Well, for starters, a listing should be clear on the basics of “listing hygiene” and should follow all of the the Best Practice Tips.
Best Practice Tip: Always think as a buyer when you are creating your listings.
Let us guide you on how you can do this.
Well, for starters, a listing should be clear on the basics of “listing hygiene” and should follow all of the the Best Practice Tips.
Best Practice Tip:
Always think as a buyer when you are creating your listings.
When a buyer searches for a product, he/she will search for keywords. From the search results, the buyer hopes to get clear information on exactly what the item is and whether it will be meeting the buyer’s needs.
The “title” of your listing will do a lot achieve this clarity of understanding your buyer. Well-structured Titles will echo the buyer’s requirements.
Best Practice Tips:
When a buyer searches for a product, he/she will search for keywords. From the search results, the buyer hopes to get clear information on exactly what the item is and whether it will be meeting the buyer’s needs.
The “title” of your listing will do a lot achieve this clarity of understanding your buyer. Well-structured Titles will echo the buyer’s requirements.
Best Practice Tips:
01
Avoid phrases, special characters and adjectives.
02
Make use of keywords and language that will be familiar with buyers.
03
Avoid writing entire words in capital letters or with asterisks and other markers between words.
04
Ensure that your title is 60 – 80 characters long. Shorter title do often do not convey enough information, longer titles can often be unappealing to read.
Make use of keywords and language that will be familiar with buyers.
Avoid phrases, special characters and adjectives.
Avoid writing entire words in capital letters or with asterisks and other markers between words.
Ensure that your title is 60 – 80 characters long. Shorter title do often do not convey enough information, longer titles can often be unappealing to read.
Although there is no secret formula for getting the Title right – if the title of your listing talks about the following three things, then you will be on the right track:
Product | Features | Benefits
Note, it’s the first four words of the Title that has the greatest impact on buyer’s buying decision. So, choose your words wisely!
When a buyer searches for a product, he/she will search for keywords. From the search results, the buyer hopes to get clear information on exactly what the item is and whether it will be meeting the buyer’s needs.
The “title” of your listing will do a lot achieve this clarity of understanding your buyer. Well-structured Titles will echo the buyer’s requirements.
Best Practice Tips:
eBay allows you to add up to 12 pictures for each item, absolutely free. Typically, the more pictures you use the faster the buyer will be when confirming their buy decision.
Buyers want to know what is it that they are actually buying. So product photos need to be of the actual item being listed. An attempt to copy images from other listings or sources can negatively impact your seller account and reputation.
When taking a photograph of an item, ensure that the background is clear of clutter / other items. This will keep the buyer’s attention on the product. Use white backgrounds wherever possible as these help to increase item visibility.
Do not attempt to take photographs by hand in a dark environment. Using a tripod/resting the camera again a stand and ensuring that the item is strongly lit will stop the photograph from being blurry, grainy and generally a “put off”.
The higher the resolution of the photograph, the better the item will look on a screen. Adding zoomed photos will also give better clarity to the buyer.
Capturing photos of every angle of an item tells the buyer how serious you are about selling the item. So try to capture images of the top, bottom, and sides of your item – with detailed close-ups wherever applicable. If your item is damaged in anyway, it is recommended that you include photos that clearly show those flaws, scratches or imperfections.
Once a particular keyword has given a buyer initial results, the buyer will refine their search by reference to each listing’s “specifications”. Specifications can include brand, make, model, size, colour, and style, etc.
It is very important that your listing has as many item specifications as possible. The more data you give to eBay about the item you’re selling, the better the search engine will work when matching your item to appropriate buyers.
Best Practice Tips: The SYI Form provides hints for specifications at the time that you are creating the listing. Every item specification will show you the number of search queries buyers have made for that specification.
Best Practice Tip:
The SYI Form provides hints for specifications at the time that you are creating the listing. Every item specification will show you the number of search queries buyers have made for that specification.
Increased search visibility
Your listing will only appear in a buyer’s filtered search results if you’ve added the matching “Item Specifics” to your listing
Improved search ranking
Item Specifics can move your listing higher in the search results, both on eBay and on the other search engines we work with like Google Shopping
Connecting with the right buyers
When you provide Item Specifics, the search engine can better connect you with the buyers that a genuinely searching for the item your are selling
Inclusion in new buyer experiences
By listing with Item Specifics, your listings will be included in new buyer experiences on the platform, the platform will showcase similar items together, cross-sell and suggest relevant inventory to buyers!
Increased search visibility
Your listing will only appear in a buyer’s filtered search results if you’ve added the matching “Item Specifics” to your listing
Improved search ranking
Item Specifics can move your listing higher in the search results, both on eBay and on the other search engines we work with like Google Shopping
Connecting with the right buyers
When you provide Item Specifics, the search engine can better connect you with the buyers that a genuinely searching for the item your are selling
Inclusion in new buyer experiences
By listing with Item Specifics, your listings will be included in new buyer experiences on the platform, the platform will showcase similar items together, cross-sell and suggest relevant inventory to buyers!
There are number of resources available to you to make it easier to find and add the missing Item Specifics in your listings:
You can now use Optiseller free of charge*, courtesy of eBay, until at least September 30th, 2021. This tool helps you identify and update missing Required and Required Soon item specifics Use of the Optiseller Aspect Finder is subject to Optiseller’s terms and conditions.
The “Required soon” feature is available in the listing flow when you revise or list an item with item specifics that will soon be required. This quick filter on the active listings’ page lets you identify listings needing action to ensure item specifics have been added prior to the required date.
Appearing in the listing flow, these rankings provide you with the required guidance on the Item Specifics that buyers are looking for. These will not just help you identify but also prioritize the Items Specifics that may not be required by buyers. The ranking details are derived using buyer demand data in the past 30 days. The chief Item Specifics within each section i.e. Required, Recommended, Additional will be listed on the top. This information helps you expand your items visibility when buyers refine their search using eBay’s filters.
This tool is available in the Seller Hub Active Listings page and allows you to download an Excel file of your listings that are missing required, required soon, or recommended Item Specifics. You can then easily make the changes in the Excel and upload the file so that the changes can be applied.
In addition to the file option mentioned above, you can also add item specifics to listings in bulk directly on the Seller Hub Active Listings page. Select the listings you want to edit by using the checkboxes in the left-hand column, then select Sell it faster (button above the table) > Add Item Specifics. This will load all of your selected listings into a pop-up window where you can cycle through each listing one at a time and add any missing item specifics.
Your eBay account is also another place to look if you have any listings that are missing required, soon to be required, or recommended Item Specifics. If you are using Seller Hub, you will see corresponding tasks. In the case that you are using My eBay, under Selling Overview, you will see corresponding modules.
This is easily available in the Active Listings pages. These filters are available to help you easily find listings that are missing required Item Specifics. If any of your listings are missing Item Specifics, the filters will enable you to see item specifics that are required, soon to be required, or recommended. Otherwise, you won’t see the filters.
You can now use Optiseller free of charge*, courtesy of eBay, until at least September 30th, 2021. This tool helps you identify and update missing Required and Required Soon item specifics Use of the Optiseller Aspect Finder is subject to Optiseller’s terms and conditions.
The “Required soon” feature is available in the listing flow when you revise or list an item with item specifics that will soon be required. This quick filter on the active listings’ page lets you identify listings needing action to ensure item specifics have been added prior to the required date.
Appearing in the listing flow, these rankings provide you with the required guidance on the Item Specifics that buyers are looking for. These will not just help you identify but also prioritize the Items Specifics that may not be required by buyers. The ranking details are derived using buyer demand data in the past 30 days. The chief Item Specifics within each section i.e. Required, Recommended, Additional will be listed on the top. This information helps you expand your items visibility when buyers refine their search using eBay’s filters.
This tool is available in the Seller Hub Active Listings page and allows you to download an Excel file of your listings that are missing required, required soon, or recommended Item Specifics. You can then easily make the changes in the Excel and upload the file so that the changes can be applied.
In addition to the file option mentioned above, you can also add item specifics to listings in bulk directly on the Seller Hub Active Listings page. Select the listings you want to edit by using the checkboxes in the left-hand column, then select Sell it faster (button above the table) > Add Item Specifics. This will load all of your selected listings into a pop-up window where you can cycle through each listing one at a time and add any missing item specifics.
Your eBay account is also another place to look if you have any listings that are missing required, soon to be required, or recommended Item Specifics. If you are using Seller Hub, you will see corresponding tasks. In the case that you are using My eBay, under Selling Overview, you will see corresponding modules.
This is easily available in the Active Listings pages. These filters are available to help you easily find listings that are missing required Item Specifics. If any of your listings are missing Item Specifics, the filters will enable you to see item specifics that are required, soon to be required, or recommended. Otherwise, you won’t see the filters.
If you are listing items which have “unique universal codes”, then you should make sure that these are included in your listing when you are listing the item. These product identifiers help buyers to find what they are looking for, and thus help you to not loose potential buyers.
By adding product identifiers to your listings, you will provide buyers with:
Not only do product identifiers help in your items to appear in the results of searches on eBay but also when buyers search use external search engines we work with, like Google Shopping.
The “Product Identifiers” include:
Global Trade Item Number
Universal Product Code or European Article Number
International Standard Book Number
Manufacturer’s Part Number
Why add an item description if your listing already has a good title, many clear photos and detailed item specifics?
The purpose of an “item description” is to answer the following questions – which are questions that most buyers ask before making a purchase:
What are the benefits of the product?
How do I need to use this product?
Are there any cautions that I need to keep in mind before using this product?
Is there any additional information I need to know about this product?
Item descriptions help buyers make a conscious decision on whether to buy the item or not and what to expect should they proceed with the purchase.
If your item description does not give buyers clear information about the item, its benefits and its features etc.– then its possible that your listing will mislead buyers and negatively affect your reputation as a seller.
Why add an item description if your listing already has a good title, many clear photos and detailed item specifics?
The purpose of an “item description” is to answer the following questions – which are questions that most buyers ask before making a purchase:
What are the benefits of the product?
How do I need to use this product?
Are there any cautions that I need to keep in mind before using this product?
Is there any additional information I need to know about this product?
Item descriptions help buyers make a conscious decision on whether to buy the item or not and what to expect should they proceed with the purchase.
If your item description does not give buyers clear information about the item, its benefits and its features etc.– then its possible that your listing will mislead buyers and negatively affect your reputation as a seller.
With smartphones playing such a major role in today’s lifestyles, it should not be a surprising that more than half of the transactions on eBay happen through a mobile touchpoint.
Therefore, as an eBay seller, it is important that you make your listings as mobile friendly as possible.
Best Practice Tips:
While listing item, you may want to add up a few additional upgrades so that your listing can stand out from the crowd.
You can choose from the various options provided by eBay during the listing process itself – however do remember that listing upgrades do come with a fee which is not refundable whether your item sells or not.
These listing upgrades include:
With smartphones playing such a major role in today’s lifestyles, it should not be a surprising that more than half of the transactions on eBay happen through a mobile touchpoint.
Therefore, as an eBay seller, it is important that you make your listings as mobile friendly as possible.
Best Practice Tip:
1. Do not use a font size of less than 12px as this would compel your buyers to zoom into their phone screen to read the text.
2. When writing your Item Description use a black font on a white background. By contrast, coloured fonts on coloured backgrounds can be difficult for buyers to see/read.
3. Avoid adding images in the Item Description. These make the Item Description difficult to scoll, and so can end up with buyers loosing interest in your listing.
4. If you need to include certain actions / instructions in your lising, write them out as “bullet points”. This will help buyers to read the information quickly and easily.
5. Clicking the “mobile friendly checker” option on the right side of the item description section when you are completing a listing.
6. Include the correct item specifics. This will enable our systems to put important information about the listing, where it should appear on mobile devices.
7. Include the correct product identifiers.
8. Make use of all of the listing fields provided, including for your shipping, payments and returns policies.
9. Don’t use active content such as JavaScript, Flash and form actions!
While listing item, you may want to add up a few additional upgrades so that your listing can stand out from the crowd.
You can choose from the various options provided by eBay during the listing process itself – however do remember that listing upgrades do come with a fee which is not refundable whether your item sells or not.
These listing upgrades include:
