Making a quick buck online has never been easier or safer than with eBay. For both buyers and sellers, eBay provides a simple, direct way to find deals and generate cash. Listing an item is a straightforward process, but there are a few tips and tricks to maximizing a listing that can help sellers earn a little more. Posting your listing during peak times helps ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to snap up a bargain.
Starting Times
Generally, the best times to list an item are when most people will be browsing the Internet. For most potential bidders, this will be in the evenings, when people are home from work or school. Sundays are also a peak time to attract attention -- it's the weekend but, unlike Friday and Saturday, buyers will often be staying home in the evening, preparing for the coming work week.
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Ending Times
The ending time is determined by the starting time, as items are listed in 24-hour increments. A listing that lasts one day and starts on Monday at 7 p.m. will end on Tuesday at 7 p.m. For this reason, it's a good idea to think about starting and ending times together. Aiming to end in the evening, and on Sunday evening in particular, is usually an effective strategy for generating the highest bids.
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Duration
In a world of one-click purchases, it might seem that a shorter bidding time-frame is a better way to go, but usually the opposite is true. In order for a listing to gather interest, it should be up on the site for at least a week. This allows the listing to gather plenty of watchers, who will be ready to pounce in the final hours of the auction.
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Target Market
Just like in any other business, it's worth taking the time to consider the target buyer. Parents of very young children may be looking for items at different times than single professionals or students. Teachers might have different browsing habits to IT professionals, and vice versa. If it's unclear exactly who the target market is, have a look at the average price similar items have sold for and identify when the most lucrative sales were made, then calibrate the price and auction time frame accordingly.
Worst Times
One way to think about the best time to list items is to think about the best eBay bargains. Whatever time of day the best bargains are to be found is exactly the time to avoid when it comes to selling items. Typically, this is early in the morning or very late at night when most potential bidders are sleeping. Friday and Saturday evenings also tend to be poor times for making a sale as people are out enjoying the weekend.
