| If you sell in small niches as I recommend | | | | description if needed. If you are receiving a |
| and are organized enough that you know what | | | | lot of similar questions from several |
| you will be listing on eBay 1 to 2 weeks | | | | customers about an item it probably means you |
| ahead of time, you should give serious | | | | need more or better pictures or to make your |
| thought to previewing your upcoming auctions | | | | description more detailed. |
| for your customers. The result can be | | | | |
| increased sales and higher final bids. | | | | 2. In most cases it will increase selling |
| | | | prices. I've found that people tend to bid |
| For two years I used a free hosting service | | | | earlier on auctions that they have been able |
| to host a small web site that I used as a | | | | to preview. This early bidding attracts other |
| pre-auction catalog. Each week this preview | | | | bidders to the auction and often drives the |
| site would contain pictures and descriptions | | | | final price up. |
| of the majority of the items I would be | | | | |
| listing on eBay the following week. | | | | Your preview site doesn't have to be anything |
| | | | fancy or expensive. A free hosting service |
| When that hosting service eventually dropped | | | | works just fine for what this would be used |
| it's free hosting, because of time | | | | for. Most of them offer 10-25 megabytes of |
| constraints, I let that part of my business | | | | space, and easy to use page building tools. |
| slide. Over the course of the next 3-4 months | | | | That's really all you require. |
| I saw a significant decrease in the number of | | | | |
| bids, the final selling price, and the number | | | | Another option might be which gives you 25 MB |
| of auctions that closed successfully. At the | | | | of web space, 5 GB of data transfer and a |
| time that was an industry wide trend but I | | | | helpful web page building utility for only |
| also think it had a great deal to do with the | | | | $4.95 a month. |
| fact I no longer had a preview site on-line. | | | | |
| | | | Also most of you will find that your ISP |
| After a few months I moved the site to a | | | | offers 10-25 megabytes of free space. If you |
| cheap hosting company and saw an immediate | | | | have a basic knowledge of FTP and HTML this |
| increase in bidders, final selling prices, | | | | may be a good route to take. |
| and closing prices. Adding an auction preview | | | | |
| site to your business model can have | | | | What should you put on your preview page? |
| significant benefits to your eBay business. | | | | |
| | | | 1. The items you will be putting on eBay the |
| An auction preview site has several | | | | following week. |
| advantages - both to you and to your | | | | |
| potential bidders. | | | | 2 Clear pictures of the item. |
| | | | |
| Advantages to the bidder include: | | | | 3. A well written description of the item |
| | | | including any flaws. |
| 1. It gives them additional time to do | | | | |
| research on an item if they want. | | | | 4. An easy to find email link so prospective |
| | | | bidders can easily email you with any |
| 2. It gives them more time to ask questions | | | | questions they may have. |
| about an item. | | | | |
| | | | Advertise your preview site by including a |
| 3. It allows them to plan their purchases. | | | | link on your About Me page. Include it in all |
| Many bidders budget a specific amount of | | | | winning bidder announcements and other |
| money each month for on-line purchases. I've | | | | correspondence you have with customers. A |
| had several bidders tell me they'd decided | | | | link in your signature file is a good idea. |
| not to bid on someone else's item so they | | | | If you have a list, send an announcement of |
| would have the money to bid on what I was | | | | your new preview site to your list. |
| listing next week. | | | | |
| | | | If you try this for a month or two I think |
| Advantage to you the seller include: | | | | you will find the results pleasantly |
| | | | surprising - and well worth the effort |
| 1. It gives you a chance to hone your | | | | involved. And, your customers will love you! |