Amazon is giving eBay a run
for top spot on the Internet!
I spent a good part of the
week listening to webinars on new features and techniques from
Amazon.com. I can tell you this; Amazon is not just for book sellers
anymore! They have a number of very impressive tools to help small
businesses get online with minimum investment - either in money or
time!
I thought I'd brief you on
some of the highlights in this newsletter. Let's start with a few
holiday tips from the Amazon team, to help you deal with black Friday.
Warning - don't read
this after the Turkey dinner on Thursday - you don't want to sleep
through it - LOL
Selling on Amazon - Holiday Season Tips
Did you know that Amazon fulfilled approximately
63 items per second in the 2007 holiday season? With that kind
of volume you should expect a higher
level of customer contact during the holiday season. I know eBay sellers
are used to lots of customer hand-holding, but it isn't typical on Amazon.
That is, except during the holidays, when customers are worried about
on-time delivery. Answer inquiries as quickly and professionally as
possible.
Handling time is important!
Get those orders shipped ASAP - again customers are concerned that
their gifts will have on-time delivery.
Send out delivery/shipping
confirmation emails when shipped. You can do this through your Seller
Central area.
Keep an eye out on your most
popular items and try to keep them in stock - watch quantities in
Seller Central and update frequently.
Selling on Amazon - Taking your
selling to the next level
If you have a Pro Merchant Account you can offer customers "special promotions."
With the Manage Promotions feature you can create promotional discounts, free shipping, and free-product offers.
-
A promotion can be a percentage or dollar amount off the purchase price, free shipping, or a free product.
-
Promotion claim codes are optional. If you select
the option, customers must enter this code when they place their orders.
-
You can schedule promotions to start and end at a future date and time.
A complete tutorial on how
to set these promotions up can be found on Amazon at:
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/help-page.html?isLink=1&itemID=9451
(please note - the above
link will only work if you have a Pro Merchant account)
Cross Promoting
Other features available to
Pro Merchants to up sell and cross promote include using the
accessory widget - which allows you to set up which other products you
want displayed on the listing page for the item pages you create. This
tool is powerful! The easiest way for customers to find your items
is by clicking on the 'similar items' links on the Amazon pages.
More information about the
Cross Selling via 'creating accessory relationships' can be found here:
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/help-page.html?itemID=9001
(please note - the above
link will only work if you have a Pro Merchant account)
Offering Gift Services
You can use Gift Services to offer customers gift wrapping and gift messaging. These services can help increase your sales conversion rates by offering your customers an enhanced buying experience.
https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/help-page.html?ie=UTF8&itemID=571
(please note - the above
link will only work if you have a Pro Merchant account)
I have pages of notes on all
the new offerings Amazon is rolling out, but think these will be the most beneficial
to you through the holiday season. I'll post more information on
my blog in the coming week.
Want to learn even more
about selling on Amazon?
If you'd like to
learn more about selling on Amazon and all the possible ways to get
your inventory on the site - please check out my recently released
webinar/CD on the subject:
How to Sell on Amazon Marketplace Website 101 (Profit With Multi-Channel Sales, Volume 1) .
2009 the
Year of Internet Video
One theme I've noticed over
and over is that Internet Video is becoming more and more important. EBay
sellers have been including listings with video for about a year now
and in 2009 Amazon is going to open up Video to sellers. Meanwhile,
YouTube is the number two search engine on the Internet. If you don't
have a video on YouTube - your chances of be found though search is
increasingly slim.
And, after the first of the
year there are going to be BIG changes in Search algorithms on Google that
will make video even more important.
To learn all about these important
changes I invite you to a free webinar on Wednesday December 3rd -
noon pacific time. I've asked Dany Byrne to join me so we don't miss
any important technique you need to know.
To sign-up or for more
details click here to go to the Success
With Cindy sign-up page.
Learn To
Blog
Blog expert Dany
Byrne
helped me skyrocket my new blog: www.photowalkstoday.com
to the top in no time.
Now she's offering her
techniques to everyone in her new book: Blogging With Wordpress.
Whether you are a new or
experienced blogger, you will find something to improve your blog
in this new book.
-
Learn the difference
between WordPress.com and WordPress.org
-
Find out how to
optimize your blog for top search engine rankings (SEO)
-
Learn how to earn
income from AdSense, Commission Junction, and affiliate sales
-
Discover which
Plug-Ins are 'Must Haves'
-
Learn how to
schedule "future posts" so you will never be
overwhelmed by the demand for constant updates
This e-Book is a perfect
guide to those ready to start a Wordpress Blog.
For more information or
to purchase Blogging
With Wordpress visit ghostlegpress.com
Buy
it now, Dany has tons of great bonuses, including a special
members only area including a webinar class for those who purchase
early.
The Marketing Minute
- A Fun New Video Series
Click
here to watch the video
During eBay Live, I
asked as many sellers as possible to give me their favorite
marketing tip. Over the next several weeks I'll let them tell you,
in their words, their favorite eBay marketing tip. Watch my blog,
YouTube, Twitter
Facebook
or your email inbox for the latest video.
This weeks guest
is Rina from
www.nichemarketplace.wordpress.com
shares her favorite tip.
EBAY RADIO GROUP - JUNE PARTY
Almost Live Get Together
Lee Mirabal and eBetsy from eBay radio has started a grass roots eBay get together in June 2009. Talk is that there will be experts, parties and cheap buffets. This will be an
excellent chance to network with other eBayers. And, there is talk that if we can get together at least a hundred people, the eBay contingent will come.
First line of business: choosing which city we want it in: Las Vegas or San Diego - so go to:
http://www.wsradio.com/RADIOGROUPJUNE/ and vote.
Send Lee an email if you are interested in attending. The link is on the page.
Stand Out In A
Sea Of Free With Profitable Gallery Photos
A New CD Tutorial
With everyone’s gallery images now free, how will YOURS standout among the crowd? Join photography expert Cindy Shebley
and OSI Trainer
Janelle Elms as they give you some brilliant ideas on doing just that! Time 1 hour 15 minutes
-
What's a good gallery
photo
-
Why it will become
your most valuable real estate on eBay
-
Simple steps to
improve your photos
-
Cindy's best lighting
tips
-
Basic equipment that
will make a difference
-
Step-by-step on how
to use Bling! It
-
How to add photos to
your listing
-
And, how to add
photos without paying extra in fees
-
How to make a text
only graphic for your gallery
Purchase the CD Rom now for $14.95
- click
here
More On The Local Scene
The December Monthly
eBay Success Meeting:
The next Seattle EBay Success Group meeting will be held
Wednesday morning, 12/10, It's
going to be a celebration - potluck!
at Lake Forest Park meeting room (near the food court by Third Place Books)
from 9:30 - 11:30 am.
Please let Carol know if you are joining us and what you'd like to
bring. Click here to
send her an RSVP email.
PS: Greta asked us to
bring clothing to donate to the thrift store she works at. They
give vouchers to clients who can't afford to pay for the items -
and this year they are running short on clothes. Clean out your
closets and bring them to the potluck!
Fall Classes:
Fall classes are finishing up now.
Here are the last classes I'll teach in person till next year.
eBay Basics in Oak
Harbor - Dec 8th & 10th
more
information here
eBay -102 Beyond The Basics in Mt Vernon -
Dec 1
& 3rd
more
information here
Winter
Classes
Starting in January,
I'll be teaching eBay Basics, eBay 102, Amazon and Photography
classes in the Puget Sound Area. Watch the upcoming newsletter for
dates.
Dany Byrne wanted to let
you know about some exciting new classes she'll be teaching this
March, at the Everett Community College:
NEW CLASSES BEGIN - March, 2009
Introduction to Blogging
Popular Publishing Class
You Tube Class
For more information
about her classes - visit her website at: http://www.dbyrneassociates.com
Online Classes on the way:
WE Need your
help!
Thanks to everyone
who's sent me an email - I'll let you know when we set the date
for the class.
We've had so much interest in a Photo
Editing Class that Dany Byrne and I will be teaching an online series on
PhotoShop Elements.
We're just not sure which version of
Elements would be most beneficial to you. Would you mind taking a five minute
survey and let us know? Click Here to take survey.
There will be three tracks to choose: Basic,
Intermediate, Advanced. These classes will meet weekly and we will teach them in
order if you want to talk all three courses. Watch this newsletter for details.
Dates to be announced - but if you'd
like to be the first to know, please
send me an email
Have
you visited my blog lately?
If not, you've missed these articles:
Magazine Looking For Moms That eBay!
http://clovercitysells.blogspot.com/2008/11/magazine-looking-for-moms-that-ebay.html#links
Last Weeks eBay Webinar is now online for review
http://clovercitysells.blogspot.com/2008/11/last-weeks-ebay-webinar-is-now-online.html#links
Building Your Profits By Helping Affiliates Sell Your Products
http://websellerscircle.com/
I just fired one of
my dropshppers
http://clovercitysells.blogspot.com/2008/11/i-just-fired-one-of-my-drop-ship.html#links
Want to make an extra $1000 a month?
http://websellerscircle.com/100000-week-potential-income-stream/
Twitter
Join me on Twitter! I've
just discovered a new way to stay in touch: Twitter. I've heard of
the site, but never bothered checking it out. Now that I have, I
can't believe how easy it is and how little time it takes to be
'social.'
Follow me on twitter at:
http://twitter.com/clovercity
That's it for now,
Cindy Shebley
eBay Certified Business Consultant
author eBay Marketing Bible
www.clovercity.com
Copyright 2008 Cindy L.
Shebley Enterprises
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