Discounts make the secret that keeps thousands of online retailers in the business. Even if we were millionaires we’d still be happy to get big bargains. We really like to pinch and squeeze and want to pay half or quarter price for the products we buy. That is why online shopping deals have caught on in a big way. (more…)

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Sen. John McCain recently held eBay businesses up as a model for success in the present economy and in a limited sense he was correct. For many people eBay provides at least a supplementary income and allows those living in areas of the country particularly affected by the lousy economy to generate income from outside of it.

All in all it has been a good year foe eBay Inc. The company announced that revenue climbed to $2.2 billion, up 20% from last year. However, there is much to indicate that eBay may not be the answer to the country’s economic woes. The increase was primarily due to growth in advertising revenue and the online payment service PayPal not the primary auction site. (eBay also owns the Skype phone service and StubHub, an event ticket exchange site.)

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In the portion of eBay’s empire referred to by the Republican presidential candidate growth has slowed. The total number of transactions increased by only 8% over the previous year, far lower than eBay’s early years of seemingly endless double digit expansion. Discouraging as well is the declining sales of high end items such as cars and appliances.

Recent changes in the rating rules has also created problems for eBay by angering sellers. It is now no longer possible for sellers to leave negative ratings and comments for buyers. For this and other concerns groups of sellers protested and disrupted eBay’s June 2008 eCommerce Live event for top sellers.

Also, luxury-goods makers have accused eBay of being too lax about the sale of knock-offs on its site. They were fined in the past over fake Louis Vuitton handbags. Tiffany’s has alleged that 70% of the Tiffany jewelry sold on eBay is fake. However, on Monday a U.S. District Judge ruled that companies like Tiffany’s are responsible for policing their own copyrights and that it is not the responsibility of auction sites such as eBay. This was a major victory for the company and ultimately for its countless honest sellers.

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 If your small online business has outgrown your Paypal account take a moment to pat yourself on the back and then learn some basics about the next step, Merchant Accounts.

To be able to process credit cards on their own computer a merchant will need to get one of the many processing software packages available. Some brand names to look at include, TakeCharge, PC Charge Pro, or Anycard. Which software package chosen will depend on the type of computer you have, PC or Macintosh, what additional features you are looking for, and which you find more convenient to use. You should expect to pay between $200 and $400 and most downloadable packages have a trial period before you have to pay.

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As any clothing or fashion accessory retailer will tell you licensed merchandise is a must any children’s apparel or novelty business. For better or worse, we live in a pop culture driven society. Television, advertising, and the movies have as much impact on our manner of dress, the way we talk, and the values we communicate to others than does religion and politics combined.

Here are some of the most popular licensed brand names and brief descriptions of what has made them must haves for any clothing or related merchandise retailers. If you’re hoping to sell children’s apparel these are some names to seriously consider.
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If you haven’t done so, it is time to get with your wholesale supplier and get those hot selling summer items in stock. The biggest boost to summer items comes at the beginning of the season when consumer excitement over approaching vacations is at its highest.

Sunglasses are one the very hottest items for online retail. Everyone needs them and the supply of affordable, quality sunglasses is excellent. When considering a line check the price and check the UV rating. One thing to remember is that while adults wear sunglasses year round they tend to only buy children’s sunglasses in preparation for a sunny outing. This is a perfect time to stock up on children’s sunglasses.

Another obvious apparel item that enjoys its biggest sells during the warmer months is swimwear. Bathing suits can be a little trickier an item to get into stock than sunglasses because the supply isn’t quite as good. There are good sources out there; you’ll just have to search a little harder. Quality issues are also a bit more complicated than with sunglasses. Very low price swimsuits are often very low quality as well. You certainly don’t want to sell your customers a product sure to unravel with the first touch of water.

A less apparent, but still excellent product category that enjoys a big lift from the summer shopping season is novelty toys. What would a trip to the beach be without an inflatable beach ball, floaties, or raft. Plastic playthings such as pail and shovel sets can be counted on to enjoy good sells this time of year. A good toy wholesaler will carry a lot of products that could improve that summer time bottom line.

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If you are planning to start out a business but do not yet know what to engage into, you should take into considerations the possibilities of retailing closeouts. Many people would buy closeouts simply because they are cheap and if you would really spend enough time rummaging through the stocks, you can always find good quality merchandize somewhere among the heaps. Closeouts are actually one of the best ways to stock your store as you can buy closeouts are minimal cost and sell it a double or three times the price depending on the condition of the item. (more…)

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Click Fraud is a huge problem!

Google recently called click fraud “the single biggest threat” to their business model!

Whether your competitors are clicking your ads on a regular basis or fraudulent web publishers are having others click on your ads for them, chances are that at some point you have been the victim of some degree of click fraud! Some of our customers have discovered that 50% of their PPC budgets have been the result of fraudulent clicks! (Others have discovered little to no click fraud but continue to subscribe in order to keep an eye on their clicks). (more…)

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In order to decrease a store’s loss (shrink) you must be able to identify and react to shoplifters. You can improve your ability to do this by removing any bias or preconceived notion as to what a shoplifter looks like. Having preconceived ideas about shoplifters only limits how many of them you will catch. Do you really think that the homeless guy dressed in rags and stumbling around the store is the type of target that is causing the majority of your loss? NO! He is the easy target that might lift an item or two but anyone can spot him, you’re a trained professional right?. As a retail store owner it makes sense to be aware, you need to cut through the exterior and look for the behavior. People are creatures of habit, ask any police officer and he will tell you he has seen and heard the same thing from people over and over again. Shoplifters are no different. There are several different types of shoplifters to be aware of.

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