10
Online Auction Mistakes Beginners Make
There are a number of common errors made by sellers
new to online auctions. Here is a list of the top ten
mistakes made. Avoid them and your auctions will sell
faster and better. Beat your competition by using your
time and effort wisely.
Mistake
#1. Pricing items too high. Research similar items’ final
prices from past auctions before setting your minimum
bid price.
Mistake #2. Inadequate or no pictures. Buyers see
pictures as proof the item exists. Make sure it shows
the true condition of the item. Include more pictures
on high cost items where condition is important.
Mistake #3. No feedback before selling. People buy
from sellers with positive feedback. Especially when
selling high price items, sellers must be able to put
potential buyers at ease. Positive feedback does this.
Mistake #4.Choosing a inappropriate eBay ID. Your
eBay ID represents you. Choose one that matches your
business name or the type of items you normally sell.
For example, ThimbleHeaven is a good name if you sell
thimbles. On the other hand, 123stayathome is not a
good eBay ID.
Mistake
#5. Bad timing for end of auction. Don’t
end your auction on Wednesday at noon if your buyer
is usually looking on Saturday afternoons. Remember
who the buyer is and when they look to bid.
Mistake #6. No time set aside for creating auction
descriptions. Until you are adept at writing descriptions
allow more time for writing each auction. Be sure the
description is accurate and gives the buyer the info
he expects. Creating a template saves time.
Mistake
#7. Expecting to earn a lot on readily available
items. Items have to be wanted to sell for higher
prices.
If the buyer can pick your item up at the local discount
store he won’t pay for it online.
Mistake # 8. Inadequate shipping info. Give accurate
shipping info and offer more than one method of shipping.
Mistake
# 9. Title words not optimized. Titles should catch
the buyer’s eye. Some buyers search auctions
by title only. Use every character space well.
Mistake
#10. Not having a way to take immediate payment.
Every online auction seller should have a Pay Pal account.
For more information on taking payments see this webpage
- http://www.new2auctions.com/auctionpayments .
Now more than ever eBay and other online sites are
run like a business. It is important to get things
right the first time. Make as few mistakes as possible
to stay ahead of your competition. Before you start
spend some time looking at eBay, or whichever online
auction site you want to sell on, and see how it
works. Great tutorials and numerous instructional
materials are available to help you get started.
Author info: L. C. Peterson is a freelance writer
and web site
consultant. More tips at http://www.new2auctions.com
and http://www.lcpeterson.com .
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