Two Items on Ebay

[michaelg]

Hi,

Below are links to two items I'm selling on eBay. These items were designed by myself.

What I would like to invite you to do is comment about the selling techinque i.e. description of object, colour, background image etc.

I know some here run a business and would be interested in feedback.

Regards
Michael

Aroma Lamp

Drawstring pouch

 

[GoAnna!]

Hi Michael

I found the photo of the lamp not that easy to "read" as the background was close in colour to the lamp. The other photos were fine. But where are the descriptions? Lack of discription or assurance of the quality of these items would not encourage me to buy. I would like to be advised of any faults or assured there are none.

 

[GoAnna!]

Would the normal retail price encourage them to bid higher? Is it a rare or unusual item? What would make it worthwhile for soem-one to pay way too much for this item?

 

[ozi]

I agree with GoAnna regarding the background of the lamp. Pick a neautral colour. A simple white would work well. Also, you need more photos. Take several at different angles.

Also, whats with the Poem? Doesn't really say anything about the lamp. Your description is what will sell the item. Make it informative.

Regards,
Ozi

 

[depreciator]

I think burying the description of the object in verse is a mistake. Some people won't read poetry - bad experiences at school. And making the information hard to extract straight away rules out any potential customer who doesn't have a really good grasp of English (and plenty of time on their hands).

I'd say those items would be the sort of things people buy on impulse i.e. they are not high involvement purchases. People impulse shopping for low cost items don't spend alot of time on the one thing.

You need ti make it as easy as possible for people to extract the information they need from the ad. With the lamp, I reckon people would want to know what it is, how big it is, and what it is made of. Another known object in the photo for scale would help.

Scott

 

[Ali G]

Hi Michael,

I sell quite a lot on eBay so excuse me if this seems like criticism-overload. It is not my intention... just trying to help!

With regards to the cauldron:

• The photo is not particularly clear. More contrast would help, such as a white or pale background.
• It is listed on eBay.com not eBay.com.au - was this intentional? Your location is shown as Australia but postage is not specified for Australia, only the US. $5.00 shipping to the US is super cheap. I'm not sure if this has all been done in error or if you have some other plan.
• A short poem might be OK, but most people won't bother to read the whole thing. Descriptions kept factual and to the point are useful. The buyers might like to know how big the item is, what it is made from, and so on.
• Make sure you detail your terms and conditions. Take a look at some experienced sellers for the types of things they say, and make your own up accordingly.
• A larger photo at the top of the listing can be a good idea too. Try using Photobucket to insert extra pictures, it won't cost you any extra that way. Go to photobucket.com
• Consider adding an 'About Me' page which will appear as a 'me' icon next to your ID. You are a new seller so a lot of people will be wary of buying from you. Use the Me page to explain a bit about yourself and your service. It might help to reassure wary buyers.

I just looked at your second listing and it is fairly similar, so the same advice applies, although the photos are much better, in particular the ones with the white background. Good job! Check out Photobucket so you don't have to pay eBay for all those extra pics though. You might also like to check out the eBay discussion boards as there is plenty of good information to glean from there. Just click on the Community tab and follow the links.

For what it's worth, your listings are 1000% better than my first attempts, and far better than a lot of others, so you have done well!

Good luck with your sales.

Ali G

 

[sailor]

I liked the verses Michael. I think you are appealing to a niche market here...one where people are into perhaps the occult or mysticism.

Good luck with your sale.

 

[asy]

Try packing the inside of the lamp with some white cloth to make the cut-outs stand out, also, maybe invest in a light tent (you can get them on ebay!) to ensure your photos look good. (Or send one to me and I'll do your photos for you).

The poem is too long, and I think you'd have to be a thespian to understand parts of it. If you want the poem on there, fine, but, also put a description and terms and conditions in plain english for those who don't do poetry.

One last thing, go buy a heap of cheap stuff on ebay. Your feedback is currently 0 and people tend to prefer sellers with some history.

asy

 

[Bandita]

Hi Michael,

On the first photo - I'd put it against a white background.

For both items - talk about what they are (normally) - then put the poem in - I scrolled straight down through the poem to find out what was actually being sold and nothing was there - I think you'll lose alot of potential buyers this way.

Cheers,
Jen

 

[Ace in the Hole]

Hi Michael,

I have done a bit of selling on eBay myself and would like to offer some advice. You have already been given some good tips already.


Zero feedback does not help you if you are looking at starting to sell some more items. As was mentioned, buy some cheap items first to collect some feedback. You will be trusted more and will generally get higher prices.

Unless you specifically want to sell to a USA resident, then cancel both your listings. It would be better to list on ebay.com.au as your current listings do not show up on ebay.com.au searches. Maybe you can revise your listing to include international buyers, never done it before.

More photo's and less poetry.
I would just describe the basics like size, weight, colour, features, etc.
The photo's do the selling once your lising is viewed.

Once you get your listings on ebay.com.au, add the correct postage and handling charges and a few more payment options, which will get you better results.


Good Luck

 

[Pushka]

Agree with the other's posts, but also think you need to increase the postage costs because that will eat into your profit. I would charge $10 to post in Australia, and overseas is way more expensive. Remember ebay charges a % of the winning bid. I also dont think someone in the US is going to buy something from Australia to a seller with zero feedback - too many risks.

Maybe you could start buying something off ebay before you start to sell, that way at least you will have some comments on how you conduct your business?