International Shipping Webinar Planned

One area that I get many questions about is international shipping. Shipping to other areas of the world could be lucrative for eBay sellers. You would be surprised at the items many sellers are shipping to buyers in other countries around the world. If you are looking to take your eBay business to the next level and have not reached out to buyers in other countries, you may want to look into it.
On top of reading my articles about international shipping, you may want to register for this webinar. DYMO Endicia and Forrester Research are teaming up to offer the FREE webinar. “Demystifying International Shipping – From Australia to Zimbabwe” will be presented on Tuesday, December 26 at 1pm EST/10am PST.
The webinar, presented by Zia Daniell Wigder, will cover these topics:

Typical challenges and solutions to selling internationally

How to simplify international shipping

The pros and cons of international transactional websites

To register for the webinar, please click here. Related links:

eBay International Shipping Tutorial
 
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Does a Red Background on an Auction Bring Higher Bids?

I have always heard that the color red has a psychological effect on a buyer. This is the reasoning behind sale and clearance signs in a store having a red hue. Maybe there is some truth in that since we really love to scout during sales and in the clearance sections.


Does this thinking hold true with online auctions? I recently read an article from ScienceDaily.com that says auctions with red backgrounds get higher bids. The article covered a study by two authors. Rajesh Bagchi of Virginia Tech and Amar Cheema of the University of Virginia wrote this statement in their study that was published in the Journal of Consumer Research: "Red background color induces aggression through a feeling of arousal and it increases aggression relative to blue or gray backgrounds. This causes individuals to make higher bids in auctions but lower offers in negotiations."




Now I am curious! I would like to hear from any of you who may have tried this in your auctions and if you think it made a difference. Feel free to post your comments below.




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How to Market Your eBay Store/Listings

Jenn Cangelosi of Boutique Bargains brings us today's posting:

It takes time to become established on eBay as a reputable seller, but begin with a plan and that time can be shortened. Here are a few marketing ideas to help you get started.

Get the word out - Start with word of mouth or viral marketing. Tell everyone you know about your new eBay business venture. Send out emails with links included to your auctions so they know what it is your are selling.

Use your email - Now there is another use for your email. Set up a signature that goes out with every email you send. Include a link to your auction listings or eBay store, with a short tagline like "Come and see what is new on eBay!"

Get some business cards - Vista print is a great place to order some inexpensive business cards. Include your business card with every package you ship. If you sell electronic informational products like eBooks, just include a business card box on the last page of the product.

Ask for customer feedback - After an item is shipped send an email thanking the customer for their purchase and ask them to leave you positive feedback. Most people will leave feedback, but the email is a good customer service and reminds them to leave the feedback.

Reward repeat buyers - Offer a coupon or other promotion to repeat buyers. Offering them an incentive helps ensure that they will buy from you again. The most popular incentive is a shipping discount on multiple items purchased.

Add something extra - Everyone loves getting something extra for free. For example: you sell a girls dress, add a cute matching bow or inexpensive jewelry. If possible include an item with your web address or logo.

Combine these ideas to start your marketing plan. There are numerous other marketing strategies that you can implement, especially if you have a separate website. Try several different marketing strategies until you find the ones that work best for you.

Jenn, thank you for the tips! They are great ideas to include in marketing your eBay or Amazon business!


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eBay Marketing Calendar: June 2012

Today, we welcome back Chris Taylor of Page Mage with tips to market more successfully for June:

One of the keys to becoming a successful eBay merchant is marketing the products at the right time. June brings us a variety of events that eBay merchants should leverage to help bring in money from those impulse buys. What makes this selling strategy even more successful is how heavily these events are pushed by other businesses. Essentially they are doing your marketing for you.

Are you ready?

Father’s Day – June 17th 
Searched for on Google over 100,000 times each month, Father’s Day is a great holiday that every eBay seller should be looking forward towards. Few people know exactly what to get their Dad for Father’s Day, so take advantage of that by offering a large variety of options for them.

From ties to golf clubs, cigars to gag gifts, there are endless opportunities for you to sell off your men’s inventory during the Father’s Day rush.

First Day of Summer – June 20th
Summer break, vacations, hot weather and lots of time by the pool are all on the minds of eBay buyers starting as early as April. This is a great time to break out summer-themed listings such as barbeque equipment, pool toys, summer clothing and anything that would help entertain kids during the long summer months for parents.

NHL and NBA Playoff Finals
With the NHL and NBA seasons wrapping up in April, we’re now on to the championship rounds for both leagues. With only two teams remaining in each league, team memorabilia will be at its highest for all four franchises. From new fans to old, everyone will be looking to get their hands on just about anything with their team’s logo on it.

Consider increasing your inventories of autographed memorabilia, decorations and of course, clothing for each of the remaining franchises. You may even see the other franchises in both leagues selling well as fans of their sport prepare for a long summer until the next season begins.

Graduations
High School graduations, a memorable event years in the making. Parents, friends and family members will be looking for the perfect gift to send to their graduate as they prepare for college and/or the working world. Stock up on graduation party items, themed-gifts and basically anything with an inspirational quote on it.

Making Your Listing Stand Out
Don’t forget about the importance of making your listing stand out from the competition. Other eBay sellers will be trying to capitalize on these seasonal events as well, and you can enhance your listing by using a custom eBay listing template. A custom template will help give you the professional and trusted appearance buyers are looking for when spending money online.

Want more ideas on what you to sell this month? Checkout the eBay Retail Marketing Calendar from Page Mage to see a complete list of monthly events and trends that you should be leveraging.

Chris Taylor is VP of Marketing at Page Mage. Page Mage, a recipient of eBay's 2011 Ecosystem Champion Award, offers Billboards, a "Top 10 Most Popular" application for free custom eBay listing templates for eBay sellers looking to stand out from the competition.

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