1. SECTION 2: CONTENT SITES – PART 1 AN INTRODUCTION

 

We now begin the second section of this ebusiness course, Content Sites. These lessons will cover all you need to know about the basic types of content sites and how to use them for promotion and profit.

This Part 1 Introduces this Section 2 of our introduction to ebusiness, and introduces the what, how, and why of Content Sites

 

We now begin the second section of this ebusiness course, Content Sites. These lessons will cover all you need to know about the basic types of content sites and how to use them for promotion and profit.

This Part 1 Introduces this Section 2 of our introduction to ebusiness, and introduces the what, how, and why of Content Sites

A. THE WHAT

Content sites provide information. Often there are no physical products offered at all, just digital information in the form of text, video, audio, etc. If they sell any physical product at all, it’s something containing information, like a book or DVD. Some of the biggest internet businesses are content sites, like Google, Yahoo, Youtube, and Facebook.

B. THE HOW

Before getting into basic types of content sites and revenue sources, here are a few points to remember.

1. The Key Reason a Content Site Succeeds Is the Same Reason ANY Business Succeeds – It Gives Perceived Value

Remember what that is? Let’s review.

2. Perceived value

· It fills a real need or demand. For example:

o McDonalds: Fast, cheap, reliably tasty food, saves time.

o Toyota: fuel efficient, reliable, durable cars at a fair price.

· It fills meets the demand in a way that is somehow better than the competition: faster, cheaper, more variety, more convenient, more specialized niche, higher quality, etc.

· It is not easily replaced or substituted. The rarer it is, the harder to find or replace with a substitute, the greater the perceived value. For example, to start an online book seller to compete with Amazon would require billions in technology, distribution centers, etc. Hard to do that.

C. THE WHY

In theory, information products could be the ultimate low risk start up.

· Low risk: If you produce the content yourself, you have no tangible investment in inventory at stake other than your time. Marketing and distribution can also be done, theoretically, free or cheaply as well.

· High return: If in fact production, marketing, and distribution costs can be kept low, anything you earn above that is profit.

· Simple shipping and storage: Since most information products are digital, they take up no physical space and are sent via email or download. There are issues and possible costs involved in protecting your copyrights and collecting payments.

D. So What’s the Catch?

The hard part is producing and marketing content for which there is a demand. Since truly original products or ideas are hard to produce, the easier way is to choose a subject that’s already popular online and add unique value. For example:

· Specialize in a niche. You select a niche, specialize in just that and produce superior quality and/or quantity of information on that niche than the bigger sites provide. For example, there may be many sites providing advice on stocks, but there will be far fewer focused on

o Stocks in a specific sector like utilities, energy, health care, etc.

o Stock for a specific type of investor, like those seeking high yield, fast trading plays, safe long term growth buy and hold stocks, etc.

· Provide information at a lower cost: Give away or sell info at a lower cost than the more established sites, at least until you build up a following. There are all kinds of dating, job, investment sites that charge users to access some or all of their information. If you can afford to provide comparable information for less, there will be demand.

Once you’ve got demand, all you need then do is effectively promote your site.

E. CONCLUSION

If we think about it, most of us have some kind of valuable expertise or experience from which others could benefit. A homemaker may have vast experience dealing with child or husband rearing for which a new mother would gladly pay. A civil servant may have a wealth of knowledge of how to save time or get money from certain government bureaucracies. The disabled or unemployed can offer advice to others with similar difficulties.

In short, you may well have a potential content site and profitable information product lurking inside you. If you don’t want to write, you can put it in audio or video format.

Obviously there are content sites like Google, Yahoo, WebMD, JDate, and others that are already highly developed, complex, and well known with an established brand name. It would require major investment to duplicate them, so very few will even think about doing so. But you need not start out or even end up that way. On the following pages you’ll see numerous cases of sites that started small and grew.

Next, we discuss the basic types of content sites and how they make money. End Part 1.

Looking for safe, high yield investments? Interested in all-weather stocks that pay safe, high dividends backed by strong businesses? Check out http://highincomestocksguide.blogspot.com

SECTION 1. SELLING ON EBAY: PART 5: CONCLUDING MISC IDEAS AND TIPS TO SELLING ON EBAY

Additional aids, sites, and software for selling on eBay.

A. EBay express

EBAY TAKES ALL BUY IT NOW ITEMS AND MAKES AN ONLINE STORE OF THESE. ITEMS MUST BE LOCATED IN US

B. Classified advertisements

GOOD IF SELLING ITEMS ON YOUR OWN WEBSITE AND WANT THOSE ITEMS TO SHOW UP IN EBAY SEARCH RESULTS

C. Best offer option

IS AN OPTION CHOSEN WHEN YOU LIST AN ITEM

D. Amazon fulfillment: useful if buying from wholesaler/manufacturer who doesn’t drop ship

AMAZON OFFERS FULFILLMENT I.E. YOU SHIP THEM ITEMS. THEY STORE AND PACK/SHIP AND PEOPLE GET IT FROM ITEMS. For example, you buy from China and ship to Amazon and sell on eBay. Good for if have hot selling item that you know could sell lots and better if get china and cut out drop shipper rather find own supplier in China or elsewhere. Find via alibaba.com.

FOR EXAMPLE, PURELAND Co. FOR SLEEPING BAGS AND OTHER CAMPING EQUIPMENT

E. Listing software if have auctions regularly

TURBOLISTER: FREE, FULLY SUPPORTED BY EBAY, I.E. IF SELLING SLEEPING BAG EVERY WEEK, IT DOES ALL THE SETUP AUTOMATICALLY ( so don’t need manually enter description, pictures, terms, and other listing details) IF PLAN TO RESELL AN ITEM REGULARLY START RIGHT AWAY USING TURBOLISTER

F. PayPal – a key point - must have

WILL AUTOMATICALLY INSERT THEIR LOGO INTO YOUR AUCTION IF YOU ASK THEM – IS GOOD GET AUTOMATIC LOGO INSERTION, SET IT UP IN MY ACCOUNT

Request a PayPal Dr. card.

If you don’t have someone in the US to whom PayPal can mail the PayPal debit card, use http://www.mustop.com/ . They’ll take delivery of anything and send it to you in wherever you are abroad, or use http://www.2checkout.com/.

G. How to calculate shipping costs for Israel

Go to Israel postal website for costs on shipping abroad: http://www.israelpost.co.il/

Can get the site in English

H. Other software

1. Auctiva

free auction tools for eBay sellers for tracking and managing bids, free eBay store fronts, etc.

Figure 1: Auctiva homepage summarizes free tools

2. Square Trade

An online warranty provider, online merchant verification and dispute resolution. Good for high priced items, they provide arbitration of disputes.

Figure 2: SquareTrade Homepage and Merchant Solutions pages

3. Automated bidding software

Auction Sniper and Bid Sniper are automated bidding software that will place bids at last moments of auction up to a limit you set, so you don’t have to watch auctions yourself, and won’t pay more than needed.

4. Software to do market research

Terapeak: Built into eBay. Free. See http://www.terapeak.com/ .

Figure 3: Terapeak Homepage Summarizes Its Features

Vendio see http://www.vendio.com/ . Has risk free trial, so I assume is not free.

Figure 4: Vendio Homepage Summarizes Its Features

I. Advertising your eBay items

AVOID EBAY’S ADVERTISEMENTS. BETTER:

1. Write a free guide or review about your product to generate interest

FOR EXAMPLE IF WRITE GUIDE, TAKE SOME IF IT AND PUT OUT FOR FREE ON EBAY FOR REVIEWS AND GUIDES. FOR EXAMPLE: SELLER OF GUIDE TO SELLING TKTS TO EVENTS ON EBAY WROTE FREE “TEASER” GUIDE OFFERING SOME TIDBITS IN ORDER TO GET YOU CURIOUS ENOUGH TO BUY THE BOOK

2. Other ways to promo your auctions

· EMAIL CAMPAIGN (MORE ON THAT LATER)

· USE SOCIAL MEDIA SITES LIKE http://www.stumbleupon.com/, facebook, youtube, etc.(MORE ON THESE LATER). SOCIAL MEDIA GOOD IF HAVE ESTABLISHED BUSINESS.

END BLOG 5