by Bruce Moilan

Created on: April 17, 2008

Selling on eBay is an easy process and you can make a good amount of income while doing it. You can sell what you want when you want to. However, there are a few "DO'S" and "DONT'S" that sellers should follow to maximize their time and profits.

First, the DO'S:

Before you do anything, do your homework. Before placing an item up for auction investigate aspects such as policies, pricing of similar items from competitors, categories or similar items, buying patterns of the consumer, etc. Do have a product description and title on your listing that is accurate and to the point. Are there similar items with this description? Do add a picture of your product. This will drastically improve the chances of selling your item and will maximize the actual selling price. Do have a variety of payment options for the seller. Do you have your PayPal account set up and ready to go? Always strive to obtain positive feedback from your buyer by sending the purchased item as stated in your description. If possible, do send a tracking number to the buyerthey love that!

Remember; build confidence in the eBay community by being honest in all of your daily transactions. As a seller, you should strive to climb to the top of the eBay charts so that more buyers will trust you, view your auctions, be interested in your items and ultimately, hopefully, buy them! Answer all buyer questions quickly and to their satisfaction. Treat all of them with respect and courtesy and you will soon see them coming back to you and willing to bid high on all of your listings.

Now, the DON'TS:

Don't use any negative terms or points in the title and description of the product. Adding a picture? Great! Don't put a picture of something that has nothing to do with your listing (i.e. a picture of a red sports car in a listing for a baseball card). Once your item has sold, package your item with care, if you have not already done so, and ship it. Don't prolong the shipping time. Speaking of shippingdon't charge 20 bucks for shipping an item that is the size and weight of a postage stamp. Buyers tend to know that you are overcharging on shipping, plus the shipping label might have the actual price, and this is one of the main reasons sellers receive negative feedback. This negative feedback can, and will, harm your future sales. Don't ignore international buyers. If they were willing to pay for shipping why would you not sell to them? Don't overcrowd your listing. Keep it clean and organized and get to the point of what you are selling. Don't put a deceiving picture in your listing. If you are selling a camera with a broken lens it's always best to point this flaw out. One more don't don't add a listing that will end during the holidays or a major event. It will sell but will sell for a low amount!

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