The eBay User Profile

I'm posting an article by a guest writer this afternoon. I heartily

endorse the concepts and products hereafter (in fact,

we talk about these in the book at length).

Part 1 of 2: The eBay

User Profile

by Jen Cano, eBay Certified Consultant

hands on a report from eBay about this very subject, and thought I'd pass some

of the highlights on to you. (For the full report, go to www.ebay.com/sellercentral/buyers.pdf.)

eBay has determined that just over one third of all Internet

users (not just shoppers) visit eBay once every month. They also state that

they reach more people in the United States than any other eCommerce property.

What does that mean for you and me?

opportunities on the Internet. First, with so many shoppers, eBay becomes not

just a place to sell, but a place to be seen and a market to study. If, for

instance, you have an independent website,    eBay can become just as important

for building your customer base as search engines are.

shop on eBay, eBay now represents the perfect place to research and test market

which products might do well on other markets.

but to grow your business.

eBay,s report says that Mondays are the most busy days,

boasting over 16,000 visitors on average, with Sundays at a close second. They

state that a well-timed ten-day auction could include two Mondays, giving you

better visibility than on any other auction schedule.

really tell us anything about buyers. In other words, to make sound selling

decisions, you need to determine when people are buying, and not just shopping

for, your products. A thorough analysis of when buyers are buying would mean

completing research on your particular product and category, using a tool such

as HammerTap's DeepAnalysis.

Jennifer Cano is a certified eBay consultant and

Senior Editor for Bright Builders, the

makers of HammerTap. She is also an

editor for eBay

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