With the state of the current economy, more and more consumers are turning to eBay to find deals on items they would normally purchase at retail outlets. As a seller, eBay can be a profitable way to test a new product, market an existing product or service or just clear out some of the clutter from your attic or garage. For a growing number of internet entrepreneurs eBay has become their sole place of business with their online storefront parked at eBay. The most appealing aspect of selling on eBay is that entrepreneurs can get their feet wet without having to set up a merchants account for credit card processing or setup a website of their own, both which can be time consuming and costly endeavors for inexperienced or first-time entrepreneurs. Hopefully these tips for selling on eBay will assist you in getting started down the path to being a successful seller on eBay.

1.) Pictures Sell Products - They say a picture IS worth 1000 words and it’s self evident that buyers will always like to see the goods before they place a bid on them. For successful eBay selling, make sure any itemss you list on eBay are accompanied by the best quality photographs you can muster. Poor quality pictures can cause as much of a negative impact as no picture at all. If you’re uncertain of your ability to take a convincing photograph, Nathan Huppatz has written an excellent tutorial Taking Great Product Photos which will help you through the process.

2.) Research is Golden - Always do some basic before you list a particular product. If you spend just a few minutes checking out history and price details of similar products on eBay, you will better know where you should set your reserve prices and starting points. eBay’s Advanced Search allows you to Show completed listings only which can be invaluable to making sure you don’t undercut yourself or over-value your item and end up without a sale.

3.) Master Your Niche - Niche mastery is an essential element for your prolonged success strategy. Find your own niche, define your market and you will come to understand the type of consumers who you will be selling to and how to specifically target them in your future acutions. Rome wasn’t built in one day and to become a power seller on eBay requies niche mastery and expertise in your given niche. These skills take time to develop but if you start out with the intention of developing these skills, you will cut out a lot of the baptismo del fuego (baptisim by fire).

4.) Avoid the Obvious - Forget about trying to sell cellphones, computers, digital cameras, iPods or plasma TVs. I’ve provided links to the first two of those afformentioned niches for you to take a look and see how stiff the competition is within those areas. Unless you have deep pockets, there is no way you can compete with the big guys who have the resources to post thousands of auctions per day and litter the listings. Also, the majority of drop shipping sites and programs which claim to have those products are mostly scams and will more than likely garner you bad reputation when they fail to deliver or ship items late (I have listed one reliable program at the end of this article).

5.) Don’t Forget Shipping - One critical aspect many novice eBay sellers overlook is packing and shipping costs. I routinely see new sellers offering free shipping or ridiculously low shipping rates. This mistake will eat away at your profits more so than any other costs involved in selling on eBay. Take the time to learn the costs involved in shipping and set your pricing accordingly. Most buyers purchase items on impulse and they are not paying attention to shipping costs when they want a product. Don’t shortchange yourself and don’t be greedy and try to turn a heft profit on shipping and handling.

6.) Use a Spell Checker - Always make sure to pay as much attention possible to your spelling and overall grammer when you’re writing up an eBay listing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve nailed a great item for a song because somebody mis-spelled the item in the title of an auction and didn’t realize their error until it was too late. Additionally, strong writing skills can be the difference between a few bids and a landslide of bids that rockets your auction into the profit zone. If you’re not the world’s greatest speller, by all means, use a word processor to spell check your copy.

7.) More Payment Options Equals More Bids - Offering as many payment options as possible can literally double or triple the number of bids on an auction. Don’t be scared to accept money orders or personal checks and don’t limit yourself to Paypal only auctions. Sometimes buyers who need to pay by check or money order will bid higher on an item than if they were using Paypal. Remember, not everybody trusts Paypal, so don’t limit yourself or your auction’s potential.

8.) Keywords, Keywords, Keywords - Always use keywords in your auction headline and description. It is a known fact that over 65% of eBay bidders find what they are looking for by using eBay’s search function. Be sure to use carefully chosen and accurate key words in your title and description. eBay gives you 55 characters in your headline. Be sure to use all of them. This will help you get more traffic to your auction. Important keywords include the brand, color, size, and model number.

9.) Feedback is King - While many people feel that feedback is a necessary evil of selling on eBay, getting positive feedback is one of themost important keys to success as an eBay seller. Merchants who have an overall positive feedback record will find an easier time finding perspective buyers who will not only bid more often but they will also be willing to pay higher prices for your offerings. It is highly recommended when starting out to first spend a few months buying items on eBay and establishing at least 10-20 positive feedback ratings before trying your hand at selling. If you do want to rush in, start with your most inexpensive items or items you’re willing to lose a few bucks on ot establish your feedback rating.

10.) Be Professional - Never forget that when you are selling on eBay, you have a responsibility to your customers to act professionally. Be courteous and provide the type of superior customer service that you would expect from any major corporation or business. This will not only build your reputation but it will bring you repeat buyers who follow your auctions to purchase time and again.

That’s my 10 best tips for selling on eBay, but I would like to add that you make sure that you’re following all the standard business rules that apply, such as registering your business and paying any applicable taxes associated with your online business. Selling on eBay is just like any other business in that success lies in customer satisfaction and fair business practices. eBay has an uncanny way of weeding out the bad eggs, so make sure you’re following the terms of service and striving for excellence and you’re success on eBay is guaranteed.

Feel free to discuss this at our forum: Buying and Selling on eBay

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