This is part three of a four-part series. Read part one, Pick What to Sell, and part two, Where to Get Inventory.
Have you ever listed something for sale on eBay, just to have it end at a horribly low price? Or worse, your listing gets not watchers or buyers? Here are just a few tips to increase your listing exposure and drive more potential buyers to your listings. More views, watchers, and bids, means a better chance at making more money.
Know the Search Engine
Sellers were able to manipulate the search engine with the right keywords or titles in the early days of eBay. Other sellers would create multiples of the same listings with different titles and keywords, and they would dominate the search results. eBay upgraded their search engine optimization software, and it is now much smarter. So don’t rely on those shifty pieces of advice, unless you want eBay to flag your account.
Instead, the search engine software is looking for listings and stores that will bring the most value to eBay buyers. To optimize your listings, use relevant and specific keywords. You get 80 characters to explain your item, so be sure to use all 80. For example:
Bad listing: Gymboree Dress Size 2T
Better listing: NWT Gymboree Red Plaid Holiday Dress – Size 2T – Cute Button Up Christmas Dress
The second title explains what you are actually selling, and could come up if someone searches for button up or red dresses.
Appeal to the Masses
How appealing is your item for sale? For example, many buyers are not willing to shell out cash on an individual book or kid clothes item. However, buyers are more apt to bid or click the buy-it-now button if they feel like they are getting an amazing deal. One way to do this is to list things in attractive lots. Put books from the same author together, assemble cute outfits together in the same size, or list two of the same/similar item for sale.
Here are a few more examples,
- 2 pairs of Victoria Secret sweatpants in the same size vs one
- Target brand pants paired with an adorable Gymboree shirt and jacket, and called a “Gymboree lot” vs just the Target pants
- 15 books in one series vs selling them one by one
The Best Listing Duration
There has been a lot of debate about the best listing times and duration, but stick with Buy It Now, Good Until Cancelled. This will allow you to collect watchers and views for a longer amount of time, which will then boost you to the top of related searches. This option also allows many sellers to take a back seat approach to selling, saving them time. However, you must cancel and relist your item after 30 days if it does not sell, to make sure you stay on top of searches.
Link to Like Items
If you are selling a lot of similar items or have a shop, be sure to use each listing to drive more traffic to your other listings. Successful sellers do this by showing and linking to their related products. Another tip is to offer combined shipping. This gives many the incentive to buy more.
Even though eBay makes listing simple, treat each listing as if you were putting it on display in a storefront. Are the pictures appealing? Is the price beneficially to both you and the buyer? Is the title compelling enough to click on? These are just a few things to ask yourself before publishing a listing.
Did you learn something? Check out the fourth and final part – How to Inexpensively and Effectively Handle Shipping.
{ read the comments below or add one }
These are great tips. I used to fall into a couple of these mistakes. Now, I use nearly all the character space allowed for the item description and I always use buy-it-now. It causes items to stay up a bit longer, but you can really command top dollar if you’re willing to sit on items a bit longer.
Thanks for sharing 🙂