Item Descriptions Made Easy

Item descriptions make eBay unique. Even with eBay moving away from auctions and toward the online storefront model, the ability to describe items on eBay means that you can separate yourself from competitors using something other than price.

Are you taking advantage of this unique eBay feature, or are you letting your competitors earn your sales with their better descriptions? If your descriptions leave something to be desired, now is the time to improve them and draw sales away from others selling the same items.

Here's how to write a good item description.

Begin by Making Notes

Rather than simply typing freehand into the listing form's description box, begin the process of description writing by making a few important notes. On a sheet of scratch paper, list all of the following:

• The item's make, model, and (if appropriate) age.
  
  
• The five best, most beneficial, or most likable things about the item.
  
  
• The item's basic features and specifications taken from a box or manual.
  
  
• The item's condition according to typical condition terminology.
  
  
• The list of included accessories, if any.

Create Bio, Shipping/Return Policy, and Contact Info. Blurbs

Now, open your word processor. You're going to create a document containing three short paragraphs about yourself and/or business and about the shipping, return, and communication policies that you have.

Your first paragraph, the bio, should say something about you, your eBay business, and the type of relationship you'd like to have with your customers. For example:

"I'm the owner of a little shop in Anytown, USA specializing in Amazing Widgets. I'm just starting as an eBay seller but my goal is to become a power seller someday. To do that, I have to satisfy you, my customers. Always feel free to contact me about any issue related to our transaction. My goal is to provide you with 100 percent satisfaction!"

Your second paragraph should include all of the following: the shipper you use, the shipping time frames to expect, return and exchange policy, and contact information:

"All items are always in stock. I ship USPS Priority insured within 36 hours of your purchase. Returns and exchanges are accepted for the first 7 days after your item is delivered. Please contact me if you need a return or an exchange."

Your third paragraph should include enough contact information so that buyers can reach you either by email or by telephone directly:

"For all questions or issues please email me 24 hours a day at BobsWidgets@widgetworld.com or click the 'Ask a Question' link below. Call me M-F 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at (818) 888-8818."

Begin Listing Your Item

Once you've saved a word processor document containing a bio blurb, a shipping/returns blurb, and a contact information blurb, use the eBay listing form to begin listing your item. When you get to the item description box, enter a list of headers in all bold exactly like this one:

"You are bidding on
FEATURES AND SPECS
CONDITION
WHAT'S INCLUDED
ABOUT US
SHIPPING AND RETURNS
CONTACT US!"

Now that we have our basic structure, we're going to flesh it out. Keep entering text in the description box as you follow along on the next page.

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