Your Auction Headline - The Most Important Part Of Your Auction

by Robbin K. Tungett

The words you select to describe your item will have a tremendous impact on the final price it receives or if it receives any bids at all. This is because no matter how great the item is you have up at auction, if you use words that don't lead prospective buyers to it, no one will ever see it. You have a total of 45 spaces to use for your auction headline to get people to visit your auction, so it's extremely important that you use each space wisely. The vast majority of buyers search through eBay listings by entering the item they are looking for into eBay's search engine. The main auction search engine only searches for words listed in auction titles. If a person selects a word that isn't in your auction title, your auction won't come up as a result of their search. This means that by far the most important task you have when composing a title for your auction is to use words that are relevant and specific to the item you are listing. While this may seem obvious, a lot of sellers don't do it (in fact, searching for listings in which people have ineffective or misspelled titles can often get you some great items which you can resell for a profit). If you are going to spend any extra time on your auctions, thinking through the best key words for your title is where you should spend that time. With a limit of 45 spaces, writing everything you want in the title just isn't going to be possible. For example, say you have a complete set of four bobblehead giveaways, sponsored by Mountain Dew, that the Minnesota Twins gave away at select home games during the 2002 season. Although accurate, that description is way too long for the allowable number of spaces. The key is to think through an accurate description that includes everything and then taking the most important words out of that and using them. A simple title might read "Minnesota Twins Bobbleheads". However, that title would be ineffective because it isn't specific enough. While there are many buyers who are looking for Minnesota Twins memorabilia and bobblehead dolls, the categories are too large and your auction will be lost among all the listings. You will have a very limited number of people who will ever see your auction. A better title might be "2002 Complete Set Minnesota Twins Bobbleheads". This title uses every available space and gives a specific description of what you are selling. It will also now appear in results for a narrower search. Another possible title might be 2002 Minnesota Twins Bobblehead Bobble Head". People searching for this item type bobblehead into the search engine, while others type bobble head. A search for one will not bring up any results for the other, so at times it's to your advantage to list two different spellings of the same word. Take a few minutes to think about who would want the item you are selling and, if they were searching for it, what words would they be most likely to type into the search engine. You will find many sellers using what some call Power Words. These are words such as RARE, LIMITED, VINTAGE, UNIQUE, WOW, GREAT, WONDERFUL and AWESOME. Many sellers seem to think that using words such as these will attract more bidders to their auctions. I''ll guarantee you right now, that no one types any of these words into eBay's search engine. The use of words such as these does nothing but take up valuable space that could be used for words buyers do search for. Avoid them like the plague. The same applies to the symbols so many sellers use in their headlines. They try to make their headline stand out by using symbols such as $,#, %, and @ in their auction titles. A particular favorite of many is L@@K!. Once again, all of these are a complete waste of valuable title space. The only symbols you should ever use are & or + when their use will save you valuable title space. Acronyms and abbreviations are another matter however. Collectors of certain items have developed their own abbreviations and acronyms for certain commonly used phrases within their specific collecting specialty. It is to your advantage to learn at least some of these. NR, for example, means "No Reserve." To a Star Wars collector ROTJ means "Return Of The Jedi." Becoming familiar with some of these that are common with the type of items you sell will allow you to get more key words into the limited space which will result in more people viewing your auction. Spend some time browsing the titles that others have created for their auctions. Look for both good and bad examples of titles. Just spending a few hours doing this and thinking about where the seller could have improved their title will help you enormously in writing titles for your own auctions. Never forget - the first step is getting buyers to your auctions because if they can't find them, they can't buy anything from you. About the Author Robbin K. Tungett is online marketing and eBay veteran of 8 years. She is most widely known for her eBay expertise and her website http://www.AuctionRiches.com. Please visit her blog at http://www.AuctionHerald.com.

Auction Seller Guide To Success

by Leroy Chan

================================================= Auction Seller Guide To Success -by Leroy Chan (c) Leroy Chan - All Rights reserved http://www.AuctionSellerGuide.com ================================================= When its time to clean-up around the house, some people have a hard time deciding what to keep and what to throw out. What they need is an incentive. How about collecting cash from stuff that was collecting dust? You can do this by auctioning-off your unwanted or no longer needed items on eBay. eBay is the largest online market place of its kind. If you are considering this, then you need to gain some basic knowledge of the listing process. Here is a 10-item checklist to go over before you begin selling: 1. Look at Other Seller Listings Do a search for your item. See how other sellers list the same or similar item. Take mental note of the category, the title, the description, the photo and the pricing. 2. Choose the Most Appropriate Category Make sure your item is in the most appropriate category. Avoid placing it in a category where it doesn't belong. List your item in the wrong category, and people looking for your item will not find it. Let eBay suggest the category for you, if you are unsure which category your item belongs. 3. Write an Accurate Title for Your Listing Make it easy for buyers to find your item in a search by writing a precise title of it. Be as exact and detailed as possible so your item can show up in broad keyword searches too. Avoid using hype words like "Best," "Great," or "Fantastic." Putting these words in the title will not help buyers find your item because they don't type in these types of words in their searches. 4. Set Your Price Low Entice your buyers by starting at a low price. Set a reserve price in your listings so you don't have to sell it when the auction ends at too low of a price for you to make a profit. 5. Give Plenty of Time for Your Auction Let as many people as possible see your auction. Set the duration for five or seven days so weekend buyers will have a chance to bid on your item too. 6. Show a Photo of Your Item Take a digital photo of your item and post it with your listing. Let your buyers see what they are bidding on. Allow the photo to help you sell it. Having to see something first before you buy it is only natural. Apply this same principle to online auctions. Buying a digital camera is a good investment these days and instructions on loading pictures up to the eBay site are simple enough that there really is no excuse not to have a picture. 7. Give Buyers Plenty of Payment Options Make it easy for the buyer to pay. Providing as many payment options as available is better. Place in your item listing your own merchant account or credit card processor information. Sign up with Paypal if you don't have your own merchant account. Let buyers pay by check or money order if you don't provide payment through Paypal or credit cards. Including all payment options leaves no buyers behind. 8. Be Clear on Shipping and Handling Information Avoid troubles or negative seller feedback by stating upfront your shipping costs. Mention this clearly in your listing. Include your return policy. 9. Give Contact Information Gain the buyer's trust by freely stating your contact information. List your email, phone number or mailing address. 10. Keep on Testing Review the auctions that have ended. Learn from the wins and losses. Try changing the category, title, description or price if it didn't sell. Testing the individual elements in the auction process is critical to your goal of becoming a successful auction seller. About the Author Leroy Chan owns and operates the site "Auction Seller Guide": the place where experts reveal their secrets about auction selling, wholesale product sources, tools and more. Click Here Now ==> http://www.AuctionSellerGuide.com

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