Five Beginner Tips to Maximize Bids and Increase Profit

Many eBay sellers don't bother to try new techniques or ideas when selling their products. To them, if a profit is made, they're happy. In their minds, they have been successful. So why change a good thing? We have all heard the saying, "if its not broken, don't fix it." Well, that type of thinking will never create growth in a business. All professional sellers look to their business on eBay as a way to make a profit….the bigger the better. The following article shares five secrets the majority of eBay sellers ignore.

Develop the right title

Your item title is the first opportunity you have as a seller to attract potential customers and bids. Think of your title as your product's "headline." A strong attractive title will enable you to draw prospective bidders to view your product. eBay limits titles to 55 characters in length, causing the seller to use abbreviations whenever possible. Because buyers conduct searches two ways (by category or by keyword), it will also require sellers to try different approaches for the same products and test which titles are most effective. As a seller, you must carefully choose specific and accurate words to most effectively meet both search preferences.

Create strong item descriptions

Although writing an item description can be one of the more challenging areas for sellers, it can also be one of the most important. The value of the items sold should determine the amount of time you put into writing the description. Less expensive items shouldn't warrant more than a few minutes of your time. Many sellers error by underselling their items and do not include enough pertinent details regarding their products. Another common seller mistake is relying solely on photographs to sell their products, thus failing to develop a strong, informative description. An attractive description will include action words to describe product features and customers benefits. Sellers must create a desirable advantage to the buyers. By not listing benefits, you run the risk of undervaluing your item.

Cross-sell related items

Before listing any product, all sellers should think of additional items related to the product, which can be included in the sale and provide added value. The items can be as simple as the original box the product came in. For example, does the laptop you are selling come with a carrying case? If you have one, include it. Items such as a laptop carrying case may be add-on items that the buyer would most likely need and buy elsewhere. Other related items a seller can offer may be complementary to the items you are selling. If you sell autographed baseballs, a logical complementary item would be a display case. It is your job as the seller to anticipate what additional needs or wants the buyer may have and offer a solution to meet them.

Take advantage of resources on eBay

eBay offers sellers a wealth of information at "Seller Central." All sellers should review this section to make the most of their selling experience. It includes a "What's Hot" section, where you can review the most popular categories. The "How to Sell" and "News and Updates" sections offer top techniques from the pros and the most recent features available to sellers.

Another must-see area is the "Completed Auctions" section from the "Advanced Features" section. Here, sellers can research auction details from the last 30 days for products similar to the ones they sell. By reviewing information about similar auctions, sellers will be more informed and able to maximize their selling potential by comparing past price and bid information.

Set fixed shipping and handling fees

All sellers want to cover expenses associated with shipping their products to buyers. Factors they must consider include boxes, wrapping paper, bubble wrap, Styrofoam, labels, gas to and from the post office, and labor costs, to name a few. These are all valid costs that will affect the bottom line of every seller. A simple solution is to calculate one price for domestic customers and another for international customers. Determine a reasonable amount and include it on your product information. Most customers can accept paying a few extra bucks on shipping if you package carefully, label neatly/accurately, and ship quickly. It also provides a quick and easy option for buyers without them having to calculate the cost. One caveat: If a buyer contacts you about lower shipping costs, consider meeting their request if they're offering a nice bid. It's worth the good customer relations.