First, make sure the item is clean and dust-free. If you are photographing jewelry or another small object, remember that the Macro function will make every detail prominent. Even the smallest fibers or patches of dust can show up, ruining the picture.

If you are selling an item of clothing, hang it carefully on a mannequin or from a hanger.

Background

Select a clutter-free background for your photo. For a small item, a photo tent is ideal, as we mentioned in the last post. However, a couple of pieces of plain white card will do the trick if you are unable to purchase one. Make sure the card is of a matt texture though, otherwise the light will be reflected off the surface.

Taking pictures of electronics, books or other flat objects? Make sure they are on a flat surface – I see too many photos on eBay of an iPod laid out on someone’s quilt. Your bed really isn’t the most sophisticated place to take photographs! Try a table, or at least a flat piece of card on the floor.

If you are photographing an object that is difficult to move, either indoors or out, try to remove as much clutter as possible from behind.

Lighting

If you have a couple of strong lamps you can position these either side of where you will be standing to take the picture, so that the two streams of light meet at the point of your object. Incorrectly positioning the lamps will cause more shadows and possibly make your item look worse for wear or distorted.

Using a photo tent means that your light has to be fairly strong, otherwise you will get shadows. Positioning the tent on a table out in the sun has worked very well for me in the past; otherwise you do need to invest in some good lamps.

Taking good photographs of vehicles is an art in itself. Generally, you will find that professionals will take car pictures late afternoon as the sun is setting to get a dramatic light, or just after sunrise for a soft light. Driving your car up on a rise and then photographing it from one side, or positioned from slightly down the hill gives a good clear picture. It also means the background will just be the sky, which ensures no distracting clutter!

Camera

If you are using a digital camera, note that auto will often notgive you the best result. Use Macro for taking close-ups. You should also keep the flash off for most shots to avoid reflection, however will find that this makes it very hard to get a clear, non-blurry picture unless you use a tripod. Be prepared to take 10-20 photos of your item from different angles and using different settings. It’s worth the time to get a good result!

Editing

Next, transfer the photos from your digital camera to photo editing software. Picasa is a good, free and easy option, although if you want to do anything more than simple cropping, you’ll need to use something a bit more advanced such as Fotoflexer http://fotoflexer.com/start.php or Paint http://www.getpaint.net/, a free software with Photoshop-like capabilities.

We strongly recommend that you rotate your photos to the best angle as well as cropping it down to show only the item and very little background for a professional look. Adjusting light and contrast can also be beneficial, however attempting to crop out clutter in the background can be difficult to do well unless you are very experienced.

A dress photographed on a hanger will not sell for as much as a dress on a mannequin. A car pictured in the shade will not sell for as much as a car parked in good light. Your photos are your best promotional technique and it’s wise to learn how to do them properly.

You don’t need to spend much to get a good photo. All up, including the camera, you’ll be looking at between $300 and $600, which is a drop in the bucket when you think about the additional profits you’ll get as a result!

1. The Camera

These days you can pick up a decent camera on eBay for between $100 and $300, which is bordering on criminally cheap!

If you don’t know much about cameras, then here’s what to look for:

Megapixels: For a reasonable quality photo you need at least 2-3 megapixels. Anything less will look grainy. If you want your camera to be multipurpose, and not just for taking product images, then I’d recommend a camera with even higher megapixels so that print images turn out better.

F-stop: The f-stop function gives you better focusing ability. Ideally you want a camera where you are able to turn this feature on and off (not automatic in other words), and the f-stop needs to be 16 or greater.

Zoom – there is a difference between optical and digital zoom. Digital zoom essentially makes your photos poorer quality and doesn’t really do anything that your image editing software can’t. Optical zoom uses the lens of the camera to bring the subject closer, thus retaining quality.

ISO or shutter speed control – This function allows you to control the speed the photo is taken and the camera’s light sensitive. Basically, these features give you much more control over the quality of a photo taken in a variety of settings and lights.

Macro – The macro function allows you to take clear close-ups. It’s a good idea to get this feature no matter what you are selling. Close-ups of detail on larger items are just are excellent selling tools.

2. Lighting

Good lighting is essential for a professional photograph. To get it, you need either:

• Two lamps – preferably 300 watts or more with adjustable heads.
• The sun! A light, overcast day is perfect for pictures of larger items to get a good light with no glare. For small items, I recommend using a photo tent and popping it outside in bright sunlight. This will light your tent very well indeed!

3. Photo Tent

A photo tent is a cube-shaped tend that you place your object inside to photograph. The tent filters the light and also provides a professional background. Photo tents come in a variety of sizes from very small, suitable for jewelry and tiny objects, through to ones large enough to photograph a medium size piece of furniture. They usually come with a number of different colored backgrounds.

You can purchase photo tents on eBay for between $10 and $250, depending on the size.

To use a photo tent, place your object in the centre of the tent – usually on a white background, but for white objects you should use the matt black backdrop that will come with the tent.

If you are taking the photograph indoors, you will need to position your lights on either side of your tent so that the light paths merge completely and there are no shadows. If your lights are too weak this will not work and wrinkles or creases in the background fabric will be very obvious, while the object itself will be shadowy.

An easier option is to use the sun. The sun will provide very effective lighting for your photo tent.

You should not use flash with a photo tent.

4. Other tools

Depending on what you are selling, you may need some other pieces of equipment such as:

A tripod: I would recommend everyone get a tripod. It is particularly difficult to take a good photo when you aren’t using the flash, which will be the case with many of your product photos. A tripod will make your photos much better and simpler to take.

A mannequin: essential for anyone selling clothing and/or accessories. People want to see that the clothing looks good on. It makes them more likely to bid and pay more!

A jewelry display unit: useful for giving jewelry some shape.

5. Editing software

Even the best photos can benefit from the miracles of editing software. At the most basic level, you can use editing software to crop and resize your photos. More advanced actions include re-coloring an object to make it more accurate, airbrushing out background clutter, altering the contrast, and enlarging certain areas.

Basic editing tools:

Picasa - free

Paint – free for Windows users

iPhoto – comes with all Macs

Advanced editing tools:

Fauxto – free image editing online

Adobe Photoshop – US$649 (free trial)

PhotoPlus – free

In Part 2, we will look at specific techniques for setting up a photo and what makes a good shot.

In fact, why should I even care what you’ve got for sale?

eBay marketing isn’t rocket science, but it does involve understanding the way your buyers are thinking and finding ways to answer their questions.

To make a sale you have to continue to give to your buyer at crucial stages in order that they will reward you with a sale at the end. If you’re not sure what I mean by that, keep reading…

Stage 1: Strategies for Getting People to Click Through

$1 NR – One of the first questions buyers ask is “Can I afford this?” By offering the item you are selling for $1NR you are successful answering their question with a resounding ‘Yes!’

Here you are ‘giving’ by going out on a limb and offering the ultimate bargain. Although it’s risky, you’ll find that 9 times out of 10 you’ll be rewarded with more bids and higher profits! That’s why so many top powersellers use this tactic all the time, even those selling very valuable items (e.g. eBay powerseller Hessfine). I can’t deny that there are times when this tactic will flop miserably, but the increased number of sales you make overall will balance things out. As an added bonus, you save on listing fees.

Good gallery photo –Items with good photos get more views, more bids earlier on, and sell for a higher price. Why? Basically a good photo is the same as taking the time to give someone a thorough, professional demonstration of the product. Pictures are 1000 times more powerful than words simply because they can communicate the benefits of the product at a glance.

Note that the quality of the picture is very important as it directly relates to the buyer’s perception of your professionalism as a seller. Read up on how to take a good picture, buy a photo cube or a mannequin. Do whatever you must to get professional pics! (See Powerseller Cutseyshoes for an example of good photos).

Keyword-rich title – A good title that closely matches what people are looking for is more likely to result in a sale than a generic one. E.g. If I search for ‘The Woman in White DVD’, then I’m most likely to click on the title that is closest to that search, rather than a variation ‘WILKIE COLLINS MOONSTONE + WOMAN IN WHITE DVD New’. It makes sense that in order to give your customers what they want you need to find out what words people most commonly use to find the items you are selling and include them in your title. Keyword research tools are extremely useful here, as is eBay’s completed listings search.

Start and Finish at Peak time – This is simple: Sell when people want to buy. You’re going to lose a lot of potential buyers if your listing ends at 3am. Ebay’s peak times are Sunday and Monday evenings (see http://pages.ebay.com/sellercentral/buyers.pdf).

Offline promotion – Show people how much they can save in money and time by buying online! Not all of your potential buyers will immediately go to eBay to find what they are looking for. Enlighten them on the exceptional deals you offer by advertising in free broadsheets or newspapers. Hand out flyers and offer discount coupons – it all helps.

Stage 2: Strategies for Building Excitement

Photos – Good photos increase buyer’s trust and enthusiasm. Some of the best listings I’ve seen have 5 to 20 different photos of the item. The fact is, there is nothing like a picture for getting the visitor to imagine themselves as proud owner of the item. A series of pictures tells your buyer much more about the item than a description ever could. (Check out eBay powerseller Watchpartsrus).

Description – The biggest mistake you can make is forcing your audience to work for information. This is a very common reason why would-be buyers don’t end up bidding. Plenty of item specifics are important, but where many sellers go wrong is excluding comprehensive shipping information, information on payment options, return policy and packaging. It takes more time initially to put this info together, but I guarantee you’ll notice a big difference in conversions.

Stage 3: Strategies for Getting a Sale:

Incentive to Buy – The auction format automatically gives the buyer good reason to take action straight away, but the more you can build up urgency, the better. A great way of increasing urgency even further is by offering something extra for free! This could be a free guide, discounted shipping or a discount coupon with a purchase.

Powerseller Status – The importance of trust cannot be over-emphasized. Buyers will almost always choose to purchase from a powerseller over a regular seller because powersellers have shown themselves to be dependable and professional. If you are still a small way yet from getting your own badge of honor, you need to be able to give reasons for people to purchase. Offering cheaper shipping than your competitors is one way of doing it.

Payment options – When it comes to payment the two most important things to offer your buyer are security and simplicity. For that reason you should always offer Paypal (it’s very easy to use, immediate and very secure) and have a Buy It Now option to encourage impulse buyers. Bear in mind however, that different audiences prefer different payment methods. For instance, buyers of art and antiques are well known as check lovers. It’s up to you to find out what your group of buyers want and give it to them!

Endorse Your Other Listings – There’s a chance the item your visitor has clicked on isn’t quite what they are looking for… but you may well have another listing that is. Don’t miss the opportunity to fly the flag for the rest of your listings and let people know what other great deals you are offering. If they are impressed with the photos, price and description of this listing, they’ll be keen to see what else you’ve got too. You’ll be surprised at just how effective this little trick is.

Stage 4: Strategies to Keep them coming back for more:

Respond to Questions Promptly and Cheerfully – Visitors with questions expect to be treated as a priority. While you may find many questions inane, annoying, irate or plain stupid, remember that each one represents a potential sale. It’s in your best interests to respond as quickly as possible so as not to let them cool off. A chatty, friendly tone is essential for creating a good impression. Rather than treating questions as a nuisance, take the opportunity to do whatever you can to help them out. People love getting good service – after all, there’s a reason why the Ritz Hotel is legendary!

Note: that if you find yourself bombarded with questions night and day, this could be a sign your description isn’t as thorough as it could be. Consider how you could incorporate common questions into an FAQ.

End with a Flourish – Buyers like to feel special and exceptional presentation does exactly that. On the other hand, your good work thus far could be destroyed by untidy or damaged packaging. The finishing touches are just as important as the item description. Reward your buyer with a beautifully presented product and they’ll reward you with good feedback and loyalty. (Tip: A thank-you note never goes amiss either).

Email newsletter – Email newsletters make buyers feel valued. It shows that you appreciate their custom so much you are making an effort to stay in touch and offer them special deals. In other words, you are treating them as a friend, rather than a customer. For you, newsletters are a great way to promote new products and get feedback. One thing to remember: it is essential that people opt-in to receive your emails. It is illegal to send unsolicited emails.

Got promotional strategies of your own you’d like to share? Disagree with any of our suggestions? We’d love to hear what you have to say on the matter. Just use the comment tool below.

Have a great week!

Do you wish to import a brand-name product?

Yes: You are better off sourcing brand name products in your own country so you can verify authenticity. It’s 99.9% certain you’ll end up with fakes if you import ‘brand-name’ products from China.

No: China is an excellent option if you wish to import generic products.

Have you compared prices from Chinese companies with dollar stores, Liquidation and clearance outlets closer to home?

Yes: If you can’t find the product you wish to sell in your own country and you’ve done your market research to establish a demand, importing is a good option.

No: You could be wasting a lot of money importing something you can already buy in your own country.

Is the price of importing still worthwhile even after you add on $2000 for shipping plus Customs duties and other charges?

Yes: Importing from China sounds like it will work for you.

No: It is often cheaper to pay a higher price per unit from your own country than import from China. The true cost of your product includes shipping, duties and any other miscellaneous costs involved in getting the product to your door.

Have you spent time researching and verifying your supplier?

Yes: If you know other people who have used that supplier before you, have checked how long the site has been running, made sure it doesn’t appear on blacklist records and use only secure payment methods, the risk of the import decreases significantly.

No: You could be getting yourself into a very risky situation. Find out all you can before you proceed. Always order a sample first and only place a very small order at first if the supplier can only accept insecure payment methods such as Western Union or wire transfer.

Will your product work when it is imported?

Some people have been caught out with electrical equipment that needs expensive adaptors before it can be used outside of the country of manufacture. Others end up with manuals and crucial instructions in Chinese only.

Have you considered how you will store the imported product and the costs/inconvenience involved in doing so?

Yes: A clean, organized and efficient storage facility is a must for large shipments.

No: Damage and dirt can seriously affect the salability of your product. Plus storage itself can be very expensive. If you can’t pass this cost onto your customer, you are dramatically reducing the practicality of importing.

Have you checked out compliance issues and whether you need any special licenses?

Yes: If compliance charges are unexpectedly large, you may find yourself reassessing the viability of importing.

No: Your customs broker or freight forwarder will be able to help you find out about these issues. If you don’t, you risk expensive delays at port while Customs does the paperwork and decides how much you owe.

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. And the good news is, if you’ve done your research properly, it’s probably not a lack of demand for your product that is causing it not to sell.

More often than not, you just haven’t had time to pick up the tricks of the trade. As any powerseller will tell you, it can take months to learn how to get people to buy. But to get you on the right track, we’ve got some tips for you based on what we’ve found to work well.

There are two particular issues sellers face:

1. No one clicking through.
2. People are clicking through, but no one is buying.

Problem #1: No one is even looking at your auctions

Does your title contain important keywords?

It is possible that no one is even finding your listing if your title doesn’t contain good keywords.

What are good keywords? Good keywords are usually based on popular search terms. For example, if you are selling children’s pajamas, then my keyword research shows that popular search terms are ‘footed pajamas’, ‘kid footed pajamas’, ‘kid pajamas’, ‘boy pajamas’ and ‘girl pajamas’. Now this may all seem obvious to you, but sometimes the way people most often search for things is not what you would expect it to be. For example, if your title says ‘blue cotton pajamas’, then you may be missing out on your target audience. Remember that most people only search the first 1-5 listing pages, so if your listing isn’t relevant enough to appear in these top results, you will only be visible in the last couple of hours of your listing.

Are you using Gallery?

Gallery is one of the most effective listing extras you can employ. Statistics show that listings using the Gallery feature have a much higher chance of being clicked on than those without. But of course, you need a good photo to put into it to really work! See below for photo tips.

Does your listing stand out?

Compare your listing with others around it. Does your listing just blend in with the rest? A good photo in the gallery helps of course, but you can also consider using bold, highlight and even extras in the title such as "$1 NR".

Shipping

Is your shipping more expensive than other sellers? Shipping costs are now displayed in the list view so it is possible people might be choosing a seller with cheaper shipping.

Problem #2: People are clicking through, but no one is buying…

Photos, photos, photos

Clean, professional photos make all the difference to a listing. If there was just one thing I would recommend out of all these strategies, it would be spending more time on getting a professional photo. Basically, the more good photos you add to your listing, the higher the chance of a sale – and the higher the sale price too.

Good photos do require some equipment – a tripod, back-drop cloth or photo tent, and some quality lighting. However, the increase profit you receive in return will make it more than worthwhile.

Clothing sellers should also consider purchasing a mannequin. People buying clothes want to see that they will look great on, and the best way of convincing them is by showing them a picture!

Whatever your item, you should always have at least one photo showing the full object and one showing close-up detail. Consider hosting the pictures from your own server or another website to make the costs cheaper.

Alternatively, eBay’s value packs also make it cheaper.

I can’t emphasize enough how important good photos are to helping your items sell. The better your item looks, the more people will want to buy it.

Is your description thorough?

Does your description list as much information as you possibly can about the product? Is it laid out in an easy-to-read manner? Has it been edited and proofread to make sure it contains no spelling errors? Have you listed all the benefits? Are you friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic?

Note that you can put people off by coming across as too severe and strict or by showing a lack of knowledge and enthusiasm.

Have you included detailed shipping prices?

Including details of the different shipping alternatives you offer, along with pricing details is a great way of encouraging people to buy. Some buyers will be put off if they have to email and ask for shipping prices. By the time you reply, they may have gone cold!

Extras

Having a special of free shipping, sending a small gift or thank-you note with your package or offering a free guide or sheet of tips are all excellent ways of encouraging people to buy.

There’s no doubt you’ll pick up a lot of other selling tactics as time goes on. And of course, different products suit different methods. The point is, throwing up an auction and assuming people will come flocking only works with the latest and most trendy products – the rest of us have to be more creative!

But…before you start your research, you need to learn about your market.

Why do people choose to shop on eBay over brick and mortar stores? What types of products are they looking for?

Apart from talking to friends and family and thinking about your own reasons for using eBay, the Seller Central area is an excellent first port of call. I particularly recommend that you read the Buyer Behavior Report.

You need to realize that there aren’t just 5 or 6 ‘secret’ products that make thousands. It’s possible to make money from a wide variety of products.

Unique items

The Buyer Report tells us that one of the top reasons people use eBay is to find unique items that are difficult to get elsewhere.

To get ideas for unique items to sell, just browse eBay’s many and varied community groups! What could you provide to these enthusiasts that they may not be able to get locally?

Some examples:

Theatre groups – props, wigs, masks, affordable costume components

Pet lovers – pet clothing, leads, collars, baskets, blankets, food

Mothers with young children – puzzles, toys, musical instruments, clothing

There are piles of niche markets out there that remain largely untapped!

Everyday items

Another huge reason why people buy online is for ease and convenience. This suggests a whole variety of relatively everyday items. For example: towels, sheets, beauty products, clothing, umbrellas, swimsuits, curtains, house fittings, storage containers…I could go on! It might sound mundane, but when you start searching completed listings, you’ll see just how well everyday items sell. The only downside is that you have to keep your pricing below that of the stores in order to be a competitive alternative.

Collectibles

Collectibles have the highest sell-through rate of any category on eBay! It’s often a lot easier to locate a potential collectible market if you have prior experience in an area through a hobby or interest, but experience certainly isn’t a prerequisite. Collectible sellers have made money from items as diverse as marbles, weaponry, jewelry, art and clothing! Sourcing collectibles is necessarily more labor-intensive than other products, but the good news you can command higher prices for each item to reflect this!

Gifts

The gift market is huge – most people have to buy a minimum of 4-5 gifts a year, usually a whole lot more! Gift baskets and packs are particularly popular at the moment – think customization. Sellers who are offering something unique will do very well indeed.

Life events

Life experiences that are common to all of us, such as birth, important birthdays, engagements, weddings, anniversaries and death, have a whole pile of related products. People search for these products on eBay to save money and also to find something unique. Sellers make big money from bridal gowns, suits, baby clothing, baby toys, anniversary gifts…even coffins! Once again, customization is becoming increasingly important. Sellers are now offering details such as baby clothes with customized embroidered monograms, tailor-made suits and hand-crafted toys.

Bundles and lots

This is a category that has grown enormously recently. It’s a great way of attracting bargain hunters – grouping items together adds value. Bundles can be created easily: they just require some creative thinking. Bundles and lots are a brilliant way of turning a few low-cost items into a medium to high value product. For example, let’s say you buy a liquidation lot of electric bread knives. You could add value by making up a pack that includes a molded bread tin and a brochure or leaflet with bread recipes. A small increase in cost could easily net you another $7-$10 in profit!

When you start to think about it, products to sell on eBay are everywhere. It’s just a matter of thinking from your buyer’s perspective: whu might they prefer to buy that item off eBay in particular? As long as you have a compelling reason (they can’t get it anywhere else, it’s more convenient, it’s cheaper etc), then you have a product to sell on eBay!

This week, we lift the lid on one of the biggest fallacies on eBay!

Sell these products…if you want to lose money!

In my experience it seems as though 9 out of 10 new sellers on eBay want to sell Nikes, consumer electronics or Louis Vuitton handbags!

These products are super hot right now and it does seem like they could offer eBay sellers a magnificent opportunity to make a fortune…but is this actually the case?

Let’s take the Xbox 360. At the time of writing, this product was at number 3 in eBay’s top buyer searches. Sounds like a winner doesn’t it? People must be buying these by the truckload.

But let’s check it out further. If I do a completed listings search, I can see that only about seven or eight Xbox Premium Consoles are sold each day, for an average price of $370. Yet it is very difficult to buy these wholesale for less than $328. In fact, many wholesalers sell them for $368 and upwards. This is fine for retailers: the Xbox Premium Console sells for $549 or so in stores, which gives them a tidy profit. But eBay is much, much more competitive. In fact, these days, people are calling it a wholesale market.

Unfortunately the same sort of thing goes for many hot products. Some sellers are making a profit – but only $10-$50. The margins aren’t what you might expect.

As a general rule, you can only make a profit with these products if you:

(a) Are a powerseller – people are more inclined to purchase high end products from someone they see as a trusted professional (and they will pay a higher average price for this reason too).

(b) Have been in business for some time – you’ll have more cash to buy bulk orders and get better discounts as a result.

A much better idea would be to sell the accessories for these products – it is possible to make money from accessories as more people can afford to buy them (that is, you could make 20+ sales a day rather than 2 or 3) and you don’t need so much cash to purchase in bulk.

Let us now turn out attention to designer brand names such as Nike and Louis Vuitton. What are the pitfalls here?

The most common problem is the proliferation of fakes. Unless you become a preferred supplier, it is nigh-on impossible to get wholesale big name brands. Sure, there appear to be plenty of websites selling Prada handbags and so on, but if the price seems affordable (i.e. the item usually sells in the shops for $600 and they are on eBay for $40), there is no question: they will be fakes.

Well what’s wrong with selling fakes you might ask? It’s illegal and that means some pretty big risks for you as a seller:

• If Customs inspects your shipment of fake merchandise, it will most likely be thrown into the incinerator and you will lose all of your money.
• People may buy your products believing they are getting the genuine article. If they feel they’ve been had, they could well give negative feedback and request a refund.

As a general rule, designers are very strict on maintaining the exclusivity of their brand and will only distribute through preferred suppliers. Needless to say, becoming a preferred supplier is a very thorough process indeed.

If you are unsure whether a supplier’s website is advertising the real deal, then you might find these guides useful:

How to spot Fake Louis Vuitton

Spotting Fake Nike

Have a fantastic week! Talk again soon