Hi all,

Anyone selling on EBay soon discovers a distinct disadvantage when attempting to entice people to your off EBay sites (such as this a blog, website or sales page) namely EBay does not allow external links from its listings. Yeah, I know plenty of people do it. They have their web addresses plastered like confetti over every listing. Well, it’s against the rules and if they’re caught, or reported they risk being shut down all together since EBay doesn’t take kindly to seeing their traffic (potential revenue) bleed away all over the web. However, as with all rules there are always legitimate ways around them.

Hence the About Me Page which was no doubt designed by EBay as a personnel page for showing off pics of your cats or those oh so stimulating holiday snaps to foster a real ol sense of online community!. What ever their original intent EBay left the door wide open by allowing direct linking with any external site via the Me Page. It also gives the imaginative seller a superb opportunity to really create credibility in the mind of the potential buyer. So, you can now link to your Me Page from any listing and hence to the big wide web world. Of course the only problem then is attracting visitors to that Me page in the first place.

All EBay do in this regard is place a small red me icon next to the sellers profile near the top of the listing page. This is hardly eye grabbing. Especially when the visitor has so many other things to see and indeed take on board when they first hit your site. This then calls for a little invention or a judicious placement of a banner (such as my one above) which is directly linked to your Me Page. Now you’ve got to think creatively. Don’t just stick a text link (especially on an art listing) smack in the middle of nowhere and expect a stampede of clicks from curious buyers. Think image, thing graphic, think something that will grab the eye and tweak the interest. But remember, your listing is still the star of the show so you don’t want your banner to upstage your own painting. Like so much in life it’s a question of getting the balance just right.

On my banner I used the idea of a montage of images showing myself working. This not only looks professional but also reinforces my own personality to potential buyers living in a world too often dominated by suspicion of frauds and faceless web con merchants. Personality equates to the beginning of trust and trust is the very foundation of business on the internet. Ever hear the phrase ‘a picture paints a thousand words’ Well my pictures invite people to find out a little more about me. People are inherently curious and they always need to know what’s on the other side of that hill. Note the text I place underneath reinforces the visual message, namely ‘Know me Know my work’ the rest you can leave to human nature.

OK, so it helps if you’re familiar with software like Photoshop, Painter or Paint Shop Pro but hey we all learn somewhere. The internet is vast and there isn’t any software you can’t pick up for a bargain (try Serif.com for a superb range of free software) or information you can’t discover and utilize if you want it badly enough. Remember though that the graphics are just another tool in the business of getting across a message. And that message must always be 100% on the level. People can smell insincerity a mile away and treat those who attempt to peddle such cardboard integrity with the just contempt they deserve.
Remember; Be smart, do right and give it bags of class.

Catch you later

ShirleyBod