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AUCTION TIP: A Basic eBay Listing Template

by: Chuck Smith

The following article pertains to anyone who is looking to
start an online auction business on eBay. Please feel free
to use it for your ezine, web site, or any other electronic
or print publication, with the following exception:

You may NOT use this article in any form of spam.

I only ask that you:

1. do not add or delete anything from the article
2. include the resource box at the end
3. notify me (csmith@auctionrookie.com) you are using it

Synopsis
--------

A good auction listing must not only read well, but
must look professional. Here's a quick, easy template
anyone to make their listing more professional

Word count according to Microsoft Word: 728 including
title, byline, and contact info.

Thanks,

Chuck
www.auctionrookie.com
mailto:csmith@auctionrookie.com

============================================================

AUCTION TIP: A Basic eBay Listing Template

by Chuck Smith

Do you know what drives me nuts on eBay? When I view an
item up for auction and the listing has no style whatsoever.
There's just a long scroll of text that gives only the
briefest explanation of what the product is and why I
should buy it.

Writing a good auction listing is a topic for another
article, but I can help those of you who want to spice up
the look of your auction listings with a simple template
that will work in the eBay "Sell an Item" system.

First, I want to go over a couple of HTML "tags" so you
know what all the funky little letters in the brackets
(< >) are for. But don't worry - I'm not going to try
and teach you HTML. I just want to show you a little
to keep you from messing up your listing.

First, an HTML TAG is just a quick way for you to let
a Web browser know how you want your web page to look
like when it is displayed in your Web browser. That's it.

======================== HTML TAGS =========================

HEADING TAG: This tag designates that the text is a heading
and should be larger than the page text. You can designate
different sizes of headings (I use heading2 below - ).

FORMAT: Starts with and ends with

PARAGRAPH TAG: This tag lets you format a block of text,
complete with a break in between paragraphs. The break is
always there, and you cannot start a new paragraph on the
very next line.

FORMAT: Starts with

and ends with

LINE BREAK TAG: This tag is like a carriage return on your
word processor or typewriter. This tag will allow you to
start on the very next line. NOTE: You cannot use more
than one Line Break Tag in a row - HTML ignores them.

FORMAT: Put a
at the end of the line

BULLETTED LIST: This will allow you to create a nice list
of items with bullets in front. Great for showing off
some features, since people tend to skim pages.

FORMAT: Start the list with

and end with
Each list item gets a

in front of it

======================== HTML TAGS =========================

That's it for the HTML tutorial. That wasn't so bad, was
it? Now, here's a quick template you can use to spice up
your eBay listings. Just cut and paste the text below
(in between the "CUT HERE" lines) into the Notepad program
on your PC (located under "All Programs > Accessories" in
the Start menu) and edit the information in ALL CAPS.

++++++++++++++++++++++++ CUT HERE ++++++++++++++++++++++++

YOUR INTERESTING HEADLINE

AN INTERESTING SUBHEAD

HERE, YOU CAN EXPLAIN THE MAIN BENEFITS OF THE ITEM.
MAKE IT A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION (2 - 3 SENTENCES).

ANOTHER BENEFIT PARAGRAPH.

SOME FEATURES IN A BULLETTED LIST:

FEATURE 1

FEATURE 2

FEATURE 3

FEATURE 4

USE THIS PARAGRAPH TO WRAP-UP. YOU CAN STATE THE PRICE
OF THE ITEM IF THEY BOUGHT IT IN THE STORE (I.E. I SAW
THIS PRODUCT FOR $97 AT THE LOCAL STORE). YOU CAN ALSO PUT
IN SOME CLOSING COMMENTS (I LIKE THIS ITEM, BUT I DON'T
HAVE ANY MORE ROOM IN MY BASEMENT).

PAYMENT TERMS: PUT YOUR PAYMENT METHODS HERE.

P.S. ADD YOUR ABOUT ME PAGE HERE
About Me

Thank you!

++++++++++++++++++++++++ CUT HERE ++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Once you've changed the text and saved it from Notepad,
just copy all of the text and paste it into the listing
window on eBay. This will be the "Item description"
form that comes up after you've picked a category. You can
preview the description by clicking on the "Preview Page"
link below the window. If you've done everything correctly,
it should look great!

By using this simple template, you can immediately vault
the professionalism of your listings above and beyond what
a lot of eBay-ers are putting out there right now. And
that can result in more sales, at a greater price, for your
online auction business.

About the Author:

Chuck Smith is the creator of the Auction Rookie web site.
This site is dedicated to helping people start and run
a successful online auction business. Visit his site to
get a free report on "How to Get Started Selling on eBay."
http://www.auctionrookie.com or
mailto:csmith@auctionrookie.com

-------------------------------------------

Auction Rookie - Tools and Tips for Online Auction Success
Visit http://www.auctionrookie.com for a FREE report on
"How to Get Started Selling on eBay."
Comments or Questions? mailto:csmith@auctionrookie.com
(c) Copyright 2003, Chuck Smith. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

About the Author

Chuck Smith is the creator of the Auction Rookie web site. This site is dedicated to helping people start and run a successful online auction business. Visit his site to get a free report on "How to Get Started Selling on eBay."
http://www.auctionrookie.com or
mailto:csmith@auctionrookie.com