How to start selling on eBay
November 17, 2009
To date, eBay has been my most successful means of selling jewellery.
So, here is my short list of selling basics for new sellers:
1. You must create an eBay account. This is a fairly straight forward process and the site guides beginners well. Just click “register” at the top of the screen and you’re on your way.
2. Start the selling process by researching similar items you hope to sell, that are currently up for sale. Be the customer – use the search terms you would use to look for this item. Then, use those same terms ( if they return any search results) to name your own item.
3. You have to choose a means to sell your item. Buyers can choose to buy the item instantly “buy it now”, or they can bid at auction “auction format”. You need to set a price for both methods, either a set amount for Buy it Now, or a reserve price for auction.
4. Create a new listing. If you are creating a listing for the first time go through each step slowly and be patient. If you incorrectly describe your item or leave out important information, you won’t build up positive feedback from buyers. Think about the title and give a comprehensive description of the item for sale. Be sure to include a great photo of the item and then set a price. You will also need to research and think about postage and payment options, but the site does guide you well through this part.
5. You’re almost there – be sure to preview your listing before clicking submit. Check for spelling or grammatical errors. Ebay buyers look through many listings and fast. Your listing must be easy to read and include a big clear picture.
6. Click submit! You have just listed an item for sale. Over time you might want to introduce some html formatting into your listing and experiment with your photography. But all of this comes gradually with practice.
There are also some eBay listing programs – like, Auctiva, that allow you to create professional looking eBay listings offline. But, whilst these programs are useful, they are not essential.
So, be patient and practice and your eBay items will run out the door.
