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aspkins please help me.
 

I really need advice, I do have a new ebay account. I had it for over a month and was scared to use it until I was sure I wouldn't mess it up. Then I thought I would open a website first, so I could direct customers to my website.
I am almost done with my website. I started it on freewebs.com. I have to buy a domain name now? Then I don't know what to do? How do I get the keywords and stuff for the search? How do I promote my webiste besides drving ebay traffic to it?

If anyone could help me I would so much appreciate it. My sons medical condition prevents me from working outside of the home. So I have to get this right.

Firstly, get real hosting! Don't use a free website. If you want hosting, contact me, I'm sure I could accomodate you on my server =)

Buy your domain name from godaddy, and make it short and memorable. Try and get 1 or 2 keywords in the domain.

As for getting in the search engines, you have a long wait. It takes time, and a lot of the time, money. I didn't invest money into it, I just spent a lot of hard hours, and waited. But sure paid off. The older the domain, the more google will see it as important. Your KEY to getting noticed is backlinks. Sign up to high pagerank directories, and put your site is as many forum signatures as you can.

From there on it really is just develop your backlinks, and wait. If you want instant results, use something like google adwords. It ususally pays of pretty well!

If you can afford it google and yahoo sponsored links are great.

HI, Mantis :)
For those of us who do not know what youre talking about.. (like me)--
Where exactly do you go for this extra exposure to the website?
--Is this something you can sign up for with an email address, or is it a technical programmers thing??
Thanks!

Ebayhateluv, well, I wouldn't say it was *Exposure*, more noticability for search engines really. When google sees a link pointing to your site from another high rank site, it will think your site as more high rank. Obviously, the more links you have, the more high rank your site will appear. And then, the more high rank your site appears, the higher up you will be in search engines for keywords.

To rank high for certainly keywords, use that keyword as your anchor link. For example, if I wanted to seen in search engines for the term "noise cancelling headphones", I would add my site to various directories, buy links, and exchange links, and get the person linking to my website to have the link on the words "noise cancelling hearphones".

So really it's just for search engine use. But obviously you can still get personal exposure from directories, especially if you choose to buy a featured listing. I certainly reccomend adding your site to Dmoz (google directory).

As for directories, just do a google search, and you will find huge lists of high pagerank directories you can add your site to :)

If you put your website url on your ebay listings, would it be a red flag if you use the same url for multiple ebay account?

Yes, and also because you are not allowed to link to sites offering products for sale.
As obviously that would be trying to circumvate ebay fees.

Lots of good advice from mantisinc. You'll need to get real hosting.

I'm putting together a site for cheap reliable webhosting, check out my top list: Low Cost Web Hosting - Webhosting Chicken

Godaddy is a good choice for both hosting and your domain name. All my domains are from godaddy.

As are mine, and there are always good coupon codes out there to get either $2 off a domain, or the domain for $6.95.

Oh and aspkin...take those dirty affiliate links off your site this minute, and then reskin it :D

so I shouldn't buy the domain from freewebs.com? I thought I did a pretty good job with it, It looks pretty good. On freewbebs it will give you an option to buy a domain name then publish the pages. So if I hit publish the pages it really wouldn't be on the net?

Thanks Aspkins Not only are you very smart but I also think you are a hottie, (sorry if there is a Mrs Aspkins.) But I am a women, I total see him as the James Bond of the computer world. lol :)

hmm, chris hanson?

aspkin, how do you set up redirect on your websites from, say, www.aspkin.com/affiliateproduct to www.affiliateproduct.com/?id=12345?

I made a post about this recently, read this:

http://www.aspkin.com/php-redirect-how-to/

I am in the same boat now. Speaking of the DEVIL they JUST reinstated my account this morning! I am not TOUCHING it until I am POSITIVE I will not accidentally get it linked to another account, etc. I just cannot afford to risk it AT ALL. eBay waits WEEKS to catch up with you..so right when you think you're fine..BAM. I just cannot do that this time around.

I just made a website through freewebstore.org. I paid to upgrade to their $11.29/mth plan which includes hosting, etc. I also bought a website name on GoDaddy.com and it is now linked. That was another $10.99 I believe. I have uploaded about 12 of my products (they are pretty mainstream high sellers) and I have about 48 to go. I'm not going to really go all out with this store. It's clean, easy to use, and has the information they need with an attractive background.

So, as I am new to this, I went on Bonanzle.com and bought some website traffic from bugsonptc. It was only $4.99 for 5,000 unique visitors, I believe. I figured if I sold just ONE item in the next week, I still made a few bucks.

My goal is to sell on eBay and refer my customers there. You can save their emails from Paypal or print out a small piece of paper saying Thank You and directing them to their website. I put limits on my items. They are such good deals, the people always ask me to buy more..and if I can lift the limit for them. So what I will do, from now on, is say, sure...and give them my website. My website has Paypal. I will tell them that is for their safety ;). Plus, my prices on the website are just a tad lower because I can afford it without eBay taking a $8+ chunk out of a $49.99 item.

Now...the thing is...I am pretty sure I am going to have to rely on most of my traffic being from customers on eBay. I'm going to have to keep selling on there and referring them to my website. The traffic that I purchased is coming..but has not resulted in a sell.

It also seems to be coming pretty slowly. Only about 80 hits yesterday I believe...or visits or whatnot. I was blogging and accounted for 40 more. But I feel like I should have at least 1,000 per day if I plan on making 1-4 sells.

This stuff blows my mind. Such a learning process for me. I'm barely learning what hosting and domain, etc. mean. NO LIE. HAHA :D