AW Daily - Tips & Tactics - Before the Auction: Timesaving Strategies

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Before the Auction: Timesaving Strategies continued ...

Out With the Old
Is that prehistoric Pentium-133 on its last legs? Tired of waiting for pages load because of an obsolete modem speed? Well then consider upgrading your PC. Slower, older computers will slow you down. The good news is that PCs have decreased in price over the last few years, and you can get a relatively fast midrange computer for around $1,000. Take our word for it: The investment will be worth it in the long run. A faster, more powerful, and Internet-friendly computer will translate into better productivity levels for you. And, of course, the same holds true for all types of equipment--digital cameras, scanners, and so on. Good gear will save you time.

Accepting Credit Cards
Credit cards are becoming increasingly prevalent as a method of payment for online auction users. And saving time is one of the main reasons for the popularity of plastic. No visits to the bank to deposit personal checks, money orders, or cashier's checks. And no waiting for checks to clear. Granted, some folks remain hesitant about credit cards, but accepting them is a great idea for sellers seeking to better streamline their auction biz. (For more information on credit cards, see our tip on accepting credit cards.)

Feedback Foibles
We alluded to this earlier, but it's worth repeating: Leave feedback in batches once or twice a week. If you're a high-volume seller conducting dozens (if not hundreds) of transactions per week, you don't want to waste time by leaving feedback sporadically and haphazardly. Again, choose a day as your feedback day and post all your comments then. Leaving feedback without a set plan can, like those multiple visits to the post office, turn into a real time killer.

Listing
Some sellers prefer to list items every day, so that they always have a new auction or auctions in the "New Today" section of a site. However, if you're trying to save time, think about listing only on a specific day or days. Remember: Listing on certain days of the week--as well as certain times of the day--can help generate better bidding. (For more information, see our tip on timing auctions.)

Also, a lot of auction sites offer the option of relisting automatically when you're listing an auction the first time around. If you're planning on relisting if the item doesn't sell initially, then go ahead and select the automatic relist option. It's just one less thing you'll have to worry about later on. (For more information on relisting, see our tip on relisting auctions.)

Two More for the Road
Although message boards can be fun and informative (and even addictive), don't spend excessive amounts of time on them--or mindlessly surfing the Web, for that matter--when you could be listing, looking for new merchandise, or otherwise focusing on your auctions. We're not saying to avoid message boards or go cold turkey for periods of time; just make sure that you have a balance between your social online activities and your serious selling ones. One last tip that might be obvious but bears repeating: Bookmark your favorite auction sites. There's no need why you should have to type in a URL every time you log on.

Accepting Credit Cards
Setting Up Your Auction Office
Writing Descriptions