Online Auction Sellers - Seize Control Of Your Business!
As the online auction model of business continues to evolve toward a more commoditized, corporate marketplace, it is time for online auction sellers to seize control of their business, before it's too late. In this article we will highlight some effective steps you can take to shift control back to your own business. Why is it so important to seize control? There are three Mega-trends that have the potential to hurt online auction sellers: Increased expenses across all services that cater to online auction sellers. eBay recently increased their fees, Yahoo Auctions recently began charging fees for listing auctions with them. The U.S. Postal Service recently raised their postage rates. Auction Management services are increasing their fees. Free photo-hosting services now charge fees to host photos on their sites. Payment processing services have also increased their fees. It is a post dot-com-bust reality that most services that used to be free, aren't anymore. Everywhere you look, expenses are going up. Taken cumulatively, they can eat away profits that used to be there. This fact alone is reason enough to consider developing your own online presence - apart from the online auctions.Restrictive policies by eBay. The online auction community is in an uproar over eBay's recent strengthening of their linking policies. These rules essentially eliminate a seller's ability to advertise their site and / or develop clickthrough traffic from eBay. The links rules were only a precursor to the new "eBay Stores", eBay's way of providing idealistic havens of e-commerce for their community. The new eBay Stores allow eBay sellers to set up online storefronts, which of course, have their own fee schedule! These storefronts have opened to mixed reviews. There really is no comparison between having an eBay Store and having your own online storefront. An eBay Store is like having a shop open inside of a gated community. The only traffic you're likely to get is from other eBay members. Having your own website with an online store is like opening up shop on Main Street. You have all the traffic you are able to create and more important, you have freedom to decide exactly how you run your business. You see, in the gated community there are a lot of rules, rules designed to benefit the community at large.Corporate and institutional involvement in online auctions. This is a growing trend. Many large corporations are taking advantage of the eBay auction concept to liquidate unwanted or overrun merchandise to the masses. Even the U.S. Postal Service is involved in eBay auctions! They use eBay to liquidate items that were undeliverable or lost in the mail. Police departments are selling off seized goods on eBay. Corporations are getting on the eBay bandwagon and creating a hyper-competitive environment for some of the "smaller sellers". Basic economics dictates that the greater the supply of goods, the lower the price of those goods.This triple whammy of higher expenses, a restrictive selling environment and increased competition will have the effect of squeezing sellers out, unless they take action to prevent their demise. What are some steps you can take to avoid being an Online auction casualty? Begin today to "think outside the auction box". That is, develop an attitude that the online auction goldmine might end tomorrow, so you are going to take the right steps TODAY to secure your future. This is especially important for those sellers who depend 100% on their online auction income!Begin today to make plans for developing your online presence, away from the online auctions. Developing your own website is only the first step towards online success. Getting traffic to your site is really the key that many people ignore, to their dismay. Developing traffic takes time and knowledge.Build, manage and maintain a customer list. Every marketing expert worth his or her salt will tell you that your customer list is EVERYTHING. Maintaining your customer list and staying in contact with your customers is one way to explode your sales. (even if you are selling items not related to what your customer initially purchased!) So much of selling has to do with breaking down that trust barrier. Once you've established a successful relationship with a customer, most of your battle is won. The worst thing to do would be to drop the ball and not re-contact that customer in careful, but constant ways, always affirming the original purchase and informing them of new opportunities.Find the tools necessary to take your business to the next level. This step will take some research, but it will be well worth it. Today, you can find software that will dramatically simplify your life, from autoresponders (automated e-mail response) to bulk e-mail programs (that help you do a mass e-mail to your customer list) to search engine submission programs. (that help you increase your positioning on the search engines) If you are in any type of business that requires continuous education of your customers, a Newsletter program (which not only mails out your Newsletter, but handles unsubscribes automatically) would be a great benefit. Having a Newsletter is one of the best ways to stay in constant contact with your customers and keep them informed about new trends in your industry and new products that have debuted.Learn. learn and learn some more! When I first got online a few years ago, I was intimidated by everything Internet. I knew I wanted to bring my collectible toys business to eBay and I had some theoretical knowledge about it, but had never done it before. As I threw myself into books and websites related to what I needed to know, I came to a very profound discovery. It's all there! Everything you could ever want to know about making your business successful on the Internet is available all over the Internet! Some of the information was free, some of the information cost money and some of it was downright expensive! But one thing was always true - it was all there. Even more important, I found out that there are all kinds of people that are willing to help you with any type of problem or roadblock you may face, you'll find them in the appropriate Message Boards. Everything you need to know to become successful is there, waiting to be discovered!You will only lose at your online business if you fail to take the steps of - learning
- testing
- implementing and
- improving
As the three Mega-trends of increasing costs, restrictive policies and corporate involvement in online auctions continue to invade the once-safe world of the online auction seller, the people that take the steps outlined above will be the winners in the online business world. About The Author David Espino is the author of "Beyond eBay - How to build a Home Based Internet business and make more money, working from home" To receive a FREE sample from this breakthrough book, click here: www.HomeBasedBusinessowner.com Email: dave@HomeBasedBusinessowner.com

Other Article Sites
findabook.com moneycd.info a-mortgage.info
about-lemon-laws.info aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info auctions-articles.info bestcollege-university.com bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com blogger-website.com books-used.info brokers-guide.info buywindows.info cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com carpel-tunnel.info cashinaflash.info cashloanreviews.info casinobell.com chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info collegeloantips.info crones.info depression-articles.info
dirnic.net dishguides.info
divers-below.com expodog.info
financewizz.com fire-insurance.info getgood.info handleit.net
it-idea.info
health-supplies.info hosting-right.com insidealert.com insurance-facts.info jobs-employment.info
justgood.info lookgold.net
lowcost-travel.info money-source.info myhostzone.info numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info pr-articles.info realeas.com
refinancing-guides.info spyware-remove.info
telelot.info the-law.info
toppaid.info travel-deals.info travelcorrect.com wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info your-credit.info
|
 |
 |
 |
MORE ARTICLES:
Making Time For Your Family and a New Internet Home Business
Starting your own internet home business can be a very fulfilling experience. It offers many new and exciting challenges, with the hopes of providing financial security for you and your family.
Family Travel at its Finest - European Villa Rentals Perfect for the Whole Family
Parents can easily find family friendly villa rentals in Europe with Rentvillas.com.
Families Mourning Children Travel to Nashville for July Compassionate Friends National Conference
The Compassionate Friends self-help support organization for families going through the natural grieving process following the death of a child is hosting its 31st national conference July 18-20 in Nashville, Tennessee. More than 1300 parents, siblings, and grandparents, as well as professionals who provide support, are expected to attend the conference. Highlights include well-known speakers, more than 100 workshops covering most aspects of grief following the death, a pre-conference Professional Outreach Day, and the Walk to Remember Sunday July 20 at 8 a.m. This conference is annually the largest in the United States aimed specifically for those left behind following the death of a child.
Children's Home Society & Family Services Receives Reaccreditation to Once Again Facilitate Adoptions in Russia
Children's Home Society & Family Services, a Minnesota-based international adoption service provider, announced today it has been re-accredited by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation to facilitate adoptions in that country.
Work At Home Internet Home Business Opportunity
There are various opportunities for work at home Internet home business opportunities on the Internet Because of the Internet, there are many opportunities for people to be able to take care of their families and work from home and as well
Internet Home Based Business : Legitimate Work at Home Jobs Opportunities and Advantages
There are many advantages involved in choosing an internet home based business as your primary or secondary source of income Use these benefits to find a legitimate work at home jobs that suits your needs and desires
The Best Internet Connection For A Top Home Internet Business
When it comes to working at your home business one of the most important things you will need is internet access Having a fast and relatively error free Internet connection is imperative for a person to be successful in working at home
Internet Based Business: How Single Parents Could Earn Extra Income For The Entire Family
Are you a single parent who has been trying to support your children on a single income? If you have been having so much trouble making both ends meet with your present income, you might want to earn some extra money by setting up an internet based business. A big family with children can be very expensive and you definitely will need to earn some extra money to keep everyone comfortable. Having some extra money could really do wonders for you and your small children so you better start exploring other means of getting extra money for your children through an internet based business.
Family Circus - Make Time For Family With An Internet Business
Sometimes, it seems like you don?t have a full 24 hours in a day. Between work, family, and sleep, there is no time for anything else. You never seem to have five minutes to relax, and on days when work requires overtime, you lose time with your family. In fact, it seems you never spend quality time with your children anymore. One way to get your life back under your control and manage time better is to start your own internet business. With an online business opportunity, you can decrease your work hours overall, as well as become more flexible and available for your family.
Sales of Children's Travel Bed Soar as Summer Travel Hits
Gentle Air has seen an increase in summer travel sales due to hotels at popular summer attractions charging high prices for rollaway beds and cots.
Low-Income Families in Portland Will Soon Have Free Broadband Internet at Home
Cricket Will Provide Free High-Speed Wireless Internet to 100 Portland Families in Pilot Program with One Economy
Work From Home - Online Resource Center for Home Based Online Jobs and Internet Based Business
Welcome to Work from Home?s ?an online guide and resource website to help you Start and grow your Home based Job and Business. Please note that we are only offering information on Work from Home Jobs and Business opportunities. We are not offering you a job or a business tie-up. Please read through the website as you will find valuable information and resources to start and grow your home based business. www.homebasedonlinejobs.com
Home Internet Business Opportunities: Reinvent Your Family
Think about your daily job, daily responsibilities, time spent at meetings, driving your kids to this activity and that sporting event, meal planning and preparation, house cleaning, on and on with our grossly busy lives, and what time is left for our family? Do you really think that 9-5 JOB is the answer to all of our hopes and dreams? Do you really think it was our personal goal to spend the majority of our lives at work? When was the last time you saw your son/daughter play in that school volleyball game or run in their cross country meet? Isn?t it time to put your family first?
Internet Marketing Business - Your Home Based Internet Marketing Business and the Freedom Attached with it
There are various reasons why there are many individuals who want to start their own home-based Internet marketing business. Some are saying that the amount of money that they are earning from Internet marketing is higher compared to their monthly salary from their regular work. It even comes to a point that they are earning money similar to or more than the salary of their managers and department heads! This is relatively true, since there are Internet marketers who are earning as much as a hundred thousands of dollars within a month.
Online Magazine is Home to the Best Travel Writing on the Internet
For the second year in a row, SoGoNow.com is the home to the best travel article written for the internet as judged by the North American Travel Journalist's Association.
|