Tips for Online Auction Sellers - Advertising Your Product

There are millions of products for sale at online auctions and many less that actually sell. Filling in all the necessary blanks when presenting your item for auction will help insure you sell it quickly and at the price you want.

Carefully Prepare the Item Description: A full and accurate description of your item or service is important and will help prevent problems after the sale. Include whether the item is new, used or reconditioned, and note any flaws the item may contain.

Think Like a Buyer: When writing your description, think like a buyer by anticipating possible buyer questions and including the answers in your advertisement. This will help cut down on your time in answering emails about your item and also help prevent anxious buyers from clicking elsewhere because you lack the information they want immediately.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Seeing is believing especially with Internet auctions. When possible, include a photograph of the item and include pictures of anything which helps identify the authenticity of the product.

List the Minimum Bid You Are Willing to Accept.: When setting the minimum bid for your item, choose the lowest price which is fair and which you are willing to accept. Compare prices other sellers are listing for minimum bids on items similar to yours. You want to be competitive and fair. Also, post the types of payment you accept.

Set Your Shipping Terms: Include shipping information, such as - who pays for shipping, shipping costs, insurance policy and costs and where you are willing to ship, i.e. international shipping. Also include if the item is available only for pick up.

Post Your Return Policy: Decide on your return policy and include the information in your description. This should include details on who pays for shipping costs if the item is returned, if there is a restocking fee, and the length of time the buyer has to request a return. A "no return" policy should be clearly posted.

Service After the Sale: Include service information to the bidders. If you do not provide service for the item, say where the bidder can go to get it.

Keep It Simple: Keeping your description short and to the point will enable the buyers to know, at a glance, if they are interested in what you are selling. Most people want to be able to scan a page for the information and lose interest if something is too wordy.

Good Seller Etiquette:

• Respond quickly to a bidders questions.
• Keeps printed copies of all email exchanges with the bidders.
• When the auction closes, print all the information about the transaction, making a note of the buyer's identification, the description of the item and the time, date and price of the bid.
• After the auction closes, contact the winning bidder immediately and confirm the final terms of the sale. This includes the final cost, shipping chargers and where to send the payment.