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What's
in a name? Plenty, especially when it comes to auction titles.
Compelling, useful, and searchable titles are crucial to
successful online auctions. Let's face it: If you can't grab
them with your title, your auction will likely get lost in the
shuffle. Here are some pointers on how to create better titles
and therefore give your auctions the visibility and presence
they deserve.
Naming
Names
Of course you want to be descriptive, accurate, and concise when
coming up with your titles--which is easier said than done.
There's a fine art to penning good titles. What to include? What
not to include? Be specific enough so that you appeal to buyers
who know what they want, but general enough so that people who
are merely browsing will be interested as well.
Think of a title as your one and only
chance to nab potential customers--you need to lure them in
quickly and convince them that your auction is worth checking
out with only a handful words. For starters, you'll want to
include the basics like the name or type of item (if it's a CD,
say, include that, as well as the title and the name of the
artist or band and perhaps the genre of music) and notable or
distinguishing information (what the item is made of, if it's an
antique, if it's a special or first edition, if it was made in a
particular year, etc.). Some sellers like to include
auction-specific information too, such as "No res" or
"Dutch." Capitalization is another title tactic. So if
you're selling a CD by the band Wilco, you could enter
"WILCO" for visual emphasis (just don't overdo it by
capping the entire title).
Avoid the following in your auction
titles: irrelevant or synonymous adjectives ("cool,"
"awesome," "must-see"), superfluous phrases
("once in a lifetime"), slogans, buzzwords, and
excessive punctuation (i.e., repeated exclamation points). Also,
be aware that some sites impose character limits to titles, so
you have to be selective about what you want to say (the limit
at eBay is 45). Use the allotted space wisely and efficiently.
Keywords
Are Key
When you're deciding on a title, consider whether or not the
words included will serve as good keywords--that is, words that
buyers will do searches for when they're looking for items on an
auction site. Yes, with a snappy and well-done title you'll be
able to attract some rubberneckers; however, most users rely on
searches to find their items. By using good keywords, your
auction is more likely to show up in more search results.
For example, let's say you're selling
that Wilco CD, which is called "Being There." Here's a
possible title:
WILCO CD Being There - Country
Rock - Uncle Tupelo
Here we have the band's name (in
caps), the music format (CD), the CD's title ("Being
There"), and the type of music (country and rock), in
addition to the band (Uncle Tupelo) that several members of
Wilco used to belong to. This covers a lot of keyword
possibilities within a small amount of space.
How about if you're selling a Phantom
Menace poster (which probably isn't worth as much as you'd
like)? Don't just settle for "Phantom Menace Poster"
as your title. You've got more space than that--use it. Include
"Star Wars" as well (or any specific characters
featured in the poster), so that someone who does a more general
search for "star wars poster" won't miss your auction.
Lastly, it's OK to sacrifice some
grammar and readability for the sake of having better keywords
in your auction. And don't rely on using keywords only in your
auction description. Some people will do searches for titles
only (which is the default search on eBay, meaning that if your
title doesn't include good keywords some folks might never get a
chance to eyeball your auction).
Start
Making Sense
One final note: Clever is OK, but avoid the obnoxious--no
"L@@K," "DEAL OF THE MILLENNIUM," or
"MuSt HaVe!!!!" Such declarations are not only
annoying but also unnecessary. As a seller, your auction title
is one of the first things a buyer encounters. Basically, a
title is like a first impression. Make it a good one.
Back to Auction tips &
tactics
by Vendio Services
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