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Posts Tagged ‘Mystery’

Tips for Selling on Ebay – Attracting More Hits and Bidders

June 28th, 2012 No comments

This article assumes you have an eBay seller account. You may have tried to sell already, but so far your responses to those auctions were unsatisfactory or non-existent, and you are discontent about the entire experience. Read on, and gain essential tips for selling on eBay, to encourage more active participation, and to hopefully get higher final bids. eBay Auctions can be fun, and profitable.

Looking at the auction sites, you notice instantly that many listings are made by professionals. Either they have a regular existing business and are using the auctions as another way to move their inventory, or they are in business for the exclusive purpose of selling online. In recognition of that, some auction sites have set up a special section for ongoing sales enterprises; eBay calls them “eBay Stores”.

What can you do to get your auctions noticed, among all the “big-boys” who are out there? How can you put together an auction that will sell? The key for you is to brainstorm an overwhelming presentation and give a personalized description. Auctions are for everyone, including you, The little guy, so don’t feel intimidated.

It’s really not a secret. Just understand what is important to the audience and learn the best ways to show your items. Some sites, such as eBay, host in-depth discussion forums you may participate in, as well as tremendous help sections with many tips for improving your results.

Catch Their Eye

Gallery photos focuses attention on your auction immediately. These thumbnail images appear in search result listings, and can be used to make your auction stand out from the rest. You don’t always want to show the full-overview of your item in the small gallery pic; sometimes a close-up or specific detail can entice viewers to click and view your auction. A bit of “mystery” in the Gallery picture can be a positive thing.

Clear photographs in the listing itself are critical. Good lighting and sharp focus help to convey the essence of your item. Since the buyer cannot touch or pick up the actual thing, you must provide a “virtual tour” of each dimension. Do not forget to include a sense of size, possibly by including an object that is easily identified (a coin, for example). The more pictures, the better.

Headlines and Sub-Titles

Right at the top, tell the story. There is a limit on the number of characters you can type in one line, so maybe you’ll wish to add a second line to further describe the auction and provide important details.

You can incorporate some common abbreviations:

* NIB (New In Box)
* N/R (No Reserve)
* BIN (Buy It Now)

Some sellers like to use ALL CAPS, while others elect to Capitalize Each Word. It is a matter of personal preference. In general, the best headlines are a mixture of both. You may like to use a lot of !!!!Exclamation Points!!!! or use other ways to make the headline ***stand out***

This is your main introduction. This is your big chance to get buyers to click on the auction. Spend some time and give a lot of thought on the headline: Write a few different versions (and maybe have other people in your office or home take a look at them and offer advice). No matter the style you adopt, keep the headline direct and to the point, letting the searcher know exactly what you have.

If they are curious, they will click on the auction.

Item Description

Once you have landed the potential bidder to open your auction main page (with your Stunning Gallery Photo and Punchy Headline), now there is another major task ahead of you. That’s right, you need to describe the item in detail.

This part can make or break the auction. A good rule of thumb is to provide as much information as possible, and give the good, the bad and the ugly. Tell it like it is. Before you type up the description to post, begin with a blank wordprocessor document and put down the features, the history, the defects, the benefits, the uses, the unique attributes, and, yes, the problems. Add anything you can think of which helps the buyer in his/her decision-making process. Then use this document as the basis for your final description text.

Try to avoid putting the entire description into one solid block of text on the webpage. While you may wish to learn a bit of basic HTML to “spice up” the overall look of your auction, the most basic thing you can do is to put in the paragraph tag. This breaks up the text into more readable segments and allows for clearer comprehension.

Start the Bidding

Take a peek at other auctions being conducted for similar items as yours. This will give you an idea of the prices and the level of interest (measured in actual bids or even page-views displayed at the bottom of many auctions). If a chess set you have to sell is a rare antique, it might not be such a great idea to offer it at $1.00 with no reserve.

On the other hand, you do not want to chase away people with a starting price that is too high. Let the market forces work their magic and encourage people to get involved at a level that is comfortable for them. Be realistic, be aware of what is going on with other auctions, be fair, and start the bidding at a point that is alluring and enticing to the public.

Remember that “Buy It Now” is an option with some auctions, and if you know exactly what you want to sell something for, go ahead and place the price at this fixed mark. In general, you will find buyers using the “BIN” on an item that is a great value to them at this point and you achieve an immediate sale with no hassle, no waiting.

Go ahead, look through your closets, clean out the garage, and get up those eBay auction listings! Everybody wins!

Michael Warren

How To Create Winning eBay Auction Titles

May 16th, 2012 No comments

It’s probably fair to say that one of the key reasons why many auctions end unsuccessfully on eBay is because people have got their auction title WRONG.

With the eBay marketplace becoming ever more over-crowded, it’s now increasingly more important to create auction titles that work. You really do need to stand out from your rival eBay sellers.

So what does an auction title need to do?

It’s most important job is to get people to click onto your auction. You can have the most amazing bargain in the world, or an absolutely fantastic and compelling advert, but if people never get that far then you’ll never make sales. The first step in the buying process is for people to click onto your auctions.

So how do I create a “winning” title?

The tips below are what I’ve learned as an eBay seller over the past few years. I’ve tried many different strategies and ideas, and these are the ones that work. They bring in the buyers time and time again.

“MY TOP 6 TITLE TIPS”

Create mystery.

A relatively unknown ‘secret’ is to create mystery around your auction or product. This intrigues people, and ultimately results in more people clicking onto your auction.

Let’s say you’re trying to sell an ebook called “Profits from Adwords” that contains information on how to create an income through ads on Google. Instead of using a traditional title like “Profits from Adwords eBook: the secrets to success,” trying using a title such as “Make a Great Income from Writing Three Lines of Text.” You’re not revealing exactly what the product is you’re trying to sell, rather what the product can do for the buyer. Another example may be with relaxation oils. Try a title such as “The Most RELAXING Thing I’ve Ever Tried.”

Once you think of a few catchy titles you can test them out if you happen to have multiple identical items. See which title sells the best when all other aspects of the listing are kept equal. These little experiments can drastically improve your sales conversions once you learn how to test properly.

People may feel more compelled to click on your auction with a catchy title like the ones mentioned above, but of course it does have its disadvantages, and it may not be the correct strategy for every product. After all, it’s pretty hard to create excitement and mystery around a pack of envelopes for example! It also slightly contradicts one of my rules below… but it CAN and DOES work if it’s the right product.

Use capital letters

This is a MUST in an eBay auction title – Start Each Word In Your Title With A Capital Letter Like This. It makes your title stand out from people who don’t, and can actually be more effective than using paid eBay options such as a bold title. You can also try putting certain key words in full capitals to draw attention to a unique selling point or a particularly attractive feature. If the item you’re selling is brand new then draw attention to this fact in your title.

Make sure you include as many keywords as possible

Most people find items on eBay by using the search facility, therefore it’s important that you include words in your title that people are likely to be searching for. People that write titles which are just too plain will lose out on sales. This tip seems like an obvious one, but you would be shocked at how many people don’t optimize their titles with proper keyword use!

Spell accurately

Spelling mistakes don’t show up in search results. If I search for “Playstation” and your auction title has it listed as “Playstataion” then I won’t find your item. Most people don’t make spelling mistakes purposely, that’s why they’re called mistakes. If you notice that you did make a mistake after you’ve already listed your item you may still be able to go back and correct it if you do so prior to any bids being placed. One misspelled keyword can ruin all your hard work!

Be descriptive

If you’re selling a new item, make sure you point that out in your title. If your item is in excellent condition, again make sure you say so. Try to be creative as well, look at your auction title as a buyer would.

Example, instead of saying “Pair Of Computer Speakers Used Condition Work Great”… try “Pair Of Computer Speakers w/ Manual Included Like New.”

Finally…

Use paid options sparingly. eBay offers all kinds of options that are designed to increase clicks on your auctions, such as Bold and Highlight, but I’ve usually found that these don’t have a large enough impact on auction visitor numbers to justify the cost. It may well depend on what you’re selling, but I firmly believe that good wording is much more important. You can’t always buy success on eBay.

Remember:

1.) Create mystery and excitement
2.) Use capital letters
3.) Include keywords
4.) Spell accurately
5.) Be descriptive
6.) Use paid options sparingly

Chris Vendilli
http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/how-to-create-winning-ebay-auction-titles-90415.html