How to Create an Effective EBay Listing

eBay has become a buyer's world. Gone are the days when sellers could count on their wares selling for more than they're worth; or even what they're worth. Every time you sell an item, you can count on someone else selling something bigger, newer, and cheaper. So what can you do to set your item apart? Here are a few tips.

1) Start your item for less than the rest
Search eBay for similar or identical items that others are selling. Find the lowest price that those items are currently bid to. Now start your auction for less than that price. Starting the auction for lower will give you tons of exposure, as it will show up first for anyone who organizes their search by price.

2) Sell your item when people want it
The time of year makes a big difference when buying and selling seasonal items. The demand for snowboards is much higher in December than in July. Likewise, more people will be buying jet skis in July than in December. Hold on to your items until you can sell them in the best market. I have a colleague who makes good money buying motorcycles in late fall and selling them in early spring.

3) Cater to your demographic
Bear in mind who your item will be bought by. If you think that teenagers will be most interested in your item, write your auction to be most appealing to them. Make sure the end time of your auction will be when teenagers will be most available. Don't let your auction end at 10AM, when they'll still be in school.

4) Pictures, pictures, pictures
Take good pictures of your item from every imaginable angle. Make sure that the picture is clear and the lighting is good. Don't take any pictures in front of a busy, cluttered background. Lay a white sheet down and take pictures on it. Cell phone camera pictures aren't going to cut it if you want a good auction. Use either good quality digital pictures of good quality scans of regular pictures. Be ready to provide more pictures to potential buyers who might request them.

5) Good descriptions make good auctions
Writing a description thats only two or three sentences long makes it look like you're not willing to put effort into your auction. Make sure that yours is a little lengthier and contains all the information a buyer could want. Better to have too much information than not enough. Always use good grammar and spelling in your description and never type an auction in all capital letters. Incorporating HTML or other flashy code can help your auction, but don't overuse it! A little bit of code can make your description interactive and easy to use. Too much makes it cluttered and annoying.

6) Learn which eBay auction features actually work
eBay gives you a lot of different things that you can do to try to make your auction more visible. They also, of course, charge you for them. Don't bother making things bold or giving them borders; these features do practically nothing to help your auction and simply waste your money. Always pay the extra quarter to put a small "gallery" picture next to your auction title in the search window. For big ticket items, paying to have your auction "featured" is usually worth it. However, the high cost makes this impractical for smaller items.

7) Answer questions quickly
Even though you've written a great item description with tons of information, the occasional question is still bound to pop up. Answer these questions as quickly as possible, especially when theres less than twelve hours left in the auction. Check your auction whenever you get a free moment to answer any questions that you've been asked.

8) Be fair in shipping
Setting a fair shipping price will set you apart from other auctions, since most sellers rip off as much money as possible in shipping. Use USPS flat rate envelopes for small items. Use the shipping calculator for larger ones. Offer a few different shipping options in case the buyer wants an item faster. If the buyer pays for fast shipping, do your best to get the item in the mail quickly. Adding a few dollars in for handling is OK, you shouldn't lose any money in shipping, but charging ridiculous amounts for shipping won't make your auction appeal to buyers. Make sure to put how quickly you will ship the item in the auction (IE, will ship within 3 business days of receiving payment) and be sure to ship within that time frame.

9) Post a clear return policy
This is something that many eBayers have had to learn from hard experience. Clearly outline in your auction circumstances under which you will accept returns and circumstances you won't. The seller can be reasonably expected to accept returns for things that are the seller's fault, like misrepresented or broken items. If you, as a seller, won't accept returns for things that are the buyers fault, like buying an item that is not compatible with what he already has, make sure to make that clear in the auction. However, remember that giving returns in such situations is a great way to get good feedback.

10) Your feedback is all you have
When is comes to a buyers "first impression" of you, your feedback is all you have. If you have to go well out of your way to maintain good feedback, do it. It will pay off if you ever want to sell something again.

Above all else, remember: eBay is a buyer's market. Very rarely will you be the only one selling a given item. Since the buyer has such a wide selection, its up to you to make your item better than everyone else's. Follow these tips, and you'll be well on your way to doing so.