eBay auctions: how long should they run?

As an eBay seller, you have all the control on your auctions and how long they should run. Depending on your feedback ratings, your auctions can run for ten, five, three or even for only one day if the feedback is good enough.

Having the ability to choose different durations for your auctions is quite an advantage. Yet, deciding how long your items should be listed, requires knowing the answers of these questions:

"Do you want to sell your items quickly?"
If you prefer selling your items in only a few days, with the risk that you might lose some of your profit, then select the shortest duration available. On the other hand, if you have enough patience, then a longer duration is the thing for you.

"How valuable is your item?"
An item with a higher price should be re-listed every 3 days. You can even use the "Buy It Now" option in that case. The fees deducted for doing that will only be minimal in regard to the item's price. Listing items with higher prices gives you the chance to be in a top place on the search results, which means more sales for you.

"A competitive bidding: Is it good for your item?"
Not every item has the ability to make bidders try to outbid one another. An item that keeps on getting more than five bids, is worth to get listed for the longest time possible to reach its best price. Bidders will be curious to follow your auction for as long as it lasts, while offering higher prices as they go.

"Sellers who get best prices: What do they do?"
To have an answer for that question, you need to go back to that list of completed items, and have a look at how long those sellers let their winner auctions run. There is a possibility that their tactics do work well.

Shipping: How fast can you do it?
Customers like to get their purchased items as fast as possible. They think it is more than enough that they waited until the auction is over. So, if your auction is running for a long duration, try to get your items packed and ready for shipping on the day the auction ends.

When to have a one day running auction?
If it is the holiday season or your specific item is suddenly required, then having a one day running auction is what you should do. A fast turnover is surely for your best interest, so make use of the least duration option.

Do you want to be always visible on eBay?
Being an eBay seller, you might already know that eBay sorts search results according to which auctions end first. So, the sooner your auction ends, the more views it will get.

Now that you know the importance of setting the right durations for your auctions, it is time to be familiar with different ways to increase your auction’s visibility on eBay. But, this is another email, so keep checking your inbox.