How to Make Quick Money Using Craigslist And eBay

Craigslist and eBay are both sites where people advertise their old personal belongings for sale. Here's how you can make money by buying from one and selling on the other.

Firstly, go to craigslist and create an account. Once you have created an account, write an advert in the wanted section saying that you are willing to buy any old smartphones that people have lying around. Your description, for example, would be something like this:

"I am buying all smartphones, any condition, any network. Whether they are new, used, broken. Apple, Blackberry, HTC, Samsung etc. I also buy iPods, iPads and any other tablets."

"Text me or ring me for a quote."

"your phone number"

"Your name"

Once you have created an advert, texts and phone calls should be coming in from people asking what their phones are worth. But what are they worth?

Go to eBay and click on advanced search. tick the completed listings box and type in the phone in question. For example, "Apple iPhone 4 Unlocked". Ticking the completed listings box will show you all the phones that have recently been sold that come up under your search terms. This will give you a good idea of the price that a specific phone is worth. From this you will then be able to tell how much you can offer the person for the phone so that you will make a good profit. Make sure to include eBay and PayPal fees in your calculations so you don't wind up making a loss.

You'll find that most people who contact you are looking for a quick sale, so they will be happy even if your quote isn't the best they could get if they looked around. Once you have made arrangements and collected the phone, you can now advertise it for sale on eBay. If you are new to selling on eBay and are not sure how to list your item, the basics are that you will need to write a clear detailed description, take a good clear picture and fill out everything about the phone. I will write an article on how to make a killer eBay listing soon. Make sure to include all the details of what condition it is in etc. Repeat this process to make good amounts of money on a regular basis.

The best part about this method is that you can make it easier than it already is. If you already own a smartphone you can download the free craigslist app and the free eBay app. You will then be able to create the advert, send people quotes, take the listing pictures and advertise the phone on eBay, all from your phone.

Making Money Online Out of Auction Websites - Moving Your Business Online   

Five Quick Ways to Market Your Own Website Using the Power of eBay

Hi folks, here are five quick ways in which you can advertise to potential customers that you have your own eCommerce store just by doing what you're doing anyway on eBay. Little effort required.

1. Your eBay 'About Me' page.

Anybody can have an eBay About Me page. If you can use simple HTML (notice how I keep using the word 'simple', it's because the easiest things to implement ARE simple and also the most effective) on eBay for your item listing, you should create an About Me page too. You could even use the same style code and colour, but obviously change the text to let people know who you are, what you're about and of course include a link to your own website. Shouldn't take you long to create and once it's done, it's done for good.

You should also include a link to your eBay About Me page within your eBay listings. Button link or text link is fine. Preferably in a prominent position for most attention.

2. Domain name in your contact details on your eBay listings.

When you register for an eBay account you go through the usual form filling in and one of the questions asked, as with most registrations, is your contact e-mail address. Now if you've got a website/eCommerce store you already have a domain name. Create an e-mail address called [ebaysales@whateveryourdomainnameis.com]. Use this address. Now, on every single listing you do, within the contact details at the bottom your e-mail address will be shown. People that do see it will recognize this and it will become obvious you've your own website. As an added bonus, it also looks a whole lot more professional than [jimbobjunior235@aol.com]. You can also use this in a more prominent position, say within your listing header if you like. Get it as much exposure as possible.

3. Manage Communications With Buyers.

When you sell an item on eBay, it automatically sends the buyer a notification. You can edit this message, or in our case we simply (simple again) want to thank the buyer for their custom and let them know we have a website where we sell further products that may be of interest to them. Five minutes to set up, again you only have to do this once.

4. Invoice.

You can edit the invoice that you send to your customer to include a logo. A 'simple' text logo would do, doesn't have to be expensive as long as it tells our customer what we want them to know, which is in our case that we have a website called whateveryordomainnameis.com. You can also add a message at the bottom of the invoice. You get the point of what I'm trying to say.

5. Create a flyer.

That's it! A good old fashioned flyer promoting your website and the benefits to the customer of purchasing from it. You're sending the customer their item anyway, no harm in dropping a flyer in the parcel is there? Again doesn't have to be anything fancy or expensive, just get the message over.

6. And yes I know I said five!

A technique I've used many times. Simply watermark your item images with your website address. This however is a bit of a grey area and some say you can do it, some say you can't. Like I say though, i've done it many times without a single problem. Be wary about this though and use with caution. Really great promotion for your website though!

Hope you found that useful. There are many many more ways of creating exposure for your website of course, these are just a few simple ways I use myself on eBay and can easily be implemented in no time at all.

Mark Davies

Making Money Online Out of Auction Websites - Moving Your Business Online   

How to Deal With Negative eBay Feedback

Time to look at the best way in which to deal with negative eBay feedback.

Fact is, that during your life as an eBay seller you will, at some point, be left with negative feedback. Or at the very least neutral feedback. Since your eBay feedback is probably the most important thing in your armoury as an eBay seller then it makes sense to know exactly how to deal with the situation if and when it arises.

Buyers may leave you with negative feedback for a variety of reasons. Might be that they genuinely got a raw deal. Might be that they left it by accident (this happens more often than you may think). Might be that they left negative feedback 'for a laugh' or 'because they can'. Maybe a competitor under a different guise, who knows!

What you must NOT do under ANY circumstances is fly off the handle and behave in a non-professional way. Take a step back from the situation, assess why this might have happened, react accordingly, always in a calm manner, frustrating, annoying and as uncalled for as the negative feedback you have received may be.

First thing I would do is take a look at the transaction and try and work out why you have received the negative eBay feedback. If you do not know why, contact the buyer who left it and simply ask them. Be polite and courteous at ALL times. Even if they are abusive, unhelpful or just downright rude. YOU are the professional.

If you can come to some of agreement on a course of action, such as a refund or replacement item etc then take this route but only on the premise that the negative feedback be removed by them. If this does not work and you feel they have been unfair, then say so politely. Ask them why they didn't give you a chance to resolve any situations BEFORE they left negative feedback for you. You may again try to come to some sort of arrangement here and instigate eBay's 'mutual feedback withdrawal' procedure. Meaning you have agreed with the buyer the feedback was a little hasty and they agree to withdraw it as a compromise.

If none of these approaches work and the buyer is adamant that the negative feedback stays. Firstly, if the feedback really IS unfair you can contact eBay, explain the situation and they MAY agree to remove it.

Should they not agree to do this then you should respond to the negative eBay feedback on your account. Do NOT reply in an aggressive, rude or threatening way. Remember your comments will be there for ALL to see. Your future buyers, EVERYONE.

Reply in a calm, polite way. I repeat again - YOU are the professional.

An example negative feedback left - ' product was rubbish, took eight days to arrive, not as described '

You could write in reply ' YOU LIAR, YOU GOT IT NEXT DAY, CONMAN SELLERS BEWARE! '. While this may be true it looks terrible.

Reply with something like this 'Apologies for this. Please contact us and we will resolve the situation amicably'

Receiving negative feedback on eBay is not unusual neither is it the end of the world. It's how you respond to it that counts.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment.

Mark Davies

Making Money Online Out of Auction Websites - Moving Your Business Online   

Are Bidding Websites The Future Of Online Shopping?

Shopping online has become a cornerstone of the retail world, and a pinnacle part of the lives of millions. Many of us rely on online shops and auction sites to accommodate for much or even all of our shopping requirements.

Over the last couple of years, online shopping has changed almost beyond recognition, which makes it exciting to consider where we will be in a couple of further years from now. Imagine turning on your computer just a couple of years ago, and having this much power at your finger tips. To most of us ordinary folk, that concept wouldn't have even been imaginable. And now it is a reality. Within minutes we can go online, order our groceries, or pick up some new clothes from one of the hundreds of auction sites out there today.

As more and more retailers begin to move online, or at least place greater emphasis on their online presence, it is worth u asking the question "Where is this all heading to?". One possible answer to this puzzling question lies within the realms of the online auction sites.

These auction sites have been growing in popularity ever since they first entered the mainstream in the mid 90's. This movement is now beginning to really gather momentum, and it represents a change in the attitudes of online shoppers the world over.

The internet really has made us all into an army of round the clock consumers. We expect the things we want and need to be available to us 24/7. And more than that, we are growing more and more impatient in the pursuit and purchase of these products. We quite simply have better things to do with our time than browse around online for hours on end trying to track down the best deals on the items we want.

This widespread ease of availability is one of the key factors which lead to the explosion in popularity of online auction sites at the turn of the century. But as to whether this popularity is likely to continue? Who knows! Auction sites may well turn out to be a fully sustainable online shopping medium. They have certainly done a good job at adapting and evolving to changing consumer demands so far. But whether or not they can continue to do so, is a hotly contended subject. There will almost certainly be some huge obstacles that they must overcome in the not too distant future. But then again, we would have to admit, we are talking about an industry that certainly is not afraid of a challenge.

In truth, the world of online shopping and ecommerce in all its forms, is changing so rapidly that even the so called experts can not accurately predict what the future has in store for us. It's a scary prospect for some of us I suppose, but an exciting one too. As technology continues to evolve at an ever increasing rate, the possibilities and opportunities of online retail grow with it.

Making Money Online Out of Auction Websites - Moving Your Business Online   

Storage Unit Auction Know How

Participating in a storage unit auction is easy. All one has to do is show up at the auction with enough money in hand to buy the contents of a delinquent storage unit maybe a few hundred dollars to start and the means to haul the winnings away. A pickup truck, van, or even a car towing a trailer will do nicely. It's a good idea to have a helper along too, in case there is any heavy lifting to do.

The person in charge of the public sale cuts the lock on the storage unit and gives the audience five minutes to see what is behind the door. The worker opens the boxes and moves things as much as possible to allow the viewers to see what's inside. It's a good idea to take notes on what's inside the unit before the bidding begins, so one does not bid a small fortune for a few dollars worth of merchandise that won't easily sell later on. Bidders are not permitted to handle items or search through the boxes.

Once the auction gets underway, the highest bidder wins the entire contents of the unit. Some people score big with camera equipment, coin collections, and appliances. Others end up with worthless items like broken toys, bags of fertilizer, or old books. Either way, the winner is responsible for clearing out everything in the unit.

If you attend the auction, don't bid. It's a good way to get flagged by the auction house. Trying to get more for your item by bidding on it knowing someone else will bid higher is a huge no-no. Plus, you might end up buying your own stuff. In most cases, the auction house won't take the time to make sure they shine and look as new as possible. They might do a quick wipe down, but when your item is actually clean, it stands out and gets noticed.

Make sure you know the real value. Be realistic and set your expectations accordingly. This is especially important if the auction house has a limit that they want the items to be worth. If your item sells for less than that, you may not get any commission. Try to make sure your items have a good chance of selling above their minimum.

It takes money to bid. Sometimes the thrill of winning overcomes new bidders. The result is a negative bank balance and a garage full of junk.

Living in a small town may be a disadvantage if a neighbor who has lost his home and job sees his belongings being sold at the local flea market.

If the idea of walking away with someone's belongings seems cold, then buyers can turn over personal items such as family photo albums to the storage unit facility owner. There is always an outside chance a former renter will return for these. The buyer gets to keep the valuables though, and the delinquent client is not given any information as to who bought his items at auction.

Bidding on abandoned storage units is a way to make money - sometimes. Participants can increase income by selling auctioned goods that interest other buyers. Tools, appliances, furniture and even vehicles bring a good price at storage center auctions. It's a wise idea to consider beforehand the steps for bidding at storage unit auctions.

Making Money Online Out of Auction Websites - Moving Your Business Online   

Tips on Finding Penny Bidding Legit Sites

With the web being so infinitely gigantic and endlessly expanding there are new things popping up everywhere and all the time. One of these new things to explore is called a "Penny Auction." And with all new things, more often than not, they're a bit hard to understand. New concepts take a moment to sink in before they're fully understood. Most likely you've read some other articles about Penny Auctions before this one, but know you probably were bombarded with misinformation and negative stereotypes, all coming from people who think they know what they are. I'm here to set the record straight and give you the real deal on Penny Auctions and let you know what to look for.

It's true some places are real scams. But it's also true that there are legitimate websites out there. The trick is in spotting the differences, the traits that make a real site shine and make those filthy scammers show their true colors. I'm going to discuss a few examples of things you should definitely keep an eye on and will keep you from some unwanted problems.

Always look for websites that display testimonials from past winners. This creates a sense of history that shows that people are actually winning items from these sites. Some places will have pictures and some words from the winner. Others will have videos with the testimonial coming straight from the person in the vid. The more the site has something like this, the more likely it will be legit. You know you can always contact someone on YouTube if they posted their video testimonial there. Try talking to some of these winners and they'll help you get a better picture.

Don't forget to check out some statistics. You can use tools online that will help you find out the traffic ranking and how they stack up to websites around the rest of the world. The more traffic it gets, the more likely it is legit. Think about it, more traffic more people, more referrals from happy people, more people coming back. I think that is a good sign, especially if you take into consideration how long a site has been running. For example, a site that has lasted for several years is far more reliable than a start up that is less than 6 months old. What's stopping this start up from not sending people their prizes and taking the money and running? It's best to find a site that's at least 2 to 3 years old. The first Penny Auction sites first appeared in 2009, just to give you some perspective.

Some sites use bots to automatically make bids and jack up auction prices. Sites that have little traffic usually resort to this. Bigger sites with higher levels of user interaction won't have to utilize a tactic like this. What this does is artificially makes the final price higher and also causes the user to spend more bids, which means spending more money as the user had paid for their bids. The good sites try to combat this and try to place a cap on how high an auction can go, and since these things rely on countdown timers, they could go on forever. A good site has a healthy set of live and finished auctions that show that they aren't just on an infinite loop with the price skyrocketing!

I hope this little guide has helped you. It also doesn't hurt to do some searching of your own. Go out there, read up a little more and maybe try your hand at one of these auction things and get a feel for it. Once you know how to wade through all the garbage, you'll be able to find the right sites. Good luck!

Making Money Online Out of Auction Websites - Moving Your Business Online