| This article was originally intended to be about taking | | | | perfect opportunity to sell me something else. So what |
| pictures for auction listings. How to do it properly, what | | | | has this to do with image? Let’s start with the |
| free or inexpensive software is available for image | | | | listings. Auction titles for all were quite good or very |
| manipulation, digital cameras and camera phones. | | | | good. Price, this is where it starts to unravel. What sort |
| However just as I was about to start writing… | | | | of quality information would you expect to buy for |
| The following happened, or rather hit me full in the | | | | 99cents? Exactly, 99cents worth if you are lucky. |
| face, I have been researching for nearly two weeks | | | | Products cross promoted in listings, but no up sell other |
| the types of product currently available in my chosen | | | | than that. Poor descriptions, descriptions communicate |
| online niche. My niche area being the selling of physical | | | | about the product, they also communicate about you |
| products on eBay and beyond. I decided to check out | | | | as a seller, about your business, and this is often not |
| what was currently selling on eBay in information | | | | understood. Do your listings look professional? If they |
| products “Making Money on eBay”. A simple | | | | do not, what will your service be like? |
| search threw up 135 listings. As part of my research I | | | | The product that arrived on CD, what would I expect? |
| bought 4 products that promised to “reveal | | | | I would expect that the CD would have a properly |
| secrets”, make me a better eBayer etc, etc. I paid | | | | printed label (15c) with the company name or eBay ID |
| from 99c to $8.95 and acquired the whole lot for under | | | | on it, it should arrive in a jewel case or DVD box (15c), |
| $20 | | | | that it should be sent in a padded envelop for safety |
| So what can I say? Well, all 4 listings promised that I | | | | and security (15c), some people may even want a |
| was buying the information on a CD. Three of these | | | | sleeve for the CD or DVD case (15c). |
| arrived as an e-mail attachment, this is against eBay | | | | What arrived? A little blue plastic mailing sack with a |
| rules (I have no problem with obtaining products by | | | | CD in a plastic sleeve with the name of the product |
| download link) eBay changed this policy sometime ago | | | | written on the disk in marker pen! Call me Mr. Picky but, |
| to shipping products on physical media. The fourth | | | | that does not communicate to me a professional |
| product arrived on the promised CD. Just to give a | | | | image. For less than 40c the seller could have |
| comment on the listings the 3 that arrived by e-mail, | | | | impressed the hell out of me just by doing the simple |
| their listings were very amateurish. The one that | | | | stuff. They could have included a business card or |
| arrived on CD had a much more professional listing | | | | compliments slip with the address of their eBay shop |
| with a proper sales page, this came with resale rights. | | | | and an invitation to browse the other items for sale |
| A few minutes of investigation further showed that it | | | | with the possibility of me making another purchase. I |
| was a resale rights product and was being sold by a | | | | have yet to use the disk as it arrived only yesterday, it |
| number of different sellers. | | | | could easily be the best $8.95 I have ever spent, but at |
| Now here’s the rub, the first 3 items the products | | | | the moment it shouts only one thing, cheap and |
| were exceptionally poor, these were the cheapest, | | | | unprofessional, sorry that’s two things. |
| and I got what I paid for and probably what I deserved, | | | | So what’s your image going to be like? |
| cheap tat at a cheap price. The sellers all missed the | | | | |