How to Create the Perfect eBay Listing: Step Three – Write a Detailed Title and Description

This is the third post in my series ‘”How to Create the Perfect eBay Listing.”

The first two parts in my How to Create the Perfect eBay Listing series have been focused on background work: researching and taking great pictures. Today we’re ready to start writing the listing. Ready? Let’s go!

Write a Great Title

Your title is the key to getting your eBay listing in front of as many potential buyers as possible. If you write a great title, a lot of people will find your listing. A poor title could cut your traffic significantly.

The secret to a great title is keywords. You need to put as many keywords in your title as possible, so people using the search box will come across you listing if it’s relevant to what they’re searching for.

Things to put in the title are book titles and authors, brand names, the condition of the item (especially if it’s new), size, and the word “lot” if you’re selling a group of things. You only have 55 characters for your title, so use them wisely. Forget terms like “Nice!” and “L@@K!” Those won’t get you sales. Go for the search traffic. Searchers are more likely to buy than browsers.

The following title is an excellent example (the whole listing is great):

45 PC GIRLS CLOTHES LOT SZ 8 8/10 OUTFITS SHORTS TOPS

It uses 54 of the 55 characters, shows how many pieces are in the lot, the size and gender of the clothing, and what kind of clothing is in the lot. Reading the title is not too glamorous, but this person probably gets a lot of search traffic.

Write a Great Description

Getting the title right is the hardest part of writing up your listing. The description is a lot easier, because you aren’t limited by characters. The more descriptive you are, the better. The last thing you want is for a potential buyer to have a question about your item as bidding comes to an end. Avoid that by answering any potential questions in your listing. Make sure you include as much of the following information as applies to the item you’re selling.

A Good Basic Description. What are you selling? If you’re selling a 45 piece lot of girls clothing, as above, make sure you list out every single piece.

Size. If you’re selling clothing, the size should be included for every piece.

Measurements. Again, with clothing, it’s important to include measurements, especially for men’s and women’s clothing and girl’s dresses. But measurements aren’t only for clothing. You can describe the height of a vase, the measurements of a picture frame, or the size of a comforter. If you think measurement could be important, include the numbers.

Imperfections. eBay is a popular place to sell used things, so one can assume a lot of things on eBay will not be perfect. But when it comes to your listing, don’t leave anything to the assumption of the buyer. Spell out imperfections. Stains on clothing, writing in books, fraying, fading, pilling of material…it all needs to be written about, and pictures are a nice addition. People will appreciate your honesty, and you’ll appreciate a buyer that knows exactly what they’re getting. Trust me. Disclosing imperfections is well worth it in the end.

Potential Odors. If you smoke or have pets, you probably don’t think twice about the odors smoking and animals give off. But if your buyer doesn’t smoke and is allergic to pets, you can bet he’ll notice. If you smoke or have pets, disclose that in the listing. And if you don’t smoke or have pets, feel free to write that your items come from a smoke and pet free home.

Final Tips for Writing a Description

Including all the facts is a good start, but you want to make sure they’re easy to read. Some things to consider in your description are:

Headings to separate sections of your description
Font size should be no smaller than 12
Font color – the darker, the better
Keep the language positive

Writing a good title and description can be time consuming, but it’s not difficult. If you keep it factual and include any information a buyer might need, you’re way ahead of many eBay sellers.

Next time we’ll discuss postage and payment. And if you missed the first two posts in the How to Create the Perfect eBay Listing series, be sure to check them out!