By Erin Wawok

Feb

26

Listing Products on eBay: the Do’s and Don’ts.

Listing products on eBay is a great way to increase your company’s reach and profitability. eBay is an efficient channel for companies looking to gain new customers and boost sales, because it will allow your company to list thousands of items and sell them to people anywhere across the globe. Whether you use fixed pricing or their auction model, eBay is an online marketplace with the potential to significantly improve your company’s bottom line.

In order to find the most success when listing products on eBay, there are some tips you should keep in mind that will help you avoid violating any of eBay’s rules. If you break any of eBay’s rules, you run the risk of losing your PowerSeller status or having your listings removed.

Here are a few do’s and don’ts for listing products that can help your company stay in the clear when using eBay:

DO: Read eBay’s Selling Policies

One of the best ways to ensure that you are not violating eBay’s policies is to know what these policies are in the first place. Take the time to read eBay’s selling policies and find out exactly what you can and cannot do as a seller on their online marketplace. These policies cover everything from restricted and prohibited items to unpaid item abuse.

The first step you should take before listing a single one of your products on eBay is to read these policies to ensure you will remain compliant with them.

DON’T: List Any Prohibited Items

Since you should have read eBay’s selling policies prior to listing any items, there is no excuse for listing any items that are not allowed on eBay’s marketplace. eBay’s prohibited or restricted items list is extensive, and it includes rules for clothing, food, electronic equipment, and more categories.

Prohibited items also include those that violate a company’s rights and ownership. eBay’s VeRO (Verified Rights Ownership) program allows different brands to report listings that violate their copyright or trademark. Find out what you are allowed to sell and make sure you do not list anything that will be reported because eBay will remove your listing and might put restrictions on your account.

Failure to adhere to the guidelines and attempts to sell prohibited items may result in your listing being removed and a loss of seller privileges.

DO: Provide Clear, Accurate Product Descriptions

If you want to comply with eBay’s policies and have satisfied customers who are likely to shop with you again, you need to make sure your product descriptions are as clear and as accurate as possible. Describe everything, from the item’s condition and damage to its exact size, to the best of your ability. This will help your buyers trust your company and prevent you from dealing with unhappy customers who receive a final product different from the one they are expecting.

DON’T: Use Misleading Information or Links in Product Descriptions

Do not misrepresent the condition or quality of your products in your product description. Not only is this disingenuous, but it can lead to negative buyer feedback that can impact your seller rating or even result in an account suspension.

You should also avoid including external links within your product description. In order to keep their users safe from spam or harmful sites, eBay might remove your listing if it contains a link to another website within your product description.

The only thing your product description should include is an accurate description of the product you are selling. Anything that does not help buyers have a clear understanding of the product being offered should not be in your product description.

DO: Add Pictures to Your Listings

Pictures are a great way to ensure your customers will know the exact color, design, and quality of the products you are listing. Take a few high-resolution pictures of your product from different angles and include them in your listing. People are more likely to purchase items when they can verify the quality with their own eyes.

DON’T: Violate eBay’s Picture Policies

While including images can increase your chances of making a sale, it is imperative that your photos are ones that you have taken yourself or ones that are free to use for commercial purposes. Do not use any copyrighted material in order to sell your products, and do not use stock photos to hide any quality issues with your product.

eBay has picture policies that depict what is and is not allowed when adding photos to listings, and they require users to have written permission from the owner of photos that do not belong to them.

DO: Understand Your Category Limit

If your company is new to selling a certain type of product, it might be subject to category limits. These limits determine how many items your company can sell within a specific category. Keep an eye on these restrictions by checking your seller dashboard, and be aware that these restrictions will be removed as your company maintains a consistent, trustworthy record of satisfactory order fulfillment.

DON’T: List Items in the Wrong Category

Do not attempt to bypass your category limit by listing your items in an incorrect category. Not only does this confuse your buyers, but it also violates eBay’s search and browse manipulation policy. Avoid losing seller privileges by making sure all of your products are listed in their proper categories.

While listing on eBay is fairly intuitive, keeping track of all of these do’s and don’ts can be overwhelming for companies who want to start using this channel in addition to the ones they already use to sell their products. Using multi-channel listing software, like Listing Mirror, can make listing your products on eBay a breeze.

For more information about Listing Mirror and how this software can help your company, visit our website.

Sell More. Work Less.

Erin Wawok

Erin is the Co-Founder of Listing Mirror.