There are two requisites to make a sale. First, you must have the item a buyer wishes and second the potential buyer needs to find that it is available for purchase. Let's focus here on the second part of the equation assuming that you already have something to sell. Obviously having more potential buyers scrutinizing your item will boost the odds of obtaining more bids, and subsequently augments the likelihood of obtaining more money for the item. Creating a successful title is the most significant thing you can initially accomplish, because if properly executed, it will greatly increase exposure.

  Potential buyers employ one of two search methods: they search by clicking through the various categories and select specifics until they reach the final applicable subcategory, or they type their desired item into the search box and click on search to bring up matching items. Surprisingly, a successful title will often allow buyers to find your item even if they enter slightly incorrect information into the search! This is the key and can be easier explained by an example.

   I recently listed an Eagle SupraPro I.D. Fish Finder. At first this appears straightforward since this is exactly what is written on the finder itself, just enter the above as your title and you’re done. But there are several incorrect or alternate possibilities that buyers easily could and have entered into a search: SupraPro might be Supra Pro, I.D. could be ID, and Fish Finder might be Fishfinder. So entering the title as: Eagle SupraPro I.D. Fish Finder Supra Pro ID Fishfinder covers so many more options, and therefore greatly amplifies its exposure. This is increasingly evident if the buyer uses the search box method. Try typing in different possibilities here and you will see exactly my point. The better your title is written, the more different searches in which your item will appear.

   One great tool you have is viewing the completed listings of an item you plan to sell prior to listing it. Here you can observe other’s titles and the categories into which they were placed. If there is a counter at the bottom of the listing, you can peruse how productive their title has been by comparing the number of their hits to other similar listings. I detected when I conducted my Eagle search that there were two applicable categories utilized: 1. Sporting Goods > Outdoor Sports > Fishing > Fishfinders and 2. EBay Motors > Parts & Accessories > Boat Parts > Electronics & Navigation > Fish Finders & Depth Finders. Note here even eBay isn’t sure which spelling,  fish finder or fishfinder is correct. :)  I opted to pay the extra to list in both categories. This allowed my item to be visible in both categories to all potential buyers who searched using the category method. Otherwise potential buyers who searched in only one category would have a 50/50 chance of not viewing it.

   Hopefully this diatribe may guide someone and if it does, please give me a helpful vote. There is much more to creating a successful listing and each listing category offers unique parameters, but this basic concept is the first most important step: a well thought-out title will create more exposure and thereby increase your potential for a more profitable sale.