Step #1 What to title your auction

Written by Texas Tracy on January 22, 2008

The second step in listing an item is perhaps one of the most important in the whole process…your auction title. If your buyers can’t find your item, you won’t get bids. Period.

Over time your auction titles will come as second nature, specifically if you stick to a few categories on ebay as opposed to selling many types of items. But just beginning, this is one area where it will pay to take your time and do it right. I usually sell designer handbags. A handbag can be called many things: purse, pocketbook, bag, tote, clutch, duffle…you get the picture. If I title my auction this way:

Great Coach Handbag!

Only those looking for a Coach Handbag will pull it up. Those, like myself, who call it a Coach purse will not see your listing. What if I titled the auction this way:

Great Coach Handbag Purse Pocketbook Bag Clutch Tote

This title might cover all your bases but frankly, it looks kind of stupid. Also, tells me little about the purse. What would entice someone to look at a handbag purse pocketbook bag clutch tote? The word great maybe? No thanks, I will pass on this if I am looking. My goal is to give as much correct, non editorial information as possible in the title. Many bidders, will look specifically for one item. In which case, if you are maybe one of three sellers who listed your item exactly how they looked it up, you will really narrow your field of competition. For example:

COACH Legacy Thompson Top Handle Purse NWOT

Now, this title will get me many lookers. It will reel in first those looking for a Coach purse. It will also reel in those looking for a Coach Legacy bag, as there are many styles. It will also find the bidder looking for a Coach Legacy Thompson Top Handle Bag, which will be few but will probably really want this bag. And lastly, it will also attract the bidders who are looking for a like new purse (NWOT means New Without Tags) but hope to get it a bit cheaper than in the store.

To end, I would avoid putting words in your title that your bidders have to decipher. Such as:

GR8 Coach Purse GOT 2C!!!

Huh? If I have to work to read it, I am passing and going on to the next seller. One way to cheat on a title is to once again go to the Advanced Search section of ebay and pull up completed listings for like items as what you are selling. Pick the top three that have received bids and see how they titled their auction. Again, this is a great resource of what has a proven track record of working. Take your time (at first) on this step of auction entry and you will be paid for you efforts.

Finally, you can contemplate a subtitle. For beginner purposes, I would say it is not necessary at first. I will discuss this in depth in a later post.

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