If you want to sell anything successfully on eBay you need to know the ins and outs of writing a good listing that will get people buying from you. This is not that difficult once you know how. The same principles can also be applied to website sales copy, so we are killing two birds with one stone.

Firstly we want to establish our product as unique (or as unique as possible). Now could we do this with a DVD? Hardly. However with an African Mask for example though it would be relatively easy to stand out from the crowd.

Create a story to go along with your product. I find quite often when I'm buying from eBay, if it's from a personal seller and not from a store, and the item isn't new, I think "why are they selling it?" Make sure you answer that question.

Write a killer headline, five times as many people read the headline as the body copy. You have to grab their attention, aviod headlines which merely create curiosity, we want the visitor to read on. Don't talk about the features of your product in your headline, talk about it's benefits. You want to generate excitement in the reader. If you can, try and work out a way that your product could solve a problem that your reader might have. Remember, a good headline usually answers the question "what's in it for me?"

Describe your item in detail. Don't leave anything out. You should aim to answer every single question possible bidders may have about your product.

Create urgency in your listing.If people get the idea that they can come back and bid a few days later the chances are they won't come back, and you will lose them. Give them a reason to take immediate action, once they have made a bid they won't want to lose the item. If it's a one off, or hard to come by product make sure you emphasise that fact. Rarity and/or urgency can get people bidding like crazy.

Detail your terms and conditions. This is important, leave these out of your listings and you are asking for trouble. You'll get disputes, returns, and misunderstandings aplenty. Don't think that people will automatically read your payment and shipping details. However if you have put them in there, together with any special conditions if you have any, you will save yourself a lot of hassle.

Do include a strong guarantee. You can say something like "If you aren't satisfied with your purchase you can have a full, no questions asked, refund". This will not only reassure your visitors that your product is of good quality and worth bidding for, but will also set you apart from the majority of your competitors, who do not offer such a guarantee.

Ask for the sale. It's common sense, but you'd be surprised how many people completely miss this one. You need to ask people to take action. Tell them to place a bid today to avoid missing out, or something similar. It's a simple thing to do, but miss this one out and you are losing potential bidders.

Writing a killer eBay listing is not difficult in itself, it can actually be an enjoyable task, especially when you think of the rewards. Most people will just shove up a product, price it, and trust to luck. By following the steps above you will be able to distinguish yourself from other listings and really stand out. Try it today, and watch your profits soar.