What are some of the most common reasons folks skip a particular auction?

     --No Images.  Can you imagine going to the cinema and just listening?  Eye appeal adds so much to the auction experience. Text only auctions are about as much fun to watch as drying paint!

     --Typographical Errors. We all make mistakes. Erasers are not on pencils by chance. What I am referencing here is the auction with multiple spelling errors, poor grammar, and little, if any, punctuation. If a seller can’t take care of details like this, what does that say about his overall commitment to quality? Thanks, but no thanks.

     --S L O W    L O A D   A U C T I O N S – The pendulum occasionally swings the other way. Larger single images or multiple smaller images drag page load times to unacceptable levels. The net result: bidders simply click away, never to return again. 

WINNING BIDDER TIP! As approximately 60% of all eBay users connect to the Internet with a dial-up connection, fast loading auctions are critical to your success. Total auction files need to be under 200kb in size. Bigger is not always better!

     --Competition Bashing. Would everyone who likes a bully, please raise your hand? Well, except for the guy in the third row, no hands went up. Don’t worry; we’ll get him the help he needs! Nothing is more unflattering than a seller who bashes competitors in the first few lines of text. Yes, I see auctions like this every week. Though eBay is a worldwide phenomenon, I live in America. Healthy competition keeps the playing field level. I will get into much more detail about the importance of “playing well with others” much later, but suffice to say, speak no ill in your auctions. Sellers who engage in this type of business practice will have an eBay shelf life that is less than the time it will take you to read this book. Rest easy, however, as they will be quickly replaced by other “short shelf-life” sellers. Such is the nature of eBay. In the final equation, the feedback system is the tell-all. Hold your head high and move forward with honor and integrity, and your buyers will reward you handsomely with both orders and positive feedback.

     -- Overpriced Auctions.  This may sound contrary to many of the earlier points I made about pricing not being the prime factor in an auction purchase. Although it is not a prime factor, we do need to look at an effective overall pricing strategy.

Try to avoid these common pitfalls and drive more winning bidders to your auctions!