I’ve been a huge eBay fan for over 10 years. I’ve bought a car, sold a lot of musical instruments and generally think “eBay” first when I want to buy something.

It has always been a life saver for me when I’m running short on funds.

Over the years, I’ve learnt a few things about how to craft the perfect listing to maximise your sell price – so here are my top 5 tips.

1. Get your product categories right.

Novice eBayers often don’t target the right categories. Right means: all categories applicable. For example, listing basketball shoes as both “Shoes” and “Basketball Equipment” will inevitably get you more eyeballs.

2. Research search terms and put it in your description.

Thinking like a customer is critical. First, ask yourself what you would search for. Then do some research to look at similar items. The pro-tip here is to learn the lingo of PowerSellers – “NWT”, “NWOT”, “No reserve”. Lastly, it doesn’t hurt to cast a wider net and include other brands. “Samsung Galaxy” in your iPhone listing description?

3. Take high quality photos.

A picture tells a thousand words. In this case, pictures sell a thousand times better. Take high resolution photos from every angle and offer to provide more on request. A video may help too, depending on the product.

4. Build a high feedback rating.

This is a slow burn. Buyers choose one seller over another is because of feedback. The higher the score, the more likely the seller is trustworthy and easy to deal with. So start as a buyer, build your score and then think about selling.

5. Offer free shipping.

E-commerce websites are learning it, so you should too. Free shipping works. It might be completely psychological, and the cost may be baked into the starting price, but most people love the idea of not giving money to the post office.

So that’s the top 5. Remember to think like a buyer. Make it easy to find, trust and buy.

Have you got another tip that works for you?

Happy listing!

Bosco

PS: NWT is “New With Tags”, NWOT is “New Without Tags”.