How to Add eBay Listings to Your WordPress Site
By Michael Pollock in WordPress
One of my clients, Hi-Way Campers, has started listing some of their RVs for sale on eBay. Naturally, I had to figure out a way to integrate it into their website, which is build on a WordPress platform. First I looked around for a WP plugin, but there none to be found. And there’s probably a really good reason there’s no plugin. It’s too easy for a plugin.
The secret is to use the eBay Editor Kit, which will produce some Javascript you can insert into your Worpdress template or post. Here’s the description of the Editor Kit from eBay:
The eBay Editor Kit (EK) is one of the most innovative and effective affiliate tools available. With the EK, affiliates can add relevant, real-time eBay listings to their Web sites in just seconds. Best of all, the EK produces click-through rates two times greater than traditional banners!
Whatever your Web site’s content or user demographic, eBay’s Editor Kit will dynamically list pertinent eBay auctions and listing details, including product information, gallery images, bidding prices, and ending times. Each specification is completely customizable.
If I understand it correctly, the Editor Kit is designed to show context-based ads (like Adsense). However, there’s a way to add just your own listings the way I did with Hi-Way Campers. In each of the ebay listings, the URL of the company’s website was added to the item description. The Editor Kit allows you to enter search terms that dictate which ads to show on your site, so I simply used the company’s URL as the search term. You could do the same with your own listings; just enter some unique word in your eBay lisitings, and use that word as your search term when you set up the Editor Kit.
It’s really pretty easy. The Editor Kit also allows you to choose different sizes and formats for your ads. If you want to see how it looks integrated into a site, visit the Hi-Way Campers site, and look in the right hand sidebar.
Anybody else know of a simpler solution?
On Aug 21, 2006, Blaine Moore said:
Hi way campers sells $110 travelling toilet paper rolls?
(the linked to ebay auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150022932221)
On Nov 24, 2006, Bruno Rodrigues said:
I’ve tested this “feature” today, Nov 24th, and there’s now an advanced search “mode” where you can simply enter your seller id and you won’t need to do the description keyword trick anymore :)
On Dec 30, 2006, sandraissa said:
Happy new year !-!
o:)))))
On Apr 17, 2007, Internet Marketing said:
I have been wondering about the adding ebay to your site but just can’t see how you could make much money from it unless you had a ton of traffic right?
Dennis
On May 2, 2007, Richard said:
In order to do marketing i sugguest is that the best way for marketing your site is banner ads because links are not that visible as compare to banner ads.
http://www.vividads.com.au
On May 13, 2007, Adeel Chowdhry said:
Use plug-ins. It will make your job easier.
On May 14, 2007, Billy said:
http://Ztail.com makes sharing your eBay listings easy. It creates a widget that you can place in your blog or share with your social network.
On May 31, 2007, Roger Gordon said:
I suspect the search engines may like the extra content. Not sure if it will translate into hard cash though
On Aug 17, 2007, Alan Richardson said:
I agree with Roger’s comment regarding search engines and content but exactly where do they stand on the issue of inserting javascript into your html or php?
On Aug 18, 2007, DayJobNuker said:
I wonder how hard this is to do? I use Build a Niche which was hard a first but now I can put up a site quickly.
My first Ebay SECRET NICHE is revealed at
http://www.DayJobNuker.com
On Jan 30, 2008, David said:
Nice artice about adding eBay listings to wordpress I’ve been wanting to learn how to do this. Nice Blog.
David
On Mar 29, 2008, seoreef said:
I’ve been looking for a way to list ebay auctions on WP blogs for a long time now.
On May 19, 2008, Malen said:
I googled this question and your blog came up…this is the exact information I am looking for. I am a newbie in ebay as an affiliate and could not find this information in their site. Thanks to your blog.
On Oct 7, 2008, Wordpress EPN Plugins said:
There are some very neat tools nowadays for putting eBay auctions on Wordpress. The best ones are not for free, but whatever you pay for it you will normally recover back within days.
Personally I am an avid phpBay Pro user, and also a Wordpress plugin developer (usually phpBay related plugins).
But .. If you use Wordpress and have an EPN affiliate account, then my latest plugin may be useful for your readers. It displays your EPN commission stats directly in your WP administration panel.
Full documentation is at http://www.psp-tubes.net/downloads/piggybank.pdf … and the plugin page is at http://www.psp-tubes.net/wordpress/display-ebay-partner-network-epn-stats-in-your-wordpress-administration-panel/
I wish you good profits with your eBay sites.
Cheers
Alan
On Oct 8, 2008, John W said:
To answer an earlier question, yes traffic is key and has a linear relationship to earnings. However, depending on your frame of reference, to some $30 more a month than they had before is the same to others who would be happy with $3,000 more. It’s all relative.
I’ve created an Ebay plugin that provides Ebay thumbnail images in the post footer or sidebar. I developed it for my own use but am releasing it commercially.
Results from Ebay affiliate sales regularly outstrip my Adsense earnings. Though I use both so I get double the revenue that either alone would provide.
On Nov 4, 2008, Salehoo reviewer said:
Wow , I have been looking for this answers for a while now, thank you for the great info. I will go try it right away!
On Feb 2, 2009, netbook computer said:
I’m impressed with this. Way to go, man from Joe, the Netbook Man
On Feb 4, 2009, jorge said:
You should also check out http://www.wptagads.com
On Mar 14, 2009, 24/7 WEBPROS said:
Funny thing we were using the Editor Kit and wondering how to do all that you mention above … and after tootling around a bit - voila! Thanks for the post!
On May 29, 2009, Discount Juicy Couture said:
I use ebay for other sites and now I’m in the process of adding the plug in the my wordpress sites.