Many retail shops that operate online web stores have an eBay storefront as well. eBay is an incredibly popular outlet to buy everything from toilet paper to cell phones. eBay is great because buyers come looking and ready to buy. With eBay’s “Buy It Now” option, it is easier than ever to instantly sell your products. Many sellers prefer to use the “Buy It Now” option because their items are priced to sell and most people do not bid on auctions until the last minute.
As some of you know, we operate an online business called Treo Webinar, which features an online training module for the Palm Treo 650 and 700 smartphones. We sell the Treo Webinar on the web site for $4.97 and also offer a Getting Started Free Trial for those not ready to make the purchase. We have spent a great deal of time customizing the web site and writing original content to pursuade buyers to spend their $5 bucks for instant Treo help. We also sell the Treo Webinar on eBay, for the same price. The eBay listing, however, has far less written content and no page customization. Ironically, we have sold AT LEAST twice as many Treo Webinars on eBay as we do on our own site.
What is the reason? Just like people use search engines to find what they are looking for, they use eBay in much the same way. In eBay’s case, however, they have to purchase their desired content. We are only one of two listings in an eBay search for “Treo help,” but when you do a Google search for it, there are over 4.5 million listings.
I have been frustrated with eBay over the past week because they have pulled my domain auction listing for theiphone.net several times. However, eBay is not all bad and our success rate selling Treo Webinar has been very good. I am convinced eBay is an excellent source to sell information on the cheap.
So what is the better choice? To sell on eBay or to have your own customized web store? BOTH! We have certainly sold many more Webinars over eBay, but we have sold many from our web site too. The best place to sell is in as many places as possible. You can never have too much exposure.
Nate, this is a solid little article and the following sentence really spurred some interesting ideas to sell info myself. You wrote: “I am convinced eBay is an excellent source to sell information on the cheap.”
You seem to have a solid little product here, and although I am a Blackberry user, I can fully see how your product would benefit any nooB or Treo upgrader.
I think you should add your product to http://www.productwiki.com
-Anthony