eBay was founded in 1995 and has since grown to be a multi-billion dollar industry. You may think that your product is a very small fish in a huge pond, but with a little work, you can be very successful at selling items on eBay. Below are five tips the pros use to be effective eBay entrepreneurs.
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1. Do Your Research.
With the Internet, the world is at your fingertips, so use it. Research for eBay falls into two categories, product research and market research. First, unless you are an expert on the product you are selling, find out as much as you can about it. You want to be able to provide a proper description without over- or under-selling it. Second, do a search for your product or similar items on eBay itself. What are people listing pricing it at? What has it sold for in the past? How are others describing it? A few minutes research on the eBay site will give a lot of great information for listing and pricing your product.
2. Take Good Pictures.
You don’t have to hire, or be, a professional photographer, but you do need clear, sharp and bright pictures to post with your product. You want to make your item look its absolute best. Invest in a decent point and shoot camera if you don’t already own one. Don’t just snap a blurry image with your cell phone. Read up on lighting techniques. There are eBay lighting kits available at some photography stores. The picture that goes with your product should help sell it, not turn buyers off. And speaking of photographs, it’s a good idea to go ahead and pay eBay for a gallery picture. This makes it pop in searches and can catch a potential buyer’s eye when they are just browsing the listings.
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3. Be Honest and Sell “as is.”
Be completely honest about the condition of your item and list any defects. You don’t want to risk returns or negative feedback. A positive feedback score is one of the best ways to improve your sales. Don’t blow it by glossing over or embellishing in the description. Whatever the product is and in what condition, there is always a demand, you just have to reach the right person. Also, unless it’s perfect, put “as is” somewhere in the description. This can help protect you in case of a misunderstanding later.
4. End the Auction on Sunday.
This is an oldie but goodie. The fact is that more people are home with free time on Sunday than any other day. End your auctions late on a Sunday. Many people wait until the last hours to start bidding on a product they are watching, so you want the largest audience possible when the bidding gets started. Also, since this has become such a widely known rule, serious shoppers come out of the woodwork on Sunday afternoon to find a bargain. Make sure yours is one they look at.
5. Write a Great Title and Description
Similar to not being a professional photographer, you don’t need to be a professional writer, but you do need a clear, well-written grammatically correct description. Be honest, but remember, you are selling. Be sure to include descriptions of any special or unique features. Use a lot of adjectives to make the product description sing and your product desirable. If it is at all rare or a collector’s item, include that in the description. The person browsing your ad may be looking to buy a gift for someone else, so make sure yours sounds like the perfect present. On the other hand, don’t waste words in the title. You only have so much room and you want it to describe your product perfectly in 55 characters. Using your research from earlier, make sure you optimize your keywords and that everything is spelled correctly, so your item comes up high in a search.
This may seem like a lot of work for not much return, but once you get into a rhythm of taking a picture, doing your research and listing your products, it will begin going like very profitable clockwork. Use these tips and begin making money on eBay.