Chris Vendilli asked:

It’s probably fair to say that one of the key reasons why many auctions end unsuccessfully on eBay is because people have got their auction title WRONG.

With the eBay marketplace becoming ever more over-crowded, it’s now increasingly more important to create auction titles that work. You really do need to stand out from your rival eBay sellers.

So what does an auction title need to do?

It’s most important job is to get people to click onto your auction. You can have the most amazing bargain in the world, or an absolutely fantastic and compelling advert, but if people never get that far then you’ll never make sales. The first step in the buying process is for people to click onto your auctions.

So how do I create a “winning” title?

The tips below are what I’ve learned as an eBay seller over the past few years. I’ve tried many different strategies and ideas, and these are the ones that work. They bring in the buyers time and time again.

“MY TOP 6 TITLE TIPS”

Create mystery.

A relatively unknown ‘secret’ is to create mystery around your auction or product. This intrigues people, and ultimately results in more people clicking onto your auction.

Let’s say you’re trying to sell an ebook called “Profits from Adwords” that contains information on how to create an income through ads on Google. Instead of using a traditional title like “Profits from Adwords eBook: the secrets to success,” trying using a title such as “Make a Great Income from Writing Three Lines of Text.” You’re not revealing exactly what the product is you’re trying to sell, rather what the product can do for the buyer. Another example may be with relaxation oils. Try a title such as “The Most RELAXING Thing I’ve Ever Tried.”

Once you think of a few catchy titles you can test them out if you happen to have multiple identical items. See which title sells the best when all other aspects of the listing are kept equal. These little experiments can drastically improve your sales conversions once you learn how to test properly.

People may feel more compelled to click on your auction with a catchy title like the ones mentioned above, but of course it does have its disadvantages, and it may not be the correct strategy for every product. After all, it’s pretty hard to create excitement and mystery around a pack of envelopes for example! It also slightly contradicts one of my rules below… but it CAN and DOES work if it’s the right product.

Use capital letters

This is a MUST in an eBay auction title – Start Each Word In Your Title With A Capital Letter Like This. It makes your title stand out from people who don’t, and can actually be more effective than using paid eBay options such as a bold title. You can also try putting certain key words in full capitals to draw attention to a unique selling point or a particularly attractive feature. If the item you’re selling is brand new then draw attention to this fact in your title.

Make sure you include as many keywords as possible

Most people find items on eBay by using the search facility, therefore it’s important that you include words in your title that people are likely to be searching for. People that write titles which are just too plain will lose out on sales. This tip seems like an obvious one, but you would be shocked at how many people don’t optimize their titles with proper keyword use!

Spell accurately

Spelling mistakes don’t show up in search results. If I search for “Playstation” and your auction title has it listed as “Playstataion” then I won’t find your item. Most people don’t make spelling mistakes purposely, that’s why they’re called mistakes. If you notice that you did make a mistake after you’ve already listed your item you may still be able to go back and correct it if you do so prior to any bids being placed. One misspelled keyword can ruin all your hard work!

Be descriptive

If you’re selling a new item, make sure you point that out in your title. If your item is in excellent condition, again make sure you say so. Try to be creative as well, look at your auction title as a buyer would.

Example, instead of saying “Pair Of Computer Speakers Used Condition Work Great”… try “Pair Of Computer Speakers w/ Manual Included Like New.”

Finally…

Use paid options sparingly. eBay offers all kinds of options that are designed to increase clicks on your auctions, such as Bold and Highlight, but I’ve usually found that these don’t have a large enough impact on auction visitor numbers to justify the cost. It may well depend on what you’re selling, but I firmly believe that good wording is much more important. You can’t always buy success on eBay.

Remember:

1.) Create mystery and excitement

2.) Use capital letters

3.) Include keywords

4.) Spell accurately

5.) Be descriptive

6.) Use paid options sparingly

Content

Brian Mcgregor asked:

If you’re not having the success you hoped in eBay selling, this list might be helpful to you.

Take a look at these “sales prevention” issues, and see if you are preventing your auctions from working as best as they can.

High Start Price Many eBayers will simply avoid auctions with a high start price. Most people bidding on eBay are turned on by the thought of getting a bargain, and a high starting price rules this out. If you can bear the risk, you are far better having a low start price so as to encourage a bidding activity.

High Buy it Now Price As we’ve seen, eBayers are looking for bargains. If your fixed price is to high, your item probably won’t sell. One strategy you can try after the item fails to sell, is to reduce the price by a small amount and try again. Repeat this until you find the optimum Buy it Now price for your item.

Lack of Pictures If you think about it, you’re asking a buyer to pay you money for something they can’t see or touch. The best way around this is to place quality images of your item on the auction page. Conversely, if you have no pictures on your auction, prepare for a failed auction.

You Use a Reserve Price A Reserve Price will cause many eBay members to avoid your auction. Reserves are a real deterrent for many people. I would advise you never to us a Reserve Price. Interestingly, on eBay Australia, the Reserve Price option has been removed and is not available for use by sellers. Maybe other eBay countries should follow suit.

Thoughtless Use of Words Bad spelling or poor grammar in your auction will cause a proportion of eBayers not to bid on your item. Indeed, if your auction title contains incorrect spelling, then your item may not even be returned in searches. It is highly recommended that you have your auction text checked for spelling and for grammar. And make sure your auction title does not contain incorrect spellings.

Greedy Shipping The spirit of eBay is that you charge your buyers the cost price for shipping. It is perfectly acceptable to charge a reasonable amount which covers your time, packaging materials costs and the actual cost of shipment, but don’t be tempted to overdo it. Some eBayers will move on very quickly if they feel you’re being unfair on shipping costs. You could try giving your buyers shipment options. They may be prepared to wait for their delivery via a cheaper service.

Negative Feedback If you have negative feedback which pulls your percentage rating down to below 90%, you can expect some eBayers to avoid your auctions. There are two actions you can take. First, you can try buying and selling low cost items with a view to improving your percentage rating. Also, you could create a new eBay account, and build up a good feedback rating on this account using the low cost buy and sell technique.

Unreasonable Terms Its’ amazing how often sellers seem to go out of their way to insult prospective buyers. The classic such term is “Serious bidders only, no time wasters!” If I see this or similarly unreasonable words on an auction, I will move on. These kind of statements are entirely unnecessary, and indeed they make the seller appear to be the one who could be difficult to deal with. Don’t use them in your auctions.

PayPal Free Zone Not everyone likes PayPal. I understand this. However, if you want to succeed on eBay, it is essential that you accept PayPal on your auctions. You only have to look at the figures relating to the proportion of eBay business which is paid for via PayPal. It is now running at over 70%. It is a fact that some eBay buyers will ignore auctions which don’t offer PayPal as a method to pay. So, even if you’re not a fan of PayPal, you need to offer it on your eBay auctions.

Check your auctions and see if you’re guilty of any of the above.

Correct some of these and you may find your auctions start to produce the results you’re looking for.

Content for WordPress

Anne Barrett asked:

If you want to start your own online business there is one thing you need to do. Find a proven, legitimate system, and stick with it. So many people bounce around from one thing to the next. You won’t make any money online if you do that. If you want to know where to find a proven system, just read this review.

“5 Easy Steps To Make Money Online Starting Today…Even If You’re Broke” is a new e-book that is perfect for the Internet newbie, or beginner. It’s a easy to follow step by step system that has been used by thousands to make millions online. The basic system has been around for a while now and it definitely works.

The author states that you don’t need any special skills or education. As long as you have a willingness to learn and a computer you have all you need to start and grow a highly successful online business.

The book is divided into 5 steps, hence the name, each one builds on the preceding one so you don’t want to skip from one step to the next. Most steps will only take a few minutes to do. Some will take a little longer.

This system has nothing to do with an auctions or survey sites. This is more of a real online business that you can grow and build as big as you want. The book shows you how to get everything you need, all for free, to start your business. It even gives you a list of additional resources for later on when you’re making money that can help you grow your business even bigger and a few tools that can make things a little easier for you.

There are a lot of systems out there that claim you can build a business online, but many of them are incomplete. They leave out the most important element of all: how to get all the visitors you can handle to your website. No matter what product or service you are selling if you don’t have customers you won’t make any money. “5 Easy Steps To Make Money Online Starting Today…Even If You’re Broke” shows you a proven, easy method to get traffic to your website.

The downside of the book is that it is very much a beginners guide only. Don’t expect any advanced tactics here. But if you are new to Internet marketing this book will be perfect for you.

“5 Easy Steps To Make Money Online Starting Today…Even If You’re Broke” is fairly short. There isn’t any fluff. The simple steps are laid out in a very concise way.

So if you’re interested in starting an online business and don’t have a clue how to go about doing it, I highly recommend that you pick up your own copy of “5 Easy Steps To Make Money Online Starting Today…Even If You’re Broke” The bottom line is if you follow the steps, and work at it consistently you can make money using this easy, proven system. The title says it all!

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