The eBay Marketing Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Reach More Customers and Maximize Your Profits [Paperback]

Cliff Ennico (Author), Cindy L. Shebley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 2009

Selling on eBay has never been hotter. There are now almost 900,000 people using eBay as a part-time or full-time source of income. And while there is big money to be made selling merchandise on the site, it is also becoming more and more challenging for sellers to stand out from the crowd. Written by two e-Bay experts, "Marketing Your E-Bay Business" offers advice to eBay sellers on building a successful marketing plan by identifying their customers, determining what items will sell best for them on eBay, and using 'fear' and 'passion' marketing to reach those customers and induce them to buy. Cliff Ennico and Cindy Shebley will help readers market their eBay products and attract and keep customers.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

Competition for customers on eBay is fierce. There are now approximately 1.3 million sellers who rely on eBay as a part-time or full-time source of income. And while there is undoubtedly still big money to be made, it is becoming increasingly difficult for sellers to stand out from the crowd. Written by eBayUniversity instructors Cliff Ennico and Cindy Shebley, The eBay Marketing Bible offers advice to sellers on identifying their customers, determining what items will sell best, and using eBay’s many promotional tools to reach those customers and convince them to buy. This book helps readers:

•  build a successful marketing plan

• brand their eBay business

• develop strategies for individual auction listings and eBay stores

• combine online and offline strategies to build their businesses

• use email marketing, search engine listings, blogs, podcasts, YouTube, and more

From the Back Cover

There’s never any shortage of customers on eBay, but with upwards of one million sellers battling it out for buyer attention, how can you make sure that your eBay business remains front and center? Even assuming you sell quality products at great prices and provide every guarantee under the sun, you’re still just keeping pace. The secret to being an eBay world-beater is in marketing your business in ways that create customer confidence, loyalty, word-of-mouth, repeat business, and brand awareness.

The eBay Marketing Bible is a plain-English, practical guide for all eBay sellers. Whether you’re an experienced online marketer or a complete novice with nothing but a desire to succeed, this book will take your eBay business to the next level. Co-written by eBay business and legal expert Cliff Ennico and eBay marketing expert and PowerSeller Cindy L. Shebley, The eBay Marketing Bible covers every angle of marketing for success on eBay, including how to:

• Turn your hobby or part-time eBaying into a bona fide full-time career

• Identify and reach your ideal customer

• Ensure that you’re selling not only the best-quality products but the right ones

• Take advantage of eBay services created to help your business get off the ground and thrive

• Build an irresistible online profile, from your “about me” page to your own website and your eBay store (or stores)

• Use blogs, podcasts, social networking sites, YouTube, e-mail marketing, eBay communities, search engine advertising on Yahoo! and Google, and much more

You’ll also learn the basics of Web Analytics, or how to look at the specific impact of each marketing strategy and tool you use to see what’s working and what needs work.

The eBay Marketing Bible presents hundreds of real-world examples and several case studies illustrating great strategies in action. The authors have assembled an impressive annotated resource guide and created a selection of customizable marketing forms to help you create and deploy your optimal eBay business plan. Between them, the authors have spoken to tens of thousands of eBayers throughout the United States, and their programs and courses have reached tens of thousands more. Their powerful strategies and proven marketing approaches come together in this one-of-a-kind book written to help you succeed beyond your wildest eBay dreams!

Cliff Ennico is one of America’s leading experts on starting and running your own business. Known for delivering frank, practical advice, he has been called the “Ann Landers of the business world”. A lawyer spe­cializing in small business issues as well as a Certified eBay Education Specialist, he is the author of The eBay Business Answer Book and The eBay Seller’s Tax and Legal Answer Book. Mr. Ennico lives in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Cindy L. Shebley is an eBay Certified Education Specialist and Certified Business Consultant and the author of several books and video tutorials on eBay-centered marketing strategies and techniques. In the late 1990s she began using eBay to liquidate inventory from her “brick and mortar” garden supplies store. Today she is an eBay PowerSeller who sells photography and video equipment and supplies for eBay sellers. Ms. Shebley lives in Seattle, Washington.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 308 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM (June 30, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814414400
• ISBN-13: 978-0814414408
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #551,631 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent source for marketing on eBay and other venues!, July 16, 2009

By 

buyeronamaz - See all my reviews

This review is from: The eBay Marketing Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Reach More Customers and Maximize Your Profits (Paperback)

Unlike some other eBay authors you can tell these guys have experience selling online especially on eBay. They have written this book in a way that beginners and advanced sellers may benefit. Although we have been selling for years online we found many useful marketing points that we were previously unaware of. There is also a section that is helpful for marketers/sellers on other platforms i.e. Amazon, Overstock. etc. Social networking information is also covered in detail which is a hot topic right now. dallastexasmedia

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Even artists and sellers of one-of-a-kind items will find something useful here, May 16, 2010

By 

Kitty Kellie "[e-mail]" (Lynnwood, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The eBay Marketing Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Reach More Customers and Maximize Your Profits (Paperback)

While I think this book focuses mainly on the sellers who wish to mass market products, as a fine artist I found many helpful tips throughout the book that I will refer to over and over and over again. I do want to point out a couple of things that this book recommends that may not work for you especially if you are not a seller of mass produced items. The first suggestion is that you open a store. Stores get more visibility in searches but this option may not be economically in the best interest of anyone who does not have a large inventory. I find that my items still come up in searches without a store so I'm not convinced I need to have one at this time. e-Bay has a tool called a fee illustrator that you can use to determine if a store is a good choice for this stage of your business. [...]

Something called Second Life was mentioned in this book several times as a way of social networking. The book warns that you may become addicted to this program and after joining, I can totally see why they would tell you that. I spent a couple of nights on there and let's just say that 3 hours seemed to pass in only a few minutes. I have yet to see the point of this program as a way of building your e-Bay business. It seems more like a waste of time better spent in other ways. The authors have indicated that your Second Life avatar will be active in the environment even while you are signed out. This is not true so do not go create an avatar thinking you can send them on their way on your behalf with the hope that customers will come flocking. It won't happen.

The book is laid out in easy to read sections with clear subtitles so you can easily find information later if you need to go back. The authors have done a fantastic job sharing their experience in a way that is humorous and informative. While this book does not have an in-depth coverage of any specific topic, I would definitely recommend it as a spring board to further reading on the marketing topics that appeal most to you because not all of them will apply to all types of e-Bay businesses. There is enough information provided to at least get you started and headed in the right direction right now.

The authors also stress the importance of jumping on the competition band wagon, going where your customers are and well, becoming a slave to them in some respect. Yes, you do need to go where your customers are but again, this concept does not necessarily work for those of us selling one of a kind items like fine art. Don't get me wrong, there is some great information with regard to customer service that will work even in the art world. As a creator of one-of-a-kind items, you can charge whatever you want for your work so be true to yourself and make art that you like not what you think someone else will buy. Your customers are out there, the point of this is letting them know you exist. This book will help you get there, just take the information that speaks to you and makes sense for your business and leave the rest.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended!, April 1, 2010

By 

Joel DePeri (NY metro) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The eBay Marketing Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Reach More Customers and Maximize Your Profits (Paperback)

Quite possibly the best book on the market for starting an Ebay business. I've read over a dozen books on Ebay businesses and this wins hands down. Geared towards those who are already established in an Ebay business and are looking for ways to increase the bottom line. Many, many innovative idea's. I had originally checked this book out from the library, but I had to buy a copy for my own. It's a keeper!