For many sellers, listings are rather like the human genome. The template code resembles the full DNA sequence. It’s been tweaked and added to over time. A one-off problem occurs, so the seller adds a caveat or note to their listings. In the same way that we humans still have the DNA (I imagine) to develop gills or grow tails, lots of listings have extraneous details. It’s time to trim down.
To get a sense of just how long an eBay View Item page is, print one of yours out. It’s astonishing. Obviously, much of this is compulsory content from eBay, but you might be adding to sprawl.
Keep it Short
The one thing that most sellers know is that many buyers don’t spend a great deal of time reading listings. So make it easy for them. Key information can often be digested into bullet points or short, pithy sentences. Rambling paragraphs are a turn-off. Use bold and caps for emphasis.
Clearly Works
Clean, crisp, uncluttered templates and designs work. Garish wallpaper, zany text colours on bright backgrounds are distracting and potentially impossible for people with visibility issues to read. Stick to dark text on light backgrounds. And absolutely no bloody wizards tracking the cursor around the screen.
Be Friendly
Exhaustive Ts and Cs might make you feel better but they also serve to make you look slightly paranoid and unfriendly. It’s always possible to cut them down and DO check the tone. You may have had a bad experience with a tricky buyer 18 months ago, but your new customers don’t need to know about.
Tomorrow: Returns Policy