I’ve always heard from multiple internet experts to never “put all of your eggs in one basket.”  Thank heavens I heeded their advice and didn’t break the bank investing in my new eBook business or rely solely upon the success of this new strategy as my primary means of earning some coin online.

As  of March 31, 2008 (less than 2 weeks ago) items that are downloadable in nature are no longer allowed to be sold on eBay :(.

Considering I just invested heavily in re-vamping the backend of my 3riversauctions.com website to turn it into an eBay eBook selling machine I cannot help but say that for what may be the first time, I’m somewhat irritated with an eBay decision.

eBay has always been focused on gearing their community towards the buyer, not the seller - and this is nothing unexpected or new.  This has always been an acceptable approach that most sellers have unreluctantly endorsed, because the better the community is for buyers, the more buyers that will flock to the site, and in turn, the more opportunities sellers will have to close the deal on every auction.

However, for what I think may be the first time ever, eBay has created a policy that outright negatively effects THOUSANDS of eBay sellers!  There were countless sellers earning an entire living selling downloadables and now that is all out the window.

I’m especially displeased since I was in the process of launching a new digital product business using all of the latest techniques and strategies.  I invested nearly $1,000 into redesigning my site and integrating multiple scripts and processes to make it the slickest eBook selling & delivering machine ever fathomed.

After all the grief and frustration caused by this controversial policy change one positive benefit has emerged… those who are willing to adapt and overcome will be able to thrive selling their previously “downloadable” goods on CD or DVD and evolving them into a “physical” good.

The answer to this new policy for those who wish to persist, is to simply start burning your digital products to CD and carrying on listing them on eBay as good ole physical products.

Depending on the price point and volume of your business, you may wish to burn & replicate your CD’s or DVD’s at home… but I recommend using a fancier method which is still very cost effective, and that is to choose a reliable fulfillment & replication service such as Kunaki.  There are multiple others out there that offer a good solution, do your due diligence and research a bit!

There’s also a couple great courses that were just enhanced and released to address this pressing issue.

The first course is by Dave Nicholson and it will show you how to turn your digital product into a physical product by making it into an attractive CD complete with Auto-run capability and a professional menu/interface.

Click here to check out Dave Nicholson’s approach to creating a physical product out of your downloadable goods (ONLY $27)

You may also like to check out a course created by Dave Lovelace which has some great videos and addresses the same issues.  I’m not sure what your “R&D” or “Professional Development” budget may be like but I know that I personally invest heavily into these sorts of courses and appreciate differing opinions, competing products, and the insight of a few different perspectives.

Check out Dave Lovelace’s all in one solution addressing the policy changes here:

Click here to learn Dave Lovelace’s method to creating a physical product - ONLY $10!

Feel free to discuss this topic by leaving a comment on this blog post or by visiting the 3 Rivers Auctions FORUMS.

Filed under: eBay News | 4 Comments »

Just a quick update on my mischievous plans to take over eBay one eBook at a time . . . mua hahaha.

So anyways, I’m moving right along and plan to start pumping out a few screen capture videos within the next few days documenting the journey beginning right from my eBay account creation.  I plan on using a brand spanking new eBay user id to sell these digital products.

Mind you a good bit of work and elbow grease has already gone into this project prior to creating the new account, but I really wanted to start at square one to show that anyone can do this with the right knowledge and experience.

I’m planning on using Blackthorne as my listing tool as mentioned in a previous post.  I’m now getting a little more familiar with Blackthorne and consulting with a friend who is a real Blackthorne pro!

I know the goal here is to create some educational material in the process of earning a few bucks selling digital info products, but just because I’m starting out from scratch like a rookie would doesn’t mean I have to act like a rookie too!

I’m pulling out all the stops and tapping into all of my resources to make sure this is the ultimate step by step course to selling eBooks on eBay.

More to come in the next few days!

Also, watch out for another Auction Selling 101 newsletter coming very soon.  We’ll also be having another webinar in the next week or so if you are interested make sure you’re on the mailing list to get notified of the date and time!

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So yea I realize the title of this post is a little goofy but that is about the best way I could think to sum it all up. I am actually right smack dab in the middle of setting up my eBook checkout process.

Here’s the skinny so far:

* I’ve decided to use a download management and protection script called DL Guard.

* I have setup two custom pages where the customer will be encouraged to join 3RA and my newsletter.

* Everything has been integrated into the existing 3RA theme

* I’m going to be using an eBay listing tool called “Blackthorne” to manage my listings and ad templates

To be honest it has been a good bit of work but getting this all setup is the hardest part. I came to a realization the other day. I started 3RA to share auction tips and somewhere along the way I stopped selling on eBay.

Not too much has changed since my eBook PowerSelling days but I have learned quite a bit since then. I have shifted my focus from earning money selling eBooks, to getting leads & earning money selling eBooks.

Getting a visitor to join a newsletter and become one of my valued subscribers is far more valuable than the buck or two I would earn selling an eBook alone.

Check out my thank you page and eBook download page (the eBook download page is nearly complete, just awaiting a video welcoming the visitor to the site and encouraging them to join our forums & newsletter).

The Thank You Page is the page visitors will see immediately after purchasing an eBook via the PayPal “Buy It Now” option.

Thank You Page:

http://www.3riversauctions.com/thankyou.php

eBook Download Page:

http://www.3riversauctions.com/ebook.htm

(The eBook page will display the customer’s download information if they have actually made a purchase, in this case you will only see the generic variables).

As you can see by viewing those two pages they are both highly focused on letting the customer know how much I appreciate their business and also encouraging them to become a lead.

From A Buyer’s Perspective

I think the best way to summarize and refine the process is to look at the whole thing through a buyer’s perspective.

Let’s start off at the auction listing. The buyer will find my listing on eBay and decide to make a purchase. Immediately after paying the buyer will see instructions from eBay directing them to my Thank You Page. Once on the Thank You Page the buyer is welcomed and given instructions to download their eBook AND join my newsletter & forums.

Depending on what the customer decides to do, they can enter the secure download management area right from the Thank You Page. Alternatively, they can await an instructional email giving them a direct link to the download page.

Should the visitor choose to visit the download area directly from the Thank You Page they will need to enter in their PayPal email address and eBay Item number because that Thank You Page is setup so that ALL purchases are directed here first.

In order for the download page to populate the proper information the customer must arrive there after either typing in their PayPal email address & eBay item number OR by clicking on the download link contained with the email message they will receive from me after purchase.

The download page “knows” what information to display based on the customer entering in their info, or by the download URL provided in the email message.

This whole new eBook checkout process is kind of like a Ferrari compared to the “Ford Fiesta” way I sold eBooks in the past. I’m really excited to see some results.

Currently, I’m waiting until I’m totally please with my listing template.

More to come on this topic…

Filed under: 3RA News | 1 Comment »

Until a few weeks ago the name Frank Kern was known to me but hardly caused me to bat an eyebrow. Now, it’s like everytime I blink someone is mailing out another promo or raving about his new product due to launch in the next few days. I’ve been following Frank’s launch of Mass Control and have to say I’ve fallen victim to his intensely laid back style as well.

I was on the fence as to whether or not I was going to drop a message to my list regarding Mass Control but after watching along for a few weeks as Frank strategically releases bite sized info-packed bit after bit the decision has become a “no brainer.” Not only have I decided to promote Frank’s madness at the last minute but I also whipped together a pretty enticing bonus for those who decide to buy Mass Control through my affiliate link…

Before we get into all that and watch a slick little video I made on the fly today let’s look a bit closer at Frank & Mass Control…

What I’ve Gathered About Frank Kern:

Frank is a chilled out surfer dude who doesn’t seem to strap on a shirt and tie for anybody… but that doesn’t mean a thing when it comes to experience and knowledge. Mr. Kern seems to be the guru’s guru when it comes to internet marketing and his addictive personality shines through even in the videos he has been putting out to spread the word about Mass Control. You can tell just by reading some of Frank’s work and watching a few of his vids that he is a highly intelligent/educated marketer who is very well articulated. Although he seems to have made his bones in a niche outside of the stereotypical “Internet Marketing” niche, he also has the recommendation of many of the most highly trusted marketers.

What I’ve Gathered About Mass Control:

Mass Control seems to be more of a marketing method than anything else. The way I see it, the Mass Control method brings together a combination of “seductive selling,” psychological stimulations, and the fine art of “implicitly” convincing your buyers that they want your product.

It’s bonus time:

I put together an elbow cracking fresh bonus that will hopefully get you to not only scoop up a copy of Mass Control for yourself, but also motivate you to get your butt to San Diego for Frank’s 2 day workshop.

I waited way too long to decide whether or not to promote Mass Control. There is a lot of value and high quality info just from the free stuff Frank has been putting out to build the buzz around Mass Control that I know although the decision to create a bonus and promote is a late one, it’s definitely worth the effort.

So without futher adieu…

Drum Roll Please…

Watch the following video for an idea of what to expect as part of the kick-ass bonus I’ve put together for you:

Oh and before I forget, I did mention in the video that in addition to the main bonus I will have a few other things for you and I’ll outline them real quick…If you buy Mass Control through me you’ll also receive:* The top secret digits you’ll need to get in touch with me anytime you like for the remainder of 2008… I will be your right hand man and personal internet marketing advisor/confidante* Free lifetime “Pro” membership to ProFromGo.com (which is almost ready for the masses at the time of this announcement)Here’s what you need to do now…In order to make sure that you receive your bonuses, the first thing to do is to clear your cookies.

Here’s some simple instructions to help you do just that:

For Internet Explorer Users:

-Go To Tools
-Go to Internet Options
-In the “General” tab (default) and under “Browsing History”, click “Delete”
-Click “Delete Files” under “Temporary Internet Files”
-Click OK and then OK again.

For Mozilla Firefox Users:

-Go to Tools
-Go to Options
-Go to Privacy and then Private Data
-Click “Clear Now”
-Check “Cache” and “Cookies” and then “Clear Now”
-Click “Clear Private Data Now”

Once you’ve done all that go purchase Mass Control right here right now and then drop me an email to claim your bonuses:

Click Here To Go Learn More About Mass Control & Frank Kern The Wild Surfing Millionaire

Enjoy!

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Ok, so the new “re-skin” of the site is almost complete.  If you’ve been a member or frequent visitor here for any time I’m sure you’ve noticed the changes by now.  I have heard from a few friends and members/subscribers and so far everyone really digs the new look.

The most recent developments is that I’ve decided on a support script to run on the site for customer support.  The script is called “Maian Support” and I had a chance to test it out a bit after seeing it action on someone else’s website.  Believe it or not after checking out tons and tons of demos of support scripts the one that I decided on (Maian) is totally free.

There are a lot of paid versions out there but I chose Maian for a few reasons which I’ll cover briefly…

1.)  It’s easy to use and very straightforward.

The script has a simple layout and it only takes a few seconds for someone to intuitively figure out exactly what they need to do in order to open a new support ticket.

2.)  The design is so basic it does not divert your attention

I saw a lot of support scripts that were so fancy I feared people would be intimidated by them.  When someone is asking for product or website support they aren’t interested in all the bells and whistles at that point.  They just want answers and solutions.

 3.)  The script does not require a user to register

One of the most frustrating things for a person is coming to a site looking for support is having to jump through a dozen hoops in order to open a ticket.   I didn’t want a script where people would need support on how to use the support page :).  I also wanted a script where anyone could quickly and easily open tickets without having to register.

4.)  The script allows for communication back and forth in a well documented and easy to understand format

One of the cooler features of this script was the way that the admin could communicate with the ticket holder.  This script actually allows the admin to go back and forth with the ticket holder by allowing for responses to be added.  Each time a new response is added the ticket holder is notified and can then add a reply of their own.

I really liked the way everything was documented and time stamped so you could see an almost forum-like convo take place, which really made for a nice support method.

Implementation

You will see this script show up on the 3RA site within the next couple of days along with a new “Tab” up in our navigation menu that says “Support.”  Coinidentally, the support tab will be the last tab to the right as that is the way it falls into place alphabetically on our menu options.

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Ok, time to face the music. This site has been severely neglected the past few months as I was working on other projects. So a few weeks ago I decided to give 3RA yet another overhaul because after all this site is still my “baby” so to speak.

3RA was one of my first websites so I can’t just let it fall behind to other projects and not get the attention it deserves. This place used to kick a whole lot of butt when I first started the site off… the forums were bumping, people were commenting all over the blog, and life was good here at 3RA.

I originally created the site to provide some free resources and tips to eBay sellers. I kind of lost sight of that big picture when I started my last project (AuctionSelling101.com) where we were charging for personal support and live coaching, along with giving out some excellent training material and resources.

Now that AuctionSelling101.com is up and running nicely, with a lot of happy members, I’ve decided to try and inject some life back into good ‘ole 3RA !

Over the next week or two you’re going to see a lot of new developments on the site “look & feel” wise, layout wise, and hopefully traffic & excitement wise.

I have my main programmer re-doing all the stuff that needed updating, trashing all the stuff that stinks, and setting this whole site up for a “live” experiment I’ll be running over the next few weeks.

I can’t go into too much detail about the live ‘experiment’ but in a nutshell, 3RA is going to be a hub for digital product retailers if everything goes as planned. We are going to start selling digital products, and lots of ‘em, on eBay. This site is getting totally tricked out to be used as a means for delivering people’s orders that will be placed on eBay, with the alterior motive of also recruiting some new members to the free 3RA forums… because the more digital product auction sellers we can bring together here the more powerful our community will become.

I’ve always kind of kept my eye on a lot of the things that a few of the highly successful digital product retailers do… I even go and purchase items from them just to checkout their “checkout” process :).

A lot of what I know and what I’ve recently learned will all be going into this little “experiment” and I will be recording the daily trials and tribulations as my adventure to eBay PowerSelling superstar of digital items unfolds.

If you’re not already a 3RA forum member sign up now so you can stay abreast of the news & updates.

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This past week I sent out a few messages about a new challenge being offered by Michael Green of HowToCorp.

Michael’s challenge aimed at having participants earn $20,000 in a 20 day period starting purely from scratch.

Several people who signed up for the 20/20 challenge through my recommendation are also going to receive the added bonus of personal support via my online discussion forums here at 3riversauctions!

If you are interested in following along with their progress check out this area of the forum and read the “20/20 Challenge Threads.” But be warned, you may have to register and login to view the threads:

Click here

Michael’s challenge comes with an in depth toolkit and as of this moment it’s no longer being offered…

The participants who signed up last week through my recommendation were lucky enough to get in during a special offer Michael put out in order to beta test his new 20/20 toolkit.

It’s going to be very interesting to see their progress so if you didn’t sign up for the challenge at least join my forums so you can watch the success of other members unfold right before your very eyes!

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I just added a great new article to the knowledge base.  This one is on product sourcing and was written by Chris Malta.  I read this article and thought it was so good I should share it on the blog and in a short newsletter.

Take a gander and feel free to post comments on the article, or rate the article, to let other members know what you thought of it.

Here’s the beginning of the article:

Finding Products for Your Business

The idea of product sourcing may seem overwhelming to you as a new business owner, but it’s really very simple: It just means finding products at a wholesale price that you can resell at a retail price. Whether you’re starting an eCommerce site or a physical retail business, you need a steady, reliable source of inventory. Otherwise, you are going to end up disappointing your customers through lack of product variety, back orders and more. For the vast majority of retail entrepreneurs, the main source of products will be a factory-authorized wholesale supplier.

To read the rest of this article, CLICK HERE.

Thanks for checking out this post, feel free to comment on the blog or on the article once you head over to read it!

Speak soon,

Chris V.

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Most of my regular visitors, newsletter subscribers, and forum members know that I have worked a few nice deals on eBay related training and software packages. Well, I think this newest deal I’ve worked with Jason James may take the cake. I always try to hook up my visitors, members, and subscribers with the best deals & info I can work out for them, and this is probably the best yet!

Jason is a long time eBay PowerSeller and founder of AuctionResourceNetwork.com. I have gotten a membership of my own and have been through the entire site… I have to tell you the training and resources inside are worth far more than the membership cost. Especially considering you can now get a 50% discount through me!

There’s training videos, 100’s of ebooks on dozens of eBay topics, 100’s of articles on every aspect of eBay you can possibly imagine, and my personal favorite: a resources section with a TON of free tools and websites you probably didn’t know about that can make your life a whole lot easier.

There’s also a directory of wholesalers that you probably couldn’t find anywhere else - there’s even a wholesale supplier search enging! You just enter in what you want to buy and this search engine will find a wholesaler for you!

To take advantage of your 50% discount simply click the link below:

Click Here For Your 50% Discount!

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I was just chatting with a few of the 3RA discussion forum members. They all agree that the 3RA discussion forums are probably one of the best kept secrets on the internet. Where else can you get so many eBay tips, tricks, secrets, & hints, from other people who regularly sell on eBay all completely for FREE?

To date, there’s about 125 members. Many of them visit regularly and make great posts that are helpful to other members. If you haven’t joined yet you can still do so by visiting:

http://www.3riversauctions.com/forum/

I think you’ll really like what you find!

If you’re an experienced eBayer please go in and help out some newbies, and if you’re a newbie, you’ll REALLY like the forums because you can ask any question you can think of regarding eBay!

Come introduce yourself and start making some useful connections today! You might just make a new online buddy or two :).

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