Using online auctions is a relatively inexpensive way to promote your products or services. On the downside, they can be very time-consuming to post too - especially if you're only making a few dollars profit per sale. Several steps are involved before you can post your auction on major sites such as; eBay or Yahoo! Shopping Auctions. If you're new to selling via online auctions, the following steps will make listing your item a smooth and easy process.

• Plan your item title and description. Give some thought to naming and describing your item. What will buyers most want to know about it? What are its most appealing characteristics? What words might buyers use to search for your item?
• Write your HTML code. If you plan to include HTML, complete and test your code before you get started with the listing process. Learn more about HTML.
• Have a good picture of your item in an appropriate digital format. JPEG (.jpg) is recommended. If you host your own photos, have your photos uploaded to your service. In some cases, you'll need your photos stored on your computer's hard drive
• Plan your pricing. You may want to do a little research into the selling prices of other items similar to yours. This will help you set your starting price.
• Registration. This usually will require your credit/ debit card and bank account information. It is recommended you write down your registration information (username and password) or save it in a place you will remember in the future.

You're now prepared to sell your item!

A few things to keep in mind after you've made the sell:

1) Communicate With The Buyer. Some auction sites offer a checkout service in which you must verify before receiving payment. Contact the buyer directly if you have not heard from the buyer within three days of your listing's end.

2) Receive Payment eBay and Yahoo! offer their own payment solutions. Another popular method used by auctioneers is PayPal. If the buyer hasn't already made payment, send them a letter explaining how they should proceed.

3) Ship Your Order Immediately You don't want your buyer to get angry. Many auctions provide buyer and seller feedback systems. It's hard to sell products with a bad rating and several negative buyer comments.