First and foremost any eBay seller can save up to 75% of their FVF’s simply by delivering the buyer into your own store and making the sale. Your eBay referral link will look like this http://stores.ebay.com/EnterYourStoreIdHere?refid=store It’s not like EBay makes that information easy to find, go figure! Learn more about this here http://pages.ebay.com/help/specialtysites/referral-credit-faq.html Using the referral id that eBay gave you, isn’t very effective, the URL is way to long. You need a cheap means of getting a shorter URL. The cheapest way to do this is with a domain name. Domain names only cost about 10 bucks, per year, and are worth their weight in gold. Pick a domain name that is descriptive of your eBay store. If your eBay store is called Jims Tools then try and register the domain JimTools.com. Go Daddy is a good place for parking domains and setting them up for advertising your eBay referral links. This will be the best 10 bucks you will ever spend, I promise! First things first however, you need a domain name, but why pay full price for it when you don’t have to. Check out http://ebaykickbacks.com you will notice you can get deals at GO Daddy.com Click the Go Daddy link and get your domain, your costs will be 10 bucks minus your discount savings. Go Daddy will try and sell you a TON of add-on extras with your domain, save your money, you don’t need any of it! Setup Domain forwarding and the your email for the domain. Make sure you register a .com address and stay away from the .org or .info addresses. Try and keep your domain name as short as possible yet still descriptive of your Ebay store.
Here is how you should setup your domain name. Login into Go Daddy, Open the domain control page and forward your Domain, use your eBay Store’s referral ID, as the forwarding address. Next is the “redirect type” you want “301 Moved Permanently” . Next is setting up your email for this domain. Don’t skip this. Having an email address that matches your domain is a must for making $$$ online. Get rid of the HOT Mail accounts!
You should already be back into your domain control page. On the right hand side of the domain control page Find the “Manage Email accounts” When you registered your domain you should have gotten a “Free Email credit” click the “USE CREDIT” link. Now you should see your new domain name popup on the right hand side of the page. Highlight your domain name and click the “continue” button at the bottom. A new page will open up, click on the “Setup account” link. Next click the little “ADD” button and the add email page should open up. Where it says “email address” type in the word “admin” this will create the email address admin@yourDomainName.com Setup password info and then check off “enable spam filtering for this account” Don’t change or set any other settings, submit the page
Next you might see this, “You do not have any unused Email Plans. To purchase additional Email Plans, please visit our home page or contact customer support. Or return to the Email Plans list to manage your email plans.” Again don’t worry your email account should be setup. Just click the “Email” link at the top right of the page and you should then see your new account you just set up. Here is how to unlock the power of your new domain and email address.
You need a signature file for your new email account. Your email Signature file should contain a link into your eBay store “JimsTools.com” and maybe even a Big Crumbs link.. Make sure these links use your proper referral ids so you get credit for your work. If you look inside Big Crumbs website you will see they have “The Referral Link Wizard” Use this when making the link for your email sigfile file that involves any Big Crumbs links. By doing this you will be able to track how effective your link is.
Now you need to advertise your new domain, don’t worry it isn’t hard at all. It will take a bit of time but what you do from here on out will last a lifetime if you want it to.
Your eBay FEEDBACK makes a great advertising venue for your new domain name.
Make sure Each and every single feedback, you leave, has your new domain name in it, like ”JimsTools.com” or whatever you new name is. Your feedback should look something like this.. “JimsTools.Com thanks you for your speedy payments, Super Ebayer A++++ Perfect in every way!” As you leave more and more feedbacks this will snowball into a lot of traffic for you.. Don’t forget, this traffic is coming from your domain name “your eBay referral id” and any sales it brings into your store you will save 75% of your FVF’s.
Next advertise your Ebay store free at ebaykickbacks.com shopping site. Also at Auctiva.com your ebay store plugs in as well, so if you don’t have your Auctiva store setup, you should. ANY links you can get that point back at your eBay store, that are free, GRAB THEM!
When dealing with your eBay customers DO NOT use the eBay message system.. Always try and use your own email “client” whenever possible. Always include your email signature file when corresponding with any customers.
Now that you have a domain that points at your eBay store it is perfectly Ok to use LINKs within any and all your ebay auction and store listings. Add your domain links in all your eBay listings. Make your links very visible and easily bookmarked. Encourage visitors to bookmark your Domain. Placing such links within your eBay pages is perfectly legal within eBay’s eyes. I have been doing this for years and I haven’t had a single item pulled because of it.
You have just begun branding yourself and your products and are on the way to squeezing more cash from your eBay store.
I will post, “Squeezing every cent from your eBay Store Part #2” in a few days or so.
This is no B.S. people!!! You can view my 75% eBay referral discount for the month of January 2008 here. http://dsouth.entryhost.com/ebay/75percentrefund.jpg My total referral savings for ONE month was 46.97! Not bad for a 9.99 domain investment, hey? Like I said before it will be the best 10 bucks you ever spent!
D.South
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dsouth,
I have 3 different browsers on this comp and depending on what I am doing depends on what browser I use.
I love Netscape for screwing with Ebay in their message bases. I am a thorn in eBay’s side at this point and they wish they could perma ban me from the bases but I am to network savvy for that!.
As far as the 6.99 domains what comes with that? do you have full name server record control? I found many of the cheaper domain services charge you for every little add on you want. at least at go daddy I got full control of my domains at any time I want it. Registerfly was also good once but I wouldn't touch that company with a 10 foot pole anymore.
As far as being a lot of work.. Registering and setting up your domain should take less than an hour. Email sig about 30 minutes maybe. Adding your domain and email links into your existing items is where the time is. The thing is once you get the work done it works for you 4 ever, non stop!
Yes, I have full name server record control at 1and1. I actually LEFT GoDaddy two years ago because, frankly, they suck. Long story, bad customer support attitude, and I get more for less at 1and1. $6.99 for the domain and $12/yr for email hosting. I have no web space, don't need any, so I don't pay for any.
$6.99 for the domain and $12/yr for email hosting.
Humm so your total is 18.99 with email. I get the same package at go daddy for 9.99. the domain includes pop email and web based email so where is the savings?
The simple fact is you can get your domain name anywhere you want, a few dollars per year, one way or the other really isn't a big deal. The Key is getting the domain in the first place. Where you get it really isn't an issue as long as you got full doamin server control and you are happy with the service.
We don't need to argue the finer points and who pays less for what. GoDaddy did not meet my email needs, and they were uninterested in solving the trouble. Hence I walked away. At that time, they cost more for email + domain. I don't care about the few $$$ and I get the control over my mail that I wanted that they were unwilling to provide. Yes, I also have web mail too, but never use it. If interested I will explain why I walked away.
So who is arguing? I'm not that's for sure. It was a raz, that's all.
I have over 50 domains and I need a place where I can control and reset settings on every domain at once. I have been on the phone more than once with their customer service and so far I have had good luck with them. Knock on wood!
Note: You will only receive the credit if buyers type your storefront URL in their Web browser. Typed URLs to other pages in your Store or listings, will not qualify for the credit. You do not need to add the referral code described above. eBay's system automatically detects when this happens and interprets the buyer as coming from your off-eBay promotion, thus making you eligible for the Store Referral Credit. If buyers click a bookmark to your Store that they've saved in their Web browser, you will be eligible for the credit.
Qualifying for Store Referral Credit
Remember, all of the following conditions must be met to qualify for the credit:
*
The buyer must enter your eBay Store or go to one of your Store Inventory listings directly from a location outside of eBay. *
The buyer must go to your Store because of your promotion. *
The buyer's Web browser must accept "cookies." *
The buyer must purchase the item during the same Web browser session used to enter your Store. *
The item sold must be in Store Inventory format.
Learn more about Store Referral Credit requirements.
Posts: 1393 | Location: Chico, CA | Registered: November 16, 2001
Do eBay rules allow you to enter domain names and urls into feedback comments. I know it would work, but is it allowed?
I haven't seen where they say you can't leave such feedback. I've been doing it almost 2 years now and not one peep from feebay. Knock on wood!
My reasoning is, if the link is allowable within your listings then it should be A-OK for feedback. That would be a rational thought but then again this is eBay.
The real fun will be the day when I leave FeeBay and forward that domain somewhere else.
I could forward it elsewhere now while still active in ebay then setup a new domain for feedback advertising.
If the domain I am using now wasn't in 500+ listings I would do just that. I guess I could maintain the one I already have and setup a new one just for FB. Then I could tell what links bring the most traffic, feedback or listing? Hum?
Yes, for FVF credit the visit must come from outside ebay. However a tag in FB is not clickable. One must enter the URl then submit it, and leave Ebay. Then the forwarding domain delivers the visit back ebay's way. It's working for me, but don't tell anyone.
quote:
Well the post was pretty long. If I was writing I could say it in 2 lines:
1.) buy a domain 2.) foward it to your eBay Store with the refid field
LMAO yeah it was rather long winded. Must have had a case of the runs! Sorry
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dsouth,
LMAO yeah it was rather long winded. Must have had a case of the runs! Sorry
[quote]quote:
Well the post was pretty long. If I was writing I could say it in 2 lines:
1.) buy a domain 2.) foward it to your eBay Store with the refid field
Well, Auctiva Jeff, I didn't have a clear understanding as to what he was referring to, in the first place, but his in depth effort at explaining the nuances was appreciated by this Rookie. He presented quite a wealth of knowledge, which he should feel no need to apologize for.
Okay...I don't even HAVE an eBay store yet, so I have not delved into driving traffic there as of yet. And my chosen eBay user name does not have a short, sweet domain available. I originally obtained this trade name for an offline business. I utilized it on eBay, since originally I was buying product on eBay for this business. I already had my state trade name registration, and a business checking account under that name. My idea for a store name is not short either. But I really like it. I do already promote my branding in feedback comments.
Lots of food for thought...Thanks for sharing D. South.
I also use 1and1 for the cheaper price, however Godaddy definitely has more long-term security and I wouldn't fault people for choosing them. You can see what a giant Godaddy is here: http://www.webhosting.info/registrars/top-registrars/global/ (Schlund+Partner = 1and1). I used Registerfly for several years, who were also the cheapest at one point. Their CEO went to court for spending the company's money on escorts and liposuction, among other things. I along with a million other customers almost lost my domains when they went out of business. I feel safer with 1and1, but not as safe as I would with Godaddy. Just something to think about.
Also, has anyone figured a way to shuttle customers to an outside site without breaking ebay policy? Would it be possible to say, link to your About Me page, then link to your outside site from there? I haven't quite figured it out yet.
Also, has anyone figured a way to shuttle customers to an outside site without breaking ebay policy? Would it be possible to say, link to your About Me page, then link to your outside site from there? I haven't quite figured it out yet.
Yeah I have seen many links in the My about Me pages.
The key here isn't sending them away from ebay but keeping them. Many people see my domain link and think it is an outside link so they try it out. The Domain pushes people back into ebay, through a forwarding domain which forwards through my ebay referral id. At this point, if a sale is made, enjoy 75% off your final value fees. If anyone bookmarks the link then, well, you know :-)
I think DSouth has an excellent layout and plan for those that are not operating outside Ebay, Ebay stores and Auctiva stores. It is in my opinion a flawless method and goes with the title of the post.
Myself, I use a different plan whereby I redirect my customers to my website where my profit is vastly higher, but would be more involved for someone new to internet marketing on the scale that all of us are operating in. I too use my domain in my feedback : Thanks for shopping at mydomain.com . My whole Ebay experience has been to farm customers away. Has been working well for a number of years now.
I am confused about something. You said that linking to your website from your ME page, was eBay legal, as long as you don't have items for sale? But your web page DOES have items to purchase directly from your website, which is very cute, by the way. Did I misunderstand something here? Okay, bear with me...I just looked again...and that link you inserted was to your eBay store. I get this confused. A ME page is obviously not the same animal, as a users MY World page? As I noticed you can't insert hyperlinks into your MY WORLD page. So, a ME page is something only available to eBay store owners? Do I have this correct?
My ME page has a link to my website. When you hit my website..you can not buy an item directly on that page. You must click one of the links to go to another page to purchase items. One link even returns back to eBay (the link has the refid code for my eBay store, the the 75%) You can not have a link from your ME page that you can buy the item directly on that web page. However, you can have the page take you to another page. If you check the second url on the page that will take you to my ecrater site that is independent of eBay. Both options work for my website. On my ME page there is a link at the bottom that states...create your own ME page. Every eBay seller/buyer has this option available to them.
Really, this is a awful lot of work for the kind of stuff I sell, and frankly is not worth it to me.
Well the post was pretty long. If I was writing I could say it in 2 lines:
1.) buy a domain 2.) foward it to your eBay Store with the refid field
Why doesn't auctiva include the refid field when it sends people from my auctiva store to my ebay store or item? Then I could direct people to my auctiva store instead of my ebay store.
Posts: 24 | Location: Portland, OR | Registered: November 20, 2006
LMAO 
