When it comes to selling online, a critical element to your auctions success is the amount of detail you provide in your listing. Remember your buyer cannot touch, feel or pickup your item, so its your job to tell them as much as you possibly can about the product so they can make an informed decision as to whether or not your item will work for them.

Some of the key items I like to make sure I specify are as follows:

• Item condition
• Detailed description of item
• Defects, if applicable
• Payment methods accepted
• How and where you ship to
• Cost for shipping
• Is your household smoking/non-smoking, pet friendly/pet free

While the first few should be self explanatory, I do want to go into further detail on the last four.

Payment methods accepted:

While Paypal is the primary payment method on eBay, there are some sellers who are willing to accept money orders, and on occasion personal checks just to name a few. I personally accept only Paypal as it provides nearly instant payment without having to worry about whether a check will bounce, or if a money order will clear. I do give buyers the option to contact me should they be interested in another payment option, but must admit most if not all pay via Paypal which makes my life easier.

How and where you ship to:

eBay is a worldwide marketplace, but with the increase in fees the postal service put in place this year, it has become quite costly to ship to other areas outside the country in which you live. While I personally choose to ship only within the US as that is where I am based, its up to you as to whether or not you would like to offer worldwide shipping. Just keep in mind, the more areas you ship to, the more you will have to interact with customs and run the risk of your item being searched and possibly confiscated.

I also like to disclose the method of shipping that will be used. I personally like to use USPS First class mail for small items, and parcel post for items weighing over 1 lb. They have proven to be the most cost effective method for shipping. Keep in mind, you are free to choose other methods, but most if not all come at a higher fee.

Cost for shipping:

As I have stated previously, today's eBay buyer is out for the best possible deal, and I have found that the shipping cost seems to play greatly into that decision. I have tried to list items with a nominal shipping charge of $6, which was still well below my cost for shipping, only to have not one person bid on the item. Then when I re-listed the very same item with free shipping, the very same item received one if not multiple bids resulting in shipping charges being a trial and error of sorts for me. I suggest not charging a whole lot for shipping, and actually recommend using free shipping if possible. But this choice is totally up to you and should be made based on what you feel comfortable with.

Is your household smoking/non-smoking, pet friendly/pet free:

Since many buyers may have pet or other allergies, the last thing you want to do is upset a buyer because they had a reaction to your item due simply to the fact that you neglected to mention that the item came from a house full of cats. I personally have received items from sellers that reeked of cigarette smoke and it turned me off from buying them in the past simply because they did not think to disclose it in their item listing. It only takes a few seconds and your buyers, especially those with allergies will thank you for it.