How to Sell an Item on eBay – How to Create an eBay Auction Listing

 How to List Your Product on eBay

Your attic or storage room could hold undiscovered treasure. As a pioneer and a major player in the world of online auctions, eBay offers all the tools and support to make listing your product a frustration-free process. When you list on eBay, which was founded in 1995, you’re offering your product to an audience of more than 180 million active users, giving it the best chance to sell at a reasonable price. 

The average user spends 15 minutes on the site — that’s an eternity compared to most websites, and gives your listing ample opportunity to be seen by an eager audience of buyers. With so many tools and options at your disposal, getting the most mileage out of your listing is paramount.

Do you have something you would like to sell? It may be easier than you think to sell an item on eBay. Many people today are choosing to sell things on eBay because of its ease and convenience. These short steps will show you how to sell an item on eBay:

Things You’ll Need

Internet access

Computer

Instructions

1 – Start your Internet browser. Now, log on to the eBay Web site. Enter the selling area of the Web site by clicking the “Sell” button at the top of the main page. This looks like a colored tab at the top of the screen.

2 – Complete the registration form for an eBay account. This will take a few moments and require you to give some basic personal information.

3 – Create a seller’s account by selecting the Create Seller’s Account option once the registration form is complete. This will require a checking account and/or credit card.

4 – Click the word “Sell” along the top menu bar. From there, you will be taken to the first step of a guided process for creating a listing.

5 – Enter a brief description or name for your item in the search box under the text “What to do you want to sell today?” If you’re selling jewelry, for example, you might enter something like “cubic zirconium earrings.” Alternatively, you can enter a UPC code or an ISBN for books and media.

5 – Choose from the suggested keywords that appear under the search box, or from among the products to the right of the keywords. If none of these suggestions match what you’re selling, click the “Search” button.

6 – Choose the appropriate category for your product from the list that appears beneath the search box. You have the option of listing the product in two categories and therefore increasing its visibility, for an additional fee. Click the “Continue” button when you’re satisfied with your category selection.

7 – Choose between “More listing choices” and “Keep it simple.” The former option presents you with advanced sales tools, while the latter offers a more streamlined, basic listing. The simple listing option is probably best if you don’t plan to become a power seller. Fill out the listing form carefully. Pay close attention to the price of each listing feature. 

8 – Click “Sell Item Auction”. You will now have the option to sell your item at auction or at a fixed price. Select one of these options based on your preference. Select the category you will sell your item under. The Web site will aid you in this process. Enter your item description. Adding a photo to your item’s listing will be very helpful in selling your item. Be sure to add descriptive information like the color, size, condition and weight of the item for a more complete listing.

9 – Provide your correct shipping and billing information and select the payment options you would like to set for your item. View your listing one last time and confirm the small fee that is charged to sell items on eBay and click the “Continue” button to complete your listing. you have to pay those fees whether your item sells or not. If you’re willing to let the auction end early for a specific price, enter a value for the “Buy it Now” feature near the bottom of the form.

Tips & Warnings

When you choose your user ID, pick something that people will remember. This may help you gain a reputation as a seller.

Select the password for your eBay account carefully. It should be something you will remember and that someone else would not guess.

Make sure you have all the required information before you set up your account as all the fields in the registration form are required.

There are small charges associated with selling items on eBay. Consider this when you create your account.

Search products similar to yours before making a listing. This preliminary research will give you an idea of the potential value of the product as well as how best to categorize the product. Look through completed auctions to see what the final prices of the items were, how many bids they received and whether details like original packaging or cosmetic damage seem to have made a difference in outcome.

Compelling product descriptions are essential for effective product listings. Read the descriptions written by top sellers to get a feel foen.

Beware of messages from scam artists posing as potential buyers. Suggestions to circumvent the normal auction process — for example, a request for you to send the item before you receive payment — are red flags.

Enter your shipping and payment options in the appropriate fields. Be sure to fill in the check box next for blocking bids from difficult buyers.