You can check into eBay’s completed auctions to see items similar to yours and how much they sold for. This is handy in a couple of ways.

• First, if the winning bids for the items were all around the same price, you’ll know that you can list your item at that price and likely sell it. You may not get a lot of bids this way, but serious buyers will know what your item is worth and bid accordingly.

• Second, you can look at the lowest amount for which a similar item sold. If you set your starting price there, you’ll likely get more bids and created a great chance to encourage a bidding war. Serious buyers will want in because the price is so reasonable and eventually ends up to create a bit of a bidding frenzy resulting in a high closing price for you.

• Third, you do also have the option of starting an item extremely low, say at $0.99 or even $0.01. This can be beneficial because potential bidders will automatically assume that the item is extraordinarily undervalued and be excited at the prospect of scoring an amazing deal, which can also encourage lots of bids.

With the above option, of course, you may worry your item will sell for less than it’s worth. Sellers who are afraid to undervalue their item may be tempted to use eBay’s reserve feature, but I don’t recommend it. Items with a hidden reserve price have more eBay fees attached to them than non-reserve items.

Also, bidders can see when an item has a reserve (although they don’t know what you set it at) and this can discourage bidding by essentially telling buyers that their bid may not be good enough for you. Plus, there’s likely a product just like yours listed without a reserve price, so what’s easiest for the bidder? No reserve, of course! Most people go to auction sites because they enjoy bidding, they love the adrenaline rush. Don’t cheat them out of the thrill!

In my opinion, “Buy It Now” is a better option than setting a reserve because your minimum sell price is obvious and won’t turn off customers. “Buy It Now” does hurt your chances of having a bidding war, but many buyers would rather just purchase an item than deal with the auction process, so it’s an easier way to generate a quick sale. In some cases, items are best offered in a “Buy It Now” format.

Research services like HammerTap and Terapeak have specialized systems for figuring out the optimal price and manner to list specific items (among many other amazing research features). If you want to eliminate guesswork, I suggest investing in one of these amazing tools. If you’re serious about selling, you won’t regret it!

I am very much looking forward to your comments and thoughts. Wishing you rippling success!

Svenja

Have You Twittered Lately?

This is a big mistake because when your auction ends is one of the biggest determinants of its success.

eBay sees most of its traffic on a Sunday after dinner, which means that many items are bid on and purchased during that small window of time. More traffic translates into more people viewing your items, which can encourage a bidding war and drive up your final selling prices.

That’s not to say that everything on eBay sells best on a Sunday evening. Some items sell better at different times of day and on different days of the week, so you’ve got to do your homework. To learn what sells best when, my favorite research tools are Terapeak and HammerTap. These are powerful programs that use eBay data to tell you what days and times are most profitable for the items that you’re selling. And yes, I have mentioned both of these services before since I am a firm believer that research will set you apart from the rest! It’s that simple, really!

Terapeak and HammerTap can also tell you the length of auction that’s ideal for your specific items. Generally speaking, it’s good to list your items for as long as you can (up to 7 days is free), but item-specific research can tell you which items sell better as 1, 3, or 5 day auctions. Also, bear in mind that you’ll have to pay an extra $0.40 if you choose to list for 10 days. Those fees can add up, especially if you’re selling low-cost items!

When you do list your auction, consider not only which day it will end on but also the timing, and remember that auctions are on a 24-hour clock – if you list an item for seven days on Wednesday at 4:23am, it will close on the following Wednesday at 4:23am (give or take a few minutes for eBay to get your listing up and running). Don’t forget to take time zones into consideration, too!

It doesn’t take long to get the hang of listing your items at strategic times. All it takes is tools like HammerTap or Terapeak and a few clicks of your mouse. It could be the difference between an auction that flops and one that makes you some serious cash!

Wishing you rippling success!

Svenja

Since search results are now prioritized not just by keyword match but by also keyword quality/popularity, you’ve really got to step up your auction title writing skills.

eBay gives you only 55 characters to create as much impact as you can, so avoid using extraneous punctuation or words like “LOOK!” or “AMAZING!” People don’t search for these words so they’re just a waste of precious space.

If you’ve got a few obvious keywords to start off with, brainstorm what other keywords might be relevant. It’s always a good idea to include brand names, artist names, etc. This means that if you’re selling an iPhone, you’ll get score extra points with eBay if you include keywords like “Apple” and “3G,” even if your customer searches using only the keyword “iPhone.”

The best (and easiest!) way to figure out which keywords really shine is to use eBay research tools like HammerTap or Terapeak. If you don’t know about these products yet, you’ll be amazed by the level of detailed research they provide. Both HammerTap and Terapeak suggest high-ranking keywords for whatever you’re selling, which will help your figure out how best to use your tiny 55-character plot of ad space.

A word of caution: don’t be tempted to include random keywords that have nothing to do with your item just because a given keyword is popular. In other words, don’t include the phrase “Michael Jackson” in your iPhone auction title. eBay is one step ahead of sellers who abuse the ranking system in this manner and will not hesitate to remove your listing and perhaps even shut your account down. Period.

Remember: popular, relevant keywords are the difference between a listing that makes the first page of search results and one that gets buried somewhere near the back. Take the time to get those 55 characters right!

Wishing You Rippling Auction and Online Success!

Svenja

First, choose a provider that has templates that match the types of products you’re selling. There’s no sense in using a baby-pink template with little yellow duckies on it if you’re selling mountain climbing equipment. In all cases, your template should be professional-looking and not overpower your item pictures or description.

Next, take a look at a provider’s service offering. What do they give you besides templates? You want a company that gives you selling reports, image hosting (hopefully free!) and marketing tools to promote your listings. It’s best to choose a provider that’s been in the business for a while and has an excellent customer service track record.

Below are my top picks for auction template providers that meet my criteria for templates with a “wow” factor as well as numerous powerful sales tools:

1) Auctiva. This one’s been in business for over a decade and provides affordable solutions for eBay sellers. In addition to over 1700 great templates, you get listing software with a free scheduling tool, free image hosting with the option to watermark your pictures, your own online store complete with a free scrolling gallery, seller reports, and a whole lot more. Auctiva has also partnered with Sellathon (not my favorite solution but still a good one), a  research tool that can help you figure out what’s hot on eBay and when and how to sell it for top dollar.

2) GarageSale. Exclusively for Mac users, GarageSale offers awesome templates combined with great tools. One of my faves is the ability to showcase your images where and how you want. You can have the pictures ordered neatly along one side, use small thumbnails that enlarge as someone mouses over them, and much more. GarageSale also has free scheduling and image hosting and integrates with YouTube and more. It’s a downloadable product that requires no monthly fee – only a one-time purchase price of $34.99. If you have an Apple machine, this one is my top pick!

3) Inkfrog. Inkfrog is reasonably priced and super easy to use. On top of some nice looking templates, they offer super cheap shipping insurance, support for multiple eBay user IDs, bulk listing (list a lot of items at pre-scheduled intervals), sales and inventory management, and more. They also give users a free e-commerce store (after you’ve committed to their $9.95 monthly fee), which can’t be said of most other template providers.

Whatever you choose, make sure it’s got item-appropriate templates, good tools, and reliable customer support. As long as you do your homework, you’ll end up with a solid tool that works wonders for your business.

If you are using already one of these services, I would very much like to hear about your personal experiences with your chosen provider.

Thank you for your interest and comment!

Svenja

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You’ve got to be careful, however, when choosing a template provider because used incorrectly, your templates could sink your auctions.

Template Pros:

• Professional-looking auctions without HTML expertise. Templates provide fonts, borders, and graphics that can really enhance your listings. You can also do some nifty things with your item pictures and add selling tools like scrolling bars that showcase all your items on each one of your pages.

• Freebies that save you money. Some auction template sites offer free image hosting, so you can circumvent eBay’s fees for photos. Some also waive listing fees and provide free selling reports, marketing tools, listing schedulers, and more.

• A unified look. Templates are often created with your eBay store, eBay listings, and business website in mind, so your entire web presence can have a similar look and feel. This is an amazing way to dramatically increase the professionalism and credibility of your online business without having to spend big bucks on a designer.

Template Cons:

• You can easily get carried away. The fanciest-looking template may be fun to use, but if it doesn’t match the tone or theme of the item you’re selling, you’ll diminish the overall impact and hurt your chances of making a great sale.

• It’s tempting to let your template sell your item. Because the page is now so pretty, you may skimp on writing a compelling description. Don’t!  Your description – not your template – is still your most important selling tool. A template can streamline your look but it won’t sell your stuff all by itself.

• Your listing might look too busy. Don’t use a template to overload your listing with graphics, no matter how cool you think they are. Remember the cardinal rules: write succinctly with good keywords, leave lots of white space, and let your pictures tell your item’s story. Don’t let your template take over your auction.

As long as you’re careful with your selection, templates can be an easy to way to instantly professionalize your auctions. Remember, always choose templates that complement – not overpower – your items, and keep it clean-looking. Used properly, templates can be yet another powerful tool in your seller’s belt.

Wishing you rippling auction success!

Svenja

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Setting the Tone for Your Auction: eBay’s Changed the Rules

eBay’s affiliate program made it possible for a lot of people – including those who provide tools to sellers for free – to make a lot of money.

No more.

Changes to eBay’s affiliate program mean that seller tools like Auctiva, which used to earn about half of its revenue from the program, will no longer earn affiliate money as a result of their program’s users.

eBay says it made the change because affiliate programs are meant to reward affiliates for drumming up new business, not continuing to sell to existing eBay users. eBay announced that it is switching to a more “traditional” affiliate model, in which only people who spend money on eBay for the first time will earn money for the referring affiliate.

Auctiva, which used to be completely free, recently announced its new fee structure and admitted that because of eBay’s policy revamp, the change is necessary. Auctiva users will now have to pay between $2.95 and $34.95 per month, depending on the features they’d like to use. There is also a “free” plan, which costs nothing monthly but charges 12 cents and a 1.25% transaction fee for every eBay listing.

Many Auctiva users have considered switching services, although if you’re one of them, be aware that no service worth its salt is truly free. Many charge exorbitantly for image hosting or various advertising tools. Auctiva still provides a number of marketing tools, such as their scrolling item bar – a fantastic addition to your listings – at no cost.

Auctiva management hopes to retain at least 70% of their existing client base and continue to market its advantages to potential new customers.

No one likes to pay for something that used to be free, but since eBay’s changed the rules, what alternative do they have? My instinct is that Auctiva is simply a step ahead of any service still claiming to be totally free for its users. After all, aren’t we all in this business to make money? For my own part, I am sticking with Auctiva for now!

Thank you for your interst!

Svenja

That’s the golden rule – you must have pictures because they sell to the customer once you have got them on your auction page.

Arm yourself with a digital camera, you don’t need a complicated or expensive one but make sure the photographs it takes do come out at sufficiently high-resolution so the results look clear and clean on your computer.  Most camera phones are not sufficiently powerful for this function and the resolution will look grainy and substandard when it is uploaded – a cheap digital camera is usually a far superior route to go but make sure it has more than 3 megapixels (8 is becoming the standard and just as cheap too). You will also need a zoom facility so you can take pictures from close up as you focus on specific aspects of the product.

Look at this picture and think of how it could be improved:

Image that needs TLC

Here is a better representation of an overall view:

A Beautiful Pair of Shoes!

So, the pictures you are aiming for will be sharp and straight forward. Make sure you create simple images that give a good overall and also detailed views of your product.

Detailed Close-Up View

Take your pictures in a good light but beware of reflective surfaces as these will bounce back flash or distort the lines of the goods – taking pictures in daylight is the best, under a neon light is next best and avoid using flash wherever possible.  Although most of us are not professional photographers, we can all create a decent picture if we follow a few guidelines, right?

Photograph the item from all angles – front, side, back, from the top and from the bottom – include close up and distance shots.  Use a solid color backdrop so attention is focused upon the item itself unless the item is so large this is impractical – a plain wall in the house or a fence in the yard will do the trick.  Now is also the time to take photographs of any defects in the item – if there is a scratch, take a photo of it so the bidders can see what is wrong and whether it is a deal-breaker or not (this demonstrates your integrity and avoids complaints post-sale).

If you want to add a bit of panache, get a light-tent and you are in business to give your photos an extra boost. They cost around $25.00 (depending on the size) and can be purchased best on eBay .

Remember to keep it simple – you are not creating art here – you are looking for simple, sharp images which will demonstrate your products to their best effect and sell themselves to the bidders.

Thank you for your interest and please let me know if you have any questions or comments. I always enjoy hearing from you!

Invite Visitors to Stay Longer!

Using a template allows you to standardize your auctions and present your product range in a professional and attractive fashion.  If you have a well-designed and good-looking auction display and shop, you are going to keep visitors to your pages and auctions for longer because they stay longer on better looking auction pages compared to amateurish looking ones.

Even an absolute eBay newbie can make an auction web page look professional with the minimum of fuss and bother!

Templates Save You Time!

Once you have the template finalized, you will never have to repeat entering your contact information, payment terms, returns policy or links to your eBay shop or “About Me” profile.  Templates save you time as well as giving you a tight, professional look to your business.

Using a templates does not require you know very much html, the coding which makes up many web pages and which you use to make items bold, in italics, or >>centered<<<  In act, all you really need to  worry about is getting the template right from inception and then simply upload your auction photographs and descriptions before you schedule the auction to go live.

The Required Tool:

One issue when using a template is you need an HTML editor – don’t panic because if you are using Windows you have on already – use Notepad or Typepad for writing your descriptions (NOT Word) and then cut and paste these to your template.  The reason for doing it this way is that Word and other word processing programs copy the formatting into the template which starts playing havoc with how the finished auction will look.  Typepad and html editors strip all the formatting out and leave you only with the unadulterated text.

You can find “free” auction templates by browsing the web and Auctiva was the biggest free auction template provider on eBay until a recent change of policy.  Free is not always the best route to go however, and there are several cost effective options available to you which I shall be covering in my next posts.

Oh, one more thought. The free html editor I have frequently used is called NVU – they offer great tutorials and support Windows, MAC and Linux operating systems!

Have You Twittered Lately?

Writing is an art and writing to sell is something you are going to master with practice – don’t think otherwise for one moment!

Following these simple rules will keep you on the road to attracting your buyers and getting them to bid on your auctions:

Forget the Cliches

Don’t use cliches with your auction headlines such as, “Rare antique”, “Still in box” or “Unwanted gift” – this type of auction description is telling the buyer your item is something you don’t want so why on earth should your prospective buyers?

Focus on ‘the getting the name of the item’ into your eBay title because this is what is being searched when a buyer is looking for goods, for example, if you are selling a Blues Brothers DVD then your title should say, “Brand New Blues Brothers DVD” as this will then return in the search results.

Think Benefits not Features!

Always look at what an item does and what that means to a prospective buyer.

Telling someone you have an “Ultra Quiet AC Unit” means nothing in itself but saying something like, “Never hear the sound of the air con over your television” is outlining the benefit of being quiet.

Think what a buyer is looking for, and usually you can focus on cost being very low or saving time or saving money as great benefits to buyers no matter what the product you are selling,.

Be Very Specific

You do not have to be very long to get your information over to the prospective buyer – be very short and to the point and extremely specific.

Forget telling the world why you are selling the item to raise some cash because you lost your job or your great aunt Petunia has ‘kicked the bucket’ so to speak – focus purely on the product itself, for instance:

Your Auctions Title could be: Dell Lattitude P400  Windows Vista PE 14′ TFT screen LN

Followed by the description on top of your auction details: Dell Lattitude P400, complete with Windows Vista Home Premium Edition and 14′ TFT screen with keyboard and mouse.  6 months old.  Fully working order with Norton Home Security and Quicken 2009 plus 6 months manufacturers warranty left.

Further Information: Paint a brief picture of what the buyer can expect. Use bullets to break up the monotony of a paragraph. For instance, if you still have warranty left on the product, offer to send the corresponding papers along with the product. Stay away from ambiguous descriptions like ‘works beautifully’ better write about specific details like ‘this PC has a 400 mhz processor with a 6 gig hard drive’.

Use Pictures

Use pictures wherever you can as they are fantastic at demonstrating what you have instantly to the prospect.  It’s true a picture paints a thousand words.

Include Shipping and Payment Information

Be clear where you are prepared to ship the product to and what your terms are for doing so.  Also make it absolutely clear what payment terms and methods you prefer to accept payment. Most buyers are familiar with PayPal. But eBay also works accepts ProPay, MoneyBrokers and Paymate.

I outline clearly the methods of payment I accept whether it is Paypal, or any of the other electronic payment options. EBay only allows the seller to accept money-orders or a cashiers check for certain auctions – e.g, eBay Motors.  Equally, you should outline your returns policy which gives confidence you are a reputable trader to be trusted. To gain good feedback and build a great reputation, you should consider to allow a buyer to return an item  for x-amount of days.

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