It is very important to give a good description of what you are selling. Important pieces of information to include are:
- New or used.
- History of the item. As strange as this may seem, bidders want to know why you are selling this item. A brief history can increase the end sale price. Letting the bidder know where the item came from, how it was maintained, and why you are selling it can put the bidder at ease. The bidder will be more likely to bid on your item if they feel that you are parting with an item that has served you well and is in good condition rather than something you found in the street.
- Explicitly list everything included. For example, if it is a phone, state that the phone comes with the original power supply, instruction manual, and the original box. Often these type of items are not included so bidders can not make assumptions about included accessories.
Pictures
A picture says a thousand words and take much less time for both you writing
the description and a bidder reading your page. A few quick
snapshots of the item up for auction can answer any number of questions a
potential bidder may ask. If cosmetics may be a factor in bidding, try and
include multiple angles to ensure you are not trying to hide anything.
Specifics of an item can easily be shown such as all the interfaces on the
rear of a dvd player or the color and finish quality. If you can include one
shot of everything included in the auction (e.g. the power adapter, the
original box, product manuals), this can simplify the text by saying "The
auction includes everything pictured."
If you can include an actual picture of the item up for auction instead of a generic photo grabbed from the manufacturer's web site, the bidders may feel more comfortable since they can actually see what they are getting.
Sample pictures:
Shipping
For small, light items, set a reasonable domestic shipping price and state
international bidders pay actual shipping, if you choose to list
internationally. Larger or heavy items will vary depending on the distance,
shipping method, and type of service. It is best to include an approximate
weight, package size, your zip code, and what carriers you are willing to work
with. State the buyer pays actual shipping cost and they have all the
information they need to estimate shipping before they bid.
The HTML (your description formatting)
An ugly run on paragraph will discourage bidders from reading all of your
text. Try simple lists, small separate titled sections. Take a look and some
of auctions similar to the item you are selling and see what grabs you eye.
Personally I find simple designs most effective. Often I see "ebay store
sellers" with all kinds of fancy borders and backgrounds that detract from
the item.
If you are unexperienced with making your own HTML, there are plenty of simple editors that will create it for you. Mozilla Composer/Netscape Composer is a free easy to use editor.
Your feedback
A seller's feedback is their reputation. For each transaction, each side can
leave feedback: negative, neutral, or positive. Bidders look at this
information when determining if they want to send their money to you and
trust you will deliver the goods. If you are new to ebay and want to sell, I
strongly suggests buying a few small items and complete the transactions.
This should allow you to give some other sellers positive (hopefully)
feedback and gain some positive feedback yourself.
Payment options
How you accept payment is entirely up to you. All methods have pros and cons
and you will have to choose what risks you are willing to take. Cash is not
the best thing to send in the mail and a seller can always claim 'it never
got here.' Personal checks and cashiers checks are safer in the mail, but
have the potential for bouncing or being forged. I suggest waiting 10
business days after deposit to send an item paid for with a check. A number
of electronic transfer methods are available:
PayPal, BidPay, etc. This
allows an instant transfer from buyer to seller with none of the risks of
cash or checks, however most of these services charge the seller a fee per
transaction.