Dare to Share

It’s important to know how to sell on eBay if you’re wanting to get the highest price for the stuff you’re selling. We’ll go over some eBay Selling Tips and show you how to increase the chances of making money on eBay.

1. Choose the correct category. If you’re unsure of what category your item should be in then look for similar items or past listings and see what other people have done.
2. A detailed and obvious title. Don’t make your title obscure and make sure you spell everything correctly. It’s more than likely people will just search for an item by keyword so make it obvious. Also, try to include other at-a-glance details (if it fits) such as the condition (Immaculate, As New etc) and whether it’s a No Reserve auction
3. Describe your item. Don’t ramble on about it but do make sure that you tell people exactly what it is they’ll be buying. If you’ve still got some warranty remaining then let people know. If it’s in Immaculate condition then let them know. Let them know the spec of the item or maybe the size. Be truthful in what you say, if it’s got a small scratch then let them know. You may think this’ll deter people but in fact the opposite - there more likely to buy if they know exactly what they’ll be getting.
4. Add some great photos. How many times have you looked at an eBay auction and the seller has either decided not to add a photo or added one that was out of focus? I have, alot and it has instantly turned me off. Even the cheapest of digital cameras allow you to take great photos. Make sure you take a photo in a well lit room and if you need to take more than one photo and take close-ups of your item. Make sure you include a photo of your item and not one you’ve downloaded from the manufacturers site!
5. Add more than one photo. Now, eBay charge for adding more than one photo and to supersize your photos but there are ways around this. If you know HTML then simply create a basic HTML page, add your photos to your own website host or maybe Flickr account and then add that code to your item description. Your photos will then appear in the page. Auctiva also offer free image hosting and also slot them into your auction for you
6. Don’t include a Reserve Price. Now, this is a potentially risky tip so it’s worth having a look at ended listings and see if similar items have sold and for how much. If you feel confident that your item will sell for a price you’ll be happy with then I’m convinced that you’ll get more bidders. I do think that having a reserve price sometimes turns people off bidding.
7. Have a super cheap starting price. I usually like to start off at 99p. This usually entices people in to bid on your item, rather than having a high starting price. How often have you watched an auction on TV with the auctioneer trying to get the bidding going at a high price only for him to have to lower the starting price and for the final price to be well above the original starting price. It’s the same with eBay.
8. Don’t add any eBay extras. If you add things like subtitles, extra pictures, and designer themes before you know it you’ll be paying eBay more than your item’s worth! I’m convinced that if you add a concise title, clear description, and fantastic photos then there’s no need to add any extras. This’ll mean more money for you when your item sells.
9. Various postage options. I usually add a cheap option, middle option and then next day option. This’ll give them choices. They may also live down the road from you so add a local pickup option. They may want the item really quick ad so will be happy to pay the higher price for next day delivery. Let them decide.
10. Payment options. Some people may not have a PayPal account so why not let them pay by cheque or bankers draft? Remember though, if accepting cheques just wait for it to clear before sending the item. If you haven’t already got a PayPal account then get one now. This will definitely increase your chances of selling your item, as people don’t like waiting around for payments to clear.

Summary

You need to think of it as a shop. You’re selling goods to buyers. When you buy something then you want to know everything about it. You want to see detailed pictures. You want to know how much the postage will cost. You want to know as much as you can to make an informed purchase. If you do this then your buyers will be happy, you’ll start to build up positive feedback and buyers will be more confident buying from you than anybody else selling a similar item.

If you know of any other great ways to increase your chances of selling and selling for the best price then please post a comment below.