AuctionWeiser » For Sellers

Spoonfeeder Gone Away

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:07:51 +0000

For eBay Powersellers who had come to depend on the Spoonfeeder listing tool, the recent news that Spoonfeeder has shut down came as quite a surprise. Spoonfeeder was targeted at the mass market; casual and small to medium-size eBay sellers.

So now what do you do? Well, there are a few options:

Switch to eBay’s TurboLister 2. eBay Turbo Lister is a FREE listing tool to help you create professional-looking listings, as well as upload and edit items in bulk.
Try inkFrog. Since 1999, inkFrog’s solution has provided sellers on eBay the auction management software they need to effectively manage their listings. Pricing starts at $9.95 a month, similar to what Spoonfeeder charged.
Sign up for a free trial with Auctiva. After a quick and well-explained signup, Auctiva imports listings directly from eBay so their tools can be used immediately. You can develop eye-catching listings using their free template gallery, upload photos, add counters and organise content with their tools
Try AuctionSplash’s advanced eBay tools; designed to make it easier for you to buy and sell on eBay. AuctionSplash brings eBay tools onto your desktop offering huge time savings and efficiency gains by linking to the eBay API. AuctionSplash is the only FREE eBay auction software solution for buying and selling on eBay.
Powersellers may also want to switch to ChannelMAX. A little pricier, but certainly loaded with features that eBay Powersellers (and Amazon sellers!) will find the ChannelMAX features quite a bit more comprehensive than others (inventory management and order fulfillment, etc.)

While many eBay sellers depended on Spoonfeeder and nobody seems to offer a clear migration path at least there are plenty of options to keep your business going! If you know of other eBay listing tools please leave your comment and let others know what you’ve found!

Successful eBay Sales Techniques

admin — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 20:26:32 +0000

Making money on eBay is quite easy really; you just need to follow a few steps.

The auction listing tools are user friendly and you can always edit your listings.

Quality, detailed listings are the best way to boost your eBay online sales results!

Poor listings lead to frustration and, ultimately, problems with your buyers.

But how do you use the listing tools to created great listings?

So, read on and learn how you can create better listings to sell your items and earn big bucks on eBay.

Listing Your Item

If you haven’t signed up yet, just go to eBay’s Main Page and click on register at the very top of the page to create your eBay account. Once you sign up, you can log in and go to “Sell”, either in “My eBay” or on the Main Page in the top menu bar.
After you pick a category, you’ll be asked to enter the title and description for your listing. Try to be VERY detailed about your item, and include pictures in every case! A listing without pictures deters many potential buyers from bidding on your item.
Continue through the listing options, and be sure to check all the details very carefully. There’s a lot to look through and you want to make sure everything is correct so that you make a good impression with bidders and build their bidding trust.
When you’re done editing everything, be sure to double check and press “submit”. If you don’t press submit it won’t be listed. Once you submit your listing, you will get an e-mail confirmation that your product was placed on eBay.
Once the item has been shipped, and the buyer leaves feedback for you, you should leave feedback for that person as well.

Building Positive Feedback on eBay

You want to build excellent feedback to sell successfully on eBay. You many want to try selling less expensive items initially … to build up your feedback.
If you follow the directions and press “submit” at the end of the process, your product will be viewable to everyone.
Answer a customer’s questions quickly, being clear, honest, and courteous.
Always choose the right categories and keywords … the easier it is for your customer to find your listing; the more likely it will sell!
You will have to ship the item once it sells, so be sure to add shipping charges into the price; there are several tools on eBay to help you determine the right shipping charges; try several options on your first few listings to see which works best for you. Also, it is a good idea to specify what day of the week you ship items so that you can make one trip to the post office or shipping carrier per week instead of having to drop what you’re doing and go sporadically when your items have sold.
You can always go back and edit it if you need to change details; go to "My eBay", find the item you want to edit and make your changes.
Communicate quickly with your potential buyers; they’re interested in your items and you want strong feedback on your eBay profile.
Try to set your listing so your auction ends on a Sunday. Avoid ending your auction on Friday or Saturday when people are less likely to be online.

Set the Right Opening Price

Avoid using "reserve price" auctions or set your reserve price very low if you do elect to use this feature. These auctions are often a type of “shill bidding”; where the seller may be bidding against other bidders. A reserve auction makes some buyers hesitant to bid because they have no idea what the buyer expects to sell the item for. A better strategy is to set your opening bid at the lowest amount of money you will accept. Often, you will be even more successful setting the initial bid very low; the more bids your item gets early in the auction, the more bids and, likely, higher people will bid toward the end of the auction.
Maintain the integrity of eBay’s feedback system by only placing honest feedback and avoid simply "trading" positive feedback with others. Sellers should leave positive feedback if a buyer pays promptly. Buyers should leave positive feedback if the item is delivered in a reasonable time and as advertised. Sellers who wait for a buyer to leave positive feedback are often just trading feedback, which skews feedback ratings.
Use USPS Priority Mail, UPS or another major carrier for shipping, depending on the weight and size of your item. It is also usually cost-effective; remember your customer is paying for their item to be delivered.
Buyers often look more closely at listings that offer cheap or free shipping, so if you include the shipping cost in your total price (or min bid), buyers may be more inclined to bid on your item. If you offer free shipping, make sure to highlight the information so bidders are clear it’s included!
Shipping is a key aspect of selling items on eBay; understanding the basics of using the postal service and services such as UPS and FedEx is important to successful eBay selling. You should know things like postal rates, delivery options, effective packaging and insurance options.

Packaging Items You Sell

Packaging is critical also; if an item you are selling is fragile, improper packaging may cause damage during shipping, an unhappy customer and negative feedback.
Track the cost shipping: the box, padding, etc., to decide on a reasonable price or add it to shipping and handling fees. Over time you will understand what these costs total and how to best avoid paying any shipping costs yourself, while also making your shipping charges reasonable to customers, thereby increasing your success in selling items.

eBay Payment Options

Payment is another key aspect of selling your items on eBay.
PayPal is a popular payment option on eBay, and as a seller, you should understand how it works and will definitely want to register; there is no cost to sign up for PayPal, so it makes sense if you plan to buy and sell items on eBay.
Offering the PayPal payment option helps attract buyers; paying is instant and simple.
Checks and money orders also work, but the process takes time and the faster you can complete transactions, the happier your customers will be and the more likely you are to build positive feedback. Also, payments from buyers by check may not guarantee they have sufficient funds and waiting for checks to clear only slows things down for you and your customer.

Tips for Successful Selling

Never list illegal items on eBay; it can bring heavy consequences upon you. Negative feedback lowers customers’ trust in your listings and makes sellers hesitant about selling you items as well. Be sure to follow up any negative feedback with accurate facts. Do not call names or use foul language.
Use caution when sending negative feedback. You can be held liable for dishonest statements on the feedback page; you are responsible for your remarks. Keep your feedback clear, direct, honest and professional.
Avoid responding to negative feedback immediately when received; best to think things through, giving yourself the opportunity to consider your response thoroughly before responding. Never make childish, angry or harsh remarks; you will regret it later.
Be sure not to overcharge for shipping and handling. A reasonable amount for your materials and effort is okay, but buyers don’t want to pay $15.00 for shipping and handling and then see on the postage label that it only cost you $3.85 for shipping.
NEVER put the starting price lower than what you can afford to lose by selling it! You need to understand ALL the fees you will incur in selling an item; eBay, PayPal (if you offer a PayPal payment option) and shipping expenses. It is always possible to lose money if you set an opening price that is too low for you to at least break even if only one person bids on it.
Be careful of selling overseas; this is something you will want to do only after you become a seasoned eBay seller. Most items are acceptable, and can increase your bidding pool. However, what may be perfectly legal in the US may be illegal in New Zealand, France, or China (or vice versa).

How to Improve Your eBay Sales

admin — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 20:10:12 +0000

Ok, so you have your widget you want to sell on eBay.

You took some pictures, wrote a little blurb about them, and listed it.

But it didn’t sell. It didn’t even have any watchers.

What happened?

Where did you go wrong?

You now OWE money, and haven’t received a single penny!

This isn’t how it’s supposed to work!

How can you improve your eBay sales?

Over the years, I’ve sold everything from used CD’s and DVD’s, to electronics, to children’s clothing and peppermills! And, for the most part, almost everything I list sells!

What do I know that you don’t? Nothing, really…just a few tricks up my sleeve that I will share with you in this article to help you improve your eBay sales!

List your item on Sunday. I don’t know why, but Sunday Afternoon seems to be the magical EBay selling hour! Maybe because people are home, are done running their errands, and trying to get away from their screaming children for a little bit. There’s money in the bank, thanks to the paycheck they received Friday, and it’s burning a hole in their pocket!
What are you selling? Seriously- a lot of people don’t know EXACTLY what they are selling. Say for example you have a pottery mug that has some sort of artist or maker’s mark on the bottom. Find out who that maker is! If you don’t know, and cant find a picture online of the same type of mark, take a picture and go to the community message boards for the type of item you are selling (in this case the pottery board). Post your picture and ask if anyone knows who it is or what “line” it comes from. Chances are, someone knows! Once you know that, you can do research on the item itself and find out when it was made, the method and oftentimes- where! For collectors, this is valuable information!
The importance of research! Find out what similar items have sold for. This is the Successful seller’s best friend; the completed listings search! Login to your account and go to the “advanced search” tab. Type in the widget you have and check “Completed auctions”. And just like that, you can see what they sell for! Or IF they sell at all!
Write a good, thorough description! This sounds like a no-brainer, but all too often I see auctions with almost no information about the item. Make your item (even if it’s a used tire) sound appealing! Don’t lie- but sound exited about it! If it’s clothing, include the brand and size and include measurements! A size 10 in Liz Claiborne is not the same as a size 10 from the Gap! Use your adjectives! Be clear and concise. Also disclose any faults with the item. If there is a pinpoint hole near the zipper on a pair of jeans, you need to mention it! If it is new with tags, mention that as well.
Be realistic with your pricing. All too often, an auction ends with only one bid. If you list a Fiesta ware sugar and creamer set for 99 cents…that’s what it’s going to sell for! Never start your opening bid lower than what you will be comfortable accepting for it. This is an instance where that research I spoke of earlier can help you out! Don’t forget to include the cost of your listing fees! Selling an item for 99 cents, and having to pay 75 cents in listing fees, is not very profitable.
Avoid the eBay Add-On’s! When you make your listing, there’s dozens of features and “extra’s” you can purchase- additional categories, bold, highlighted, the list goes on. The ONLY extra worth paying for is Gallery picture. But do not opt for the supersized gallery photo! It’s a waste of money.
A Picture is worth a thousand words! And more pictures are worth even more! Use good, clear photos, and lots of them. Use a program such as Auctiva and you do not have to pay for additional photos (Auctiva is a free program)! If you know HTML you can do it yourself and not pay any additional fees and make a pretty little template for your use! Make sure you get the details, serial numbers, AND flaws! Remember, if its something a person would look at in a store, you need to have a picture of it in the auction!
Spell check is your friend. Enough said!
State your Shipping and Handling. As a buyer, if I think the shipping is too high (or worse, not listed) I won’t give the auction a second glance. Make sure you state the cost of shipping in your auction and the method it will be shipped. Most Buyers prefer flat rate, priority mail (plus, the boxes and labels for priority mail are free from usps.com)
Insurance. This is a secret. I see many auctions with a statement that reads to this effect “Insurance is recommended, but not required. I will not be responsible if your item is lost or broken in the mail”. I laugh when I see that! A seller can say that all day long, and put it in blazing red huge 48-font text on their auction, but the truth of the matter is, if your buyer pays with Paypal (which is recommended), that it is YOUR responsibility to get the item to the buyer safe and sound. Insurance is NOT for the protection of the buyer, but rather for the protection of the seller! So, you have a choice – either require your buyer to pay for it (by including it in the shipping price, which is what I do) or, if it’s a small, inexpensive item, self-insure it (meaning, if anything happens, you’ll refund them out of pocket and eat the loss). But insurance is never, ever EVER (get the picture?) for the buyer’s protection – it is for YOURS!
Use Paypal and Delivery Confirmation. Paypal allows for instant payment and makes the buyers feel safe. Delivery confirmation is the ONLY chance you have at winning a Paypal dispute if one ever arises (you have to prove that the buyer received the item, and Delivery confirmation is the only way to do this). For purchases over $250 require a signature. That is a Paypal rule, under their Seller Protection Policy (SPP)

Will using these tips help you improve your eBay sales? Yes. Will they ensure success on eBay? No.

A good part of that is luck, and timing! But what they will do is help solidify your reputation as a high quality seller, who knows what they are doing and take a professional demeanor towards their customers.

Establishing a Successful eBay Store

admin — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 20:08:22 +0000

So, you’ve made an eBay account, bought some items for yourself, sold a few things around the house, and now you want to open a Successful eBay store.

Now what to do?

The first thing you must know when opening your ebay store is what exactly you’re going to sell.

Is it collectibles, DVD’s, clothing, webkinz, or paper towels? As a storeowner you definitely want to have your “niche”- this will help ensure repeat customers.

That’s not to say that you don’t want to offer other items.

These “other items” help draw new customers in, especially if you offer shipping discounts on multiple purchases! I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve won something from a seller, and then took a peek in their store to see what else they had. This is how I found two of my favorite sellers, coincidentally!

So now you know what item you are going to focus on. Now to set up your store! This can be the confusing part, especially for those who have never had an online store before; especially an eBay business. You must make some decisions before you even get to name your store!

eBay offers three store “levels”. The Basic Level is $15.95 per month. The next level, referred to as the “featured” stores have a base rate of $49.95 a month. The third eBay store level is the most expensive- the “Anchor” stores are a whopping $499.95 per month! I recommend starting with a Basic Store!

But the fees don’t stop there! Oh no! You still have to pay “insertion fees” for your items. Every widget in your store you must pay for. These fees vary, depending on the starting or reserve price of your item. If the item is $24.99 or below, the insertion fee is $.05. If it is $25.00 or higher, it is $.10 per item.

But wait! There’s more! Don’t forget your FVF (Final Value Fee) on each item sold. This is 10% of the final selling price plus an additional percentage if the item sells for more than $25.00. At its peak, you could pay a Final Value Fee of 25% of what your item sold for. Simply put, if you sell a plate (or whatever) for $1,000.01. You will pay $250 to eBay. This does not include your store fee, or the insertion fee, or the Paypal fee.

Many people do not fully understand the fees associated with having a store. This does not mean that having an ebay store cannot be profitable, it can! But you need to realize the costs of having a Successful eBay Store.

To start with, a store should have a MINIMUM of 100 items. This is a good rule of thumb. But having a store with a thousand items will do you no good unless you get them to come in and buy something. This is why every successful storeowner has items on auction. The auctions help bring in buyers!

You want to make your store attractive, easy to navigate (all stores have a very similar layout, with the categories typically on the left hand side), and easy to read. Red print on a black background does not set well on the eyes. It is better using more muted tones, or colors that are appealing.

One of the nicer features of eBay stores is that you can automate the listing and feedback process with eBay’s Selling Manager or Seller Managing Pro.

One often used tool that is quite effective is a store newsletter. This allows you to send out an email to customers (or potential customers) with product updates, sales, new products or special discount codes! You can also add a link to subscribe to your newsletter on each auction you run.

Buyers are also able to add your store to their “favorite” stores, which they can save and write a note under. I have several stores in my favorites, with reminders such as “ kids clothes, dresses, necklaces, etc…) Once you add a store to your favorites, eBay automatically sends an email with a list of your auctions every week! This is a great way to stay in touch with buyers and remind them of your presence.

The main thing to remember is to provide SUBPERB customer service. I will shop time and time again with a seller who I trust- even if they made a mistake somewhere. As long as they admit it, and fix it, it continues to build my trust, and they continue to earn my business! Follow these tips to build your successful eBay Store.

Ebay PowerSeller Tips

admin — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:33:00 +0000

The eBay! PowerSeller symbol is very powerful in helping you earn money on the Internet.

It proves you are a trustworthy and experienced eBay seller.

Most eBay Power Sellers are making a lot of hard-earned money with their eBay businesses.

If you really stop and think about it, the PowerSeller community is like an independent workforce for eBay!

AuctionWeiser is proud to present its complete list of eBay! PowerSeller secrets so that you too can earn the distinction of obtaining PowerSeller status!

1. Provide simple and easy payment options for your buyers

You will absolutely increase sales by making it as easy as possible for your customers to make payment! Provide as many options as you can; check, money order, PayPaland ultimately, Credit Cards are the payment options of choice for eBay! PowerSellers. Paypal is easily the most popular online payment service, especially on eBay. It offers security for buyers and sellers, protecting both parties from online fraud. If you don’t have one yet, sign up for a free PayPal account now!

2. Build as much positive feedback as possible

Nothing hurts the level of trust and confidence with eBay! buyers as negative feedback. You should try to maintain 100% positive feedback at all times and NEVER get into debates or trading negative comments with any buyer for any reason. If a buyer unreasonably gives you negative feedback, you can try to appeal it, but responding only makes you look defensive and increases the damage.

3. Maintain a dedicated email account for your online auction

You will appear more professional if you have an appropriate email account that deals with all your online orders and enquiries. Having a dedicated email account will give you an advantage over other eBay sellers. Do not use your generic Yahoo email account with random numbers, etc. If you don’t have one, find a dedicated email service provider today and sign up; it doesn’t cost that much and will definitely increase your sales results.

4. Always include a signature in your email

Email signatures are an effective branding strategy and a good opportunity to sell more items to your existing customers and ensure repeat sales. Always follow up with buyers promptly and be honest in all communications.

5. Put together a list of FAQs

Save time and avoid answering the same questions from buyers if you have a complete list of your terms and conditions included on every listing. Also be sure that your listings are complete and detailed; this further avoids having to answer repetitive questions from bidders.

6. Do your market research on eBay trends for the categories in which you sell

You should be constantly on the lookout for the hottest categories and items to sell on eBay. You can check out the eBay calendar for themes of the month and other seasonal offers. Always keep track of what other people are selling.

7. Present your listings in the best possible light

Your listings and ads must be professional, with clean, simple design, quality photos and all the details buyers need to bid with confidence. Avoid confusing buyers and always be honest when you are describing your items. You will increase your chance of getting positive feedbacks in that way. In addition, check your spelling and grammars before you put up your ads.

8. Employ automation tools

If you have a seller pro subscription, you can automate a many processes, including email notifications, feedback generation, and newsletters. Automation saves you time and energy so that you can focus completely on building your eBay business.

9. Provide clear shipping and handling details

Be very clear on instructions after sales, such as shipping, handling, postage, etc. Your customers will appreciate that greatly. If possible, provide tracking codes to buyers. Don’t overcharge your shipping expenses and never apply a “handling” fee.

10. Present high quality photos

You should present multiple pictures whenever possible and they should be clear and taken in good lighting conditions. Close up images of pertinent details are advised. Good photos are proven to increase your sales and attract more bids. Always be sure to take quality pictures with your digital camera with an appropriate background free of distractions. Also, in most cases, it is not advisable to use manufacturer’s photos of items, unless the items are new in the box.

11. Re list unsold items

Its best to re list unsold items since eBay will not charge you again if the item is sold later; creating new listings for the same item increases your selling expense.

12. Use listing features effectively

EBay offers different types of listing features, such as bold, highlight, border, feature plus, etc. They all have different price and some of them are not cheap. You should use them appropriately after weighing against the potential profits in the sale.

13. Never use reserve option

For most items, you will be much less successful using reserves. Buyers are much less likely to bid on items with reserve price. You are better off raising your starting price or trusting that the item will get more bids if you start the price low and let market demand drive the final selling price higher. It is proven that items with more bids get viewed more often and, therefore, get even more bids.

14. Use the ten day auction period and the gallery option

These are both proven options for listings that get results. Promoting your listings will increase the volume of sales and prices you can command for your items.

Follow these proven techniques and you too can be an eBay! PowerSeller!

The Beginner’s Guide to eBay Selling

admin — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:19:28 +0000

Anyone who thinks they are going to have instant success and make money on eBay immediately is living in a dreamland I’d like to visit.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t make money on eBay, only that to be truly successful, it takes a long time, and a WHOLE lot of sales!

Successful, established eBay sellers are not going to tell you where they get their merchandise.

It’s a sad, but true fact. You have to research and do your own legwork.

But before you get to that point, you have to get started!

Read this beginner’s guide to eBay selling and learn to sell like a pro.

Getting started is as simple as registering on the site. eBay requires your name, address, email address, phone number and credit card number. If you do not want to register with your credit card, eBay provides an “ID Verify” service, which matches your personal information with the information in your credit file. There is a $5 fee for this and it is valid for one year.

Ok! Now you’re registered! Time to start bidding to your little heart’s content, right? Whoa Nellie! Back up a minute. Feedback is one of the most common “safety nets” on eBay. This is a number that lets you know the reputation of the other party.

You are a 0. You want to look at the PERCENTAGE, not necessarily the number. ANY seller with a score of less than 98% should be passed over! 98% is good on an algebra test, but this isn’t high school! Read what the comments for those negatives are. You can usually tell if it is retaliatory (i.e.: buyer did not pay, so the seller left them a negative, and now they are “getting back” at the seller) or deserved (i.e.: Seller never sent item, item was not as described, etc…).

“Alright,” you say, “I won’t buy right now…let me get to work selling!”

Good luck with that. Few experienced buyers will feel totally comfortable with buying from a seller with a “0” feedback rating. So yes, you do need to buy to build up your feedback. Buy small, inexpensive items, and pay instantly with Paypal. When you receive your item, make sure to leave your seller feedback. If there’s a problem with your item, feedback is NOT the place to bring it up. Let the seller have to opportunity to fix the situation. Once you have reached at least a score of 10 (with 100% positive), you can list your first item.

So now you’re a seller! Bring in those reigns again! I strongly recommend visiting the community message boards, in particular the on called “Seller Central”. Read everything! Every thread, every response, at least the first 20 pages. There’s a search feature on the boards. USE IT! If you have a question, I can almost guarantee you that you are not the first, and it has probably been answered at least 100 times before!

Don’t ask where people get their inventory. The only answers you will receive are sarcastic ones, such as the ‘eBay Warehouse”. You will have to do your own research to find what sells, what sells WELL, and where you can get it at the best prices! Learn from these people. They have been doing it a long time. You’ll learn after a couple of hours of reading who is truly helpful and which members are just there to cause trouble. Keep your fingers off the keyboard while reading, and absorb the information!

Ok…NOW you can list your first item. Make it small and relatively inexpensive. It’s best if it’s something you have lying around the house. That way, you don’t lose any money. Research it. Under the advanced search button, you can enter in a term and check a box that says, “Completed auctions”. Check that. This is a seller’s best friend. This will tell you what sells, and for how much. Or if it doesn’t sell at all. Anything you want to sell – look for it here first!

Here are some tips for you to keep in mind when listing:

Write a good title with great keywords! You have 80 characters – use them all!
Write a great description! Use your adjectives! Tell how wonderful it is and how different from the other items that are listed! Make sure to state any flaws, but overall be very positive about your item!
Photos! Having high quality and high detail photos can really make your item strand out form the others!
State Shipping charges! State your return policy! But sound friendly when you do it. No need for it to look rude!

And most importantly, have fun! Make a great listing, provide superior customer service and doing your research will ensure your success as a seller and help you make money on eBay!

Auction Photography Tips

admin — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:05:10 +0000

As an eBay seller, the digital camera is one of your most valued tools.

Because of the nature of eBay shopping, potential buyers don’t get to see and touch merchandise in person, and photos are the next best option.

While you can sell items without photos, your sales results will be much better if you include quality images in every listing.

Photos are one of the most critical aspects of selling your items on eBay.

Read this article and learn how to present your items in the best possible light!

Get your buyer’s attention

Say you have a beautiful antique watch or a stunning collectible doll that you would like to sell. Or perhaps you want to offer up that almost-new PDA or GPS you never liked. Of course you can tell everyone how amazing your doll, watch, or camera is with a great description. But it’s so much better to actually show how great it is! Photographing your item at its best helps reinforce the way describe it, while also instilling trust and confidence that your item is “as advertised”.

Include Multiple Photographs

Use as many photos as you need to present your item as clearly as possible. You can use up to 12 photos in a standard eBay listing, or pay a little extra to include even more, which is advisable for high-price items like cars and antiques. Many eBay sellers fail to take advantage of multiple images when they could show the item much better by shooting it from multiple angles. For example, after shooting the entire object, try zeroing in on an eye-catching detail or two.

Lighting is critical

An on-camera flash might seem ideal for spotlighting your product, but a built-in flash is normally too harsh. Better is to use an off-camera flash or a set-up with two bright light sources.

Another option is natural light, soft and even. You can shoot outdoors on a solid-overcast day, in the shade, or indoors next to a window. Make sure all key areas of your item are well-lit or you’ll end up with a subject in which one side is nicely lit and the other side in deep shadow. Use off-camera fill flash, or "bounce" light into the shadows with a portable reflector, a small white card, or large white poster board.

Make sure the images are sharp

Every important detail in your product should appear crisp and clear. Out-of-focus photos will be especially noticeable when an eBay image is enlarged. Ideally, use a tripod or other support (say, a table or the back of a chair) to stabilize your camera.

Get Closer

Fill up the picture frame as much as possible with your subject, so your subject grabs the viewer’s attention, and so buyers can see the fine details. In most cases – except for tiny items – you won’t need special lenses. Simply move in closer physically, or zoom in tighter. If your subject warrants it, turn your camera on its side for a vertical shot!

Set up a good background

A simple background without distractions is critical. Avoid bright lights or other distractions in your background that could draw attention away from your subject.
A backdrop is great for smaller objects, as long as it doesn’t visually compete with your subject. Choose a plain fabric in a neutral color, or go with seamless paper that contrasts with your subject.

Uploading your images

Using photo-editing software, you can often improve an image by tweaking the colors, applying a sharpness tool, or boosting the contrast. Save edited picture as a JPEG(.jpg) file (file types other than JPEG and GIF should not be used). For eBay, the upload process is quite simple:
Choose Save As from the File menu
Name your file
Select JPEG (.jpg) or GIF (.gif) from the Save as Type drop-down list
Planning on hosting your own picture? File size should be under 50 KB (kilobytes) for quick page downloads

Summary of auction photography tips

Use a neutral backdrop in your photos so buyers can focus on your item, not on the background
Keep item in center of the viewfinder so it frames item with just a little border all the way around
Don’t get artsy; you are selling the item, not the photograph. Bidders want to see a clear shot of the item for sale not admire your photography skills
Don’t alter or "doctor" your photos or buyers may see this and assume you are misrepresenting the item
Light the set brightly with lots of diffused lighting to capture the real color, texture, and condition of the item
Don’t use a flash, unless you are a pro; flashes may wash out an item. Use natural light or room light whenever possible
Set your camera resolution at or near its highest setting (largest file size)
Use a tripod if possible. Handheld close-up imagess are often blurry or overexposed. A tripod is critical for good close-ups, especially smaller items
Include as many photos as you need to show your item off; you can use up to 12 photos in a standard eBay listing
Include close-ups of brand-name labels, stamps or serial numbers if appropriate
Include close-ups of blemishes or damage to the item so buyers know exactly what to expect
Take the time to set up a pleasing composition
Try to fill the frame with your item

For more great tips on taking photos for your eBay auction listings, check out Jim’s Guide to eBay Auction Photography

Top 10 Tips For eBay Sellers

admin — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 18:29:38 +0000

Why has starting an eBay business become so popular?

Because it’s great being self-employed, you meet a lot of people online and you can work from the comfort of your home.

But what if you want to actually make BIG money on eBay?

How did you go from just selling your old junk on eBay to actually having a successful eBay business?

And how much money can you really make on eBay?

Read these 10 tips and you’ll be on your way to making thousands of dollars on eBay.

We’ve reviewed every top 10 eBay seller’s list on the Internet and consolidated the best of the best here for you to read and go profit; you won’t find a better list of the top 10 tips for eBay sellers anywhere!

1. Doing Your Homework; Research, Research, Research

Do launch an eBay store if you’re serious about building a business. Don’t do it until you have completed your homework! Doing extensive research before launching a store is critical if you want to be successful making money on eBay. At the very least, you must:

Know how much market demand exists for your product category
Know how much you can sell your products for and what your profit margin will be
Know how much competition you will face in your selected category
Know where you can source your products and whether you can arrange for drop shipping
Know what your absolute shipping and handling costs will be

2. Set Realistic Goals

People are too eager to get rich with their eBay business, but how realistic is it? Some sellers have found ways to made excellent livings. What should you set as your goals so that you can make a decent return?

Set a realistic target for yourself, like $1,000 per month. Once you achieve the goal, you can increase it again with a realistic expectation that you can meet it.
Remember, it may take 10 to 12 hour days, 7 days a week to get your eBay business up to speed; it’s no different than any other business.
Your initial focus should be on establishing yourself as a proven, trusted seller and building up positive feedback and repeat customers. If you want to build a successful eBay business, you have to take the time to achieve your goals.
Your feedback score must be at least 50 or buyers won’t fully trust you. Start out a new eBay ID by buying from other sellers until you reach 10. Then you can start selling lower priced items to build up your feedback.
Don’t try to sell expensive items until you have established yourself. You need to keep your feedback rating at 99% or higher to keep potential buyers’ trust.
Run your eBay business as a proper business from the start. That means setting up a real business; starting an LLC or establishing a DBA (doing business as), collecting appropriate taxes, following solid business practices and investing in promotion, professional packaging and customer service.

3. Write Sticky Headlines and Listings

This is your only sales opportunity on eBay; if you can’t write a catchy headline and create a professional listing, you will not succeed. It’s just that simple. Here are a few critical techniques to follow:

Headlines should always have a “hook”; why is your item such a great deal? Show some personality and creativity in your headlines. For instance, you don’t just sell "antiques" … you sell "original, one-of-a-kind collectibles".
The most import element of your eBay listing is the title. It is the title, not the description, which is indexed for search results.
There are 55 characters allowed in your title, so choose your words carefully. Don’t use words like "feel" or "wonderful"; select keywords that buyers are likely to search.
A great way to select keywords is by searching completed listings for similar items for ones that have sold for the highest prices and examining several of the top sellers’ titles.
If you are selling more than one unit in your listing, include the plural and singular keyword in the title.
If space allows, add common misspellings of the primary keyword in your title.
Always make sure your items are listed in the correct category.
Be honest in describing the condition; is it new, used, brand name and model, size, weight, color, features and benefits. Think like your buyer; what would you want to know in order to be convinced to buy the product?
Don’t use boilerplate copy from the manufacturer of an item unless the item is new and you know that other eBay sellers are not using the same copy; you need to stand out from the crowd.
Stating you offer the "Lowest price, guaranteed!" will not work. The most convincing thing is to be open about your business model. Are you selling cordless phones in bulk? Do you have too much inventory for your retail store, and you’re selling off your overstock?
Exaggerate problems; it may seem counterintuitive, but eBay sellers with the best ratings do it religiously. If there’s a minor scratch, zoom in! Overestimating flaws builds the trust required to “bid with confidence”.

4. The Proverbial 1000 Words

A picture IS worth 1000 words. It’s old-fashioned, but people still like to see things before they buy them. For successful eBay selling, make sure any products you list on eBay are accompanied by quality color photographs.

Professional quality photos greatly increase your selling success!
It is estimated that over 80% of eBay buyers skip listings without images while sites with galleries get 15% more activity.
Listings with super-size photos get a whopping 24 percent spike in sales!
Use a product image by the headline to grab attention; you’re trying to catch the bidder’s attention as they scan hundreds of listings. It costs nothing to add a photo by the headline, you will get far more click-throughs this way.
Show multiple views and close-ups.

5. 100% Customer Satisfaction

Your customer’s buying experience determines whether you get positive feedback. Always be professional and provide excellent customer service to build your reputation. Selling on eBay is like any other business; provide the kind of customer satisfaction that you expect from any business yourself.

Always follow up by email to ask your customer how the item arrived and whether he is happy with his purchase; you catch a problem before and resolve it before you get negative feedback
Offer a return policy in order to reassure customers that your items are “as advertised”. While you may have the occasional return, in the long run you will be far more profitable accepting returns in cases where your customer is not happy.
Be fair in your shipping charges and do not attempt to extort buyers with handling fees or mark ups.
Maintain a rating above 99%; if your rating falls below 99%, buyers will likely lack confidence to buy from you.

6. Give Your Customer Options

Offer as many payment options as possible, including PayPal and credit cards. The more payment options you offer, the more bidders you will attract.
Where applicable, link to the owner’s/user’s manual/instructions for your product.
If you are selling new items, be sure to offer as many options as possible in terms of color, size, etc.

7. Pricing For Profit

Knowing how to price on eBay is crucial to your selling success. Guaranteed all those sellers who are peddling iPhones for $1,000 are sitting on unsold inventory. Overestimate the market pricing and you fail to get that critical first bid. Here are some pricing strategies to follow:

Know what your product is selling for elsewhere. Research what similar products are selling for and you’ll know what you can expect to get.
Take your expected winning bid, cut it in half, take off another 10% and use that as your reserve price if you feel you must set a reserve.
The more bids you get, the higher the winning bid will be. More bids attract more buyers, so the way to start a bidding frenzy is by starting the initial price very low to encourage as much bidding as possible.
Items that typically receive more than 10 bids are best to start at a ridiculously low price like 99 cents.
If you’re willing to accept a price about what it’s selling for elsewhere on eBay, use that price for your "Buy It Now" and throw in free shipping to create a truly compelling offer.

8. Auction Timing

Seven day auctions are usually the most successful, but try different auctions lengths to find what works best for your product category. Seven day auctions are the most popular because they usually cover weekends.
Set up your auctions to end on Sunday when more people are at home than any other day of the week.
Friday and Saturday tend to be the worst days to end your auctions.
Try to end auction listings at 10 PM EST (7 PM PST).

9. Selling Outside of eBay

Regardless how good you are as an eBay seller, there is more money be made by selling outside eBay.

If you can build a customer base on eBay, then you can send them newsletters and special promotions. This enables you to sell items through your eCommerce site and avoid paying eBay fees.
Try promoting your online business by starting a blog, posting on relevant forums or submitting articles to popular eZines.

10. Going International

Every bid counts, even if it comes from the other side of the world. Follow these tips to sell internationally on eBay:

Set a special handling fee for international buyers to compensate for the extra time it takes you to fill out the customs form and to cover international shipping and insurance costs.
Always insure international packages.
Notify customers that they are responsible for return shipping expense as part of your return policy

We hope you will find these 10 tips for eBay sellers useful and profitable in running your eBay business. Good luck and good selling.