Monthly Archive for January, 2007

One of the most effective means for sellers to manipulate auction display on eBay, namely auction extensions, is apparently no longer going to be allowed. I say apparently since there has been no formal announcement from eBay. However, according to Scott Wingo’s eBay Strategies Blog, both manual and automatic extensions are now considered a form of fee avoidance. Listen in as I explain what you missed, why you missed it and how you’re going to miss it.

The London Sunday Times is trumpeting a startling headline:

“CUSTOMERS of the internet auction site eBay are being defrauded by unscrupulous dealers who secretly bid up the price of items on sale to boost profits.”

The dogged reporter who revealed this amazing bit of news is rumored to be working on an equally amazing story regarding heliocentrism and the sound of one hand clapping.

According to Slashdot, the growing popularity of Massively Multiplayer games has brought the issue of ownership rights in virtual worlds, and the appropriateness of what is called ‘real money transfer’ (RMT) into an increasingly public light. So much so that eBay is in the process of ending all auctions dealing with such “virtual property”. Confused? It is actually a quite fascinating glimpse into not only virtual worlds but also the very real idea of virtual economies. Meanwhile, rumors are surfacing that in the near future, Google’s Earth might just offer an alternative reality.
A listener writes in asking whether or not to go with eBay’s keyword suggestions for his eBay Store…its a great question and one whose answer has implications for wherever you are selling on-line.

Ever wonder what the thinking is behind those notorious Penney auctions on eBay? Listen in as I walk you through my purchase of one such auction and the “secret” information revealed.

A wholesale site for purchasing reasonable quantities from China…and one at least that appears legit….Color schemes for your auction templates might just be what you need…Revisiting Jane’s Wholesale, still alive and kicking…a one-stop site for everything related to cameras and photography, including how to take the best pics of the trickiest surfaces.

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Links from this week’s show:

Power Press Web Site Marketing Strategy - Normally $37.97, you can receive $10 Off ($27.97) by entering “lonelyboy” (omit the ” “) in the Promo Code box.

eBay Nixes Auction Extensions - Scott Wingo’s explains the why a clever, effective and long established means of working eBay auction’s display is now “fee avoidance”.

London Time’s “Revelation” of eBay Shill Bidding - Traditional media scoops the on-line world.

eBay Delisting All Auctions of Virtual Property - There goes the virtual neighborhood.

Fleamarket Guide - Where to go to scratch the itch.

CK South - Everything for the art and business of cake decorating and candy making.

Lovli Community Art Market - Community of people who make art, crafts and handmade products. Well done site.

DHGate Chinese Wholesale Site - “all of your favorite brands, from every small sparkle thing”…sounds like the real thing.

Color Schemes Site/Tool - Trust me, many of your auction templates could use a little more color coordination.

Jane’s Wholesale - Wholesale listings, escrow service.

Camera Jim’s Guide to Auction Photography - Good all around site for tips and recommendations.

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Well, I’ve finally finished my edit of “The Power Press Web Site Marketing Strategy” and I’m happy to announce it’s finally ready.

And as a way of saying thanks, I’d like to extend a special offer to my listeners and readers.

Normally $37.97, you can receive $10 Off ($27.97) by entering “lonelyboy” (omit the ” “) in the Promo Code box. Just follow this Link and enter the code in the appropriate box. You can also click on the banner on the right side of this page.
I hope you enjoy and the book and that you find it an effective tool…Your Weapon of Choice.

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Last week Amazon launched Endless.com. This week eBay buys StubHub…one company demonstrating imagination, moxie and insight into its brand while the other goes the route of checkbook expansion.

UC Berkeley study confirms what eBay cannot admit; that feedback manipulation is active, blatant and threatens the system.

PayPal announces password key “fobs” to strengthen security.

Customers (like you) demand flexible return policies…are you listening?

An interview with e-Junkie.com’s chief designer, Robin Kohli, on the power and profitability of digital sales.

As I predicted, shopping comparison sites post reduced usage this past holiday season…it seems they aren’t very social.

Internet sales pro, Perry Marshal, has some very good advice for eBay sales copy.

New eBay auction watch gadget for Google Desktop sidebar, anonymous e-Mail service, how to be a curious photographer, hotel surplus and sites for selling vintage records and coins.

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Links from this week’s show:

UC Berkeley Finds Feedback Manipulation on eBay - Scholars discover the obvious.

PayPal to Offer Password Key Fobs to Users - Security, thy name is Fob.

Survey Reveals that Customers Want Flexible Return Policies - Many Happy Returns.

On-Line Sales up 26%; Shopping Comparison Sites Suffer - Good article on many aspects of consumer behavior.

e-Junkie - Inexpensive digital product delivery site…Google Base and eBay integration.

Perry Marshall - On-Line marketing advice and tools from a legitimate expert.

eBay Sellers Auction Watch for Google Desktop - Easy to use tool for keeping up with the action.

How to Be a Curious Photographer - Good site for tips and tools regarding digital photography.

2Prong - Anonymous e-mail site.

Hotel Surplus - 4 & 5 star hotel furnishings liquidator.

Teletrade - Currency and coin auction site. Free price histories.

Naucks Vintage Records - International auction site for rare 78 rpms.

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Amazon’s announcement of its new shoe and handbag site, Endless.com, is about much more than shoes. Listen in as I examine what I believe the real story is and what it means for on-line selling in general.

Launched by an award winning veteran of Electronic Arts, the new auction site zeeDive debuts with a very interesting and entertaining approach to auction selling. Listen in as I interview zeeDive CEO Eric Metens.

Speaking of Amazon, a simple affiliate site shows us that there is a very powerful way of driving traffic that is almost impossible to resist.

Have you considered placing an RSS feed of your eBay Store or Overstock auctions in the most obvious place of all? Probably not..

Free SEO Tools offers a great FireFox extension that gives you everything you need right where you need it most when searching your competition.

Google has liberated their KeyWord tool so that its now easier than ever for anyone to fine tune not only their web site but also their auction titles….and if you’re not using it, you’re missing out on a lot of free traffic for your auctions.

Collaborating your marketing efforts using a common web site is one way for you and like-minded sellers to compete more effectively on-line….and there’s a site that proves an excellent example of how it might work.

A site featuring eBay top sellers by feedback & category is, of course, tempting…but if you understand what you’re seeing and what it means, then there are tools to make that information pay.

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Links from this week’s show:

Amazon’s Clone: Endless.com - Bigger News than what you’ve read so far.

zeeDive - A new auction site that entertains buyers with some imaginative programming.

SEOBook / FireFox Extension - Import useful marketing data right into Google and Yahoo search results.

Brand-Name-Coupons.com - Average name but an excellent strategy for compelling searches to look..find deals searching Amazon.com for % off deals (90%, 80%,etc.).

Google’s External Keyword Tool - Keyword popularity, search volume, etc. that you should use before you title your listing.

1stDibs.com - Good example of how a gateway site could be used by several sellers to economize on marketing and traffic generation.

eBay Top Seller List - Who has the highest feedback overall? What about in my specific category? Who are the Top 25 Sellers, based on feedback? Where do I stand? Who is growing the most rapidly?

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Fed-up with all of the changes on eBay and Overstock? Do you think that there ought to be a place where the listings are free and the traffic deep? Then you need to take a minute and venture into the wild and woolly environs of Craigslist.

Selling Gold and Silver bullion…maybe you’ve got the Midas Touch and don’t even know it.

Can you sell your eBay ID? Well, yes and no…but there is one way that will probably work.

101 Easy ways to use Google’s new Website Optimizer.

Valentines Day…big bucks, lots of pressure; just like Christmas if you know how to tap into the fever.

An eBay member’s Dada-esque feedback that, while it lasted, was a thing of beauty.

Thanks to a heads-up from a listener, MSN’s $200 worth of free advertising can still be yours.

Tired of refreshing that web-page or auction? I feel your pain. Here’s a website that will ease your burden.

eBay’s China retrenchment was something I predicted…and there are lessons here for all of us when it comes to truly listening to the market.

You too can now be an expert for journalists to quote..Why not start your own think-tank? A major press release site will get you up and running in no time.

Make your blog pay while you’re marketing your auctions…a new one-step service for affiliate sales.

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Links from this week’s show:

How to Post a Craigslist Ad - Step-by-step explanation.

Tips on Craigslist Ads - The tricks of the trading along with a glimpse into some veteran insight.

Craigslist Flags - The Unofficial Rules.

How to Sell Gold and Silver on eBay - Interesting proposition as well as where to buy your “inventory”

101 Ways to Use Google’s New Website Optimizer - After Google Base and Analytics, an advanced course in fine-tuning your web store.

Valentine’s Day Market Facts - Get with the season.

eBay Feedback that Trips the Light Fantastic - One seller’s all too brief campaign against insipid FB.

MSN’s $200 Free Ad Program - Call 1-800-518-5689 to be sure you get credited.

Refresh Thing - Automatically refreshes eBay and TicketMaster pages.

Former FBI Agent on the Trail of Counterfeiters - The guy Louis Vuitton, Nike, etc. use to track down the bad guys.

ProfNet - PRWeb’s free service where you can sign up to be an expert.

BlogKits - Easy one-stop method for monetizing your blog.

Unwantd - British swap/sell site.

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