eBay - Getting More Bids Using An Auction Preview

If you sell in small niches as I recommend and are organized enough that you know what you will be listing on eBay 1 to 2 weeks ahead of time, you should give serious thought to previewing your upcoming auctions for your customers. The result can be increased sales and higher final bids.

For two years I used a free hosting service to host a small web site that I used as a pre-auction catalog. Each week this preview site would contain pictures and descriptions of the majority of the items I would be listing on eBay the following week.

When that hosting service eventually dropped it's free hosting, because of time constraints, I let that part of my business slide. Over the course of the next 3-4 months I saw a significant decrease in the number of bids, the final selling price, and the number of auctions that closed successfully. At the time that was an industry wide trend but I also think it had a great deal to do with the fact I no longer had a preview site on-line.

After a few months I moved the site to a cheap hosting company and saw an immediate increase in bidders, final selling prices, and closing prices. Adding an auction preview site to your business model can have significant benefits to your eBay business.

An auction preview site has several advantages - both to you and to your potential bidders.

Advantages to the bidder include:

1. It gives them additional time to do research on an item if they want.

2. It gives them more time to ask questions about an item.

3. It allows them to plan their purchases. Many bidders budget a specific amount of money each month for on-line purchases. I've had several bidders tell me they'd decided not to bid on someone else's item so they would have the money to bid on what I was listing next week.

Advantage to you the seller include:

1. It gives you a chance to hone your description if needed. If you are receiving a lot of similar questions from several customers about an item it probably means you need more or better pictures or to make your description more detailed.

2. In most cases it will increase selling prices. I've found that people tend to bid earlier on auctions that they have been able to preview. This early bidding attracts other bidders to the auction and often drives the final price up.

Your preview site doesn't have to be anything fancy or expensive. A free hosting service works just fine for what this would be used for. Most of them offer 10-25 megabytes of space, and easy to use page building tools. That's really all you require.

Another option might be geocities.yahoo.com which gives you 25 MB of web space, 5 GB of data transfer and a helpful web page building utility for only $4.95 a month.

Also most of you will find that your ISP offers 10-25 megabytes of free space. If you have a basic knowledge of FTP and HTML this may be a good route to take.

What should you put on your preview page?

1. The items you will be putting on eBay the following week.

2 Clear pictures of the item.

3. A well written description of the item including any flaws.

4. An easy to find email link so prospective bidders can easily email you with any questions they may have.

Advertise your preview site by including a link on your About Me page. Include it in all winning bidder announcements and other correspondence you have with customers. A link in your signature file is a good idea. If you have a list, send an announcement of your new preview site to your list.

If you try this for a month or two I think you will find the results pleasantly surprising - and well worth the effort involved. And, your customers will love you!

Gary Hendrickson has been making his living selling on eBay for more than six years. He's the author of two eBay related ebooks, has a blog for eBay sellers, and is the owner of ColdItems.Com.

ColdItems.Com The Auction Rebel Blog

---

Google News Updated : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:08:19 GMT Michigan spared sting of West Nile - Detroit Free Press LAist Michigan spared sting of West Nile Detroit Free Press - 12 hours ago BY SHERI McWHIRTER • RECORD-EAGLE • September 7, 2008 TRAVERSE CITY -- West Nile virus hasn't seriously bitten Michigan this year and seems to have spared the state's northern reaches. Yes, the mosquitoes were nasty this summer Yakima Herald-Republic Aerial survey being conducted to find mosquito breeding grounds San Jose Mercury News Lower Hudson Journal news - San Francisco Chronicle - Shelbyville News - Los Angeles Times all 361 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 07:53:44 GMT Hurricane, at Category 4, Heads Toward Cuba - New York Times Canada.com Hurricane, at Category 4, Heads Toward Cuba New York Times - 3 hours ago By MARIA NEWMAN Hurricane Ike grew into a bigger threat to Florida and the Gulf Coast Sunday as it roared through the Bahamas mid-morning, with forecasters expecting it to gain in strength as it approaches Cuba. Video: Raw Video: Ike Pounds Turks and Caicos AssociatedPress Powerful Hurricane Ike looms as trouble for Gulf The Associated Press AFP - Forbes - Los Angeles Times - Reiten Television KXMB Bismarck all 4,192 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:52:07 GMT 'Wrestler' takes top honors at Venice - Variety Variety 'Wrestler' takes top honors at Venice Variety - 1 hour ago By NICK VIVARELLI Darren Aronofsky drama “The Wrestler,” starring Mickey Rourke as washed out pro wrestler Randy (the Ram) Robinson, in comeback mode both on and off the screen, pinned down the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion. Is Evan Rachel Wood dropkicking Marilyn Manson for Mickey Rourke? Los Angeles Times A Glance at 'The Wrestler' Cinematical Washington Post - Hollywood Reporter - eFluxMedia - San Jose Mercury News all 671 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:55:44 GMT Health Highlights: Sept. 6, 2008 - Washington Post Seattle Post Intelligencer Health Highlights: Sept. 6, 2008 Washington Post - 3 hours ago On the heels of the huge nationwide salmonella outbreak that caused more than 1400 illnesses from Mexican peppers, a regional Oregon alfalfa sprout distributor has recalled its product in Oregon and Washington state after the sprouts were linked to 13 ... Salmonellosis outbreak prompts sprout recall Forbes Salmonella outbreak traced to alfalfa sprouts Seattle Post Intelligencer TheMedGuru - Seattle Times - eFluxMedia - HeraldNet all 81 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:31:13 GMT Side events bring out celebs in advance of VMAs - The Associated Press Washington Post Side events bring out celebs in advance of VMAs The Associated Press - 57 minutes ago LOS ANGELES (AP) - Though the MTV Video Music Awards are the main event in town this weekend, some celebrities are satisfied enough with the side activities connected to the extravaganza. Britney 'Getting an Opportunity to Start Over' at VMAs People Magazine Brand and Spears have been promoting the awards on MTV BBC News Access Hollywood - Hollywood Today Newsmagazine - eFluxMedia - Los Angeles Times all 1,761 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 19:10:38 GMT Spa Update: Hamilton Penalty Hands Win to Massa - AutoWeek Times Online Spa Update: Hamilton Penalty Hands Win to Massa AutoWeek - 1 hour ago By NIGEL ROEBUCK A drive-through penalty is the punishment for almost causing a collision in the pits. We know this because Bruno Senna was thus punished in the GP2 Series race at Spa-Francorchamps, and it cost him the race. Massa declared winner of Belgian GP The Associated Press Raikkonen's title hopes doused by Hamilton at Spa Motorsport.com International Herald Tribune - The Canadian Press - BBC Sport - CNN International all 2,193 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:46:22 GMT India a step closer to nuclear trade - Christian Science Monitor Washington Post India a step closer to nuclear trade Christian Science Monitor - 3 hours ago The Nuclear Suppliers Group agreed Saturday to lift a 34-year ban on selling nuclear technology to India, even though it hasn't signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty. India secures controversial access to nuclear technology Telegraph.co.uk US Congress signals it will clear N-deal Times of India Hindu - Reuters South Africa - Washington Post - BBC News all 2,295 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 17:01:15 GMT Clickbank RSS Feeds Easy Work At Home Opportunity

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

eBay Listing Service : Make Managing Your Auctions Easy

Do you want to have a lot of auctions going... Read More

EBay Income Possibilities

If you've ever read an article about eBay, you will... Read More

Game Theory, Nobel Prize, & Auctions - Auction Primer Series ? Part 1

William Vickrey, highly regarded as the founder of auction theory,... Read More

Real Estate Auction Action - Buying A Home At Auction

Due in part to the popularity of the U. S.... Read More

Auction Seller Guide To Success

When its time to clean-up around the house, some people... Read More

Top Internet Businesses

The internet is packed with web businesses jockeying for the... Read More

Ebay Auction Selling Secrets - Using Ebay to Launch Your Very Own Highly Successful Website

Launching your very own successful website is the dream of... Read More

Photos on my eBay Auctions: How Do I Add Them?

On another forum I'm involved with, someone's asked a great... Read More

Online Auctions Business

Online auction sites are a great way to find a... Read More

How to Survive the Jungles of Ebay Selling

Come with me, we are going to take a safari... Read More

Killer Tips To Succeed With eBay Auction

For just a moment, try to comprehend the power of... Read More

Drop Ship Your Way to eBay Profits

One of the most difficult things to do when looking... Read More

Is it Antique and is it Worth Anything?

Is it an antique and is it worth anything? Would... Read More

Get Yourself A Piece of The eBay Pie

Ebay is without a doubt the greatest internet marketing phenomenon... Read More

Online Auctions: 5 Ways Your Business Can Benefit From Online Auctions

Online auctions are now the new gold rush on the... Read More

How To List Your Items On eBay

Listing your items on eBay can be very confusing if... Read More

eBay - The Basics

I began selling on eBay in 1999 and have found... Read More

Authentic or Fake?

1. Admit It: Old business models are no longer working.... Read More

Online Auctions: The New Way of Shopping for Mauritians

Since their introduction several years ago, online auctions, such as... Read More

From Ebay Zero To Power-Selling Hero: What It Takes

Have you ever wondered what it takes to be "the... Read More

Use Auction Templates For eBay Success!

Auction templates are simply a must for successful online auction... Read More

Auction and Its Benefits

An auction is basically a public sale wherein any object... Read More

The Secret To Real eBay Success

Q. I hear so much about people who started selling... Read More

The Top Ten Antique Categories On eBay!

Knowledge is Power! And this statement could not be more... Read More

How Do You Find A Reliable Dropshipping Source?

A Dropshipper is someone who will anonymously send the goods... Read More