Writing Descriptions

Writing Descriptions that Sell the Item

The title that you give your listings and the description that you provide are going to make all the difference when it comes to the sale of your products.  The title and the description are your form of advertising in the eBay community.  Without solid titles and strong descriptions you stand the chance of losing buyers to other sellers who stand out in the crowd.  Your goal should be to become one of these sellers that stand out in that crowd.

Creating a strong title: Buyers at eBay will notice the product that you’re selling from the title that you write for the item.  You want to create a title that is immediately eye catching so that buyers want to linger for that crucial extra minute to read your description.  Following are some guidelines for writing a strong, eye-catching title:

• Try to use words that are highly descriptive and that fully describe the item that you’re selling.
• If appropriate include the key words in the title such as (1) brand names, (2) artist name, (3) designer names, or (4) any other identifying words that you know buyers will recognize.
• You need to precisely say what the item is.  Don’t be afraid to include the category name in the item title since it never hurts to emphasize this.
• Try to choose words in the title that buyers might use to search for items.  This will bring more buyers to your item page.
• You only have so much space for a title so make the most of the words that you use.  You don’t want to use words that have no meaning, such as “incredible”, which really tells the buyer nothing about the item that you’re selling.
• Take a look at similar items that sold for a good price.  See what titles those sellers used to encourage buyers to read through the description of the item that they were selling.
• There are some types of titles which eBay prohibits the use of.  This includes titles that (1) use profane language, (2) use words the lead a buyer to believe the product is “illegal”, (3) titles that include phone numbers, email addresses, or URLs, (4) titles that don’t adequately describe the item that you’re selling in any way.

When you follow these tips you’ll be well on your way to creating titles that catch the eyes of buyers.

Creating a strong description: The more time that you put into writing a good description for the items that you’re selling, the better chance you have of getting a lot of bids and selling at a high price.  A description that is strong and filled with a lot of information will (1) give buyers all that they need to know to want to place a bid on your item, and (2) leave buyers with the impression that you care about what you’re selling.

Sellers are always trying new techniques when it comes to item descriptions.  Some of the more interesting things that you might want to include in the description are telling the buyer why you personally like the item that you’re selling, letting the buyer know what appeals to you about the item, and what use the item might have to anyone who is considering placing a bid.

There are some things that you should include in the description of the products that you’re selling.  Some of this specific information should include:

• A clear explanation of what the item is.
• What the item is made of and the year that it was made.
• Who created the item, such as artist or author.
• What is the current condition of the item.
• What are the measurements of the item.
• Are there any distinguishing features of the item that the buyer should know about.
• What is the history of the item that you’re selling.

There are obviously some pieces of information that you won’t be able to include in the item description.   Keep in mind that buyers have the ability to get in touch with you if they want to ask for more information.

There are some definite things that you should avoid when it comes to the description of the item.  This includes:

• Never include any false information that will deceive a buyer.
• Avoid what is called “keyword spam”.  This means that you can’t include keywords that aren’t related to the item that you’re selling, such as throwing in a brand name when you’re not selling that particular brand.

Before you finalize your description make sure that you’ve included all the relevant information.  Critical information that you should include:

• Information about your payment methods.
• Information about packaging and shipping.
• Where you’re located.
• Any other information that can make the difference between a sale and a non-sale.

As a final note, make sure that check the spelling and grammar of your item descriptions before you submit.  Nothing looks more unprofessional than an eBay listing that has spelling and grammar mistakes.

Including Photos in your EBay Listing

To achieve any degree of success as a seller on eBay you’ll need to include a picture of the item that you’re selling.  Buyers are drawn to those listings that have a good, clear photo of the item.

When you’re taking a picture of the item there are some basic guidelines that you should follow to make the most of this photo opportunity:

• Make sure that the lighting is good so that you get pictures that are clear and natural.  If you’re taking a picture outside make sure to use a flash if you need to increase the brightness of the picture.
• Use a backdrop of some kind for smaller items.  Try to avoid using a white backdrop as this put too much contrast into the picture.
• Remove other objects from the picture that have no relevance to the item that you’re selling.
• Get as close as you can without losing focus.
• Take pictures of sections of the item that you’re selling so that buyers can see all sides.
• Take pictures of any distinguishing marks on the item, such as manufacturer stamps on the bottoms of vases.

After you’ve taken the picture eBay will walk you through the process of uploading the photo to your listing page.   When you download the “EBay Picture Services Application” it will be easy for you to manage and upload all your pictures.

You want to develop a design for your online business that is going to enhance your business image and that will add strength to your Internet presence on eBay.  This strategy is vital to the success of your business.  Your goal should be to develop a design for your business that you can use in all areas of promoting your online website:  advertising through your eBay description, creating strong titles, and including great pictures with your listings.  You want to create a business design that will be remembered and recognized by your eBay customers, and that builds trust and reliability in your business as well as consistency.

The way you describe the items that you’re selling can make all the difference between a sale or loosing a buyer to another seller.  Take some time to learn what works when it comes to item descriptions as well as how you should be designing your listing.

The key to success at eBay is being familiar with the things that work.  Most successful sellers have a wide variety of products to sell.  They learn to manage their listings effectively and efficiently to make the most out of the quick minute which a buyer spends looking at your listing.

If you want your online business to profit and prosper then you need to become an expert when it comes to the publicity of the items that you have for sale on eBay.  Publicity, or your eBay listing, can earn you a reputation as the expert in your target market, gain the trust and respect of eBay buyers’, and in the end earn your business the profits that you need to succeed.  Your goal should be to do all of the above without spending thousands of dollars on traditional, and often risky, methods of selling and advertising on the Internet.

EBay is a great online location for you to sell the items that you want to earn money to supplement your income or quit your job and sell at eBay at a full time level.

­Rules for Selling

There are several rules that you should be aware of so that you don’t make any crucial mistakes when it comes to selling your items on eBay.  Although the process of selling on eBay is as simple as possible there are still some things that you should know before you start selling and growing your business.

One of the most important things that you need to be aware of is keeping your selling and buying transactions as safe and secure as possible. There are policies in place which ensure the safety and privacy of the financial information of the people who are buying from you as well as your own financial information.  Some of the other things that you’ll need to know when you sell on eBay include:

• EBay’s tax policy and regulations.
• The policies for listing at eBay.
• How to sell your items internationally.

Tax policy: When you sell on eBay you need make sure that you observe all of the taxes that are applicable to the sale.  This includes domestic tax laws, international tax laws, any local statutes, and any ordinances.  When you sell on eBay you are committing the act of listing, soliciting, and selling certain items.  These items and the selling practice are liable to fees and taxes.

Policy violations: There are some types of polices that are not allowed on eBay.  It’s important that you are aware of these polices so that you don’t find yourself in violation of the rules.  The last thing that you want is to face a temporary suspension because you weren’t aware of a certain policy.  These violations include:

• Shill bidding is not allowed on eBay.
• You may not solicit your items off the eBay website while you are soliciting them on eBay.
• You can not, on your own, interrupt a transaction that is already in process.

If buyers, or other sellers, find that you are in violation of any of the rules and regulations that eBay clearly outlines they can file what is called a “trading offence” with eBay administration.  As well, if you find that any other sellers are in violation of these policies you can file an offence.

Trading offence: If you want to file a trading offence against another seller you need to follow this procedure:

• Read once again the policy page at eBay which clearly outlines the policies that must be followed.  Make sure that the eBay user is in violation of one of these policies.  There is a link on this webpage which you can use to send a report directly to eBay.
• Fill in the report with all the required information that eBay will need to make a decision about the trading offence.  This report information should include any emails that are connected with the offence, as well as subject lines that are clear and easy to understand.
• Only file a trading offence report once.  The more times that you report an offence the slower the process will move as eBay administrators need to read each report and add it to the file.

EBay will investigate all trading offence that are filed and will make a decision based on the circumstances.  Some of the actions that eBay may take to deal with trading offences are a warning, a temporary suspension, or a permanent suspension.