Now turning our attention back to how to sell online. OK, so how do you actually make your listing better?
Well probably the first thing to keep in mind is this:
Make yourself easy to find.
How? you may ask, well, what words do you think a buyer would use to describe your product?
Start off by making a list of about 5 or so "keywords". You will want to use these keywords a few times each in your product name and description.
For your description, the more detailed it is the more likely it will rank higher in the search results when someone does a search on your keywords. Make sure you use your keywords twice each.
Also the product name is important, use the keywords here again. Trying to be as detailed and brief as possible.
For Example:
If you are selling candles, dont put 'candle' as your product name. It is far too broad and the chances of a buyer typing in 'candle', in the search engine, your product being ranked on the first few pages, the buyer clicking on your link, looking at the item and then choosing to buy is, unfortunatly, remote at best.
Instead, try something like 'Scented Soy Candle in a Frosted Glass contiainer with fitting lid', assuming of course that your product meets all these criteria.
This phrase is much more likely to get ranked higher because it has more detail, and more chances for a match. The buyer might search on 'scented candle', or 'soy candle', or 'candle in frosted glass container', or even 'frosted glass container with lid'. Ok, the buyer has clicked on your link and is looking at your product, you have been found. Thats the first hurdle.
The next hurdle is convincing them to buy YOUR product instead of continuing to search.
The first thing here is, after you have gained their attention, you need to keep thier attention. This is the job of the description. A description is like a long jumpers run up. It needs to be long enough, to get enough speed, and timed just right to get a good long jump. If the run up is too long, it is tiring, too short and there is not enough speed. If the jumper doest time their last step properly they either lose distance (at best) or are disqualified (at worst). Just like in selling, if your pitch is too long, many people wont finish reading it, if it is too short, there is not enough information to base a decision on. If the words are not used well, it can either confuse people, or put them off. The aim of the description is to get them to click the BUY button.
Imagine that you had 45 second to describe your product over the phone to someone. Thats your descrtiption. Write down all the important things, eg height, weight, uses, benefits, what its made from etc etc. and then at the end put an emotional benefit statement, something that the buyer is likely to connect with. Say you were writing an ad for an engagement ring. You put in all features first, then an emotional hook at the end like this: "1.1ct solitaire diamond, princess cut, set in a swriled 18ct gold claw setting... when getting a Yes! really matters." Then you back up your offer with several good pictures. Obviously it depends on what you are selling, but remember, dont cut corners right at the end. You may have worked for a long time to create / buy / build /grow etc what you are selling.
