Over the next several weeks I will be posting information intended to help the begginer in getting started in ecommerce. Todays post is an introduction to online auctions, a gateway that many fledgling online business peole use to get started.

An auction site such as eBay or Yahoo Auctions is probably the easiest way to get started selling things on the web. Start up cost are minimal and your business can get rolling right away. The first thing you should do if you are not familiar with auction sites is to take a look at them. Some time spent browsing eBay will give you a good idea about how things work there, how much people are getting for the type of items you are thinking of offering and the demand for them.

While eBay is by far the most popular auction site it is advisable to get some familiarity with others if for no other reason than to avoid having all your eggs in one basket. Yahoo Auctions does a good deal of business and your business could benefit from Yahoo’s powerful web presence.

Setting up an account with most auction sites is quite simple. You will have to provide all the standard personal information and even though registration is free you will have to provide a credit or debit card number. When choosing your user name and password think about security. Make your password as complicated and unobvious as you can without making so you can’t remember it yourself.

Art Micklewraith

Useful Links:
Yahoo! Auctions

Ebay New Users