FAQs
Seller Tips For Effective Listings
Writing an effective auction listing that attracts bids
You can easily find all kinds of advice online about how to describe your item to increase sales. Some auction experts will tell you to write a highly motivating description full of energy and excitement to trick bidders into buying your item. However, pushing your auction description places you in the category of the 1980's used car salesman.
It is much much better to be viewed as a professional rather than a seller who can make high energy motivating sales page. When you write your item listing use facts and be thorough. Tell your visitors about your item’s condition and provide good customer service. Be prompt when questions are asked about your item to build consumer confidence and increase your bids.
When you write your description think like the bidders who may find interest in what you are offering. Try to think of questions you would ask if you were the buyer and work those answers into your item description. This not only makes a more professional listing, it reduces the questions and hesitations you will encounter through the duration of the auction.
Never ever place negative statements in your item description. That's nothing but a sales killer. Stay positive, but not overly energetic. Many sellers do not understand the proper way to sell in a marketplace like OA. You have probably seen other auctions that are tough and to the point, with statements that appear as if they were demands (sometimes they are demands). These sellers tell their potential buyers the 'qualifications' that must be met in order to place a bid. All this does is cause the buyer to view the seller as rude and difficult to deal with. Making demands is not a professional way to sell, it's a bad idea.
When was the last time you opened up your favorite magazine and saw one of those colorful full page ads placed by an advertiser that included statements and demands for potential customers? If you saw demands made in a magazine ad, or even on a commercial, you would probably not have much interest in going out and getting what they are selling. Instead, you as a seller should provide bidders with lots of reasons to place a bid on your item, not why they should stay away from bidding on what you are offering.
A negative seller is a seller who does not even realize what they are doing to their potential sales. There are many bidders who are pushed away and pass up the seller's listing to find another instead. That is not what you want to do.
You want to attract bidders like a magnet pulling a pile of paper clips. Do not be a negative seller, which is like a magnet trying to pull a pile of wood chips. The more bidders you attract, the higher your item will sell for.
When describing your item be sure to include good information about the current status of the item. If it is brand new be sure to mention that. If it has a defect be sure to include that too. Listing an item and not disclosing this information is only going to give you problems and cost you future sales. When a buyer wins your auction you want them to be happy after the sale, because they may come back for more. In addition, if they are not happy with what they receive they will more than likely leave you neutral, or even worse, negative feedback. This will affect future sales from other bidders who check your feedback before placing a bid. Even if it is a minor defect, say so. Close-up pictures also help. Being honest in your item listing promotes additional confidence and builds trust.
If you have a used item and describe it as if it were mint condition you will quickly discover that bidders are going to feel you are hiding something. That is another easy way to lose a sale. Do NOT tell buyers to contact you with questions about any defects. This exchange of information requires some time to close out and the more time that passes means the more time the buyer can find what they were looking for somewhere else. Never delay your sale on purpose.
Be specific and complete with your description so the buyer does not need to ask any questions. If your item has a tiny defect and you think maybe it doesn't really matter, list it anyway.
Ensure your grammar is proper and correct spelling errors. Poor grammar and typos makes your listing look bad, real fast. Also make sure that anything you 'paste' in your description does not include external links to pages that will not exist on our site. Buyers clicking links within your item description are LEAVING your item. Even worse, if that link went to a singe web page, and not a full URL they will get an error 'Not Found' page. That can easily cost you the sale. Instead, include all the information from the web page you were going to link to in the description itself.
NEVER have your potential buyers leave ON PURPOSE. You want them to visit your listing and bid, not leave your sales page by clicking links you included in the auction listing.
You can easily find all kinds of advice online about how to describe your item to increase sales. Some auction experts will tell you to write a highly motivating description full of energy and excitement to trick bidders into buying your item. However, pushing your auction description places you in the category of the 1980's used car salesman.
It is much much better to be viewed as a professional rather than a seller who can make high energy motivating sales page. When you write your item listing use facts and be thorough. Tell your visitors about your item’s condition and provide good customer service. Be prompt when questions are asked about your item to build consumer confidence and increase your bids.
When you write your description think like the bidders who may find interest in what you are offering. Try to think of questions you would ask if you were the buyer and work those answers into your item description. This not only makes a more professional listing, it reduces the questions and hesitations you will encounter through the duration of the auction.
Never ever place negative statements in your item description. That's nothing but a sales killer. Stay positive, but not overly energetic. Many sellers do not understand the proper way to sell in a marketplace like OA. You have probably seen other auctions that are tough and to the point, with statements that appear as if they were demands (sometimes they are demands). These sellers tell their potential buyers the 'qualifications' that must be met in order to place a bid. All this does is cause the buyer to view the seller as rude and difficult to deal with. Making demands is not a professional way to sell, it's a bad idea.
When was the last time you opened up your favorite magazine and saw one of those colorful full page ads placed by an advertiser that included statements and demands for potential customers? If you saw demands made in a magazine ad, or even on a commercial, you would probably not have much interest in going out and getting what they are selling. Instead, you as a seller should provide bidders with lots of reasons to place a bid on your item, not why they should stay away from bidding on what you are offering.
A negative seller is a seller who does not even realize what they are doing to their potential sales. There are many bidders who are pushed away and pass up the seller's listing to find another instead. That is not what you want to do.
You want to attract bidders like a magnet pulling a pile of paper clips. Do not be a negative seller, which is like a magnet trying to pull a pile of wood chips. The more bidders you attract, the higher your item will sell for.
When describing your item be sure to include good information about the current status of the item. If it is brand new be sure to mention that. If it has a defect be sure to include that too. Listing an item and not disclosing this information is only going to give you problems and cost you future sales. When a buyer wins your auction you want them to be happy after the sale, because they may come back for more. In addition, if they are not happy with what they receive they will more than likely leave you neutral, or even worse, negative feedback. This will affect future sales from other bidders who check your feedback before placing a bid. Even if it is a minor defect, say so. Close-up pictures also help. Being honest in your item listing promotes additional confidence and builds trust.
If you have a used item and describe it as if it were mint condition you will quickly discover that bidders are going to feel you are hiding something. That is another easy way to lose a sale. Do NOT tell buyers to contact you with questions about any defects. This exchange of information requires some time to close out and the more time that passes means the more time the buyer can find what they were looking for somewhere else. Never delay your sale on purpose.
Be specific and complete with your description so the buyer does not need to ask any questions. If your item has a tiny defect and you think maybe it doesn't really matter, list it anyway.
Ensure your grammar is proper and correct spelling errors. Poor grammar and typos makes your listing look bad, real fast. Also make sure that anything you 'paste' in your description does not include external links to pages that will not exist on our site. Buyers clicking links within your item description are LEAVING your item. Even worse, if that link went to a singe web page, and not a full URL they will get an error 'Not Found' page. That can easily cost you the sale. Instead, include all the information from the web page you were going to link to in the description itself.
NEVER have your potential buyers leave ON PURPOSE. You want them to visit your listing and bid, not leave your sales page by clicking links you included in the auction listing.