eCommerce continues to grow steadily

With full-time salaries stretched thin and the cost of necessities rising, people are looking for low risk ways to earn extra income. More than half of all small businesses are based at home, according to the Small Business Association (SBA). Computers, Internet access, cell-phone technology and simplified web-page design have made it much easier to launch some type of home-based enterprise with out a lot of money.

It is easy to turn a PC into a cash machine. More and more people are selling items including collectibles, clothing, crafts, electronics, real estate, cars and much more over the Internet to make extra income. Others have quit their full time jobs and make their living by creating their own retail sites or they sell items on other web sites or auction sites such as E-Bay. Selling on the Internet is only going to get more popular especially if people continue to spend money online. It is an excellent way for products to get distribution and recognition.

The key to being successful is clean, crisp, photos that realistically represent the product. People want to know exactly what it is they are purchasing. They don’t want any surprises. It is essential that the photo leave an unforgettable impression on perspective buyer. Photography is very important in merchandising products on the Internet.

Sharpics’ invented out of necessity the D-Flector. This is a portable studio for product photography that is improving how merchandise is marketed on the Internet. One of the biggest dilemmas is how and where to take pictures. Trying to find a neutral background can be very time consuming and frustrating. If one is not available, the only other option is hours of editing to eliminate the distracting background or use the photo as is. The D-Flector Portable Photography Studio solves the problem with a very simple solution, a reflective background (patent pending) when used with a digital camera and flash produces a photograph with a clean white back ground. The object appears to be floating-on-air. This is similar to product photographs used in catalogs, advertisements and web sites that take hours to create with special lighting and effects. The D-Flector Portable Photography Studio offers a solution to product photography. It was designed to be portable and easy to store hence the brief- case design. Sharpics’ goal was to develop a product that was simple to use and cost effective. The portability of the D-Flector allows product photos to be done at a desk so photos can be down loaded and posted immediately.

Taking Pictures with the D-Flector Portable Studio is as easy as one to three.

1) Open the D-Flector photo studio
2) Place object to be photographed in the studio
3) Set-up camera (recommend using a tripod or monopod to stabilize the camera-available separately) at a 30 degree angle, make sure the camera settings are correct, aim and shoot.

An independent research study was done using two identical products (Digital Cameras). Each was auctioned off on eBay, the description and opening bidding price were the same. The only difference was the photograph. One was taken using the D-Flector and had a clean white background. The other was a typical auction photo that was taken on a counter top. Results: The camera that was photographed using the D-Flector sold for $153.00 with 262 hits. The same camera not photographed with the D-Flector sold for only $115.00 with 143 hits. The result is a 33% increase in final bid price.