You’ve managed to get people to click onto your auction, now you must convince them to buy your product. eBay is a highly competitive environment. People that don’t do the ‘right’ things will fail. It’s harsh, but true.

This brief article shows you how to create listings that produce sales. I won’t pretend that this is a ‘secret’ winning formula, but I do say that to be successful you should be doing as many of the things below as possible.

Be descriptive.

eBay buyers absolutely hate vague descriptions. It creates a lack of trust between you and the buyer. If you think about it, it’s easy to see why. ebay doesn’t involve any face-to-face selling. Buyers don’t have the item right in front of them like they do in a shop. They must rely on the seller to provide them with an accurate description of the goods. Would you spend $100 on an item you knew very little about? I know I wouldn’t.

So be descriptive. How?

Include every point people might want to know.

If I were selling a pair of trousers for example, I’d at least include the waist size, leg length, material type, and condition of the trousers. 

Point out any blemishes.

It’s easy to leave out from the description a minor mark on the item, or a slight blemish in the quality, but you absolutely MUST point out any defects. Buyers would much prefer that you were honest with them.

Include photographs of the item.

People feel much more comfortable buying something that they can actually see. It helps to decrease the ‘barrier’ between you and the buyer. You’ll find it increases sales, and it’s extremely easy to do nowadays. If you don’t presently have a digital camera, you MUST get one now. You really don’t have to buy a professional one – a cheap camera from eBay will probably do the job just fine.

Use the HTML editor when listing.

When listing an item, eBay includes a little editor that allows you to create enhanced descriptions. For example, you can change the text colour, font size, or change the layout of your advert. Make sure you use it! It looks so much more appealing and professional to buyers than a mass of plain text.

Include postage and packing charges

It sounds quite obvious, but many people forget to inform people how much it’ll cost them on top of the auction price to get the item shipped. As a buyer, if I can’t find this information then it sets the old alarm bells ringing. For all I know, you could be about to rip me off on postage. I wouldn’t be the first!

Be persuasive.

You’re trying to sell something to people here so make sure you do so! Why should I buy your item? Why shouldn’t I instead go to a rival eBay seller? What makes your item so special that I must place a bid right now?

Chris Vendilli
Copyright © 2006

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