Auction Seller Guide To Success

by: Leroy Chan
When its time to clean-up around the house, some people havea 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 collectingdust?You can do this by auctioning-off your unwanted or no longerneeded items on eBay. eBay is the largest online marketplace of its kind. If you are considering this, then youneed to gain some basic knowledge of the listing process.Here is a 10-item checklist to go over before you beginselling:

1. Look at Other Seller ListingsDo a search for your item. See how other sellers list thesame or similar item. Take mental note of the category, thetitle, the description, the photo and the pricing.

2. Choose the Most Appropriate CategoryMake 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 foryour item will not find it. Let eBay suggest the categoryfor you, if you are unsure which category your item belongs.

3. Write an Accurate Title for Your ListingMake it easy for buyers to find your item in a search bywriting a precise title of it. Be as exact and detailed aspossible so your item can show up in broad keyword searchestoo. Avoid using hype words like "Best," "Great," or"Fantastic." Putting these words in the title will not helpbuyers find your item because they don't type in these typesof words in their searches.

4. Set Your Price LowEntice your buyers by starting at a low price. Set areserve price in your listings so you don't have to sell itwhen the auction ends at too low of a price for you to makea profit.

5. Give Plenty of Time for Your AuctionLet as many people as possible see your auction. Set theduration for five or seven days so weekend buyers will havea chance to bid on your item too.

6. Show a Photo of Your ItemTake a digital photo of your item and post it with yourlisting. Let your buyers see what they are bidding on.Allow the photo to help you sell it. Having to seesomething first before you buy it is only natural. Applythis same principle to online auctions. Buying a digitalcamera is a good investment these days and instructions onloading pictures up to the eBay site are simple enough thatthere really is no excuse not to have a picture.

7. Give Buyers Plenty of Payment OptionsMake it easy for the buyer to pay. Providing as manypayment options as available is better. Place in your itemlisting your own merchant account or credit card processorinformation. Sign up with Paypal if you don't have your ownmerchant account. Let buyers pay by check or money order ifyou don't provide payment through Paypal or credit cards.Including all payment options leaves no buyers behind.

8. Be Clear on Shipping and Handling InformationAvoid troubles or negative seller feedback by statingupfront your shipping costs. Mention this clearly in yourlisting. Include your return policy.

9. Give Contact InformationGain the buyer's trust by freely stating your contactinformation. List your email, phone number or mailingaddress.

10. Keep on TestingReview the auctions that have ended. Learn from the winsand losses. Try changing the category, title, descriptionor price if it didn't sell. Testing the individual elementsin the auction process is critical to your goal of becominga successful auction seller.

For more information please visit www.honostreview.com

AUCTION TIP: A Basic eBay Listing Template

by: Chuck Smith
The following article pertains to anyone who is looking tostart an online auction business on eBay. Please feel free to use it for your ezine, web site, or any other electronic or print publication, with the following exception:You may NOT use this article in any form of spam.I only ask that you:1. do not add or delete anything from the article2. include the resource box at the end3. notify me (csmith@auctionrookie.com) you are using itSynopsis--------A good auction listing must not only read well, but must look professional. Here’s a quick, easy template anyone to make their listing more professionalWord count according to Microsoft Word: 728 including title, byline, and contact info.Thanks,Chuckwww.auctionrookie.commailto:csmith@auctionrookie.com
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AUCTION TIP: A Basic eBay Listing Templateby Chuck SmithDo you know what drives me nuts on eBay? When I view an item up for auction and the listing has no style whatsoever. There’s just a long scroll of text that gives only the briefest explanation of what the product is and why I should buy it. Writing a good auction listing is a topic for another article, but I can help those of you who want to spice up the look of your auction listings with a simple templatethat will work in the eBay “Sell an Item” system.First, I want to go over a couple of HTML “tags” so you know what all the funky little letters in the brackets(< >) are for. But don’t worry – I’m not going to try and teach you HTML. I just want to show you a littleto keep you from messing up your listing. First, an HTML TAG is just a quick way for you to leta Web browser know how you want your web page to looklike when it is displayed in your Web browser. That’s it.
======================== HTML TAGS =========================
HEADING TAG: This tag designates that the text is a headingand should be larger than the page text. You can designatedifferent sizes of headings (I use heading2 below - ).FORMAT: Starts with and ends with PARAGRAPH TAG: This tag lets you format a block of text,complete with a break in between paragraphs. The break isalways there, and you cannot start a new paragraph on thevery next line.FORMAT: Starts with
and ends with LINE BREAK TAG: This tag is like a carriage return on yourword processor or typewriter. This tag will allow you to start on the very next line. NOTE: You cannot use more than one Line Break Tag in a row – HTML ignores them.FORMAT: Put a at the end of the lineBULLETTED LIST: This will allow you to create a nice listof items with bullets in front. Great for showing off some features, since people tend to skim pages.FORMAT: Start the list with
and end with Each list item gets a
in front of it
======================== HTML TAGS =========================
That’s it for the HTML tutorial. That wasn’t so bad, wasit? Now, here’s a quick template you can use to spice up your eBay listings. Just cut and paste the text below (in between the “CUT HERE” lines) into the Notepad program on your PC (located under “All Programs > Accessories” in the Start menu) and edit the information in ALL CAPS.
++++++++++++++++++++++++ CUT HERE ++++++++++++++++++++++++
Helvetica, sans-serif">YOUR INTERESTING HEADLINE
AN INTERESTING SUBHEADHERE, YOU CAN EXPLAIN THE MAIN BENEFITS OF THE ITEM.MAKE IT A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION (2 – 3 SENTENCES).
ANOTHER BENEFIT PARAGRAPH.
SOME FEATURES IN A BULLETTED LIST:
FEATURE 1
FEATURE 2
FEATURE 3
FEATURE 4
USE THIS PARAGRAPH TO WRAP-UP. YOU CAN STATE THE PRICE OF THE ITEM IF THEY BOUGHT IT IN THE STORE (I.E. I SAW THIS PRODUCT FOR $97 AT THE LOCAL STORE). YOU CAN ALSO PUT IN SOME CLOSING COMMENTS (I LIKE THIS ITEM, BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE ROOM IN MY BASEMENT).
PAYMENT TERMS: PUT YOUR PAYMENT METHODS HERE.
P.S. ADD YOUR ABOUT ME PAGE HEREAbout Me
Thank you!
++++++++++++++++++++++++ CUT HERE ++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Once you’ve changed the text and saved it from Notepad, just copy all of the text and paste it into the listingwindow on eBay. This will be the “Item description” form that comes up after you’ve picked a category. You canpreview the description by clicking on the “Preview Page”link below the window. If you’ve done everything correctly,it should look great!By using this simple template, you can immediately vaultthe professionalism of your listings above and beyond whata lot of eBay-ers are putting out there right now. Andthat can result in more sales, at a greater price, for youronline auction business.

For more information please visit www.honostreview.com

1,001 Deals and Steals: A Guide To Online Classifieds

by: Donald Lee
Some naysayers way back in the 1990s predicted that online shopping wouldn’t last. Sure, and they said television was a passing fad, too! As we all know, just the opposite has occurred. There’s a television in every household, and more than likely, the homeowner bought their television online—along with his books, music CDs, clothes, and maybe even his home.
Internet shopping is bigger than ever. You can find anything and everything for sale online. Many times, you can find it cheaper online than anywhere else. Internet shopping offers so much more than a discounted price tag, though.
Imagine a shopping mall where there are no lines, where there are no jammed parking garages, and no pushy sales clerks. This is no land of make believe. It is the Internet, where you can discover unprecedented selection, convenience, and opportunities. Online shopping gives you the luxury of browsing hundreds of stores from your living room, while saving on time and frustration. It provides you the chance to compare prices to your heart’s delight on a near limitless selection of brands and models.
For even more benefits, try your hand at classifieds and auction Web sites. These sites are like yard sales and flea markets rolled into one. Unlike retail shopping sites, they offer:
Access to super secondary markets. Take your pick of secondhand or brand-new wholesale goods at steeply discounted prices. The vendors at classifieds sites can get away with it because they aren’t paying high rent for a storefront or a warehouse. And in many cases, you’re not paying taxes.
Tools to locate unique and rare collectibles. Imagine a classifieds site to be like a sunken pirate boat, laden with cultural artifacts, hard-to-find heirlooms, and priceless antiques. The Internet is your deep-sea vessel, sonar, and oxygen tank all in one.
Reach beyond your neighborhood. Search through the inventory of a vendor from your home town, or if you don’t find what you’re looking for there, try that fellow in California, Texas or Canada for that matter.
Close relationships with vendors. You deal with real people—not big, impersonal corporations—when you buy on classifieds sites. They can provide more details about the product, which you can then use to bargain for a reasonable price.
Despite this bounty of benefits, you might still be hesitant to dive into Internet shopping. Don’t be embarrassed. You have good reason to take your time and weigh your choices. According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, Internet fraud tops the list of the thousands of fraud cases that happen every year. In some ways, WWW could stand for the Wild West Web, in that anything goes. Vendors can be villains in disguise, and there aren’t any online Wyatt Earps to protect you from these bad guys. You’re on your own.
But give yourself some credit. You have the common sense it takes to survive the WWW. It is the same commonsense that helps you make the most of your money on your standard shopping trips. Become familiar and comfortable with an online vendor before jumping into a purchase. Ask questions and do a bit of research.
After doing your research, you’ll feel more confident in searching for your online booty. To refine your findings and whittle your list to only the exceptional sites, look for these additional qualities:
A focus on local shopping, so you can feel more confident buying from neighbors.
Free education and advice on safe purchasing.
No-cost and easy browsing through available merchandise.
Search tools that let you prioritize items by category, location, and distance.
A straightforward pricing system that avoids the haggling and risk of auction bidding.
Quick price comparisons among different vendors.
Unbelievably, a few trustworthy, practical, and exciting Web sites exist that have all of these features. To find these websites, simply browse through Yahoo’s directory under the classifieds category. The best of the online classified sites offer these services free to buyers such as you. Some of these sites can link you at no charge to your neighbor selling the antique lamp that you’ve been hunting for or that retiree looking to unload an incredible piece of real estate—or the cowboy looking to sell his big-screen television.

For more information please visit www.honostreview.com