Visual Guide to eBay's Selling Form (cont'd)

Step-by-step instructions to help you use the selling form

More of this Feature • Steps 1-6 • Steps 12-18 and Submission Related Resources • Selling on eBay: Quick Tips at a Glance • A PayPal Primer • How to Make a Sale on eBay • Getting Started Buying and Selling on eBay • Quick Tips for eBay Photos • eBay Mistakes to Avoid Elsewhere on the Web • (From eBay) How to Sell • (From eBay) Selling-Getting Started

Step 7: Enter a title and optional subtitle; select features

First, enter a title for your item in the box marked "Title" (item A). This should be a brief but descriptive line of text that gives the most basic make, model, and features, and condition about your item. This is the first thing prospective buyers will see when they search for items like yours, so it should clearly summarize what you're selling. The following are good examples:

• "Used Apple iPod 30GB with all accessories"
• "New men's Wilson's leather jacket, full-length, black, size XL"
• "Brand new 2008 Dunlop hybrid golf clubs set"

Next, enter an optional subtitle in the box marked "Subtitle" (item B) if you'd like to add one more line of text or keywords that you think will help to draw buyers in, or if you ran out of space in your title. Note that by entering a subtitle you'll incur an additional $0.50 fee per category for a short-duration listing or an additional $1.50 fee per category for a 30-day or indefinite fixed price listing.

Finally, complete features portion of the form (area C) by checking boxes next to features or characteristics that apply to your item, and by choosing from any drop-down lists that eBay provides to you things like your item's condition (new, used, etc.), color, or size information.

Step 8: Add photos of the item you're selling

If you haven't already done so, take several photos of the item you're selling. Without a photo, your item has little chance of selling at a good price—if it sells at all.

Add photos of your item to your listing by clicking on the "Add pictures" button (item B), which will open a popup window designed to help you to add images to your listing. Follow these steps in the popup window to add photos:

1. Click "Browse" and then select a photo from the list of files on your computer to add that photo to your listing.
2. Repeat this process for each additional photo you'd like to add, keeping in mind that while the first photo is free, additional photos are $0.15 per photo per category selected for your listing.
3. Check the box marked "Gallery Plus" if you'd like to have buyers shown a larger than normal photo of your item as they browse eBay for a $0.35 fee—usually a good idea. Check the "Picture Pack" option if you've added more than 7 photos to get a significant discount on photo fees.
4. Click "Upload" when you're done adding photos; this will attach the photos you've selected to your listing and close the popup.

Once you're done adding photos, you can remove them or rearrange them by clicking trashcan or arrow icons that will appear inside individual photo frames (item A) in the selling form.

Step 9: Provide a detailed description of your item

Now it's time to enter a detailed description of your item for prospective buyers. Use the text editor area (the large empty area marked A) just as you would a word processor and type as much information as you can about your item:

• Make, model, capacity, and specifications (if applicable)
• Condition, size, color, features, and included accessories
• Notes about any flaws or missing components
• Details about whether or not you guarantee the item (or are instead selling it on an AS-IS basis)
• Details about how you plan to ship and/or to whom you're willing to ship
• Any special procedures that you want buyers to follow as they purchase

This is a good time to review eBay's selling checklist to be sure that you include all of the necessary information for a clean and smooth transaction. As you enter the information in question, do your best to make it look clear and presentable using the same kinds of tools you'll find in any word processor, including things like fonts and sizes, bold text, italic text, bullet lists, and so on (buttons and options marked B).

If you're technically inclined or would like to enter your description using HTML code for additional flexibility, click on the "HTML" tab to switch to the HTML editor (item C).

Step 10: Select listing format and duration; enter pricing information

Now it's time to decide how your item is to be sold, and at what price. Consider reading more about eBay listing formats before continuing. Then, do the following:

1. If you do not want to allow bidding, but want instead to sell at a fixed price that you set, click on the "Fixed Price" tab (item G).
2. If you are allowing bids, enter a starting price (minimum first bid) for your item (box marked A). Keep this number low. Most auction items sell for market value no matter the starting price, so longtime sellers often start items at $1.00. Rare items or those unlikely to be popular, can be started at a price nearer to their actual value.
3. Enter a Buy It Now price for your item (box marked B) if buyers should be given the option to buy immediately (rather than having to bid) at this price. A surcharge based on the price you set will be added to your fees.
4. If you're allowing bidding and would like to set a price below which you are unwilling to sell, click the "Change" link (item C) and enter a reserve price. A surcharge will be added to your fees. Note that while reserve prices protect you from having to sell, they also tend to decrease the value of your item, since many bidders refuse to bid on reserve auctions.
5. Enter the number of identical items you have to sell (item D). The pricing information you've entered applies to each individual item you're selling, not to all of them as a group. If you're not selling multiple identical items through this listing, the quantity should be 1.
6. Select the duration of the listing (item E). For auctions, this is the amount of time bidding will be open. For fixed-price listings, the listing will remain available until this amount of time has elapsed or until all items have been sold, whichever comes first.
7. Check "Start selling immediately" if you want the item to go on sale as soon as you save your listing, or use the "Schedule start time" options (item F) if you want to play the time your listings game to maximize your supply and demand advantage.
   
   

Step 11: Select contact methods

As a matter of eBay policy, buyers will always be given a way to reach you by email and/or telephone. For many prospective bidders, however, online chatting or VOIP can be more convenient. If you have a Skype account and want buyers to be able to ask questions of you through Skype, check one or both of the Skype contact options (item A).

It's a long form, but we're almost there. With most of the item's information now entered, it's time to think about thinks like shipping, returns, and fees. Read on to wrap your listing up.

Next page > Steps 12-18 and Submission > Page 1, 2, 3
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