The Internet & E-Commerce - How to Start a Home-based Computer Repair Business - page 169

Using eBay can be a very powerful tool, and in fact for a new business it's a classic way
to start selling immediately. It's relatively easy, and if you've never sold on eBay before,
there are tutorials that walk you through each step of the process. All you'll need is your
computer, an Internet connection, and your repair services. The auction process will handle
the rest.
Another powerful aspect of eBay is that the SEO value is tremendous. eBay auctions im-
mediately show up on the first page of Google searches most of the time, and being on the
first page of Google is the key to natural sales. eBay is a powerful website, and Google
rewards eBay by providing relevant auctions in top spots. Give it a try: Perform a Google
search for a product that you'd normally buy online, and I bet there will be an eBay auction
as part of the search results. If that auction leads to a sale for you, you can thank me later.
Finally, eBay is exciting. It's exciting to watch bidders ramp up your price, and it's exciting
to see a customer complete an auction. Typically you'll get an e-mail with a “Your Item
Sold” subject line, and when that happens, you're excited to find out that you just sold a
product or a service and never had to pick up the phone!
E-Commerce Worksheet
go through this list to make sure you're on the right e-commerce path. There will be other
necessary pieces of e-commerce trade that you may find along the way and you should in-
crease your reach as you prefer.
n Launch a website.
n make it easy for your customers to find services on your website. n market your website.
n Add a shopping-cart component to your website.
n Accept credit cards on your website.
n Be prepared to ship orders back to customers.
n Have a clear return policy on your website.
n offer warranties on your services and technical support.
n Learn and master sEo techniques.
n Network yourself and your website.
n get listed on Internet directories.
n participate in link exchanges with other sites.
n Build an e-mail list and write a newsletter.
n offer a few products and services on eBay.