How to Create Your Own Product Pictures with White Background for Amazon and Ebay

Marketspaces and e-commerce have taken over much of the selling world. If you are not online you are likely missing out on a lot of potential revenue. A problem small manufacturers and businesses face is that they don't know how to create a white backdrop for product pictures. Amazon requires a white background and Ebay prefers them because of their quality and ease of understanding.

You don't need to pay someone as you can make your own!

I use the Paint program that comes with almost all computers. One can also go online and find some free photo editors web base software. Gimp is great and offers lots of different options but may take a few minutes to learn.

Here are a few steps that will help you....


-Photo Editor: I first used the basic phone editor such as Google Photos to adjust color, light, and pop so the product stood out against the back ground.

Stage 1: Photo Editor
Adjust color, pop, and light before downloading

-Download and Open in Microsoft Paint: Most computers have a paint editor function that lets you edit and pictures.

Stage 2: Zoom
Zoom in erase a border.

-Zoom in Erase around Your Product: Zoom in and erase around your product. Zoom back out to get a nice perspective.

Stage 3: Clean up
Clean up your background

-Make Your Background White. They won't be accepted by many of the markespaces unless they are. You may also want to change them to 1000+ pixels so they can be zoomed in.

Stage 4: Add Content
Dimensions and Logo

-Logo and Dimensions: Add the logo and dimensions that will help your customers understand the product and its specifications.

Escanaba Polo Mallet Co. is a start-up designed to raise awareness on issues as they relate to small manufacturing/business. A significant portion of profits from are donated to helping orphans, child enrichment and other important social causes. Sharing this article increases general knowledge for other entrepreneurs but also encourages others to start businesses as well https://www.escanabapolomallet.com/

Permission to reuse with attribution to website.

Hit A Homerun with Gen-Z Marketing Channel!

You think you are going to hit a home run with your product! You got the latest, coolest, most awesome hot product and you can’t reach that elusive Gen-Z that seems to navigate the Internet with nothing more than the wisp of their finger! It isn’t the easiest or most predictable demographic today but could be a very profitable one if you do things right! You better learn to communicate with them in the channels they frequent, or your games will be 0 and 0! Having the right product is a lot like showing up with your glove and ball because if you don’t know how to reach your fans you’re just a dirt post on the field!

You should remember a couple of things before tossing your hat onto the Gen-Z field. Such hopeful youth values experience over products and are more focused on saving money than any of the “old timer” generations before. You keep these in mind, and it’ll come in handy as you roll around marketing solutions in your head. Determining which channel to place your advertisement so it finds a well spring of vibrant young consumers isn’t that difficult. Most teens may keep an account on Facebook but tend to flock to Instagram and snapchat. Ok…maybe not all but the young “hipsters” do!

About that whole experience mumbo jumbo, I been talking about. What I mean is you should market the experience your product creates and not so much actual product. For example, you’re not selling baseball caps, but the memories and feelings associated with baseball and the team. Instead of making the advertisement about your product, market the entire game of baseball. Let your customers almost smell the brats, hear the crack of the ball, and listen to the cheering fans when they buy your product!  In other words, you’re not selling a baseball bat but the crack of the bat and the positive memories and feelings coming from hitting a home run (marketing or otherwise!

Author: AM is a college freshman and inspires to be a writer. We help where we can and he was happy to writing something that can be published. 

 Escanaba Polo Mallet Co. is a start-up designed to raise awareness on issues as they relate to small manufacturing/business. A significant portion of profits from are donated to helping orphans, child enrichment and other important social causes. Sharing this article increases general knowledge for other entrepreneurs but also encourages others to start businesses as well https://www.escanabapolomallet.com/

Your Business Label Can Leave a Lasting Impression? (Polo Mallet)

A bad label is a bad first impression! Shipping labels are one of the most common business tools for anyone selling products online. There are free shipping labels you can quickly grab and use at your local post office. However, they seem unprofessional and don't give your customers the impression that you are serious about your business. Your label leaves a lasting impression so make sure it looks great!

For a positive first impression purchase (or make) professional labels. Browse online and it won't take long to find an array of different label vendors. I suspect they are all fairly similar.

The Label Gives an Impression:

The label gives the impression that you have a professional business that is selling valuable products. You are not a fly-by-night start-up that will go out of business tomorrow. You pay attention to the details and want to give your customer a top notch experience.

It Speeds Up the Shipping Process:

With pre-printed shipping labels you speed up the process of shipping. Some people print out the customer address while others write it out. Either way you are not spending the same amount of time rewriting your return address. There is consistency to your product and shipping process that saves you time when things heat up.

Cost Varies but Worth the Price:

The cost ranges from $15 to $40 for a batch of labels. I paid $23 total (with shipping) for my first batch of 5 sheets of 6 labels each. That comes out to 76 cents per label. When you start to sell more you will want to make a bulk purchase and drop that price. Consider printing your own if you want to save a little money.

It Re-directs Customers to Your Website:

One overlooked aspect of pre-printed labels is that it redirects people back to your website. This is important if you are selling in an online system like Ebay, Amazon and Walmart. The more people directed to your website, the more likely they are to purchase directly from you. This means you don't need to pay the fees associated with e-marketplaces.

Stronger Relationship with Customers:

Instead of forcing people to contact you through online e-marketplaces intermediary you can establish a more effective relationship. Stronger relationships = higher customer satisfaction = increased sales volume.

It Enhances the Value of the Product:

When the customer sees the box with a high quality label it enhances the purchasing experience. The experience is improved and that in turn improves the first impression of the product. Such impressions often lead to trying to relive that experience through repeat purchases.

  Escanaba Polo Mallet Co. is a start-up designed to raise awareness on issues as they relate to small manufacturing/business. A significant portion of profits from are donated to helping orphans, child enrichment and other important social causes. Sharing this article increases general knowledge for other entrepreneurs but also encourages others to start businesses as well https://www.escanabapolomallet.com/

Paying Attention to Customer Feedback in the Polo Business

Customers are the life blood of any business and without them you are left with only an idea with little to no market value. Knowing your customers on a personal level and what delights them creates many benefits beyond immediate sales that leads to a higher brand image and improved sales performance. Online reputation is fostered through following up with customers that know your there to help them. Three immediate benefits of following up with customers are 1. Brand Loyalty, 2. Word-of-Mouth Sales Increases, and Increased Customer Reviews.

As a start-up owner of the "learning lab" Escanaba Polo Mallet Company that seeks to understand how small manufacturing can make a come back in the U.S. through regular individuals like you that have an entrepreneurial spirit. Our nation has lost much of its ingenuity and Millennials will be asked to revitalize our lost manufacturing through starting businesses of their own and growing them for market competition.. Each article focuses on a specific topic that is beneficial for others that desire to "put a shingle up".

Customers take the time to review your product, make choices between alternatives and eventually purchase your product. Don't ignore what they have to say! What is important here is that they selected your product for a reason and if you don't know what that reason is then you are limiting your capacity to build off your strengths and correct your weaknesses. In essence, you can't give them more of what they want so your product sales may not flourish as expected.

1.) Regularly Evaluate Your Online Reviews: Online reviews can tell you a lot about how customers feel about your product. If you have negative reviews you can learn from them, reach out to fix the situation, and turn a negative situation into a positive one. If you get a positive review good for you because many people are many times more willing to write something negative versus something positive. This is a comment we are very proud of....

"Flawless Transaction!!! Highly recommend seller! Extremely please! AAAA+++

2.) Follow Up on Questions and Sales: Customers want to feel appreciated and some things small manufacturers can do is answer questions and follow up on sales. Such actions not only help the customer feel special but also to encourage higher levels of feedback that often lead to greater loyalty. Send your customer a follow up message a week or so after their purchase and ask them if they are happy. Answer any emails or forum questions.

This customer reached out for a product and we talked about sizes....

"Exactly as stated, Seller took time to confirm size. having fun with it"

3.) Focus Group on a Shoestring: When you start to manufacture on a small scale you won't have a lot of money so staying very close to your customers will make a big difference in your success. Conducing a focus group doesn't need to be impossible. Sure...you can send people a free mallet and then in turn ask for their advice. You could also ask your recent customers to send you back more detailed information in exchange for a t-shirt, raffle for a new item (i.e. mallet), or some other type of appreciation. You could also consider using a Zoom meeting or something else that could just entice them to become part of the solution to enhancing your product design! Use your creativity here.

A significant portion of profits from Escanaba Polo Mallet are donated to helping orphans, child enrichment and others. Sharing this article increases general knowledge for other entrepreneurs but also raises awareness of our good works company. https://www.escanabapolomallet.com/ Feel free to share or repost with attribution back to website.

Using the Promote Features on Ebay to Test Selling Polo Mallets

Small business sometimes get drowned out by the marketing power of larger companies with bigger budgets. As a small business you can gain some front page traction through the use of Ebay's promotion feature. Selling online is one of the ways to get your product out to a national or international market from almost anywhere in the country. Escanaba Polo Mallet Company is a "learning lab" good works low-cost start-up that helps to understand how small manufacturing can grow and develop in the U.S. so that new policies and ideas can develop. Check back often for new ideas.

There is little use locally for these mallets so nearly all sales will need to be conducted virtually in a way that will require higher reliance online marketspaces. While manufacturing will be local sales will be international.

While I haven't sold any mallets internationally because I have been primarily focused on building a national customer base and a strong product with market value it is something that I will keep in the back of my mind. One helpful feature often overlooked by Ebay sellers is the promotion feature. What does it do and what are some of the benefits?

From their website you can gain additional insight into how the feature works.

"Promoted Listings helps your items stand out among billions of listings on eBay and be seen by millions of active buyers when they’re browsing and searching for what you are selling, helping to increase the likelihood of a sale. The best part? You only pay when your item sells." https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/listing-and-marketing/promoted-listings.html

The promotion feature will help you get your product out in front to gain the exposure you need. There is a balance to be made because if you place your price too high then people won't buy it. Yet exposure is often the name of the game when selling. Therefore you will need to play with your strategies a little to balance price, demand, and supply. I have been doing a little experimentation and there are a few things I learned.

Strategy 1: Low Promotion Rate. If you have a brand (product) that has existing market appeal and you want to increase sales a little you can bump up your promotion rate just a smidgen. That basically means you are gaining just a little extra exposure but not necessarily increasing your costs by much. Lets call that under the 10% range.

Strategy 2: High Rate but Increased Cost: If you have a product that you desire to put into a higher category of value and its good enough to do that, you can consider pushing your rate up. Because it also pushes up your costs up you may want some starting brand capital (i.e a new product). It also works well if you have extra inventory you need to liquidate (i.e. extra inventory). That is in the 20% and more range.

Strategy 3: Moderate Rate and Moderate Cost Increase: When your start-up has a product that fits within the average price range you may want use the 10% to 20% promotion rate. The goal is to increase your exposure without wiping out your profits.

Very few businesses exist without some type of marketing and advertising. In the physical world we can gather street attention by a sign but in the virtual world we have to try new things that help highlight the product and features.

Escanaba Polo Mallet company is a good works "learning lab" company that seeks to test micro manufacturing to raise awareness about business issues, government policies, and other actions that lead to a successful export economy. Much of our profits go to good works such as orphans, local child enrichment, and helping the disadvantaged. If you like what you read here please feel free to share. https://www.escanabapolomallet.com/

Escanaba Polo Mallet Company as an Experimental "Learning Lab" Start-up

Making Mallet Heads

Escanaba Polo Mallet Company is an experimental "learning lab" start-up that focuses understanding how other low capital start-ups can compete in the global market. The Millennial generation may not have access to the same capital and resources that previous generations had. However, they will be a more creative generation that will want to chart their own course in life. Understanding how these start-ups operate and function on a grassroots level is important for developing public policy.

It's not about the money! This is why much of the profits will be donated away to various charitable causes. Its about helping a community find its footing with small sustainable manufacturing (SME). If you can sell Polo Mallets nationally and internationally using the same tools and resources other small businesses have access to it will make a difference in our ability to create more robust industries.

Start-ups are great for leading edge ideas and development. As a sector of society they can contribute substantially to our overall national economy through nimble action and higher profit realizations. That is assuming we find new ways to compete. Others may want to follow the start-up because we plan on doing as much teaching as possible.

Whats a "learning lab" company? ....meaning that we are going to talk about SME and implementing new ideas just to see if they work or they don't work. Hopefully, other entrepreneurs will come to learn from our triumphs and failures so they may start their own businesses with greater success rates. We will talk about what it means to start a small manufacturing business, local labor, regulations, and much more!

If it fails, it doesn't, because we learned and shared it with others! If it is a great success 5 years down the road then we have contributed to our understanding of SME manufacturing and its global export potential. If you like what we are doing buy a mallet, share us on social media, or send us a message (contact form to right).

Save our page and continue to check back as we will be providing lots of great information.
-What it means to start with under $500.
-How to use social media (strategies)?
-Design your own advertisements?
-When should you hire new employees?
-The types of contacts in business?
-Why someone should or shouldn't start a business?
-Helpful and unhelpful legislation.
- etc.. etc...etc...

Our website.....go ahead and share....https://www.escanabapolomallet.com/

What Our Customers LIKE and DON'T LIKE About Our Mallets!

Escanaba Polo Mallet Company (EPMC) is a good works start up that desires to sell high quality affordable mallets domestically and internationally while still helping  making the world a better place! Our practice "Yooper" mallet is under $100 with free shipping making it one of the most affordable polo mallets on the market.  As with any new products there are some things we will excel at and other things we need to still work on. We share our experiences for you to be an educated consumer.

EPMC is no different than any other business in that we carry some features that polo players like and some they want to see improvement on. Customer satisfaction is important to us. We want to hear from our customers to tell us what they loved, disliked, and want.. That feedback creates a loop whereby we can improve our product until we get the mix just right!

What Our Customers Liked About Our Mallets?

They liked the handle. Our handles have a two layers of rubberish inner core, wrapped and then a special rubber type wrap that better ensure comfort and no slip. One of our customers liked the handle so much he took off the head he didn't like and affixed a different mallet head on it (He was very honest).

They liked the quality. Customers genuinely like the quality of the product. They felt the mallet was durable and well worth the price.

What They Didn't Like About Our Mallet?

Our heads need additional work. They were considered by some customers as small and light. Reviewing what some of our customers state we couldn't agree more! So...we adjusted.....(see below).

The drill for the shaft was off center. The mallet head and shaft didn't connect together directly center. Looks more like the head is not sitting in the vice securely.

What Are We Doing About It?

We are upsizing our mallet heads. Adjustments are a little bigger with a 2" width so they are heavier than before. We will have a smaller version for customization but the heavier weight will add a little more snap to it. That will work well in the arena!

We are keeping our handles because people like them. There may be a few small adjustments but they are going to stay pretty much the same.

We are adding a rubberish buffer near the head (on the shaft) to protect the shaft from the ball.

Much of our profits are given away (somewhere around 50%) for charitable causes like orphans and horse rescue.

Go ahead and try one!