Think about it for
just a second: Six million visitors each
and every day and all of them are there with at least an inkling to buy
something. Yep, ripe for the picking if
you were to think in such terms but clearly a very prime marketplace to sell
goods of just about any kind—right?
What if you didn’t
like the idea of the whole online auction for “gently used” goods? What if you happen to live in some small dorm
room or cramped duplex with barely enough room for your things—let alone some
online business! What if you hated
antiques and the thought of restoring old furniture was positively repulsive? Does this mean e-Bay is not for you?
Drop-Shipping
Indeed, if ever
there were proof positive that the Internet is the single greatest invention of
all time, then drop-shipping would be that proof. In truth, an e-Bay business built around any
particular niche of used items or collectibles will hit a glass ceiling when it
comes to revenue. Yes, you could expand
and buy a warehouse, hire a bunch of people to scour for items in your niche to
refurbish and sell on e-Bay…but, this would be an exception and not the rule.
If you really want
to go beyond that $700 and create a sustainable e-business with growth
potential but don’t have much in the way of capital or work space, then
drop-shipping may be for you.
Essentially, drop shipping allows you to buy products at wholesale
prices and then sell them on your website at retail prices. The real beauty of drop shipping is that you
don’t even have to worry about shipping or packaging the product—the wholesaler
does that for you.
People on e-Bay
are not necessarily looking for an item to bid on or even something that is “gently
used”. The common factor that seems to
reel most visitors into the site is the urge to find a great deal on
something. Drop shipping permits you to
sell goods at rock bottom prices that contain your company logo and
address—without the expense or labor commitment involved with doing so
yourself.
The key to
succeeding with drop shipping is successfully driving traffic to your site
while continually looking for better deals on other products in your niche that
you can market. E-Bay presents one marketing
option for you and you can pass on the listing fees to the customers and create
“Buy Now” ads. Car lots, appliance
stores, and thousands of other “brick-and-mortar” businesses advertise their
products on e-Bay. Drop-shipping gives
you access to wholesale prices and the ability to own an online retail business
without having to sacrifice your living room in the process.
Naturally, not all
wholesalers offer drop-shipping so you need to do your homework and research
any potential companies offering products in your marketing niche. However, by tapping into the massive
marketplace afforded by e-Bay and using drop shipping to cut down on start up
costs, labor, and the expenses related to shipping—you can certainly expand
well beyond that initial $700 in 7 days and become a true force on the Internet
and grow your e-business and web presence.