Make the Best with What ya Got!!

The online seller has advantages and also disadvantages to a brick and mortar store.

Advantage - You can be your buyers personal salesperson by what you put in the listing. Giving complete information, size, color and especially if the item is used, the condition the item is in.

Disadvantage - Online pictures are not as good as picking up the item and turning it over, looking inside it, and checking it completely out. The buyer does not have the opportunity to feel the item or smell the item.

So, here are some tips that I hope you, as the online seller, take to heart!!

1. Always put in your policies/listings any thing in your home that might affect your buyer such as "pet friendly" and "I do smoke in my home". That way, there are no surprises when the buyer gets an item and they might find a cat hair or two. If you sell used items but don't smoke, make mention of the fact but also tell the buyer this comes from another source.

2. I've always found that cleaning an item is GOOD!!! Not only does it look better, but in some cases, you get that smoke odor/soot off the item. If you can't clean the item, say so in the listing.

3. When taking pictures, remember THIS IS THE ONLY WAY YOUR BUYER SEES THE ITEM!!

A.  Make sure it's clean.

B. Don't include the pet hair.

C. Use a plain backdrop (white posterboard works great and it's cheap).

D. Get RID of the junk around the item. 

E. Crop the picture if necessary.

Get several different views so that the buyer can "turn" the item around as they would if they were picking it up. And also remember that the first picture is a very small picture when looking at it on the internet. Get the most exposure you can for that picture. Don't paste several pictures together, this just makes the main picture smaller in comparison to everyone elses and less likely the buyer can see your item fully. 

I have run into bad pictures now and again. I'm NOT a professional photographer and in fact, need to work on getting my own pictures to look sharper. But I do pride myself on trying to make sure that the item I am photographing is clean and clutter free. So, here are some examples of what I'm talking about.

This is a used sock. I am just using it for an example. The first sock, I petted our dog Sassy really hard and found lots of dog hair. It is now on the sock. (Thank you Sassy!!) The second is the clean one. 

 Now if you were in the market for a sock like this, would you be more likely to purchase the first or second sock? Especially given that the price is about the same?

 This is a Hemmingray insulator. We have lots of these and I've listed a couple. Now if you were in the market for a Hemmingray 42 insulator, would you be more likely to purchase the first or second insulator?

This is Hemmingray 4-57 Insulator. Same question, which would you prefer?

Please note that the surrounding area makes a HUGE difference in the pictures. Do you ever wonder where the item is coming from when you see an exceptionally cluttered area? Are you a little more hesitant about purchasing it? And imagine these pictures being little thumbnail pictures. Which ones are going to catch YOUR eye?

We at OLA.com have tutorials that help the seller with different aspects of online selling in the Chats and welcome OLA.com members to look them over. And if there is ever a question, the members are always ready to help!!

I hope this helps you as a seller. Again, I am NOT a professional photographer. I am just a seller and a BUYER who knows what I like when searching for something I wish to purchase or promote.

I wish you the best in your online sales!! Please come over to OLA.com for your needs!! And we would be honored to have you check out our store, Korn Kountry Treasures!

Thank you!