How to Market with Niche Auction Sites

You have permission to publish this article electronicallyor in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines areincluded. A courtesy copy of your publication would beappreciated - send to: diana@ohiohelp.net How to Market with Niche Auction SitesOnline auctions are big business. But they can be big headaches.During the past year, trading in online commerce was valued at$60 billion, according to "Business Standard.” Online trade amongsmall businesses makes up 1 per cent of USA's GDP (Gross DomesticProduct) and is expected to reach 10 per cent or $400 billion ofUSA's GDP by 2010.“But setting up and maintaining operations on huge auction siteslike Ebay is not always easy,” said Rich Moc, owner ofPerformance Cars at Pcars.com, a niche automotive auction site.“People can spend a lot of time sifting through cluttered pagesof auctions, bidding, setting up accounts and managing multiple,confusing and expensive fees that can take an accountant tofigure out. And trying to figure out how to submit a simple emailor place a quick call for help can be a pain in the neck.”The solution or pain relief for big auction headaches? Smaller,niche sites with personalized service. For example, PerformanceCars offers easier management, one-on-one help and plenty ofoptions to help with automotive solutions and aftermarketselling. Some of their auction tips are:· Customer Service - When you have an item listed and a potentialbuyer contacts you with a question, respond quickly. It isimportant and actually critical to your success to check youremail account several times a day. Answering a question could bethe difference between you getting the sale or the buyer goingsomeplace else.· Description - When you list your item(s), write an accuratedescription. No need to write long paragraphs of ramblinginformation. But do provide exact measurements, colors,condition, etc. Be precise.· Exceed Expectations - You want every customer to be happy. Sodo a little more research on shipping, or negotiate on price. Butremember that the customer is the reason you will have success. Be prepared to go the extra mile and provide superior serviceevery time.· Digital Images - While auctions without photographs can and dosell, auctions with photographs sell much better. People likevisualizations and want to see what they will get with theirmoney. Make sure your photograph is clear, focused and offersmore than just a straight view.With Pcars.com, sellers can instantly create their own accountand setup their own homepage. Next they add their productinformation and links. Then upload images, up to eight photosincluded with the no-cost membership. That's it.“It is THE BEST site to host photos and one of the best to selland buy things for your car!” shared Lefteris from Greece whosells Jewels for Porsches regularly on Ebay and now on Pcars.com, too. “And the site is very easy to use.”The site is developing to meet needs of the buyers and sellers.In the works are Photo Gallery for hosting pictures, AV Centerfor racing videos, and a Forum for comments and sharingautomotive tips.“As a seller I find the PCARS site very easy to list and I likethat I can have large photos for my items,” Lefteris explained.“I use Ebay also, but I find the PCARS site much, much better. I'm hereto stay.”Progressing Discount Price PlanAlso under way is a new Progressing Discount Price (PDP) plan.Sellers will have the option to list their prices so that theydecrease over time, while waiting for someone to buy. This optionbenefits the sellers by allowing them to discount theirinventories as time progresses. Additionally, this ensures that inventories mayget sold at the end of the listing period (usually 30-day). Thebenefit for the buyers is that they get to buy the items cheaper the nextday if the items have not been sold. Here is an example with thisoption: http://www.pcars.com/autos/partview.php?view=65 .For more tips and to sign up for a new account, visithttp://www.pcars.com or contact Rich at staff@pcars.com or Diana at db@ohiohelp.net ; call: (626) 688-1919.