In my first How to Sell on eBay article I gave you a broad outline of how to get started on eBay, but here I want to flesh it out a little bit more. In order to learn How to Sell on eBay you need to understand a little about how it works from the buyers side of things.

 The Importance of Keywords

When you first log in to your eBay account you will see the most important feature of the page, which is the search bar, This is where potential buyers would type in their keywords for whatever it is they are looking for. Try opening up your eBay account and typing in something really obscure in this search bar and see what comes up. I put in Indian Postage Stamps and got some results for that!

Keywords are very important for both buyers and sellers as they are the words or phrases which describe exactly what is being looked for or sold. The importance of keywords or phrases in learning how to sell on eBay can't be overestimated, as these are basically what connects the buyer with the seller.

When eBay searches for listings matching the keywords you have typed into the search bar, it attempts to match the keywords which have been entered with the words in the titles or descriptions of items for sale, in order to bring back the most relevant listings to your search. As someone who is selling on eBay, if you don't have the right keywords or phrases in your title you're missing the main opportunity to bring traffic to your listing!

The Importance of Categories

Although relevant keywords and phrases are important to your eBay business, they are not the only way people search for stuff for sale. You can also browse listings by using eBay's categories, which are just underneath the search bar. If you click on a category it will take you to a list of items for sale and you can further refine your search by using the options on the left. A category search is probably something that an impulse buyer would use, in other words someone who is not looking for anything specific.

So if you want to learn how to sell on eBay, you need be sure to enter your items in the correct search category for maximum exposure.
Although most of your buyers will find your listings of items to sell through a keyword search, it is important not to underestimate the group of users who will always prefer categories, as impulse purchases can be very important to the overall success of your business.

eBay's Specialty Sites

As the name suggests specialty sites cater for buyers with very specific demands and this could be something that you could use to advantage as you become more experienced at how to sell on eBay.

eBay Motors is exactly the same as eBay, except that it is strictly for vehicles.

eBay Express provides an alternative for those buyers who prefer the traditional e-commerce experience, such as the one Amazon provides. The main benefit for buyers is that they can load up all their purchases into a shopping cart and make just one payment. They also get a much higher level of security when they purchase here, as not just any seller can use eBay Express. There is a strict criteria that includes providing quality, brand-new goods, accepting returns and having a very good feedback rating.

eBay Stores are mini-sites run off the eBay server. A store gives you your own separate web page and url and allows buyers to search your listings, just as they would on a standalone website. Once again there are some criteria to fulfill before you can start a store and this would be something to consider after you have gained some good feedback for your sales and more experience of how to sell on eBay.

To Sum Up

The value of Keyword Reasearch cannot be overestimated, as keywords are your main weapon for getting prospective customers to your page. Do this properly and you will have great success with your auctions.
If you scroll to the bottom of the Buy page on eBay, you can click on Keywords and also on Popular Searches to see what keywords your prospective buyers are using.

Whichever method of selling you eventually choose to present your items for sale, your keyword research is the most important aspect of learning how to sell on eBay and get your products before millions of hungry eyes with their credit cards in hand!