Stock Photo

(Best Syndication) Editor’s Note: This is part 9 of an ongoing set of articles concerning the science of making money on the Internet. In previous sections we discussed various selling tools including Auctiva, Andale and Channel Advisor. Here we will discuss some strategies.

Add Value

How you sell your product on eBay may depend on what product you are selling. If your items are readily available at the local store, you need to come up with an “added value”. For instance, if you are selling a cell phone that is readily available at Circuit City or Best Buy, you need to add some sort of value. Maybe add a discount car charger at no extra charge. The quality of your ad can also add value.

More Information

You can add value by providing more information. If you can provide more information about the cell phone than Circuit City, you might have an advantage. Is the battery charger available? What is the exact size of the phone? Those are some questions you should answer in your ad.

Picture Images

What about pictures? Are you providing the same picture as everyone else? I recommend adding a picture or two of your own, along with a description. It is important to make a professional looking picture. Use plenty of lights and a white backdrop.

I recommend taking a picture of the box too. This will illustrate the fact that your item is brand new in the box. If it is new in the box, use that caption next to the image of the box.

Don’t shoot your pictures “straight-on” every time. Turn the box or item to a 45 degree angle to give it depth. Try a couple angles. Look at what the competition is doing. Make your ad better.

Don’t just set the widget on a table and take a picture. The advantage to professional looking pictures is the perception that you are indeed a professional and not a “fly by night” outfit. This will bring you more money over the long run.

Imaging Editing Software

Your pictures may look too dark. If that is the case, use a picture editing software to brighten them up. Play with the contrast so that you get a uniform look to your images. Then crop the image to eliminate wasted space.

After you crop image, resize the image to a uniform size. I recommend making all of your images the same width. For me, a 200 pixel width was best. Set the resize feature to maintain the aspect ratio. You can include one larger picture that is used when people click on “enlarge image”. EBay has a default image for this purpose. We named these larger images the same except we added a LG to indicate it was the larger image.

Study The Competition

Compare your listing to the competition. Make your listing better. Make sure your pricing is not out of line. If your advertisement is better than the competition, you might be able to get more money. If you have more feedback, you might be able to get more money. When I say more money, I mean a little more money; don’t shoot for the moon and end up with wasted listings that didn’t sell.

Buy It Now and Best Offer

Best Offer is relatively new, and it may be acceptable for some items. Buy It Now may add an extra cost to your listing, but if you have a readily available item, this option may be preferable. If your competition does not have a buy it now price and you do, you are more likely to make the sale. Many buyers do not want to monkey with auctions.

Auctions

If you are selling an item that is not readily available at the local store, you should consider auctioning it off without a “Buy It Now” option. It you have a one of a kind antique, auctioning it off might bring in the most money. Sellers with rare items should defiantly consider using this option.

Store returns may also sell well at auction. There may not be a specific value to the item. If you still have the box, make sure you take a picture of the box (if it is in good shape).

Feedback

Buyers want to see fast shipping. Make sure you have the item in stock before you list it. As soon as the payment is received, ship the item. If the payment is a check, you might want to wait for the check to clear. Spell that policy out in your listing if you choose to wait for the checks to clear.

Make sure you have accurately described your product. This can save you a headache. Also, if you are buying from importers, make sure they continually provide you with the same product. We have had importers switch items on us. Sometimes we didn’t know there was a slight difference until after we shipped it. Even if the newer item is better, some people will still complain.

By Dan Wilson
Best Syndication News Writer