| 14
secrets for selling on eBay | | By Dana
Dratch • Bankrate.com |
| Selling online is like most
businesses: Preparation means profits. "Success
on eBay is getting the basics right," says Skip McGrath, author of "How
to Start and Run an eBay Consignment Business."
We have gathered some tips from online veterans.
| Anyone can advertise an item in an online auction,
but getting buyers to bite takes some know-how. Try these hints from experienced
sellers. | | |  |
|
1.
Research what your item is worth and what similar items have sold for. "Never
sell anything unless you know what you expect to earn from it," says Debra
Schepp, who, with husband Brad Schepp, wrote, "eBay Powerseller Secrets:
Insider Tips from eBay's Most Successful Sellers." Know what it's worth in
the brick-and-mortar world, and check what similar items have fetched on the site
in the past two weeks. A little research will also show you
how to showcase your item for maximum effect. It's "a great way to learn
immediately the best listing practices from experienced sellers on the site,"
says Jim "Griff" Griffith, "Dean of eBay Education" and author
of "The Official eBay Bible." See how ads you like
have done, says Dennis L. Prince, author of "How to Sell Anything on eBay
and Make A Fortune!" How many people have looked at it? How many have bid?
If the first number is high and the second low, "You need to crack that open
and find out why that many people looked and didn't bid," he says. 2.
Spend some time on the site. EBay regulars see the site as a community.
So do what you'd do if you were new in town. Nose around. Read the ads. Look at
the message boards. "The more time you spend on the site, the more you're
tuned in," says Debra Schepp. 3.
Decide on pricing preference. Choose whether you want to sell your item at auction, for
a fixed price or offer both options. "The rarer the item, the more
appropriate it is for an auction," says Griffith. And your online research
should give you an indication of which method will best suit your item, he says. 4.
Write an eye-catching title. "If you can't get them to click on the
headline, you can't sell them anything," says McGrath, who also writes the
monthly eBay Seller's News newsletter. Describe the item so
that people who want it can find it. Think key search terms. Eighty
percent of the people on eBay find items by using the search feature, says McGrath.
"So the most important thing you can do in your headline is include any relevant
keywords that could be used." Be specific. Use sizes
with clothing or specific model names with electronics. The more exact you can
be in the headline, "the more likely you are going to get results,"
McGrath says. EBay allows 55 characters in a title (including
the spaces between words). Use it all. "It's valuable real estate,"
says McGrath. "Use power words that copywriters use:
new, sexy, best bargain, lowest price, gorgeous. Using words like that can generate
some interest." But Griffith disagrees.
"Our own studies show that only keywords count. It's search terms that matter,
and no one searches on so-called power words."
Hot
tip: Leave out any symbols, like "*" or "$." If your potential
buyer doesn't use them in the search, the item won't appear on the list. | 
