According to a recent report, adding audio to your eBay
auctions could increase bids by as much as 22% over auctions
without audio.
A recent trend showing up on a lot of websites is the
addition of an audio clip. The clip is a personal message by
the author or the website owner encouraging you to take
advantage of what they offer.
The psychology behind this technique is really Marketing
101. It’s called personalization. An audio clip added to
your eBay auction allows you to personally tell the
potential bidder about the product. Using your own voice
allows you to make contact with the bidder on a personal
level that written words cannot. Because, that’s what your
eBay auction really is…It’s just a long written classified
ad asking the bidder to make an offer to purchase your
item.
Prior to the advent of the telephone the only reliable way
to communicate long distance was by writing letters. It was
not unusual back then for lovers to write each other daily
or weekly. The decline of letter writing is a well
documented event that coincides with the advent of the
telephone.
With audio you can describe the item, tell the bidder why
you are selling it or even communicate with them about your
refund policy or provide your contact information. The
possibilities are almost unlimited as a way to establish a
rapport with the bidder.
But, the most important reason to add audio clips is that it
makes it easy to convey excitement and invoke emotion,
giving you a really powerful selling-edge.
How to add audio to a web site:
The simplest way is to upload a .wav or Mp3 file to a
website and provide a link to the file. When the bidder
clicks on the link his or her computer will automatically
recognize the file and play it with the audio player on the
bidders computer.
There are some drawbacks to this method. If the bidder’s
computer doesn’t recognize the file it won’t play. The
overall effect is not as professional as it could be and it
distracts the bidder. If you are a reasonably tech savvy
type you can easily deal with the drawbacks of this
approach.
For the rest of us, there are a number of software solutions
and websites that will simplify the task of adding audio to
our eBay auctions.
Here are two:
Audio Maker Pro –
– (The one I
use and recommend)
Sound Streamer –
– (Less
expensive)
Different programs and websites range from charging a one
time fee to monthly fees for the use of the program. The
good news is that many will let you test them for as little
as $1 for a trial basis or let you download a demo version
to see how well it will work for you.
Mike Nalbone is an author, editor, publisher and webmaster
who earns a living full-time on the Net. For more, exclusive
eBay profit tips like this one, visit:
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