Has anyone besides me been called by a telemarketer in the last two months? Most likely than not, that person was not a telemarketer, but a market research representative. Far too often we are getting these two groups of individuals confused which is why I believe that phone based market research is dying very quickly and if any company is considering doing market research (which thousands do every day), they need to begin taking it online! PERIOD!!
Face it! The times are changing! It is no longer acceptable to cold call an individual for telemarketing or market research purposes. 99% of the US population has no tolerance for someone calling their home, let alone, giving ten to fifteen minutes of their time to take a survey while on the phone.
Well, it's a good thing we have the internet and a good thing that technology is always changing an improving! Today market research companies are taking a large amount of their surveys online, while compensating willing individuals for taking them. How marvelous for companies like General Motors or Alltel Wireless? They can mock up a survey and have market research companies send it to willing individuals to to take it. They could not make it any easier!!!
But what about those individuals who take the paid surveys. How do they get paid? Well, the market research companies are paid by the client for every survey that is completed. They take a portion of the payment and compensate their survey takers three or four dollars for their time. It is a rather brilliant business model and I wish I had thought of it first! Best yet, these survey takers can actually make a pretty good amount of money if they are taking surveys for a handful of companies. I always joke around that my wife calls the money we make from surveys "play money" it is true, she takes it and runs down to Nordstrom and it is gone just as fast as we can make it. But for those who are in desperate need of extra money, you could use it to pay power or gas bills.
Basically, the message I am trying to convey is two fold... For those companies considering using market research to collect info about your current or future consumers, take it online... You will be happy you did! For those who are interested in taking surveys...STOP WAITING! The longer you wait, the more money you will miss out on. I suggest to sign up with ten or so survey companies and start making money today!
Usually a product is bought at a wholesale price and then sold while keeping a profit margin.
For an online retailer, this is a very important issue since most of your success depends on good product sourcing. There are many other aspects that a marketer has to keep in mind and product sourcing is one of them.
Product sourcing can break or increases your profit margins, allows you to have flexibility in offering discounts to your customers and you can give tough competition to your peer sellers.
There are a few tips you can keep in mind when doing product sourcing for eBay.
Unquestionably, try not to skim doing lots of research. It may seem tedious, time wasting and impossible, but this is the part which could make you money in the long run.
Be the first few to find the product source for these demand products. Usually the easiest way to sell something online is by assessing what the market wants. How can you know?
On eBay find the 'Hot items by category'. http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/hotitems.pdf
You can see the Super Hot, Very Hot and Hot items based on the demands that customers make.
There's another section called 'eBay Pulse' which lists out the words that have been used maximum number of times. You can specifically target which products to sell by knowing these keywords. http://pulse.ebay.com
Several research tools are available that are provided by third party companies to assist you in finding what your customers are actually looking for. Famous ones being Terrapeak and Hammertap.
Many product sourcing companies comes with their in-house research tools too, like Worldwide Brands and Salehoo.
I'm sure you have some ideas now on the possible products that you can sell to the market.
Now, you can start your product sourcing in the wholesale market. There is a huge range available but you have to be particular in selecting your inventory.
The right inventory collection is the first step towards a successful online business. If committing to quantities and minimum orders is a problem to you, look under 'eBay wholesale lots' portal you will find items that are being sold at wholesale prices.
Here's another place which can help you - 'eBay reseller marketplace' portal, where sellers are allowed to bid for those wholesale products that have offered for resale. http://reseller.ebay.com/ns/home.html
The 'eBay Solutions Directory' gives you a list of legitimate companies that will help you find reliable wholesale resources. http://solutions.ebay.com
90-100% of all eBay sellers are holding secrets of their success. Nobody will ever reveal the source of there products upfront.
And to find a location from where you get a stable supply of products can be a very challenging task. If you have just begun to sell online, always look for a local wholesalers.
A lot of patience is required in building your niche, but don't give up!
Both Greg Shuey & Jenny How are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Greg Shuey has sinced written about articles on various topics from Disneyland Vacation, Dental Practice and Surveys. Greg Shuey is an expert in the paid survey industry. Paid surveys are an excellent way to make money online. Visit for a complete list of paying survey o. Greg Shuey's top article generates over 450000 views. to your Favourites.
Jenny How has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, Adsense and How to Sell on Ebay. Jenny How is full time eBay Powerseller and blogger. Her latest book reveals how she started an online niche business on eBay.. Jenny How's top article generates over 2400 views. to your Favourites.