Mistakes for Ebay Sellers to Avoid

<h1>Mistakes for Ebay Sellers to Avoid</h1>Author: <a title="Valerie Dansereau" href="http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/valerie-dansereau/32489.htm">Valerie Dansereau</a>

1. Short title. Using too few characters is probably the most common mistake that eBay sellers make. You have 53 characters available, so try and take advantage of using them all. Pretend you’re a buyer looking for the item you are selling. What keywords would you search for? Try and include these in your title.

2. Spelling errors. If you have spelling errors in your listing you will get fewer bids, because some potential buyers won’t even find your auction. This can be avoided by running your listing through a spellchecker before you post your listing.

3. Limiting terms and conditions. Do you really need payment within 24 hours? Must the buyers feedback be higher than 10? Try and avoid silly terms in your listings and you will get more bids.

4. Starting price too high. Experiment with starting your auction with a 1 cent starting price. This gets the bidding going, and people often become more interested in items that already have bids. Remember, you only need 2 people interested in your auction to make a killing.

5. No pictures. A picture says a thousand words. Make sure you include at least one picture of the item you are selling.

6. Poor listing appearance. Spend some time experimenting with making your listing look attractive. EBay has many tools to help in this venture. Adding a simple listing design can make a huge difference.

7. High shipping or no shipping displayed. People have an idea what an item should cost to ship. Don’t try to make a profit and call it shipping cost. Most buyers will avoid auctions with excessive shipping charges. Also, if you don’t state your shipping costs you will receive fewer bids.

8. Bad start/end time. Remember, the time you list your auction is the time it will end. You will usually find you will have more success with auctions ending between 7pm and 11pm so don’t list your item before you start your 6am shift.

9. Refund policy. Buyers often base their decision to buy or not to buy on your willingness to issue a refund if they are dissatisfied.

10. Being unavailable to potential buyers. Try to answer questions from a potential bidder within 24 hours. Always be polite with your answers. Be sure to display these questions in your listing for others to see. It also helps to keep an eye on your auction as the item comes to an end just in case you get any last minute queries.

Spend some time browsing successful auctions versus unsuccessful auctions. You may be able to pinpoint other mistakes to avoid in your listings.

About the Author: Valerie Dansereau is a banker turned entrepreneur. For work at home ideas, parenting tips and more, visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.work-at-home-parenting.com">http://www.work-at-home-parenting.com</a>Article Source: <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/">ArticlesBase.com</a> - <a href="http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/mistakes-for-ebay-sellers-to-avoid-215493.html" title="Mistakes for Ebay Sellers to Avoid">Mistakes for Ebay Sellers to Avoid</a>

If you are not getting enough bids with your eBay auctions, consider what mistakes you may be making in your listings. If you spend time browsing listings, you will notice many eBay sellers (even PowerSellers) making crucial errors in their listings. Here are some simple mistakes eBay sellers make.

1. Short title. Using too few characters is probably the most common mistake that eBay sellers make. You have 53 characters available, so try and take advantage of using them all. Pretend you’re a buyer looking for the item you are selling. What keywords would you search for? Try and include these in your title.

2. Spelling errors. If you have spelling errors in your listing you will get fewer bids, because some potential buyers won’t even find your auction. This can be avoided by running your listing through a spellchecker before you post your listing.

3. Limiting terms and conditions. Do you really need payment within 24 hours? Must the buyers feedback be higher than 10? Try and avoid silly terms in your listings and you will get more bids.

4. Starting price too high. Experiment with starting your auction with a 1 cent starting price. This gets the bidding going, and people often become more interested in items that already have bids. Remember, you only need 2 people interested in your auction to make a killing.

5. No pictures. A picture says a thousand words. Make sure you include at least one picture of the item you are selling.

6. Poor listing appearance. Spend some time experimenting with making your listing look attractive. EBay has many tools to help in this venture. Adding a simple listing design can make a huge difference.

7. High shipping or no shipping displayed. People have an idea what an item should cost to ship. Don’t try to make a profit and call it shipping cost. Most buyers will avoid auctions with excessive shipping charges. Also, if you don’t state your shipping costs you will receive fewer bids.

8. Bad start/end time. Remember, the time you list your auction is the time it will end. You will usually find you will have more success with auctions ending between 7pm and 11pm so don’t list your item before you start your 6am shift.

9. Refund policy. Buyers often base their decision to buy or not to buy on your willingness to issue a refund if they are dissatisfied.

10. Being unavailable to potential buyers. Try to answer questions from a potential bidder within 24 hours. Always be polite with your answers. Be sure to display these questions in your listing for others to see. It also helps to keep an eye on your auction as the item comes to an end just in case you get any last minute queries.

Spend some time browsing successful auctions versus unsuccessful auctions. You may be able to pinpoint other mistakes to avoid in your listings.

Valerie Dansereau is a banker turned entrepreneur. For work at home ideas, parenting tips and more, visit http://www.work-at-home-parenting.com

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