How to Market with Niche Auction Sites

by Diana Barnum

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated - send to: diana@ohiohelp.net How to Market with Niche Auction Sites Online auctions are big business. But they can be big headaches. During the past year, trading in online commerce was valued at $60 billion, according to "Business Standard.” Online trade among small businesses makes up 1 per cent of USA's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and is expected to reach 10 per cent or $400 billion of USA's GDP by 2010. “But setting up and maintaining operations on huge auction sites like Ebay is not always easy,” said Rich Moc, owner of Performance Cars at Pcars.com, a niche automotive auction site.” “People can spend a lot of time sifting through cluttered pages of auctions, bidding, setting up accounts and managing multiple, confusing and expensive fees that can take an accountant to figure out. And trying to figure out how to submit a simple email or place a quick call for help can be a pain in the neck.” The solution or pain relief for big auction headaches? Smaller, niche sites with personalized service. For example, Performance Cars offers easier management, one-on-one help and plenty of options to help with automotive solutions and aftermarket selling. Some of their auction tips are: · Customer Service - When you have an item listed and a potential buyer contacts you with a question, respond quickly. It is important and actually critical to your success to check your email account several times a day. Answering a question could be the difference between you getting the sale or the buyer going someplace else. · Description - When you list your item(s), write an accurate description. No need to write long paragraphs of rambling information. But do provide exact measurements, colors, condition, etc. Be precise. · Exceed Expectations - You want every customer to be happy. So do a little more research on shipping, or negotiate on price. But remember that the customer is the reason you will have success. Be prepared to go the extra mile and provide superior service every time. · Digital Images - While auctions without photographs can and do sell, auctions with photographs sell much better. People like visualizations and want to see what they will get with their money. Make sure your photograph is clear, focused and offers more than just a straight view. With Pcars.com, sellers can instantly create their own account and setup their own homepage. Next they add their product information and links. Then upload images, up to eight photos included with the no-cost membership. That's it. “It is THE BEST site to host photos and one of the best to sell and buy things for your car!” shared Lefteris from Greece who sells Jewels for Porsches regularly on Ebay and now on Pcars.com, too. “And the site is very easy to use.” The site is developing to meet needs of the buyers and sellers. In the works are Photo Gallery for hosting pictures, AV Center for racing videos, and a Forum for comments and sharing automotive tips. “As a seller I find the PCARS site very easy to list and I like that I can have large photos for my items,” Lefteris explained. “I use Ebay also, but I find the PCARS site much, much better. I'm here to stay.” Progressing Discount Price Plan Also under way is a new Progressing Discount Price (PDP) plan. Sellers will have the option to list their prices so that they decrease over time, while waiting for someone to buy. This option benefits the sellers by allowing them to discount their inventories as time progresses. Additionally, this ensures that inventories may get sold at the end of the listing period (usually 30-day). The benefit for the buyers is that they get to buy the items cheaper the next day if the items have not been sold. Here is an example with this option: http://www.pcars.com/autos/partview.php?view=65 . Automotive sellers and buyers are invited to setup Dealer Accounts and Private Party Accounts at Pcars.com and see how simple the site works. They can sell and buy new and used performance vehicles, parts, accessories and auto care products of all types, quickly & easily online. For more tips and to sign up for a new account, visit http://www.pcars.com or contact Rich at staff@pcars.com or Diana at db@presssuccess.com ; call: (626) 688-1919. About author: Diana Barnum, president of http://movingaheadcommunications.com and CEO of http://ohiohelp.net For more help with marketing, public relations and writing, email mailto:diana@ohiohelp.net or call: (614) 529-9459.

Bidding For Buyers---Lessons From The Auction Block

by Jerome Chapman

If you think that E-bay has nothing to teach you, think again. It doesn’t matter much that you aren’t in the auction business and that your website is entirely different in scope. What matters is that the first place phenomenon of the Internet Revolution is E-bay. Its evolution is not just as a profitable e-business but a new culture of society. The lessons learned at E-bay might just get you off the surfboard and onto that ship you have been waiting to come in. This on-the-edge idea broke ground out of a humble Silicon Valley apartment into a reality model of more than 10 million registered users and sales to the tune of more than $100 a nano-second. In other words, while you spent ten seconds reading this sentence, they sold $1000 worth of merchandise. Yes, E-bay has something to teach us all. For within their model are lessons you can learn and adopt in your own business, no matter what your business is. Practicality dictates a certain model in order for entrepreneurs to achieve success. Until, of course, a titan in thinking comes along to blow that model to kingdom come and put in it’s place a new paradigm of thinking. Enter E-bay. Enter the non-conventional. But enter, ready to learn. The Courage of Ideas- E-bay started out as an idea in the brain of someone not so different than you. One man, in an apartment got a creative inspiration that he turned into the biggest reality of success the Internet has yet to see. What does this tell us? That it can happen to you. I’m sure that the idea had its obstacles to overcome before it ever arrived at its current glory, but through persistence became real. Ideas have power once we fuel them. Believe in the future of your ideas and surround yourself with people that can support and nuture that belief. The Journey With Out A Roadmap Some business journey’s are not by the book, complete with business plan and a clear vision of its destination. Many ideas evolve, change, and grow through continued inspiration and perspiration. This isn’t to say that the business plan is not important, but rather that flexibility is. Be ready to take a new road when the one you’re started down is not achieving your vision. Realize that this is the evolution of an inspired idea. Taking the Old, and Incorporating The New Be prepared to blend both new E-commerce ideas with old tried-and-true principles for a net result that will equal success. Don’t banish all of one theory for another, but rather mix what works. Affiliate programs with established marketing plans, advertising venues with email, etc. Be courageous, but wise. >From Business to Community Create a place that others will talk about. It is the nature of people to want to gather, so create a gathering place for people to share ideas, make the deal, and communicate. The dynamics of the Internet is in its community and E-bay saw the value of this and became not just a community, but a society of it’s own. Body Parts Are Not For Sale—Making Good with Bad Times While E-bay got press over body parts that were put on it’s site for sale, it wasn’t all bad. Yes, they obviously pulled these auctions from the site once it came to their attention, but the press it created did not hurt E-bay. In fact, it solidified them as THE online community of our time. The place to be, to go, to bookmark, and return. It drove more people to the site. The lesson? Make good with bad times. Weather the situation, but create an event. Evolving Forward Remember above all that change is what creates a forward moving, successful business. Never stay stagnant. Be aware of consumer’s tastes, the change of trends in behavior, and constantly evolve your plan. E-bay was an idea. We all have them. The question is what will you do with the next one that pops into your head? You know the potential now, and if you doubt it, visit E-bay to become convinced. About the Author Jerome Chapman has proven his own credibility to his clients through numerous successful businesses and some of the most compelling e-books about marketing on the web. Visit his web site at http://www.1HourWealth.com/ebay.

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