You can find anything online from autos to Xboxes, from bellybutton rings to yo-yos, and whatever your heart desires. Conversely, there is someone, anywhere who will buy what you might be selling on the Internet.

In order to command top dollar for any product, it's important to have better marketing than the competition. This is common sense. The companies or individuals who outsell the rest do not always have the best product... they are just better marketers. You can be one of those marketing gurus with a few simple tricks of the trade.

Tips for a great photo
First of all, a great photo is extremely important. If you surf through the auctions and even Web sites that sell a specific item, the highest bids and prices are carried by those whom have mastered the art of displaying those products in an appealing and visually pleasing manner, like those shown in Figure A.

FIGURE A


These are examples of photos taken using a simple homemade tabletop setup with burlap textured fabric. White or tan burlap is effective and inexpensive. Photo by Anne Violette. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Clean up your scene
Some people take simple snapshots without attention to detail -- meaning the living room, car or other distractions can be present in the backdrop. Look through the lens and see if any unnecessary items are visible, and be sure to remove them from the scene.

Never use a camera phone
Second, never take photos with a camera phone or low resolution camera. The images look shoddy and your advertising will scream amateur. It scares away prospective buyers. Think about it, would you feel more confident buying an item from a company that looks like they took the time to make a professional appearance over one who just casually snapped a photo and slapped it up online? Of course you would. You'd probably assume that if the company couldn't be bothered to make a nice photograph, then they could be just as sloppy about shipping your item on time or in a manner that would keep it from arriving without harm. Also, a sloppy photograph with low pixels will be a turn-off and may ruin the image of your product.

If you think you can't afford a decent camera to take photos with, I am here to tell you that you can't afford not to have one. On average, your best pictures will increase sales by at least 50% or more, conservatively. No matter whether it is an auction site or a site selling your specific products, the best photos sell more. Period.