e Bay auctions tips

Anyone can throw up a listing on eBay and have a pretty good chance to make a sale and earn some money. But many listings never even receive a bid. And many more end with bid prices well below where they should be.

How can you keep this from happening to YOUR auctions?

When an auction goes off and few or no bids are made, it usually means one of two things happened. Either there's just no demand for the item, or the seller put together a poor listing.

Use the eBay listing tips below and watch your profits soar.

1. An eBay listing is a type of sales page, and you need to put as much thought and work into it as you would any other type of ad. Learn the basics of copywriting and selling so you can craft a listing that sells.

2. Write in a conversational tone. You want to sound like the buyer's friend, not a robot.

3. Pay extra attention to your listing title. This is your chance to make an impression on viewers. If you're not sure how to word your title, look at other listings for similar items that are receiving lots of bids. Those listings are obviously doing something right, so you'll want to model your title after them.

Keywords are another consideration when writing your title. The keywords in your title are what eBay uses to determine what your listing is about. Be specific and accurate. You have limited space to work with, so don't waste it on useless words or phrases like "Check it out!"

4. You must have a picture of the item you're selling. If you don't have a good quality digital camera, invest in one. Listings without pictures (or poor quality pics) just don't sell. Buyers want to see what they're buying.

5. Learn basic html coding. You don't need to know how to design a site from scratch. Just learn some basic formatting codes so you can make your listing look nice. One big paragraph of plain text does little for sales. Break it up a little and add some color. Just don't go overboard. I've seen some listings that left me with a headache from all the crazy colors and animations.

*Doing all these will definitely improve one's selling power but it may be a lot of work and for someone with little knowledge of e-marketing technicality it is a nightmare. Well then there is a step by step program to selling on eBay developed by experts on the field. It has a fair trail price of $2.95. You can have a look to see if it is for you.

http://www.auctiontips.com

When you're running an eBay business, you've usually got a hundred things on your mind at any given time. You need to find products to sell, create a description and set up an auction for each of them, answer questions from buyers, pack and ship items sold, and follow up on customer issues.

It's easy to forget about your feedback score. But doing so is a mistake that could have dire consequences for your business.

Every eBay member has a feedback score. Each time a transaction is completed, the buyer and seller are able to rate each other. Feedback simply consists of a rating (either positive, negative, or neutral) and a short box for leaving comments.

Each positive rating you get boosts your feedback score by 1 point. A negative rating knocks a point off, and a neutral rating has no effect.

Sellers with high feedback scores have more credibility to buyers. Their auctions get more views and the final selling price is often higher.

Low feedback and negative comments (even if there are legitimate reasons behind them) will make buyers think twice before bidding on your auction.

Here are some tips to keeping your feedback score on the rise.

1. Be as clear as possible in your item descriptions. If an item has flaws, don't try to hide them and pretend it was damaged during shipping. If you're getting lots of questions about your listings, that's a sure sign that you're not providing enough details.

2. Don't try to make a killing on shipping charges. I've bought items that quoted a price for shipping, but then when I got the package I noticed the actual cost was much lower. Even factoring in a reasonable "handling" charge, it was plain that the seller was trying to boost his profit at my expense. That kind of transaction leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

3. Don't let days go by without checking your email. A simple question can turn into a major issue if a buyer thinks he's being ignored.

4. You can gain feedback scores for buying items too. Many ebooks and other digital products sell for pennies and have no shipping charges. For a just a few dollars, you can buy a bunch of inexpensive items and give your feedback a nice little boost.