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Many people want to make money on the internet, and wonder if it’s better to start by selling from a website or with eBay.

by Brian McGregor

There are pros and cons with both options, and both can be successful.

Deciding upon which is the best approach for you can be helped by performing a self audit.

1. What level of computer skills do you possess?

The great thing about eBay is that you don’t have to know the first thing about website design or HTML to get started.
eBay provides you with an easy to complete form to list your items for auction.

With a website based business, it helps to know your way around a computer. You don’t have to have any computer skills to start your own Internet marketing business, but it helps. At the very least, it shortens the amount of time you have to spend learning how to set up and market your business. Ideally, you will either need HTML skills or use web page generator software. Either way, you will have to learn how to design websites. Alternatively, you could buy resources to provide these functions for you.

2. How much time can you spend up front on your business?

With eBay, you can get started earning virtually right away. You need to set aside some time to source your products, create your listings, and prepare your items for shipment. None of these chores need to take a huge amount of time

For a website, you typically have to find your niche market, develop your product, write your salescopy, set up your website, optimize it for the search engines, organize your pay-per-click campaigns, set up your autoresponders, and much more.

A “regular” internet business can take a lot of time to set up. For some it can be as much as 40 hours a week when you’re first starting out, particularly if you want to get it up and running quickly.

3. How much money can you afford to spend up front?

With eBay, It only costs a dollar or two to set up a regular eBay auction listing. For your web business, you’ll need
to pay for hosting and probably an autoresponder service. In addition, there could be costs associated with web design, product development and advertising.

4. Are you prepared to devote regular amount of time to your business?

An eBay business usually requires that you put in a number of hours per week. You could set up your eBay business to be as automated as possible, but there will always be some tasks to be undertaken.

It is possible to create a website business such that everything is automated. Once set up, the business can run on auto-pilot. Or, more likely, you create another new internet business to provide further streams of income.

In summary, if you want to start making money right away, you can get items listed on eBay very quickly. You won’t make a million dollars overnight, but you can achieve a dependable stream of income in a very short space of time.

Of course, these two approaches aren’t mutually exclusive. In other words, you don’t have to stick to just the one. If you start on eBay, you can expand your business to the “regular” Internet world as well.

Alternatively, if you have a “regular” Internet business, you can sell your products on eBay!

By taking advantage of two-way cross promotions, you can introduce your products to whole new audiences which should mean more sales!

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