All eBay sellers want to sell more stuff and for higher prices. Fortunately, the tricks of the trade aren’t limited to the guys who list 100 auctions a week. Here are 40 tips that can help anyone be a more profitable seller at any online auction.
Tip #1: Research Your Price
Don’t sell without doing your homework first; make sure you know the true value of an item before you put it up for auction. Before you price your item, search for similar items in eBay’s closed auctions. What was the starting bid price? What was the final selling price? You should also research the price of similar items offline; sometimes you can get a feel for relative value if you compare your item to a newer version of the same. Be informed, and you won’t set the price too high or too low; you’ll set it just right.
Tip #2: Make Your Listing Stand Out
Do everything in your power to make your item listings stand out from all the other listings currently online. Work on both the title and the description, and consider using a listing- creation tool (or using HTML formatting) to create a more dynamic ad.
Tip #3: Use Turbo Lister to Create Your Listings
If you list a lot of items for auction, take advantage of eBay’s free bulk-listing tool. Turbo Lister is great for listing multiple items at one time, but also makes it easier to create great-looking listings for just an item or two. Besides, there’s no reason not to use itit’s free!
Tip #4: Get All the Buzzwords in the Title
Make sure you have the right words and phrases in the title of your item listing. If your audience looks for “compact discs,” say compact disc; if they look for “CDs,” say CD. If they look for both, use both. Use all possible words (up to your auction’s character limit) to hit all possible keywords your potential bidders might be searching foreven if some of the words are redundant.
Tip #5: A Picture Says a Thousand Words
Nothing increases your chances of selling an item like including a picture of it in your listing. Take a photo of your item, scan it in, upload it, and include it with your listingeven if it’s just a plain text listing. (And when you take your picture, make sure that it’s a good onethere’s no point in posting a picture if the item is too small and out of focus.)
Tip #6: Be Descriptive
Include as much descriptive text about your item as you can. The better you describe your item, the fewer mid-auction emails you’ll get asking about it and the greater the chance that your ultimate buyer won’t get any unpleasant surprises. In addition, you never know when that single “unimportant” detail is just the thing a specific bidder is looking forso don’t overlook any detail, no matter how small.
Tip #7: Reuse Text That Sells
After you find a winning formula, reuse it! This is especially so if you sell a lot of similar items. Cut and paste descriptive text from your successful listings into additional listings, or use eBay’s Relist Similar Item function so you’re not always starting from scratch. If nothing else, this gives you a head start when creating new item listings!
Tip #8: Include Shipping and Payment Details
Don’t forget to include all the details about shipping and handling (how much and who pays), payment methods, and the like. (That means estimating shipping and handling up front, if you can.) Don’t leave anything open to interpretation.
Tip #9: Be Honest
Be honest in your description of the item. If the item has a few flaws, mention them. If there’s damage or the item is otherwise imperfect, make note of it. Misleading a buyer will only cause you grief.
Tip #10: Promote Yourself with Your About Me Page
eBay’s About Me page is the perfect way to provide more background information about you as a seller, and to drive potential bidders to your other live auctions. Be sure to create an About Me pageand use it to help “sell” yourself and your other items.