Quite simply, potentail bidders use eBay's category system to find items, when they're not looking for something specific. You should be aware to the fact that many people search eBay by this method. You must understand that if your item finds itself listed in an incorrect category then any potential bidders are just not going to find your eBay auction, so what is the point in listing it in the first place.
Don't ignore the fact that you are actually breaking eBay's listing rules by placing your item in an incorrect category. Be aware, eBay say they 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, Just think of that for a moment. All your hard work gone, even including losing PowerSeller status if you have it.
How to Find the Correct eBay Category
When you place your item eBay will give you suggested categories for it. All you do is type a few words to describe your 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 will do all the work and find the best category for you.
If you are not entirley happy with the result, then search for similar items like yours, and note which category most of them seem to be in. This information is near the top of each item's description page. It is important to seek as many different words and descriptiond for your item and analysis the results. Don't forget to look at all the categories located in eBay's front page facility.
The more specific your category is, it is obvious that there is greater potential for the auction to be successful. Therefore, utilise as many subcategories as you think are appropriate. Don't just list your HP laptop in the 'Computers' category, for example. It can be more profitable to list it in "Computers>Laptops>HP". This will result in your item appearing not only in the 'Computers' category, as well as 'Computers > Laptops', because items listed in subcategories are always listed in every category above.
If More Than One eBay Category Fits
There is a solution to this. For a small extra fee, you can list your item in an extra eBay category, and obviously this increases the number of potential buyers who will see it. Is this worth it? Sometimes it will be, though some items only really fit properly in one category, and listing them in extra categories may not really be cost effective.
