Auction Domains on eBay - The Complete Guide

Format Your Listings

A long time ago, I used to list my auctions with plain simple text, no pictures, colors -- nothing. It worked, but didn't exactly help me get great results. HTML tags, on the other hand, can help present the information in a clear way, and grab the user's attention:

• You can use color, bullets, and lists to organize information. However, try not to overdo it -- it can become unattractive very fast.
• Use judgment in designing the auction page. For example, if a black background is created with white text, it will be readable, but some people won't like the dark page, while hardly anyone will have a problem with a white background (as long as text is dark enough to be easily read).
• Appease visitors with a little eye candy.

Avoid Partnerships

Something to watch out for is other eBay auctioneers who contact you to say that their auction is similar, and how about a partnership? For example, a user who claims they have a search engine for sale always contacts me, saying it receives "10k - 20k" visits every 6 hours. They ask if I want to list my site at the top of their shopping listings for US$20 so I can say in my auction schpiel that my site attracts a lot of visitors.

The first few times I received these emails, I sent a normal note saying "No thanks. I'm not interested, and this kind of thing is clearly against eBay rules." Then, when they didn't stop, I emailed them once saying something along these lines:

"Hello. Nice to hear from you again. Let me try to find the default draft email I've saved for you. I think I saved it in my "Reply to Spam" template emails. Let me find it and I'll get back to you."

They didn't contact me again.

Be cautious before doing any partnerships of any kind with a domain name. Chances are it's against eBay rules and regulations.

Keep an Eye on eBay Policy

EBay regularly changes their listing policies. For example, they recently changed the "appraisal" policy for domain names. In the new policy, if a domain name is said to have been appraised, proof must be provide in the form of a link, a text message stating and "quoting" the exact appraisal, or a picture of it the appraisal certificate.

Like I said before, paying for appraisal to a site like Afternic is not a necessity and a free appraisal will do. Simply take a snapshot of the page (CTRL+Print Screen), paste it into Paint Shop or PhotoShop, cut the required image, and upload it to eBay (eBay allows one free picture per auction. There is, however, the option to upload as many pictures as you need to another server. If you upload the pictures to your own website, link to them using html code, and they will show up nicely).

Add a Logo

A simple way to maximize bidding is to place any logo made for the domain name on the auction page. Don't forget to write a note to let bidders know that the logo is included in the auction. It's not required, but a nice logo can really boost the bidding for a domain.

Run Multiple Auctions Simultaneously

It actually helps to run multiple auctions at the same time. If someone likes your auction, but not the particular item they located, they can click on your username to view other auctions that are currently open. Users do this often and frequently end up bidding on other open auctions.

Use the Domain Name in the Auction Title

It's also a good idea to write domain name itself in the auction topic or title, as this makes it easy for people to find your auction in a search, not to mention that people will see the domain name before they click the auction link. People are more apt to visit an auction when they know what you're selling, and while this approach may increase competition between the values of auctions, it also increases traffic to your auction page.

Advertise Free Transfer

If domain transfer is free, mention it with pride in your auction. Put it in big, clear text; it's abbreviated as "FT" on eBay. You might even want to add "FT" to the title of the auction, as well as in the auction details (I usually add it at the bottom of my listings). Explain in detail on the auction page if there is a transfer fee, how the buyer will need to pay for everything. The less confusing your auction is for a visitor, the more likely they will be to bid.