Getting Started: Creating an Item Listing

Remember that before you can list an item for sale, you have to be a registered eBay user. It also helps to have your credit card on file so that you can pay the fees you will soon incur. (If you need to do either of these things, turn immediately to Chapter 2, "Joining Up and Getting Started.")

Note

The very first time you try to sell an item, this process is subtly different. First, if you haven't already created a Seller account, you'll be asked to do so. Second, the Sell hub might only show a Sell Your Item button; clicking this button will take you to a separate Choose Selling Format page.

Assuming you're registered and filed, now what do you do? Well, listing an item for sale on eBay is pretty simple; all you have to do is work through the following series of steps.

Step 1: Get Ready to Sell

This is the easiest thing you'll do in the whole process. All you have to do is click the Sell link in the eBay Navigation Toolbar.

Step 2: Start Creating Your Listing

eBay now displays the Sell hub, shown in Figure 15.1. This is where you start creating your listing; click the Sell Your Item button to proceed.

Figure 15.1. eBay's Sell hubwhere you start your new auction listing.

Step 3: Choose Your Category

The next page you see, shown in Figure 15.2, helps you select the best selling category for your item.

Figure 15.2. Select the category and subcategory for your item.

There are two ways to select a category. You can browse through all of eBay's available categories until you find the one you want, or you can let eBay suggest a category for you. We'll examine the first method first.

Tip

If you've previously listed a similar item, you can save a little time by skipping the choosing process. Just click the Recently Used Categories link and make a selection from those categories shown.

Browse Categories

To browse through all available categories, click the Browse Category Directory link. This displays an expanding hierarchical tree for all of eBay's major categories. Start by selecting a major category from the first category list, then select a subcategory from the next list, then a further subcategory from the next list, and so on. Continue selecting subcategories until there aren't any more subcategories to select.

Search for Suggested Categories

A faster way to select a category is to search for it. All you have to do is enter a few descriptive keywords into the Enter Words About Your Item to Find a Category For It box, and then click the Search button. eBay now displays the Choose a Category page, as shown in Figure 15.3; select the best category from this list and click the Continue button.

Figure 15.3. Let eBay search for the best category for your item.

Step 4: Find Your Product

Depending on the type of item you're selling, you may now see a Find Your Product window, which prompts you to enter identifying information about your item. This window is shown when you're selling certain types of commonly sold products, such as books, CDs, DVDs, video games, digital cameras, and the like.

Tip

Unless configured otherwise, eBay will now prompt you to select a second category for your listing. You probably don't want to do this, as listing in two categories doubles your listing fees. Just select the No Second Category option and click Continue to move on.

When you enter the UPC bar code, ISBN number, model number or similar identifier for your item, eBay automatically creates your item listing with pre-filled item information. We'll discuss the pre-filled option in the "Selling Commonly Sold Items with Pre-Filled Item Information" section, later in this chapter. For now, let's assume you're listing the standard wayso, if you see the Find Your Product Window, click the Continue Without link to bypass the pre-filled information feature.

Step 5: Describe Your Item

The next page you see is the Describe Your Item page, shown in Figure 15.4. You use this page to enter the bulk of the information about the item you're selling.

Figure 15.4. Provide a title and optional subtitle for your item.

Note

The Item Title field must contain standard numbers and text, and cannot contain any HTML code.

Title and Subtitle

You start out by entering a title for your item; you can enter up to 55 characters. You can also enter a subtitle for your item (in the Subtitle box), although this will cost you an extra $0.50.

Pictures

If you have a picture of your item and want eBay to host the picture for you, click the Add Pictures button in the Pictures section of the Describe Your item page. This displays the Add Pictures window, shown in Figure 15.5.

Figure 15.5. Adding pictures to your item listing.

Note

The first time you use eBay Picture Services, you'll be prompted to download the necessary software. This takes but a minute, and you need it to upload your photos.

You can include one picture with your listing for free; additional pictures cost $0.15 apiece. To add a picture, click the appropriate Add Pictures button. When prompted, browse your hard disk for the picture you want, and then click Open to add the picture to the Add Pictures window.

The Add Pictures window offers some basic picture editing functions, which is useful if your photos aren't quite perfect. Once a picture is selected, you can rotate it; crop it; click the Auto Fix button to do a quick and automatic touchup; or click the Advanced Edit button to adjust brightness and contrast.

This is also where you select which picture options you want. The Standard option is free and gives you a 400 x 400 pixel picture at the bottom of your listing. The Supersize Pictures option costs $0.75, but lets you include a larger picture (up to 800 x 800 pixels) with a smaller click-to-enlarge thumbnail. The Picture Show option (free) lets you display multiple photos in a slideshow player. And the Picture Pack option provides a combination of Gallery, Supersize, and Picture Show features for up to six pictures, for a single $1.00 price.

Tip

Listings with pictures are more successful than those without; turn to Chapter 18, "Using Pictures in Your Listings," to learn more about creating and inserting pictures for your item listings.

When you're done selecting your pictures, click the Upload Pictures button. This will upload your selected photos from your hard disk to the eBay server, and return you to the Describe Your Item page.

Item Specifics

Some categories prompt you to enter specific information in addition to your general description, via an Item Specifics section like the one shown in Figure 15.6. For example, if you're selling a DVD, you can enter the item's genre, subgenre, condition, display format (full screen or widescreen), rating, and region code. If you're selling a digital camera, you're asked for the camera's type, brand, resolution, condition, and other features. Entering these details is optional, but it provides useful information for potential buyers.

Figure 15.6. Enter item specifics.

Tip

If you want to host your pictures on another web server (instead of via eBay Picture Services), click the Host My Own Picture link in the Add Pictures window. This displays a new page where you can enter the picture file's web address. Or, if you've added pictures via HTML code in your item description, select the option The Description Already Contains a Picture URL for My Item. See Chapter 18 for more details on choosing a server to host the pictures for your auction listings.

Description

Next up is the Item Description box, shown in Figure 15.7. This is where you enter a descriptionof any lengthof the item you're selling. Provide as much information as you feel appropriate, and then format the text as you like. (You can even enter raw HTML code, by clicking the View HTML link.) Preview your formatted description by clicking the Preview Description button.

Figure 15.7. Enter a detailed description of your item.

Listing Designer

As you can see in Figure 15.8, eBay lets you create fancy listings without the need for additional listing creation softwarefor a paltry $0.10 per listing. It's a two-part process; you start by selecting a theme, and then choose what kind of picture layout you want. The themes are pretty simple, with different borders and colors. The layouts affect the placement of your pictureson the left, right, top, or bottom. When you select a layout, it's previewed in a thumbnail to the right of the Theme list.

Figure 15.8. Creating a fancy listing with eBay's Listing Designer.

Visitor Counter

To display a hit counter (free, from Ándale) at the bottom of your listing, pull down the Visitor Counter list and select either Ándale Style or Green LED. If you don't want to display a counter, select the blank option from the list.

Selling Format and Price

Next, you need to determine what type of auction to launch, and for how long.

To select the auction type, pull down the first list shown in Figure 15.9. You can choose from several types of selling formatsalthough not options are displayed for all users. (For example, you only see the Store Inventory option if you have your own eBay Store.) The possible formats include:

• Online Auction. This is eBay's traditional auction format; you'll probably choose this option.

• Fixed Price. Choose this option only if you want to sell your item at a fixed price. (Items listed in eBay's Fixed Price Format appear in all item listings and searches, but users can't bid on them; they can only use the Buy It Now option.)

• Store Inventory. This option is available if you already have an eBay Store, and wish to add an item to its inventory.

  Note

  

  Items listed in the Fixed Price Format are charged the same insertion and final value fees as regular auction items.

  
  

• Real Estate. Choose this option if you want to create a real estate listing, instead of a typical auction.

Figure 15.9. Decide what type of auction listing to create.

Most users will choose the Online Auction option.

Now you have to set the starting (initial bid) price for your auction, as well as enter the reserve price or Buy It Now price (if you choose to use these options). For a normal, non-reserve, non-BIN (Buy it Now) auction, just enter a single price into the Starting Price box.

Enter the quantity you have to sell (typically "1"), and then pull down the Duration list and select how long you want your auction to run. The typical auction runs seven days, although you can choose from 1-, 3-, 5-, 7-, or 10-day auctions. (A 10-day auction costs $0.40 extra.)

Tip

Depending on how descriptive your title is, eBay may display information regarding the final selling prices of similar items. Use this information to help set your item's starting price.

Finally, you can choose to donate some of your auction proceeds to a designated non-profit organization. Select which non-profit you want and the percent you want to donate, then continue scrolling down the page.

Payment Methods Accepted

The next section, shown in Figure 15.10, is where you select which payment options you accept. You can opt for payment by PayPal, Money Order/Cashier's Check, Personal Check, or Other. (If you choose the Other option, be sure to describe your payment options in the Description section of your item listing.)

Figure 15.10. Specify which payment methods you accept.

If you accept PayPal payments, you'll need to enter your email address into the Email Address for receiving Payment box. (PayPal identifies members by their email addresses.) With this information entered, eBay can route any credit card payments to the correct PayPal accountyours.

"Mike Sez"

The most common duration for an eBay auction is 7 days. Unless you're in a rush for cash (or are up against some other deadline), there is no reason to go for any auction lasting less than a week. On the other hand, 10 days is probably overkill, given that so much bidding takes place in the auction's final minutes. The best option is the 7-day auction, which exposes your item to a week's worth of bidders.

Shipping

Next up on the page is the Shipping section, shown in Figure 15.11. This section is a bit of the process, so follow along carefully:

• If you want to charge a flat shipping rate, pull down the Cost list, select Flat Same Cost to All Buyers, then click the Apply button. Then pull down the Domestic Shipping Services list, select a shipping service, and enter your shipping/handling cost into the adjacent box.

  Note

  

  Learn more about PayPal and other payment methods in Chapter 19, "Accepting PayPal and Other Methods of Payment."

  
  

• If you want to charge a variable shipping rate based on the buyer's locationwhich displays eBay's Shipping Calculator in your listingpull down the Cost list and select Calculated: Based on Buyer's Address and then click the Apply button. Next, pull down the Package Size list and select the type of package you have; pull down the Estimated Weight list and select the proper weight of the package; pull down the Domestic Shipping Services list and select which shipping service to use; then enter your added handling charge (if any) into the Package & Handling box.

Figure 15.11. Enter your shipping and handling charges.

If you plan on offering shipping outside the U.S., pull down the International Shipping Services list, select a shipper, and (if necessary) enter the shipping charge into the adjacent box. Make sure you check those regions to which you'll ship, in the Shipping Locations section.

Finally, if you have multiple items for sale and are willing to offer a shipping discount to anyone purchasing more than one item, check the Shipping Discount box.

Note

Learn more about using eBay's Shipping Calculatorand determining shipping costsin Chapter 23, "Packing and Shipping Your ItemsCheaply and Safely."

Additional Information

Finally, we reach the bottom of the Describe Your Item page, shown in Figure 15.12. If you accept returns from your customers, check the Returns Accepted box, then enter/select the appropriate information regarding your returns policy.

Figure 15.12. Enter your returns policy, if you have one.

When you're done, double-check your work on the page and click the Continue button.

Step 6: Review and Enhance Your Listing

The next page, shown in Figure 15.13, offers you the opportunity to enhance your auction listing in various ways, and then to review the results. Know, however, that these listing enhancements cost extra; choose too many and you'll wipe out your potential profit. To that end, Table 15.1 presents a list of the available listing enhancements, along with some advice as to which might be worth the money.

Figure 15.13. Choose various extra-charge listing enhancements.

Table 15.1. eBay Listing Enhancements

Listing Enhancement	Description	Cost	Recommendation
Gallery Picture	Displays a picture of your item on all search results pages	$0.35	Yes, especially if your item is highly visual
Subtitle	Displays a subtitle below the main title	$0.50	No, unless your item needs extra descriptive space
Gift Icon	Displays a gift icon beside your listing on all search results pages	$0.25	No, unless it's around the holidays and you offer gift wrapping and delivery to recipient's address
Bold	Displays your listing in bold all search results pages	$1.00	No, very little bang on for the buck
Border	Displays a border around your listing on all search results pages	$3.00	No, very little bang for the buck
Highlight	Displays a colored highlight behind your listing on all search results pages	$5.00	No, very little bang for your buck
Featured Plus!	Displays your item in the Featured Items section on the appropriate major category page, as well as in the Featured Items section at the top of any search results page	$19.95	No, unless the category is very crowded and you want (and can afford) premium placement
Gallery Featured	Periodically displays your item in the special Featured section at the top of the Gallery view	$19.95	No, unless the category is very crowded and you want (and can afford) premium placement
Home Page Featured	Periodically displays your item on eBay's home page	$39.95	No, too little exposure for a large expense

Below all the listing enhancements is the Review Your Listing section, shown in Figure 15.14. If you like what you see here, review your fees (below the preview) and click the List Item for Sale button. This will launch your auction.

Figure 15.14. Confirm your listing before you submit it.

Step 7: You're Done!

When you're all done, eBay displays the Congratulations page. This page confirms your listing and presents you with important details about your auctionincluding your item listing's URL, in case you want to publicize your auction elsewhere on the Internet.

After you see the Congratulations screen, your completed listing should appear immediately on the eBay websitealthough it might take a few hours to be listed in the appropriate category listings.