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Five Tips for Getting Your Online Auctions Noticed

Have you ever run across an item on eBay that looked great, but had received no bids?  In many cases, this happens because the seller didn’t do what was necessary to get the item noticed by interested buyers.  Don’t let this happen to your auctions!

There are several things you can do to ensure that your online auctions get the attention they deserve.  Here are five ways to get your listings noticed:

1.  Write a good title and description.  Including keywords that interested buyers would use to find your item will ensure that it shows up in the appropriate search results.  Including important characteristics of your product in the title, such as size, color, and brand name, will make it easier for people who are searching for specific items to find yours.

2.  Include good pictures of the item.  Buyers are more likely to bid on something that they can view in detail.  If you’re selling on eBay, you have the option of adding a thumbnail of your product picture to your listing’s search summary.  Doing so may generate more interest in the listing.

3.  Consider purchasing upgrades to your listing.  This may not be feasible for items that do not bring a large profit, but it can be worth it for more expensive items.  On eBay, you can add subtitles, highlighting, bold text, and photo pop-ups to your listing’s summary in the search results for fairly small fees.  There are also more expensive packages that will get your listing added exposure on eBay’s home page and Featured Items sections.  These are best suited to very unique or high-profit items.

4.  Give users the opportunity to “Buy It Now”.  Some eBay buyers prefer not to wait until an auction is over to receive an item.  Setting a “Buy It Now” price allows those who are particularly interested in the item to purchase it outright instead of bidding and waiting.  If you like, you can also offer items for the “Buy It Now” price only.  “Buy It Now” items are listed as such in the search results so that buyers can easily identify them.

5.  Promote your auction on your own.  Adding links to your current auctions to your blog or website will give them added exposure.  There are also some pay-per-click advertising programs that accept auction listings, allowing your auctions to be seen on lots of sites.  And if you’re selling on eBay, you can set up and promote an eBay Store.

Getting your online auctions noticed will result in more sales and greater profits.  Spending a little more time, and perhaps a little extra money, on your listings usually pays off.  And if your item doesn’t sell the first time, many auction sites will allow you to try again for free.