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UK
The newsletter for buyers and bidders on
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This latest issue is now also available online at
http://www.workwinners.com/newsletter/041025.htm
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In This Issue
1. Welcome from Brian McGregor
2. News and Views
3. How to Create the Best Title for your Auction
4. The eBay Story - so far....
5. And "The Sunday Times" Follows...
6. A Gift From me to you
7. Someone's auctioning what? Unusual items currently
available
8. Finally
9. My Products Catalogue
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Inspirational quote of the day
"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series
of small
things brought together. "
Vincent Van Gogh
=============================
1. Welcome from Brian McGregor
------------------------------
Hi and welcome to the latest edition of my Newsletter.
I see it's pouring outside. Again.
Whatever happened to summer?
I guess I shouldn't complain. At least I'm under cover, and
I
don't have to go out.
When I think about it, this is probably the biggest single
benefit I've found to the internet
being my "job". I have total
control over my own time.
I probably work as many hours as I did when I was in
employment.
Maybe more in fact. But I can
decide when, and for how long. And
that's a great advantage.
Making a living off the internet, however, is easier to say
than
it is to achieve.
If YOU have a desire to make your living from the internet,
I can
thoroughly recommend it.
What kept my own internet ambitions alive wasn't the money.
It
was the freedom I knew it could
afford me regarding my time. And
I'll be forever grateful to eBay in giving me a real kick
towards
achieving my ambition.
So, decide what is the number one reason
why you want to make
your living from the internet. Make
it a real and tangible
objective. And then physically
write it down, and pin it where
you can see it as often as
possible.
And then make sure you do something every day that takes you
nearer that objective. If what
you're doing at your PC right now
doesn't bring reaching your goal
any closer, stop doing it. And
get on with something that does.
The more disciplined you can be about this, the quicker you
too
can choose whether to watch the
rain or to go out in it.
Speak to you soon.
Brian
-----
P.S. You receive the
bought from me or enquired about my
auction items on eBay or QXL.
If you do not want to receive this newsletter, the only one
dedicated to eBay
email to
unsubscribe@workwinners.com
=============================
2. News and Views
-----------------
a) Readers feedback
I recently received the following email from a reader. It
contains an example of a slightly
different scam.
"Hi Brian
Love the ezine. Have found some
quite valuable info, cheers!
Just had another scam attempted but luckily I knew of it so
it's
backfired with the culprit being
suspended or permanently banned.
It's something to look out for if you sell high price video
films. The particularly worst area
hit is The Pre Cert Horror
category as these can literally
fetch hundreds of pounds.
What happens is, is that the bidder pays for the item, you
send
it, and then they inform you that
it's a copy because it has
another film on at the end or there
are other details that give
reason to it being a copy.
Confused, you receive it back, where it has either been
switched
for a copy or it's exactly the same
one that you sent but there
is no other film on at the end.
The reason? They copy it themselves
and get the money back and
have a nice copy (or the original)
of a film that they would have
had to pay anything up to £300 for.
I got caught once with it but luckily I know that this has
happened to a couple of other ebayers too, so this time was
prepared.
Hope this info may be of help to someone.
Kind Regards
Richie"
It can get quite disappointing to hear about the dishonesty
which
is around. Still, it's good that Richie wasn't taken in. And
hopefully we're all learning to be
suitably wary in our internet
dealings.
b)
You may remember I introduced a mobile phone business
opportunity
to you in the last newsletter. I
received a number of emails
asking if this was relevant to the
of the opportunity concentrated on
the
confirm that it is relevant to the
contacts are given so that you can
operate the opportunity from
here.
If you want to check out this brand new business
opportunity,
here's the page:
http://www.workwinners.com/nlr1004.htm
c) A problem solved
If you're using Windows XP, and you've added Service Pack 2
you
may have experienced an unwanted
problem.
For many users, including me, one of the consequences of
upgrading my Windows XP with
Service Pack 2 is that some ebooks
now won't work properly.
The ebooks affected are those
which are produced in exe format.
(This problem doesn't affect PDF ebooks)
After many hours of research, and hitting quite a few
dead-ends,
I've located the answer.
If you have this problem, please email me and I'll send you
the
solution.
If you haven't updated your Windows XP with Service Pack 2
yet,
make a note in your diary about the
problem you might encounter
with exe based ebooks.
d) Unfair advantage?
If you're a buyer looking for bargains on eBay, how about
being
the only bidder on an auction?
A new software program has been launched called Lost
Auction. It
locates and tells you of auctions
where the seller has misspelled
the item being auctioned. As there
are misspellings, the logic is
that not many other eBayers will
have found these auctions in
their searches. So you could have
the field to yourself!
You can try it without charge, here:
http://www.workwinners.com/nlr1011.htm
=============================
3. How to Create the Best Title for your Auction
------------------------------------------------
The auction title you use is vital, and you only have 55
characters to play with.
In these 55 characters you have make
sure you are returned in as
many relevant searches as possible,
and also persuade prospective
bidders to click through to read
your auction page.
In effect the title is the heading of your advertisement.
Fifty five characters isn't much when you consider what the
title
has to achieve.
1. Bidders will use eBay search to find auctions matching
their
requirements. As you probably know
eBay's search facility checks
auction titles for the presence of
the keywords input by the
searcher.
So, the title has to contain keywords which bidders might
use to
locate auction items such as yours.
(Just in case you weren't aware, eBay's auction search takes
no
account of capitalisation. So a
search for madonna would
return
titles which included madonna and Madonna - and indeed mAdonna,
if someone's finger had slipped
when typing the title in.)
2. And, assuming as a result of the search your auction has
been
returned in the list along with
many others, the title now has to
persuade the searcher to click
through onto YOUR auction
description page - your sales
pitch.
So, in your 55 character title what you're looking for is a
mixture of:-
1. Keywords
2. Powerful influencing words
3. Oh yes, and an outline of your item.
Well, that sounds easy, doesn't it?
One of the determining factors in assessing the weight to
give to
each of those three elements is the
item itself.
Branded item with model ID
--------------------------
In this instance the title is all about the specific item.
Bidders who will be interested in this item will know the
make
and model they're after. For
example:
Aiwa HV-FX5850 6 Head Nicam Hi-Fi Stereo VCR
There is no need to expand on this title, unless to add the
word
NEW as appropriate.
Unbranded item with no obvious model ID
---------------------------------------
The vast majority of auctions will be like this. There is no
standard brand, model or reference
number, so you need to
describe the item yourself.
I was recently selling a tool set for use on mobile phones.
This
is the title I went with:
Torx Hex Mobile Phone Tool Set -
NEW
Mobile phones is a "hot
topic". To work on a Nokia (the most
popular make) mobile phone requires
a torx screwdriver.
I added NEW, as it is still one of the most persuasive
marketing
words you can use.
Named item
----------
If you have a name to latch onto, this can bring plenty of
keyword hits. For example, anyone
interested in Hank Marvin and
his musical instruments would find
this auction through eBay's
search.
Rare Hank Marvin autographed guitar STUNNING
Note the use of a couple of power words to encourage the
viewer
to click through to the auction
page.
Additional tips on auction titles:
---------------------------------
1. Capital letters
Many people on eBay now create their full auction title in
capital letters. This advice is
given in several of the
established "how to sell on
eBay" books. Capital letters do have
one significant advantage over
lower case - they're larger and
therefore take up more line space.
So, with all capitals, your
auction title is more likely to run
to two lines on search
returns, giving your entry a bigger
physical presence on the
screen.
My own opinion is that a mix of capital letters and lower
case is
a slightly better option as it will
take up more space than all
lower case, but it allows you to
give emphasis to selected words.
2. Use of underscore
If you use underscore between words, rather than spaces,
this
will make your title physically
longer - and therefore look
bigger than other peoples'. This is
because eBay uses a
PostScript font where the underscore character is longer
than a
space.
3. Power words to optionally use sparingly in titles
Be aware that searchers will not normally key in words such
as
those in the list below. But where
a title is returned as a
result of a keyword search, and it
contains one of these
influencing words, you could get
more click throughs to your
auction description page. Here are
some of the words that can
help in this respect:
Stunning Limited
edition Unique
Rare New One-off
Exclusive Distinctive Dramatic
Striking Vivid Unusual
Handsome Beautiful Vibrant
Brilliant Mint Exquisite
Perfect Quality
Use power words selectively and appropriately in your title,
bearing in mind your item.
4. Unusual characters
Don't be tempted to use characters in words such as L@@K or
save
£££££ or **** see here ****. First of all, it's usually a
waste
of your precious 55 characters
limit and conveys nothing. Second,
who searches on 4 £ signs or 4
asterisks? Also, in my mind it
portrays the seller as someone
slightly suspicious, perhaps
unprofessional, who isn't confident
enough to let their words do
the talking. Finally, think now as
a bidder, do you react
positively to this kind of device
or not? I know I don't.
5. Be creative
There are opportunities to think creatively about your item.
For
example, if you're selling a device
which is a nasal hair
trimmer, there's not much more you
can put in the title is there?
Well, whilst the item is primarily advertised as a nasal
hair
trimmer, it is also useful for
trimming ear and eyebrow hair.
So the title could include the words "nasal hair, ear
and eyebrow
trimmer". This way your entry
will be in the results of people
searching for nasal hair trimmer,
ear hair trimmer and eyebrow
trimmer.
So, if you've room in your 55 characters, think
"outside the
square" and try and appeal to
groups of potential buyers who may
not necessarily have been the
immediate target for your item.
(The torx hex tool set mentioned
earlier is another example of
this)
6. It's not an English exam
Writing titles is difficult enough without having to worry
about
grammar. Don't be too concerned
that your title doesn't "scan",
or tell a story. Remember the objective with titles is to be
returned on searches, and then to
induce a click through to the
auction description page.
Here's an excellent example of an auction title - it
contains
strong keywords, and also uses
humour to tempt the reader onto
the auction page.
ANTIQUE BRASS BELL-PULL "YOU RANG M'LORD?"
By the way, it worked well. At the time of writing the
auction
was still open. The item had a
starting price of 99p, and is now
at £117, having had 18 bids and 240
auction page views.
Spend as much time as you can on your auction titles. It is
your
best chance of being found by
bidders amongst those 1 million
other items on eBay.co.uk
Having decided on your title, the next element is a
sub-title.
Item Sub-Title
--------------
This is an optional facility which allows you to show more
information about your item. If you
use it, whenever your auction
is returned in searches or is
listed via a category listing your
sub-title appears directly under
the auction title.
As the name implies, sub-title provides you with space to
add
information about your auction
item. You can use this in any way
e.g. to mention some special terms
& condition such as a
moneyback
guarantee or to add further details about the item
itself etc.
Within sub-title, you have the same size limit as the item
title
i.e. 55 characters.
The downside of sub-title is that it is not searched when a
bidder enters keywords into eBay's
standard Search Box. For
searching purposes, eBay treats
sub-title as being part of the
auction description.
Also, it is a fixed fee facility, which makes it a more
attractive option the higher the
value of your auction item. For
low value items you will need to
weigh up carefully the
additional cost of this facility
against the likely increased
exposure i.e. click throughs to your auction page.
I hope this article outlining the considerations for auction
title creation proves useful to
you.
It is based upon an extract from my best selling ebook, 'The
eBay
Formula'.
'The eBay Formula' is now available at a special price for
newsletter readers here:
http://www.workwinners.com/rd01.htm
=============================
4. The eBay Story - so far.....
-------------------------------
Talk about from strength to strength....
eBay Inc has just announced its
Quarter 3 figures for the three
months to
The highlights are:
Profits of $254 million, up 63% over the
same quarter last year.
Revenues of $806 million, up 52% over the
same quarter last year.
Sales value (value of successfully closed auctions) of $8.3
billion, up 44% over the same
quarter last year.
International Revenues (including
over the same quarter last year.
Number of eBay members 125 million, up 46% over the same
quarter
last year.
Number of listings 348 million, up 48% over the same quarter
last
year.
eBay now has 12 categories with
over $1 billion annual value of
sales (value of successfully closed
auctions).
eBay is that most unusual of
creatures - a dot com business that
is making a profit, and thriving!
At home, the Hitwise traffic
survey placed eBay.co.uk as the most
visited ecommerce internet site in
the
So, the eBay name is already well known, is constantly
promoted
and re-promoted by every new member
and in every auction listing.
If you're in the market to make extra money,
and you want to do
it through online auctions, then I
can assure you with eBay you
have definitely selected the right
partner.
Incidentally, do you remember the one about the guy who turned
down The Beatles? This was a record
producer who said, "The
Beatles will never make it!"
Well, Lord Young, the former Trade Secretary in the
Conservative
Government, was travelling through
He was actively looking for internet investments. He had
arranged
meetings with the owners of two
companies who were looking for
investors. After hearing their
pitches, he put his money into
www.wine.com.
Wine.com is still around today. But the other company might
have
given him a slightly better return.
Yes. It was eBay! He could have got in on the ground floor
of one
of the biggest internet successes
seen to date.
Ah well. You win some, you lose some.
I suppose endless supplies of wine at a subsidised price
would
be one way to drown your sorrows!
To give you an idea of how serious eBay are these days, take
a
look at the new marketing campaign.
Don't forget to turn on your
speakers.
http://www.thepowerofallofus.com/
=============================
5. And "The Sunday Times" Follows...
------------------------------------
I didn't realise our Newsletter had such power.
I've been banging on recently about the excellent new
service
from a British company.
This is the one that gives you up to 5 times more speed from
your
existing dial-up connection,
without having to change modem or
ISP.
Do you remember?
Well, now The Sunday Times has taken a look. They have a
technology section called Doors,
and in that section they have a
guru who answers readers questions
on PC matters.
If you get The Sunday Times, go and look in Doors. If you
don't
take The Sunday Times, you can always
nip down to your local
library.
If you want to cut out the middle men - me and The Sunday
Times -
you can go direct and see what the
fuss is all about:
http://www.workwinners.com/nlr1002.htm
=============================
6. A Gift From me to you
------------------------
If you're new to eBay you'll be looking forward to growing
your
feedback rating.
There are ways in which you can get your feedback rating
moving
quickly. I have written a concise
report which shows you how to
do it.
The report is in PDF format, and you can get it from here:
http://www.workwinners.com/nlr1012.htm
==============================
7. Someone's auctioning what? Unusual items currently
available
---------------------------------------------------------------
Nothing surprises me when it comes to internet auctions.
Amuse
yourself with some of these
beauties ...
Thanks to Leeta and Glyn, who both told me about this one.
http://www.workwinners.com/nlr1013.htm
Well, I was just thinking. I suppose 5th November is coming
soon.
Or do you think this might be over the top for my bonfire?
http://www.workwinners.com/nlr1014.htm
Could be a bargain. But please
don't read the auction description
if you're easily offended!
http://www.workwinners.com/nlr1015.htm
I'm sorry. This just appeals to me. It must be my type of
humour.
http://www.workwinners.com/nlr1016.htm
Sounds genuine. But take a look at
his other auctions. Also, what
about that name?
http://www.workwinners.com/nlr1017.htm
Disclaimer - I have no association with any of the sellers
of the
above items.
=============================
8. Finally
----------
If you are changing email addresses soon please put a note
on
your calendar to send a blank email
to:
newsletter@workwinners.com
after you get your new email
address.
I don't want to lose touch with you!
If a friend sent you this newsletter, you need to send a
blank
email to:
newsletter@workwinners.com
That way you can get your own copy next time!
Increasingly, email filters are preventing genuine email
communications such as this
newsletter from reaching subscribers.
If you use any method of checking on your email, and you
wish to
continue receiving the newsletter
you may need to include my
email address in your safe list,
whitelist or address book.
Thank you for continuing to take my newsletter - I hope it
gives
you as much enjoyment to read, as
it does me to write.
Regards
Brian McGregor
Editor - "
====================================
9. My Products Catalogue
Check out my portfolio of products and services:
"The eBay Formula"
How to sell successfully on
time. Special
Price offer to newsletter readers.
http://www.workwinners.com/rd01.htm
"
Twenty six genuine
http://www.workwinners.com/rd02.htm
"Sourcing DVDs, CDs and Videos at Trade Prices"
Where and how to buy DVDs, CDs and Videos at trade prices,
and
how to sell for profit.
http://www.workwinners.com/rd03.htm
"Sourcing and Selling Electrical Products for Big
Profits"
Where and how to buy Widescreen TVs, DVD players and VCR
players
at trade prices, and how to sell
for profit.
http://www.workwinners.com/rd04.htm
"Sourcing Maternity Clothing and Baby Needs at Trade
Prices"
Where and how to buy at trade prices.
http://www.workwinners.com/rd05.htm
"Sourcing and Selling Jewellery for Big Profits"
Where and how to buy jewellery at trade prices, and how to
sell
for profit.
http://www.workwinners.com/rd06.htm
"Sourcing Mobile Phone Accessories at Trade
Prices"
Where and how to buy mobile phone accessories at trade
prices,
and how to sell for profit.
http://www.workwinners.com/rd07.htm
"The Streetwise Buyer's Guide to Radar Detectors"
Don't buy a Radar Detector system until you read this.
http://www.workwinners.com/rd08.htm
Oil Painting Marketing Business
Become my partner in this pleasant money-making venture.
http://www.workwinners.com/rd09.htm
Your Own ebook and Software Sales
Business
Valuable ebooks and software which
you can use and resell on
eBay, and through the website pages
provided.
http://www.workwinners.com/rd11.htm
Broadband speed connection through existing modem and ISP!
Up to 256k speed instantly with this incredible software for
less than 1p per day.
http://www.workwinners.com/nlr1002.htm
Your own business recycling second hand
mobile phones.
Make money today with this brand new business opportunity.
http://www.workwinners.com/nlr1004.htm
Discounts for your use
If you shop at Curry's, Dixons,
the Early Learning Centre, PC
World or Littlewoods Extra, you
will be interested in this. I
know it's nothing to do with eBay,
but a reader brought this to
my attention, and I thought we all
might as well all benefit.
Here is a way in which you can get from 7.5% to 20% discount
on
purchases of new items from the
Online Shops of these retailers.
Check it out here:
http://www.workwinners.com/nlr902.htm
Finally, a book well worth reading.
In 'The eBay Book', long time
eBay user David Belbin,
explains how eBay.co.uk works and how to
get the most out of it, whether you
are a buyer or seller.
Step-by-step, he takes you through the key features of the
site,
advises on bidding and selling
tactics, explains how to minimise
the fees you pay and why feedback
is so important. He explores
the best ways to pay for goods, and
what to do if your
transactions go wrong. This hugely
readable book also contains a
wealth of case studies covering a
wide variety of eBay users.
It's available at Amazon here:
http://www.workwinners.com/nlr809.htm
See all of my products and opportunities here:
=============================
"
weekly.
In each issue you'll get ideas on how to make the most of
buying
and selling on eBay sites from a
If you would like to unsubscribe please use the link at the
bottom of this email.
Finally, be assured that your email address will never be
shared
or sold - ever!
=============================
Copyright Information
Copyright © 2006 Brian McGregor. All rights reserved.
No part of this newsletter may be copied or published without
prior permission, but do please
forward it to your friends and
colleagues as long as you keep it
in its entirety. Brian
McGregor, as publisher, disclaims any liability for the use
of
any information contained herein.
We further claim no
responsibility for the legality or
accuracy of any advertisements
or articles. It is the reader's
responsibility to practice due
diligence in any product or service
acquired based on information
contained in this newsletter.
If you do not want to receive this newsletter, the only one
dedicated to eBay
email to
unsubscribe@workwinners.com
Back to Newsletter Index
=============================
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