32domain names
buying and selling of, 61registrars of, 182–183selecting, 185
donating inventory, 65–66DotMed.com, 88drop-off stores, 219–221drop-shippers, 247–248dynamic websites, 208–209
EachNet, 254Earthlink, 182Easy CGI, 186eBay, 11–26, 273
About Me page on, 23–25auction formats on, 76best price offers on, 53book sales on, 68buyer focus on, 62–63buyer-seller ratio on, 13changes on, 12–13communicating among members of, 262–265cross-selling feature of, 18–19as customer acquisition tool, 62EachNet on, 254Editor Kit on, 195, 207–208feedback system of, 22–23global sites on, 255–256importing feedback rating from, 48
................. 15844$
INDX
03-27-06 08:29:01
PS
PAGE 290
I ND EX
291
market pull of, 28Merchant Kit on, 207mining information from, 159–160niche alternatives to, 17, 90, 91pitfalls of selling beyond, 25–26Power Seller suspensions on, 245problems with, 11–16profit margins on, 27–30reasons for selling beyond, 3–5Reseller Marketplace on, 245, 254and sales system creation, 20–22seller’s fees on, 13–14as solid business foundation, 18–20, 25upselling with, 19, 20Web page creation with, 189, 190Wholesale Lots category of, 63, 250see also expanding beyond eBay
eBay Business the Smart Way (Joseph T. Sinclair), 7eBay drop-off stores, 219–221eBay motors, 55eBay ProStores, 121–122, 279eBay Radio, 248, 249eBay Stores, 13–14, 16, 18, 54, 279eBay the Smart Way (Joseph T. Sinclair), 26eBid, 273e-commerce add-on, 114EC Online, 87The Economist, 123eLance Online, 189e-mail
automated, 158closeout alerts via, 65marketing via, 19–21on Yahoo!, 112
employees, dealing with, 227ePier, 273ePier Advanced Stores, 279–280Epinions.com, 77Escrow!, 257Escrow.com, 171, 257Eurobid.com, 259eWanted.com, 78Exel-i, Inc., 3–4, 29–30, 34–35expanding beyond eBay, 27–37auction sites for, 271–275basic knowledge for, 31, 32chances of success in, 30–31by diversifying product line, 31, 32identifying new markets for, 34–37for increased profit margins, 27–30pitfalls of, 25–26top ten tips for, 285–288and tracking of fees/costs/losses, 32–34transition in, see transitioning to new venuesyour own website as heart of, 70–71
Express Drop, 220, 221, 224, 225EZ2Stream.com, 78
FaithBid, 273farmauctionguide.com, 237Federation of Exchange Accommodators, 81, 82FeeBay, 62feedback, 8
from auction service providers, 158on buyers, 60citing, on your website, 22–23eBay, 22–23feedback rating, 42on Amazon, 166on BizRate, 46citing, 45from Mr. Grabber, 48on Overstock.com, 154–155
fees
for credit card merchants, 172for niche sites, 92tracking, 32–34see also specific websites
file transfer protocol (FTP), 200, 201financial instruments, 75–76financing, 31firearms sales, 96–981st American Credit Card Service, 172, 173Flea Market Guide, 234flea markets, 233–235Fleet Vehicle Record System, 80fly-by-nights, 77fonts, 199forms, creating, 114–115fraud, credit card, 173–174Free Web Site Hosting, 184Friedman, Drew, 244Froogle, 54–55, 115–121, 271FTP, see file transfer protocolFultz, Michael, 91
Gariss, Jonathan, 263gender ratios of sites, 144–145Geocities, see Yahoo! GeocitiesGlobalMedia, 265Global Media Direct, 130–131Global Sources Ltd., 254goals, 6, 193GoAntiques, 266–267, 280GoECart, 209Golfballs.com, 79Goodwill, 249Google
Froogle utility of, 54–55, 115–121, 271listing yourself on, 210–211placement on searches of, 15sponsored ads on, 212government sales, 74–75growth rate, managing, 34GunBroker.com, 94, 96–98
................. 15844$
INDX
03-27-06 08:29:01
PS
PAGE 291
292
I ND EX
Harmon, Kevin, 228Hawksley, Tom, 140–142, 164heavy equipment sales, 79–87
inspections for, 80marketplaces for, 83–87photos in, 80–82refurbishing items for, 83tax advantages in, 81, 82title in, 82–83Hersh, Adam, 187Hewlett-Packard, 63high-value asset/equipment sales, 79–89of lab and medical equipment, 87–88of vehicles/heavy equipment, 79–87
home pages, 44, 194hosts
free and almost-free, 184full-time, 183–185Internet Service Providers as, 181–184for online storefronts, 277–283part-time, 186
household goods sales, 101HTML, see hypertext markup languageHuizenga, Ben, 95hypertext markup language (HTML), 195, 197, 212
ICANN (Internet Consortium for Assigned Names and
Numbers), 183
ICVerify, 174Iloxx Safe Trade, 257images
of heavy equipment, 80–82hosting, 158for Overstock.com, 146–149video, 78for website, 194, 199, 200
industry directories, 88Inflatable Madness, 228Infopia, 12, 165, 275InkFrog, 35, 165Internet Auction List, 237Internet Consortium for Assigned Names and Numbers
(ICANN), 183InternetRetailer.com, 27Internet Service Providers (ISPs), 181–184, 206inventory
for brick-and-mortar stores, 222–223donating, 65–66liquidating, see liquidating inventorywith multiple sales venues, 51–52new sources of, see sources of merchandisetracking, 164see also merchandise
Inventory Loader (Amazon), 136–137iOffer, 58–61, 273blog on, 60discussion groups on, 263
growth of, 4Mr. Grabber tool on, 48–51relisting merchandise on, 48versions of, 58
iOffer Lite, 58iOffer Stores, 280IP address, 185IronPlanet, 4, 17, 80, 82–84, 273ISPs, see Internet Service Providers
Just Beads, 17, 93, 96, 273Just Glass, 269Just Glass Mall, 280–281
Kelley Blue Book, 55–56, 271keyword advertising, 210keywords, 8, 210, 212Kijiji.com, 260K-Jon Software LLC site, 80Kovel, Ralph, 55Kovel, Terry, 55Kovels, 55, 271
lab equipment sales, 87–88LabX, 17, 87–88, 274LaptopBroker, 29, 35lead time, 32LendingTree, 78Levitt, Debbie
on finding a designer, 188sites designed by, 187licensed auctioneers, 222Link Checker/Link Checker Pro, 204links, 201, 203–206, 210liquidating inventory
by donating nonmoving merchandise, 65–66with e-mail closeout alerts, 65and reducing markdowns, 66–69of seized property, 74–75using liquidation marketplaces, 62–65see also Overstock.com
Liquidation.com, 64–65, 169, 274Liquidity Services, Inc., 62Lisa’s World of Health & Wellness Industry Directory, 88ListBot (FrontPage), 115live auctions, 76–77LiveDeal.com, 99–102, 274local buyer sales, 99–107
Craigslist for, 99, 101–103LiveDeal.com for, 99–102newspaper classified ads for, 105–107Yahoo! Classifieds for, 104–105
local regulations, 221logo design, 189loss leaders, 32, 52Lost Golf Balls Retail, 188Loudfrog, 281
................. 15844$
INDX
03-27-06 08:29:02
PS
PAGE 292
I ND EX
293
MacDonald-Korth, Holly, on Overstock’s female skew, 145Macromedia Dreamweaver, 197malls, stores in, 217–219manufacturer’s statement (certificate) of origin, 83markdowns, reducing, 66–69marketing
e-mail, 19–21and identifying new markets, 34–37of your website, 209–213marketplace managers, 163–165Marketworks, 12, 164, 166, 275, 281Mayer, Amy, 224, 225McCullough, Jeff, 20MC Electronics, 41–46McManus, Jeffrey, 13Means, Betsey, 182medical equipment, 83, 87–88MEDmarketplace, 88MercadoLibre, 255merchandise
complementary, 265–266new sources of, 241–250relisting, 47–48size of venues for, 92–93sources of, 223transferring listings of, 48–51valuing, 53–61videos of, 78at wholesale prices, 61see also inventory; specific types of merchandise
Microsoft FrontPage, 114–115, 197Microsoft Small Business Center, 114–117midwesternauctions.com, 237MightyBids.com, 274Moneybookers.com, 257money orders, 177Monier, Louis, 13Monsoon, 166Mozilla, 197Mr. Grabber, 48–51multichannel selling, 26multiple locations, 6
National Advertising Network, 106National Association for the Exchange of Industrial Re-
sources, 66
National Fraud Information Center, 152Navarro, Ellen, 224, 225navigational aids, 71, 195Netscape Communicator, 197Network Solutions, 182, 186New Holland Sales Stables, Inc., 233Newmark, Craig, 101new markets, identifying, 34–37newsgroups, 35newspaper classified ads, 105–107niche, 7–8
niche auction sites, 17, 90–98
examples of, 94–98learning curve for using, 93–94reasons for moving to, 90–93
nonpaying bidders (NPBs), 14Noujeim, Roger, on Point2Technologies, 80NPBs (nonpaying bidders), 14
OBGYN.net Vendor Database, 88offline sales
through brick-and-mortar stores, 217–229through flea markets, 233–235through real-world auctions, 235–237through trade shows, 230–233
online storefronts
with Amazon.com, 125–126, 143with eBay ProStores, 121–122with Froogle, 115–121handling payments with, 168–177hosts for, 277–283with Microsoft Small Business Center, 114–117operational partners for, 157–167with Overstock.com, 144–156with Yahoo!, 111–114Openair-Market.net, 234open-mindedness, 8overseas buyers, 251–260
through Alibaba, 252–254auction service provider help with, 164through bidorbuy, 258–259in China, 251–254through DeRemate.com, 259through eBay’s EachNet, 254through eBay’s global sites, 255–256through eBay’s Reseller Marketplace, 254through Eurobid.com, 259international payment services for, 256–257through Kijiji.com, 260language considerations with, 256shipping to, 132–133through TaoBao, 252–253through Yahoo! sites, 112
Overstock.com, 144–156
adding images to, 146–149Apple Computer inventory on, 63choosing merchandise for, 156CLEARANCE BIN on, 146feedback system on, 154–155fees of, 150–151finding merchandise on, 151–153gender skew of, 144–145importing feedback rating from, 48LIQUIDATION BINS on, 146O Lister tool on, 151payments with, 155research on, 31Sell Item form on, 146
................. 15844$
INDX
03-27-06 08:29:02
PS
PAGE 293
294
I ND EX
Overstock.com (continued)
Trusted Merchant program on, 151–153volume discounts with, 153–154
Overstock.com Auctions, 274Overstock Unlimited Closeouts, 151
Paletta, Lu, 60partnering with other sellers, 261–269through discussion groups, 262–263and eBay buyer-seller communication, 261–262by finding complementary merchandise, 265–266by hiring trading assistants, 266–267through Just Glass, 269through online malls, 268through Ruby Lane, 269through TIAS.com, 268through user groups, 263–265
part-time hosts, 186payments, 168–177
on Amazon.com, 127, 131with cash, 177with cashier’s checks, 176as credit card merchant, 171–173with credit cards, 173–175through Escrow.com, 171international services for, 256–257through merchant’s payment system, 168–169with money orders, 177with online storefronts, 168–177through PayPal, 168–171with personal checks, 176service provider processing of, 167shopping cart software for, 209with wire transfers, 177
PayPal, 14, 25, 94, 168–171, 174PayPal Shops, 170–171PCCharge, 174PC Charge Express, 173PenBid.com, 17, 26, 91–93, 95–96, 275Pennsylvania flea markets, 233personal checks, 176pets sales, 101, 102photos, 80–82, 194, see also imagespickers, 249Pilon, Ronda, 67PlaneBod.com, 86plan for business, 6–7Point2Homes, 80, 82Point2Technologies, 80Point2UsedIron, 80, 87Portugal, David, 220posting Web pages, 200Pottery Auction, 17Powers, Mike, 115Powers, Suzanne, 115PowerSellers (eBay), 12, 157, 161, 245, 261, 263Priceline.com, 78
pricing, see valuing merchandiseproduct descriptions, 55, 83, 194–195productivity, 159professional business presence, 6professional services, advertising, 106–107profit margins, 27–30public, dealing with, 226–227
ReadyMedical, 83, 228, 229real-world auctions, 235–237record keeping, 32–34, 225–226refurbishing items, 83relisting merchandise, 47–48repeats, 32reputation, 41, 46, see also feedbackresale certificates, 245–246Research software (Andale), 67reseller certificates, 245–246retail buyers, 34return on investment (ROI), 32reverse auctions, 78Rockbottomgolf.com, 27ROI (return on investment), 32Roschke, Bob
and early Bookworks business, 67on online book sales, 68
Ruby Lane, 268, 269
safety, assurances of, 71sales catalogs, online, 206–208sales descriptions, see product descriptionssales niche, 7–8sales system, 20–22sales tax, 222scientific equipment, 87–88ScoutPal, 167secure checkout, 71Secure Sockets Layer, 175security
on eBay, 15of Web servers, 174–175
Sedo, 17, 61seized property, 74–75Sell.com, 48SellerEngine, 167sellers
and eBay buyer-seller ratio, 13eBay fees for, 13–14types of, 4–5
Seller Sourcebook Blog, 250selling
to local buyers, 99–107multichannel, 26to other auction sellers, 244to overseas buyers, 251–260
sell-through, 32
................. 15844$
INDX
03-27-06 08:29:02
PS
PAGE 294
I ND EX
295
service providers, 157–167
and Amazon.com selling tools, 164, 166–167auction, 157–163marketplace managers as, 163–166
shipping
with Amazon.com sales, 127–129, 131–133auction service provider help with, 164providing details on, 47time estimates for, 132
ShopFactory Light, 209shopping carts, 71, 209Sinclair, Joseph T., 7, 26SiteBuilder, 190–191Site Map Web page, 193Small Business Center (Microsoft), 114–117sources of merchandise, 241–250
attitude toward finding, 246–247drop-shippers as, 247–248for expanding price range, 244for expanding sales options, 245help in finding, 248–250for improving inventory, 241for increasing current item sales, 242–244trade show contacts as, 246
Spaceware, 164SpareDollar, 166specialized auction sites, 76–78, see also niche auction sitesspiders, 116sponsored ads, 212–213Square Trade, 42Startup Journal website, 26static websites, 208Steiner, Ina, 35storage facilities, 228–229storefronts, see online storefrontsstrategic philanthropy, 73Suburban Paper Products, 19–21success, 6–9, 30SwapThing.com, 235
TaoBao, 4, 252–253target customers, 7taxes
donation deductions for, 65–66with heavy equipment sales, 81–82record keeping for, 225–226tracking, 163tax ID number, 222teaching, 227Teletrade Auctions, 7template, standard listing, 21–22Terapeak, 54, 159–161testimonials, 46Three-Minute Auctions, 77TIAS, 267, 268, 281–282Ticketauction.net, 92titles, vehicle and equipment, 82–83
Trade Me, 263TraderOnline.com, 86trade shows, 230–233, 246trading assistants, 266–267Traffic Builder (FrontPage), 115transitioning to new venues, 41–52
importing feedback rating when, 48–51inventory division in, 51–52maintaining reputation/identity in, 41–47merchandise decisions in, 47–48
translation services, 256Triple Deal, 257trust, inspiring, 45–46TSNN.com, 231typefaces, 199
uBid, 4, 63–64, 169, 275Universal Currency Converter, 255unusual commodities, venues for, 73–74upselling, 19, 20U.S. General Services Administration, 80user groups, 263–265
valuing merchandise, 53–61
with Andale price finder, 57–58by bargaining with buyers, 58–61with BizRate, 56–57by comparing prices with Froogle, 54–55and iOffer, 58–61with Kelley Blue Book, 55–56with Kovels.com, 55research for, 53–58Vehicle Record System, 80vehicle sales
bill of sale for, 56inspections for, 80Kelley Blue Book prices for, 55–56photos for, 80–82researching car history for, 56titles for, 82–83websites for, 56
Vendio, 18, 161, 163, 164, 282VeriFone, Inc., 175VeriSign, 186videos of items, 78volume listing (Amazon), 136–137volume seller discounts, 153–154
warehouses, 228–229warranties, 46–47Web designers, 186–189Web hosts, see hostsWebmasters.com, 185Web pages
creating, 195, 197–199posting, 200putting keywords in, 212
................. 15844$
INDX
03-27-06 08:29:03
PS
PAGE 295
296
I ND EX
Web pages (continued)
Site Map, 193software for, 189–191, 197
Web servers
security of, 174–175setting up your own, 182
website, 181–201
adding PayPal to, 169–170boosting effectiveness of, 202–213checking content/links of, 200–201choosing host for, 181–185choosing Web designer for, 186–188creating logo for, 189creating Web pages for, 195, 197–199domain name for, 185dynamic, 208–209images for, 199, 200improving links to, 204–206links to your auction sales from, 195managing links from, 203–204marketing and advertising, 209–213organizing, 191–194on part-time hosting services, 186posting pages of, 200rich content for, 203sales catalog on, 206–208sales from, 70–74shipping information on, 47shopping cart software for, 209standard components for, 194–196Web page software for, 189–191
Western Union, 177, 256What’s Hot software (Andale), 67Wheeler, Sam
on Amazon requirements, 128on Amazon shipping costs, 132on sales guarantees, 134
White Mountain Trading Company, 244Whitman, Meg, 251wholesale merchandise, 61wholesale suppliers, 244, 249–250
Wieber, John
on Exel-i’s move from eBay, 29–30website upgrade by, 34–35
WineBid.com, 17, 93–95Wingo, Scott, 164wire transfers, 177Womanlore, 182, 183Wordtracker, 212WorldLingo Free Online Language Translator, 256World Wide Brands, 249Writerspace, 92
Yahoo!, 13, 111
creating website with, 190–191listing yourself on, 210–211overseas selling through, 112services of, 112sponsored ads on, 212
Yahoo! Auctions, 111–114, 275eBay auctions vs., 113, 114importing feedback rating from, 48Japanese version of, 112pricing on, 53registering at, 113
Yahoo! Classifieds, 104–105, 112Yahoo! E-Mail, 112Yahoo! Geocities, 184, 190Yahoo! Merchant Solutions, 282Yahoo! newsgroups, 112Yahoo! Shopping, 112Yahoo! Yellow Pages, 106Yaskulka, David, 71, 72
on customer loyalty, 71on feedback, 72, 73on Overstock Trusted Merchant program, 153on selling on Amazon, 126on your own website, 71
Yaskulka, Debbie, 71, 72Yelp.com, 107
Zoovy, 12, 161, 163, 275, 282–283
................. 15844$
INDX
03-27-06 08:29:04
PS
PAGE 296
<|end|>