1. Be careful using the Reserve Price Auction (RPA)
No one likes a reserve. Most people understand the necessity for it, but there are a large percentage of users who will simply not bid on RPA. If you know something will sell, then price it slightly lower than the minimum you will take.
If you are selling a very expensive item, certainly place a reserve on it, but let the potential bidders know what the reserve is. It doesn't have to be a secret. The point of a reserve is to protect you against something selling too cheaply. Being open about your reserve can actually help you get bids.
2. Increase bids by making your auctions readable
Use a short opening paragraph that promises something ?and then deliver on the promise. Describe the product ?but also write about its benefits and/or how it is used. If you have personally used the product, describe your experience.
Short sentences are more readable than long ones. If you write a long sentence, follow it with a short one. Keep your paragraphs to less than 3 or 4 lines. Boldface important words or phrases. Include attention-getters: questions, news items, a guarantee or a promise. Ask for the bid at the end of the description. Use active verbs and enthusiastic language.
3. Use Bold, and Highlight to increase visibility
These features cost a little so they are not appropriate for low cost items unless you are using a Dutch auction ?but it has been proved that they increase both hits and bids.
4. Use a hit counter to track your auction
The most important thing to know about an item that did not sell is: Did it not get hits, or did it get hits and did not get bids? If you are getting hits and not bids, then you know there is demand and interest in the item, but there is something wrong with your price or your description. If you are not getting hits, then there is either no demand or interest in the item or your headline stinks.
eBay offers a hit counter option when you list your auction. You should always use it. If you use an auction management service like Vendio or Auctiva, they also offer a free hit counter.
5. Always use a regional listing
There are some people who only/prefer to buy from their local regions. When you pick a region, it doesn't limit your auction to a region, it just tells sellers from that area that you are nearby. There is no charge to use a regional listing.
6. Build a mailing list of your customers
If you followed my advice to specialize, then you will be building a base of customers who buy your type or category of product. Once someone bids on your auction, or sends you an email with a question, then you ?not eBay, own that email address and you can communicate with that person in the future.
Whenever you are launching an auction, send your existing customers an email letting them know. (Not every little auction ?but for special hard to find items). Because someone actually purchased something from you, you now own that customer so it is not against eBay's regulations to market to them directly through email or from your web site.