E-Commerce is Booming. Are You Benefiting?

Five years ago, people were surfing the web.

Three years ago, people started to use the Internet to buy and sell goods. Two years ago, during the 1998 holiday season, over 1 million AOL members bought at least one item online.

This gave us a small hint of how big online shopping might get.

In 1999's holiday season, e-commerce exploded in all directions, taking its toll on traditional malls and shops. This year, even stores like Kmart and Walmart are spending millions to promote online shopping, bringing more people than ever on board the shopping wave of the future.

Although all of us can see what's happening, only a small percentage of the general population is actually capitalizing on the Internet shopping revolution. E-commerce is here to stay. How long will it be before the rest of us get on board? Why haven't we joined the revolution?

For many of us, the answer to that question is that we simply don't know where to start or what to do once we begin.

Most of us probably think we need to have expertise in the world of web design and HTML, or perhaps an MBA. However, there are plenty of experts out there who specialize in building web sites and making everything work. And you don't need an MBA, all you need is a goal and a plan of action.

To help get you started, there are some basic things you will need. First of all, you'll need a professional-looking web site with a secure shopping cart and the ability to accept credit cards. This is important, because most Internet shoppers are picky about security, and 80% of them prefer to use their credit card.

Once you have the web site, you need something to sell. Don't have any ideas? Think about the things that you have purchased online, or would like to shop for without having to physically go out and look. Household items are among the best sellers on the Net. Furniture, small appliances, electronics, and accessories for the home are all easy to shop for online.

This time of year, toys are huge sellers, as well as anything that people traditionally like to give as gifts: clothing, jewelry, personal accessories, shoes, even gift certificates.

Now, most of us might not expect that the lion's share of online transactions come from business-to-business sales, but they do. Expert services make up a big chunk, plus information, office supplies, airline tickets, and a myriad of other things.

If you're a trying to cash in on the business-to-business market, there are a few important things you need to do.

First, start by providing free personalized advice. Once you have a good number of customers taking advantage of that, step them up to paid consulting. Along the way, you can sell related products and services.

Most people like getting information via email, but will also appreciate it if you're available by telephone as well.

Get a toll free number that shows you're serious about being available to all potential customers, and people will feel more secure knowing that you're just a phone call away.

source

Build eBay Profits with a Powerful Category Strategy

Sometimes it's tough to tell where your buyers are. You're not sure which category is the best place to list your item.

Not everyone has the benefit of an item to auction with a perfect eBay category waiting such as 'Barbie Contemporary.'

Here's a simple research process you can use to increase your chances of success. Search for similar items and see what categories they're in. If they're scattered across a few different categories, look for the categories where bids are being made. Bids matter, listings don't. Just keep in mind that the bids could be the result of other factors such as price, desirability and condition. Also, look at the performance of the seller. If she's a power seller she probably has an understanding of which categories work best for her auctions.

But what if your item doesn't seem to fit anywhere? What if nobody else is auctioning something similar? Get to know eBay's 'Everything Else' category. Is there a fit for your item in 'Gifts and Occasions' or one of the three subcategories in 'Weird Stuff?'

These areas get high levels of traffic. Specifically there are a lot of browsers and your item may catch some attention here.

The 'Slightly Unusual' category typically delivers more traffic than the other two. Study this area of eBay and you'll find everything from Weather Balloons to Tarot Cards.

Run tests of different categories. Run auctions with 'Second Categories.' Use the free Andale tools to keep track of page views.

Why should you test a second category? You may discover that bidders are where you least expect them. And if this happens, don't feel sheepish. Professional marketers armed with years of discipline and piles of research are trying to learn the exact same thing.

When Kimberly Clark first put Kleenex on the market the product wasn't designed for people with runny noses. Kleenex was advertised as a cold cream remover. Sales were terrible until the firm discovered their product was being used as a disposable handkerchief.

Once Kleenex wound up in the right category it flourished. It's the exact same scenario on eBay. Even with eBay search, getting your item in front of a prospective bidder is essential. Keep in mind that search will cover up a lot of listing shortcomings. But if you rely solely on search for your prospective bidders, you're losing a sea of browsers, impulse bidders who are a crucial segment of your market.

So if your auctions need a jolt, don't assume that the problem is price. Pay attention to your category. Even a great description in the less than ideal category can't turn browsers into bidders.

Copyright 2004 Paul Talbot All Rights Reserved : source

The Best gps device available

A common question today is 'what is the best device in gps technology available?' Well the answer to that question varies infinitely as one person may consider something good and another considers the same thing inferior. It is best to ask that question based on some common parameters like do you want an all round system? Are you willing to spend a little extra? Do you want a near custom made device? As far as gps devices go, Garmin, Magellan and Delorme are the top three manufacturers. For an all round gps device, the GPSMAP 60CSx from Garmin Company is a good bet. It has high accuracy in coordinating locations, a clear color screen that is readable even in sunlight; it is waterproof so fish tracking under water can also be an option. Along with the preinstalled maps a storage device in the form of a memory chip can be inserted to store extra maps or instructions that you would like to download. But consider this only if your pockets are extra deeps as with its unique barometric altimeter and compass its price rockets. The Explorist 500 LE from Magellan makes it to the second slot. Now the largest advantage to this hand held gps navigator is its price tag, it costs about a third of the GPSMAP 60CSx. The explorist gets the job done even if it does not use the latest when it comes to softwares. Its screen size though is 2.25 squared inches and is readable in most lighting conditions. This also has capacity to insert a memory stick and is also waterproof. This device is sensibility over style. Ranked number 3 is the Earthmate GPS PN-20 from Delorme Company. It is nearly as expensive as the number one device on the list but what sets this piece of navigating metal apart from the other two is the ability to show terrain, and it is surprisingly very clear on a 2.2 inch screen. The color display passed all tests when it came to readability and its accuracy isn’t bad either. It doesn’t weight much so carrying it around won't be a hindrance. Now all of the devices listed above were based on all round perspectives, naturally you the buyer will have your own personal requirements and the best way to achieve this is by testing a product yourself or picking something that will be stronger in one area but may lack another feature. Author : Abhishek is a passionate about Global Positioning Systems and he has got some great GPS Secrets up his sleeves!