You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to notice there's an
abundance of web site designers circulating around the
Internet.

And naturally with all this competition you're bound to have
slow periods. Times when you wish even a $50 project would
come across your desk.

But alas there's an easier way to smooth through those hunger
spells. This technique allows you to utilize your inherent
design skills, and turn a $100-$5,000 profit.

And unlike the web design industry where there are tens of
thousands of competitors, this one has less than 30 currently
in the ring.

Enter the wonderful world of developing and selling turnkey
web sites.

eBay usually has 500-2,000 web sites for sale at any given
time. After analyzing the web sites for sale category I've
noticed that the typical daily sales turnover is more or less
40%-49%.

With no abundance of competition, and a very decent sales
ratio, the odds for success are definitely in your favor.

So how do you get started in this business. Here are a few
insider's tips that'll help you beyond the design phase...

* Choose your projects carefully.
You can't just put together any old web site, and sell it
on eBay. Observe the market daily to see what's hot and
what's not.

When you see an emerging trend, QUICKLY develop 2-3 sites
matching the trend, and put one on the auction block every
week.

This strategy alone could easily be worth a couple of thousand
dollars.

* Use your programming skills (if you have any) to increase
your profits.
One of the major expenses in developing turnkey web sites
is the software or scripting you have to use to make the
site run. If you're proficient at creating CGI scripts,
you can cut that expense significantly.

* Begin your auction with a low opening bid.
I've seen many web site auctions start with a $1.00 opening bid,
and go up to $1,000+ in less than a week. Low opening bids
create a frenzy early in auctioning process.

If you're scared that you could sabotage your efforts, run a
reserved auction, and if your secret price isn't met before
the auction ends, nobody wins the site.

* Brainstorm 1 or 2 long term projects.
Usually the longer a site has been in existence, the more
intense the bidding activity.

Storyboard a long term project, and put it into play now.
Sell it at the end of the year (when people are making their
New Year's resolutions to start a new business). I've noticed
many $5,000+ web sites sell during the holiday season.

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Alexis Dawes is the author of "How To Develop and Sell Turnkey
Websites on eBay: An Insider's Profit Guide For Entrepreneurs,
Site Designers & Consultants." Check out her site at
(http://www.SmallSiteSeller.com).