How to Reach Page One on eBay?

Reaching Page one on the eBay "Best Match" search is essential for any eBay business that wants to successfully make money on eBay.

Reaching page one on eBay for your specific keyword may seem an impossible task for any "newbie" seller. Hopefully after you have read this article, you will understand how the system works and it won't seem such a daunting task.

For those of you who have been living in a cave for the last five years, you may not be aware that eBay scrapped the old default search of "time ending soonest" in 2007 and now all searches are now automatically sorted by "best match"

If you are running "buy it now" listings, it is very important that you understand how the "best match" system works before you start your eBay business as this is the key to seeing your listing on the first page of eBay. Once you reach the first page of eBay for a particular keyword, you will instantly increase the visibility of your listings, which will lead to more sales and best of all, you will start to make money on eBay.

If you want to make money on eBay and take your eBay business to the next level, there are the five factors you need to take into consideration to ensure that you reach page one for your listing.

1. Title Keywords and Relevance

eBay's new search system will always send potential buyers to the listings with the most relevant keywords. For example, if hundreds of people searched for "iPhone cases" and found a a particular item and added it to their "watch list" and then went on to buy the item, eBay would see these keywords and item as being popular and relevant. As a result, it will have a positive effect on your listing and you will see a noticeable increase in your page rank. I remember years ago, I always used to see listings that had "LOOK" and "WOW" in the listing title. If you put these words in your listing, it won't go down to well with eBay's new search system as they will see these keywords as irrelevant. So, whatever you do, if you want to reach page one, don't use these keywords! If you do, you will be preventing your products from showing in the search results as your keywords will not match the search criteria. As a result, no one will view your listing and if you haven't got anybody viewing any of your listings, you won't make any sales! If you don't make any sales, you will slide further and further down the search. So please take my advice and avoid these words!

Always think carefully and the keywords you chose as you only have 55 characters to work with, so don't waste them! Before you list your item, think about what words you would add in the search bar? Look at your competitors listings and take note of the keywords they use.

2. Item and Postage Price

When deciding your postage costs, do a quick search on eBay and look at your competition. What is their postage price? eBay state that items with reasonable postage charges will feature higher in searches. By 'reasonable' this means that your postage charges should be similar to other sellers listing similar items. Try not to list an item with a really low price and a huge postage charge because this will not help your search placement and eBay's algorithm will see this as trying to avoid their fees and will punish you for it. (Remember you don't pay fees on your postage costs)

A product that is listed at £8.99 with £1.50 postage will be classed as better value and therefore a better 'Best Match' than a product that is listed at £1.50 with £8.99 postage. So, as long as you price your items and your postage costs at a competitive price you will achieve a high position in the eBay search. If you can, try and list items with free postage as eBay has started to favour items that offer free postage and will list them higher in the search. Obviously, your postage will not be free, so try and cover your losses by increasing you product price slightly. Also, if you offer free postage, you cannot get marked down on your detailed seller ratings for postage.

3. Recent Sales

Every time you sell an item on eBay, the "Best Match" algorithm sees this as a positive and your product will rise in the eBay search. I recommend that you run a 30 day or good till cancelled listing if you are able to re-stock without any issues. If you have an eBay shop, you can set up a "Good till Cancelled" listing that runs listings until you cancel them! This way, you can leave your listing running, let you sales build up and revise the quantity of stock available when you get more stock. If you use this method, you should reach page one within 10 or so sales if your niche isn't competitive. If you list your item for a 30 day period you can't change the title, category or the condition of your item as this will wipe out your sales history and you will have to start again. If you do manage to run out stock, make sure that you relist it within 7 days (without any changes as mentioned above) This will keep your sales history intact and your search standing unaffected.

4. Detailed Seller Ratings

Detailed Seller Ratings will also affect your search location. Try not to allow any of your detailed seller ratings to fall below a rating of 4.4 as your listings will appear lower in the search results. Try and provide good customer service, free and fast postage and answer any questions promptly to keep your ratings up so that your search position is not affected. I cannot stress the importance of maintaining high detailed seller ratings. If you do suffer with low ratings, I would suggest that you open up a new account and start from fresh. Having low detailed seller ratings not only effects your listing position, it also prevents you from reaching "Top Seller" status on eBay. Being a "Top Seller" on eBay entitles you to reduced eBay fees and many more perks, so it is essential to maintain high ratings.

5. Listing Duration

As discussed earlier, the longer your listing runs for, the better it will perform in the search. Always use 30 day or good till cancelled listings when listing your items and keep re-stocking and you will reach page one in no time.

So, here is a quick summary:

• Only use relevant title keywords. Don't use "Wow" or "Look"

• Use '30 day' or 'Good till Cancelled' listings at all times and keep re-stocking.

• Don't change the title, category or the condition of your 30 day listing as this will wipe out your sales history

• Offer free or very low postage and post quickly.

• Offer good customer service so that your detailed seller ratings stay high

• Check out your competitions keywords before listing.

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What Storage Unit Auctions Are

Storage unit auctions are open to the general public with most bidders buying valuables for the purpose of reselling them for profit. These auctions are a great way to buy secondhand merchandise for pennies on the wholesale dollar. If you are someone who sells at flea markets, garage sales or on eBay, you will probably find storage auctions to be one of your best sources for merchandise.

If you want to get into this fantastic means of making easy money, come to a scheduled action at least 10-15 minutes before the auction starts. By doing so, you will know the bidding rules and mechanics. The self-storage facility or auctioneer will have participants fill a sign-in sheet and then read the company's rules as well as the terms and conditions of the auction.

The terms and conditions will vary with each site. Most auctions are done verbally in contrast to sealed bids in other negotiated contracts in which documents are exchanged without a word. In storage unit auctions, cash is the only acceptable form of payment and sales tax will be charged if the buyer cannot show a valid resale license and proper identification.

Storage auctions are indeed very much different from most types of auctions. Here, you usually bid on the entire contents of a unit or lot. These units are viewed by bidders one after the other, which viewing is confined to the doorway entrance of the storage unit or container.

The bidding starts after all bidders have done their appraisal of the property. Bids sometimes start out as low as $1 and can go upwards depending on the property being sold and the interest of participants to place higher bids. Experience shows that the average price quotation for storage unit lots or units is $300. Once the highest bidder wins, he is expected to clean out all the content of the unit within the time specified by the self-storage facility.

You really never know what you will find in a unit. Most items are general household goods, furniture, electronic, clothing and personal records. Winning bidders sometimes find money, jewelry, antiques and collectibles at these auctions. It is not uncommon to find someone's whole household or business in a unit, which means that you could end up with someone's life collection. Remember, you are viewing the property from an open entrance into a storage unit or container such that boxes and plastics storage containers can yield almost anything. Some units are packed so tight that you won't have the luxury of getting a view of the items.

You can find out through various sources where storage auctions take place. There are legal notices in newspapers, web sites and auctioneers who all provide very limited schedules of self storage auctions. By using all these sources it is impossible to find out when and where all these auctions will be conducted. Calling the different self-storage companies will give you the best results.

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Think Organically, Not Pragmatically

Last year I spoke at a pastor's conference and my theme was "Think Organically, Not Pragmatically." The Church is a living organism. It is not something that was brought into being by the planning and strategy of man. Neither does it grow by carnal ambition or program-driven activity. Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how" (Mark 4:26-27 - emphasis mine).

Whilst God uses us to sow and water the seed of the Word, yet it is He who gives the increase. Only God can impart spiritual life. Jesus said the wind blows where it chooses. We hear its sound, we know which direction it is blowing from, but we cannot determine when and how it will blow. So it is with those who are born again. It is the work of the Spirit.

And spiritual growth is not something that can be manufactured or manipulated. People do not grow because we tell them to or because we get them hyped into a frenzy. They grow because they have life. There's nothing more natural than growth. Growth is only an expansion of the life we already possess. Just like plant life, people grow when they are placed in the right environment. Peter says we are to, "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Pet.3:18). A Christian may be stunted in their growth for years. But place them in an environment of grace where Jesus is constantly being unveiled through the Word, and then watch them grow!

We can easily forget that the Church is a living organism and when we do we tend to operate pragmatically. We think we have to do things to make the Church grow. When this happens, in a subtle way, the living organism becomes an institutional organisation.

A Living Organism, Or An Institutional Organisation?

What's the difference between the Church as an organism and the Church as an organisation? Here are some distinctions:

1. As an organisation the Church is an institution governed by the appointed board. As an organism the Church is the Body of Christ directed by Jesus the living Head.

2. As an organisation the system determines the way we will function. As an organism our spiritual gifts determine the way we will function.

3. In the Church as an organisation, growth may be measured in terms of numerical increase and facility expansion. In the Church as an organism, growth is measured by conformity to the image of Christ.

4. The power of the Church as an organisation is in the rules of the system. The power of the Church as an organism is the life of the Spirit.

5. In an organisation the leadership control the people. In an organism the leadership empower the people.

6. The Church as an organisation encourages co-dependency. The Church as an organism encourages Christ-dependency.

7. The Church as an organisation emphasizes the event. The bigger, the better. The Church as an organism emphasizes the journey.

8. In the Church as an organisation the leader is the anointed superstar. In the Church as an organism, there are no superstars, but everyone is anointed.

9. The people are responsible for building the Church as an organisation. Christ builds the Church as an organism.

10. In the Church as an organisation, success is measured by results. In the Church as an organism, success is measured by obedience.

I am certainly not suggesting that every local church is like the organisation model, or that your church is; but I am sure that this is what Jesus encountered at the self-made church in Laodicea. He said to them, "... you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'-and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked" (Rev.3:17). This church had everything - except Jesus. He was on the outside, knocking at the door! The Head was detached from the body! Someone once said that if the Holy Spirit was taken from the Church, 80% of it would carry on as normal.

When we were first saved it was all about Jesus. If you have made it all about the organisation, and you are weary of empty, hollow activity, He is standing at the door of your heart today. He wants to come in and make it all about a relationship with Him. The door handle is on our side. Your call.

What Is the Soul?   Christmas the Religious Day Observed By Both Christians and Non-Christians   Shuffled Priorities   Love Is an Act of the Will, Not a Burst of Emotions   Abraham's Thoughts While Preparing to Sacrifice Isaac   There Is A Civil War Coming In The Church!   

3 Models of Christian Mentoring

For those interested in growth over the lifespan there can be no better aid, notwithstanding a relationship with Jesus Christ, than mentoring. When we consider that we either grow or regress in life, it pays to plan for growth. Growth is true success. But growth is such an abstract concept.

Because it is impossible to chart our progress, mentoring helps simply chart the journey. It makes nothing of measuring the immeasurable. It works on the observable, on opportunities for strengthening our strengths, and on honing what is identified by the person being mentored as problematic.

Mentoring involves the assistance of a discipler, spiritual guide, coach, counsellor, teacher, sponsor, and hero. And these roles can be combined into three modes of mentoring: intensive, occasional, and passive.

1. INTENSIVE MENTORING

This concentrated variety of mentoring encompasses the roles of discipler, spiritual guide, and coach. This intensive process involves equipping those being mentored with the basics for following Christ, engaging them for accountability and for the provision of direction and insight, and for motivation and skill development.

The style of mentoring is likely to be frequent, targeted, and possibly directive. This is the most deliberate style of mentoring. We can imagine those involved in this mentoring meeting fortnightly.

2. OCCASIONAL MENTORING

With less directive mentoring the roles of counsellor, teacher, and sponsor come into effect. What is less directive is less deliberate. The mentor under this regime is more of a wise friend than an accountability partner, though wise friends will always step into the breach.

The counsellor provides the subtleties of timely advice and correct perspectives on views of self and others, circumstances, and ministry. The teacher will help with knowledge and understanding in a particular subject. The sponsor provides career guidance and protection as the person being mentored moves through organisational strata.

Being less directive and less deliberate, those engaged in this mentoring would meet 4-6 weekly. It is intentionally a hands-off process and it's typically driven by the person being mentored.

3. PASSIVE MENTORING

Role models or heroes best suit the idea of the mentor in passive mentoring.

This usually involves no relationship at all, as the 'mentor' is a contemporary or historical figure we simply admire, observe, and try to be like. We emulate what they do and teach by reading what they wrote or listening to what they say or said. This sort of mentoring has influenced every single one of us. Every one of us has had a hero we looked up to.

***

Growth is our opportunity to advance in the faith, enabling us to love and serve others better, to live more hopefully, and to worship God more fully. Mentoring is central to growth. It is a very wise and godly thing to come under the charge of good mentoring.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.

Further Reading: Paul D. Stanley & J. Robert Clinton, Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life (Colorado Springs, Colorado: NavPress, 1992). The three models proposed above are sourced from this text.

What Is the Soul?   Christmas the Religious Day Observed By Both Christians and Non-Christians   Shuffled Priorities   3 Steps to Find Rest When You're Weary   

Are Muslim Immigrants Humble Guests Or Aggressive Invaders

With all the uproar about how the world is changing to conform with the demands of immigrant Muslim demands, I felt it was the right time to make a statement. Feel free to distribute this article as you wish.

There are many examples such as creating special time slots for swimming pools and sports games, and the rescheduling of university exams because they were on a Sunday, which was a time for Muslim prayers.

What about the rights of the Christians, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, and other various religions who had no objection to taking the exam on a Sunday yet had to rearrange their lives to suit the Muslims. This is Canada, not a Muslim country but a Christian one. They do not make exceptions for the Jews when some events are held on a Saturday, their holy day.

Europe is even worse, although Australia is standing up to a degree. With all the animosity that is brewing, we must consider some very important facts about the religion of Islam.

The koran, like other religions, teaches the basic morals and good ethics required to be a decent human being. One very important principle is Adab. This very profound quality of character that must be cultivated covers too many english words to describe, but the basic principle is good conduct. Adab teaches how to be a good guest conforming to the rules of the host and culture.

Adab is a main tenet of the Islamic tradition and the demands that the guests are making on the host countries are in total opposition to its principles: Respect your host, respect all beings, do not disturb others in their way of life.

The importance of adab is beautifully summed up in the words of Ibn A'rabi, the greatest of Sufi saints and teachers, when he said; "100% of your spiritual growth is dependent on your adab."

Anyone who does not follow or agree with this principle, or would follow the muslim tenet that everyone must be converted to Islam or die, is not coming as a guest but rather is coming as an invader to conquer people in another land.

The point I would like to make is that immigrants either conform to the customs, laws and culture of the host country or be treated as invaders and deported. Anyone who goes to another person's home or another country and says; you must do it my way, should be treated as an invader, if not simply as too rude to be welcome in your home.

Since the changes being demanded concern religious regulations, such actions could be compared to a form of Jihad, a religious war. You generally do not grant citizenship and bestow all the benefits of citizenship to an invader who has declared war on you, but that is exactly what is happening in so many generous democratic countries.

I am not saying that anyone should not have the right to live as they choose, but rather that if you elect to emigrate to another country, you should know and accept and adapt to the new environment you have chosen to live in. For example, you do not take a trip to the Antarctic to see the penguins and pack only bermuda shorts and a t-shirt.

You know what you are getting into, and if you want it to be like home, then do not go where life is different, unless the entire purpose of your trip is to change the place you are going to. Again this is the behaviour of an invader, not a guest.

I call upon all non-muslim countries in the world to join together and adopt the attitude that every citizen or visitor should be allowed religious freedom, but anyone who demands a change of the way a country and its citizens function in favor of a newly arrived guest should be deemed an enemy infiltrator, establishing a position inside the country to which an attack is being planned. We were here first!

We must learn from history. How many countries have been invaded by the British and other European countries. Look what has happened to the indigenous people, they were massacred. History is repeating itself, but I hope that this time we can wise up and prevent the inevitable.

Of course no country will take affirmative action for the simple reason that they are very scared of violent repercussions, and rightfully so. This valid fear itself justifies my point.

Why is it that the Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews and many other religions who have immigrated do not make demands on the host country to change the way the hosts live? Another more important question is why no changes have been made to accommodate those religions?

The reason is very simple, they do not pose the threat of violence if the host country does not conform. Here again we have further evidence that these are not grateful guests but rather violent aggressors, which need to be put in their place for the sake of the natives of the land.

I am asking all Muslims to be respectful guests and respect the rules of the host country who has welcomed you, provided you with a better quality of life, the benefits, services and privileges that come with having a western passport, and stop asking your generous hosts to change the way they live. This is very poor adab and will return bitterness and hatred, as you can see.

This article may sound like I am trying to incite non-Muslims against Muslims, and that may happen of course, but rather, my goal is to bring peace and harmony to our world.

We should all have the right to live as we choose, and if your way means that other people cannot live the way they want, and have been living for hundreds of years, then something is very wrong with your way.

The greatest supporters of this article should be Muslims who simply want to live a better quality of life in a new country, peacefully. It is they who are suffering the most by the radicals making unreasonable demands. A person should not be hated because they are born into a religion or wear a head scarf. But they are, simply by association to the radicals. This is unjust to everyone and is caused by the people who are demanding so called justice and freedom to live as they choose.

I am asking Muslim immigrants globally who are integrating peacefully in their new home to reject the demands of the fanatics and entreat the those who are demanding changes to back down and fit in, or go back to where they came from.

We should welcome with open arms any guest who immigrates and wants to share their culture as they settle in their new home. I am not saying to reject all Muslims, but only those who demand that the host country and people change the way they live.

If this article insights some fanatic to kill me, I am very happy to die as a martyr, just in case they are right and I get a plethora of perpetual virgins, I just hope they are all young and gorgeous. However, I would even be satisfied with the koranic promise of the Beautiful Eyes. Yes, that is the truth, the koran does not promise any virgins.

The gift to the martyr is Hur al Ein, the Beautiful Eyes. But no one knew what that meant, so men, as men do, translated that into something more enticing. Please refer my article entitled; "The Beautiful Eyes, God's Gift to the Martyr", on my web site.

May all people on earth be happy and stop telling other people how to live and what to change so they can have it their way. The world is not Burger King!

What Is the Soul?   Christmas the Religious Day Observed By Both Christians and Non-Christians   Shuffled Priorities   Shutting the Door on Shame   

Taking Control of Your Life, Today

The practical considerations of taking control of our lives shouldn't be thought of as thwarting God's purposes to the end of our disobedience. On the contrary, we ought to take control of our lives, making out of them testimonies of glory to God's faithfulness. We do this by receiving our call and living it out as God's workmanship, created to do good works (Ephesians 2:10).

The opportunity, then, is to take control of our lives; to not be swept along by the currents of ambivalence and indifference (James 1:7-8).

That is, with courage, we wrest control from the would-be thugs commanding our attention and dictating our response. And we don't underestimate the power we, also, exert over ourselves to inflict a merciless level of thuggery to satisfy our own fear for exposure - especially before others. Why would we be both master and slave, where the slave is both abused and neglected? Why be master when we can, otherwise, follow the perfect Master? Following the Master, Jesus, we are thankful slaves and fully in control of the lives God now gives us. Following the Master is about seeking and knowing our purpose.

Taking control of our lives is, first, about knowing where we stand.

KNOWING WHERE WE STAND

Almost as important as being in control of our lives is in knowing where we stand. If we are floundering it's best to know. It's only when we acknowledge the issue we can do anything about it.

We can begin to plan; to schedule an assault on the wresting of control.

Knowing where we stand is a critical input in planning the better way; in knowing what needs to be done.

We have everything to live for; to make the most of life. But we also know when to apply patience - to not lose sight of the overall picture of what God's doing in and through us. We keep the faith regarding that vision.

Knowing where we stand is also crucial in not getting ahead of ourselves.

We most probably have a humble role to play - but we play it as well as we are able. This process of existence from birth to death seems long, yet it doesn't compare with the scope ahead for eternity. Even in a life requiring less of us than we are prepared to give, we give - and gratefully, to boot.

MAKING A STAND - RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW

Taking control of our lives is probably most accurately about a repetitive practice.

Over and again we will be required to take the reins and rise in ascendancy. Upon each day, and many moments throughout, is borne the opportunity. We prepare and we wait, for the time comes unexpectedly and urgently.

Making a stand is the requirement. Knowing when and how to make that stand is the key. Only we, guided by our discernment of the will of God, can know these things.

Only we can choose.

God is with us, not against us.

***

The greatest obedience is to take control of our lives; to align our thoughts, words and deeds to the will of God. When we do so our hearts pound with passion, our minds are stimulated, and our souls are nourished. We live by faith in accord with the truth. And, what's more, we please God.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.

What Is the Soul?   Christmas the Religious Day Observed By Both Christians and Non-Christians   Shuffled Priorities   How Can We Walk on Water?   Love Is an Act of the Will, Not a Burst of Emotions