Selling something online and writing a description isn’t rocket science, but sometimes it’s hard to know if you’re putting the right thing.

Thousands of people log in every day to list their items for sale online.  If you’ve never sold anything online before this process may seem daunting.  For someone who has been using computers for years may seem pretty simple. 

To sell an item online all you really need to do is figure out a price of the item and a brief description.  Prices may differ from person to person based on how old the item is, the shape the item is in, or the quality of the item.  The price can be whatever you are comfortable with or, if you’ve done your research, whatever the average current value of your item. 

The title, however, is the key ingredient to this recipe. When writing a description it is helpful to think about what a potential buyer would be looking for.  For example if you were trying to sell a pair of shoes, the title “Shoes for Sale” wouldn’t give a potential buyer any idea what you were really selling.  An example of a good title would be, “Size 7 Brown Suede JCrew Shoes.”

A good title is brief, in less than seven words, and it contains important keywords that potential buyers will be looking for.  In the detailed description of the item you can elaborate as much as you can.  Does it have any scratches?  How old is it?  Is it still wrapped?  Why don’t you need it any longer?

The final thing you should do when selling an item is attach a picture.  When someone can visualize your item it makes a world of difference!  With a brief, descriptive title and a photo you are sure to get a great response from what you are selling.

Below are more examples that can help steer you in the right direction when naming your title.

Selling:  A used car.
Good title:  ’95 Black Celica 15,000 miles

Selling:  An unworn item of clothing.
Good title:  Never worn Monique Lulhier Ivory dress

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