It’s no secret that great photos will significantly increase your chances of a successful eBay sale…but sometimes I’m just left in complete and utter shock at the way people handle it.
CLEARLY the pictures of the item are one of–if not THE–most important resources for a buyer. No matter how great of an item you are selling, your pictures will make an impact on the buyer’s purchasing decision and/or the bidding amount. So obviously…make them great.
Here’s an example of a listing decision that left me completely speechless. This guy/group was selling a NEW (with tags) Bow Tie–certainly a classy item catering to a particular type of individual. Here is the picture he/they decided to use:
This probably isn’t the most desirable image when you want a buyer to make a quick and easy purchasing decision. Probably better to aim for a response like “Nice!” or “That looks perfect!”
This guy looks like he’s pretty upset with life, and he certainly doesn’t care what you think about the tie. The decision to use this picture is a direct reflection on the attitude and mindset of the seller. Why include this guy? Why not just take a close-up picture of the tie so people can see the detail?
When I first started selling items in high quantities on eBay, I thought I was taking great photos. I used an iPhone 4 (which takes pretty solid photos) , incorporated an appropriate back-drop for each item, and made sure there was plenty of natural light. This turned out to work out really well.
However, recently I noticed that some of my items (that I thought were awesome) weren’t selling. So I’d mark down the price…still no sales. I was dumbfounded. Then I decided to take new pictures with a high quality digital SLR camera. I have to admit, the item went from looking good/acceptable to looking amazing. With a higher level of detail and clarity in the pictures, some of those un-sellable items quickly sold for their original price. And all of the items with “new and improved” photos are gaining more traffic, more watchers, and more sales.
Using this new camera turned out to be quite a bit more work than before, but I’ll never go back to the phone [2014 update…as you’re well aware, mobile phones have come a long way and will totally get the job done at this point].
I realize that not all sellers are going to have access to a high-end camera for their eBay pics–all I’m saying is that it clearly makes a difference, and you should do whatever you can to take pictures that will WOW your potential customers.
Weight Scale – This might seem like an obvious suggestion, but you’d be surprised how frequently sellers simply guess the weight of their products–OR maybe they’ll stand on their scale with and without the product in their arms. If that’s how you want to roll, go for it, but I’d recommend getting a small scale from another eBay supplier. I found one on eBay for $6. That’s right, SIX F@#$ING DOLLARS. It has a surface area of about one square foot and will weigh anything up to about 40 lbs. Clearly a no-brainer.
Bubble Mailers – You might be a little more familiar with these little gems. Now, you can buy individual bubble mailers at the Post Office or UPS store…but they will definitely try to rape you on the price (not worth it). Again, I recommend hitting up the eBay suppliers for some kind of bulk order. Maybe you need 1000, maybe you only need 10…but if you buy them from eBay suppliers you will be paying CENTS online, rather than DOLLARS at the store. The last time I needed these, I ordered 100 at about 13 cents a piece.
Poly Mailers – If you’ve ever ordered any type of clothing online, this is probably how it was sent to you. It’s a pale gray plastic bag with a polyethylene exterior…which provides excellent water, dirt, and puncture resistance. They come in all types of shapes and sizes, and are generally cheap to buy in bulk. The trick here is just knowing what they’re called (and truth be told, it took me quite a while to figure that out!).