All the sales person had to do was remind me of all the extras and within an instant, I purchased more items.
It is not hard to do and with Christmas only 309 days away [sorry had to say that!!], you have plenty of time to get your product mix spot on so you can expand your sales for 2009 - no doom and gloom for you this year!
After you make your purchase, you will be sent your design brief to ensure I create a design concept to meet your needs and to advertise your products to their optimum.
Microsoft today launched a release candidate of Internet Explorer 8, the latest update to its browser ahead of a full release later this year.
The new version of the the browser, IE8 Release Candidate 1, runs on Windows XP, Vista, Server 2003 and Server 2008, and can be downloaded via this link.
It is feature complete, that is, they are not going to change it very much before the final version is released.
IE8 is another step forward for Microsoft, building on the good developments that were included in IE7. However if you already use Mozilla Firefox or Apple Safari, some the new features will not seem that innovative. But overall the package is good with better speed, improved security and a couple of interesting new features including Accelerators and Webslices.
You buy Easter eggs, the supermarkets will keep stocking them!
My Christmas tree is still up and I still have some ham on the bone left and yes, I can now buy Easter eggs in the supermarket. AND ...... any day now hot cross buns will hit the shelves!
Woolworth's boffin said you will start seeing more eggs from today onwards.
So why so soon? Because of demand, that is why. You buy early, they stock early - that simple.
I remember year after year, leading up to Christmas, box after box of wrapping paper in front of all the checkouts - too many to ever be purchased by December 24 and so at the post-Christmas sales, you purchased [in bulk] next year's supply at a discounted price. The retailers [finally] wised up to this and now stocks are less for pre-Christmas which means you are lucky to see any wrapping paper at reduced prices after Christmas..... supply and demand!
I recently became aware of an eBay [would-be] seller wanting to take over someone's eBay ID PLUS required a Photoshop expert to alter utility bills for PayPal verification. This guy even gave his domain name so I reported the matter to PayPal. Here is the reply from PayPal:
We are unable to proceed with your query as we do not have sufficient information. Please provide us with additional information such as:
* Email address registered on your PayPal account. * Transaction ID, date, amount or email address the transaction was sent to. * Case number (if any). * What issue are you experiencing? * Are you receiving an error message? (If so, please include the full error message.) * What steps are being taken when you are encountering the issue? * Suspicious email received? Forward the entire email to spoof@paypal.com.
We appreciate your assistance in resolving your question.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us again.
Sincerely, Leica PayPal, an eBay Company
TYPICAL! What else would you expect from PayPal, is it any wonder fraud is growing.
Instead the PayPal response should have thanked me for taking the time to report and inform me they would be investigating this matter further with the website where the request was posted, rather than asking be all those stupid questions which had absolutely nothing to do with the report itself.
NOTE TO PAYPAL: Stop the cutting and pasting of canned responses and START READING what is sent to you. ... I am certain many readers of this post will be agreeing that we are really tired of eBay and PayPal's replies that do not address the questions we send to them.
Daily I read of people wanting to take over eBay IDs or to set them up on their behalf. I even read of a person wanting people to buy from his FAKE listings for the feedback.
I know it is difficult for new eBay sellers to get started with limited feedback, but 'buyer beware' is all I can say when you read the feedback. Again I state, email a few of the buyers and ask if they are satisfied with their purchase. Fake feedback posters will not bother replying to you.
Direct marketing to remind your customers about your items for sale!
If you have an eBay store, eBay allows you to send FREE emails direct to your subscribers EVERY SIX DAYS! You can even use your own layout and graphics in the email to match your store branding, as long as eBay hosts all the images.
Most store owners spend little consideration on building up their newsletter subscribers and so are missing out on vital marketing opportunities.
Make your buyers aware you do have a newsletter and give them incentives to sign up such as special offers to newsletter only subscribers, new releases and items ending soon
Add a point of interest graphic to all your listings about your newsletter
Learn how to send out newsletters effectively - not just the green tag email which is the default option provided to you
BE CREATIVE TO GRAB ATTENTION - your opening headline should be doing this CREATE INTEREST IN WHAT YOU ARE SELLING - good looking product images will help CREATE THE DESIRE TO PURCHASE - tell the buyer how good they will look or feel purchasing your product FINALLY, CALL TO ACTION - 'limited time, buy now!' creates a matter of urgency to purchase
Recently a news report on TV showed a family who had their notebook computer stolen. It had EVERY photo and video of their daughter on it. What was so sad was that she has leukaemia and so many photos were of her before she got sick. The parents had not archived or printed anything!
Make a note to yourself NOW to back-up your hard drive data, emails, Internet bookmarks and favorites and of course all your images and movies! NO EXCUSES!!!!!!!!!
TIP: Sign-up with Snapfish and get 20 free prints.
I wish all my blog readers and customers good things for 2009. I think we all are glad to see the end of 2008!
) 
Get what I mean? Think what else may be needed by your customers and instead of them going elsewhere to buy, remind them you sell these items and if you do not, start thinking how you can bring new products into your range to help increase the average customer spend rate!
