If you are just starting out on the road to making a great living from selling goods online, and what's the difference? These two websites dominate the buying and selling marketplace when it comes to the internet, but they both operate in very different ways.
1. Auctions vs. Fixed Price Goods
Perhaps the most obvious difference between these two giant websites is how items are actually sold. Head over to eBay and you'll notice plenty of Auction style listings, where you place a bid for the amount you are willing to pay for the item in question. Even Buy It Now listings on eBay, which provide more of a fixed alternative to this auction style, often come complete with an option for a buyer to put in their best offer.
Amazon, on the other hand, offers Buyers a fixed rate. There's no arguing, no waiting for auctions to finish and no doubt as to how much money you will make for a product that sells on this website.
2. Individuals vs. an Organization
Many that do not know much about the logistics of buying and selling on the internet assume that eBay is made up solely of individuals, trying to sell off some goods that may or may not have fallen off the back of a lorry! Of course, we know that this is not the case and that there are many fully fledged businesses just using eBay as their shop front. Unfortunately though, this is the reputation that eBay continues to fight against.
A lot of people frequently misunderstood the operation of Amazon in a similar, although entirely more beneficial, way. As Amazon is a large organization that holds vast amounts of stock itself, a lot of buyers simply do not realize that the purchase they just made actually come from an individual rather than Amazon itself. Every time you list an item for sale on Amazon, you are benefitting from the positive reputation that this sales giant brings to the table. Your buyers know that they can expect great customer service and a clear pricing strategy simply because your products are flown benefit the 'Amazon' banner.
3. The Customer Base
There are a multitude of differences between these two websites, but one of the most obvious is that of the customer base. Customers visiting the Amazon website tend to be very loyal for several reasons:
– They know that the Amazon website, or an Amazon marketplace vendor, is almost certain to offer what they want. With such a diverse range of categories and goods it is possible to get your hands on almost anything you want without ever leaving Amazon.
– Amazon runs an incredibly clever direct marketing campaign, sending emails to former buyers containing links to products that they might want in the future.
That's not to say that visitors to the eBay website can not be just as loyal, but it is always worth bearing in mind that every time you list a new product for sale on the Amazon website, there will be a group of loyal customers that will never even consider looking elsewhere.
Both Amazon and eBay have their own benefits. Some products sell better on one website, some better on another, so if you really want to maximize your earning potential online you should consider operating out of both.
[ad_2]Source by Amanda O'Brien
