How to Build an Online Auction Website
When eBay came out, it became known as the most popular auction website in the world. Bidders could go online and find vintage products or brand-new items at a cheaper cost than if they went to a physical store, and sellers could get rid of old items around the house or expand their business by selling items online. You can create your own online auction website as yet another way to connect buyers and sellers on the Internet either looking to find a great deal or to sell a new, cutting-edge service.
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Instructions
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Choose a domain name for your auction website. A domain name is the Web address that your subscribers will type to reach your auction website---for example, Yourauctionwebsite.com. Select a domain name that Internet users will find catchy and easy to spell and remember. A domain name can cost between $1 and $14 per year as of 2010.
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Select Web hosting for your auction website. A Web host will maintain servers that house the traffic that comes to your site as well as the content. Web hosts can be very competitive; start with an inexpensive Web host, and if your traffic and content become larger than the package you are paying for, the Web host will ask you to upgrade.
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Sketch out the look, feel and design for your website. Write out a welcome message and other instructions for how your website will operate. Select the colors and pictures for your auction website. You can sketch the pictures out on a piece of paper, but use word-processing software to write out your content so you can check for grammatical and spelling errors.
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Purchase auction software for your website. Choose existing auction software that integrates with your website and provides a countdown timer, bidding and an interface for your subscribers to upload the images, content and pricing for the products they auction. Determine your needs for your auction website, so you can select the best auction software (see Resources section).
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Hire a Web designer to create your website. Consider hiring a freelance Web designer from sites such as getafreelancer guru.com or elance.com. Based on your budget, freelance Web designers from around the world will bid on your project.
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Locate customers by advertising in online magazines and forums; consider search engine optimization and pay-per-click advertising such as Google adwords. Use sites such as craigslist and social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to find people to upload products to your website.
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