As the saying goes, a picture tells a thousand words - so let's
make the most of our eBay auction photos to enhance our listings!
Many sellers make the mistake of only including one photo in
their auction ads.
I believe that the more photos you show bidders of your eBay
item, the better! You should show your auction item from multiple
angles and on different surfaces.
Also, be aware of what it is you're taking a photo of...and focus
in on the object. It should fill the viewfinder. You don't want
your item to appear as if it's the mountains in your landscape
picture.
Be sure you use the best possible photos of your item since
that's what many buyers will use to make a decision on whether
they will bid on your item or not. Remember, your potential
buyers can't actually pick up and hold your item in front of
them. They will need your help to visualize what it is that
you're selling.
Good white lighting with no glare is essential for jewelry
photographs. See how to make your own quick and easy $15 photo
studio link below for taking great jewelry pictures with a
digital camera.
#1 Mistake: eBay Auction Photos that Are Too Large in Size
If your auction ad takes too long to load, you're going to have
impatient bidders leaving without ever viewing it.
The mega tip that I can give you is:
You will have a great advantage over your competition by having a
fast loading auction picture. When your auctions load slowly,
buyers become impatient and "click" they have moved on to the
next auction. Don't keep buyers waiting!
Use Multiple Photos:
I recommend putting more than one picture in your auction. When a
buyer sees multiple pictures of the item, it puts you above your
competition. It shows that you have put more effort into your
presentation.
Now, be sure to put in meaningful photos, not "fluff". If the
photo doesn't add any meaningful information, then don't put it
there. If there's a flaw in your auction item, be sure to take a
close up of the flaw and include some words pointing it out.
You'll win points for honesty.
What Good eBay Auction Photos Mean to Bidders:
Good eBay auction photos help people gain a positive perception
of you and your product. Imagine you're traveling away from home
and driving down a busy road looking for a place to stop and have
something to eat. You see two restaurants - one with a fresh,
beautiful sign, and one with a nasty old peeling, handwritten
sign. Which one are you going to trust with the security of your
stomach? And what about the remainder of your trip?
Customers choose the seller who cares enough to look professional
- and that should be you! Remember, you want all potential buyers
to be able to quickly load up your auction page and think "Hey,
this seller knows what he/she is doing!"
See for yourself how much better you can take your photos, or
even retake them. You can resize your photos and sharpen them to
their best view in just a few minutes. When I'm taking my photos,
I take at least seven shots. That way I'm sure to get three that
are clear, sharp and close to perfection.
Three Tips for Winning eBay Auction Photos:
Try these tips and see what a huge difference they can make in
your auction appearance:
1) NEVER use a BMP file in your auctions! Many cameras and
scanners use this format by default. Instead, use Microsoft Paint
to load it up, and click on "Save As". Look for the box for "Save
as type", change that to "JPEG (.JPG...)" Add ".JPG" to the end
of the filename that appears. Don't forget to Click on SAVE. This
photo will now be much smaller than the original and will load in
your auction quicker!
2) Take the picture using a camera resolution as close as
possible to the actual width that the picture will be in your
HTML ad. Let me explain. I normally display one of my pictures at
600 pixels width in my auctions. This assures that nearly
everyone should be able to see the entire picture without having
to scroll. Many eBay sellers will take a picture that is 1280 x
1024 (1.2 mega pixels) or larger and never resize it smaller.
3) When photographing your jewelry with a scanner, you can select
the number of colors to scan with. You may be able to select 16
bits, or 8 bits (256 colors). Scan, then use Microsoft Paint to
load it up, and click on "Save As". On the bottom of the screen,
there is a box for "Save as type", change that to "256 Color
BMP". Add "256.BMP" to the end of the filename that appears in
the box above. This will remind you how many bits of color you
used. Click on SAVE.
This image will be much smaller than the original. View it on the
screen and take a real close look. If the picture looks good at
256 colors, then you want to try saving it as a JPEG file. On the
bottom of the screen, there is a box for "Save as type", change
that to "JPEG". Add "256.JPG" to the end of the filename that
appears in the box above. This will remind you how many bits of
color you used. Click on SAVE. This new image will be much
smaller than the original. If it looks okay, then use this
picture.
You'll gain an advantage over your competition using these tips
for high quality pictures in your auction ads. I offer more
detailed hints and tips for successful eBay auction photos in my
eBook, Easy Internet Selling - just click on the Return to Home
Page Link below.