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
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