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How
to Choose
the Right
eBay Product
Category |
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How to Choose the Right eBay Product
Category.
Some people think it's easy to choose the right
eBay category, and often it is. Sometimes, though, it might
not be quite clear exactly what to go for.
Why is it Even Important?
Plenty of people use the category system to find
items, when they're not looking for something specific. If
your item is listed in the wrong category - or you've just
given up and listed it in 'Everything Else' - then these
people aren't going to find your auction.
Also, listing items in the wrong categories is
against eBay's rules, and eBay say they will remove any
auctions that are wrongly categorised. They don't often
actually do this, but it's not worth the risk - especially
since breaking any rules can cause them to penalise your
account, including losing PowerSeller status if you have
it.
So What Can You Do?
eBay will suggest categories for you when you
sell your item, if you type in a few words to describe the
item on the category selection page and click 'search'. You
can make the best of this feature by typing in exactly what
your item is, with brand name and model number (if any), so
that eBay can find the best category for
you.
If that doesn't work for you, then search
yourself for items like yours, and pay attention to which
category most of them seem to be in (you can see this near the
top of each item's description page). Try different words and
see which ones come back with the most results. You can also
browse through all the available categories from eBay's front
page.
Remember that the more specific the category is,
the better - use as many subcategories as are appropriate.
Don't just list your HP laptop in the 'Computers' category,
for example - list it in 'Computers > Laptops > HP'.
Don't worry: your item will still appear in the 'Computers'
category, as well as 'Computers > Laptops', because items
listed in subcategories are always listed in every category
above.
Take some time to look through all the
categories and get familiar with the way eBay as a whole is
laid out. After all, that's better than getting a few months
down the line and finding that you still think of eBay's
category system like it's some kind of scary
jungle.
What if More Than One Category
Fits?
Don't worry, eBay have you covered. For a small
extra fee, you can list your item in an extra category, to
increase the number of potential buyers who will see it. This
isn't always worth it, though - some items only really fit
properly in one category, and listing them in extra categories
is just a waste.
Once you know where to list your item, the next
step is to write your auction's title. The title is the most
important thing about your auction - the difference between a
good title and a bad title can be the difference between $10
and $100. That's why I'll take you through the dos and don'ts
in the next
email.
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