Make Money On Ebay - Auction Tips To Boost Your Sales - By Deon Plessis

To make money on Ebay can be both the easiest and the hardest thing to do. Some people make a fortune while others struggle to make a single profitable sale. Like any other business there are some finer tricks and trades that can make all the difference between success or failure on Ebay. Here are five key Ebay auction tips to boost your sales and help you make more money.

1. Can You Offer A Bargain?

People primarily shop on Ebay because everything is perceived as being cheap. Although this is not always the case, people are still looking for bargains. It does not necessarily mean the lowest price either. What other incentives can you offer? A free belt with a pair of jeans or an extra ink cartridge with a printer usually does the trick.

Remember that all trading is only about perceived value. I have seen second hand items sell for more than the new ones on Ebay, simply because people have a certain expectation on Ebay and that is that items are cheap – or at least cheaper. This doesn’t mean you should inflate your prices. It does however mean that you know exactly what’s available on the market and how much it is selling for. Now, how can you beat this and convince people that they should buy from you – even if your item is more expensive? Free shipping? 10% discount on their next purchase?

2. The Importance Of Properly Describing Your Item.

One of the most important aspects of any item on auction is how you describe the item. Any good description should include all the features of the product, the top three benefits of the product and all the technical specifications. Any defects or imperfections must be clearly stated and illustrated.

The hard job is to get people to ‘click’ and look at your item. The click is the hard part as a click usually means that you satisfy your potential customer’s item and price criteria. A professional, honest and thorough item description will usually clinch the deal and warrant a bid.

3. A Picture Speaks A Thousand Words.

Images are incredibly important and the better your images the greater your chances of making a profitable sale. Listing an item without images is suicide and it is highly unlikely that you will even receive any bids. Most people only look at pictures and scan through the text for some of the most important things they are looking for – this is why a thorough description is so important.

It is not just images but also the quality and quantity. Just blindly copying images off manufacturer’s websites is not always a great move. The authenticity of an ‘amateur photograph’ adds a sense of reality and believability that many bidders are looking for. The golden rule is to illustrate what you are selling and always just ask yourself whether a specific images will illustrate what you are selling or not?

4. The Seller's Requirements

This is where most sellers fail to clinch the deal as they take a too firm or even hostile stance – especially seller’s whose has bad experiences. Remember that you are there to serve your customer and your shipping and handling terms are there to protect both of you.

Keep this as simple as possible. People don’t like to have hassles and will easily move on to the next seller if your shipping and terms are too descriptive and demanding. Its well worth testing different pricing strategies for your shipping as cheaper shipping can often clinch a sale.

5. The Customer Is King

Although this is a very old business concept, it is probably one of the most important one’s on Ebay. Ebay, in all their wisdom, gave buyers the power to rate sellers and leave feedback. This rating system has become a very important and integral part of a successful Ebay business.

Stepping on the toes of the wrong customer can potentially be a bad move. Regardless of how rude or obnoxious a customer or even a potential customer might be – always treat them professionally, tactfully and respectfully. Try and respond to all the queries quickly and promptly and always give your customers the benefit of the doubt.

Article By Deon Du Plessis

For more Ebay auction tips and to learn how you can make a decent income from Ebay, visit

http://www.Sincere-Advice.com/Startup_Business.html for more information.